SGI-USA Study Curriculum

Selected Lectures on the Gosho by SGI President Ikeda

Heritage of the Ultimate Law of Life
- Shoji Ichidaiji Kechimyaku Sho -

Lecture 2 of 3 from Selected Lectures on the Gosho, vol. 1.

Eternity in the Moment

Henri Bergson, the eminent philosopher, also believed in an afterlife. After years of contemplation on the human body and mind, Bergson came to agree that life continues after death. Dr. Arnold Toynbee once said that he believed death to be a return to "the ultimate spiritual reality" underlying the universe, the sea of immortality. As a scholar, he sought his answer to the question of life and death in higher religions, especially in the Buddhist concept of ku. He said:

I conclude that the phenomenon of death, followed by the disorganization of the physical aspect of a personality that we encounter as a psychosomatic unity, is, in terms of reality-in-itself, an illusion arising from the limitations of the human mind's conceptual capacity.... I believe that reality itself is timeless and spaceless but that it does not exist in isolation from our time-and-space-bound world....

Does life persist after death? And where does the soul go when the body goes back into the inorganic section of physical matter? To sum up, I believe that these questions can be answered in terms of ku or of eternity, but not in terms of space-time. [Arnold Toynbee and Daisaku Ikeda, Choose Life (London: Oxford University Press, 1976), pp. 259-60.]

Jun Takami, a professional writer who died of cancer, wrote a poem "Kako no Kukan" (Space of the Past) in his work, Shi no Fuchi yori (From the Abyss of Death). In this poem he described how he felt as he lived facing imminent death.

As sand scooped in hands
Falls through the emaciated fingers,
So does time with a gritty sound run out of me,
My time --- so short and precious.
.....
I can only hear the ceaseless sound of time slipping away.

This poem suggests how much the author valued the short time left to him and how he wished he could live for eternity. To value each second more highly than a drop of blood --- this is the true way of life for people born in this world. Most people, however, waste all too much of their time before they are confronted with death. I once heard the story of a gifted free-lance reporter who succumbed to cancer. After being told he had cancer and would soon die, he began to use a daily pad calendar. To him, each day that remained was precious. He could not bear the sight of a calendar which showed all the days of the month or even of the whole year on one sheet of paper, as if every day was just another day. When each day came to a close, he would tear off one sheet from the calendar and tell himself, "Congratulations ! You have lived one more day," relishing the feeling of being still alive.

We do not need Martin Heidegger, or anyone, to tell us that human existence is itself a being-unto-death" in order to know that death underlies life. Indeed, at each moment we meet death and at each moment are revived. It is the consciousness of death which really gives our life a sense of fulfillment. Without the consciousness of death one can neither live humanely nor spend time meaningfully. The question of death is in itself the question of life. As long as the question of death remains unsolved, life cannot be truly substantial.

Four years ago in spring, I went to London at the invitation of Dr. Toynbee for my second meeting with the British historian. After spending five days talking with him, I went to Paris, and from there rode a train for two hours to the Loire. Clear streams washing grassy banks, flocks of sheep, steeples of ancient castles, paths where birds chirped, quiet woods, flowers in full bloom, ageless farmhouses built of stone --- in such surroundings stood the ivy-covered house where Leonardo da Vinci spent his later years. In the bedroom where he ended his life there was a copper plate on which were engraved his words:

A substantial life is long.
Meaningful days give one a good sleep.
A fulfilled life gives one a quiet death.

C. G. Jung said, "From the middle of life onward, only he remains vitally alive who is ready to die with life." [C. G. Jung, The Meaning of Death (New York: McGraw-Hill Book Company, Inc., 1959), p. 6.] Jung's remark probably originated from his belief that the latter half of one's life is especially important. In a way, however, to be ready to "die with life" may be necessary throughout one's lifetime. Perhaps we can say that only those with such a determination will prove to have lived a truly vital life.

In his study, "The Relation between Life and Death, Living and Dying," Dr. Toynbee wrote: " 'In the midst of life we are in death.' From the moment of birth there is the constant possibility that a human being may die at any moment; and inevitably this possibility is going to become an accomplished fact sooner or later. Ideally, every human being ought to live each passing moment of his life as if the next moment were going to be his last." Although conceding that perhaps it may be too difficult for any human being to live permanently on this ideal level, he went on to say, "What can be said with assurance is that, the closer a human being can come to attaining this ideal state of heart and mind, the better and happier he or she will be." [Man's Concern with Death ed. Arnold Toynbee (London: Hodder and Stoughton Ltd., 1968), p. 259.]

It is also instructive to learn how a natural scientist regards life and death. Dr. Kinjiro Okabe, physicist and professor emeritus of Osaka University, wrote a book entitled Ningen wa Shindara Donaruka (What Happens to Man after Death?). In this book he takes a unique approach, starting with the concepts of modern science, and calling his speculation "scientific inference" about the problem of death. Dr. Okabe's view may be summarized as follows:

In the world of physics, there is a law called the energy ' Never does energy or matter come conservation principle. Never does energy or matter come from nothing. Nor is energy or matter actually lost.

Man's soul is supra-matter and supra-energy; it cannot be felt by the five senses. I, too, must concede the existence of the soul. Matter which composes the human body is completely replaced, through metabolism, by new matter in several years. Materially, one becomes a totally different person from what he was in his childhood, though he may retain some of the physical characteristics he used to have as a child. Therefore, if there is to be identity between what we are today and what we were as children, then we are forced to admit that there must be something which may be called the human soul.

If the soul really exists, the energy conservation principle must also be applicable. In other words, it seems very possible that a human life does not become extinct upon death but continues to exist in some state or other.

I postulate the existence of a "core of the soul." Life is a state during which the core of the soul is inseparably merged with the body and manifests itself in the workings of life. In other words, it is in an active state. Death is a state in which the core of the soul is inactive. It cannot manifest itself in life-functions as it did during the active state. But it still contains the ability to sustain manifest life. When the dormant state passes into the active state, the core of the soul again begins to perform its functions.

Thus, man's life or death depends on whether the core of the soul is in the active or the inactive state. The core itself continues to exist throughout life and death.

I suspect that Dr. Okabe's "soul" or "core of the soul" is different from the meaning usually given the word. The Nirvana Sutra speaks for Buddhism when it categorically denies the concept of the soul as applied in the ordinary sense. I think that what Dr. Okabe calls the core of the soul has something in common with what is called "the self" of life in Buddhism-that which sustains our identity.

Life is the accumulation of all the moments we live. One who cannot live meaningfully today cannot hope to lead a brilliant life tomorrow. No matter what grand plans one makes, if he does not value each moment, they will be just so many castles in the air. All the causes in the past and all the effects in the future are condensed within the present moment of life. Whether or not we improve our state of life at this moment will determine whether we can expiate the evils we have caused since the infinite past and be able to build up good fortune to remain for all eternity. The key is whether or not we have faith strong enough to decide that this may be the last moment of our life. The above passage, therefore, gives us the principle for changing our karma.

"After his death, a thousand Buddhas will extend their hands to free him from all fear and keep him from falling into the evil paths." This is a sentence in the Kambotsu-hon, the twenty-eighth chapter of the Lotus Sutra. Why do we need the assistance of those Buddhas? Because a life, once inactivated and merged with the universe, can no longer do anything of its own will. It has to suffer the effects of its lifetime, or the state it was in at the time of death, and those effects are strict and absolute. At that time a thousand Buddhas extend their protecting hands. What could be more reassuring!

The passage does not simply mean that Buddhas, literally, "extend their hands." It also means that we will be able to stand on an eternal footing, that we will attain happiness that can never wane with time. Of course, all this becomes possible only when you keep your 0th strong enough to determine that now is the last moment of your life. As the Gosho tells us, "The firmer one's faith, the stronger the gods' protection." It is a serious mistake to expect that those Buddhas will come to protect you if you don't strive for your human revolution. Literally, the passage means that the Buddhas "extend their hands" because an inactivated life is in a latent state of existence. Its true meaning is that we have to strive through our own human revolution to bring forth the protection of a thousand Buddhas who reside within our hearts.

The Buddha's Protection

How can we possibly hold back our tears at the inexpressible joy of knowing that not just one or two, nor only one or two hundred, but as many as a thousand Buddhas will come to greet us with open arms?

This is a denunciation of Nembutsu. The Nembutsu sect preaches that if one dies invoking the name of Amida (Skt., Amitabha or Amitayus) Buddha, he will be able to go to the land where this Buddha is said to dwell. Two bodhisattvas, Kannon (Avalokiteshvara) and Seishi (Mahasthamaprapta), come as messengers riding on a cloud to take him to that land. Most people in Nichiren Daishonin's day believed in Amida. The passage quoted above reveals his indignation at the Nembutsu sect for deluding the people with such a doctrine. Not just one or two Buddhas, much less two bodhisattvas, but as many as a thousand Buddhas will extend their arms to protect us, giving us so much more solace than what Nembutsu preaches. Even if one is destined to fall into the three evil paths, he will escape that fate. The Ongi Kuden says, "One thousand Buddhas signify the teaching of One Thousand Factors of Life." [At each moment, life experiences one of ten conditions or the Ten Worlds. Each of these worlds possesses the potential for all the ten within itself, thus making one hundred possible worlds. Each of these hundred worlds possesses the Ten Factors, thus becoming one thousand factors. In short one thousand factors are the forces and phenomena manifest by one's life essence.] In other words, all the protective functions of the universe will work to guard the votary of the Lotus Sutra.

If there were only one or two Buddhas to save us, all beings in this world would be necessarily subordinate to them --- something akin to absolute monotheism. Such a dogma in effect says that the people are powerless beings who can seek salvation only by beseeching those Buddhas. The Buddhas, on their part, would have to be magnificent looking so that people would seek them out with awe and respect. That kind of teaching centering on the "person" lacks universality. It becomes something like a "cult of personality" and only acts to separate Buddhas from the people.

The Lotus Sutra is very different. It assures that a thousand Buddhas will protect us, which ultimately indicates the Hundred Worlds and Thousand Factors of Life. As a teaching, it centers on the "law." If we abide by that law, the functions of the universe work to protect our lives. Furthermore, what sets those functions in motion is the individual's life force. Thus the Lotus Sutra teaches true independence, and it is a universal teaching. Buddhas need not be august or magnificent in appearance, and we, common people, are able to make all the Buddhas and heavenly gods throughout the universe work for us and protect us, just as we are.

How does this principle apply to our daily life? Suppose a member of the Soka Gakkai dies. Many friends and acquaintances come to his or her funeral and chant daimoku for the deceased. Those who struggled together with that person to accomplish their lofty mission and shared the hardships, joys, winter storms and mild springs, are themselves Buddhas, and they will all be there praying for their loved companion.

The Strict Law of Causality

One who does not have faith in the Lotus Sutra will instead find his hands firmly gripped by the guards of hell, just as the sutra warns, ". . . After he dies, he will fall into the hell of incessant suffering." How pitiful! The ten kings of hell will then pass judgment on him, and the heavenly messengers who have been with him since his birth will berate him for his evil deeds.

This relates a situation, the opposite of the preceding passage. The quoted portion appears in the Hiyu (third) chapter of the Lotus Sutra. It says quite clearly that people who oppose the faith in this sutra will end up in the hell of incessant suffering --- the most terrible of hells --- after they die. And instead of a thousand Buddhas, demons will be there to drag them away. No one would be happy to meet demons. Such is the great difference after death between those with faith in the Mystic Law in their lifetimes and those who opposed it. In life, people may wield unmatched power, accumulate great wealth, or enjoy a good reputation, but all that is nothing after death. Only their worth as humans remains. It is said that a female demon divests them of all their possessions and a male demon hangs them on a tree to determine the weight of their sins. Everything they have done --- that is, their karma --- is revealed just as it is, and they have to face its reward or retribution.

The "heavenly messengers" will censure them for their evil acts, and the "ten kings" will pass judgment on them. The heavenly messengers are the gods who stay with an individual from the moment of his or her birth. Their duty is to report all acts, both good and bad, to King Enma, the lord of hell. In this age they might be something like prosecutors. The ten kings of hell are said to try the dead beginning on the seventh day after death and continuing until the second anniversary of their passing away. King Enma is one of them --- something like the judges in today's courts of law.

It is possible to commit some evil act and get away with it, as far as the morals of society or the laws of the land are concerned. But never with the Buddhist law. The heavenly messengers, also called Dosho and Domyo, are always with their charge and constantly watch him. He can never elude them. This is what Buddhism teaches us, that the law of causality is always at work in the depths of our lives. No lies can go undetected in the world of Buddhism.

It is generally believed that hell is just a fable, contrived to make people rectify their conduct while they are alive. This may be the case with some of the more primitive representations we have from past ages of hell. But whatever the general belief, it is true that hell-like conditions exist in actual life. It is said undeniably that the world is filled with all kinds of suffering --- people anguished by the hardships and losses they must endure, people condemned to frustration because of their surroundings, people suffering terrible afflictions. Life continues through past, present and future, so the situation will not change a bit, even after one dies. Whether dead or alive, one will always have to experience both hardship and joy in the depths of his being.

I mentioned the male and female demons who divest the dead of their possessions. They symbolize the fact that, according to the strict and constant law of causality, vanity is worth nothing after one dies. The only thing of value is the essential reality in the innermost core of one's life. The ten kings and the heavenly messengers are but a figurative way of teaching us that our physical and mental acts at each and every moment invariably become engraved in the karma of our lives. Though they are all fables, they are very enlightening ones indeed.

We can see, then, that a person who refuses to believe in or slanders true Buddhism causes his own life force to weaken with each moment. Eventually he will be completely drained of life force and find himself restrained from accomplishing anything, as if inextricably mired in a swamp. There are many dreadful things in the world, but nothing is more horrible than the hell of incessant suffering. It is said that if one were even to hear a description of that hell, he would cough up blood and die. True, this suggests the horrors of hell, but it also indicates that, in contrast to outward appearances, the misery in the depths of life is terrible beyond description.

Nothing is sadder and more miserable than to find one's very life a prison of agony, without the slightest energy or hope for the future. Such a person will fail in everything he does. The Gosho teaches that those who revile the votary of the Lotus Sutra may seem at first to receive no retribution, but they ultimately end in disaster. When a building is wrecked by a natural calamity of some sort, we can see the damaged parts and repair them. But we see nothing at all when it is rotting from within. If the rot spreads to the point that the house starts to crumble, it is almost impossible to repair. To slander the Lotus Sutra is to cause the palace of one's life to rot from within. This is most dreadful --- perhaps no less horrible than finding one's hands seized by the guards of hell. No matter what hardship or sorrow befalls you, never part with the Gohonzon. If you do, you will only be throwing away all your good fortune and utterly destroying the seed of Buddhahood within you.

Buddhism places strong emphasis on the last moment of life, for in the Buddhist view it contains the sum total of one's lifetime, and it is also the first step toward the future. All phenomena manifest the true entity; all the acts done during one's lifetime, both good and bad, decide the way one dies. It is almost frightening, for nothing can be hidden. The way one dies, whether peacefully or horribly, is a perfect reflection of the life he has led and a spotless mirror of his future. In his Reply to Myoho-ama, Nichiren Daishonin wrote:

Ever since my childhood I, Nichiren, have studied Buddhism with one thought in mind. Life as a human is truly a fleeting thing. A man exhales his last breath with no hope to draw in another. Not even dew borne away by the wind suffices to describe life's transience. No one, wise or foolish, young or old, can escape death. My sole wish has therefore been to solve this eternal mystery. All else has been secondary.

This passage guides us in the attitude we need in order to live our irreplaceable life without any regret, and with total joy.

What are the most important matters? They are one's lifelong objective and the question of life and death. If we let our minds stray from those most basic things, and become enwrapped in trivial affairs, nothing important can be gained. We need not become morose, but we should never forget the necessity to look soberly and sincerely straight at death and strive to live each moment to the fullest. How often today's writers and critics lament that modern humanity and civilization are drowning in "the luxuries of life." A frivolous way of life that ignores the gravity of death cannot bring true fulfillment. The Daishonin's words, "with the profound insight that now is the last moment of life," become all the more significant, now that our society is becoming so hopelessly confused.

Nichiren Daishonin talks about the hell of incessant suffering throughout the Gosho. But his almost too frequent reference to it, I believe, comes from his boundless mercy to do everything possible to keep people from falling into that hell. But what is the hell of incessant suffering really like? On Slanderous Acts states:

The eighth hell is avichi, the hell of incessant suffering.... Ringing it are seven great iron fortifications.... To the prisoners in this hell, those in the hell of scorching heat are like people enjoying themselves in the sixth heaven. The stench of this hell is so noxious that the heavenly beings and people on the entire earth and in the six heavens of the world of desire would all die should they ever chance to smell it.... If the Buddha should but describe all of the sufferings in this hell, those listening to him would cough up blood and die. That is why the Buddha refrains from giving a detailed description.

Those passages, showing how deep life goes and how strict the retribution for slander is, really make us sit up and take notice. There is also the parable of the one-eyed turtle and a floating piece of sandalwood, a parable which is as profound as it is well known. The Reply to Widow Matsuno reads:

The turtle symbolizes ordinary people like us. Its lack of limbs signifies our lack of endowment with causes for good fortune. Its burning stomach denotes the eight hot hells of anger, and its freezing back the eight cold hells of greed. That the turtle has to stay at the bottom of the ocean for one thousand years represents the difficulty of extricating ourselves from the three evil paths. Every thousand years it comes to the surface, which signifies how rare it is to escape from the three evil paths and be born as human beings --- perhaps once in countless aeons --- and how rare it is to be born in Shakyamuni Buddha's lifetime.

We are told here how difficult it is to escape the three evil paths of Hell, Hunger and Animality and be born in the human world. Having been fortunate enough to live as human beings now, we have all the more motive to take seriously what this passage says.

In the Face of Death

The other day I read an article by Jun'ichi Watanabe, a physician-turned writer, describing the behavior of an eminent surgeon when faced with his own death. An expert in abdominal surgery, the doctor had treated thousands of cancer cases. Then, ironically, he was found to have cancer himself. The discovery came too late, and he could do nothing but await his own death. He remained calm and composed at first, but as his condition declined he began to change.

At midnight a low growl would come from his room; then suddenly a scream would shatter the dead silence of the ward.

"No! No, I don't want to die!"
"Help me! Help me!"

The nurses would rush into his room and find the doctor in tears, kicking his legs and beating his fists against the bed like a child. Sometimes he would take things off the bed-stand and throw them across the room. At other times, his eyes filled with hatred, he would just lie and glare at his elderly wife, who stayed with him to look after him, and at the nurses who treated him.

"You hypocrites!" he would shout angrily at them. "You're thinking what fun you can have by yourself after I go. You're all just waiting around like vultures, glad that I'm going to die." Once on the rampage, no one could control him. It took the combined power of all the nurses and his wife just to pin him down and give him an injection to put him to sleep.

The next day the doctor would wake up and look around with eyes hollow and gaunt as if he had just escaped from hell. When an occasional visitor came, he would hardly say anything at all. At such times he seemed like a man who was looking death calmly in the face. When night came, however, he would again lose all control and become as violent as another Mr. Hyde. It seemed as if he was being alternately tormented by his daytime exhaustion and nightly hell. The physicians were completely taken aback --- they had never seen anyone struggle with such desperate fear of death as this doctor. Unable to remain indifferent, someone suggested that religion might give him some consolation. But he was in no state to accept any kind of religious faith. He simply continued to writhe in agony.

Was the doctor more frightened or cowardly than other people? No; there was no one who believed that. But there was no hope of his being cured. Death would definitely take him in a few more weeks and he knew it better than anyone else. The problem was that he was all too clearly aware of the fact.

He was like a criminal in death row; in a way, even worse. Even a condemned criminal still has that one chance in a thousand for reprieve, some slight hope that somehow his sentence might not be carried out. For the doctor, however there wasn't the tiniest glimmer of hope that he would live. He knew too much about medicine to expect any such thing.

He had devoted himself to medicine and for several decades had studied and accumulated professional knowledge But all his knowledge was now completely worthless. All it did was make him more acutely aware of his own death. He had diagnosed and operated on thousands of cancer cases. All this experience only told him that he would soon breathe his last. There was not the slightest possibility for survival in which he could believe. His precious learning had turned into a demon that did nothing but torture him.

In despair even more intense than that of a condemned criminal, the doctor continued to writhe and cry in anguish until he finally breathed his last, as if exhausted of all his abusive language. There was no longer the slightest vestige of the lofty-minded scholar. Here was but an ordinary old man, egotistic and suspicious of everything, thrashing about in the horror of death. [Mainichi Shinbun (Tokyo: The Mainichi Newspapers, February 13, 1977)]

This fairly lengthy quotation brings into bold relief human frailty when faced with the final hurdle of death, a frailty which is part of our pitiful karma. Reading the article, I realized afresh how wonderful it is to be able to live aware of the philosophy of eternal life expounded by Nichiren Daishonin. Learning, genius, power, wealth, reputation, science, technology --- all become nothing when one is confronted by death. Faced with his end, man finds himself hopelessly overpowered, and there is nothing able to salve his conscience. That article and numerous other similar stories make us realize all the more clearly the significance of the phrase, "My sole wish has therefore been to solve this eternal mystery. All else has been secondary." Buddhism holds the answers to the questions man has struggled with since his beginning, the questions of death and the last moment of life. Buddhism is the philosophy of how to live, and every one of us, being human and existing as "beings-unto-death," should study it with equal zeal.

In his Exegesis on The True Object of Worship, Nichikan Shonin quotes the Great Teacher Dengyo as saying, "The unified perception of the three truths of life* at the moment of death is entirely different from that during ordinary practice at ceremonies. For, at the last moment, death's agony comes quickly and grips the body with ever-increasing strength, and the mind becomes so confused that one can no longer distinguish between right and wrong." Here is something we must think of in our own lives. Nichikan Shonin continues, "Unless you master the essential practice that will free yourself from illusion and suffering at the moment of death, all ordinary learning is completely useless. ... At the last moment of your life you should chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo." This phrase indicates that "the essential practice" is the practice of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. Only a life devoted to the Mystic Law will lead to the state of true peace and security that is described as "happiness in this life and good circumstances in the next."

*[To perceive the three truths as an indivisible entity --- ku (the spiritual or qualitative aspects of life), ke (all phenomena of life) and chu (essential, unchangeable entity of life) --- in a momentary state of life. T'ien-t'ai defined this unified perception of life as stemming from the correct practice of concentration and meditation.]

Just imagine that those thousand Buddhas extending their hands to all Nichiren's disciples who chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo are like so many melons or moon-flowers extending their slender vines.

Earlier we discussed the sentence in the Kambotsu (28th) chapter of the Lotus Sutra which states, "After his death, a thousand Buddhas will extend their hands...." Here the Daishonin says that this sentence was written for those who would believe and practice the Great Pure Law in the future, which meant all his disciples and believers. Just as melons or moon-flowers extend their "slender vines," the thousand Buddhas will extend their hands to support us, who embrace the Gohonzon, with all their might. We are, as it were, traveling aboard a ship as huge as the macrocosm, the ship of the Gohonzon. No other ship is as secure and powerful, for the blessings of the Gohonzon are as vast as the universe.

The quoted passage also says a great deal about the attitude leaders should have. The Buddhas extend their hands to prevent people from falling into hell or suffering from unbearable fear. This is the spirit we need when dealing with friends both inside and outside of our Buddhist organization. We should be constantly thinking of ways to let them enjoy their lives and to keep them from misery. To do that is to carry out the spirit of the Buddha, "to free him from all fear and keep him from falling into the evil paths." As we extend our hands to help others and encourage them, we are the "thousand Buddhas extending their hands." Just as melons or moon-flowers extend their vines, so must we extend our helping hands to our friends, always watching them with special care, and thinking of their problems as our own. This is the spirit of the leader, filled with love for other members and for our neighbors and for all mankind.

Life always has its ups and downs. Everyone meets with times of failure and defeat. But it is at exactly such times that the people around should go to help and encourage. In doing so, they perform the work of the thousand Buddhas, the work which I believe causes a change in individual karma and, in the long run, growth in our respective communities. I always think of this whenever I meet with members or non-members.

This Moment Decides the Future

My disciples have been able to receive and embrace the Lotus Sutra by virtue of the strong ties they formed with this teaching in their past existences. They are certain to attain Buddhahood in the future.

The Shinjikan Sutra states, "If you want to know the cause you formed in the past, observe the effect in the present. If you want to know the effect in the future, observe the cause you are forming now." Thus, we have been able to take faith in true Buddhism because of the strong ties we formed with the Gohonzon in our past existences --- the cause in the past. The fact that we have been able to receive and embrace the Gohonzon is the effect in the present, and at the same time it is the cause we are forming now. This cause makes it certain that we will attain Buddhahood --- the effect in the future.

It is truly mysterious that we have been able to receive and embrace the Gohonzon and are now practicing true Buddhism for kosen-rufu and to attain Buddhahood in this lifetime. It is possible only because we accumulated good causes in our past existences. The seventh chapter of the Lotus Sutra reads, "In lifetime after lifetime they were always born together with their masters in the Buddha's lands throughout the universe." It is saying that we must have formed the cause by unbroken dedication to propagating the Mystic Law. That has enabled us to encounter the Gohonzon in this life --- the effect in the present.

Although you have been able to take faith in the Gohonzon, if you regard this only as the effect and nothing more, you are severing all the ties you once formed and cutting yourself off from the good fortune you have accumulated. It is important to understand that you must instead make that effect a cause for the future, a springboard for further growth. Only then can you cause your life to blossom in the future.

"My disciples have been able to receive and embrace the Lotus Sutra . . ." In this phrase, "receive" can be considered the effect received from the past. On the other hand, "embrace" is the cause aimed toward the future. To "embrace" means ceaseless effort and devotion, the continuous, unwavering practice of faith. Nichiren Daishonin means precisely that when he says, "To accept is easy; to continue is difficult. But continuing faith will lead to Buddhahood."

The passage, "My disciples...," teaches us that the ties we formed in the past have led us to receive and embrace the Gohonzon, and that our acts to do so now guarantee that we will attain Buddhahood in the future. Here we see the processes of planting, nurturing and reaping the seeds of Buddhahood-processes which span all eternity. Some of you may wonder, "Some people cannot bring themselves to take faith in true Buddhism. Is it because they did not form ties in the past? Must we abandon all hope of saving them?" No, we should not. If one is able to hear Buddhism in this life, that is equal to having formed ties in the past. Man is not an entity inescapably bound and controlled by past karma. He is an independent being whose present state of mind can change his future in any way he pleases. Actually it is beyond anyone's capacity to know whether or not he formed strong ties with Buddhism in the past. The essential thing is the fact that we embrace the Gohonzon now. This is what The True Entity of Life means by: "Were they not Bodhisattvas of the Earth, they could not chant the daimoku." We do not chant daimoku because we are Bodhisattvas of the Earth. But we are Bodhisattvas of the Earth because we chant daimoku.

Be convinced, therefore, that you formed strong ties with Nichiren Daishonin as his true disciples in the past, and that you were born in this age with the pledge to spread the Mystic Law throughout the world. Live earnestly each and every moment with this conviction, so that you will be able to forge a path through life-a life which is an accumulation of moments of good fortune. This is fundamental to the spirit of Buddhism. Be firmly resolved that when you strive to attain kosen-rufu, you will prove yourselves as noble Bodhisattvas of the Earth. Keep this resolution as you devote yourselves wholeheartedly to your daily activities.

Upholding the Eternal Heritage

The heritage of the Lotus Sutra flows within the lives of those who never forsake it in any lifetime whatsoever --- whether in the past, the present or the future.

Earlier in this Gosho, Nichiren Daishonin explained that the ultimate law in life is Myoho-renge-kyo and that to chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo is to bring forth the law. In the passage above he is saying that this heritage is only transmitted through the continuous practice of faith. Just as parents blood is by nature transmitted to their children, it is equally certain that the heritage of the ultimate law flowing within the life of the original Buddha from the infinite past is transmitted to the lives of us, his true disciples. Thus the passage assures us that the heritage of the ultimate law also flows within our lives eternally. Because we embrace the Gohonzon and chant daimoku, our lives are entities of the ultimate law. The heritage of the ultimate law is never interrupted in the lives of those who continue to embrace the Gohonzon throughout the past, present and future.

Sairenbo had only recently become Nichiren Daishonin's disciple, and the Daishonin sensed a tendency in him to place greater emphasis on theory than on practice. It was probably for these reasons that the Daishonin wrote in this particular way, to remind Sairenbo that the continuous practice of faith is most important of all. The heritage of the ultimate law is passed on to lives elevated through faith to a level where perception and communication with the Buddha's life is not only possible, but assured. But to fully receive that heritage requires practice continuing not just throughout a single lifetime but throughout the three existences of life. It is difficult, of course, to maintain one's belief even for a single lifetime. Since past, present and future are contained in a single moment --- the present moment --- we must sustain our faith without interruption through a succession of moments, now and into the future. Although it may seem easy, there is actually nothing more difficult, or more important.

For us, the transmission of the ultimate law should be the solemn ceremony taking place in the depths of our lives --- a ceremony in which we perceive our own Buddhahood and bring it to the surface. Is there anything concrete about the way we inherit the ultimate law flowing within Nichiren Daishonin's life? The Daishonin passed away long ago. But he left behind the Gohonzon, the object of worship that combines the Person and the Law. We inherit the ultimate law from the Gohonzon, but we require no special ceremony. We only need to have a firm faith and chant daimoku to transfer the Gohonzon's life into our own. Or, putting it another way, we need only to bring forth the Daishonin's life --- Buddhahood --- from within ourselves.

Let me repeat this: Inheriting the Daishonin's life means bringing forth Buddhahood from within our own lives. The Gohonzon may be compared to a bird in the sky, while the Buddhahood in our own lives is like a bird in a cage. Bringing forth our own Buddhahood is like the caged bird responding to the song of the bird in the sky. The heritage of faith flows entirely within our own lives. Only through our own faith can we realize this.

There is no reality other than the life we have, which continues throughout past, present and future. Reality is not something someone else gives you. The only thing there is, is our wonderful life which, though changing from moment to moment, continues to exist eternally. The heritage of the ultimate law flows here and nowhere else.

But those who disbelieve and slander the Lotus Sutra will "destroy the seeds for becoming a Buddha in this world." Because they cut themselves off from the potential to attain enlightenment, they do not share the ultimate heritage of faith.

All in all, then, there is no way for those who disbelieve or condemn true Buddhism to possess the heritage of the ultimate law. No matter how severe our situation may be, as long as we maintain strong life force through faith in the Gohonzon, we will someday be able to make the seed of enlightenment grow, ripen and bear fruit. You probably remember a news report not so long ago that a lotus seed that was found to be more than three thousand years old still retained enough life force to bloom and bear fruit. However, if one prevents the seed of his own Buddhahood from sprouting, he cannot expect it to bear fruit. Hence the Daishonin's statement that disbelievers and slanderers cut themselves off from enlightenment. "Destroy the seeds . . . in this world" means that no matter where they go they can never be saved. For them there is no place to escape. The only course open to them is hell.

The line, "destroy the seeds for becoming a Buddha in this world," appears in the third chapter of the Lotus Sutra. Look again at the phrase, "in this world." It tells us that we can attain Buddhahood only in the world we are living in. Proof of enlightenment becomes manifest as we try to live sincerely and humanely. You will never, never attain enlightenment if you run away from society to some quiet place to meditate. Buddhahood exists within us as we live from day to day. The seed for Buddhahood inherent in all people is Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. Those who derogate or refuse to believe in the Mystic Law will destroy the seeds for becoming a Buddha in this world.

Perfect Unity

All disciples and believers of Nichiren should chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo with one mind (itai doshin), transcending all differences among themselves to become as inseparable as fish and the water in which they swim. This spiritual bond is the basis for the universal transmission of the ultimate law of life and death. Herein lies the true goal of Nichiren's propagation. When you are so united, even the great hope for kosen-rufu can be fulfilled without fail.

Here we learn that the heritage of the ultimate law flows within the group of believers who maintain perfect unity (itai doshin) among themselves. The passage is a concrete lesson in the way of practice to follow and thereby inherit the lifeblood which enables any and all people to attain enlightenment.

Then where in particular does the heritage of the ultimate law flow? The answer is given at the beginning of this Gosho, in which the Daishonin states, "The five characters of Myoho-renge-kyo were transferred from the two Buddhas inside the Treasure Tower, Shakyamuni and Taho, to Bodhisattva Jogyo, carrying on a heritage unbroken since the infinite past." In a literal sense, the heritage exists in the life of Jogyo, leader of Bodhisattvas of the Earth, whom Shakyamuni and Taho Buddhas entrusted with the propagation of the Lotus Sutra. From the standpoint of true Buddhism, the entity of the ultimate law is the life of Nichiren Daishonin himself, the reincarnation of the original Buddha from the infinite past who appeared as Bodhisattva Jogyo when Shakyamuni taught the Lotus Sutra. Therefore, the above passage concludes that the heritage, which in particular dwells within the Daishonin's life, flows in general within the group of his disciples who maintain perfect unity among themselves.

The quoted passage also makes it clear that the Buddha's lifeblood flows in the actions of people --- not those who act divisively or egotistically, but within the lives of those who chant daimoku and advance together toward the common goal of kosen-rufu. It is an important passage, for it shows a practical way for common people of little understanding to attain Buddhahood in the Latter Day.

"Herein lies the true goal of Nichiren's propagation." What is the objective that Nichiren Daishonin strove for as he propagated the Mystic Law? He did not intend to keep the heritage of true Buddhism to himself or just to transmit it to a limited number of people. He wanted to open the way to Buddhahood and pass the heritage on to all people --- those in his own country and throughout the world. He wanted to pass it on to mankind, and for all eternity. This was the spirit that underlay everything he did, and it shows us the fundamental difference between shoju and shakubuku. Shoju was the method used during the Former and Middle Days to transmit the True Law for all generations, but shakububu in the Latter Day aims at enabling all people to attain Buddhahood.

With infinite mercy for all, Nichiren Daishonin established the Dai-Gohonzon as the ultimate entity of enlightenment. He taught us itai doshin (literally, many in body, one in mind) as the spirit in which to carry on the practice and the movement. In the light of this teaching, the noblest aspect of Nichiren Daishonin's Buddhism lies in faith based on the spirit of itai doshin. Today in the Soka Gakkai we are firmly joined to the Gohonzon and dedicate ourselves to propagating the Mystic Law. The training and study we do is always undertaken within a fine, harmonious web of human relationships. The Soka Gakkai's very existence becomes extremely important in the light of this teaching of the Daishonin. Our organization carries out the lofty mission to achieve "the true goal of Nichiren's propagation."

Josei Toda used to say, "The organization of the Soka Gakkai is more important than my own life." Soka Gakkai members maintain perfect human harmony and transcend all differences between them. Ours is an organization which has unmistakably inherited the ultimate law of life --- the key to enabling all people to attain Buddhahood. I am certain Mr. Toda made his remark because he knew this all too well.

Any group, no matter what kind, has capabilities greater than the sum total of the individual abilities of its members. If each member is given the suitable position according to the principle of itai doshin, the group as a whole will be much more versatile than one would imagine. Think of a family, the smallest unit in society. Human culture and traditions are always created by groups or organizations and passed on down to posterity.

The Soka Gakkai is an organization established with the objective of enabling the individual to revolutionize his own life, attain enlightenment in this lifetime and carry out the great mission for kosen-rufu. That is why the organization is endowed with the powers and abilities of the Buddha, the ultimate law of life flowing through it in ceaseless torrents. You can see this immediately when you study the Soka Gakkai's development and the myriad examples of human revolution attained by the people who have woven its history. We are Mr. Toda's disciples. It is our foremost duty to respect, nurture and protect the organization of life-to-life unity he left us. The Soka Gakkai, the world of itai doshin, is the living organization of Buddhist practice and the training ground for human revolution in our day.

The Daishonin teaches us that the heritage of the ultimate law flows only in a group of people with the same faith, who work together in perfect unity. I think it is important to say a few words about the genuine nature and significance of itai doshin.

We frequently meet in order to encourage the movement for kosen-rufu, study the Gosho or make plans for events. We support and give guidance to each other. All this is itai doshin in miniature, and the Letter from Teradomari states: "Those who have a seeking mind should all gather and read this letter together." People's minds change from moment to moment, so our members meet to keep themselves oriented on the right path of faith. Then they split up and go their various ways, some to create an unshakable foundation in their homes, others to contribute to the prosperity of their respective communities. Then they gather again at a discussion meeting to seek the true way of Buddhism. Repeated meetings and partings are a practical way for the members to manifest the essence of Buddhism in their own lives. This, I believe, is what is meant by the phrase, "If itai doshin prevails among the people, they will achieve all their goals." The Soka Gakkai owes what it is today to the countless meetings and partings by members who were many in body but one in mind, firmly united with President Toda at their center.

The objective of our faith lies in the continuous revolution of our own lives. Kosen-rufu is just that revolution, aimed at contributing to the peace and culture of mankind. An organization, no matter what kind, which ceases to strive for continuous revolution --- which is really the accumulation of daily reform --- is but a living corpse with no future. Another thing makes our organization special: Kosen-rufu lies in an entirely different dimension from revolutions carried out solely for a certain class or group of people. Ours IS the crystallization of man's noblest endeavor, a universal, eternal revolution carried on to benefit all people on earth. By now you probably know that it is only the unity of itai doshin that makes such a revolution possible.

Itai doshin contains two important principles. The first, of course, is itai, or many different individuals. Nichiren Daishonin's Buddhism deeply respects each person's individuality, situation and character and shows the way to display one's particular abilities to the fullest. The Ongi Kuden says, "Cherry, plum, peach, and damson blossoms all have their own qualities, and they manifest the three properties of the life of the original Buddha without changing their own character." People, in other words, should give full play to their unique capabilities as they struggle toward kosen-rufu. Their struggle brings about their own human revolution, and the circle of unity they form is the Soka Gakkai.

Because organizations must maintain internal order, they tend to reject individual differences and make their members conform as much as possible. Perhaps the best examples of such are the military and "in-family" groups. An "in-family" group may appear firmly united, but because in reality it forms an inner core closed to outsiders, it eventually grows unable to respond to the changes of the times. Although it seems to be one body, it usually becomes divided into countless opposing factions. It becomes corrupt and depraved eventually, giving rise to evil among the members. This explains why many religious bodies find themselves at a standstill. They have turned into "in-family" groups so poisoned with the evils of nepotism that they are unable to move. The members of the Soka Gakkai have always maintained mutual respect for each other and each other's special talents. I want you to carry on this noble tradition eternally. Each member has his own mission to accomplish in the land of the Buddha. We aim at a total revolution. In its ideal form, this revolution has people from all walks of life gathering together in the garden of the Soka Gakkai, each blossoming forth in a unique way. An association of fishmongers may be able to effect reform in the fish market, but they cannot achieve a total revolution. The total revolution will be achieved only when people with all sorts of characters and talents fully live up to their abilities as they scale the peak of kosen-rufu on into the coming century.

Gohonzon and Kosen-rufu - Our Foundation

The second principle of itai doshin requires that people different in body (itai) act in one spirit (doshin). This is the more important of the two principles. The phrase "transcending all differences among themselves" does not mean to reject differences. Rather, it repudiates failure of heart-to-heart communication between people. It rejects egotism and actions based only on personal feelings. Such attitudes lead people to emphasize their differences and finally cause them to sever their bonds. No spiritual bond can long exist in such disunited groups of people.

In contrast, fish and water are two totally different things, but fish cannot live for a moment without water. "To become as inseparable as fish and the water in which they swim" is to realize that our existence flourishes within, and even depends on, the beautiful tapestry of human relationships woven together with the people around us. We must treasure those relationships. "Water" then represents the human relations surrounding us --- the organization --- and "fish" indicates ourselves. Just as fish feel perfectly comfortable in the water they swim in, so must we merge with the group of itai doshin, respecting each and every member. Then we can 'become as inseparable as fish and the water in which they swim."

Buddhist teaching puts heavy emphasis on a strong sense of gratitude: gratitude to parents, teachers, society and mankind. The Buddhist regards our existence as being inseparably connected to all other forms of life. We learn from Buddhism that we must be as grateful for other people s existence as we are for our own. Realize that the principle of itai doshin is based on this teaching. But look at the society in which we live. It is filled with people who assert only their differences, and it is beset with conflict and selfishness, hostility and hate, discord and destruction. Like so many foxes and wolves, people cunningly, almost hungrily, watch for the chance to pounce on each other. We must see this for exactly what it is. We must not allow ourselves to give in to or be ridiculed by wicked people. This harsh reality totally surrounds us, but there is one remaining force capable of overcoming all viciousness and establishing a society in which true humanism prevails. It is ourselves, members of the Soka Gakkai. Indivisible and united in the spirit of itai doshin, we must advance toward the lofty goal willed to us all, together, by the original Buddha, Nichiren Daishonin.

Doshin (one mind) means to believe in the Gohonzon and to take the supreme goal of kosen-rufu as our own, personal mission. The Gosho tells us to be "of the same mind as Nichiren and says that his disciples should "form your ranks an follow him."

If people follow only their own subjective opinions and personal whims, they will become divided, both in body and mind, and find themselves in a whirlpool of complaints discontent, hatred and jealousy. But when all stand together in the spirit of itai doshin, each one will be able to see how intensely the others are fighting, each in his own capacity. They will clearly see that members are taking the lead in their own spheres of action and work on their own, and helping the whole movement one step at a time. Everyone is living the best way he can, constantly feeling purified and filled with new vigor. If we are aware of their individual efforts and feelings, we sense a new respect for them all, and at the same time try all the harder in our own positions to accomplish our own mission. Ours is a living organization because it is composed of just such people. It is only natural, therefore, that the heritage of the ultimate law flows within it in a broad, clear river of abundant joyful benefits. Until now the Soka Gakkai has continued to support its faith by the purest form of itai doshin --- a purity that is very difficult to appreciate if one is not a part of our organization. Part of my will for all who are members is that you preserve this tradition eternally and never destroy it.

On Itai Doshin, one of the best-known Gosho, states, "King Chou of Yin led 700,000 soldiers into battle against King Wu of Chou and his 800 men. Yet King Chou's army lost because of disunity while King Wu's men defeated him because of perfect unity." This episode took place in China about the eleventh century BC., an incident which marked the passage of one dynasty into the next. Although the age and historical background are far removed from us today, the story contains an eternal truth for human behavior. According to the Shih Chi (Records of the Historian) by Ssu-ma Ch'ien, King Chou of the Yin dynasty was a bloody tyrant. He was infatuated with a woman named Ta Chi and indulged in sensual pleasures day and night. He killed anyone who dared oppose him and sometimes made salted or dried meat of his victims' flesh. When his loyal retainer, Pi Kan, remonstrated with him, the king gouged out his heart. Naturally he cared nothing for the happiness of his people.

Yin had many countries under its control. One of them was Chou. Its king, Wen, was a wise ruler who enjoyed the confidence of the kings of other countries. When he died, his son, Wu, succeeded him. Following his father's last will, Wu took up arms against the tyrannical King Chou. His action was well-timed, as eight hundred lords with the same intent as he came to participate. King Chou commanded 700,000 soldiers in the battle against Wu. Wu's army was a motley group of lords from many different countries, but they were firmly united in the common desire to punish the abominable king for going against Heaven's will. Their morale was very high. In contrast, King Chou's troops way outnumbered King Wu's, but they had no will to fight. Actually, they were secretly glad that Wu was coming. When the expeditionary force arrived, they all rose together in revolt against their king and let Wu into their country without resisting at all. The Yin dynasty fell, and the Chou dynasty was born. Wu had won the hearts of the people and enjoyed their trust. From the very beginning his army had been united in itai doshin, which is why he succeeded so magnificently.

We, too, must advance in the spirit of itai doshin with strong faith in the Gohonzon, holding high the banner of human revolution. All other people will soon find that their only hope lies in our progress, and they will come and join in, one after another. Now is the time. If we are united in itai doshin, "even the great hope for kosen-rufu can be fulfilled without fail."

Kosen-rufu will not come our way if we merely sit and wait or repeat empty phrases like parrots. It can only be realized when we continuously practice our faith in the spirit of itai doshin. In this sense, can any religious body in this age other than Nichiren Shoshu Soka Gakkai be called "the envoy of the Buddha, sent to carry out the Buddha's work" ? Which other group is carrying out "Nichiren's propagation" in our world? I declare that there is absolutely no other. Therefore, Soka Gakkai members will certainly obtain immeasurable benefits, as the Gosho states, "Not even the wisdom of the Buddha can fathom the blessings you will obtain." Our path in life is illuminated by both an important mission and great good fortune. March straight along this road until you finally enter the highest state of happiness and satisfaction.

The Pitfall of Arrogance

But if any of Nichiren's disciples should disrupt the unity of itai doshin, he will destroy his own castle from within.

Here Nichiren Daishonin points out that those disciples whose spirit is not one with his are like parasites in a lion's body and are enemies of true Buddhism. Since they break the unity of itai doshin, and thereby cut themselves off from the heritage of the ultimate law, their sin is extremely grave. In Buddhism the most serious of the five cardinal sins* is "causing disunity in the Buddhist community." Even then, the sin is still more deadly --- "slandering the True Law." They are violating Myoho-renge-kyo --- the heritage of the ultimate law and the core of Buddhism.

*[The five most serious offenses in Buddhism. They are: I) killing one's father; 2) killing one's mother; 3) killing an arhat; 4) injuring a Buddha, and 5) causing disunity among believers.]

In the final analysis, to be of a "different mind" is to go against Nichiren Daishonin's spirit. But those who sometimes seem to turn against the Daishonin do not do so intentionally. Then what makes some people develop strong, intractable opposition? The cause, I believe, is selfishness, personal feelings and conceit. In Shakyamuni's day some people turned traitor and disrupted the flow of Buddhism because of those reasons. Devadatta was one of them. He is said to have been a villain who committed three of the five cardinal sins. He was initially one of Shakyamuni's disciples, but later left the group of Buddhists, taking five hundred monks with him, and began to attack Shakyamuni and his disciples. What made him backslide and eventually caused him to fall into hell? The following passage from The Opening of The Eyes vividly describes the situation:

The World-Honored One scolded Devadatta to his face saying, "You are a fool! You drink the spittle of other people." Devadatta felt as if he had been shot in the heart with a poisoned arrow. In fierce resentment he said, "Gautama cannot be a Buddha. I am the heir to King Dronodana, an elder brother of the revered Ananda and a cousin of Gautama. No matter what evil I might have done, he should have admonished me in private. Instead he scolded me severely in the presence of a large assembly of people and heavenly beings. How can such a man rank among the Buddhas and bodhisattvas? Earlier he took my sweetheart away from me. This time he has humiliated me in the presence of a large assembly. From today on I am his arch enemy, for each and every lifetime I am born."

It is clear that Devadatta disrupted the unity of itai doshin out of rancor, which originated in a personal grudge. The immediate cause of his treachery was Shakyamuni's reproof at a place of Buddhist practice where many other disciples were gathered. There he was called a fool and reproached, and he resented it. How haughty he was, and how keenly he wished the admiration of others! Shakyamuni could see that, given such a nature, Devadatta would not attain enlightenment unless he did away with his arrogance. That is why the Buddha purposely scolded his cousin in front of everyone.

Shakyamuni knew Devadatta's heart inside and out. As the teacher, he sincerely wanted his pupil to grow. He wanted to correct Devadatta's wicked mind and purge the benighted nature in his life, which would otherwise cause him to fall into misery. There was nothing personal involved, he simply had to be severe in his guidance. The Buddha's harsh words were the expression of mercy for a single person. But Devadatta could not see that far. His arrogant mind was already so bent on fame and fortune that he rejected the guidance and help Shakyamuni offered him.

I know of many instances in which people have deviated from the path of human revolution out of pride. There may be times when someone harshly admonishes you or gives you severe, straightforward guidance. At such times tell yourself that you are standing at a crucial point which can decide the success or failure of your human revolution. President Toda often gave me extremely strict guidance. He would even scold me for mistakes other leaders had made. Whenever I look back on those days, I am filled with memories and deep gratitude to my late master. How I wish I could have had his severe guidance for at least ten more years!

We saw that the immediate cause of Devadatta's revolt was Shakyamuni's humiliating treatment in the presence of the large assembly. However, the original cause went back many years earlier, which comes out in Devadatta's remark, "Earlier he (Shakyamuni) took my sweetheart away from me." Devadatta came from a royal family. When he was young, he vied with Prince Siddhartha (Shakyamuni's name as a youth) for the hand of Princess Yashodhara, who was reputed to be the most beautiful woman in India, but he lost. We are told that it was because Siddhartha far excelled his rival. With all that, it might have been hard for Devadatta to accept the Buddha's words with an open heart. But his response was so utterly personal that revolt was completely unjustified. At any rate, we can see that his heart was full of rancor --- jealousy and hatred for his superior cousin, lingering over a lost love.

Now let us turn to Sanmibo, a disciple who turned against Nichiren Daishonin. Sanmibo was one of the leading disciples, but, like Devadatta, he disrupted the unity of the Daishonin's followers and finally died a violent death. About him the Daishonin states:

There was something extremely strange about Sanmibo. However, I felt that whatever I said about it would be taken by the foolish as mere jealousy of his wisdom, and therefore I refrained from speaking out. It was because he had a wicked mind that he met his doom during the great persecution. If I had scolded him more strictly, he might have been saved, but since it was much too mysterious I have not mentioned it before.

In this passage the Daishonin indicates an important point. He wanted to give guidance to Sanmibo and point out his errors, but his surroundings prevented him from doing so. Before he was aware of it, his disciples had created an atmosphere in which it would have caused more harm than good to scold Sanmibo. Sanmibo Nichigyo was an educated priest who had studied at Enryaku-ji temple in Kyoto, then the highest seat of learning in Buddhism. Learned and eloquent, he breezed to a brilliant victory in his debate with Ryuzobo, a famed scholar of the Tendai sect. He had the tendency, however, toward false pride in his talents and, at the same time, obsequiousness to social power. He lacked the true pride and determination to uphold the supreme teaching of Buddhism, no matter what. In his reply to this priest, the Daishonin writes, "In your letter you mentioned the great honor you had to give a lecture at the family temple of a court noble. But it seems very strange for you to say that kind of thing.... by speaking of your 'great honor, are you not in essence expressing your low opinion of me, Nichiren?" It seems that Sanmibo placed the Daishonin's Buddhism below the aristocratic authority of the country's religious center in Kyoto.

During the Atsuhara Persecution, Sanmibo was dispatched to the Fuji area to assist Nikko Shonin, who ranked below him. Then, becoming victim to the scheming of Gyochi, acting chief priest of Ryusen-ji temple of the Tendai sect, he turned against Nikko Shonin. The consequence you know well: "He met his doom," dying a violent death. I suspect he was not pleased about having to go and assist one of his inferiors who was leading the struggle against the persecution. On that struggle hinged the rise or fall of the Daishonin's Buddhist order. Even in such a decisive battle, he was preoccupied with his own resentment that he had not been assigned the leading position. He was completely dominated by egoism, and a desire for fame and fortune.

The Daishonin, of course, had long before discerned this dark tendency in Sanmibo's life. Once, when Sanmibo was in Kyoto propagating true Buddhism, the Daishonin wrote him a letter admonishing his inclination toward selfish pride. The Daishonin highly regarded Sanmibo's learning, but did not want it to go to his head and eventually cause him to backslide. He must have felt it necessary to scold Sanmibo on a number of occasions but, as I said, there was some turn of events which prevented him from doing so. In the final analysis, this brought him to his death. Remember that the principle, "There can be no discontinuity between past, present and future," stands, no matter what the age.

After the Daishonin's demise there were traitorous moves on the part of the five elder priests who had been the closest disciples of the Daishonin. After he had passed away, they tried to identify his teaching with the Tendai school and, shamelessly calling themselves followers of that school, they abandoned true Buddhism. It was not so much because they failed to comprehend the Daishonin's Buddhism, as because they wanted to preserve their authority in the already well-established Tendai sect. But they went about it by altering the Daishonin's teaching. You may know that the Daishonin wrote many of his Gosho in the simple Japanese syllabary. The five elder priests considered any Gosho not written in classical Chinese characters harmful to their sect's prestige. So, on the excuse that such writings were a disgrace to their late master, they either tore them up and made new paper of them or burned them. They were doing nothing less than trampling on the very spirit of Nichiren Daishonin, the original Buddha who consecrated his own life for the sake of all people.

Nichiro, one of the five, had taken part in the propagation campaign, spiritually exalted by his perfect master-disciple relationship with the Daishonin. For his effort he was even imprisoned. In his Letter to the Imprisoned Disciple, the Daishonin extols his strong faith. Then, after Nikko Shonin succeeded the Daishonin, even Nichiro turned against the second high priest and rejected true Buddhism. It is a sad story, but for us, becomes a very important lesson, which believers in generations must remember as they advance toward kosen-rufu. Nichiro was very active during the lifetime of Nichiren Daishonin. But when Nikko Shonin became high priest, Nichiro turned on him. By so doing he violated the teaching, "There can be no discontinuity between past, present and future." This principle should be a mirror for all who propagate Buddhism, both now and in the future.

President Makiguchi, the founder of the Soka Gakkai, was a pioneer who built the foundation for kosen-rufu, propagating the True Law at the cost of his own life. In the face of oppression from the government he resolutely continued on, pitting himself against the persecution in order to spread true Buddhism until he was finally imprisoned. By then he had a large group of followers, but no sooner had he been imprisoned than many of them abandoned their faith. Then, when Mr. Toda became the second president, a number of Mr. Makiguchi's disciples turned away from true Buddhism. The leaders in the early days of the Soka Gakkai, nonetheless, were not swayed a bit by the turncoats. They had unshakable conviction in their faith, and it is through their unity that the Soka Gakkai has been able to move ahead in its unprecedented development. Today their names and their meritorious achievements stand out in the history of kosen-rufu.

These and other episodes, both ancient and recent, make it absolutely certain that those who try to take advantage of the Soka Gakkai in the present age are no better than subversives attempting to break up the spirit of itai doshin. There always have been, are, and will be, people who seek to satisfy their own selfish desires by using our organization. Some may try to use us for financial purposes. Others, completely underestimating the strength or purity of our organization, may try to use us as a means in their pursuit of fame and power. Such people exist both inside and outside the Soka Gakkai. Some also undoubtedly join simply out of curiosity, which can also be damaging.

In a time of trial, those who disrupt the unity of itai doshin "will destroy their own castle from within." As long as everything goes as they wish, they will go along with the organization and praise it to the skies. But if the Gakkai is attacked, or when things do not go as they hoped, it is this kind of person who will betray the Gakkai. I have seen such people become more and more miserable, their lives growing constantly darker. It is a very sad thing, but it is inevitable, a result determined by the law of causality.

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