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 - The True Aspect of All Phenomena

Big thanks to @JoanneBurtonMe for helping me on this one - my Buddha wisdom had gone walkabouts :) 

So looking at this Gosho extract, to me it's saying that we common mortals have the same qualities as the Buddha - we shouldn't forget it! As the lecturer at Saturday's Introduction to Buddhism at the London Ikeda Peace Centre said - when we chant one minute, and then slander ourselves the next, it's like one hand is pulling us forward, and the other hand is pulling us back. I like that anology :)

Here's Joanne's take on it - "Think it means that Buddha isn't an external being sent to save us, but a manifestation of our desire to overcome suffering."

Be really interested to hear what you all thought when you read the extract. More enlightenment always welcome :)

"In that case, though it is thought that Shakyamuni Buddha possesses the three virtues of sovereign, teacher, and parent for the sake of all of us living beings, that is not so. On the contrary, it is common mortals who endow him with the three virtues."

(The True Aspect of All Phenomena - The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, Vol.1, page 384) http://www.sgilibrary.org/view.php?page=383 Selection source: Kyo no Hosshin, Seikyo Shimbun, August 22nd, 2012

Background
Nichiren Daishonin wrote this letter to Sairen-bo Nichijo while at Ichinosawa on Sado Island in the fifth month of the tenth year of Bun’ei (1273). For some reason Sairen-bo was also in exile on Sado, where he had been converted by the Daishonin in the second month of 1272. A former Tendai priest, he already knew something about “the true aspect of all phenomena”; it was a fundamental concept in the Tendai school of Buddhism. He could not, however, satisfactorily come to grips with this concept through T’ien-t’ai’s theory alone, so he asked the Daishonin for an explanation. The True Aspect of All Phenomena is the Daishonin’s reply.
Though comparatively short, this document elucidates two important elements of the Daishonin’s Buddhism. It was completed a month after Nichiren Daishonin wrote The Object of Devotion for Observing the Mind, in which he explained the Gohonzon, the object of devotion that can lead all people in the Latter Day of the Law to enlightenment. True Aspect of All Phenomena begins with a passage from the “Expedient Means” chapter — the heart of the theoretical teaching of the Lotus Sutra — that implies that no phenomenon is in any way different from the true aspect, or Myoho-renge-kyo. It also implies that all the innumerable forms and realities that exist, both concrete and abstract, are manifestations of Myoho-renge-kyo. The Daishonin then explains the essence of the Lotus Sutra, Myoho-renge-kyo, and its embodiment, the Gohonzon. This is the first element — the object of devotion in terms of the Law.
After clarifying the ultimate teaching of the Lotus Sutra, the Daishonin states that Bodhisattva Superior Practices, the leader of the Bodhisattvas of the Earth, will propagate that teaching, and that he himself is carrying out the mission entrusted to that bodhisattva. In light of his own behavior and his fulfillment of the predictions in the Lotus Sutra, Nichiren Daishonin suggests that he himself is Bodhisattva Superior Practices. A more profound interpretation, however, identifies him as the Buddha of the Latter Day of the Law, whose purpose was to establish the Gohonzon for the enlightenment of all people in the Latter Day. Thus True Aspect of All Phenomena also explains the object of devotion in terms of the Person. This is the second element. Referring to both the Person and the Law, the Daishonin clarifies the fundamental object of devotion for the people of the Latter Day. He brings together the points he expounded in The Opening of the Eyes completed in 1272, which focuses on the second element, and in The Object of Devotion for Observing the Mind, which focuses on the first element.
The latter half of this letter explains to Sairen-bo that those who devote themselves to propagating the correct teaching in the same spirit as the Daishonin are themselves Bodhisattvas of the Earth. The Daishonin predicts that Nam-myoho-renge-kyo will spread widely in the future, and concludes by setting forth the key elements of Buddhist practice in the Latter Day of the Law— namely, faith, practice, and study.

Daily Gosho - Reply to Kyo'o

Let's bravely achieve our own unique missions, with the knowledge that through sincere faith and belief in the Gohonzon, we will enjoy ‘protection from without’ once our Buddha nature is manifested. How reassuring… the most important thing is faith.

"Wherever your daughter may frolic or play, no harm will come to her; she will move about without fear like the lion king."

(Reply to Kyo'o - The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, Vol.1, page 412) Selection source: Kyo no Hosshin, Seikyo Shimbun, July 7th, 2012

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.

Daily Practice - Creating brilliant lives of happiness that shine

Just arrived home from our Womens Division Summer Course. And have to blog about it right away. WOW, WOW, WOW. 

This year, I could only attend one day but I am so glad I made the determination to get there, even for a short time.  Our theme for the course was 'Creating brilliant lives of happiness that shine.' and we studied 'The Light of Happiness' from The New Human Revolution, vol 25.

So much still to digest but I wanted to share a few things that struck an immediate chord with me. 

Our beautiful bonds of friendship which transcend society's usual boundaries such as race, age, class.

Our care for fellow members, supporting their individual needs and our determination that each member would have a victory before, during and after the course.

Our encouragement for members who take on responsibilities and really challenge their lives through activities such as a course.

Our leaders' sincere wish for us all to strengthen our faith, practice and study and most of all, lead lives of indestructible happiness.

Our HQ leaders' guidance included these gems which I will engrave into my heart over the next few days:

Each time I slander myself, I should stop and think 'But I am a BUDDHA' and not let those lesser-self thoughts undermine that undeniable fact.

Determine to make the impossible, possible - NO MATTER WHAT.

That I should really chant to see what it is in my life that makes me suffer.

Chant, chant, chant until the situation has been transformed.

Realise my own unique mission.

Take responsibility for my life, and not be pulled around by my environment.

Repay my debt of gratitude to the person who introduced me to the practice, by establishing the happiest life for myself.

Practice for others, knowing that one word could touch someone else's heart.

This guidance is not new to me, but it's like I make a fresh new determination whenever I attend a course of this nature.

Today, I redetermine to lead a brilliant life of happiness that shines....