SGI-USA Study Curriculum
Learning from the Gosho: The Eternal Teachings of Nichiren Daishonin
by SGI President Ikeda
Lecture 1 - Gift of an Unlined Robe (1)
This first installment ran in the March 27 Seikyo Shimbun
to commemorate the anniversary of second Soka Gakkai president
Josei Toda's death (April 2, 1958). The SGI president will
discuss a variety of Gosho in this series, including the
Daishonin's five major writings, articulating the humanistic
philosophy of Nichiren Daishonin's Buddhism and its applications
to life in the present age.
The Gosho,(1) the collected writings of Nichiren Daishonin,
elucidates the means for all people to attain enlightenment.
It is the eternal teaching. The Gosho is a scripture of
boundless hope. As long as we continue to study the Gosho
and put its teachings into practice, we definitely will
never become deadlocked.
Some Gosho, of course, are very doctrinal and complex.
But we do not necessarily have to understand all of the
Daishonin's writings. The important thing is to have a keen
desire to read the Gosho and to expose our lives, even for
just a short time each day, to Nichiren Dai-shonin's spirit.
Having such a seeking mind enables us to securely anchor
our lives to the orbit of true happiness, to the path of
attaining Buddhahood in this lifetime. And it becomes the
engine for advancing kosen-rufu.
To meet the requests of members, for one year I lectured
on "Expedient Means" and "Life Span,"
the 2nd and 16th chapters of the Lotus Sutra. Now, I would
like to begin a series of lectures on the Gosho with the
aim of helping members strengthen themselves in "the
two ways of practice and study."
I will take up Gosho individually, and may devote more
than one installment to particular writings. In the case
of longer Gosho, I may limit myself to discussing only a
portion. In all instances, my aim will be to clarify the
humanistic philosophy of Buddhism.
We will begin with a two-part study of the Gosho "Gift
of an Unlined Robe."(2)
I have received the unlined robe that you graciously sent.
(Gosho Zenshu, p. 1514)
This letter is dated a little more than a year after the
Daishonin retired to Mount Minobu. He had received a gift
of a robe from a couple, followers of his whom he had not
yet met. An unlined robe is a light garment suitable for
use in hot weather.
The couple must have been concerned about the difficulty
of the Daishonin's life in the mountains. In their gift,
we can sense a real human tenderness. Theirs was an offering
made with sincerity.
The Daishonin may have used the brief interval before the
couple's messenger set out on his return journey to take
up his brush and compose a letter of thanks. This is the
letter.
While the names of the husband and wife who received this
letter are not known, it is surmised that they may have
been relations of the Nanjo family, or followers living
in Kamakura. Since they had not yet met the Daishonin directly,
they were probably not central figures among his followers.
From the contents of the letter, however, it is apparent
that they were carrying through with steadfast faith.
It is the nameless people that count most. The essence
of Buddhism shines in their down-to-earth efforts to make
faith manifest in daily life.
The Daishonin replied to the sincerity of this couple with
sincerity. This letter abundantly conveys his spirit in
this regard. Let us always bear in mind this spirit of the
Daishonin.
The letter is pervaded with the compassion of the Dai-shonin,
who assures them that their sincerity is definitely known
to all Buddhas, and that they are certain to attain Buddhahood.
Their offering was a robe and yet not a robe; in the gift,
the Daishonin perceived the heart and very life of his followers.
I know of no other religious figure who wrote such considerate
letters of appreciation in response to each offering received.
Nearly all of the Daishonin's personal letters to his followers
were written in thanks for offerings.
The Daishonin replied from his heart to others' hearts.
He replied to sincerity with great sincerity --- and with
lightning speed. This was also the spirit of Josei Toda,
the second Soka Gakkai president. The Soka Gakkai has developed
to such an extent because we have maintained this spirit
to this day.
Followers reading the Daishonin's letters must have been
deeply moved by his warmth. More than a few continued to
advance together with the Daishonin despite great persecution.
That was because of the heart-to-heart bonds that existed
between the Daishonin and each of his followers.
It is the same in the SGI. The SGI is strong not because
of its organization but because of the invisible bonds of
the heart we are creating.
A Great Spiritual Revolution
In the past, in a country called Kirokoku, old people were
abandoned. In Japan, today, the Lotus Sutra's votary is
castaway.
Since the country's appearance, there have been seven reigns
of heavenly gods and five generations of earthly gods. It
was then that the 100 reigns of human sovereign began. There
have been 90 reigns since Emperor Jimmu. And already 60
reigns have passed since Buddhism was introduced to the
country during the reign of Emperor Kimmei [the 29th] more
than 700 years ago. During this time, there have been countless
parent-murderers, enemies of the emperor, mountain bandits
and pirates. But I have never heard of someone who was hated
as much as 1, Nichiren, on account of the Lotus Sutra. Some
have been hated by the ruler but not by the people, or have
been hated by priests but not by lay people, or have been
hated by men but not by women, or have been hated by the
ignorant but not by the wise.
But I am hated by the people even more than by the ruler,
by laymen and laywomen even more than by monks and nuns,
by the wise even more than by the ignorant, and by the good
even more than by the wicked. My case is thus entirely without
precedent. Nor is it likely that anyone in later ages will
receive such treatment. (Gosho Zenshu, p. 1514)
Kirokoku is a land where the elderly were discarded to
reduce the number of mouths to feed. Buddhist scriptures
speak of lands in which it was customary for the elderly
to be treated poorly.
One sutra relates an episode whereby a kingdom puts an
end to this cruel custom. A minister, in violation of the
law of the land, does not turn out his aged father but secretly
maintains him. Later, the kingdom is visited by a crisis
and no one knows what to do. The land is saved from calamity
by the wisdom of the aged father who had been in hiding.
Thereupon the ruler changes the laws and makes it so that
the elderly are respected.
Nichiren Daishonin says that just as this ancient country
had discarded its wise people, Japan has thrown away the
votary of the Lotus Sutra. No country is more foolish than
one that discards its wise people, who can save it from
disaster.
The death in prison of Tsunesaburo Makiguchi, the Soka
Gakkai's founding president, amounted to wartime Japan's
having "thrown away the Lotus Sutra's votary."
Japan, therefore, was headed for ruin.
As the Daishonin says in this writing, no one has been
as hated as he on account of the Lotus Sutra. Although he
was fighting for the people's happiness, he was hated even
by the people. This might seem unreasonable, but such is
the lot of all those who seek to open a new path forward.
"If the Mystic Law is correct," President Toda
was once asked, "then why is it so difficult to spread?"
He explained:
Precisely because it is correct, people have a hard time
accepting it. For example, it's correct for children to
be dutiful toward their parents. But are you truly so considerate
of your parents? It's something in which people rarely succeed.
We may not necessarily study hard even though we know that
it's important. And people who are broke may go out and
squander their paychecks on alcohol even though they know
it's the wrong thing to do. Similarly, Nichiren Daishonin
teaches that the more correct a teaching, the more enemies
it will have.
Not only do people fail to do what is correct, they tend
to react emotionally and negatively toward a person of justice.
This is human nature.
In particular, arrogant authorities cannot bear to have
anyone stand up to them and speak out for justice. That's
because they regard themselves as superior to everyone.
This is an unchanging principle.
As a result, during the more than 20 years from when I
was 32 [when he established his teaching] until now, at
54, I have been driven out of temples, I have been expelled
from my place of residence, my parents and relatives have
been harassed, I have been attacked at night, I have encountered
battles, I have been vilified countless times, I have been
struck and injured, my disciples have been killed, I have
nearly been beheaded, and twice been sent into exile.
"During these more than 20 years, I have never known
even an hour or a moment of peace," the Daishonin says.
He lived this way for us. How merciful! His was a great
struggle for spiritual revolution more intense than any
battle.
From the time the Daishonin established his teaching at
the age of 32, great persecutions rained down upon him.
Still, he never retreated a single step.
To elaborate on the persecutions that the Daishonin touches
on in this writing, which represent only a portion of the
difficulties he underwent: He was driven away from Seicho-ji
[the temple where he had received his initial training as
a priest, and where he proclaimed the establishment of his
teaching]; he was chased away from his birthplace of Awa;
his parents and relatives were made to suffer greatly; he
was attacked at night while dwelling in a hermitage; he
was attacked at Komatsubara; groundless rumors about him
were spread; and he was the target of countless insults.
In the Komatsubara Persecution, the Daishonin's left arm
was broken and he received a sword wound to his forehead.
Also, his disciples were killed. When Hei no Saemon came
to arrest him, the Daishonin was struck by Shobo (also called
Shofu-bo) with a sutra scroll, and in the Tatsunokuchi Persecution
he was nearly beheaded. In addition, he was twice exiled,
to Izu and to Sado Island.
Yet the Daishonin continued to stand up bravely. "Still
I am not discouraged" (The Major Writings of Nichiren
Daishonin, vol. 1, p. 166), he says. "I rejoiced, [having]
long expected it to come to this"(MW-1, 175)."
It is all just as I expected" (MW- 1, 36).
This was all for the people --- the Daishonin underwent
everything on our behalf. He sought nothing for himself.
Had he desired to lead a peaceful and tranquil life, he
could certainly have done so. And he plainly understood
that once he stood up he would encounter great persecution.
Nevertheless, the Daishonin dared to stand up.
In this letter, where he lists persecutions he had undergone,
there is not the least note of bitterness or complaint.
Rather, the Daishonin took tremendous pride in having undergone
great persecution. In this, we can sense the heartbeat of
the indomitable lion king.
We are the Daishonin's disciples. We carry on his great
struggle. This is the greatest possible honor. Compared
with the great persecutions the Daishonin underwent, to
be called a few names hardly amounts to anything.
President Toda wrote of the period during World War 11
when the militarists were bent on ruthlessly suppressing
all dissenting voices:
The surprise and confusion of believers and the perplexity
of those affiliated with the head temple were such that
it was comical to hear and embarrassing to imagine. President
Makiguchi, myself and all the members with us were prohibited
from making pilgrimages to the head temple, and far and
wide we were vilified as enemies of the nation. Such absurdity,
while a reflection of the conditions of the times, was even
laughable.
And those put in prison were also pathetic. Some saw their
businesses collapse. And their families were hounded by
debt collectors or simply unable to provide for themselves
for want of a livelihood. The families they left behind
were, just as much as the prisoners, at a loss for what
to do.
Consequently, the families abandoned faith or began to
doubt. This was because they lacked confidence and had only
a dim grasp of the Daishonin's teachings. And one by one,
those who were imprisoned abandoned their faith, too. They
were spineless people. They lacked courage and had weak
faith. This was the pitiful plight of those who failed to
recognize the Daishonin as the original Buddha.
Even amid such circumstances, Mr. Toda felt deep appreciation
toward his mentor, President Makiguchi, to whom in a memorial
he would later say, "In your vast and boundless compassion,
you allowed me to come with you even to prison." This
eloquently sums up their solemn, magnificent relationship
as mentor and disciple.
As expressed in even this short Gosho, the Daishonin was
at once dauntlessly strong toward arrogant authorities and
infinitely kind toward people of sincerity. These are both
manifestations of his compassion. This sums up Nichiren
Daishonin's sublime humanism.
Notes:
1. The term Gosho can be used in either the singular
or the plural.
2. "Hitoe Sho," written in Aug. 1275 when the
Daishonin was 54.
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