Daily Gosho - The Supremacy of the Law

I'm thinking, in this year of my Actual Proof Campaign, that my results will depend on how much effort I devote to my three practices every day. By effort, I don't necessarily mean just time, but my sincerity within the time I have. And this deep determination and effort will provide benefits - of course, conspicious benefits are great, but as we know, treasures of the heart are so much more satisfying! How wonderful that we all have the tool to become unshakeably-happy. Not sure if that is a word or not, but hopefully you know what I mean! Skilled in the practice of being pilots of our own happiness. As Sensei says in Newsletter 8575:


'No matter what our circumstances may be, when we have firm faith in the Mystic Law, we will definitely be protected by the positive functions of the universe. In Nichiren Daishonin’s Buddhism, faith means always looking to the future and making a fresh start from this moment on. Let’s begin each day anew with the resolve to strengthen our faith more than ever. This is the essence of the proud ever-victorious spirit of the SGI."

Let's rouse these shoten-zenjin with our roaring daimoku!


"I say this for your sake. I know your faith has always been admirable, but now you must strengthen it more than ever."

(The Supremacy of the Law - The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, Volume 1, page 614) http://www.sgilibrary.org/view.php?page=613 Selection source: Buddhist teachings, Seikyo Shimbun, November 11th, 2012

Background

Nichiren Daishonin wrote this letter at Minobu in the eighth month of the first year of Kenji (1275). It was addressed to Oto, the daughter of Nichimyo, an earnest believer living in Kamakura. This letter, though addressed to Oto, was obviously meant for her mother, whom the Daishonin had called the Sage Nichimyo in a letter dated the fifth month of 1272.

Virtually nothing is known about Nichimyo other than that she visited the Daishonin, with her daughter, while he was in exile on Sado Island. The journey to Sado was a dangerous one, and the Daishonin was greatly impressed by the strength of faith she demonstrated.

In this letter, the Daishonin says, “Ice is made of water, but it is colder than water. Blue dye comes from indigo, but when something is repeatedly dyed in it, the color is better than that of the indigo plant.” With this paraphrase of a passage in the well-known Chinese classic, Hsün Tzu, he encourages Nichimyo to strengthen her faith still more so she can gain even greater vitality and good fortune.

The title for this letter derives from a passage in The Annotations on the Nirvana Sutra that reads, “One’s body is insignificant while the Law is supreme. One should give one’s life in order to propagate the Law.” The Daishonin declares that however much people hate and persecute him, because the Law is supreme, it will spread without fail. Then, after his death, his remains, he adds, will be respected, as will those who have aided him.