Daily Gosho - On the Buddha's Prophecy

Started today off with my morning gongyo and the prayer that I would talk to the people who need Gohonzon today. 15 phone calls later, I have high hopes for good attendance at this week's discussion meetings.
BUT! I am still waiting for this month's guest to emerge from the earth. Lovely Bodhisattva of the Earth - where are you hiding?! As Nichiren says, shakubuku isn't easy, well for me anyway. Would love to hear of your victories in this area. I will continue to chant, as part of my Actual Proof Campaign, to bring guests to meetings and help them make an eternal connection to the Mystic Law. Gohonzon receiving can come later :)

 "I pray that before anything else I can guide and lead the ruler and those others who persecuted me. I will tell the Buddha about all the disciples who have aided me, and before I die, I will transfer the great blessings deriving from my practice to my parents who gave me life."

(On the Buddha's Prophecy - The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, Volume 1, page 402) http://www.sgilibrary.org/view.php?page=398 Selection source: SGI President Ikeda's guidance, Seikyo Shimbun, November 4th, 2012


Background
Nichiren Daishonin was fifty-two years old when he wrote this letter during his exile at Ichinosawa on the island of Sado in 1273. It is addressed to his disciples and lay supporters in general.
The title, On the Buddha’s Prophecy, points to two prophecies: One is Shakyamuni Buddha’s prediction that the votary of the Lotus Sutra will appear at the beginning of the Latter Day of the Law and spread the sutra’s teachings despite great persecutions. The other is the Daishonin’s own prophecy that in the Latter Day and on into the eternal future his teachings will spread throughout the world to benefit humankind.
This letter can be divided into seven sections according to content: (1) Nichiren Daishonin relates that it is a greater blessing to be born in the Latter Day of the Law and to have faith in the Lotus Sutra than to have met Shakyamuni Buddha or the great sages who appeared in the Former and Middle Days of the Law; (2) he cites statements and prophecies made by Shakyamuni and other Buddhist teachers concerning the Latter Day of the Law, the greatness of the Lotus Sutra, and the persecutions that will surely befall its votary; (3) he outlines the decline of Shakyamuni’s Buddhism and proclaims that the correct teaching of Buddhism will spread throughout the world in the Latter Day; (4) he identifies himself as the votary of the Lotus Sutra, that is, the Buddha of the Latter Day of the Law; (5) he shows that Buddhism is no longer alive in India or China, and that the correct teaching of Buddhism will arise in the eastern land of Japan; (6) he expands on his prophecy by comparing the omens that have appeared in his age with those that appeared in Shakyamuni’s; and (7) he declares that the supreme Law is now arising and warns his followers that carrying out widespread propagation will be difficult.

Daily Gosho - On the Buddha's Prophecy

Nichiren Daishonin reminding us again about the importance of our debt of gratitude - to our fellow practitioners, to our parents, and to him by way of our sincere efforts to propagate the  Mystic Law...

"I pray that before anything else I can guide and lead the ruler and those others who persecuted me. I will tell the Buddha about all the disciples who have aided me, and before I die, I will transfer the great blessings deriving from my practice to my parents who gave me life."

(On the Buddha's Prophecy - The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, Volume 1, page 402) http://www.sgilibrary.org/view.php?page=398&m=0&q= Selection source: SGI President Ikeda's guidance, Seikyo Shimbun, November 4th, 2012


Background
Nichiren Daishonin was fifty-two years old when he wrote this letter during his exile at Ichinosawa on the island of Sado in 1273. It is addressed to his disciples and lay supporters in general.
The title, On the Buddha’s Prophecy, points to two prophecies: One is Shakyamuni Buddha’s prediction that the votary of the Lotus Sutra will appear at the beginning of the Latter Day of the Law and spread the sutra’s teachings despite great persecutions. The other is the Daishonin’s own prophecy that in the Latter Day and on into the eternal future his teachings will spread throughout the world to benefit humankind.
This letter can be divided into seven sections according to content: (1) Nichiren Daishonin relates that it is a greater blessing to be born in the Latter Day of the Law and to have faith in the Lotus Sutra than to have met Shakyamuni Buddha or the great sages who appeared in the Former and Middle Days of the Law; (2) he cites statements and prophecies made by Shakyamuni and other Buddhist teachers concerning the Latter Day of the Law, the greatness of the Lotus Sutra, and the persecutions that will surely befall its votary; (3) he outlines the decline of Shakyamuni’s Buddhism and proclaims that the correct teaching of Buddhism will spread throughout the world in the Latter Day; (4) he identifies himself as the votary of the Lotus Sutra, that is, the Buddha of the Latter Day of the Law; (5) he shows that Buddhism is no longer alive in India or China, and that the correct teaching of Buddhism will arise in the eastern land of Japan; (6) he expands on his prophecy by comparing the omens that have appeared in his age with those that appeared in Shakyamuni’s; and (7) he declares that the supreme Law is now arising and warns his followers that carrying out widespread propagation will be difficult.

Daily Gosho - On Repaying Debts of Gratitude

Over the last couple of months, I have noticed a fair bit of opposition to my practice. It's not aggressive but it's there and when it involves slander, it doesn't feel that nice! My mission is so clear in my mind that I would  never be swayed - the opposition just proves to me the correctness of the Mystic Law - but even so, I can be affected by it. This quote helps me to remember to be courageous just like Sensei who has endured slander and criticism throughout.

"Shakyamuni taught that the shallow is easy to embrace, but the profound is difficult. To discard the shallow and seek the profound is the way of a person of courage."

(On Repaying Debts of Gratitude - The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, Volume 1, page 712) http://www.sgilibrary.org/view.php?page=690 Selection source: Kyo no Hosshin, Seikyo Shimbun, October 20th, 2012


Background
This lengthy treatise is one of Nichiren Daishonin’s five major writings. It is dated the twenty-first day of the seventh month, 1276, a little more than two years after the Daishonin had taken up residence at Minobu. It was prompted by the news of the death of Dozen-bo, a priest of Seicho-ji temple in Awa Province, who had been the Daishonin’s teacher when he first entered the temple as a boy of twelve. Nichiren Daishonin wrote this treatise to express his gratitude to Dozen-bo and sent it to Joken-bo and Gijo-bo, senior priests at the time he entered the temple, who later became his followers. He entrusted this text to Niko, one of his disciples, and requested that it be taken to Seicho-ji on his behalf and read aloud at Kasagamori on the summit of Mount Kiyosumi where he had first chanted Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, and again in front of the tomb of his late teacher.
In 1233, Nichiren Daishonin entered Seicho-ji temple to study under Dozenbo. At that time, temples served as centers of learning as well as religion. During his stay at this temple, the Daishonin developed his extraordinary literary skills that later proved so valuable in propagating his teachings. He also embarked on a lifelong journey to find and proclaim the unique truth of Buddhism, which had been all but obscured by the emergence of various misleading schools.
On the twenty-eighth day of the fourth month, 1253, the Daishonin proclaimed Nam-myoho-renge-kyo to be the sole teaching leading directly to enlightenment in the Latter Day of the Law, while denouncing the doctrines of the then prevalent Pure Land school. Tojo Kagenobu, the steward of the area and a fervent Pure Land believer, became furious on hearing of this and sent his men to the temple to arrest the
Daishonin. Dozen-bo, a devotee of the Pure Land teaching, could not defend him openly, but instructed the two senior priests, Joken-bo and Gijo-bo, to guide his young disciple to safety.
Nichiren Daishonin and his former teacher met again in 1264, when the Daishonin visited his home in Awa after returning from exile on the Izu Peninsula. He later wrote that Dozen- bo had asked him on this occasion if his practice of the Pure Land teaching would lead him into the hell of incessant suffering. In reply, the Daishonin told Dozen-bo that he could not free himself from the effects of his slander unless he revered the Lotus Sutra as the fundamental teaching. Afterward, though Dozen-bo did not entirely abandon his belief in Amida, he carved a statue of Shakyamuni Buddha. The Daishonin rejoiced that Dozen-bo was apparently beginning to see his error because he felt indebted to this man who had initiated him into the priesthood and earnestly desired to lead him to the correct teaching.
Nichiren Daishonin begins this treatise by emphasizing the need to repay one’s obligations to one’s parents, teacher, the three treasures of Buddhism, and one’s sovereign. He teaches the importance of repaying debts of gratitude as a fundamental aspect of human behavior. Of these four debts of gratitude, this work stresses specifically repaying the debt owed to one’s teacher. Next, the Daishonin states that to repay such debts one must master the truth of Buddhism and attain enlightenment. To accomplish this goal, one must dedicate oneself single-mindedly to the Buddhist practice. However, to attain enlightenment, one must also practice the correct Buddhist teaching. The Daishonin traces the development of the various schools of Buddhism in India, China, and Japan, and examines their doctrines in terms of the relative superiority of the sutras on which they are based, emphasizing the supremacy of the Lotus Sutra. In particular, he refutes the erroneous doctrines of the True Word school. He vehemently denounces Jikaku and Chisho who, though they were patriarchs of the Japanese Tendai school, corrupted the school’s profound teachings, which are based on the Lotus Sutra, by mixing them with esoteric elements. The Daishonin concludes that only the Lotus Sutra contains the ultimate truth and, moreover, that the essence of the sutra, and of the whole of Buddhism, is Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. This is the teaching to be propagated in the Latter Day of the Law.
The concluding part of this work makes clear that the Buddha of the Latter Day is none other than Nichiren Daishonin himself, and that the Buddhism he teaches comprises the Three Great Secret Laws - the invocation or daimoku of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, the object of devotion, and the sanctuary - which are implicit in the “Life Span” chapter of the Lotus Sutra but have never before been revealed. The Daishonin also makes it clear that, in establishing the Three Great Secret Laws for the enlightenment of all people, he is at the same time repaying his debt of gratitude to the deceased Dozen-bo. Flowering and Bearing Grain, written two years later, states, “The blessings that Nichiren obtains from propagating the Lotus Sutra will always return to Dozen-bo” (p. 909). This passage restates the message of the concluding part of this letter.
The present treatise is particularly important because it is the first extant writing in which Nichiren Daishonin specifies each of the Three Great Secret Laws, declaring that this teaching will save people for the ten thousand years of the Latter Day and more, for all eternity. These three, the core of the Daishonin’s Buddhism, represent the Law that was transferred to the Bodhisattvas of the Earth in the “Supernatural Powers” chapter for propagation in the Latter Day. The object of devotion is the Gohonzon that enables all people to attain Buddhahood; the daimoku is the chanting of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo with faith in the object of devotion; and the sanctuary is the place where the object of devotion is enshrined and the daimoku is chanted to it.

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 - 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 - The Properties of Rice

So, wherever we are living, in whatever circles we move in, our own area is our personal province of kosen-rufu, and exactly where we need to win. Nichiren Daishonin trusts us with this lofty mission, so let's open up our hearts, and share this wonderful practice within our communities...

"I entrust you with the propagation of Buddhism in your province. It is stated that 'the seeds of Buddhahood sprout as a result of conditions, and for this reason they preach the single vehicle.'"

(The Properties of Rice - The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, page 1117) http://www.sgilibrary.org/view.php?page=1117 Selection Source: "Kyo no Hosshin", Seikyo Shinbun September 15th, 2012

Background

Only a fragment of this letter remains, and its recipient and the date of its writing are not known. It was once thought to represent the concluding portion of The True Aspect of All Phenomena, written on Sado Island in the fifth month of 1273, but in view of its style and content it is now considered to be a fragment of a letter written after Nichiren Daishonin moved to Mount Minobu. Likewise, it is thought that it may have been sent to the lay priest Takahashi Rokuro Hyoe, who lived at Kajima in Fuji District of Suruga Province. Takahashi’s wife was Nikko Shonin’s aunt, and Takahashi and his family appear to have actively supported the propagation movement in the Fuji area.

It is worthy of note that, in closing, the Daishonin entrusts the letter’s recipient with the responsibility for propagation in his province, suggesting that the recipient had strong faith and was a leading figure among the believers in that area.

 

 

Daily Gosho - Nikko Shonin's 26 Admonitions

This is the Soka stand-up spirit isn't it? When we have our mission at the centre of our lives, based on the oneness of mentor and disciple, we can take action willingly and with great joy, working in unity with our mentor to achieve the great vow we made in the distant past...

"Until kosen-rufu is achieved, propagate the Law to the full extent of your ability without begrudging your life."

(Nikko Shonin's 26 Admonitions - Gosho Zenshu, page 1617) Selection Source: "Kyo no Hosshin", Seikyo Shinbun September 13th, 2012

Daily Gosho - The Problem to Be Pondered Night and Day

So this Gosho is the reason why I don't get my sleep quota! And by the sounds of it, I'm not alone! I'm cutting short my sleep time because I made a vow in the distant past to propogate the Mystic Law, and if that means less sleep, so be it! This is my mission, this is my aim, and I will not begrudge my life in achieving kosen-rufu. I'm not superhuman, I am tired, but my sense of purpose and my vow to my mentor is overiding... *PS, it's important to remember that we need a sense of balance in our lives too - let's use our wisdom and use our time carefully!


"In the light of the above points, this shows, my followers, that you had better cut short your sleep by night and curtail your leisure by day, and ponder this! You must not spend your lives in vain and regret it for ten thousand years to come."

(The Problem to Be Pondered Night and Day - The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, Volume 1, page 622)  http://www.sgilibrary.org/view.php?page=620 Selection source: Kyo no Hosshin, Seikyo Shimbun, August 11th, 2012

Background

This letter was written to Toki Jonin, a learned and dedicated disciple who lived in Shimosa Province. In it Nichiren Daishonin stresses the extreme seriousness of the offense of slander and also the importance of embracing the supreme Buddhist teaching. The letter is dated simply the twenty-third day of the eighth month, and though it is generally thought to have been written in the first year of Kenji (1275) at Minobu, no firm conclusion has been reached in this regard. Other opinions are that the Daishonin wrote it in 1276 or even in 1273 while he was still on Sado Island.

In the Daishonin’s teaching, rather than adherence to a specific code of conduct, one’s fundamental posture toward the Mystic Law, or ultimate reality, determines one’s happiness or unhappiness in life. A person who seeks and awakens to the ultimate truth within will attain enlightenment, while one who remains in ignorance of it or even slanders it will continue to be bound by suffering. Hence the Daishonin’s emphasis on exclusive commitment to the Lotus Sutra, which teaches the direct attainment of Buddhahood for all people.

In the last part of this letter, the Daishonin raises a question that had crossed many people’s minds: on the basis of what sort of insight does he dare to criticize such eminent teachers of the past as Kobo, Jikaku, and Chisho? However, instead of answering this question directly, he simply says, “You had better cut short your sleep by night and curtail your leisure by day, and ponder this!” This passage, from which the letter takes its name, suggests that the most important task of our human existence is to seek out and uphold the correct teaching leading to enlightenment.

Daily Gosho - The Record of the Orally Transmitted Teachings

Loving the reminder of the 'great vow' that we, the Bodhisattvas of the Earth, all made at Eagle Peak. That we would stand up, united with our mentor, and propagate the Lotus Sutra.  As Sensei says in his speech "On Eagle's Peak" (17th September 2006), 

"To strive in faith with the same commitment as one’s mentor means to continue advancing amid great difficulty and adversity with unwavering resolve together with the mentor toward the goal of realizing the great vow of kosen-rufu. Those who maintain this spirit in faith throughout their lives will be able to gain the vast and expansive life-state of the pure land of Eagle Peak -the state of Buddhahood - for all eternity. Moreover, they will be able to lead their family and loved ones to that state of life as well."

Unwavering. Determined. Committed. Let's strive even harder, creating unity based on the oneness of mentor and disciple, and propagate with courage, conviction and compassion....

"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 Shimbun, August 6th, 2012

Daily Study - The Selection of the Time

The Selection of the Time http://www.sgilibrary.org/view.php?page=538

I'm writing these study notes while my neighbours are having yet another blazing row. This Gosho has reminded me of our mission to propagate Nichiren Daishonin's Buddhism so that we can alleviate suffering like that of the people next door...
As Sensei says on p11 of August's AOL, by awakening to our mission as Bodhisattvas of the Earth, we live our lives with the "fundamental spirit of empathy and caring for others".  Nichiren Daishonin stood up, alone and persecuted so that we could meet the practice in the Latter Day of the Law. We should practice with his spirit and become "the foremost votary of the Lotus Sutra in the entire land of Jambudvipa (the entire world).  It was Nichiren Daishonin's supreme compassion for us to become enlightened that enabled him to make this his mission in life. And he took responsibility for that mission, completely, understanding that it was only him, as the Buddha of the Latter Day of the Law, who could make this mission a reality.
Sensei writes that with this spirit of transforming our lives, and helping others to transform theirs, we can prove our worth as a human being.  It isn't down to how powerful we are, or what our status is, the true measure of a human being is how by we help people overcome their suffering.
We are fortunate in England not to suffer major religious persecution such as Nichiren Daishonin did, but in his day in 1275, his teachings certainly ruffled a few feathers to say the least.  The 'evil demons' which had taken over the priests and rulers of his time, did everything in their power to cut Nichiren Daishonin down to size, to banish him in exile. But still he carried out, out of sincerity and respect for all human beings. He would not be silenced.  He recognised that their slander of the Law was having grave effects on the country and the people, but also, sadly realised that these 'eminent priests' would accept his word as true, when it was too late.
So, how do we achieve our mission for widespread propagation - by treasuring the person right in front of us! As Sensei writes on p17, "It all starts with one person. That person's passion and commitment will inspire another person, and then another..." becoming a Mount Sumeru of perfect enlightenment. 
In our recent Chapter Study lecture, our wonderful Women's Division leader spoke of determining in front of the Gohonzon, every day, on how we can "consolidate our strong foundation" and then build on this foundation. That it starts with us, determining to live our life to the absolute fullest. 
Sensei gives us guidance that we shouldn't begrudge our own lives; that we can't fully commit to the struggle with a half-hearted attitude. "Without a thoroughgoing commitment, one cannot persevere in the struggle to propagate the correct teaching in the Latter Day of the Law. But unless this struggle is undertaken, the teaching of the Lotus Sutra will become obscured and lost, and the Latter Day will remain in darkness." 
We are reminded of the examples of the farmers at Atsuhara, of Shijo Kingo and the Ikegami brothers - people with pure and strong faith who took on this struggle whole-heartedly, no matter what the cost to themselves or their lives. Similarly, what  personal sacrifices have our three presidents undertaken for their mission - Makiguchi dying in prison, Toda's selfless struggle to rebuild the Soka Gakkai and achieve his determination of 750,000 households practicing, and Sensei Ikeda's ongoing efforts to achieve worldwide kosen-rufu amidst persecution, slander, arrest to name but a few of the challenges he has had to face - and overcome.
As he says, "Now is the time to show brilliant actual proof of worldwide kosen-rufu by reading with our lives the Daishonin's words:  'Try practising as the Lotus Sutra teaches, exerting yourselves without begrudging your lives! Test the truth of Buddhism now!"
This is our mission! Let's do it!  I'm going to start with my neighbours :)