SGI-USA Study Curriculum
Learning from the Gosho: The Eternal Teachings of Nichiren Daishonin
by SGI President Ikeda
Lecture 5 - The
Opening of the Eyes (1)
Spiritual Victory in the Midst of a Great Storm
A totally cloudless sky. An endless sea of blue. My mentor,
Josei Toda, once used these images to describe Nichiren
Daishonin's life state while in exile on Sado Island:
If it were people like us [who were in exile on Sado],
our lives would be in the depths of hell itself. But in
the case of the Daishonin, who was utterly invincible and
free from fear, we find that his life from moment to moment
was as [vast and serene as | the ocean or the sky.
In "The Opening of the Eyes," (1) Nichiren Daishonin
says: "I, Nichiren, am the richest man in all of present-day
Japan. I have dedicated my life to the Lotus Sutra, and
my name will be handed down in ages to come" (The Major
Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, vol. 2, p. 151).
In the Daishonin's day, the winters on Sado were a great
deal more severe than they are today. And he was living
at Tsukahara in a dilapidated shrine called Sanmai-do. Socially,
he was an exile. His life was constantly in jeopardy. Under
such conditions, the Daishonin, with the roar of a lion,
voiced this declaration as a king of the spirit.
Arriving at Tsukahara on Nov. 1, 1271, Nichiren Dai-shonin
began composing lengthy manuscripts with an awesome vigor;
the image that comes to my mind is that of a great waterfall.
In the second month of the following year, he entrusted
a messenger from Shijo Kingo with a Gosho intended for all
of his followers --- "The Opening of the Eyes."
Even amid the blowing snows on Sado, his conviction in
the justice of his actions was like a flame. It definitely
was not extinguished; rather, his burning spirit to lead
all people to happiness blazed all the more brilliantly.
With this writing, he wanted to convey his immense life
state to his followers. He wanted to show them that it is
only through waging a great life-or-death struggle that
one manifests a truly immense life state. He wanted to establish
this truth for all time.
While the original manuscript of "The Opening of the
Eyes" is not extant, it is said to have been 66 pages
long, with 65 pages of text and a cover page reading "Opening
of the Eyes."
The title refers to opening the eyes, or the minds, of
the Japanese people. In light of the sutras, it is clear
that Nichiren Daishonin was truly a person of justice. With
this writing, the Daishonin declares that he is the votary
of the Lotus Sutra and, hence, the Buddha of the Latter
Day of the Law.
I hope that, by studying the final section of this writing,
we can learn about the Daishonin's towering state of life.
Question: When you condemn the evil of the followers of
the Nembutsu and Zen sects and arouse their enmity, what
merit does that bring?
Answer: The Nirvana Sutra says, "If even a good monk
sees someone destroying the teaching and disregards him,
failing to reproach him, to oust him or to bring his offense
to light, then you should realize that that monk is an enemy
of Buddhism from within. But if he ousts the destroyer of
the Law, reproaches him or exposes his offense, then he
is my [the Buddha's] disciple and a true voice-hearer."
Chang-an comments on this as follows: "One who destroys
or brings confusion to the Buddha's teachings is an enemy
of Buddhism from within. If one befriends another person
but lacks the mercy to correct him, one is in fact his enemy.
But one who reprimands and corrects an offender is a voice-hearer
who defends the Buddha's teachings, a true disciple of the
Buddha. One who rids the offender of evil is acting as his
parent. Those who reproach offenders are disciples of the
Buddha. But those who do not oust offenders are enemies
of Buddhism from within." (2) (MW2, 186)
If a person does something wrong, it is one thing, but
all too often someone who is doing good is vilified and
attacked. While completely unreasonable, this is the reality
of society.
The great author Leo Tolstoy said: "You cannot live
without enemies.... And the fact of the matter is, the more
upright you live, the more enemies you will have."
(3)
Never has anyone called out for justice as the Daishonin
did. Never has anyone fought so hard for the happiness of
all people. As a result, he encountered one persecution
after another. And, in what was tantamount to a death sentence,
he was exiled to Sado Island.
The persecution was directed against his followers, too.
Some were imprisoned, others had fiefs taken away and still
others were banished. The confusion and unrest among the
Daishonin's followers was intense. Fearful, many discarded
their faith or simply fell silent.
There were even disciples who, with a knowing look on their
faces, criticized their mentor. They told people things
like, "If you are more flexible in spreading the teaching,
you won't face persecutions like those besetting our revered
teacher."
At the end of "The Opening of the Eyes," Nichiren
Daishonin addresses this. He poses the question: In propagating
this teaching, what merit does it bring, what can you gain,
if you arouse the enmity of those around you? Citing a sutra
passage, the Daishonin replies: Doesn't the Nirvana Sutra
say that someone seeking to destroy the Law should be reproached
and driven away, that his offense be made clear, that he
cannot be simply disregarded? Doesn't it say that people
should be reproached for their evil, ousted and their offenses
brought to light?
In essence, treating someone who tries to subvert the teachings
in this manner is a practice of compassion necessary to
protect Buddhism. Therefore, although those who carry this
out may-encounter persecution, they can definitely attain
Buddhahood. And, the Daishonin says, there is no greater
merit or benefit than this.
"My disciples," he cries, "do not be afraid!"
"Live with pride and dignity, chests out and heads
held high, like lion kings!" Out of his immense compassion,
he wishes to convey to all his disciples his desire for
them to lead good lives and continue advancing along the
path of belief that they have resolved to follow.
Buddhism only exists in action. Through action, the Mystic
Law inherent in our lives begins to shine. The Buddhist
gods and all Buddhas protect people of action; those who
consistently take action for justice are truly happy.
Nichiren Daishonin was stronger than anyone. And what was
the source of his strength? It was his concern for the people.
But it seems that the Daishonin's strength was generally
misunderstood. Toward Hei no Saemon and wicked priests,
the Daishonin was the severest foe. Yet he taught his followers
that in spreading the teaching to others, they should conduct
themselves courteously. For example, he advised one person
that he should always speak "mildly but firmly in a
quiet voice with a calm gaze and an even expression"
(MW-4, 122).
Again, in his landmark treatise the "Rissho Ankoku
Ron," which takes the form of a dialogue between a
traveler and a host, the host (representing the Daishonin)
never at any point raises his voice. On the contrary, when
the guest becomes agitated, the host soothes him, smiles
brightly and tenaciously continues the dialogue. We can
take it that the Daishonin depicts the host in such a way
because this was how he himself conducted dialogue.
If we examine the "Hoto" chapter of the Lotus
Sutra, we find Shakyamuni Buddha, Taho Buddha and the various
Buddhas from the ten directions who are emanations of Shakyamuni
Buddha gathering together. And why? As the sutra itself
says, "Each... has come to this place on purpose to
make certain the Law will long endure" (LS11, 177).
Shakyamuni, Taho and the other Buddhas intend to insure
the future propagation of the Lotus Sutra so that it can
be made available to every single living being, the children
of the Buddha, in times to come. We may surmise from this
that their concern and compassion are even greater than
that of a father and mother who see their only child inflicted
with great suffering. Honen, however, indifferent to their
pain, would tightly shut the gates to the Lotus Sutra in
the Latter Day of the Law so that no one would have access
to it. Like a person who tricks a demented child into throwing
away his treasure, he induces people to discard the Lotus
Sutra, a shameless thing to do indeed!
If someone is about to kill your father and mother, shouldn't
you try to warn them? If a bad son who is insane with drink
is threatening to kill his father and mother, shouldn't
you try to stop him? If some evil person is about to set
fire to the temples and pagodas, shouldn't you try to stop
him? If your only child is gravely ill, shouldn't you try
to cure him with moxibustion treatment? To fail to do so
is to act like those people who see but do not try to put
a stop to the Zen and Nembutsu followers in Japan. As Chang-an
says, "If one befriends another person but lacks the
mercy to correct him, one is in fact his enemy." (MW-2,
18-87)
The Buddha Yearns To Save Those Most Miserable
With what intention do Shakyamuni, Taho and Shakyamuni's
emanations, the Buddhas of the ten directions, gather in
one place in the "Emergence of the Treasure Tower"
(Hoto) chapter of the Lotus Sutra? They do so entirely out
of their desire to ensure the future propagation of the
Lotus Sutra, to see to it that the Lotus Sutra is made available
to all living beings, who are all children of the Buddha,
in the future.
The Nirvana Sutra relates that just before Shakyamuni died,
he lamented: "I will shortly die. The matter of King
Ajatashatru is my only misgiving."
King Ajatashatru was for many years bitterly hostile toward
Shakyamuni, and even tried to kill him. He had murdered
his own father, the king, to take over the throne. But even
as king, inwardly his life was impoverished and empty. Shakyamuni
was deeply pained by the thought of Ajatashatru's unhappiness.
A disciple then asked Shakyamuni, "If the Buddha's
compassion is directed toward all beings equally, then why
are you concerned only about King Ajatashatru?"
Shakyamuni answered: "Consider the case of a couple
that has seven children. The parents love all their children
equally and without discrimination. But if one child falls
ill, won't the parents be most concerned about that sick
child?
"I will definitely not abandon --- I will not forget-the
person who is the most miserable. Rather, I will try hardest
of all to save that person." This is the Buddha's conviction.
Nichiren Daishonin strove to save all the people of Japan,
including those who had persecuted him and even exiled him
to Sado.
President Toda said, "Because of the Daishonin's love
for the people of Japan, he directly accepted the onslaught
of the three powerful enemies, thinking nothing of the great
persecutions that time and again befell him." The Daishonin,
while on Sado, goes so far as to say, "I pray that
before anything else I can guide to the truth the sovereign
and those others who persecuted me" (MW-1, 117).
What a magnanimity of spirit!
From the time he declared the establishment of his teaching,
the Daishonin never retreated a step in his great and merciful
struggle for the people, whom he loved as his own children.
In "The Opening of the Eyes," the Daishonin indicates
his frame of mind prior to establishing his teaching on
April 28, 1253, saying he was fully aware that if he did
not speak out and proclaim the correct Buddhist teaching
for the Latter Day, he "would be lacking in compassion"
(MW1, 95).
To spread this Buddhism would mean encountering great obstacles.
Had he not spoken out, he could well have led a peaceful
and secure existence --- but to have done so, he says, would
have been lacking in compassion.
No matter how compassionate some might appear, if they
fail to take action, then it is the same as if they had
no compassion; they lack compassion.
The opposite of compassion is "false friendship"
--- falsely befriending another. This term clearly mirrors
the state of society today. President Toda proclaimed: "People's
lives today lack any sense of compassion.... Isn't a lack
of compassion the prime characteristic of the present age?"
Society today is very cruel and unforgiving. In this compassionless
society, the members of the SGI are working to relieve people
of their sufferings and impart true joy, while proclaiming
the truth from the very depths of their lives out of genuine
concern for others.
Through our efforts at dialogue, through our actions, we
are fundamentally changing a society that lacks compassion
and is awash with false friendship. We are transforming
the destiny of our society, which has a tendency to be discriminatory
and lacking in compassion. We are sending the sunlight of
spring to a society that is locked in a frigid winter. We
are thawing people's hearts with a warm current of humanity.
I am confident that, without a doubt, the Daishonin most
highly praises all of you who are steadfastly carrying through
with the bodhisattva practice of compassion as true disciples
and as "followers who share my spirit."
Notes:
1. "The Opening of the Eyes" (Gosho Zenshu,
pp. 186-237; MW-2, pp. 59-188), written in February 1272
when the Daishonin was 51. The Gosho text here may differ
in places from what appears in Major Writings or other
previously published translations. This is so that the
wording of the English text will accord more smoothly
with the modern Japanese translation of the original Japanese
Gosho. (The author is using a modern Japanese rendering
of the classical Japanese original as the basis of his
lectures in this series.)
2. "Nehangyo Sho."
3. Translated from the Japanese: Leo Tolstoy, Torusutoi
nikkisho (Diaries of Leo Tolstoy), trans. Yoshitaro Yosemura
(Tokyo: Iwanami Shoten, 1935), p. 112.
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