SGI-USA Study Curriculum
Learning from the Gosho: The Eternal Teachings of Nichiren Daishonin
by SGI President Ikeda
Lecture 9 - Letter
to Ko-ama Gozen (1)
Respecting Those Who Take Action for Kosen-rufu as Buddhas
What is the conclusion of the Lotus Sutra? That a person
who upholds the Mystic Law should be wholeheartedly treasured.
The sutra says, "If you see a person who accepts and
upholds this sutra, you should rise and greet him from afar,
showing him the same respect you would a Buddha" (LS28,
324).
In the "Record of the Orally Transmitted Teachings,"
Nichiren Daishonin explains that this constitutes the "ultimate
transmission" (Gosho Zenshu, p 781). These words bring
Shakyamuni's preaching of the 28 chapters of the Lotus Sutra
to a close. They represent the sutra's final conclusion.
"Letter to Ko-ama Gozen" (1) was sent to the
wife of Ko Nyudo (2) of Sado Island. The term Ko in both
names is probably from the name of the place where they
lived.
The couple became devotees of the Daishonin while he was
in exile on Sado. They were childless, and it appears they
were advanced in age.
In a letter dated two months prior, Nichiren Daishonin
tells the couple: "Shakyamuni Buddha, the lord of teachings,
must be a compassionate father to both of you. I, Nichiren,
must be your child" (The Major Writings of Nichiren
Daishonin, vol. 7, p. 87). And, "Because you have no
sons, please consider coming here [to Minobu] to live with
me in your old age" (MW-7, 88). This reveals how much
the Daishonin thought of this couple who came to his aid
when he was undergoing great persecution.
"When the Mongols come pouring into Japan," he
tells them, "please make your way here" (MW-7,
88). He is very specific. Treasuring people means taking
tangible action on their behalf.
I have received three hundred mon (3) of coins from the
wife of Abutsu-bo. (4) Since both of you are of the same
mind, have someone read this letter to you and listen to
it together.
I have also received the unlined summer robe you sent to
me here in the recesses of this mountain in Hakiri Village,
Kai Province, all the way from the province of Sado where
you live. (MW-4, 139)
The year after the Daishonin went to live at Mount Minobu,
Ko Nyudo came all the way from Sado to visit him, journeying
hundreds of miles over both sea and rugged terrain. According
to the modern calendar, he made this journey in July. The
summer heat must have made the trip extremely arduous.
Ko Nyudo brought with him offerings of 300 mon of coins
from Sennichi-ama, the wife of Abutsu-bo, and an unlined
robe from Ko-ama.
Three hundred mon in the Daishonin's day would have equaled
the price of a large sack of rice. Sennichi-ama must have
scrimped and saved to make this offering. In Ko-ama's offering
of an unlined robe, we can sense her spirit of consideration
for the Daishonin. She was no doubt concerned for his comfort
in the hot summer weather.
After staying for a time with the Daishonin, Ko Nyudo returned
to Sado and was given this letter. Since the letter was
entrusted to Ko Nyudo, it was addressed to Ko-ama. But the
Daishonin indicates that because Sennichi-ama is "of
the same mind." it is the same as if he had sent the
letter to her. The Daishonin tells them that they should
have someone read the letter aloud to the two of them. At
the time, the majority of the population was illiterate.
He uses the expression "of the same mind." We
are friends and comrades practicing in the unity of "many
in body, one in mind." The joy of one is the joy of
all; the suffering of one is the suffering of all. And the
glory of one is the glory of all.
When we base ourselves on this spirit of "one in mind,"
there is neither envy nor backbiting. Nor is there shirking
of responsibility. Instead, we can manifest strong, broad-minded
faith, and our lives will overflow with benefit.
Josei Toda, the second Soka Gakkai president, said time
and again, "Unity is the basis of the guidance of the
Soka Gakkai."
The Hosshi chapter in the fourth volume of the Lotus Sutra
states: "If there is someone who seeks the Buddha Way
and during a certain kalpa presses palms together in my
presence and recites numberless verses of praise, because
of these praises of the Buddha he will gain immeasurable
blessings" (LS10, 164). This means that the benefit
of making offerings to a votary of the Lotus Sutra in the
evil age of the Latter Day of the Law surpasses that of
serving in all sincerity as noble a Buddha as Shakyamuni
with one's body, mouth and mind for an entire medium kalpa.
(5) (MW-4, 139-40)
Here the Daishonin, basing what he says on the sutra, explains
to these two couples, from the standpoint of Buddhism, how
wondrous is their sincerity.
The votary of the Lotus Sutra in the evil age of the Latter
Day is Nichiren Daishonin. This passage is saying that the
benefit of praising the Daishonin is even greater than that
of praising Shakyamuni for an extremely long period. This
is in fact the secret of the Lotus Sutra.
For whom was the Lotus Sutra expounded? In the "Essence
of the Lotus Sutra," the Daishonin says, "The
Latter Day is the focus of the Lotus Sutra, and Nichiren
is the focus of the Latter Day" (Gosho Zenshu, p. 334).
Fundamentally, the Lotus Sutra was expounded for the people
of the Latter Day and explains Nichiren Daishonin's activities.
The Lotus Sutra was expounded to predict the appearance
of the original Buddha and the Gohonzon, and to prove their
legitimacy.
The Lotus Sutra predicts that after the setting of the
"moon" of the 28-chapter Lotus Sutra, the "sun"
of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo will rise in the Latter Day.
Doubtless such an idea had never occurred to these elderly
couples on Sado Island. But they were fond of the Daishonin.
They had been in close contact with him and had come to
respect him from the depths of their lives. An unbreakable
bond had formed between them, prompting them to make many
trips to visit him at distant Mount Minobu.
Leaders of kosen-rufu, too, need to be liked by their fellow
members. If a leader is hated by everyone, then his or her
faith is meaningless.
Almost nowhere does Nichiren Daishonin indicate that he
is the original Buddha. Had he come out and directly made
such a claim, probably no one would have believed him. It
might even have caused people to disbelieve and slander
his teaching, and abandon their faith.
The Daishonin always spread the Mystic Law based on the
sutra and through his own conduct. In this letter, for example,
rather than adopting a prideful, self-aggrandizing attitude,
he highly praises his followers. Then, out of the desire
to further encourage them, he touches on the nobility of
the Lotus Sutra's votary in the Latter Day.
This is the Daishonin's spirit. How the Daishonin must
lament the arrogance of priests of later generations who
order people to respect them! What indignation he must feel
! How he must condemn them!
Moreover, such "befuddled priests" have even
persecuted the SGI, whose members have made boundless offerings
to the Gohonzon. This shows how completely their actions
contradict the Daishonin's Buddhism.
This is truly a "befuddled age." Recent events
increasingly bear out the reality of the Latter Day. In
this letter, the Daishonin gives his assurance that the
benefit for those who spread the Mystic Law in such a deluded
age, who stand up for kosen-rufu at such a time, is immense
and boundless.
Although this nay seem unbelievable, you should not doubt
it, because such are the Buddha 's golden words. (MW-4,
140)
"This might be difficult to believe," he is saying,
"but I am not speaking arbitrarily. It is clearly stated
in the sutra. You should have the greatest confidence in
this."
This is guidance that strikes a chord in the heart. The
basis of guidance is to help the other person stabilize
his or her mind and gain conviction and self-confidence.
The Great Teacher Miao-lo further clarifies this passage
from the sutra by saying, "If there is one who troubles
[a preacher of the Dharma], then his head will be split
into seven pieces; if there is one who makes offerings [to
the preacher], his good fortune win surpass that of making
offerings to a Buddha of the ten honorable titles."
(6) In other words, the benefit of making offerings to a
votary of the Lotus Sutra in the Latter Day of the Law exceeds
that of making offerings to a Buddha endowed with the ten
honorable titles. On the other hand, one who persecutes
a votary of the Lotus Sutra in the impure age will have
his head broken into seven pieces (MW-4, 140)
These famous lines are inscribed on either side of the
Gohonzon. Tsunesaburo Makiguchi, the first Soka Gakkai president,
interpreted this passage as explaining the principles of
benefit and loss. Benefit produces value in life, whereas
loss produces anti-value.
Benefit and loss are not imparted by someone else. When
we act in accord with the Law, value is produced. When we
go against the Law, we receive retribution . To use a familiar
example, if someone goes outside in the severe cold of winter
without wearing warm clothes, he or she will experience
the loss of becoming sick.
Buddhism deepens and expands our common sense regarding
the affairs of daily life and the world. It reveals the
Law of life that we need to follow in order to come happy.
In his treatise "The History of Belief of the Soka
Gakkai" 1951), President Toda wrote:
Mr. Makiguchi, my mentor, would often say: "The Gohonzon
has great power. This means that if you slander the Gohonzon,
you will experience loss. If a father is not upstanding
enough to scold his children, how can he help them to become
happy? Pray to the Gohonzon sincerely. Can't you hear the
Gohonzon saying to you, 'If you slander this Law, you will
have your head broken into seven pieces'? This statement,
which we can read on the Gohonzon, indicates the loss one
will actually experience if one commits slander." I
think that Mr. Makiguchi was correct in this contention....
In the upper-left corner of the Gohonzon is an inscription
that ads, "If there is one who makes offerings, his
good fortune will surpass that of making offerings to a
Buddha of ten honorable titles." Doesn't this signify
the Gohonzon's promise to us that we will receive benefit
when we revere it?
Benefit, or value, and loss, or anti-value, constitute
the reality of our daily lives. Some Nichiren Shoshu priests
had forgotten that the power of the Gohonzon can be revealed
in one's daily life --- in both ways --- until President
Makiguchi discussed it. They were astonished at what he
brought forth....
The head temple feared persecution if it supported Mr.
Makiguchi's contention that unless a country, family or
individual follows the teachings of Nichiren Daishonin and
Nikko Shonin, it will experience loss. It seemed that the
head temple was frightened of the possible persecution it
would face from the military if believers did not obediently
enshrine the Shinto object of worship.
We should faithfully follow not the authorities but Nichiren
Daishonin. This was President Makiguchi's great spirit.
Upholding the Mystic Law Brings About Great Benefit
President Makiguchi cried out: "What grieves me is
not just the downfall of our religion but having to stand
by and watch the whole nation destroyed before my eyes....
I fear the grief it would cause Nichiren Daishonin."
Just as Makiguchi predicted, Japan was destroyed.
"His head will be split into seven pieces" indicates
a state in which people lose the ability to distinguish
between what is correct and what is mistaken, between what
should and should not be done. It is a state where people
become confused and can understand neither reason nor justice,
gain nor loss.
This was the case in the Daishonin's age. And it was the
state of Japan in the time of President Makiguchi. We cannot
fail to recognize that, lamentably, this is increasingly
the condition of Japanese society today.
An age in which people's values becomes distorted is a
deluded age. In such a society, people encounter great persecution
simply because they spread the Lotus Sutra, which teaches
respect for human dignity. For precisely this reason, great
benefit lies in store for those who endure this hardship
and persist in spreading the Mystic Law.
The fact that the priesthood in President Makiguchi's day
had forgotten the doctrine of punishment and loss indicates
that it had descended into abstract theory and formalism
in which Buddhism has no relevance to people's lives. The
Soka Gakkai revived Buddhism as a teaching for daily life.
Buddhism is not abstract --- it is a teaching for triumphing
over the realities of life.
Daily life is a collection of both good things (value)
and bad things (anti-value). If the value or benefit in
someone's life outweighs the anti-value or loss, the person
becomes happy. If the opposite is true, the person is unhappy.
Faith in the Mystic Law is the wellspring of value creation.
It enables us to turn everything in our lives --- both our
joys and sufferings --- into causes for accumulating the
values of beauty, benefit and good in still greater measure.
When we base ourselves on this kind of faith, everything
that happens to us is a benefit.
"Thank you, truly thank you," the Daishonin says.
"I fully understand your spirit. The Buddha praises
you."
One can imagine these two elderly women of Sado closing
their eyes and recalling the Daishonin and the sound of
his voice as they listened to this letter being read.
What a warm world! What a world rich with human warmth!
This is the true world of Buddhism. And the SGI carries
on this spirit.
Notes:
1. "Ko-ama Gozen Gosho" (Gosho Zenshu, pp.
1324-25), written in June 1275 when the Daishonin was
54. The Gosho text here may differ in places from what
appears in The Major Writings of Nichiren Daishonin 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. Nyudo: A lay priest, meaning one who is tonsured but
continues to live as a layman.
3. Mon: A monetary unit in ancient Japan. One thousandth
of a kan, which consisted of a thousand coins strung together
on a cord.
4. Wife of Abutsu-bo: Sennichi-ama. While Nichiren Daishonin
was in exile on Sado, Sennichi-ama and her husband, Abutsu-bo,
converted to his teaching. The couple frequently visited
him in his forlorn hut at Tsukahara, bringing him food,
stationery and other daily necessities. After the Daishonin
was pardoned, Sennichi-ama maintained devout faith and
sent her husband to visit him at Mount Minobu three times.
5. Medium Kalpa: 15,998,000 years, according to the Kusha
Ron.
6. This is a rephrasing of the Hokke Mongu Ki (Annotations
on the Hokke Mongu [Words and Phrases of the Lotus Sutra]).
The 10 honorable titles are: 1) Thus Come One" (from
the world of truth). 2) "Worthy of Offerings"
3) "Right and Universal Knowledge';, 4) "Perfect
Clarity and Conduct"; 5) "Well Gone" (to
the world of enlightenment); 6) "Understanding of
the World"; 7) "Unexcelled Worthy"; 8)
"Leader of People"; 9) "Teacher of Gods
and Humans", and 10) "Buddha, the World-Honored
One" (an awakened one, endowed with perfect wisdom
and virtue, who can win the respect of all people).
7. Toda Josei Zenshu (Collected Works of Toda Josei),
vol. 3, pp. 102-03, 106. For complete English text, see
Seikyo Times, June 1991, pp. 29-31).
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