Daily Gosho - The Strategy of the Lotus Sutra

"Employ the strategy of the Lotus Sutra before any other."

(The Strategy of the Lotus Sutra - The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, Vol. 1, page 1001) http://www.sgilibrary.org/view.php?page=1000 Selection source: Kyo no Hosshin, Seikyo Shimbun, August 13th, 2012

So simple, but quite often, hard to remember! A wonderful Gosho which just really sums up our practice for me. I don't need to sit and worry, analyse the solution, predict the outcome. I just need to chant, and then base my subsequent actions on daimoku, and my Buddha qualities of courage, compassion and wisdom. Over the years, I've got a lot better at stopping myself when the worry-wort in me comes out to play, and remind myself that all I need to to do is use the strategy of the Lotus Sutra before any other lower-world influence... The other famous line in this Gosho is "Have profound faith. A coward cannot have any of his prayers answered.". So armed with my strong determined prayer, off to Eagle Peak I go. That's all I need. No additional ingredients required :)


Background
In the tenth month of the second year of Koan (1279), this letter was written in reply to a letter to Nichiren Daishonin from Shijo Kingo, informing him that Kingo had been ambushed by enemies among his fellow samurai, but had managed to escape unharmed.
The Daishonin teaches Kingo that faith must always come first, before any other tactic or strategy, and that faith in the Mystic Law is the ultimate factor that determines victory or defeat.