Daily Study - Reply to Kyo'o

http://www.sgilibrary.org/view.php?page=412 

This Gosho from Nichiren Daishonin was written to the parents of Kyo'o, a one-year old baby who was suffering with a serious illness. I would like us to discuss and share our views on how our faith can overcome all obstacles.
This letter was addressed to Kyo'o, but in fact it was meant for her parents, Shijo Kingo and Nichigen-nyo. When Kyo'o became ill, Shijo Kingo wrote to Nichiren Daishonin to tell him of her illness. Even though he was a doctor, he wanted guidance in faith on the matter, which shows his absolute trust in Nichiren Daishonin as his mentor.

Just when I was longing to hear from you once again, the messenger whom you took the trouble to send arrived. In my present circumstances, your gift of money is far more valuable than any treasure to be found on land or sea.

As we know, Shijo Kingo was a true and loyal disciple of Nichiren Daishonin and received 37 letters from him - more than any other follower. At times he was stern with Shijo Kingo, despatching guidance with strict-compassion, but this letter shows Nichiren Daishonin's affection and compassion for this youthful-spirited man. By the way Shijo Kingo is often described as youthful - actually he was in his 40's - but his spirit was youthful, just as Sensei encourages us to live. 
What struck me from this first sentence was the word 'longing'. Sometimes in the West, we perceive the Mentor to be the Big Boss, and the Disciple to be the lowly servant. Not so! Nichiren Daishonin is 'longing' to hear how his disciple is faring, how his family are doing and to hear of his victories. I would like to suggest that we each report to Sensei, who I know, is longing to hear of SGI-UK's development, progress and victories.
Nichiren Daishonin is sincerely thanking Shijo Kingo for his gift of money; something Nichiren Daishonin was in desperate need of. He's not just expecting his disciples to take care of him cause he's the leader; his gratitude is apparent.

Since I heard from you about Kyo’o, I have been praying to the gods of the sun and moon for her every moment of the day. Always cherish the Gohonzon that I gave you some time ago for her protection. The Gohonzon was never known, let alone inscribed, by anyone in the Former or Middle Day of the Law. The lion king is said to advance three steps, then gather himself to spring, unleashing the same power whether he traps a tiny ant or attacks a fierce animal. In inscribing this Gohonzon for her protection, Nichiren was like the lion king. This is what the sutra means by “the power [of the Buddhas] that has the lion’s ferocity.” Believe in this mandala with all your heart. Nam-myoho-renge-kyo is like the roar of a lion. What sickness can therefore be an obstacle?

When we talk about protection in terms of Buddhism, we don't mean god-like adoration - like 'pleading for rescue or reward' but more that the universe responds to our daimoku.  So for example in the case of illness, this could be finding the right doctor, or right course of medication for example. 
Nichiren Daishonin goes on to say that they should trust the Gohonzon absolutely i.e. base their decisions on their Buddha wisdom. That means to take correct action after chanting - not before!   
As he says, the Gohonzon was inscribed in the Latter Day of the Law. That means, us the Bodhisattvas of the Earth who chose to be born in the evil age of Mappo, have an absolute responsibility to repay Nichiren's compassion for the whole world, with our own efforts to propagate the Mystic Law. We  made such causes in the past to have the great good fortune of being here, in England, practising Nichiren Daishonin's Buddhism in a free country, building up a network of friendship and happiness with both our Soka family and beyond.
We then see Nam-myoho-renge-kyo described as the roar of a lion. A lion - the bravest animal in the jungle.  So when we chant, how lion-like are we? Do we have absolute conviction that Nam-myoho-renge-kyo can overcome all obstacles - or just the ones that we think realistically could potentially be solved.
We all perform many different roles in our lives - wife, partner, friend and many more - but perhaps the most genetically natural to women, is our role as mothers. How frightening therefore when we see our children suffer or become ill. Our natural instinct is to relieve them of their pain, even take their place in terms of suffering. 
So imagine that feeling, but in 1273 with few of the facilities that we have access to today. How strongly did Shijo and his wife believe that Kyo'o could be cured?

It is written that those who embrace the daimoku of the Lotus Sutra will be protected by the Mother of Demon Children and by the ten demon daughters. Such persons will enjoy the happiness of the wisdom king Craving-Filled and the good fortune of the heavenly king Vaishravana. Wherever your daughter may frolic or play, no harm will come to her; she will move about without fear like the lion king. Among the ten demon daughters, the protection of Kunti is the most profound. But your faith alone will determine all these things. A sword is useless in the hands of a coward. The mighty sword of the Lotus Sutra must be wielded by one courageous in faith. Then one will be as strong as a demon armed with an iron staff.

In this paragraph, we see Nichiren's compassion again. He really wants his disciple to win.  So he's asking Shijo Kingo and his wife to muster their faith and understand that the mighty sword of the Lotus Sutra is best wielded with determination, conviction and courage. The coward's way is to slander the Mystic Law by not believing its power.  It's a bit like trying to do something with one hand tied behind your back.  We're chanting in one breath, saying I'm a Buddha, but every time we listen to that little voice in our head, telling us we're rubbish, and that we're powerless to change a situation, we are denigrating our Buddha nature, slandering the Mystic Law and repeating the causes which lead us to suffer. When we chant with our 'no matter what, this will happen' attitude, we are using our sword of faith to its best ability, and not restricting its effectiveness.

I, Nichiren, have inscribed my life in sumi ink, so believe in the Gohonzon with your whole heart. The Buddha’s will is the Lotus Sutra, but the soul of Nichiren is nothing other than Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. Miao-lo states in his commentary that the heart of this sutra is the revelation of the Buddha’s original enlightenment and his immeasurable life span.

So when Nichiren writes that he inscribed his life in the form of the Gohonzon, he is saying that when we chant, his lifestate, his lifeforce can be activated by our daimoku. Well, Nichiren wouldn't chant with a half-hearted attitude would he? He knew that anything could be achieved with our determined daimoku, our strong determination and clear goals. Sensei says:

"The life of Nichiren Daishonin and the power of the Gohonzon are as vast and boundless as the universe itself. Our own lives also contain infinite potential. Whether we can actualise that potential depends entirely on the strength and depth of our determination in faith." Conversations and Lectures on the Lotus Sutra, vol 1, p311.

So the next time we sit in front of the Gohonzon, let's really chant with the spirit of Nichiren in our mind. I will overcome this obstacle! I will transform my karmic tendencies and banish my fundamental darkness!

Kyo’o’s misfortune will change into fortune. Muster your faith, and pray to this Gohonzon. Then what is there that cannot be achieved? There can be no doubt about the sutra passages that say, “This sutra can fulfill their desires, as a clear cool pond can satisfy all those who are thirsty,” and “They will enjoy peace and security in their present existence and good circumstances in future existences.” I will write you again.
When I am pardoned from exile in this province, I will hasten to Kamakura where we will meet. If we consider the power of the Lotus Sutra, we will find perpetual youth and eternal life before our eyes. My only worry is that her life may be as short-lived as dew; therefore, I am praying with all my might for the heavenly gods to protect her. [Kyo’o,] follow in the footsteps of Lady Pure Virtue or the dragon king’s daughter. Nam-myoho-renge- kyo, Nam-myoho-renge-kyo.
Respectfully,
Nichiren
The fifteenth day of the eighth month
Reply to Kyo’o

So the last paragraph is referring to our fortune in both this life and our future existences. Fundamentally, we chant to transform our life-state into one of a Buddha, enjoying all the great fortune and absolute happiness that that means. A life of absolute freedom, in which we get to a stage of actually welcoming obstacles into our lives, because we know we have the best possible tool in our possession - Nam-myoho-renge- kyo which can solve anything. And if we can change our karma in this lifetime, we don't need to carry that 'baggage' into the next. How wondrous to know that we don't have to repeat the same cycle of misery that is particular to our own lives and karma.
And with that power, we can show tremendous actual proof in our own lives - a form of shakubuku. Sensei's guidance from Buddhism in Action:

"There is no way that the power of a person of strong faith will not be answered. Although it might seem to go unanswered from a short-range view, later when that person views the matter from the long-range perspective of his lifetime, he will see that he has in no way failed to become happy, and will come, by himself, to understand that there was some profound meaning in the fact that he had to suffer that particular problem at that time. This is something you should be convinced of."

OK, the million-dollar question. Did Kyo'o recover? What would have happened if Kyo'o had died at such a young age? Would that daimoku have failed? This is something I have struggled to understand in the past. Listening to Mrs Takahashi's lecture in May, I finally understood that if someone dies at a young age (like my mum at 26 for example), it means their mission for this lifetime is complete. I always thought it was a tragedy. And as Kyo'o's parents would have chanted abundant daimoku, we know that her lifestate would have been one of Buddhahood at the time of her death, ready to be reborn quickly into an environment where she could have met the practice once more - or even be born into a family who practices.  I think it's so much harder when we hear people say 'they have lost their lives' which feels like a failure. We don't know when our mission will be complete, our time of death, but what we can ensure is that we use this lifetime to its best possible potential and carry on chanting throughout. 
Happy to report that Kyo'o did recover fully. This Gosho however, is more about using our practice to develop such strong faith that we have no doubt whatsoever that any obstacle can be overcome, no matter what.


Background
This brief letter was written in the eighth month of the tenth year of Bun’ei (1273) and was addressed to Kyo’o, Shijo Kingo’s infant daughter. Since Kyo’o was then only one year old, however, it may be assumed that the letter was meant for Shijo Kingo and his wife, Nichigen-nyo. They had two children, Kyo’o (Sutra King) and another daughter, Tsukimaro (Full Moon), who was a year older. Both were apparently named by Nichiren Daishonin.
This letter was written in response to news that Kyo’o had become seriously ill. At this time the Daishonin was living in exile on Sado Island.
The Daishonin explains the significance of the Gohonzon, the object of devotion. At the Tatsunokuchi Persecution in 1271, the Daishonin revealed his identity as the Buddha of the Latter Day of the Law. Only after this did he begin to inscribe the Gohonzon and bestow it on his followers, particularly those who had staunch faith in his teachings.
In this letter, the Daishonin says that the boundless benefits of the Gohonzon will surely cure Kyo’o’s sickness and urges Kingo and his wife to believe firmly in the Gohonzon.