Daily Gosho - Happiness in This World

Favourite quote, from one of my favourite Gosho. This is such straight and clear guidance. OK, things might be rubbish at the moment but so long as we keep chanting, the 'Spring' will come. Our absolute happiness comes from our deep faith and conviction that 'both suffering and joy' are facts of life; our constant is nam-myoho-renge-kyo...

"Suffer what there is to suffer, enjoy what there is to enjoy. Regard both suffering and joy as facts of life, and continue chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, no matter what happens."

(Happiness in This World - The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, Vol. 1, page 681) http://www.sgilibrary.org/view.php?page=681 Selection source: Kyo no Hosshin, Seikyo Shimbun, Sept 11th, 2012

Background

In the third month of 1275, about one year before this letter was written, Nichiren Daishonin warned Shijo Kingo, his loyal samurai follower who was an early convert, that as a practitioner of the Lotus Sutra he must be prepared to meet further difficulties and hardships.

In the present work, the Daishonin explains the nature of true happiness. It lies, he says, in chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. Suffering is unavoidable, he adds, encouraging Shijo Kingo to “regard both suffering and joy as facts of life, and continue chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, no matter what happens.” The Daishonin emphasizes that this is the way to experience “the boundless joy of the Law,” or the state of Buddhahood.