SGI President Ikeda’s Message for May 3, 2013

I would like to congratulate all of you, my dear friends of SGI-UK, on this glorious May 3—which is not only Soka Gakkai Day, but also Soka Gakkai Mothers Day, an occasion when we express our appreciation to all our wonderful women’s division members, the mothers of kosen-rufu.

I am delighted to be celebrating this May 3 in great victory with all of you, the members of our Soka family around the world, and I would like to sincerely praise and thank you for your noble, dedicated efforts.

Inheriting the spirit of Nichiren Daishonin, the three founding presidents of the Soka Gakkai have each made a vow to accomplish kosen-rufu and devoted their lives to realizing that goal. And May 3 is the eternal prime point of this shared vow of mentor and disciple.

With the dawn of each May 3, let us - as SGI members joined by the bonds of mentor and disciple - make the original and inherent brilliance of our lives shine forth even more strongly to illuminate the world and those around us.

On November 18 of this year, the long-awaited new citadel of worldwide kosen-rufu, the Soka Gakkai’s central headquarters, will be completed. This will mark a new phase for the SGI as a world religious movement that offers hope to all humanity.

While in exile on Sado Island, Nichiren Daishonin declared:

There should be no discrimination among those who propagate the five characters of Myoho-renge-kyo in the Latter Day of the Law, be they men or women. Were they not Bodhisattvas of the Earth, they could not chant the daimoku. At first only Nichiren chanted Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, but then two, three, and a hundred followed, chanting and teaching others. Propagation will unfold this way in the future as well. Does this not signify “emerging from the earth”? (WND-1, 385)

It is the presence of our towering network of members in 192 countries and territories - Bodhisattvas of the Earth who have appeared just as the Daishonin predicted - that will make our new central headquarters shine with incomparable brilliance. 

Please remember that all of you here today are people of great mission who share profound and wondrous karmic ties and have a direct connection to Nichiren Daishonin.

With confidence in our mission as Bodhisattvas of the Earth, let’s set forth afresh on the great adventure of kosen-rufu, promoting our movement with pride, joy, energy and a youthful spirit!

The SGI is a “pillar” of peace - imparting hope and reassurance to the world. It is a “great ship” of culture - fostering a rich spirit of peace in the hearts of people everywhere. And it is the “eyes” of education - nurturing humanistic values centered on respect for the dignity of life.

When we chant and take action for kosen-rufu, we can manifest the same life-state as the Buddha. We can tap the same wisdom and strength as the Buddha. We can carry out the same work as the Buddha. There is no life more victorious or noble than this.

Please continue to advance together with me and all our members around the world, brimming with courage and hope! As good citizens, please be active in your communities and societies and continue to forge bonds of trust and friendship with those around you.

I offer this message with sincere prayers for the health, long life, happiness, and victory of all of you, my most dear and precious fellow members.

May 3, 2013
Daisaku Ikeda
President, Soka Gakkai International

Daily Gosho - Reply to Kyo'o

Always inspired by the conviction of Nichiren Daishonin in this Gosho. We recently studied it in our Mother & Baby meeting (Reply to Kyo'o study notes).

Last year, we started a daimoku campaign for a member who was suffering with illness. She made a full recovery, which was obviously fantastic news. The other benefit which came out of those 6am domei daimoku sessions was increased unity in our district, amazingly so. Our daimoku was absolutely determined - "our member must win" - she did...and we did too...

"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?"

(Reply to Kyo'o - The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, Vol.1, page 412) http://www.sgilibrary.org/view.php?page=412 Selection source: "Kyo no Hosshin", Seikyo Shimbun, October 31st, 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 Gosho - The Great Battle

So today, it's win or lose time for me. I am in a critical situation which I must transform into a victory. This guidance from Sensei and this Gosho extract from "The Great Battle" really sum up the attitude I must muster today...

"Buddhism concerns itself with winning. When we battle a powerful enemy, either we will triumph or we will be defeated--there is no middle ground. Battling against life's negative functions is an integral part of Buddhism. It is through victory in this struggle that we become Buddhas." http://www.sgi.org/buddhism/buddhist-concepts/win-or-lose.html 

"Not once have I thought of retreat."

(The Great Battle - The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, Volume 2, page 465) Selection source: SGI President Ikeda's guidance, Seikyo Shimbun, October 21st, 2012

Daily Gosho - The Hero of the World

Love this line in the Gosho, Hero of the World. A member and I were discussing this today and a situation that seemingly wasn't changing. The member started to take more action based on their daimoku, and of course, the situation changed very quickly. They described an amazing victory which they could not have foreseen when they started to chant about the problem. So to me, this line really reminds me that while I can sit and chant for hours, I need to absolutely determine that I'll win. A satisfactory conclusion is not an option!

"Buddhism primarily concerns itself with victory or defeat."

(The Hero of the World - The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, Vol.1, page 835) http://www.sgilibrary.org/view.php?page=835 Selection Source: SGI President Ikeda's guidance, Seikyo Shinbun, October 14th, 2012


Background
Around the third year of Kenji (1277), when this letter was written, Shijo Kingo was in great personal danger, having incurred the wrath of his lord Ema. Lord Ema’s antagonism toward Shijo Kingo dated back to the Kuwagayatsu Debate, which took place in the sixth month, 1277. Taking advantage of their discord, Kingo’s colleagues were watching for a chance to do away with him. In response to Kingo’s report on the plight in which he was placed, Nichiren Daishonin wrote a petition to Lord Ema on Kingo’s behalf, explaining what had happened at the Kuwagayatsu Debate and the relative superiority of the Buddhist teachings.
In the present letter, the Daishonin clarifies the difference between Buddhism and government. Reward and punishment are means that a government employs to pursue its goals, while there is no such conscious manipulation in the world of Buddhism. Buddhism, based on an absolute Law, means victory or defeat - in other words, happiness or unhappiness - depending on whether one supports it or opposes it. In the last part of the letter, the Daishonin strongly advises Kingo to take great care to avoid being attacked by his enemies.

Daily Gosho - Reply to a Believer

Reminded me of a conversation I had with another member this week. We were discussing the attractiveness of running away from a particular situation and how much freedom that would afford them. Not so! We cannot escape our realities just by fleeing from them. No matter what we're facing in our environment, whether that be work, home (or both!), we have to stand up and win. Let's achieve abundant victories by transforming our 'reality' into 'Eagle Peak'!

"Regard your service to your lord as the practice of the Lotus Sutra. This is what is meant by 'No worldly affairs of life or work are ever contrary to the true reality.'"

(Reply to a Believer - The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, Vol.1, page 905) http://www.sgilibrary.org/view.php?page=905 Selection Source: Kyo no Hosshin, Seikyo Shinbun, October 13th, 2012


Background
This letter is thought to have been written at Minobu in the fourth month of the first year of Koan (1278), when Nichiren Daishonin was fifty-seven. The year and recipient of the letter are not certain. Judging from its content, it is probable that it was addressed to Shijo Kingo, one of the Daishonin’s staunch followers in Kamakura. Shijo Kingo, who was then in a precarious situation, must have wished to abandon the secular world to escape from his trouble with his lord and fellow warriors. However, the Daishonin teaches him to regard his service to his lord as the practice of the Lotus Sutra. As a ranking samurai, Shijo Kingo’s service to his lord was his vocation and occupation. In modern terms, therefore, “service to one’s lord” would equate to one’s job.

Daily Gosho - Questions and Answers about Embracing the Lotus Sutra

Let's lead a life of victory with no regrets!

"Single-mindedly chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo and urge others to do the same; that will remain as the only memory of your present life in this human world."

(Questions and Answers about Embracing the Lotus Sutra  - The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, Vol.1, page 64) http://www.sgilibrary.org/view.php?page=64&m Selection Source: Kyo no Hosshin, Seikyo Shinbun, October 12th, 2012

Background

Although there are different opinions concerning the date of this letter, it is generally accepted that Nichiren Daishonin wrote it in the third month of the third year of Kocho (1263), shortly after he had been pardoned and had returned to Kamakura following two years of exile on the Izu Peninsula. The Daishonin was then forty-two years old.

As the title indicates, this work discusses the significance of embracing the Lotus Sutra and is written in the form of five questions and answers. In the first section, the questioner asks: Which teaching should one practice in order to attain Buddhahood quickly? In answer, the Daishonin declares that the Lotus Sutra enables all people to achieve Buddhahood without exception and is therefore the highest of all the sutras.

In the second section, the questioner objects to such exclusive emphasis on the Lotus Sutra as narrow-minded. The Daishonin replies that his assertion of the sutra’s supremacy among all the Buddhist teachings is based on the Buddha’s own words as they appear in the sutras themselves, and not on the arbitrary theories or commentaries of later scholars and teachers. When the questioner points out that other sutras also identify themselves as “the foremost sutra” or “the king of sutras,” the Daishonin explains that such statements are relative. Only the Lotus declares itself to be supreme among all the sutras preached in the past, now being preached, or to be preached in the future. Next, the Daishonin says that Shakyamuni Buddha did not reveal the truth during the first forty years and more of his preaching, and that only the Lotus Sutra is the true way that leads to Buddhahood.

The questioner then asks about an interpretation put forth by the Dharma Characteristics school, which claims that the Lotus Sutra is a provisional teaching, expounded solely for the purpose of leading to Buddhahood the people of the two vehicles, voicehearers and cause-awakened ones, and not for the sake of the bodhisattvas, who had already gained benefit through the pre-Lotus Sutra teachings. The Daishonin acknowledges that the Lotus Sutra was indeed expounded chiefly for the people of the two vehicles, whose capacity for supreme enlightenment had been denied in the earlier Mahayana sutras. However, he continues, this does not mean that the Lotus Sutra is a provisional teaching, or that it benefits only the people of the two vehicles. Rather, by singling out those of the two vehicles, for whom Buddhahood is especially difficult to attain, and asserting that even these people can become Buddhas through the power of the Lotus Sutra, Shakyamuni made clear that this sutra is the one vehicle that opens the way to Buddhahood for all people.

In the last section, the questioner, now convinced, asks how one should embrace the Lotus Sutra in order to reach enlightenment quickly. Nichiren Daishonin replies that one need not master the principle of three thousand realms in a single moment of life, or perfect the threefold contemplation in a single mind, as the Tendai scholars asserted. Rather, the essential thing is simply to have a heart of faith in the sutra. Faith, he explains, is the fundamental cause for attaining enlightenment, and to slander the Lotus Sutra and its votary is an act that invites indescribable misery.

A concluding passage of great poetic beauty stresses the fleeting nature of human existence. To be born as a human and, moreover, to encounter the supreme teaching of Buddhism are rare opportunities. Rather than wasting one’s brief yet precious life in the pursuit of worldly fame and profit, the Daishonin says, one should dedicate oneself to faith in the Lotus Sutra and so attain the everlasting joy of enlightenment. He declares that to chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo oneself and to enable others to do the same are the most important tasks in this present existence.

Daily Gosho - The Receipt of New Fiefs

Reading this Gosho extract, I am reminded of the passage "The purpose of the appearance in this world of Shakyamuni Buddha, the lord of teachings, lies in his behavior as a human being" from the Gosho 'The Three Kinds of Treasure'. Shijo Kingo had a great victory - Lord Ema gave him three new fiefs - and Nichiren warns his disciple against voicing any kind of complaint, i.e. using his Buddha wisdom when communicating to his employer. Whilst we may not always enjoy our work environment, let's chant to reveal our Buddhahood whilst striving for the right job for our lives - the one that provides 'beauty, benefit and good' according to President Makiguchi's guidance. For more detail on this, please visit The Meaning of Work.

President Ikeda's study lecture on Shijo Kingo and The Three Kinds of Treasure can be viewed at The Teachings for Victory.

"No matter how poor these estates might be, avoid complaining of it, either to others or to your lord. If you say, 'They are excellent, excellent lands,' your lord may add to your fiefs again. But if you say things like, 'The lands are poor,' or 'There are no profits,' you could very well be forsaken by both heaven and other people. You should bear this in mind."

(The Receipt of New Fiefs - The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, Vol.1, page 945) http://www.sgilibrary.org/view.php?page=945  Selection Source: Suntetsu, Seikyo Shinbun, October 11th, 2012


Background
This letter was written at Minobu to Shijo Kingo. Lord Ema, whom Shijo Kingo served, had for some time opposed his retainer’s belief in the Lotus Sutra and even harassed him by, for example, threatening to transfer him to a remote province unless he abandoned his faith. Kingo’s fellow samurai also treated him with hostility, and for a time it appeared that he might be ousted from the clan and lose his livelihood altogether. Kingo endured several years of adversity until finally, in 1277, his circumstances changed for the better. This improvement came about partially because in his capacity as a physician he was able to cure Lord Ema of a serious illness. Around the first month of 1278 he was permitted to accompany his lord on official errands. And in the tenth month, when this letter was written, Kingo was granted no less than three new fiefs.
From the content of this letter, however, it appears that he was not altogether pleased with what he had received. The new estates are thought to have been located on Sado Island or in some other remote area, which may have caused his dissatisfaction. In this letter, the Daishonin admonishes him against such feelings and urges him instead to appreciate the fact that circumstances are now improving.

Daily Gosho - Winter Always Turns to Spring

The well-known Gosho passage which encourages us to 'hang on in there'. Our victory will happen! Due to the simultaneity of cause and effect, we have already created the victory...the effect...in our lives. President Ikeda gives us this wonderful guidance on the subject:


"Practising Nichiren Buddhism means putting down deep roots. Even if buds progress may not appear right away, continue living with strength and fortitude. Even if things at present may not be going the way you hoped, a great tree of happiness will eventually come to grow and blossom in your life without fail. A springtime of complete fulfillment and satisfaction is certain to arrive for those who possess such deeply rooted faith."

So, with the roar of a lion king, let's advance bravely, knowing our victory is a certainty...


"Winter always turns to spring."

(Winter Always Turns to Spring  - The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, Vol.1, page 536) http://www.sgilibrary.org/view.php?page=535  Selection Source: Myoji no Gen, Seikyo Shinbun, October 9th, 2012


Background
This letter, written in the fifth month of the first year of Kenji (1275), is one of several that Nichiren Daishonin wrote to the lay nun Myoichi, who lived in Kamakura and was related to Nissho, one of the Daishonin’s six senior priest-disciples. Myoichi was an educated woman who had lost her husband and was struggling with the difficulties of raising her children alone. Nichiren Daishonin wrote to encourage her, explaining that believers of the Lotus Sutra are as if in the midst of winter, but that winter unfailingly turns to spring.
This letter reveals that the lay nun’s husband was a strong believer, since he continued to follow the Daishonin even when his estate was confiscated because of his faith. He died worrying about the Daishonin, who was then in exile, and about his wife, whose constitution was frail, and who would have to support their two children. But the Daishonin assures Myoichi that her husband has received the same benefits as sages such as the boy Snow Mountains and Bodhisattva Medicine King, and that he is protecting his bereaved family. One theory maintains that the lay nun is the same person as a believer named Myoichi-nyo who received the letter The Doctrine of Attaining Buddhahood in One’s Present Form.

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 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 - "Appreciating others just as they are"

Really wanted to share this link today; an experience from an SGI Australia member's victory in transforming her relationships with other people. Thank you Andreja for sharing. I am redetermining, after reading this, to truly value everyone and their unique qualities, especially during the times when we might not be working in complete harmony :) http://www.sgi.org/about-us/members-stories/the-courage-to-deepen-my-relationships.html

Daily Gosho - Reply to Yasaburo

Seems a common theme in my district this week; that is, our battle to decisively win, no matter what.  Between us, we have some karmic retribution to lessen, and we're at the junction of Win or Lose. And I've just reached the point on my daimoku chart entitled "Crossroads of the Crucial Moment". Mystic, innit...
And of course, as we have nam-myoho-renge-kyo, we will win. May not be today, might not be tomorrow, but we will most definitely triumph. As Nichiren Daishonin writes, it's in our lives to meet with the obstacle that's personal to us, at this exact moment. We made the causes to be in this particular situation, now to take responsibility for it, and keep forging on with our strong determined prayer. We are on the battlefield with the best armoury at our disposal - our daimoku.
Let's win together, my friends and comrades-in-faith...

"You must simply make up your mind. Look at the world this year as a mirror. The reason that you have survived until now when so many have died was so that you would meet with this affair."

(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, August 25th, 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.

Daily Gosho - Reply to Kyo'o

Sitting here, writing today's blog, I'm in a situation where I need to achieve the impossible. It's something that 'logically' can't be achieved. I won't know if I've got my victory until March 2013. So I suppose I have two choices... worry about it for six months - or muster my faith! There is only one choice. Victory campaign starts today!

"Kyo'o's misfortune will change into fortune. Muster your faith, and pray to this Gohonzon. Then what is there that cannot be achieved?"

(Reply to Kyo'o - The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, Volume 1, page 412) http://www.sgilibrary.org/view.php?page=412 Selection source: Kyo no Hosshin, Seikyo Shimbun, August 8th, 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 Gosho - The Record of the Orally Transmitted Teachings

"If in a single moment of life we exhaust the pains and trials of millions of kalpas, then instant after instant there will arise in us the three Buddha bodies with which we are eternally endowed.  Nam-myoho-renge-kyo is just such a 'diligent' practice."

(Ongi kuden - Gosho Zenshu, page 790, The Record of the Orally Transmitted Teachings, page 214)Selection source: Kyo no Hosshin, Seikyo Shimbun, July 20th, 2012

Let's continue to practice in such a diligent manner, without regrets. President Ikeda encourages us in his Lecture on “the Opening of the Eyes” (NL 6594):

"No  matter  what  happens,  we  must  not  give  in  to  doubt,  we  must  not  be  discouraged.  Those  who possess such a robust spirit will not fear anything."

No matter what…this is the Soka Spirit…achieving victory after victory, no matter what the circumstance...

Banzai SGI-Romania!

With many congratulations on this historic event - SGI-Romania advances from a district to a chapter! http://www.sgi.org/news/events/events2012/sgi-romania-established-as-chapter.html

Daily Gosho - Conversation between a Sage and an Unenlightened Man

How reassuring and comforting is the level of absolute conviction that Nichiren Daishonin writes with… He is reminding us that we cannot fail. Winter always turns to Spring…

"If only you chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, then what offence could fail to be eradicated? What blessing could fail to come?  This is the truth, and it is of great profundity. You should believe and accept it."

(Conversation between a Sage and an Unenlightened Man -The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, page 130) http://www.sgilibrary.org/view.php?page=99

Background

This treatise is generally thought to have been written in the second year of Bun’ei (1265). Its recipient is unknown. However, toward the end of the work, the unenlightened man refers to himself as “a man who carries a bow and arrows and devotes himself to the profession of arms,” so it has been suggested that Nichiren Daishonin may have written it for someone of the samurai class.

The treatise consists of two parts and is written chiefly in question-and- answer form. The “sage” in the title indicates the votary of the Lotus Sutra, or Nichiren Daishonin himself, while the “unenlightened man” represents all ordinary people of the Latter Day of the Law. In the first part, the unenlightened man, who has realized life’s impermanence and is seeking the truth, is visited in succession by a priest of the Precepts school, a lay believer of the Pure Land school, a practitioner of the True Word school, and a priest of the Zen school. Through their conversations, the Daishonin outlines the basic tenets of these four major Buddhist schools of his day.

The Precepts priest, who is the first visitor, asserts that the teachings concerning the precepts are the most important of the eighty thousand sacred teachings of Buddhism. He holds up Ryokan, the chief priest of Gokuraku- ji temple, as an example and exhorts the unenlightened man to observe the five precepts and the two hundred and fifty precepts and devote himself to charitable works as Ryokan does.

The next visitor, a Pure Land believer, praises the Nembutsu teachings, which enable one to be reborn in Amida Buddha’s Pure Land and thereby gain emancipation from the sufferings of birth and death. He singles out the eighteenth of Amida Buddha’s forty-eight vows as the sole source of salvation for ordinary people in the Latter Day and asserts that even persons guilty of the ten evil acts and the five cardinal sins can attain rebirth in the Pure Land by calling on this Buddha’s name.

The True Word practitioner, who visits next, says that even the most profound doctrines of the exoteric teachings are no more than an introduction to the esoteric teachings. The exoteric teachings, he says, were expounded by Shakyamuni, the Buddha of the manifested body, in accordance with his disciples’ capacities, while the esoteric teachings were preached by Mahavairochana, the Buddha of the Dharma body, out of his spontaneous joy in the Law. He accordingly urges the unenlightened man to discard the exoteric teachings and take faith in the more profound esoteric teachings.

The last to come calling is a mendicant Zen priest. He likens the sutras to a finger pointing at the moon and denounces the doctrines contained in them as so much nonsense, exhorting the unenlightened man to sit in meditation to perceive the true nature of his mind in accordance with the “wordless teaching” of Zen.

Troubled by the contradictions in what he has heard, and determined to discover which teaching is correct, the unenlightened man then sets out on a journey in search of a teacher who can clarify matters for him. After visiting various temples one after another, he finally encounters a sage who embraces the Lotus Sutra. The title Conversation between a Sage and an Unenlightened Man refers to the subsequent dialogue that unfolds between them. The unenlightened man confesses that, although he has learned the teachings of the Precepts, Nembutsu, True Word, and Zen schools, he cannot determine whether or not those teachings are true. In reply, the sage declares that the doctrines of all four schools are the cause for rebirth in the evil paths, because they are based on provisional teachings, while only the true teaching, the Lotus Sutra, enables all people without exception to attain Buddhahood.

This comparison of the true and provisional teachings forms the focus of this treatise. The sage refutes the doctrines of those schools that are based on the provisional teachings and cites sutra passages to demonstrate that the supremacy of the Lotus Sutra was set forth by Shakyamuni Buddha himself. His rebuttal of the Nembutsu and True Word doctrines concludes part one of this treatise. Part two begins with his refutation of Zen.

By this time, the unenlightened man has become convinced of the truth of the Lotus Sutra. But he hesitates to embrace it out of considerations of loyalty and filial piety; he points out that everyone from the ruler on down to the common people has faith in other schools, and his own parents and ancestors embraced the Pure Land teachings. The sage replies that one can best repay one’s debts of gratitude to one’s parents and sovereign by embracing the correct Buddhist teaching and thus leading them to salvation. Next, one should evaluate the Buddhist teachings on their own merits and not according to the number of their adherents. The sage also explains that there are two ways of Buddhist practice—shoju and shakubuku—depending upon the time. The present period, when distorted teachings flourish, is the time for shakubuku, he says.

The unenlightened man now having resolved to embrace the Lotus Sutra, the sage reveals to him that the essence of the sutra lies in the five characters of Myoho-renge-kyo that form its title. Myoho-renge-kyo, he explains, is the Buddha nature inherent in all beings. When one chants Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, the Buddha nature inherent in all things will be summoned forth, and one’s own Buddha nature will simultaneously emerge. Even without profound understanding of the Buddhist teachings, one can by this practice attain Buddhahood in one’s present form. The sage concludes by exhorting the unenlightened man to maintain faith throughout life, without wavering in his resolve.