I guess this old post from 2005 pretty much sums up my understanding. Thanks for all your efforts pb! They are sincerly appreciated!
T
Last edited:
Chanting Growers Group
- Thread starter PassTheDoobie
- Start date
- Status
I guess this old post from 2005 pretty much sums up my understanding. Thanks for all your efforts pb! They are sincerly appreciated!
T
"If we always have a sense of appreciation and strive to repay our gratitude to others, we'll come to know exactly what we should do, what course of action we should take. Boundless courage and wisdom will surge forth from within us without fail."
"People who have appreciation shine. Environments filled with gratitude prosper."
SGI Newsletter No. 8035, SGI President Ikedas Essay: OUR BRILLIANT PATH TO VICTORY. Translated from the April 15, 2010, issue of the Seikyo Shimbun
"People who have appreciation shine. Environments filled with gratitude prosper."
SGI Newsletter No. 8035, SGI President Ikedas Essay: OUR BRILLIANT PATH TO VICTORY. Translated from the April 15, 2010, issue of the Seikyo Shimbun
"Those who believe in the Lotus Sutra are as if in winter, but winter always turns to spring."
(Winter Always Turns to Spring - The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, Vol.1, page 536) Selection source: "Kyo no Hosshin", Seikyo Shimbun, July 31st, 2010
(Winter Always Turns to Spring - The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, Vol.1, page 536) Selection source: "Kyo no Hosshin", Seikyo Shimbun, July 31st, 2010
Without taking issue with anything else that pb had to say, I want to point out for the purpose of dialog that pb has added the parenthetical "(the Oneness of person and the Law)" and it is his perception of what is being referred to here. It is not a clarification found in the text of the background information from page 748. pb is entitled to his opinion.
In my opinion, the whole paragraph "When this wisdom exists — when the “water of wisdom” fills the “riverbed of reality”— it is known as the fusion of reality and wisdom. This is enlightenment. In other words, one illuminates and manifests the Law in one’s own life." is referring to the principal of kyochi-myogo (the fusion of reality and wisdom), and not nimpo-ikka (the Oneness of the Person and the Law). Nothing in the definition of nimpo-ikka discusses the fusion of our lives with the Gohonzon. However that is exactly what kyochi-myogo is, and refers specifically to this fusion of reality and wisdom.
fusion of reality and wisdom
[境智冥合] (Jpn kyochi-myogo )
The fusion of the objective reality or truth and the subjective wisdom to realize that truth, which is the Buddha nature inherent within one's life. Since enlightenment, or Buddhahood, is defined as the state in which one fully realizes the ultimate reality, the fusion of reality and wisdom means enlightenment. T'ient'ai (538-597) discusses this principle in The Words and Phrases of the Lotus Sutra. In The Annotations on "The Words and Phrases of the Lotus Sutra," Miao-lo (711-782) associates Shakyamuni Buddha and Many Treasures Buddha as they are portrayed in the "Treasure Tower" (eleventh) chapter of the Lotus Sutra with the fusion of reality and wisdom. This chapter describes Shakyamuni Buddha seated side by side with Many Treasures Buddha in the treasure tower. Miao-lo writes that these two Buddhas seated in this manner signify the fusion of reality and wisdom. Nichiren (1222-1282) identifies the Law that underlies the fusion of reality and wisdom as Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, and asserts that he embodied his enlightenment to that Law—the fusion of reality and wisdom—in the form of the Gohonzon, the object of devotion he established. In terms of Buddhist practice for people in the Latter Day of the Law, Nichiren maintained that, when they chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo with deep faith in the Gohonzon, they achieve the fusion of reality and wisdom within their own lives and are thus able to manifest the Buddha nature and attain Buddhahood. According to Nichiren, the Buddha nature constitutes reality, and faith in the Gohonzon, the embodiment of that nature, corresponds to wisdom. Nichiren states: "Reality means the true nature of all phenomena, and wisdom means the illuminating and manifesting of this true nature. Thus when the riverbed of reality is infinitely broad and deep, the water of wisdom will flow ceaselessly. When this reality and wisdom are fused, one attains Buddhahood in one's present form....What then are these two elements of reality and wisdom? They are simply the five characters of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo" (WND/746).
I hope this gives additional clarity to the points being made and sincerely appreciate the continuing efforts pb makes almost daily to share his understanding of the Gosho.
Bowing in humble obeisance,
Thomas
only been at it for a bit now,but I know what you mean about the past,seems those same demons keep testing us,no matter their form... I have been finding the chanting really clarifies my mind to examine why those troubles return,if nothing else they are a ruler to measure the progress we have made in our lives
I know what you mean....
I know what you mean....
Forest, chanting has helped me cure a spiritual illness to bring clarity to light. Then things seem to work out for the best....or what's best for me.
You have been an inspiration from your first post, bro!
You are solid meat.
I know what you mean....
Forest, chanting has helped me cure a spiritual illness to bring clarity to light. Then things seem to work out for the best....or what's best for me.
You have been an inspiration from your first post, bro!
You are solid meat.
I had an enlightening weekend and wanted to share
I am amazed by the individual perceptions being shared, they help me understand.
I think that however, that the most basic (and yet most important, the foundation) precept here is that the ultimate truth is not defined (by)in our individuality, but instead (by)in our unity.
For me, this was part of that enlightenment, learning that the path you walk upon many be tread by feet other than your own.
Nam-myoho-renge-kyo
I am amazed by the individual perceptions being shared, they help me understand.
I think that however, that the most basic (and yet most important, the foundation) precept here is that the ultimate truth is not defined (by)in our individuality, but instead (by)in our unity.
For me, this was part of that enlightenment, learning that the path you walk upon many be tread by feet other than your own.
Nam-myoho-renge-kyo
and many paths lead to the same place,and no matter how fine the company on the way,each step must be undertaken by the individual....
no piggy gohonzon rides! heeheehee!
no piggy gohonzon rides! heeheehee!
Well Brother, for the record, this certainly is not my understanding based on what President Toda has to say. You continue to insist that the principle of nimpo-ikka is related to us. And it may be. But there is no basis for this position other than your own point of view.
If not, perhaps I am just not aware of the source for such a view. This is the second time (and I’m not giving you shit here Brother) that you have taken one thing and called it another, based on nothing more than your personal perception, and all I’ve done is to ask you to be clear about that. And I am asking that again.
And I will say again, unequivocally, that in my opinion, in the absence of some kind of doctrine that disproves what I’m about to say, kyochi-myogo is as good as it gets for us. Nimpo-ikka pertains to Nichiren only. It’s why only he could establish the Object of Devotion, the Gohonzon. We don’t establish the Object of Devotion—we can only fuse with it. I have already supplied resource materials to substantiate this point.
To the question of “If we had no way to become one with the Law through our faith than, how can we benefit from our practice otherwise, to realize that the Gohonzon and Nam-myoho-renge-kyo is one with our lives?” My answer would be that this is accomplished by having faith in the Daishonin’s teachings, as he instructed.
It is only faith that allows one to achieve the fusion of reality and wisdom in the first place. This is the relationship between the Buddha of Beginningless Time and His disciples from the infinite past, the Bodhisattvas of the Earth who appeared at the Ceremony in the Air. It is the basis of the principle of Mentor and Disciple developed by the SGI from the Ongi Kuden.
The bottom line is that we are all Buddhas, but there is and always will be only one Original Buddha whose teacher was the Law and who is the teacher of all Buddhas throughout past, present, and future. That is what nimpo-ikka is about. President Toda taught this Buddha’s name as the Nam-myoho-renge-kyo Thus Come One. According to this view, the historical Shakyamuni, those responsible for the recorded teaching of the Lotus Sutra, Kumarajiva, Nagarjuna, Vasubandhu, Nan-yyeh, T’ien-t’ai, Chang-an, Miao-lo and everyone else involved in the propagation of the teaching known as the Lotus Sutra were all, in fact—even though they historically preceded Nichiren in historical timeline—actually disciples of Nichiren in His True Identity as the Jujuyushin Nyorai of Kuon Gango, the Buddha of Beginningless Time.
This point as discussed in chapter one of “Lecture on the Sutra”, has always made tremendous sense to me. I always found the idea logical in that, for the True Teacher, the only one that can establish the Object of Devotion, to appear to reveal the Law that only he can reveal in it’s inception; it would be too difficult to establish the Doctrine that would allow the Law to be accessible to those suffering from the delusion that the teaching of the Law was meant to eradicate, and do it in a single human lifetime.
I think we can all agree that Nichiren was unique. That is what the principle of The Oneness of the Person and the Law is all about. President Toda teaches that he was as unique as to be the Original Teacher for all Teachers and that as such, was the only one that could establish the Object of Devotion. This view is based on the principle of The Oneness of the Person and the Law, in regard to the truth as perceived originally by Nichikan Shonin, who laid it all out in The Six Volume Writings:
Six-Volume Writings, The
[六巻抄] (Jpn Rokkan-sho )
A work by Nichikan, the twenty-sixth chief priest of Taiseki-ji temple and scholar of Nichiren's teachings, completed in 1725. During the four hundred years after Nichiren's death, various interpretations of his teachings were adopted by different Nichiren schools, and Nichikan held that the true meaning of Nichiren's teachings had become obscured. He wrote this work to refute what he felt were serious misconceptions and to clarify the true meaning of Nichiren's teachings. As the title indicates, it is a collection of six treatises:
(1) "The Threefold Secret Teaching," which explains the teaching for the Latter Day of the Law by interpreting the meaning of the passage from The Opening of the Eyes, one of Nichiren's major works, that reads, "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" (WND/224). Nichikan thus established the concept of the threefold secret teaching, or threefold comparison: first, the "doctrine of three thousand realms in a single moment of life," which Nichiren himself identified as Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, is found in the Lotus Sutra and not in any of the other sutras; second, it is found in the "Life Span" (sixteenth) chapter of the essential teaching (latter half) of the Lotus Sutra and not in its theoretical teaching (first half); and third, it is found in the depths of the "Life Span" chapter. "Secret" in this context indicates that the Law of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo hidden in the depths of the "Life Span" chapter had been kept secret, or remained hidden, until it was revealed by Nichiren.
(2) "The Meanings Hidden in the Depths," which clarifies that the teaching hidden in the depths of the "Life Span" chapter is Nam-myoho-renge-kyo of the Three Great Secret Laws. It discusses the Three Great Secret Laws in detail.
(3) "Interpreting the Text Based upon Its Essential Meaning," which interprets important passages of the Lotus Sutra from the standpoint of the teaching of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo of the Three Great Secret Laws.
(4) "The Teaching for the Latter Day," which sets forth the correct object of devotion to be established in the Latter Day of the Law. This treatise explains why the object of devotion inscribed by Nichiren, rather than an image of Shakyamuni Buddha, is the correct object of faith in the Latter Day of the Law. This treatise also indicates that the correct practice of reading and reciting the Lotus Sutra in the Latter Day of the Law is to read and recite its two key chapters, "Expedient Means" (second) and "Life Span," and not the entire sutra.
(5) "The Practices of This School," which explains that correct practice in the Latter Day of the Law consists of two kinds: primary and supporting. The primary practice is the chanting of the daimoku, or the invocation of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, and the supporting practice is the reading and recitation of the "Expedient Means" and "Life Span" chapters. This work explains why these two chapters are recited in daily practice. It also defines the three treasures in the Latter Day of the Law and describes the great benefits of chanting the daimoku.
(6) "The Three Robes of This School," which defines the "three robes" as the traditional gray robe, the white surplice, and the prayer beads of the priests of the Fuji school, and explains their significance.
The Soka Gakkai Dictionary of Buddhism
So after all of that, I will gladly shut up! Thanks pb! I look forward to finding out if there is something said somewhere that conflicts with President Toda’s explanation. As I said before, it is the basis of my faith and practice.
Much love and deepest respect!
Thomas
Gohonzon
[御本尊] ( Jpn)
The object of devotion. The word go is an honorific prefix, and honzon means object of fundamental respect or devotion. In Nichiren's (1222-1282) teaching, the object of devotion has two aspects: the object of devotion in terms of the Law and the object of devotion in terms of the Person. These may be described as follows:
(1) The object of devotion in terms of the Law: Nichiren's mandala that embodies the eternal and intrinsic Law of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. That Law is the source of all Buddhas and the seed of Buddhahood for all people. In other words, Nichiren identified Nam-myoho-renge-kyo as the ultimate Law permeating life and the universe, and embodied it in the form of a mandala. In his Questions and Answers on the Object of Devotion, Nichiren refers to the object of devotion for people in the Latter Day of the Law as "the title (daimoku) of the Lotus Sutra." He further describes the title as the essence of the Lotus Sutra, or Nam-myoho-renge-kyo to be found only in the depths of the "Life Span" (sixteenth) chapter of the sutra. The Object of Devotion for Observing the Mind reads, "Myoho-renge-kyo appears in the center of the [treasure] tower with the Buddhas Shakyamuni and Many Treasures seated to the right and left, and, flanking them, the four bodhisattvas, followers of Shakyamuni, led by Superior Practices. Manjushri, Maitreya, and the other bodhisattvas, who are followers of the four bodhisattvas, are seated below" (WND/366). In this passage, Nichiren clarifies the relationship between the Law of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, the Buddhas Shakyamuni and Many Treasures, and the various bodhisattvas depicted on the Gohonzon. In this way he emphasizes Nam-myoho-renge-kyo as the fundamental object of devotion. The Real Aspect of the Gohonzon explains that all living beings of the Ten Worlds "display the dignified attributes that they inherently possess" (WND/832) through the benefit of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. Nichiren viewed the Dai-Gohonzon, the object of devotion he inscribed for all humanity on the twelfth day of the tenth month in 1279, as the purpose of his life. This can be gleaned from his statement in On Persecutions Befalling the Sage, written in the tenth month of 1279: "The Buddha fulfilled the purpose of his advent in a little over forty years, the Great Teacher T'ient'ai took about thirty years, and the Great Teacher Dengyo, some twenty years. I have spoken repeatedly of the indescribable persecutions they suffered during those years. For me it took twenty-seven years, and the great persecutions I faced are well known to you all" (WND/996). The object of devotion in terms of the Law is explained in greater detail in Nichiren's writings such as The Object of Devotion for Observing the Mind and The Real Aspect of the Gohonzon.
(2) The object of devotion in terms of the Person: In his Reply to Kyo'o, Nichiren writes, "I, Nichiren, have inscribed my life in sumi ink, so believe in the Gohonzon with your whole heart. The Buddha's will is the Lotus Sutra, but the soul of Nichiren is nothing other than Nam-myoho-renge-kyo" (WND/412). Nichiren here expresses his realization of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo as the origin and basis of his life, which he embodied in sumi ink in the form of the mandala he calls the Gohonzon. In The Record of the Orally Transmitted Teachings, he says, "The object of devotion is thus the entity of the entire body of the votary of the Lotus Sutra." "The votary" here refers to Nichiren himself. He also says, "The Buddha of the Latter Day of the Law is an ordinary person and an ordinary priest." "An ordinary priest" here refers to Nichiren. Because Nichiren revealed and spread Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, which is manifest as the Person and the Law, he is regarded by his disciple and designated successor Nikko and his followers as the Buddha of the Latter Day of the Law. Nichiren himself writes in The Opening of the Eyes: "On the twelfth day of the ninth month of last year [1271], between the hours of the rat and the ox [11:00 A.M. to 3:00 A.M.], this person named Nichiren was beheaded. It is his soul that has come to this island of Sado and, in the second month of the following year, snowbound, is writing this to send to his close disciples" (WND/269). He states that he "was beheaded," though actually he survived the execution at Tatsunokuchi, implying that the ordinary person Nichiren ceased to exist. In this context, the passage "It is his soul that has come to this island of Sado [his place of exile]" means that Nichiren described himself as having revealed a deeper, true identity in the course of his attempted execution. Again Nikko and his followers equate that identity with the Buddha of the Latter Day of the Law.
(3) The oneness of the Person and the Law: This means that the object of devotion in terms of the Person and the object of devotion in terms of the Law are one in their essence. The Law is inseparable from the Per-son, and vice versa. The object of devotion in terms of the Law is the physical embodiment, as a mandala (the Gohonzon), of the eternal and intrinsic Law of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. Nichiren writes in his Reply to Kyo'o, "I, Nichiren, have inscribed my life in sumi ink, so believe in the Gohonzon with your whole heart" (WND/412). This passage indicates that Nichiren embodied in the Gohonzon the state of life he enjoyed as the eternal Buddha who personified the Law, so that people could attain the same state of enlightenment. The Record of the Orally Transmitted Teachings reads: "The 'body that is freely received and used [also, the Buddha of limitless joy]' is none other than the principle of three thousand realms in a single moment of life. The Great Teacher Dengyo says: 'A single moment of life comprising the three thousand realms is itself the "body that is freely received and used"; this Buddha has forsaken august appearances. The Buddha who has forsaken august appearances is the Buddha eternally endowed with the three bodies.' Now Nichiren and his followers who chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo are just this." "The Buddha who has forsaken august appearances" means a Buddha who is no different from an ordinary person in form and appearance.
(4) The core of the Three Great Secret Laws: The Gohonzon, or the object of devotion of the essential teaching, is the core of the Three Great Secret Laws in Nichiren's doctrine and represents the purpose of his life. The Three Great Secret Laws are the object of devotion of the essential teaching, the invocation, or daimoku, of the essential teaching, and the sanctuary of the essential teaching. Here, "essential teaching" refers to the teaching of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, not to the essential teaching (latter half) of the Lotus Sutra. Nichiren expressed the Law of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo he realized within his own life in these three forms, which correspond to the three types of learning in Buddhism—precepts, meditation, and wisdom. The object of devotion corresponds to meditation, the invocation to wisdom, and the sanctuary to precepts. Sanctuary is a translation of the Japanese word kaidan, which is also translated as "ordination platform." This is a platform where practitioners vow to uphold the Buddhist precepts. In Nichiren's teaching, to embrace the object of devotion is the only precept, and the place where one enshrines the object of devotion and chants the daimoku is called the sanctuary. Again to keep faith in the object of devotion and chant the daimoku while teaching others to chant it is called the invocation. Both the sanctuary and the invocation derive from the object of devotion. Hence the object of devotion is the core of all three. For this reason the Gohonzon, or object of devotion, is also referred to as the One Great Secret Law.
(5) The inscriptions on the Gohonzon: In the center of the Gohonzon are written the Chinese characters "Nam-myoho-renge-kyo Nichiren." This indicates the oneness of the Person and the Law. On either side there are characters for the names of beings representing each of the Ten Worlds. At the top of the Gohonzon, the names of Shakyamuni Buddha and Many Treasures Buddha appear respectively to the immediate left and right (when facing the Gohonzon) of these central characters. They represent the realm or world of Buddhahood. The four bodhisattvas—Superior Practices, Boundless Practices, Pure Practices, and Firmly Established Practices—who lead the other Bodhisattvas of the Earth are positioned to the left and right of the two Buddhas. They, along with other bodhisattvas in the second row from the top such as Universal Worthy and Manjushri, represent the realm of bodhisattvas. Also in the second row are persons of the two vehicles—voice-hearers and cause-awakened ones, such as Shariputra and Mahakashyapa—and flanking them are representatives of the realm of heavenly beings, such as Brahma, Shakra, the devil king of the sixth heaven, and the gods of the sun and moon. In the third row appear a wheel-turning king, representing the realm of human beings; an asura king, representing the realm of asuras; a dragon king, representing the realm of animals; the Mother of Demon Children and the ten demon daughters, representing the realm of hungry spirits; and Devadatta, representing the realm of hell. Moreover, the four heavenly kings are positioned in the four corners of the Gohonzon: (again, when facing the Gohonzon) Vaishravana in the upper left, Upholder of the Nation in the upper right, Wide-Eyed in the lower right, and Increase and Growth in the lower left. While all other figures on the Gohonzon are represented in Chinese characters, the names of the wisdom king Craving-Filled and the wisdom king Immovable are written below Vaishravana and Upholder of the Nation respectively in Siddham, a medieval Sanskrit script. Here the wisdom king Craving-Filled represents the principle that earthly desires are enlightenment, and the wisdom king Immovable, the principle that the sufferings of birth and death are nirvana. Other characters on the Gohonzon include the names of Great Bodhisattva Hachiman and the Sun Goddess. All these names express the principles that the Ten Worlds exist within the eternal Buddha's life, and that living beings of the Ten Worlds can attain Buddhahood. Not all of the above names appear on every Gohonzon that is transcribed from the Dai-Gohonzon, but whichever ones do appear represent all of the Ten Worlds. The names of the Great Teacher T'ient'ai and the Great Teacher Dengyo are inscribed in the lower part of the Gohonzon representing those who transmitted the true lineage of Buddhism. There are two inscriptions gleaned from Miao-lo's Annotations on "The Words and Phrases of the Lotus Sutra," which Nichiren used to describe the power of the Gohonzon and the Law it embodies. One, placed in the upper right (facing the Gohonzon), reads, "Those who vex or trouble [the practitioners of the Law] will have their heads split into seven pieces." The other, in the upper left, reads, "Those who give alms [to them] will enjoy good fortune surpassing the ten honorable titles." The ten honorable titles are epithets applied to the Buddha expressing his virtue, wisdom, and compassion. In the lower right is Nichiren's declaration that "This is the great mandala never before known in the entire land of Jambudvipa in the more than 2,230 years since the Buddha's passing.
[御本尊] ( Jpn)
The object of devotion. The word go is an honorific prefix, and honzon means object of fundamental respect or devotion. In Nichiren's (1222-1282) teaching, the object of devotion has two aspects: the object of devotion in terms of the Law and the object of devotion in terms of the Person. These may be described as follows:
(1) The object of devotion in terms of the Law: Nichiren's mandala that embodies the eternal and intrinsic Law of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. That Law is the source of all Buddhas and the seed of Buddhahood for all people. In other words, Nichiren identified Nam-myoho-renge-kyo as the ultimate Law permeating life and the universe, and embodied it in the form of a mandala. In his Questions and Answers on the Object of Devotion, Nichiren refers to the object of devotion for people in the Latter Day of the Law as "the title (daimoku) of the Lotus Sutra." He further describes the title as the essence of the Lotus Sutra, or Nam-myoho-renge-kyo to be found only in the depths of the "Life Span" (sixteenth) chapter of the sutra. The Object of Devotion for Observing the Mind reads, "Myoho-renge-kyo appears in the center of the [treasure] tower with the Buddhas Shakyamuni and Many Treasures seated to the right and left, and, flanking them, the four bodhisattvas, followers of Shakyamuni, led by Superior Practices. Manjushri, Maitreya, and the other bodhisattvas, who are followers of the four bodhisattvas, are seated below" (WND/366). In this passage, Nichiren clarifies the relationship between the Law of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, the Buddhas Shakyamuni and Many Treasures, and the various bodhisattvas depicted on the Gohonzon. In this way he emphasizes Nam-myoho-renge-kyo as the fundamental object of devotion. The Real Aspect of the Gohonzon explains that all living beings of the Ten Worlds "display the dignified attributes that they inherently possess" (WND/832) through the benefit of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. Nichiren viewed the Dai-Gohonzon, the object of devotion he inscribed for all humanity on the twelfth day of the tenth month in 1279, as the purpose of his life. This can be gleaned from his statement in On Persecutions Befalling the Sage, written in the tenth month of 1279: "The Buddha fulfilled the purpose of his advent in a little over forty years, the Great Teacher T'ient'ai took about thirty years, and the Great Teacher Dengyo, some twenty years. I have spoken repeatedly of the indescribable persecutions they suffered during those years. For me it took twenty-seven years, and the great persecutions I faced are well known to you all" (WND/996). The object of devotion in terms of the Law is explained in greater detail in Nichiren's writings such as The Object of Devotion for Observing the Mind and The Real Aspect of the Gohonzon.
(2) The object of devotion in terms of the Person: In his Reply to Kyo'o, Nichiren writes, "I, Nichiren, have inscribed my life in sumi ink, so believe in the Gohonzon with your whole heart. The Buddha's will is the Lotus Sutra, but the soul of Nichiren is nothing other than Nam-myoho-renge-kyo" (WND/412). Nichiren here expresses his realization of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo as the origin and basis of his life, which he embodied in sumi ink in the form of the mandala he calls the Gohonzon. In The Record of the Orally Transmitted Teachings, he says, "The object of devotion is thus the entity of the entire body of the votary of the Lotus Sutra." "The votary" here refers to Nichiren himself. He also says, "The Buddha of the Latter Day of the Law is an ordinary person and an ordinary priest." "An ordinary priest" here refers to Nichiren. Because Nichiren revealed and spread Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, which is manifest as the Person and the Law, he is regarded by his disciple and designated successor Nikko and his followers as the Buddha of the Latter Day of the Law. Nichiren himself writes in The Opening of the Eyes: "On the twelfth day of the ninth month of last year [1271], between the hours of the rat and the ox [11:00 A.M. to 3:00 A.M.], this person named Nichiren was beheaded. It is his soul that has come to this island of Sado and, in the second month of the following year, snowbound, is writing this to send to his close disciples" (WND/269). He states that he "was beheaded," though actually he survived the execution at Tatsunokuchi, implying that the ordinary person Nichiren ceased to exist. In this context, the passage "It is his soul that has come to this island of Sado [his place of exile]" means that Nichiren described himself as having revealed a deeper, true identity in the course of his attempted execution. Again Nikko and his followers equate that identity with the Buddha of the Latter Day of the Law.
(3) The oneness of the Person and the Law: This means that the object of devotion in terms of the Person and the object of devotion in terms of the Law are one in their essence. The Law is inseparable from the Per-son, and vice versa. The object of devotion in terms of the Law is the physical embodiment, as a mandala (the Gohonzon), of the eternal and intrinsic Law of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. Nichiren writes in his Reply to Kyo'o, "I, Nichiren, have inscribed my life in sumi ink, so believe in the Gohonzon with your whole heart" (WND/412). This passage indicates that Nichiren embodied in the Gohonzon the state of life he enjoyed as the eternal Buddha who personified the Law, so that people could attain the same state of enlightenment. The Record of the Orally Transmitted Teachings reads: "The 'body that is freely received and used [also, the Buddha of limitless joy]' is none other than the principle of three thousand realms in a single moment of life. The Great Teacher Dengyo says: 'A single moment of life comprising the three thousand realms is itself the "body that is freely received and used"; this Buddha has forsaken august appearances. The Buddha who has forsaken august appearances is the Buddha eternally endowed with the three bodies.' Now Nichiren and his followers who chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo are just this." "The Buddha who has forsaken august appearances" means a Buddha who is no different from an ordinary person in form and appearance.
(4) The core of the Three Great Secret Laws: The Gohonzon, or the object of devotion of the essential teaching, is the core of the Three Great Secret Laws in Nichiren's doctrine and represents the purpose of his life. The Three Great Secret Laws are the object of devotion of the essential teaching, the invocation, or daimoku, of the essential teaching, and the sanctuary of the essential teaching. Here, "essential teaching" refers to the teaching of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, not to the essential teaching (latter half) of the Lotus Sutra. Nichiren expressed the Law of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo he realized within his own life in these three forms, which correspond to the three types of learning in Buddhism—precepts, meditation, and wisdom. The object of devotion corresponds to meditation, the invocation to wisdom, and the sanctuary to precepts. Sanctuary is a translation of the Japanese word kaidan, which is also translated as "ordination platform." This is a platform where practitioners vow to uphold the Buddhist precepts. In Nichiren's teaching, to embrace the object of devotion is the only precept, and the place where one enshrines the object of devotion and chants the daimoku is called the sanctuary. Again to keep faith in the object of devotion and chant the daimoku while teaching others to chant it is called the invocation. Both the sanctuary and the invocation derive from the object of devotion. Hence the object of devotion is the core of all three. For this reason the Gohonzon, or object of devotion, is also referred to as the One Great Secret Law.
(5) The inscriptions on the Gohonzon: In the center of the Gohonzon are written the Chinese characters "Nam-myoho-renge-kyo Nichiren." This indicates the oneness of the Person and the Law. On either side there are characters for the names of beings representing each of the Ten Worlds. At the top of the Gohonzon, the names of Shakyamuni Buddha and Many Treasures Buddha appear respectively to the immediate left and right (when facing the Gohonzon) of these central characters. They represent the realm or world of Buddhahood. The four bodhisattvas—Superior Practices, Boundless Practices, Pure Practices, and Firmly Established Practices—who lead the other Bodhisattvas of the Earth are positioned to the left and right of the two Buddhas. They, along with other bodhisattvas in the second row from the top such as Universal Worthy and Manjushri, represent the realm of bodhisattvas. Also in the second row are persons of the two vehicles—voice-hearers and cause-awakened ones, such as Shariputra and Mahakashyapa—and flanking them are representatives of the realm of heavenly beings, such as Brahma, Shakra, the devil king of the sixth heaven, and the gods of the sun and moon. In the third row appear a wheel-turning king, representing the realm of human beings; an asura king, representing the realm of asuras; a dragon king, representing the realm of animals; the Mother of Demon Children and the ten demon daughters, representing the realm of hungry spirits; and Devadatta, representing the realm of hell. Moreover, the four heavenly kings are positioned in the four corners of the Gohonzon: (again, when facing the Gohonzon) Vaishravana in the upper left, Upholder of the Nation in the upper right, Wide-Eyed in the lower right, and Increase and Growth in the lower left. While all other figures on the Gohonzon are represented in Chinese characters, the names of the wisdom king Craving-Filled and the wisdom king Immovable are written below Vaishravana and Upholder of the Nation respectively in Siddham, a medieval Sanskrit script. Here the wisdom king Craving-Filled represents the principle that earthly desires are enlightenment, and the wisdom king Immovable, the principle that the sufferings of birth and death are nirvana. Other characters on the Gohonzon include the names of Great Bodhisattva Hachiman and the Sun Goddess. All these names express the principles that the Ten Worlds exist within the eternal Buddha's life, and that living beings of the Ten Worlds can attain Buddhahood. Not all of the above names appear on every Gohonzon that is transcribed from the Dai-Gohonzon, but whichever ones do appear represent all of the Ten Worlds. The names of the Great Teacher T'ient'ai and the Great Teacher Dengyo are inscribed in the lower part of the Gohonzon representing those who transmitted the true lineage of Buddhism. There are two inscriptions gleaned from Miao-lo's Annotations on "The Words and Phrases of the Lotus Sutra," which Nichiren used to describe the power of the Gohonzon and the Law it embodies. One, placed in the upper right (facing the Gohonzon), reads, "Those who vex or trouble [the practitioners of the Law] will have their heads split into seven pieces." The other, in the upper left, reads, "Those who give alms [to them] will enjoy good fortune surpassing the ten honorable titles." The ten honorable titles are epithets applied to the Buddha expressing his virtue, wisdom, and compassion. In the lower right is Nichiren's declaration that "This is the great mandala never before known in the entire land of Jambudvipa in the more than 2,230 years since the Buddha's passing.
no disrespect intended T! Nam Myoho Renge Kyo just blessed/cursed with a punny sense of humor
Ha! None taken dude! This is all between me and pb. (and I am sure in a friendly and respectful way) I understand exactly what he is saying. The content of his point(s) is right on in my understanding.
But his attribution of why is not in keeping with Jose Toda's, and since that is the subject that brought us together (pb and I go back many lifetimes--make no mistake about that), I am obligated as his good friend and as your good friend to point that out and invite the potential of correction or deepening of my own understanding.
I should say that I forsee some interesting conversation between pb and all of us, as this seventh year of the thread unfolds each day. pb has already had a great influence here and I look forward to having dialog on things that are not discussed so often. I think pb makes one think.
And he mentions things that I would like to talk about and have very strong personal views toward, that I have never broached, because they involve my own personal journey and why certain things make sense to me, and how that has established a faith in my practice that continues to powerfully propel my life forward each day.
So always know, Uncle Fish, that nothing you could say could ever offend me. Your seeking spirit is absolutely leading you to a relationship with the Gohonzon. That just seems really obvious to me. And when you do that, there will be several people that will be influenced to do so as well. Wait and see!
I respect all of you so much! The same thing said goes for DG, and Desi, and Forest, and Chris, and all of you now chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo and making a place for the Daishonin's teaching in your hearts and minds. The Daishonin's mercy is so great that according to him, the cause of saying Nam-myoho-renge-kyo is so wonderful that saying it even once, for any reason, will ultimately lead one to Buddhahood.
If you are chanting everyday, you make a tremendous cause, because even the Gohonzon knows how hard a thing that is to do, due to the influence of each of our fundamental darkness.
As always, deepest thanks to everyone!
Much love and respect,
T
Kudos to Wierd! I found this to be just an incredibly astute insight! I think that's why breaking unity is the fifth of the five cardinal sins! Way to go dude! And thanks for posting that up!
Deep respect,
T
Ok off to the Bay area for a day. Jerry Garcia bobblehead day at the ballpark.
Have to pick up our daughter who is in the middle of moving to Ohio with her boyfriend. Kid got a full ride at a 4 year for his football playing. Hes a running back ... pretty exciting stuph Then we will be home for a cpl days ... then its off to the Further concert at Golden Gate park and two more ball games against the division leader San Diego . Should be a fun time,
Always the highlight of our trip is stopping in at the Soka Gakkai and chanting in front of the big gohonzon Makes for a great trip and we always meet some great ppl at the community center.
Anyways Ill be in and out .... sort of sitting on the edge of my seat thinking we could leave for So Cal anytime Would be great to see mom and dad !!! Not sure what the schedule is going to be. Much love and respect to everyone
Nam myoho renge kyo
see ya soon
Have to pick up our daughter who is in the middle of moving to Ohio with her boyfriend. Kid got a full ride at a 4 year for his football playing. Hes a running back ... pretty exciting stuph
Then we will be home for a cpl days ... then its off to the Further concert at Golden Gate park and two more ball games against the division leader San Diego . Should be a fun time,Always the highlight of our trip is stopping in at the Soka Gakkai and chanting in front of the big gohonzon
Makes for a great trip and we always meet some great ppl at the community center. Anyways Ill be in and out .... sort of sitting on the edge of my seat thinking we could leave for So Cal anytime
Would be great to see mom and dad !!! Not sure what the schedule is going to be. Much love and respect to everyone Nam myoho renge kyo
see ya soon
Last edited:
- Status
