Chanting Growers Group
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Wilson!
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Mrs.Babba- please allow the waves of grief to wash over you and open your heart to the Gohonzon with your diamond tears for Lucy in the sky as she beats in your heart.
http://www.metacafe.com/watch/152365/lucy_in_the_sky_with_diamonds/
http://www.metacafe.com/watch/152365/lucy_in_the_sky_with_diamonds/
My deepest condolences and prayers go out to you Mrs. B, your family and your mother, Lucy. I lost my mother 1 1/2 years ago and being able to connect with her life in front of the Gohonzon is something that I cherish and I find great comfort daily.
Nam Myoho Renge Kyo
Nam Myoho Renge Kyo
The Great Teacher Dengyo says: "Neither teacher nor disciples need undergo
countless kalpas of austere practice in order to attain Buddhahood. Through the
power of the Lotus Sutra of the Wonderful Law they can do so in their present
form." This means that both the teacher who expounds the principles of the Lotus
Sutra and the disciple who receives his teachings will, in no long time,
together become Buddhas through the power of the Lotus Sutra.
(WND, 133)
Conversation between a Sage and an Unenlightened Man
Recipient unknown; written in 1265
countless kalpas of austere practice in order to attain Buddhahood. Through the
power of the Lotus Sutra of the Wonderful Law they can do so in their present
form." This means that both the teacher who expounds the principles of the Lotus
Sutra and the disciple who receives his teachings will, in no long time,
together become Buddhas through the power of the Lotus Sutra.
(WND, 133)
Conversation between a Sage and an Unenlightened Man
Recipient unknown; written in 1265
Cowardice is harmful for it delights the enemies of Buddhism and obstructs the
advance of kosen-rufu. The fainthearted cannot savor the true benefit of faith;
their ability to tap the power of the Buddha and the power of the Law [of the
Gohonzon] in their lives is enfeebled.
Daisaku Ikeda
advance of kosen-rufu. The fainthearted cannot savor the true benefit of faith;
their ability to tap the power of the Buddha and the power of the Law [of the
Gohonzon] in their lives is enfeebled.
Daisaku Ikeda
L
LolaGal
kushkommander
Member
Im sorry for your loss Babbas, love and daimoku your way...
Nam myoho renge kyo!
Nam myoho renge kyo!
Love ya Mrs'B
Selection Source: On the Treasure Tower, WND, 299, Written to Abutsu-bo on March 13, 1272 from Tsukahara on Sado
In the Latter Day of the Law, no treasure tower exists other than the figures of the men and women who embrace the Lotus Sutra. It follows, therefore, that whether eminent or humble, high or low, those who chant Nam-myoho-renge- kyo are themselves the treasure tower, and, likewise, are themselves the Thus Come One Many Treasures. No treasure tower exists other than Myoho-renge- kyo. The daimoku of the Lotus Sutra is the treasure tower, and the treasure tower is Nam-myoho-renge- kyo.
In the Latter Day of the Law, no treasure tower exists other than the figures of the men and women who embrace the Lotus Sutra. It follows, therefore, that whether eminent or humble, high or low, those who chant Nam-myoho-renge- kyo are themselves the treasure tower, and, likewise, are themselves the Thus Come One Many Treasures. No treasure tower exists other than Myoho-renge- kyo. The daimoku of the Lotus Sutra is the treasure tower, and the treasure tower is Nam-myoho-renge- kyo.
Nam Myoho Renge Kyo!
Much love to you all!
Nam Myoho Renge Kyo!
Much love to you all!
Nam Myoho Renge Kyo!
"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' ?"
(The True Aspect of All Phenomena - The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, Vol.1, page 384) Selection source: SGI President Ikeda's essay, Seikyo Shimbun, June 6th, 2010
(The True Aspect of All Phenomena - The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, Vol.1, page 384) Selection source: SGI President Ikeda's essay, Seikyo Shimbun, June 6th, 2010
"No matter what happens, don't be discouraged. It is the heart that is important. We must win in life, we lose out if we allow ourselves to be defeated."
SGI Newsletter No. 8008, Lead a Youth Filled with Growth, Progress, and Creativity. At the joint entrance ceremony for Soka University and Soka Women’s College held at the Soka University Auditorium in Hachioji, Tokyo, on April 2, 2010. From the April 3rd, 2010, issue of the Seikyo Shimbun, translated June 4th, 2010
SGI Newsletter No. 8008, Lead a Youth Filled with Growth, Progress, and Creativity. At the joint entrance ceremony for Soka University and Soka Women’s College held at the Soka University Auditorium in Hachioji, Tokyo, on April 2, 2010. From the April 3rd, 2010, issue of the Seikyo Shimbun, translated June 4th, 2010
"..the graceful cherry blossoms come forth from trees, (.. Misfortune comes from one ’s mouth and ruins one, but fortune comes from one’s heart and makes one worthy of respect.)
(New Year's Gosho - The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, Vol.1, page 1137) Selection source: "Kyo no Hosshin", Seikyo Shimbun, June 8th, 2010
(New Year's Gosho - The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, Vol.1, page 1137) Selection source: "Kyo no Hosshin", Seikyo Shimbun, June 8th, 2010
"Whenever Mr. Toda came across a report of conflict in some part of the world or of a disaster in Japan or elsewhere, he grieved over the painful plight of those affected. And he would renew his resolve to propagate the Mystic Law so that such suffering might never recur. He genuinely wished with all his heart to eradicate misery from the face of this earth, and remained committed to this goal to the end of his life. To me, this has always epitomized the spirit of a genuine leader of the Soka Gakkai.
"'How can I help those who are suffering and living in abject misery right in front of me?' 'If I don't take action now, when will I?' Sensing the time had come, Mr. Toda courageously embarked on taking personal leadership for kosen-rufu. He declared: 'The fundamental reason for the Daishonin's appearance in this world was to help people throughout Japan--no, throughout Asia and indeed around the globe--become happy through the teaching of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo.”
SGI Newsletter No. 8010, SGI President Ikeda's Study Lecture Series. LEARNING FROM THE WRITINGS OF NICHIREN DAISHONIN: THE TEACHINGS FOR VICTORY, [16] 'The Selection of the Time'--Part 1 (WND-1, 538-42). The Time for Worldwide Kosen-rufu, for World Peace, from the April 2010 issue of the Daibyakurenge, translated June 8th, 2010.
"'How can I help those who are suffering and living in abject misery right in front of me?' 'If I don't take action now, when will I?' Sensing the time had come, Mr. Toda courageously embarked on taking personal leadership for kosen-rufu. He declared: 'The fundamental reason for the Daishonin's appearance in this world was to help people throughout Japan--no, throughout Asia and indeed around the globe--become happy through the teaching of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo.”
SGI Newsletter No. 8010, SGI President Ikeda's Study Lecture Series. LEARNING FROM THE WRITINGS OF NICHIREN DAISHONIN: THE TEACHINGS FOR VICTORY, [16] 'The Selection of the Time'--Part 1 (WND-1, 538-42). The Time for Worldwide Kosen-rufu, for World Peace, from the April 2010 issue of the Daibyakurenge, translated June 8th, 2010.
The Three Obstacles and Four Devils / WND pg. 636
The Three Obstacles and Four Devils / WND pg. 636
The two men you sent have arrived here, bringing your various offerings. I also heard that the priest Ben (1) has written about your sincerity in his letter.
In this letter I want to advise you about what is most important for you. In the Former and Middle Days of the Law, the world did not fall into decline because sages and worthies appeared frequently, and the heavenly gods protected the people. In the Latter Day of the Law, however, people have become so greedy that strife rages incessantly between sovereign and subject, parent and child, elder and younger brother, and all the more so among people who are unrelated. When such conflict occurs, the gods abandon the country, and then the three calamities and seven disasters begin, until one, two, three, four, five, six, or seven suns appear in the sky. (2) Plants and trees wither and die, large and small rivers dry up, the earth smolders like charcoal, and the sea becomes like boiling oil. Eventually flames fill the atmosphere, arising from the hell of incessant suffering and reaching the Brahma heaven. Such is the devastation that will occur when the world reaches its final dissolution.
Everyone, regardless of rank or status, considers it natural for children to obey their father, for subjects to be loyal to their sovereign, and for disciples to follow their teacher. Recently, however, it appears that the people of our day, drunk with the wine of greed, anger, and foolishness, make it a rule to betray their sovereign, despise their parents, and scoff at their teachers. You should read again and again the previous letter (3) in which I explained that one should of course obey one’s teacher, sovereign, and parents, but should they commit wrongs, admonishing them is in fact being loyal to them.
Recently your elder brother, Uemon no Sakan, was again disowned by your father. I told your wife when she came to visit me here that he was certain to be disowned again, that I was apprehensive about how it would affect you, Hyoe no Sakan, and that she should be prepared for the worst. This time I am sure that you will give up your faith. If you do, I have not the slightest intention of reproaching you for it. Likewise, neither should you blame me, Nichiren, when you have fallen into hell. It is in no way my responsibility. It is an undeniable fact that fire can at once reduce even a thousandyearold field of pampas grass to ashes, and that the merit one has formed over a hundred years can be destroyed with a single word.
Your father, Saemon no Tayu, now seems to have become an enemy of the Lotus Sutra, yet your brother, Uemon no Tayu Sakan, will now become one of its votaries. (4) You, who think only of immediate affairs, will obey your father, and deluded people will therefore praise you for your filial devotion. Munemori obeyed his father’s tyrannous commands and was finally beheaded at Shinohara. Shigemori disobeyed his father and preceded him in death. (5) Who was truly the filial son? If you obey your father who is an enemy of the Lotus Sutra and abandon your brother who is a votary of the one vehicle, are you then being filial? In the final analysis, what you should do is resolve to pursue the Buddha way single-mindedly just as your brother is doing. Your father is like King Wonderful Adornment, and you brothers are like the princes Pure Storehouse and Pure Eye. The age is different, but the principle of the Lotus Sutra remains the same. Recently the lay priest of Musashi (6) abandoned his vast territory and his many subjects in order to retire from all worldly affairs. If you ingratiate yourself with your father for the sake of a small private estate, neglect your faith, and fall into the evil paths, you should not blame me, Nichiren. Yet despite my warnings, I feel that this time you will discard your belief.
I state this out of pity because, though you have been faithful until now, you may still fall into the evil paths. If, by one chance out of a hundred or a thousand, you should decide to follow my teaching, then confront your father and declare: “Since you are my father, I should by rights obey you, but since you have become an enemy of the Lotus Sutra, I would be unfilial if I were to do so in this matter. Therefore, I have resolved to break with you and follow my brother. If you should disown him, be aware that you are disowning me too.” You should not have the slightest fear in your heart. It is lack of courage that prevents one from attaining Buddhahood, although one may have professed faith in the Lotus Sutra many times since innumerable kalpas ago.
There is definitely something extraordinary in the ebb and flow of the tide, the rising and setting of the moon, and the way in which summer, autumn, winter, and spring give way to each other. Something uncommon also occurs when an ordinary person attains Buddhahood. At such a time, the three obstacles and four devils will invariably appear, and the wise will rejoice while the foolish will retreat. I have long been waiting to tell you this, either through my own messenger or by some other means. So I greatly appreciate your sending these messengers to me. I am sure that, if you were about to abandon your faith, you would not have sent them. Thinking it may still not be too late, I am writing this letter.
To attain Buddhahood is difficult indeed, more difficult than the feat of placing a needle atop the Mount Sumeru of this world and then casting a thread from atop the Mount Sumeru of another world directly through the eye of this needle. And the feat is even more difficult if it must be done in the face of a contrary wind. The Lotus Sutra states: “A million million ten thousand kalpas, an inconceivable time will pass, before at last one can hear this Lotus Sutra. A million million ten thousand kalpas, an inconceivable time will pass, before the Buddhas, WorldHonored Ones, preach this sutra. Therefore its practitioners, after the Buddha has entered extinction, when they hear a sutra like this, should entertain no doubts or perplexities.” (7) This passage is extremely unusual even among the twenty-eight chapters of the Lotus Sutra. From the “Introduction” to the “Teacher of the Law” chapters, human and heavenly beings, the four kinds of believers, and the eight kinds of nonhuman beings— those at the stage of near-perfect enlightenment or below— were many in number, but there was only one Buddha, the Thus Come One Shakyamuni. Thus, these chapters are of great import, but may appear insignificant. The twelve chapters from “Treasure Tower” to “Entrustment” are the most important of all. This is because it is in these chapters that, in the presence of Shakyamuni Buddha, there appeared the treasure tower of Many Treasures. It was as if the sun had emerged in front of the moon. The Buddhas of the ten directions were seated under the trees, and it was as if the grasses and trees of the worlds in the ten directions had been set afire. It was in this setting that the above passage was expounded.
The Nirvana Sutra states: “People have been suffering since numberless, uncountable kalpas ago. The bones one leaves behind in a kalpa pile up as high as Mount Vipula near Rajagriha, and the milk one sucks is equal to the water of the four seas. The blood one sheds surpasses the quantity of water in the four seas, and so do the tears one sheds in grief over the death of parents, brothers and sisters, wives, children, and relatives. And though one used all the plants and trees growing on the earth to make four-inch tallies to count them, one could not count all the parents one has had in the past existences of life.” These are the words the Buddha uttered lying in the grove of sal trees on the final day of his life. You should pay the strictest attention to them. They mean that the number of parents who gave birth to you since innumerable kalpas ago could not be counted even with tallies made by cutting all the plants and trees growing on all the worlds of the ten directions into four-inch pieces.
Thus you have had a countless number of parents in your past existences, yet during that time you have never encountered the Lotus Sutra. From this we see that it is easy to have parents, but very difficult to encounter the Lotus Sutra. Now if you disobey the words of a parent, one who is easy to come by, and follow a friend of the Lotus Sutra, one who can rarely be encountered, you will not only be able to attain Buddhahood, but will also be able to lead to enlightenment the parent whom you disobeyed. For example, Prince Siddhartha was the eldest son of King Shuddhodana. His father wanted him to succeed to the throne and rule the nation, and actually made him crown prince, but the prince went against his father’s wishes and escaped from the palace at night. The king was angry at him for being unfilial, but after Siddhartha had attained Buddhahood, he set about first of all to convert his parents, King Shuddhodana and Lady Maya.
No parent would ever urge his son to renounce the world in order to attain Buddhahood. But however that may be, in your case, the observers of the precepts and the priests of the Nembutsu school have egged your father on to join with them so that they may make both you and your brother abandon your faith. I am told that Priest Two Fires (8) is persuading others to chant one million Nembutsu in an attempt to cause discord among people and destroy the seeds of the Lotus Sutra. The lay priest of Gokuraku-ji seemed to be an admirable person. But deluded by the Nembutsu priests, he treated me with enmity, and as a result, he and his entire clan have been all but ruined. Only the lord of Echigo (9) has survived. You may think that those who believe in Priest Two Fires are prospering, but you should see what has become of the Nagoe clan, (10) who paid for the building of Zenkoji temple, Choraku-ji temple, and Daibutsuden! (11) Again, the lord of Sagami (12) is the ruler of Japan, but by his conduct he has called down on himself an enemy almost as great as the land of Jambudvipa.
Even if you abandon your brother and take his place in your father’s favor, you will never prosper in a thousand or ten thousand years. There is no knowing what will become of you even in the near future. How can you be certain of lifelong prosperity? Therefore, you should resolve to give all your thought to your happiness in the next existence. Having written all this, it occurs to me that this letter may be futile, and I tire of going on. But it may serve as a reminder to you in the future.
With my deep respect,
Nichiren
The twentieth day of the eleventh month
Reply to Hyoe no Sakan
Background
This letter was written to Hyoe no Sakan Munenaga, the younger of the two Ikegami brothers. Though it was originally thought to have been written in the first year of Kenji (1275), it is now apparent that it was written in 1277. Munenaga is thought to have taken faith in the Daishonin’s teaching around 1256, shortly after his elder brother Munenaka. Both were officials in the Kamakura shogunate, and their father, Yasumitsu, was director of the government’s Office of Construction and Repairs.
Yasumitsu was a loyal follower of the priest Ryokan of the True Word Precepts school who was highly active in political affairs. He strenuously opposed their beliefs and disowned Munenaka twice, in 1275 and again in 1277. By disowning Munenaka, Yasumitsu in effect was provoking a rift between the two sons, tempting the weaker Munenaga to trade his beliefs for the right to inherit his father’s estate. Supported by the Daishonin’s guidance and encouragement, however, Munenaga upheld his faith together with his brother, and in 1278, after a total of twenty-two years’ practice, their united efforts finally led their father to accept faith in the Daishonin’s teaching.
Notes
1. Ben is another name for Nissho (1221– ), one of the Daishonin’s six senior disciples. He devoted himself to propagation mainly in Kamakura.
2. The Benevolent Kings Sutra reads, “When two, three, four, or five suns appear at the same time, when the sun is eclipsed and loses its light . . . this is the first disaster.”
3. The previous letter refers to Letter to the Brothers dated the sixteenth day of the fourth month, 1275.
4. This statement implies that, because the elder brother, Munenaka, will accept disinheritance and the accompanying social sanctions rather than renounce his faith, he is in effect giving his life for the Lotus Sutra.
5. Munemori (1147–1185) and Shigemori (1138–1179) were brothers and warriors belonging to the Taira clan, which took control of the Japanese court and held supreme power. Shigemori, the first son of Taira no Kiyomori, remonstrated with his father when he tried to confine the Retired Emperor Goshirakawa, while Munemori, the third son, followed his father’s instructions. Shigemori died of illness, and Munemori, after the Taira forces were destroyed at Dannoura, attempted to drown himself, but was captured and eventually beheaded at Shinohara in Omi Province.
6. The lay priest of Musashi refers to Hojo Yoshimasa (1242–1281), a top official of the Kamakura government who held important posts such as adviser to the regent and provincial governor.
7. Lotus Sutra, chap. 20.
8. Priest Two Fires (Ryoka) is a play on the name of Ryokan, the chief priest of Gokuraku-ji temple of the True Word Precepts school. In the third month of 1275, a fire broke out in Gokuraku-ji where Ryokan was living and spread to the palace of the shogun. The temple burned to the ground, as did part of the palace.
9. The lord of Echigo refers to Hojo Naritoki, the fifth son of Hojo Shigetoki, the lay priest of Gokuraku-ji.
10. The clan of Hojo Tomotoki (1193– ), the younger brother of Hojo Yasutoki, the third regent of the Kamakura
government. His clan was called the Nagoe clan after their place of residence in Kamakura. He and his clan are said to have been earnest believers of the Nembutsu school. All six of Tomotoki’s sons met tragic ends.
11. A temple by the name of Zenko-ji no longer exists in Kamakura. Choraku-ji was a large temple of the Pure Land school. Daibutsu-den, or temple to house a great statue of Amida Buddha, is known as Kotoku-in.
12. The lord of Sagami refers to Hojo Tokimune (1251–1284), the eighth regent of the Kamakura government. The “enemy,” which appears in this sentence, refers to the Mongols who invaded in 1274.
The Three Obstacles and Four Devils / WND pg. 636
The two men you sent have arrived here, bringing your various offerings. I also heard that the priest Ben (1) has written about your sincerity in his letter.
In this letter I want to advise you about what is most important for you. In the Former and Middle Days of the Law, the world did not fall into decline because sages and worthies appeared frequently, and the heavenly gods protected the people. In the Latter Day of the Law, however, people have become so greedy that strife rages incessantly between sovereign and subject, parent and child, elder and younger brother, and all the more so among people who are unrelated. When such conflict occurs, the gods abandon the country, and then the three calamities and seven disasters begin, until one, two, three, four, five, six, or seven suns appear in the sky. (2) Plants and trees wither and die, large and small rivers dry up, the earth smolders like charcoal, and the sea becomes like boiling oil. Eventually flames fill the atmosphere, arising from the hell of incessant suffering and reaching the Brahma heaven. Such is the devastation that will occur when the world reaches its final dissolution.
Everyone, regardless of rank or status, considers it natural for children to obey their father, for subjects to be loyal to their sovereign, and for disciples to follow their teacher. Recently, however, it appears that the people of our day, drunk with the wine of greed, anger, and foolishness, make it a rule to betray their sovereign, despise their parents, and scoff at their teachers. You should read again and again the previous letter (3) in which I explained that one should of course obey one’s teacher, sovereign, and parents, but should they commit wrongs, admonishing them is in fact being loyal to them.
Recently your elder brother, Uemon no Sakan, was again disowned by your father. I told your wife when she came to visit me here that he was certain to be disowned again, that I was apprehensive about how it would affect you, Hyoe no Sakan, and that she should be prepared for the worst. This time I am sure that you will give up your faith. If you do, I have not the slightest intention of reproaching you for it. Likewise, neither should you blame me, Nichiren, when you have fallen into hell. It is in no way my responsibility. It is an undeniable fact that fire can at once reduce even a thousandyearold field of pampas grass to ashes, and that the merit one has formed over a hundred years can be destroyed with a single word.
Your father, Saemon no Tayu, now seems to have become an enemy of the Lotus Sutra, yet your brother, Uemon no Tayu Sakan, will now become one of its votaries. (4) You, who think only of immediate affairs, will obey your father, and deluded people will therefore praise you for your filial devotion. Munemori obeyed his father’s tyrannous commands and was finally beheaded at Shinohara. Shigemori disobeyed his father and preceded him in death. (5) Who was truly the filial son? If you obey your father who is an enemy of the Lotus Sutra and abandon your brother who is a votary of the one vehicle, are you then being filial? In the final analysis, what you should do is resolve to pursue the Buddha way single-mindedly just as your brother is doing. Your father is like King Wonderful Adornment, and you brothers are like the princes Pure Storehouse and Pure Eye. The age is different, but the principle of the Lotus Sutra remains the same. Recently the lay priest of Musashi (6) abandoned his vast territory and his many subjects in order to retire from all worldly affairs. If you ingratiate yourself with your father for the sake of a small private estate, neglect your faith, and fall into the evil paths, you should not blame me, Nichiren. Yet despite my warnings, I feel that this time you will discard your belief.
I state this out of pity because, though you have been faithful until now, you may still fall into the evil paths. If, by one chance out of a hundred or a thousand, you should decide to follow my teaching, then confront your father and declare: “Since you are my father, I should by rights obey you, but since you have become an enemy of the Lotus Sutra, I would be unfilial if I were to do so in this matter. Therefore, I have resolved to break with you and follow my brother. If you should disown him, be aware that you are disowning me too.” You should not have the slightest fear in your heart. It is lack of courage that prevents one from attaining Buddhahood, although one may have professed faith in the Lotus Sutra many times since innumerable kalpas ago.
There is definitely something extraordinary in the ebb and flow of the tide, the rising and setting of the moon, and the way in which summer, autumn, winter, and spring give way to each other. Something uncommon also occurs when an ordinary person attains Buddhahood. At such a time, the three obstacles and four devils will invariably appear, and the wise will rejoice while the foolish will retreat. I have long been waiting to tell you this, either through my own messenger or by some other means. So I greatly appreciate your sending these messengers to me. I am sure that, if you were about to abandon your faith, you would not have sent them. Thinking it may still not be too late, I am writing this letter.
To attain Buddhahood is difficult indeed, more difficult than the feat of placing a needle atop the Mount Sumeru of this world and then casting a thread from atop the Mount Sumeru of another world directly through the eye of this needle. And the feat is even more difficult if it must be done in the face of a contrary wind. The Lotus Sutra states: “A million million ten thousand kalpas, an inconceivable time will pass, before at last one can hear this Lotus Sutra. A million million ten thousand kalpas, an inconceivable time will pass, before the Buddhas, WorldHonored Ones, preach this sutra. Therefore its practitioners, after the Buddha has entered extinction, when they hear a sutra like this, should entertain no doubts or perplexities.” (7) This passage is extremely unusual even among the twenty-eight chapters of the Lotus Sutra. From the “Introduction” to the “Teacher of the Law” chapters, human and heavenly beings, the four kinds of believers, and the eight kinds of nonhuman beings— those at the stage of near-perfect enlightenment or below— were many in number, but there was only one Buddha, the Thus Come One Shakyamuni. Thus, these chapters are of great import, but may appear insignificant. The twelve chapters from “Treasure Tower” to “Entrustment” are the most important of all. This is because it is in these chapters that, in the presence of Shakyamuni Buddha, there appeared the treasure tower of Many Treasures. It was as if the sun had emerged in front of the moon. The Buddhas of the ten directions were seated under the trees, and it was as if the grasses and trees of the worlds in the ten directions had been set afire. It was in this setting that the above passage was expounded.
The Nirvana Sutra states: “People have been suffering since numberless, uncountable kalpas ago. The bones one leaves behind in a kalpa pile up as high as Mount Vipula near Rajagriha, and the milk one sucks is equal to the water of the four seas. The blood one sheds surpasses the quantity of water in the four seas, and so do the tears one sheds in grief over the death of parents, brothers and sisters, wives, children, and relatives. And though one used all the plants and trees growing on the earth to make four-inch tallies to count them, one could not count all the parents one has had in the past existences of life.” These are the words the Buddha uttered lying in the grove of sal trees on the final day of his life. You should pay the strictest attention to them. They mean that the number of parents who gave birth to you since innumerable kalpas ago could not be counted even with tallies made by cutting all the plants and trees growing on all the worlds of the ten directions into four-inch pieces.
Thus you have had a countless number of parents in your past existences, yet during that time you have never encountered the Lotus Sutra. From this we see that it is easy to have parents, but very difficult to encounter the Lotus Sutra. Now if you disobey the words of a parent, one who is easy to come by, and follow a friend of the Lotus Sutra, one who can rarely be encountered, you will not only be able to attain Buddhahood, but will also be able to lead to enlightenment the parent whom you disobeyed. For example, Prince Siddhartha was the eldest son of King Shuddhodana. His father wanted him to succeed to the throne and rule the nation, and actually made him crown prince, but the prince went against his father’s wishes and escaped from the palace at night. The king was angry at him for being unfilial, but after Siddhartha had attained Buddhahood, he set about first of all to convert his parents, King Shuddhodana and Lady Maya.
No parent would ever urge his son to renounce the world in order to attain Buddhahood. But however that may be, in your case, the observers of the precepts and the priests of the Nembutsu school have egged your father on to join with them so that they may make both you and your brother abandon your faith. I am told that Priest Two Fires (8) is persuading others to chant one million Nembutsu in an attempt to cause discord among people and destroy the seeds of the Lotus Sutra. The lay priest of Gokuraku-ji seemed to be an admirable person. But deluded by the Nembutsu priests, he treated me with enmity, and as a result, he and his entire clan have been all but ruined. Only the lord of Echigo (9) has survived. You may think that those who believe in Priest Two Fires are prospering, but you should see what has become of the Nagoe clan, (10) who paid for the building of Zenkoji temple, Choraku-ji temple, and Daibutsuden! (11) Again, the lord of Sagami (12) is the ruler of Japan, but by his conduct he has called down on himself an enemy almost as great as the land of Jambudvipa.
Even if you abandon your brother and take his place in your father’s favor, you will never prosper in a thousand or ten thousand years. There is no knowing what will become of you even in the near future. How can you be certain of lifelong prosperity? Therefore, you should resolve to give all your thought to your happiness in the next existence. Having written all this, it occurs to me that this letter may be futile, and I tire of going on. But it may serve as a reminder to you in the future.
With my deep respect,
Nichiren
The twentieth day of the eleventh month
Reply to Hyoe no Sakan
Background
This letter was written to Hyoe no Sakan Munenaga, the younger of the two Ikegami brothers. Though it was originally thought to have been written in the first year of Kenji (1275), it is now apparent that it was written in 1277. Munenaga is thought to have taken faith in the Daishonin’s teaching around 1256, shortly after his elder brother Munenaka. Both were officials in the Kamakura shogunate, and their father, Yasumitsu, was director of the government’s Office of Construction and Repairs.
Yasumitsu was a loyal follower of the priest Ryokan of the True Word Precepts school who was highly active in political affairs. He strenuously opposed their beliefs and disowned Munenaka twice, in 1275 and again in 1277. By disowning Munenaka, Yasumitsu in effect was provoking a rift between the two sons, tempting the weaker Munenaga to trade his beliefs for the right to inherit his father’s estate. Supported by the Daishonin’s guidance and encouragement, however, Munenaga upheld his faith together with his brother, and in 1278, after a total of twenty-two years’ practice, their united efforts finally led their father to accept faith in the Daishonin’s teaching.
Notes
1. Ben is another name for Nissho (1221– ), one of the Daishonin’s six senior disciples. He devoted himself to propagation mainly in Kamakura.
2. The Benevolent Kings Sutra reads, “When two, three, four, or five suns appear at the same time, when the sun is eclipsed and loses its light . . . this is the first disaster.”
3. The previous letter refers to Letter to the Brothers dated the sixteenth day of the fourth month, 1275.
4. This statement implies that, because the elder brother, Munenaka, will accept disinheritance and the accompanying social sanctions rather than renounce his faith, he is in effect giving his life for the Lotus Sutra.
5. Munemori (1147–1185) and Shigemori (1138–1179) were brothers and warriors belonging to the Taira clan, which took control of the Japanese court and held supreme power. Shigemori, the first son of Taira no Kiyomori, remonstrated with his father when he tried to confine the Retired Emperor Goshirakawa, while Munemori, the third son, followed his father’s instructions. Shigemori died of illness, and Munemori, after the Taira forces were destroyed at Dannoura, attempted to drown himself, but was captured and eventually beheaded at Shinohara in Omi Province.
6. The lay priest of Musashi refers to Hojo Yoshimasa (1242–1281), a top official of the Kamakura government who held important posts such as adviser to the regent and provincial governor.
7. Lotus Sutra, chap. 20.
8. Priest Two Fires (Ryoka) is a play on the name of Ryokan, the chief priest of Gokuraku-ji temple of the True Word Precepts school. In the third month of 1275, a fire broke out in Gokuraku-ji where Ryokan was living and spread to the palace of the shogun. The temple burned to the ground, as did part of the palace.
9. The lord of Echigo refers to Hojo Naritoki, the fifth son of Hojo Shigetoki, the lay priest of Gokuraku-ji.
10. The clan of Hojo Tomotoki (1193– ), the younger brother of Hojo Yasutoki, the third regent of the Kamakura
government. His clan was called the Nagoe clan after their place of residence in Kamakura. He and his clan are said to have been earnest believers of the Nembutsu school. All six of Tomotoki’s sons met tragic ends.
11. A temple by the name of Zenko-ji no longer exists in Kamakura. Choraku-ji was a large temple of the Pure Land school. Daibutsu-den, or temple to house a great statue of Amida Buddha, is known as Kotoku-in.
12. The lord of Sagami refers to Hojo Tokimune (1251–1284), the eighth regent of the Kamakura government. The “enemy,” which appears in this sentence, refers to the Mongols who invaded in 1274.
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contribution Gosho
contribution Gosho
May Contribution Study Resource – Installment #44
Life is the foremost of all treasures. It is expounded that even the treasures of the
entire major world system cannot equal the value of one’s body and life. Even the treasures
that fill the major world system are no substitute for life. Life is like a lamp, and food is like
oil. When the oil is exhausted, the lamp goes out, and without food, life will cease.
In worshiping all the deities and Buddhas, the word namu is put ahead of their
names. To explain exactly what namu means, namu is a word from India. In China and
Japan it is translated as “dedicating one’s life.” “Dedicating one’s life” means to offer one’s
life to the Buddha. In accordance with their status, some have wives and children, relatives,
fiefs, and gold and silver, while others have no treasure. Whether one has wealth or not, no
treasure exceeds the one called life. This is why those known as the sages and worthies of
ancient times offered their lives to the Buddha and then became Buddhas.
The boy Snow Mountains offered his body to a demon to receive a teaching
composed of eight characters. Bodhisattva Medicine King burned his arms as an offering to
the Lotus Sutra. In our own country too, Prince Shotoku peeled off the skin of his hand and
copied the Lotus Sutra on it, and the sovereign known as Emperor Tenji burned his third
finger as an offering to Shakyamuni Buddha. Because these things are the affairs of
worthies and sages, they are impossible for us to do.
However, as for the matter of becoming a Buddha, ordinary people keep in mind the
words “earnest resolve” and thereby become Buddhas. When we carefully consider what
exactly earnest resolve refers to, it is the doctrine of observing the mind. When we inquire
into what exactly the doctrine of observing the mind refers to, it means that offering one’s
only robe to the Lotus Sutra is equivalent to peeling off one’s skin; and that in a time of
famine, offering the food that is the only means for sustaining one’s life that day to the
Buddha is offering one’s life to the Buddha. The blessings from this are in no way inferior
to those Bodhisattva Medicine King gained by burning his arms, or the boy Snow
Mountains gained by offering his body to a demon. Thus, what is appropriate for sages is
offering in actuality [offering one’s life itself for the Law]. What is appropriate for ordinary
people is offering in principle [sincerely offering what is important to one’s own life]. This is
the teaching called the paramita of almsgiving* for the observation of the mind that is set
forth in the seventh volume of Great Concentration and Insight.
Background:
This letter is missing the name of its addressee and the date of composition. The title, The Gift of Rice,
derives from the opening passage of the letter, in which Nichiren Daishonin gives thanks for the offerings
made. It also indicates the theme for this letter, which addresses the spirit of offering in Buddhism. While
sages of old practiced “offering in actuality,” giving their very lives for Buddhism, ordinary people in the
present age practice “offering in principle,” giving what sustains or is of value to their lives. Ultimately,
the Daishonin says, “earnest resolve” is what makes offering, or almsgiving, in Buddhism.a meaningful
act. The Daishonin thus equates the polished rice he has received to life itself.
Life at Mount Minobu was harsh, and the Daishonin and his disciples were often in need of food
and other provisions. Fortunately, he had a loyal group of lay supporters who helped provide him with
necessities.
* The paramita of almsgiving is one of the six paramitas, or practices, for Mahayana bodhisattvas.
(Whenever possible, please share this encouragement directly
from The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, volume 1,
p. 1125-26: “The Gift of Rice)
contribution Gosho
May Contribution Study Resource – Installment #44
Life is the foremost of all treasures. It is expounded that even the treasures of the
entire major world system cannot equal the value of one’s body and life. Even the treasures
that fill the major world system are no substitute for life. Life is like a lamp, and food is like
oil. When the oil is exhausted, the lamp goes out, and without food, life will cease.
In worshiping all the deities and Buddhas, the word namu is put ahead of their
names. To explain exactly what namu means, namu is a word from India. In China and
Japan it is translated as “dedicating one’s life.” “Dedicating one’s life” means to offer one’s
life to the Buddha. In accordance with their status, some have wives and children, relatives,
fiefs, and gold and silver, while others have no treasure. Whether one has wealth or not, no
treasure exceeds the one called life. This is why those known as the sages and worthies of
ancient times offered their lives to the Buddha and then became Buddhas.
The boy Snow Mountains offered his body to a demon to receive a teaching
composed of eight characters. Bodhisattva Medicine King burned his arms as an offering to
the Lotus Sutra. In our own country too, Prince Shotoku peeled off the skin of his hand and
copied the Lotus Sutra on it, and the sovereign known as Emperor Tenji burned his third
finger as an offering to Shakyamuni Buddha. Because these things are the affairs of
worthies and sages, they are impossible for us to do.
However, as for the matter of becoming a Buddha, ordinary people keep in mind the
words “earnest resolve” and thereby become Buddhas. When we carefully consider what
exactly earnest resolve refers to, it is the doctrine of observing the mind. When we inquire
into what exactly the doctrine of observing the mind refers to, it means that offering one’s
only robe to the Lotus Sutra is equivalent to peeling off one’s skin; and that in a time of
famine, offering the food that is the only means for sustaining one’s life that day to the
Buddha is offering one’s life to the Buddha. The blessings from this are in no way inferior
to those Bodhisattva Medicine King gained by burning his arms, or the boy Snow
Mountains gained by offering his body to a demon. Thus, what is appropriate for sages is
offering in actuality [offering one’s life itself for the Law]. What is appropriate for ordinary
people is offering in principle [sincerely offering what is important to one’s own life]. This is
the teaching called the paramita of almsgiving* for the observation of the mind that is set
forth in the seventh volume of Great Concentration and Insight.
Background:
This letter is missing the name of its addressee and the date of composition. The title, The Gift of Rice,
derives from the opening passage of the letter, in which Nichiren Daishonin gives thanks for the offerings
made. It also indicates the theme for this letter, which addresses the spirit of offering in Buddhism. While
sages of old practiced “offering in actuality,” giving their very lives for Buddhism, ordinary people in the
present age practice “offering in principle,” giving what sustains or is of value to their lives. Ultimately,
the Daishonin says, “earnest resolve” is what makes offering, or almsgiving, in Buddhism.a meaningful
act. The Daishonin thus equates the polished rice he has received to life itself.
Life at Mount Minobu was harsh, and the Daishonin and his disciples were often in need of food
and other provisions. Fortunately, he had a loyal group of lay supporters who helped provide him with
necessities.
* The paramita of almsgiving is one of the six paramitas, or practices, for Mahayana bodhisattvas.
(Whenever possible, please share this encouragement directly
from The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, volume 1,
p. 1125-26: “The Gift of Rice)
"(Now when Nichiren and his followers perform ceremonies for the deceased, reciting the Lotus Sutra and) chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, the ray of light from the daimoku reaches all the way to the hell of incessant suffering and makes it possible for them to attain Buddhahood then and there."
(Ongi Kuden - Record of the Orally Transmitted Teachings, page 17) Selection source: "Myoji no gen", Seikyo Shimbun, June 9th, 2010
(Ongi Kuden - Record of the Orally Transmitted Teachings, page 17) Selection source: "Myoji no gen", Seikyo Shimbun, June 9th, 2010
"When we awaken to the equal and impartial Law of Nam- myoho-renge-kyo, we come to feel a deep connection to others, and as more people share this kind of kinship, it will bring humanity closer together. We also gain the strength to triumph over the tumultuous times of the Latter Day and create peace and happiness. The key is for each of us to manifest in our lives the power of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, the fundamental Law of enlightenment. This is the purpose of our efforts for kosen-rufu. Further, through our continuous efforts to spread the correct teaching, we can overcome the crisis of the decline of the Law--a situation in which 'quarrels and disputes prevail, and the pure Law is obscured and lost' (WND-1, 391)."
SGI Newsletter No. 8010, SGI President Ikeda's Study Lecture Series. LEARNING FROM THE WRITINGS OF NICHIREN DAISHONIN: THE TEACHINGS FOR VICTORY, [16] 'The Selection of the Time'--Part 1 (WND-1, 538-42). The Time for Worldwide Kosen-rufu, for World Peace, from the April 2010 issue of the Daibyakurenge, translated June 8th, 2010.
SGI Newsletter No. 8010, SGI President Ikeda's Study Lecture Series. LEARNING FROM THE WRITINGS OF NICHIREN DAISHONIN: THE TEACHINGS FOR VICTORY, [16] 'The Selection of the Time'--Part 1 (WND-1, 538-42). The Time for Worldwide Kosen-rufu, for World Peace, from the April 2010 issue of the Daibyakurenge, translated June 8th, 2010.
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