SGI-USA Study Curriculum
Learning from the Gosho: The Eternal Teachings of Nichiren Daishonin
by SGI President Ikeda
Lecture 20 - Happiness
in This World
We Practice Faith To Become Truly Happy
We practice faith to fully enjoy life, to lead the happiest
possible existence. The Gosho we will study this time, "Happiness
in This World," (1) explains the "secret teaching"
that makes this possible. It is a short letter, but it offers
a complete exposition of the ultimate principles of faith.
When we deeply understand this Gosho, we have internalized
the secret of faith and of life.
There is no greater happiness for human beings than chanting
Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. The sutra says, "The people there
[in my land] are happy and at ease." (2) "Happy
and at ease" here means the joy derived from the Law.
You are obviously included among the "people,"
and "there" indicates the entire world, which
includes Japan. "Happy and at ease" means to know
that our lives --- both our bodies and minds, ourselves
and our surroundings --- are the entities of ichinen sanzen
and the Buddha of absolute freedom. There is no greater
happiness than having faith in the Lotus Sutra. It promises
us "peace and security in this life and good circumstances
in the next." (3) Never let life 's hardships disturb
you. After all, no one can avoid problems, not even saints
or sages.
Just chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, and when you drink sake,
stay at home with your wife. Suffer what there is to suffer,
enjoy what there is to enjoy. Regard both suffering and
joy as facts of life and continue chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo,
no matter what happens. Then you will experience boundless
joy from the Law. Strengthen your faith more than ever.
With my deep respect,
Nichiren
The twenty-seventh day of the sixth month in the second
year of Kenji (1276) (The Major Writings of Nichiren Daishonin,
vol. 1, pp. 161-62)
Chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo --- the Greatest Happiness
There is no greater happiness for human beings than chanting
Nam-myoho-renge-kyo.
"Human beings" at the outset carries great significance.
This means all humankind; the Daishonin's teaching can benefit
all people without exception.
Buddhism is a teaching that exists for all human beings.
It is not only for the Japanese or the people of one particular
country or ethnic group. Nichiren Daishonin declares that,
ultimately, for all people --- whether poor or wealthy,
famous or unknown, powerful individuals or ordinary citizens,
artists or scientists --- apart from chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo,
there is no true happiness, no true joy or fulfillment in
life. That's because when we chant daimoku, our lives become
one with the life of the Buddha, enabling us to draw forth
the inexhaustible strength to carry out our human revolution
and to help others do the same.
Fame, wealth and social status alone do not guarantee happiness.
Many wealthy individuals suffer terribly within their mansions.
Some people may be so bound up in vanity that they can find
no peace of mind. Many famous people feel miserable the
moment they slip from the limelight.
Let's say there are two people who work in the same company,
perform identical jobs and have equivalent material resources
and social standing; yet one feels happy while the other
feels nothing but despair. It is not at all uncommon to
find such disparities among people whose lives are otherwise
quite similar. The disparities arise due to differences
in people's inner states, differences in their hearts.
Nor can it be said that the advance of science or economics
necessarily brings happiness. In every case, whether we
feel happy or unhappy ultimately depends on us. Without
changing our state of life, we can find no true happiness.
But when we do change our inner state, our entire world
is transformed. The ultimate means for effecting such change
is chanting daimoku.
The sutra says, "The people there [in my land] are
happy and at ease"
This sutra passage is from the jigage section of the "Life
Span of the Thus Come One" (16th) chapter of the Lotus
Sutra. It means that in this world people ought to live
in happiness and ease. We recite this passage every morning
and evening in gongyo.
We are born in this world to enjoy life. We are not born
to suffer. This is the basic premise of the Lotus Sutra
on the nature of human existence. To live happy and at ease
in this world means to enjoy our work and family life, to
enjoy helping others through Buddhist activities. If we
have a truly high state of life, then even when unpleasant
things happen we view them as making life all the more interesting,
just as a pinch of salt can actually improve the flavor
of a sweet dish. We feel true delight in life, whatever
happens.
This sutra passage assures us that we can definitely develop
such a great life force. And it urges us to exert ourselves
in Buddhist practice toward that end.
"Happy and at ease" here means the joy derived
from the Law.
To experience the "joy derived from the Law"
means to fully savor the eternally unchanging Mystic Law
and the power and wisdom that derive from it. In contrast
to this joy, there is the "joy derived from desires"
--- the enjoyment that comes from fulfilling desires of
various kinds. While it might seem like genuine happiness,
such joy is only temporary and superficial. It does not
arise from the depths of our lives and it soon gives way
to unhappiness and dissatisfaction.
Faith enables us to receive the eternal joy derived from
the Law. So let us engrave in our hearts this point: We
ourselves receive this joy. Because we receive it ourselves,
our happiness does not depend on others. No one else can
make us happy. Only by our own efforts can we become happy.
Therefore, there is no need to feel envious of others.
There is no need to bear a grudge against someone or depend
on another person for our happiness. Everything comes down
to our state of life. It is within our power to take our
lives in any direction we wish.
To be dragged around by other people or the environment
is not the way of life the Lotus Sutra teaches. True happiness
is not feeling happiness one moment and misery the next.
Rather, overcoming the tendency to blame our sufferings
on others or on the environment enables us to greatly expand
our state of life.
Also, at the most fundamental level, faith is for our sake,
not for anyone else's. While we of course practice for ourselves
and others and to realize kosen-rufu, ultimately we are
the prime beneficiaries of all our efforts in faith. Everything
is for our growth; everything contributes to the development
of our state of life and the establishment of Buddhahood
in our lives. When we practice with this determination,
all complaints vanish. The world of Buddhahood that had
been covered by the dust of complaints begins to shine,
and we can freely and fully savor the joy deriving from
the Law.
True 'Peace and Security' Is Having Courage to Overcome
Hardships
You are obviously included among the "people,"
and "there" indicates the entire world, which
includes Japan. "Happy and at ease" means to know
that our lives --- both our bodies and minds, ourselves
and our surroundings --- are the entities of ichinen sanzen
and the Buddha of absolute freedom.
The Daishonin says that this passage, "The people
there [in my land] are happy and at ease," is about
you. The sad thing is that no matter how much we read the
sutra or study the Gosho, we still have the tendency to
think, "That might be true for others, but my situation
is different." Particularly, when we are assailed by
storms of adversity, when it seems as though our hearts
will burst with woe, we may think, "My sufferings alone
are beyond help." But in this passage the Daishonin
is telling us that this definitely is not the case.
When this letter was written, Shijo Kingo, its recipient,
had been libelously accused of various wrongs by his colleagues
and had fallen from favor with his lord as a result. This
was all due to envy. Kingo had enjoyed the deep trust of
his lord, but he also had the straight-forwardness to speak
out when he felt it necessary. As a result, he had made
many enemies.
People have the tendency to become envious over the slightest
thing, which is perhaps human nature. They may try to undercut
someone of whom they feel envious and then delight at the
person's misfortune. We must not be defeated by this pitiful
tendency. To allow ourselves to become caught up in or swayed
by such whirlpools of emotion, going from elation one moment
to dejection the next, is pointless.
As indicated by the phrase "[receiving oneself] the
joy derived from the Law," the key is to develop such
inner strength that we can look upon everything from the
world of Buddhahood, the condition of supreme happiness.
And, as the Daishonin says, steadfastly chanting daimoku
enables us to do this.
Also, as the Daishonin indicates where he speaks of "both
our bodies and minds, ourselves and our surroundings,"
Buddhism is not abstract theory involving only the mind.
Nor is it about changing our subjective outlook irrespective
of other people and our surroundings.
The good fortune and benefit we accumulate in the depths
of our lives become manifest on the material plane, as well
as in our environment. In our bodies and minds, ourselves
and our surroundings, it is our mind of faith, which is
invisible, which moves everything with enormous power and
strength in the best possible direction --- toward happiness,
toward the fulfillment of all our wishes.
Someone who puts this principle into practice is a "Buddha
of absolute freedom." Leaving aside a doctrinal discussion
of this term, the Buddha of absolute freedom is a Buddha
who, while remaining an ordinary person, freely receives
and uses limitless joy derived from the Law.
Specifically, the Buddha of absolute freedom is Nichiren
Daishonin. In a general sense, the term also refers to those
striving to achieve kosen-rufu who have a direct connection
in faith to the Daishonin.
"Absolute freedom" is interpreted by the Daishonin
as meaning "the property to freely receive and use."
In one place he says, "The 'property to freely receive
and use' is the principle of a single life-moment possessing
3,000 realms " (Gosho Zenshu, p. 759).
Josei Toda, the second Soka Gakkai president, explained
that the Gohonzon is an inexhaustible store of benefit.
And Nichikan Shonin declared, "[If only you take faith
in this Gohonzon and chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo even for
a while,] no prayer will go unanswered, no offense will
remain unforgiven, all good fortune will be bestowed and
all righteousness proven." (4)
The extent to which we can receive and use the vast, profound
joy derived from the Law depends entirely on our faith.
Will we take only a small cup of water from the ocean, or
will we fill up a large swimming pool? Can we freely receive
and use still more? This is determined entirely by faith.
If somewhere in your heart you have decided, "I alone
am incapable of becoming happy," "Only I cannot
become a capable person" or, "Only my sufferings
will forever remain unresolved," then that one factor
of your mind or determination will obstruct your benefit.
In this passage, therefore, the Daishonin's intention is
to tell Shijo Kingo, who was experiencing great hardship,
"You, too, can definitely become happy just as the
sutra states." The Daishonin expresses his immense
compassion here.
There is no greater happiness than having faith in the
Lotus Sutra. It promises us "peace and security in
this life and good circumstances in the next."
There is a saying, "A small heart gets used to misery
and becomes docile, while a great heart towers above misfortune."
True happiness is not the absence of suffering; you cannot
have day after day of clear skies. True happiness lies in
building a self that stands dignified and indomitable like
a great palace --- on all days, even when it is raining,
snowing or stormy.
Attaining "peace and security in this life" doesn't
mean having a life free from all difficulties, but that
whatever difficulties. arise, without being shaken in the
least, you can summon up the unflinching courage and conviction
to fight against and overcome them. This is the state of
life of "peace and security in this life."
And, as indicated by the dictum, "If you want to understand
what results will be manifested in the future, look at the
causes that exist in the present," (5) establishing
a great state of happiness and security in this life is
proof that in the future you will experience good circumstances;
being born into a place conducive to your further growth.
Some religions teach that people will become happy after
death even if their present lives are filled with misery.
But this is not the teaching of the Lotus Sutra, which explains
that we can thoroughly enjoy both the present and the future.
That is the essence of Buddhism.
Toward establishing such an existence, we need to develop
a strong life force by chanting daimoku and thoroughly challenging
the realities of our lives. It is through such efforts that
we realize true "peace and security in this life"
and "good circumstances in the next."
Regard Both Suffering and Joy As Facts of Life
Never let life's hardships disturb you. After all, no one
can avoid problems, not even saints or sages.
Not even saints and sages, the Daishonin says, can avoid
difficulties. In society, people tend to suppose that if
someone is vilified and persecuted, the person must be somehow
bad or evil. But from the standpoint of Buddhism, it is
possible that people may be verbally attacked and undergo
difficulties even though they are without guilt or blame.
People may label or write about a good person as though
evil, asserting that lies are true and depicting the truth
as a lie. This is a fact of human society.
Shijo Kingo, too, suffered on account of calumny. But the
Daishonin told him, "Never let life's hardships disturb
you." Those who resort to libelous accusations are
defeated as human beings; nothing is more lowly and base.
We should not be swayed in the least by such despicable
actions. Just as you do not put garbage into your mouth,
you must not permit such rubbish into your heart. The Daishonin
in effect encouraged Shijo Kingo to shut the cowardly behavior
of his accusers out of his mind. The Roman philosopher Seneca
(4 B.C.E.?-C.E. 65) says that the arrows of slander cannot
pierce a person of wisdom's heart. (6)
Much human misery arises from people despairing over things
that despairing cannot help. We should not worry about things
that no amount of worrying will resolve. The important thing
is to build a golden palace of joy in our hearts that nothing
can disturb --- a state of life like a clear blue sky above
the storm, an oasis in the desert, a fortress looking down
on high waves.
What matters most is that we fight thoroughly against injustice
with a lofty, dauntless spirit. While waging a determined
struggle against evil that nearly cost him his life, Nichiren
Daishonin cried out [to Shijo Kingo, as they were being
led to the execution grounds at Tatsunokuchi], "You
should be delighted at this great fortune" (MW-1, 181).
And he wholeheartedly anticipated that his disciples would
"form their ranks and follow him" (MW-1, 176).
Even a tiny speck of evil that causes people to be unhappy
should not be tolerated. Attaining "peace and security
in this life and good circumstances in the next" lies
precisely in carrying out such a struggle with the faith
of indomitable courage.
Just chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, and when you drink sake,
stay at home with your wife.
The moment he set foot outside his home, Shijo Kingo was
in danger of being attacked by enemies. The Daishonin cautioned
him not to act with imprudence, but to stay at home and
chant daimoku. And he advised that Shijo Kingo and his wife
encourage one another. He taught his follower, in other
words, the importance of faith for building a happy, harmonious
family.
The Daishonin urged Shijo Kingo to live happily in the
present, without brooding on events of the past or needlessly
troubling himself over what might happen in the future.
Happiness does not lie far off in the distance. It is to
be found in the here and now.
Suffer what there is to suffer, enjoy what there is to
enjoy. Regard both suffering and joy as facts of life and
continue chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, no matter what happens.
Then you will experience boundless joy from the Law.
In times of suffering, chant daimoku. In times of joy,
chant daimoku. Chanting daimoku is itself happiness. In
life, there are both times of suffering and of joy. These
are all irreplaceable scenes in life's drama. Without suffering,
we could not appreciate joy. Without tasting the flavors
of both suffering and joy, we could not savor life's profundity.
"Suffer what there is to suffer," the Daishonin
says. Suffering is inevitable in life. Therefore, we need
to be prepared for hardship and to have the inner fortitude
to rise above our worries and anxieties. We have to cause
the "serene light of the moon of enlightenment"
(Gosho Zenshu, p. 1262) --- the world of Buddhahood-to shine
in our lives. Then earthly desires are transformed into
enlightenment and we can use everything that happens to
fuel our happiness.
To "enjoy what there is to enjoy" means to cause
the "mystic lotus of the heart" (Gosho Zenshu,
p. 978) to brightly blossom with a sense of appreciation
and joy. Someone who can find joy, who can feel appreciation,
experiences a snowballing exhilaration and joy in life.
Such is the heart's function.
The ocean, even when waves are crashing on its surface,
is calm and unchanging in its depths. There is both suffering
and joy in life --- the point is to develop a profound,
indomitable self not influenced by these waves. A person
who does so receives the joy derived from the Law.
In the journey of kosen-rufu things will not always proceed
smoothly. But we are eternal comrades. People who come together
in good times but desert one another when the going gets
rough are not comrades. Turning a blind eye to the sufferings
of others, using the rationale that "it has nothing
to do with me," is not the spirit of comrades. True
comrades share both suffering and joy.
We suffer together, rejoice together and bring our lives
to fruition together. We regard both suffering and joy as
facts of life and continue chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo,
no matter what happens. To maintain this comradeship, this
single-minded commitment to faith, is our eternal guideline
in advancing toward kosen-rufu. Let us ever advance with
the strong unity of faith!
Strengthen your faith more than ever.
When Nichiren Daishonin was taken to be executed at Tatsunokuchi,
Shijo Kingo ran straight to his side. Clutching the reins
of the horse on which the Daishonin rode, he resolutely
stood at his side, vowing to kill himself and join him in
death. He was a person of immensely strong faith who boldly
ran forward along the path of mentor and disciple.
Even to Shijo Kingo, who possessed such strong faith, the
Daishonin says, "Strengthen your faith more than ever."
It's not a matter of what we've done in the past --- it's
what we do from now on that counts. Strength of faith is
what everything comes down to. Faith is strength. It is
the greatest power people have.
We receive the power of the Buddha and power of the Law
embodied in the Gohonzon in accordance with the power of
our faith and practice. Faith is the secret art for thoroughly
infusing our daily lives with the inherent power of the
universe.
Shijo Kingo exerted himself in faith just as the Daishonin
instructed. After his difficulties passed, he showed actual
proof by regaining the firm trust of his lord and having
the size of his lands doubled. Those colleagues who harassed
him suffered pitiful consequences.
To practice just as the Daishonin instructs is the fundamental
spirit of the SGI. We are advancing in strict accord with
the Gosho's teachings. As long as we remember this point,
we can definitely achieve great victory in life and our
efforts for kosen-rufu.
The Gosho is truly an eternal teaching, which we should
be most grateful to have. Thanks to our having encountered
this teaching, we can lead wonderful lives of eternal victory.
(This concludes the series "Learning
From the Gosho, the Eternal Teachings of Nichiren Daishonin.")
Notes:
1."Shijo Kingo Dono Gohenji" (Gosho Zenshu,
p. 1143), written in June 1276 when the Daishonin was
55.
2. LS16, 230.
3. LS5, 99.
4. From his "Commentary on 'The True Object of Worship.'"
5. From the Shinjikan Sutra. See MW-2 [2nd ed.], 172.
6. Seneca: Moral Essays, trans. John W. Basore (Cambridge,
MA: Harvard University Press, 1958), vol. 1, pp. 57-59.
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