Daily Gosho - Letter to Horen

No matter which one of the Ten Worlds we are residing in currently, through the power of Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo, we can transform our lifestate into that of Buddhahood. This is explained by the concept of 'ichinen sanzen' - three thousand realms in a single moment of life. To study more about this Buddhist concept developed by T'ien-t'ai, please visit http://www.sgi.org/buddhism/buddhist-concepts/three-thousand-realms-in-a-single-moment-of-life.html

"The situation is like the joints in a piece of bamboo: if one joint is ruptured, then all the joints will split."

(Letter to Horen - The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, Vol.1, page 512) http://www.sgilibrary.org/view.php?page=505&m=0&q=  Selection Source: Kyo no Hosshin, Seikyo Shinbun, October 8th, 2012


Background
Soya Kyoshin, to whom this letter was addressed, lived in Soya Village in Katsushika District of Shimosa Province. Sometime around 1260 he converted to the Daishonin’s teachings. Then, around 1271, he became a lay priest, whereupon Nichiren Daishonin bestowed upon him the Buddhist name Horen (Law Lotus). At the time he received this letter, Kyoshin had been practicing the Daishonin’s Buddhism as one of the leading believers in the area for about fifteen years.
This somewhat lengthy letter was written at Minobu in the fourth month of the first year of Kenji (1275), when the Daishonin was fifty-four years old. It is one among nine extant writings that the Daishonin sent to Kyoshin, two of which were written in classical Chinese, their contents clearly indicating that he was highly educated.
The Daishonin had just received from Kyoshin a written declaration of the sort commonly read aloud at a memorial service, in which he explained that he had recited the Lotus Sutra to commemorate the thirteenth anniversary of his father’s death. In addition, Kyoshin mentioned that he had been performing a recitation of the verse section of the sutra’s “Life Span” chapter daily since the time of his father’s passing. In response, the Daishonin tells him that his devotion to the sutra is the truest form of filial piety, since only the Lotus Sutra can lead one’s parents, and all other living beings, to Buddhahood.
Here the Daishonin introduces the ancient Chinese story of the calligrapher Wu-lung and his son I-lung in order to illustrate how immeasurable the merit is that Kyoshin has been transferring to his deceased father through his continued recitation of the verse section of the “Life Span” chapter.
In the story, the calligrapher I-lung transcribes the title of each volume of the Lotus Sutra. As a result, he is able to save his father from his terrible distress in the hell of incessant suffering. But even such benefits as these, the Daishonin encourages Kyoshin, cannot compare to the benefits to be obtained from reciting the sutra. The Daishonin tells him that the verse section of the “Life Span” chapter represents the very heart of the twenty-eight chapters of the Lotus Sutra, and that the benefits to be gained from reciting it can only be calculated and expressed by a Buddha.
The Daishonin also gives his disciple instructions in various other teachings. He discusses the wonderful rewards to be gained by one who praises and makes offerings to the votary of the Lotus Sutra of the Latter Day of the Law. He also discusses the great gravity of the offense incurred by one who slanders the votary.
With regard to specific details about the practice of the Lotus Sutra, the Daishonin points out that the way to practice its teachings will necessarily vary with the times, and that a person of wisdom is one who perceives the times correctly and spreads the teachings accordingly. And he declares that practice in the Latter Day means spreading the Lotus Sutra without begrudging one’s life. Because he himself has carried out precisely this sort of practice, the Daishonin says, he has been persecuted by the authorities and is detested by all the people of Japan. And, he notes, he was earlier forced to live under bitter conditions at a bleak and desolate location in exile on Sado Island and is now dwelling where there are no provisions at all, in an isolated mountain valley called Minobu. The Daishonin mentions how moved he is that Kyoshin has come all the way to see him in such a forsaken place.
Commenting upon his three remonstrations with the Kamakura authorities, the Daishonin proclaims that it is their disregard for his warnings and persecution of him that have brought down upon the country a string of major calamities.
And at the very end of this letter, the Daishonin explains why some people who slander the Lotus Sutra seem not to receive any punishment at all. Those who slander the correct teaching in existence after existence, he says, are condemned to the hell of incessant suffering and will receive no further warnings in this lifetime for their slanderous deeds.
For further details regarding this matter, the Daishonin asks Horen to refer to the Lotus Sutra and the Nirvana Sutra. It is also discussed in The Opening of the Eyes (pp. 279–80).

Daily Practice - My Actual Proof Campaign

SGI-UK have embarked on our Actual Proof Campaign, towards 18th November 2013, and winning towards 18th November 2030.

In this way, by linking our daily prayers and actions to realise true happiness for ourselves and others with the completion of the new headquarters on 18th November 2013, President Ikeda is encouraging us to realise great victories in our lives that can stand out as "actual proof" of faith that is as grand and impressive as the new seven-storey headquarters building.  

President Ikeda explains the significance of the construction of the Soka Gakkai General Headquarters, as follows:

"You could say, without doubt, that the structure and edifice symbolises both an invincible citadel  of mentor and disciple, as well an impregnable stronghold of kosen-rufu. I want to establish an absolutely solid foundation so that members of the Soka Gakkai are able to strive in faith with pride and with peace of mind. The Soka Gakkai Headquarters is a 'fighting bastion' that furthers the noble cause of kosen-rufu whilst battling the three powerful enemies and all manners of devilish forces. With this in mind, the Soka Gakkai Headquarters should advance eternally with conviction that it is foremost in the world! It must remain strong and resilient! For this was the strict order of my mentor. My wife and I are praying earnestly each day so that all of our dear, fellow members are able to construct a valiant citadel of victory, be it in their homes, work places or communities." *Tentative translation, Seikyo Newspaper article, May 3rd 2012

So now is the time for us to ask ourselves:

What is the challenge facing me that I really want to break through?

What is my grand vision for my life or my family?

What positive advance could I make in my home life, place of work or study?

Is there a secret dream locked in my heart that I have not yet dared to really pray to realise?

What will be my great actual proof that I will proudly share with others?

Let's be inspired to set ourselves great goals and achieve them by 18 November 2013! Our goals could be anything but our victory should be something that shows undeniable actual proof of our faith to ourselves and others, so that we can become even happier through realising more of our unlimited potential and also inspire others to want to do the same.

If you would like more details of the campaign, such as a copy of the daimoku chart, please drop me an email at buddhasofessex@gmail.com and I will gladly send you a copy of the campaign leaflet.

So with the bravery and courage of a lion king - let's be ever-victorious, together, in 2013!

Daily Practice - latest SGI-UK e-bulletin out now!

Latest issue of the SGI-UK e-bulletin is online now at http://www.sgi-uk.info/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/sgi_e_bulletin_issue86.pdf featuring the Actual Proof Campaign for 2013. Let’s set big goals for the year ahead and show actual proof in our lives!

Gosho - On Persecutions Befalling the Sage

Ok, so for me, this Gosho extract really fits in with our Actual Proof Campaign for 2013. In case you haven't seen it, the Youth Division have set a campaign for us all to show the actual proof in our own lives in 2013. 18th November 2013 is the anniversary of the founding of the Soka Gakkai in 1930 and marks the completion of the new Soka Gakkai General Headquarters building - the castle of worldwide kosen-rufu.


President Ikeda is encouraging us to realise great victories in our lives that can stand out as "actual proof" of faith that is as grand and impressive as the new seven-storey headquarters building. So now is the time for us to ask ourselves:

What is the challenge facing me that I really want to break through?

What is my grand vision for my life or my family?

What positive advance could I make in my home life, place of work or study?

Is there a secret dream locked in my heart that I have not yet dared to really pray to realise?

What will be my great actual proof that I will proudly share with others?

Let's be inspired to set ourselves great goals and achieve them by 18 November 2013! Our goals could be anything but our victory should be something that shows undeniable actual proof of our faith to ourselves and others, so that we can become even happier through realising more of our unlimited potential and also inspire others to want to do the same.

If you would like more details of the campaign, such as a copy of the daimoku chart, please drop me an email at buddhasofessex@gmail.com and I will gladly send you a copy of the campaign leaflet.

So with the bravery and courage of a lion king - let's be ever-victorious, together, in 2013!

 "The lion king fears no other beast, nor do its cubs."

(On Persecutions Befalling the Sage - The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, Vol.1, page 997) http://www.sgilibrary.org/view.php?page=996 Selection Source: Suntetsu, Seikyo Shinbun, October 7th, 2012


Background
Nichiren Daishonin wrote this letter at Minobu on the first day of the tenth month of the second year of Koan (1279) to his followers in general. It reviews some of the outstanding incidents in his life. But more importantly, it contains the sole allusion to his inscription of the object of devotion for all humanity as the purpose of his life, a task that he accomplished on the twelfth day of the same month.
Around 1275, propagation efforts in the Fuji area began to produce significant results under the leadership of Nikko Shonin. There were a number of converts among both priests and laity, but as the number of new believers increased, so did official pressures. In Atsuhara, a village in Fuji District of Suruga Province, believers were subjected to a series of threats and harassments known collectively as the Atsuhara Persecution. Twenty believers, all farmers, were arrested on the twenty first day of the ninth month, 1279, on false charges, and three of them were later beheaded. In spite of these persecutions, not one of the twenty farmers abandoned their faith.
Seeing that his followers were now ready to give their lives if necessary to protect the Law, the Daishonin realized that the time had come to fulfill the purpose of his life, as is described in the first paragraph: “For me it took twenty-seven years.” “It” here means the reason for his appearance in the world— that is, the inscription of the object of devotion for the sake of all humankind.
Next, details concerning the persecutions encountered by Shakyamuni Buddha and Nichiren Daishonin are presented. The important prophecies in the Lotus Sutra for the Latter Day of the Law are also outlined.
The types of ill effects suffered by slanderers are explained to show the impact of the strict law of cause and effect on individuals and on society. The Daishonin states that the miserable fate of several treacherous disciples, as well as the crisis facing Japan at the time, is retribution for hostility shown toward the votary of the Lotus Sutra.
At the same time the Daishonin tells his disciples that they must now “summon up the courage of a lion king.” Furthermore, he urges believers in the Atsuhara area to be prepared for the worst.
In the last section, the Daishonin cites the example of Sammi-bo, one of his earliest disciples, who was highly esteemed for his debating skill and great learning, but forsook his faith and died a tragic death during the Atsuhara Persecution.

Daily Gosho - Great Evil and Great Good

So this is the Gosho that I cling onto when I'm facing opposition and obstacles. Because we can chant daimoku, Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo, inevitably we face opposition due to the correctness of this teaching. But when this 'great evil' occurs, rest assured that 'great good' - our victory - will also occur.

"Great events never have minor omens. When great evil occurs, great good follows."

(Great Evil and Great Good - The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, Vol.1, page 1119) http://www.sgilibrary.org/view.php?page=1119  Selection Source: Kyo no Hosshin, Seikyo Shinbun, October 6th, 2012


Background
It is not certain whether this is the text of a short letter or a fragment of a longer piece. Neither its date nor its recipient is known. Judging from the content, it may have been sent to some of the Daishonin’s believers who were facing difficulties on account of their faith. With the assurance “When great evil occurs, great good follows,” the Daishonin encourages his disciples to regard the hostility they face as an omen of great good, that is, the eventual spreading of the correct teaching. He also urges them to rejoice like Mahakashyapa and Shariputra, who danced with joy in the Lotus Sutra when they heard the Buddha’s teaching of universal enlightenment, and realized that they, too, could become Buddhas.

Daily Gosho - On Attaining Buddhahood in This Lifetime

We know what to do! Deep breath, firm determination, open up that butsudan...and polish that mirror!

"Arouse deep faith, and diligently polish your mirror day and night. How should you polish it? Only by chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo."

(On Attaining Buddhahood in This Lifetime  - The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, Vol.1, page 4) http://www.sgilibrary.org/view.php?page=3  Selection Source: Kyo no Hosshin, Seikyo Shinbun, October 5th, 2012

Background

This letter was written to Toki Jonin in the seventh year of Kencho (1255), two years after Nichiren Daishonin established his teaching of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. At the time of this letter, the Daishonin was thirty-four years old and was living in Kamakura, the seat of the military government. Toki was a staunch follower of the Daishonin who lived in Wakamiya in Shimosa Province. He received some thirty letters, including Letter from Sado and one of the major treatises, The Object of Devotion for Observing the Mind. A retainer of Lord Chiba, the constable of Shimosa, Toki had become a follower of the Daishonin around 1254.

Of all his writings from the mids, On Attaining Buddhahood in This Lifetime focuses most clearly on the tenets of the Daishonin’s Buddhism; many of the other works of this period are aimed chiefly at refuting the erroneous doctrines of other schools and discussing theoretical questions. This short essay not only reflects the theories T’ien-t’ai formulated based on the Lotus Sutra, but also reveals the concrete practice for attaining Buddhahood—namely, chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo—that is missing in T’ient’ai’s theoretical framework.

Myoho-renge-kyo is the title of the Lotus Sutra, but to the Daishonin it is much more; it is the essence of the sutra, the revelation of the supreme Law itself. Apparent in this work are both the depth of his thought and his conviction that Nam-myoho-renge-kyo is the only teaching that can lead people to Buddhahood in this lifetime.

Daily Gosho - Letter to Jakunichi-bo

This Gosho reiterates our mystic bond with all the other Bodhisattvas of the Earth. It is not by chance that we are all here, practicing in the Latter Day of the Law, and propogating Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo as Nichiren did.

Although we may face opposition, be misunderstood and slandered, let's remember that this is our karmic destiny, however difficult we may find our path. It is down to our sincere compassion for the sake of happiness for everyone that we continue to strive along the path of mentor-disciple.

"Therefore, those who become Nichiren’s disciples and lay believers should realise the profound karmic relationship they share with him and spread the Lotus Sutra as he does. Being known as a votary of the Lotus Sutra is a bitter, yet unavoidable, destiny."

(Letter to Jakunichi-bo - The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, Vol.1, page 994) http://www.sgilibrary.org/view.php?page=993 Selection Source: Kyo no Hosshin, Seikyo Shinbun, October 4th, 2012

Background
This letter was written to a young disciple named Jakunichi-bo Nikke, the son of the lord of Okitsu, Kazusa Province. It is dated the sixteenth day of the ninth month, with no year indicated, though it is believed to be 1279. Early in the Bun’ei era (1264–1275) Jakunichibo and his family had become followers of the Daishonin, who was then propagating his teachings in their area. Jakunichi-bo became a priest and later founded Tanjo-ji temple in Kominato to commemorate the place of the Daishonin’s birth. It is also thought that this letter may have been addressed, through Jakunichi-bo, to a woman believer who lived in Kazusa Province.
In this letter, the Daishonin discloses the meaning of his name, Nichiren, implying that it signifies the Buddha who will bring enlightenment to all people in the Latter Day of the Law. He declares that his disciples must also exert themselves to convey the supreme teaching of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo to all humankind. Then the Daishonin explains that the demons who, according to legend, strip one of one’s garments at the time of death symbolize death’s stripping one of all pretensions and superficial attainments, whether wealth, power, or knowledge.
In conclusion, the Daishonin encourages Jakunichi-bo, pledging to protect him in the next life since the latter protected the Daishonin in this life. Thus the Daishonin suggests the profound and timeless nature of the teacher-disciple relationship.

Daily Practice - SGI-UK member's experience

Featuring SGI-UK's very own David Woodger, this experience describes how heart-to-heart dialogue is the key to transforming our society... http://www.sgi.org/about-us/members-stories/a-genuine-change-in-society-begins-with-human-revolution.html

Daily Gosho - On Prayer

So... if your prayer hasn't been answered yet, or you haven't quite got the victory you were after... don't give up! Let's check that our three practices are correctly in balance and redetermine to see actual proof in the situation - no matter what! 

"And yet, though one might point at the earth and miss it, though one might bind up the sky, though the tides might cease to ebb and flow and the sun rise in the west, it could never come about that the prayers of the practitioner of the Lotus Sutra would go unanswered."

(On Prayer - The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, page 345) http://www.sgilibrary.org/view.php?page=336&m=0&q= Selection Source: Kyo no Hosshin, Seikyo Shinbun, October 3rd, 2012

Background

Prayers based upon the Lotus Sutra will definitely be answered, writes Nichiren Daishonin. In contrast, he emphasizes, prayers based upon mistaken teachings not only will go unanswered, but will create suffering both for those who offer them and for those on whose behalf they do so. 
This is the theme of On Prayer, written by Nichiren Daishonin in the ninth year of Bun’ei (1272), when he was in exile on Sado Island. The writing is thought to be a reply to questions raised by Sairen-bo, a disciple of the Daishonin and former priest of the Mountain [Jikaku] branch of the Tendai school, who at the time was also living in exile on Sado Island.
Sairen-bo and the Daishonin exchanged a number of letters concerning various important Buddhist doctrines. In this letter, the Daishonin distinguishes between the efficacy of prayer based on schools that prevailed in Japanese society of the day— including the Flower Garland, Dharma Characteristics, Precepts, True Word, and Tendai schools— and prayer based upon the Lotus Sutra. The authorities of the contemporary imperial court and shogunate relied to a great degree upon the teachings and prayers of the True Word, Tendai, Zen, and Nembutsu schools.
It was because the prayers offered by priests of the True Word and Tendai schools were ineffectual, the Daishonin declares, that the imperial forces were defeated in the Jokyu Disturbance— a struggle for power between the imperial court and the Kamakura shogunate in 1221. Placing their trust in these schools, the court had requested that prayers be offered for its protection and victory.
Ultimately, however, despite such prayers, not only were the imperial forces defeated in battle, but three retired emperors were exiled to distant islands. Thus, concludes the Daishonin, such prayers do not simply go unanswered; they actually bring about misfortune.
On the other hand, prayers based on the Lotus Sutra are true prayers, the Daishonin says. He then states the reasons: all Buddhas, bodhisattvas, people of the two vehicles (voice-hearers and cause-awakened ones), and human and heavenly beings present in the assembly of the Lotus Sutra feel a great sense of gratitude because they attained Buddhahood through the sutra. To repay these debts of gratitude, they will certainly protect those who uphold the Lotus Sutra.
The Daishonin mentions the dragon king’s daughter and the evil Devadatta in particular, noting that because their attainment of Buddhahood was considered an especially remarkable achievement their debt of gratitude is correspondingly great; thus, he assures Sairen-bo, they, too, will never fail to guard the practitioners of the Lotus Sutra.
The Daishonin also firmly refutes the statement made by Kobo, the founder of the True Word school in Japan, who claimed in his work The Treatise on the Ten Stages of the Mind that the Mahavairochana Sutra ranks first, the Flower Garland Sutra second, and the Lotus Sutra third. To support his contention that True Word doctrines are misleading, the Daishonin cites this statement made by the Buddha in the Lotus Sutra, “I have preached various sutras, and among those sutras the Lotus is the foremost!”
The letter’s heading, “Nichiren, the shramana of Japan,” expresses his conviction that he is truly a shramana, or seeker of the way, and that he is the votary of the Lotus Sutra. Shakyamuni achieved enlightenment as a seeker of the way in India. In this sense this designation can also be said to convey the Daishonin’s conviction that he is the true shramana of Japan, and that he is the Buddha of the Latter Day of the Law.
In conclusion, the Daishonin urges Sairen-bo to offer prayers based upon the correct doctrines of the Lotus Sutra and to fulfill his true potential as a human being by aspiring to attain Buddhahood.

Daily Gosho - The Great Battle

It's a battle, and sometimes the battle is the one in our mind. The internal struggle between victory and defeat. Let's summon up Nichiren's fighting spirit and keep battling on....

"It has been twenty or more years now since I found myself in that situation and began the great battle. Not once have I thought of retreat."

(The Great Battle - The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, Vol.2, page 465) Selection Source: Our Brilliant Path of Victory - 84, Seikyo Shinbun, September 12th, 2012


Background
Nichiren Daishonin wrote this letter to all his followers in the fifth month of , while he was still enduring the severe privations of exile on Sado Island. The title, On Practicing the Buddha’s Teachings, indicates practicing in exact accordance with what the Buddha taught.
This title can be said to indicate two important points. One is that Nichiren Daishonin lived in accord with Shakyamuni’s teachings and fulfilled all the prophecies of the Lotus Sutra. The other is that the Daishonin’s followers in the Latter Day of the Law are to carry out and fulfill his teachings.
In this letter the question is raised: Why must believers experience hardships when the Lotus Sutra promises “peace and security in their present existence” ? Nichiren Daishonin answers that those who practice the Lotus Sutra exactly according to the Buddha’s teachings are bound to face the three powerful enemies, whose appearance was predicted in the “Encouraging Devotion” chapter of the sutra. In other words, one proves oneself to be a true votary only by facing and overcoming great obstacles for the sake of the Buddha’s teachings. In essence, this means to forthrightly make clear what is the correct teaching of Buddhism and to mercifully transmit the teaching to others.
One month before writing this letter, the Daishonin completed the treatise The Object of Devotion for Observing the Mind, in which he revealed the true object of devotion— the Gohonzon— for the people of the Latter Day of the Law. He also revealed that the practice based on it— chanting with firm faith in it— leads to enlightenment. This present letter was written subsequently to clarify the importance of another practice— shakubuku, or spreading this teaching to others.

Daily Gosho - The Opening of the Eyes

OK, no doubt! I WILL transform this suffering due to my current situation. No matter what!

"Although I and my disciples may encounter various difficulties, if we do not harbour doubts in our hearts, we will as a matter of course attain Buddhahood."

(The Opening of the Eyes, The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, Vol. I, page 283) http://www.sgilibrary.org/view.php?page=220&m=0&q= Selection source: "Kyo no Hosshin", Seikyo Shimbun, October 1st, 2012

Background
This treatise is one of Nichiren Daishonin’s five most important writings, in which he reveals his identity as the Buddha of the Latter Day of the Law who possesses the three virtues of sovereign, teacher, and parent. In the second month of the ninth year of Bun’ei (72), still in exile under harsh conditions on Sado Island, the Daishonin completed this work in two volumes and addressed it to Shijo Kingo, one of his leading disciples in Kamakura and a samurai who was in the employ of the ruling Hojo clan, on behalf of all his followers. When the Daishonin was taken to Tatsunokuchi in Kamakura in , Shijo Kingo accompanied him, having resolved to die by his side, and personally witnessed his triumph over execution. Also, he had journeyed to Sado to visit the Daishonin in exile and sent his messengers to him with writing materials and other necessities.
The Object of Devotion for Observing the Mind, written in 1273, clarifies, from the viewpoint of the Law, the object of devotion that enables all people to attain Buddhahood. The Opening of the Eyes treats the same subject in terms of the Person; that is, it shows Nichiren Daishonin to be the Buddha who would establish the object of devotion for all humankind to achieve Buddhahood. The object of devotion is the embodiment of the Daishonin’s enlightenment to Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, the Law implied in the depths of the Lotus Sutra.
Nichiren Daishonin’s life on the forbidding island of Sado was full of hardship; his hut was open to wind and snow, and he lacked food, clothing, and writing materials. In addition to his physical suffering, he was greatly troubled by the news that many of his followers in Kamakura had abandoned their faith. Feeling himself constantly facing the shadow of death, the Daishonin wrote this treatise to encourage his disciples as though it were his last will and testament.
Nichiren Daishonin later described his motives behind the work in his Actions of the Votary of the Lotus Sutra: “After everyone had gone, I began to put into shape a work in two volumes called The Opening of the Eyes, which I had been working on since the eleventh month of the previous year. I wanted to record the wonder of Nichiren, in case I should be beheaded. The essential message in this work is that the destiny of Japan depends solely upon Nichiren. A house without pillars collapses, and a person without a soul is dead. Nichiren is the soul of the people of this country” ( p. 772).
The title The Opening of the Eyes means to enable people to see the truth, in other words, to free people from illusions and distorted views and awaken them to an understanding of the correct teaching and its correct teacher. The work describes the role the Daishonin played in championing the supremacy of the Lotus Sutra and in spreading its teachings, as he himself viewed and experienced it. A passage from this treatise reads: “On the twelfth day of the ninth month of last year, between the hours of the rat and the ox (11:00 P.M. to 3:00 A.M.), this person named Nichiren was beheaded. It is his soul that has come to this island of Sado” ( p. 269). It was through the Tatsunokuchi Persecution that Nichiren Daishonin revealed his true identity as the eternal Buddha. This passage refers to the death of a common person named Nichiren and indicates that from then on the Daishonin was to reveal in full his enlightenment as the Buddha of the Latter Day of the Law.
Nichiren Daishonin begins this treatise with the words, “There are three categories of people that all human beings should respect. They are the sovereign, the teacher, and the parent” (p. 220). The three virtues of sovereign, teacher, and parent are equated with the qualifications of a Buddha. The virtue of sovereign is the power to protect all living beings; the virtue of teacher is the wisdom to lead all to enlightenment, and the virtue of parent means compassion to nurture and support them. These three virtues constitute a theme that runs throughout this treatise, and at the conclusion of this work the Daishonin declares, “I, Nichiren, am sovereign, teacher, and father and mother to all the people of Japan” (p. 287).
At the outset Nichiren Daishonin discusses Confucianism, Taoism, Brahmanism, Hinayana, and provisional Mahayana Buddhism, and then moves on to the Lotus Sutra. He attributes the disasters ravaging Japan to the confusion in Buddhism and the failure by both rulers and subjects to recognize the supremacy of the Lotus Sutra. Here he cites two reasons why the sutra is supreme. One is that the theoretical teaching (the first half of the sutra) reveals that people of the two vehicles can attain enlightenment, a possibility utterly denied in the previous forty- two years of the Buddha’s preaching. This substantiates the mutual possession of the Ten Worlds and the statement that Buddhahood is open to all. The other reason is that, in the essential teaching (the latter half of the sutra), Shakyamuni Buddha proclaims that he first attained enlightenment in an unfathomably remote past.
The Daishonin states that Shakyamuni Buddha himself declared that the Lotus Sutra is “the most difficult to believe and the most difficult to understand.” In this sutra the Buddha implied the supreme teaching, as stated: “The doctrine of three thousand realms in a single moment of life is found in only one place, hidden in the depths of the ‘Life Span’ chapter of the essential teaching of the Lotus Sutra” (p. 224). The Daishonin takes the position that only the revelation of the truth of Buddhism can save the nation and the people. This conviction, he says, has moved him to propagate the essence of the Lotus Sutra in spite of the persecution that he knew he would incur. He realized that his followers might doubt him because of the apparent failure of the gods to protect a votary of the Lotus Sutra. Therefore, he stated: “This doubt lies at the heart of this piece I am writing. And because it is the most important concern of my entire life, I will raise it again and again here, and emphasize it more than ever, before I attempt to answer it” (p. 243).
The second part of this treatise discusses the “Emerging from the Earth” and the “Life Span” chapters of the Lotus Sutra, where Shakyamuni Buddha summons forth countless bodhisattvas from beneath the earth and reveals that he actually attained enlightenment in the remote past, and that all the Buddhas of the other sutras are his emanations and all the bodhisattvas, his disciples. Nichiren Daishonin clarifies that the Buddha of the “Life Span” chapter is the teacher of all Buddhas.
At this point, an implicit analogy begins to emerge. The doubt held by Shakyamuni’s disciples about how he could possibly have taught the countless Bodhisattvas of the Earth in this life leads to the revelation of his true identity as the Buddha who attained enlightenment countless kalpas ago. Similarly, the doubt held by the Daishonin’s followers about why he has been exiled and suffered so many persecutions leads to an understanding of his true identity as the Buddha of the Latter Day.
Then the Daishonin mentions the principle of sowing, maturing, and harvesting. He points to the unsurpassed Law whereby all Buddhas attain enlightenment — Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. This Law is what lies in the depths of the “Life Span” chapter. Nichiren Daishonin directly teaches this Law, the true cause for attaining Buddhahood, and his Buddhism is called the Buddhism of sowing because it implants this “seed of enlightenment” in the lives of those who practice it. In this light, he possesses the virtues of sovereign, teacher, and parent for humanity as a whole.
Nichiren Daishonin explains that each sutra has its own claim to excellence; he also gives examples of statements in which various sutras assert their own superiority to other teachings. But the Lotus Sutra alone declares that it is supreme among all sutras, and the Daishonin reconfirms its supremacy. The Lotus Sutra speaks of the three powerful enemies of the sutra and prophesies opposition and hostility toward the sutra and its votary. All this the Daishonin had himself encountered; all this is predicted in the sutra. As the votary of the Lotus Sutra, he vows to stake his life on the cause of saving all people, saying: “Let the gods forsake me. Let all persecutions assail me. Still I will give my life for the sake of the Law. . . . I will be the pillar of Japan. I will be the eyes of Japan. I will be the great ship of Japan. This is my vow, and I will never forsake it” (pp. 280 –81). Then he assures his disciples that they will definitely attain Buddhahood as long as they do not permit themselves to be overcome by doubts, even when difficulties befall them.
In the final section of this treatise, Nichiren Daishonin explains that there are two ways to propagate the Lotus Sutra: shoju, or gentle persuasion, and shakubuku, or strict refutation. Here, the Daishonin argues that both methods should be used, because there are two kinds of countries, those whose people are ignorant of the correct teaching of Buddhism and those whose people deliberately oppose it. But Japan, as a nation that slanders the correct teaching, requires the shakubuku method. Then he concludes that to remove suffering and give joy to the people is the Buddha’s teaching. The Daishonin has devoted himself to refuting and rooting out the causes of human misery. For him, the exile to Sado was only a “small suffering” in this life. Indeed, he feels “great joy” because of the results he is confident will come in the future.

Daily Practice - latest SGI-UK e-bulletin out now!

Latest issue of the SGI-UK e-bulletin is online now at http://www.sgi-uk.info/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/sgi_e_bulletin_issue85.pdf  As ever, packed with inspirational stories of victory from our members, the Bodhisattvas of the Earth! 

Banzai SGI Germany!

Wishing our Soka family in Germany many congratulations, as new centre opens in Munich http://www.sgi.org/news/events/events2012/new-sgi-germany-center-opens-munich.html

Daily Gosho - Letter to Akimoto

Reminding me that when I'm chanting, it's my firm belief in Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo that will provide the answers, rather than a mix of lesser-self analysing and half-hearted chanting...

"And if the mind of faith is perfect, then the water of wisdom, the great impartial wisdom, will never dry up."

(Letter to Akimoto - The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, page 1015) http://www.sgilibrary.org/view.php?page=1014 Selection Source: Kyo no Hosshin, Seikyo Shinbun, September 29th, 2012


Background
This letter was sent from Minobu to Akimoto Taro Hyoe-no-jo, who lived in Imba District of Shimosa Province. In 1260, after the Matsubagayatsu Persecution, the Daishonin had left Kamakura to stay at Toki Jonin’s residence in Katsushika District of Shimosa Province. Here the Daishonin delivered the so-called hundred-day lecture at the Lotus hall built on Toki Jonin’s estate. And it was around this time that Akimoto is believed to have converted to the Daishonin’s teachings. It is also thought that he may have been a relative of Toki Jonin. Akimoto was on friendly terms with Soya Kyoshin and Ota Jomyo, both lay believers, who lived in the same area and took faith around the same time.
The Atsuhara Persecution had taken place three months before the Daishonin wrote this letter; in addition, the Mongol forces were preparing for a second invasion of Japan, and people’s hearts were heavy with foreboding. Winter at Minobu, where the Daishonin’s hut stood, was extraordinarily cold, and there was a great scarcity of food and provisions. It was in this atmosphere of unspeakable hardship, cut off from civilization and visitors, that the Daishonin received Akimoto’s gifts.
The Daishonin begins this letter by referring to the cylindrical vessels to illustrate the importance of cultivating a perfect attitude in faith. He notes that vessels have four inherent faults— overturning, leaking, being contaminated, and having their contents mixed— that correspond to obstacles blocking a person’s path to enlightenment.
In the next section, the Daishonin clarifies the importance of rebuking slander. He asserts that his refutations of the Nembutsu and other schools have made him the most hated man in Japan, bringing upon him persecutions that have threatened his life. He points out that it is he alone who has endured this kind of unparalleled persecution.
The Daishonin next touches on three principles, regarding slanderers, the families of slanderers, and the country of slanderers, that one must understand when practicing the Lotus Sutra, and explains what one must do to avoid the consequences of inclusion in any of these three groups. He also reveals the benefits to be obtained from refuting slander and the way to ensure peace and tranquillity in one’s country.
The Daishonin introduces the story of the waterfall known as the Dragon Gate in order to illustrate the extreme difficulty of believing in the Lotus Sutra and achieving Buddhahood. He then explains the strict Buddhist principle of admonishing slanderers. It stipulates that, no matter how learned one may be, if one sees an enemy of the Lotus Sutra but fails to admonish that person out of fear, one will fall into the hell of incessant suffering. He states that because he has acted in accord with this unequivocating principle he has endured great persecution, mistreatment, and slander; and he writes that now, believing his past offenses to have been eradicated, he has settled in Mount Minobu.

Daily Gosho - The Record of the Orally Transmitted Teachings

Heard a great piece of guidance recently; that when we shakubuku someone, even if they don't take up the practice instantly, we have helped them form an eternal connection to the Mystic Law. So let's be brave and propagate to our heart's content!

"The 'great vow' refers to the propagation of the Lotus Sutra."

(The Record of the Orally Transmitted Teachings, page 82) Selection Source: Kyo no Hosshin, Seikyo Shinbun, September 28th, 2012

Daily Gosho - The Four Debts of Gratitude

Reading Nichiren Daishonin's delight even though he was living in exile, and facing continual persecution, is truly inspiring. He writes that he feels immense joy despite his circumstances, after his enlightenment and faith in the Mystic Law. What a lifestate, and one that I will keep striving to achieve...

"The reason is that this world is called the saha world, saha meaning endurance. This is why the Buddha is also called "One Who Can Endure.""

(The Four Debts of Gratitude, The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, Vol.1, page 41) http://www.sgilibrary.org/view.php?page=41 Selection Source: Kyo no Hosshin, Seikyo Shinbun, September 27th, 2012

Background

Nichiren Daishonin wrote this letter while he was in exile in Ito on the Izu Peninsula. It was addressed to Kudo Sakon-no-jo Yoshitaka, known also as Kudo Yoshitaka, the lord of Amatsu in Awa Province.

Kudo Yoshitaka is said to have converted to Nichiren Daishonin’s teachings around 1256, about the same time Shijo Kingo and Ikegami Munenaka did, a few years after the Daishonin first proclaimed his teachings. While the Daishonin was in exile on Izu, Yoshitaka sent offerings to him and continued to maintain pure faith. He was killed defending the Daishonin at the time of the Komatsubara Persecution in the eleventh month of 1264. The Four Debts of Gratitude is the only letter still extant that the Daishonin addressed to him.

In this letter, in light of the reason for his banishment, Nichiren Daishonin expresses his conviction that he is a true practitioner of the Lotus Sutra. He mentions the “two important matters” that concern his Izu Exile. He states, “One is that I feel immense joy,” and explains the reasons for his joy. The greater part of the letter consists of this explanation. Following this, he states, “The second of the two important matters is that I feel intense grief.” Citing passages from the Lotus and Great Collection sutras that reveal the gravity of the offense of slandering the Law and its devotees, the Daishonin explains that he grieves at the thought of the great karmic retribution his tormentors must undergo. This is the concluding part of the letter.

In the body of the letter, the Daishonin gives two reasons for his “immense joy.” One is that he has been able to prove himself to be the votary of the Lotus Sutra by fulfilling the Buddha’s prediction made in the sutra that its votary in the Latter Day of the Law will meet with persecution. The other reason is that, by suffering banishment for the sutra’s sake, he can repay the four debts of gratitude. He declares that the ruler who condemned him to exile is the very person to whom he is the most grateful; thanks to the ruler, he has been able to fulfill the words of the Lotus Sutra and so prove himself to be its true votary.

Then, the Daishonin stresses the importance of repaying the four debts of gratitude set forth in the Contemplation on the Mind-Ground Sutra. The four debts of gratitude are the debts owed to all living beings, to one’s father and mother, to one’s sovereign, and to the three treasures—the Buddha, the Law, and the Buddhist Order.

Among these four debts of gratitude, the Daishonin places special emphasis on the debt owed to the three treasures, without which one could not attain Buddhahood.

So, just what is a Buddha?

SGI-USA took to the streets, and found out just what the public perceive a Buddha to be... Here's what they had to say: http://youtu.be/vOITGsPfAnM

Daily Gosho - On Omens

This Gosho, for me, sums up the correctness of Nichiren Daishonin's Buddhism. The Soka Gakkai throughout its history has been persecuted for propagating the Mystic Law in this evil age, the Latter Day of the Law. Rest assured then, that we are bound to face slander, ridicule and obstacles, just as Nichiren Daishonin foretold, as we boldly advance for the sake of kosen-rufu...

"The great omens of the “Supernatural Powers” chapter foretold that the essence of the Lotus Sutra would spread widely after the Buddha’s demise, when the two thousand years of the Former and Middle Days of the Law had passed and the Latter Day of the Law had begun."

(On Omens, The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, Vol.1, page 646) http://www.sgilibrary.org/view.php?page=644&m=0&q=  Selection Source: Kyo no Hosshin, Seikyo Shinbun, September 26th, 2012

Background
This letter was written at Minobu in the first year of Kenji (1275), when Nichiren Daishonin was fifty-four years old. As the closing part of this letter is missing, the identity of its recipient is uncertain, but it is generally thought to have been addressed to Shijo Kingo, a samurai and one of the Daishonin’s most loyal followers. Shijo Kingo was at this time facing opposition from his lord and his fellow samurai on account of his faith.
In the tenth month of 1274, the Mongols launched a massive attack against the southern part of Japan. The next year, Khubilai Khan again sent envoys, threatening another invasion if the Japanese government did not acknowledge fealty to the Mongol empire. On Omens interprets the Mongol threat and other recent calamities in the light of the Daishonin’s teaching.
In the beginning of this letter, the Daishonin discusses the omens that appeared when Shakyamuni Buddha expounded the Lotus Sutra in terms of the principle of the oneness of life and its environment. Expanding on this principle, he explains that, when the people’s six sense organs, or perceptive faculties, are deluded, extraordinary changes occur in the heavens and on earth. This reflects the truth that, while life and its environment may seem to be two independent phenomena, fundamentally they are one and inseparable.
Next, the Daishonin explains that the Buddha’s preaching is always preceded by omens, whose magnitude reflects the depth of the teaching about to be revealed. Thus the portents heralding the preaching of the Lotus Sutra were greater than those preceding any other sutra. Moreover, the signs presaging the essential teaching (latter half) of the Lotus Sutra far surpassed those introducing the theoretical teaching (former half). The Daishonin refers to the emergence of the treasure tower and the appearance of the Bodhisattvas of the Earth as omens revealing the superiority of the essential teaching over the theoretical teaching. Furthermore, he says, the great portents of the “Supernatural Powers” chapter surpass even those, and foretell that the Law of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo indicated in the depths of the “Life Span” chapter will spread widely in the Latter Day of the Law.
The Daishonin then turns to the upheavals and strange occurrences in the Japan of his own time. All of these, he concludes, occur because people oppose the votary of the Lotus Sutra, who propagates its essence in the Latter Day. Specifically, he warns that, because of the slander perpetrated by Nembutsu and True Word priests, Japan will be destroyed by a foreign country. And, he says, the people suffer from great calamities because they are persecuting “a single monk . . . who embraces the correct teaching”— that is, the Daishonin. In this way, he reassures his follower of the correctness of his teaching and emphasizes the inevitability of persecution.

Daily Gosho - The Unity of Husband and Wife

So this is my dream; that my husband and I are united in faith, working for kosen-rufu together. We are a long way away at the moment from this! My practice brings up a lot of anger in my husband, and I face opposition every day. But I am determined to be victorious - this situation has to be transformed by my husband seeing the actual proof in my life. I will report back :)

"You will grow younger, and your good fortune will accumulate."

(The Unity of Husband and Wife - The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, Vol.1, page 464) http://www.sgilibrary.org/view.php?page=463&m=0&q= Selection Source: Myoji no Gen, Seikyo Shinbun, September 20th, 2012


Background

In the first month of the twelfth year of Bun’ei (1275), Nichigen-nyo, the wife of Shijo Kingo, informed Nichiren Daishonin that she had turned thirty-three, an age thought to be unlucky for women, and sent offerings. This letter, dated the twenty-seventh day of the same month, is the Daishonin’s reply. In response to Nichigen-nyo’s apprehensions, he assures her that a woman who embraces the Lotus Sutra surpasses all other people, and that, if her faith is strong, she will certainly be protected by the Buddhas and Buddhist gods.
The Daishonin praises Shijo Kingo as foremost among all Buddhist lay believers; as his wife, Nichigen-nyo is also foremost among the women in Japan. “The wisteria depends on the pine tree, and a woman depends on a man” reflects the structure of Japanese society in the medieval period, when a woman’s fortunes were largely determined by her husband. What the Daishonin urges here, however, is that Nichigen-nyo follow her husband in faith. This shared faith of husband and wife is the “unity” referred to in this letter’s title and forms the ideal basis of marriage.

Daily Gosho - The Daimoku of the Lotus Sutra

Reminding me that every time I do Gongyo, I can chant for my family's eternal happiness and that they are reborn into a family who practices...

"Myo means to revive, that is, to return to life."

(The Daimoku of the Lotus Sutra - The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, page 149) http://www.sgilibrary.org/view.php?page=141&m=0&q= Selection Source: "Kyo no Hosshin", Seikyo Shinbun September 24th, 2012

Background

This letter was written in the first month, 1266, for a woman of advanced years. Nothing is known about her other than that she was a new believer in Nichiren Daishonin’s Buddhism and lived in Amatsu of Awa Province. This letter explains in plain terms the rewards of the simple practice of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo by saying that this phrase and its components contain all the powers of the Buddha, and that one who chants it can tap all the benefits of Buddhism and thus revitalize one’s life.

In the fall of 1264, one year after he had been pardoned from his exile in Izu, Nichiren Daishonin returned to his birthplace in Awa Province. News of his mother’s grave illness and the lessening of official pressures prompted his decision to return home. However, Tojo Kagenobu, the steward of this district and a passionate believer in the Nembutsu, was still incensed over the Daishonin’s refutation of the Pure Land teachings eleven years earlier and was lying in wait for him.

The Daishonin’s primary concern was to visit his mother, and their reunion seems to have had a great effect upon her and she quickly recovered. Kudo Yoshitaka and the other disciples in the area were anxious to see him and urged him to visit Kudo’s manor. On the eleventh day of the eleventh month, 1264, accompanied by messengers sent to guide them, the group set out. When they reached a place known as Komatsubara, they were ambushed by Tojo Kagenobu and his Nembutsu followers. Kudo, who came rushing to the Daishonin’s aid, and another disciple lost their lives. The Daishonin suffered a sword slash on his forehead and had his left hand broken.

At considerable personal risk, the Daishonin remained in Awa from 1264 through 1267 and conducted vigorous propagation activities, working with and among the people. In 1266, the Daishonin stayed for a while at his old temple, Seicho-ji, where he wrote several doctrinal treatises, including the present letter.

This letter consists of two sections. In the first section, the Daishonin addresses the question of whether or not one can benefit from chanting the daimoku (Nam-myoho-renge-kyo) without understanding the meaning of the Lotus Sutra, and stresses the necessity of faith in attaining Buddhahood.

Citing the examples of Mahakashyapa and Shariputra, he states that, even without understanding, one can eradicate any evil karma and accumulate boundless benefit, as long as one carries out the practice of chanting the daimoku with firm faith.

In the second section, the Daishonin clarifies the great blessings contained in the five characters of Myoho-renge-kyo, the title of the Lotus Sutra. He explains three meanings of the character myo: to open, to be fully endowed, and to revive. Finally, he states that only the Lotus Sutra enables women to attain Buddhahood, and urges the recipient of this letter to chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo and forsake her attachment to the Nembutsu.

At the beginning of this letter, the Daishonin calls himself a “follower of the Great Teacher Kompon.” Kompon, meaning fundamental, is another name for the Great Teacher Dengyo. He was the founder of the Japanese Tendai school, which he based on the teachings of T’ien-t’ai of China. He traveled to China to master T’ien-t’ai’s doctrines and, after returning to Japan, repudiated all the schools based on the Buddha’s provisional teachings and devoted himself to propagating the Lotus Sutra. The phrase “follower of the Great Teacher Kompon” implies that the Daishonin is the legitimate successor to the Buddha’s teaching contained in the Lotus Sutra.

Daily Gosho - On the Three Virtues of Food

Oh how lovely - the concept that whilst helping others, we are actually bringing great benefits to our own lives and transforming our own karma in the process (:)

"... if one lights a fire for others, one will brighten one's own way."

(On the Three Virtues of Food - The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, Vol.2, page 1060) Selection source: Kibo no Izumi, Seikyo Shimbun, September 23rd, 2012

Daily Practice - Guidance from Matilda Buck, SGI-USA Women's Leader

You may have seen this guidance before, but wanted to share in case you hadn't, as I found it very inspiring myself...

BY MATILDA BUCK, SGI-USA WOMEN’S LEADER [from World Tribune 04/12/02, p.1]

Lately, I have been talking to people who have hit a wall after 20-plus years of Buddhist practice. Most people might think that after decades of practice, life should be filled with deep satisfaction. Well, I believe that everything we experience prepares us for the next step — and there’s always a next step. I know, because it was after 20 years of practice — after I had already made dramatic changes in my life — that I found myself plunged into undeniable sadness. The deep-seated sadness that I thought was gone had only been hiding.

That wasn’t the worst part. As I was chanting, I went even deeper and was startled to find another more profound feeling: true hopelessness, an ironclad conviction that I would never be happy or at ease. I could endure things better now, I could dedicate myself to a noble cause, but I would never feel right. I didn’t deserve happiness. The core of my life, I believed, wasn’t Nam Myoho-renge-kyo — it was sadness.

How could this be, after so many years of practice, of wholeheartedly working to help and encourage others? What had I been practicing 20 years for?

Does this ring a bell?

I recently rediscovered a quote from Nichiren Daishonin that I think helps explain how we can feel stuck even after many years of Buddhist practice. In “Reply to the Mother of Ueno,” he describes how the best and strongest lumber is chosen to build a pagoda, while lesser wood is used for the temporary scaffolding that must be used in construction.

“When one is preparing to build a great pagoda,” the Daishonin writes, “the scaffolding is of great importance. But once the pagoda is completed, then the scaffolding is removed and thrown away. This is the meaning of the passage about ‘honestly discarding expedient means.’ Though the scaffolding is necessary to complete the pagoda, no one would ever dream of discarding the pagoda and worshiping the scaffolding” (The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, p. 1074).

The Daishonin is explaining that the Lotus Sutra is the great pagoda and other teachings are the scaffolding. I think we can draw an analogy to our lives: Often we have erected scaffolding of false beliefs about ourselves and the world. As the Daishonin implies, at one time, they may have enabled us to build our lives. Even the lumber of self-deprecation, fear, anger or arrogance may have allowed us to survive at one time.

As practitioners, we have constructed the great pagoda of Nam Myoho-renge-kyo in our lives, but, as I shared in my experience, we may still be clinging to the scaffolding of false beliefs. Mine was the deep conviction that I would never deserve to be happy.

Do you find any of this “lesser lumber” in your life?

I’m different from everyone else. No one understands me.
I don’t deserve to succeed — and even if I succeed, something bad will happen.
Drugs and alcohol are the only way to escape my feelings.
Overeating is the only way to fill this black hole inside me.
Everyone around me is _________ (fill in the blank: small-minded, vindictive, stupid, self-centered, etc.).
I’ve been dealt a bad hand in life. The best I can hope for is just to survive. Maybe next lifetime will be better.
I’ll never be happily married. No one could ever love me.
Putting others down is the only way to feel better about myself.
It’s OK to make bad choices about relationships/money/anything, because that’s all I deserve — or because that’s the only way I’ll get attention.
I’m a bad Buddhist.
I’ve failed at everything. There’s no point in living.

After years of practice, the pagoda of our enlightenment may be large, but the scaffolding obscuring it has been in place so long that we may no longer notice it. This scaffolding that at one time may have even protected us actually becomes a detriment to our happiness. If enlightenment means awakening to the fact that we are the Buddha, that life is invaluable, then we have a mission to awaken all beings to this and to live it ourselves by our own transformation. Our deep negative beliefs are in direct contradiction to the fundamental, enlightened truth of life.

The wisdom of the Gohonzon is that the pagoda and the scaffolding cannot co-exist easily. Once the pagoda is erected, and the scaffolding still remains, we feel discomfort — vague or intense. That discomfort is actually a benefit. It is telling us we need to self-reflect.

We need to ask ourselves, “Along with my belief in the power of the Mystic Law and my Buddha potential, do I simultaneously carry a deluded view of the deepest reality of my life?” We can begin by chanting for insight and to discard this scaffolding of delusion so that our great life pagoda that we have built is unobstructed. This requires courage. On the other hand, to not take that step, to not advance, is to lack compassion because when we break through, countless others around us are inspired to do the same.

If we are serious, we must ask ourselves what we are willing to stop doing. Are we willing to dismantle the lesser scaffolding that obscures our essential life? Can we stop punishing ourselves or others? Can we awaken from the anesthesia of denial?

When I hit the wall after 20 years of practice, I made a conscious decision to practice Nichiren Daishonin’s philosophy, not my own. At first I faked it. I read the Daishonin’s writings “On Attaining Buddhahood in This Lifetime” and “On the Treasure Tower” to remind myself — convince myself — that I was a Buddha. I didn’t believe it, but I repeated to myself: “My life is Nam Myoho-renge-kyo. I am a Buddha, and therefore I have all the power of a Buddha. I can bring forth the wisdom and power to change my problem. I am going to become happy. It is incumbent upon me as a Bodhisattva of the Earth to be happy. I am allowed. It’s the way I will demonstrate the Law.”

SGI President Ikeda has said, “As long as you have courage, wisdom and sincerity, you can turn everyone and everything into allies through the art of humanity” (Nov. 30, 2001, World Tribune, p. 3).

Courage, wisdom and sincerity — these are exactly the qualities that we develop as we reach out over and over to help others practice, as we develop our humanity. Because of 20 years of trying to help others, I had the courage at the crucial moment to look at this dark part of myself, and I was empowered to turn the most fearful thing — the deep belief that I could never be happy — into an ally for my enlightenment.

The biggest benefit is that, through this experience, I came to know my core identity of Buddha, and that every person, every situation, shares this identity. It affects every relationship, every situation I encounter. It is the antithesis of hopelessness and deadness.

It means everything is possible. Consider this formula:

Determine to use your situation to become someone who does not doubt that Nam Myoho-renge-kyo is the core of your life, no matter what is happening.

Pray that “as a Bodhisattva of the Earth, I have the karma to experience this; therefore, I have the mission to overcome it and to be victorious.” Nothing can match the power of chanting daimoku.

Take action to practice for others and to propagate this Buddhism — to carry out your mission, which only you can do.

Transform negativity and recognize each setback as one event, not emblematic of your life. Don’t be swayed by past events. Use each situation to bring forth more power, not to retreat.

Dismantle the scaffolding of negative beliefs.

President Ikeda has said: “A person may have all the wealth and treasure in the world, but viewed from the perspective of the ultimate reality of life, such things are but mere illusions…. The most important thing is to build an indestructible palace of happiness within our lives…. It is through experiencing hardship that we can savor true joy. It is through making efforts that we can grow.”

Let us all reveal and savor our great pagodas, our palaces of happiness. 

Daily Gosho - Letter to Niike

Feeling very fortunate and joyful today, on the anniversary of my Gohonzon receiving ceremony. A lot has happened in the last 17 years, and I'm sure there is a lot more to come! 

Regarding those who 'cannot believe in this sutra', I heard a wonderful piece of guidance at a meeting yesterday. When we share the Mystic Law with others, we are helping them form an eternal connection to Nichiren Daishonin's Buddhism, even though they may not start practicing in this lifetime. Amazing!

So today, I will celebrate the fact that I have been born in the Latter Day of the Law, and that I can fulfill my mission right here. *Smiling*

"What a joy it is for us to have been born in the Latter Day of the Law and to have shared in the propagation of the Lotus Sutra! How pitiful are those who, though born in this time, cannot believe in this sutra!"

(Letter to Niike - The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, Vol.1, page 1026) http://www.sgilibrary.org/view.php?page=1026 Selection source: Kyo no Hosshin, Seikyo Shimbun, September 22nd, 2012

Background

Nichiren Daishonin wrote this letter in the second month of 1280 to Niike Saemon-no-jo, an official in the Kamakura shogunate. Niike was from Niike Village in Iwata District of Totomi Province. He and his wife had been converted to the Daishonin’s teachings by Nikko Shonin and had maintained their faith despite government pressure.

First, Nichiren Daishonin tells Niike what great fortune it is to have been born in the Latter Day of the Law with the mission to spread the correct teaching of Buddhism throughout the world. Yet it would be foolhardy to profess faith in the Lotus Sutra and then commit slander. The consequence is to descend into an evil path of existence, regardless of one’s role or status. Using the example of the coldsuffering bird, the Daishonin admonishes his believers never to lapse into negligence, or be tempted by fame or fortune.

After mentioning the deplorable state of the country and the degradation of Buddhist priests, he depicts the purpose of the Lotus Sutra by comparing an ordinary person to an egg. Like the fluids in an egg that develop into a bird, enlightenment exists as a potential within human life. Lastly, he says that the key to enlightenment is faith in the Gohonzon.

Daily Gosho - On Attaining Buddhahood in This Lifetime

So, this is a timely reminder to me that when obstacles come up, big or small, I should just *Get to the Gohonzon* sharpish. Why do I waste my time by sitting worrying and analysing?! The only way this mirror is going to get polished is with my daimoku! So no more procrastination for me!

"Arouse deep faith, and diligently polish your mirror day and night. How should you polish it? Only by chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo."

(On Attaining Buddhahood in This Lifetime - The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, Vol.1, page 4) http://www.sgilibrary.org/view.php?page=3 Selection source: Kyo no Hosshin, Seikyo Shimbun, September 21st, 2012


Background
This letter was written to Toki Jonin in the seventh year of Kencho (1255), two years after Nichiren Daishonin established his teaching of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. At the time of this letter, the Daishonin was thirty-four years old and was living in Kamakura, the seat of the military government. Toki was a staunch follower of the Daishonin who lived in Wakamiya in Shimosa Province. He received some thirty letters, including Letter from Sado and one of the major treatises, The Object of Devotion for Observing the Mind. A retainer of Lord Chiba, the constable of Shimosa, Toki had become a follower of the Daishonin       around 1254.
Of all his writings from the mids, On Attaining Buddhahood in This Lifetime focuses most clearly on the tenets of the Daishonin’s Buddhism; many of the other works of this period are aimed chiefly at refuting the erroneous doctrines of other schools and discussing theoretical questions. This short essay not only reflects the theories T’ien-t’ai formulated based on the Lotus Sutra, but also reveals the concrete practice for attaining Buddhahood—namely, chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo—that is missing in T’ient’ai’s theoretical framework.
Myoho-renge-kyo is the title of the Lotus Sutra, but to the Daishonin it is much more; it is the essence of the sutra, the revelation of the supreme Law itself. Apparent in this work are both the depth of his thought and his conviction that Nam-myoho-renge-kyo is the only teaching that can lead people to Buddhahood in this lifetime.

Daily Gosho - Reply to Yasaburo

Great rallying call by Nichiren Daishonin! Later on in this Gosho, he writes "This is where you will cross the Uji River. This is where you will ford the Seta. This will determine whether you win honor or disgrace your name. This is what is meant when it is said that it is difficult to be born as a human being, and that it is difficult to believe in the Lotus Sutra." So I think of this as meeting a crossroads - are we going to win or fail? It's up to us and our determined spirit...

"You must be firmly resolved. Do not begrudge your fief; do not think of your wife and children. And do not depend on others. You must simply make up your mind."

(Reply to Yasaburo - The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, Vol.1, page 829) http://www.sgilibrary.org/view.php?page=827 Selection source: Kyo no Hosshin, Seikyo Shimbun, September 20th, 2012


Background
This letter was written at Minobu to the believer Yasaburo. One explanation identifies Yasaburo with a man named Saito Yasaburo, who lived at Numazu in Suruga Province. The wording of the last paragraph suggests that he may have been a samurai.
Yasaburo had evidently sought the Daishonin’s advice in preparation for an upcoming debate with a priest of the Pure Land school. This letter is the Daishonin’s reply. It can be roughly divided into two parts. The first and longer part outlines the general argument that the Daishonin suggests Yasaburo should present in debating with a follower of the Pure Land school. The second, beginning from “Now if that priest objects . . . ,” instructs Yasaburo in how to press his opponent on specific points and urges him to muster up a resolute spirit.
The letter states that only Shakyamuni possesses the three virtues of sovereign, teacher, and parent with respect to the people of this saha world. In the Daishonin’s day, due to the growing influence of the Pure Land school, people tended increasingly to place their trust in Amida Buddha of the Western Paradise, hoping to win rebirth in his Pure Land after death. But the Daishonin stressed the importance of reverence for Shakyamuni, the historical founder of Buddhism who actually appeared in this world. Here he asserts that to worship Amida and slight Shakyamuni is an act of utter disloyalty. Thus, though the believers in Amida may seem to be devoted to pious acts, they are in fact guilty of an offense far worse than that of impious men with no religious awareness whatsoever. Their grave error, the Daishonin says, is bringing disaster on the country in the form of famine, epidemics, and the impending Mongol invasion.