The Gosho that has stayed with me throughout my practice. I think I got the card pictured below from an AGM we had once. Bring back the AGM's - I loved those! My first seven years in Youth Division were like water; steady and consistent... next seven years - definitely like fire. I'm using this Gosho as part of my experience tomorrow night at Chapter Study, and I'll include it on the blog next week.
My current "seven-year bell" period which will take me to 2016, sees me with faith like water, with the practice at the centre of my life. Throughout all of it, this Gosho card has sat on my butsudan. It's seen a lot, this card!
"Today there are people who have faith in the Lotus Sutra. The belief of some is like fire while that of others is like water. When the former listen to the teachings, their passion flares up like fire, but as time goes on, they tend to discard their faith. To have faith like water means to believe continuously without ever regressing."
(The Two Kinds of Faith - The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, Volume 1, page 899) http://www.sgilibrary.org/view.php?page=899 Selection source: Kyo no Hosshin, Seikyo Shimbun, August 2nd, 2012
Background
Nichiren Daishonin wrote this letter at Minobu to Nanjo Tokimitsu, the steward of Ueno Village in Suruga Province, in the second month of the fourth year of Kenji (1278). The previous year had been a time of turmoil. A serious drought had devastated crops, and the resulting famine brought countless hardships. In addition, an epidemic had swept the area, causing many deaths. At the same time, the threat of a second
invasion by Mongol forces contributed to a general feeling of unease.
In this letter, Nichiren Daishonin expresses his gratitude for Nanjo’s offerings and praises him for his deep sincerity. He introduces the concept of the two kinds of faith: faith like ephemeral fire and faith like ever-flowing water. The Daishonin lauds Nanjo’s faith as being like the latter.
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