SGI-USA Study Curriculum

Selected Lectures on the Gosho by SGI President Ikeda

The True Entity of Life
- Shoho Jisso Sho -

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

In the Same Mind

If you are of the same mind as Nichiren, you must be a Bodhisattva of the Earth. And since you are a Bodhisattva of the Earth, there is not the slightest doubt that you have been a disciple of the Buddha from the remotest past. The Yujutsu chapter states, "I have taught these people since the remotest past." There should be no discrimination among those who propagate the five characters of Myoho-renge-kyo in the Latter Day of the Law, be they men or women. Were they not Bodhisattvas of the Earth, they could not chant the daimoku.

How are we to become of the same mind as Nichiren Daishonin? It is possible only when you "maintain your faith as a votary of the Lotus Sutra, and forever exert yourself as Nichiren's disciple," that is, when you practice his teaching with your thoughts, words and deeds. This phrase contains the principle of shitei funi, oneness of master and disciple. Funi is an abbreviation of nini funi, meaning "two and yet not two." Superficially, master and disciple are two; there is clearly a difference in standpoint. But, in the ultimate depths of life, they are one and the same.

The oneness of master and disciple constitutes the essence of the relationship between the two, as it is taught in Buddhism. Therefore, true disciples of Nichiren Daishonin are those who "are of the same mind as Nichiren," that is, those who make his mind their own and stake their life on accomplishing the noble mission he left unfinished. Those who give only lip service or pretend to be carrying out their responsibility will sooner or later be severely reprimanded by the Daishonin.

A passage from Reply to Lord Ueno reads, "Since Nichiren was born, he has not known a day or even a moment of ease. He has concentrated solely on spreading the daimoku of the Lotus Sutra." Those who concentrate on the mission for kosen-rufu and take responsibility for it just as did the Daishonin --- in other words, those who "are of the same mind as Nichiren" --- are undoubtedly Bodhisattvas of the Earth. And if we are definitely Bodhisattvas of the Earth, there is not the slightest doubt that we have been "disciples of the Buddha from the remotest past." Let me explain why. When Shakyamuni preached the Yujutsu chapter of the Lotus Sutra, innumerable Bodhisattvas of the Earth emerged from the ground. Bodhisattva Miroku, on behalf of the astonished assembly, asked the Buddha what and who they were. Thereupon the Buddha answered, "I have taught these people since the remotest past," meaning that Bodhisattvas of the Earth are disciples of the Buddha from the remotest past.

Superficially, "the Buddha" in the above passage indicates Shakyamuni, who expounded the essential teaching or the latter half of the Lotus Sutra. But actually the term denotes the Tathagata --- Nichiren Daishonin, the Buddha in the Latter Day --- who embodies the fundamental law by which all Buddhas attain enlightenment. The passage therefore means that Nichiren Daishonin has taught us, Bodhisattvas of the Earth, ever since the remotest past.

We can interpret this to mean that those who are directly connected to the life of Nichiren Daishonin are Bodhisattvas of the Earth and, as such, his true disciples. It was the first president, Mr. Makiguchi, and our mentor, President Toda, who put that into practice in contemporary society. It was especially true for President Toda who, while in prison, attained the realization that he himself was a Bodhisattva of the Earth and a legitimate disciple of the original Buddha, Nichiren Daishonin. From that moment on the Soka Gakkai was destined to become an organization of Bodhisattvas of the Earth, a group of true disciples of Nichiren Daishonin. The Soka Gakkai has advanced and will continue to advance together with Mr. Toda, a leader of unparalleled humanity, as we make his spirit our own. How highly the original Buddha will extol those who belong to this great, vibrant organization! There is nothing that should worry you or cause you fear.

In the life philosophy, "the Buddha from the remotest past" signifies "the Buddha" inherent within our own lives- namely, the Tathagata of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. That the Bodhisattvas of the Earth are disciples of the Buddha from the remotest past indicates that our life, based on the Buddhahood of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo existing deep within us, manifests the functions of the Four Bodhisattvas-Jogyo, Muhengyo, Jyogyo and Anryugyo. I am convinced that if we hold ourselves completely responsible for the great mission of kosen-rufu, rack our minds and drive our bodies to accomplish this mission, the life of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo will always give us the power to go on, to live our faith. The Daishonin states in the Totaigi Sho (The Entity of the Mystic Law), "In the final analysis, the entity of the Mystic Law of the Lotus is composed of the bodies, born of father and mother, of the disciples and followers of Nichiren who believe in the Lotus Sutra.... The Buddha of the Lotus, the entity of the Juryo chapter of the essential teaching, is the disciples and followers of Nichiren." He also explains to embrace the Gohonzon is to attain Buddhahood. Therefore, when we continue our mission exactly as the Daishonin directs, his life will surge forth from within us like a spring. I have always maintained this conviction --- even when I had no one to depend on and had to make decisions all by myself I am also firmly convinced that everything the Daishonin taught is perfectly true, as he stated it.

Now let us go on to the next line, "There should be no discrimination among those who propagate the five characters of Myoho-renge-kyo in the Latter Day of the Law, be they men or women." Those who spread Myoho-renge-kyo, or Nam-myoho-renge-kyo of the Three Great Secret Laws, in this age in the Latter Day are Bodhisattvas of the Earth. Those who spontaneously assume the responsibility of devoting themselves to propagating true Buddhism are all equal as they walk the greatest path of life, no matter what their lot or status. Those who "propagate" Buddhism are the most respectworthy of all, as the Fugen chapter of the Lotus Sutra states, "Most certainly you should arise and greet him from afar, and respect him in the same way as you do the Buddha." It is therefore one of the gravest sins to look down upon, censure or slander the Soka Gakkai, the religious organization devoted to spreading true Buddhism.

"There should be no discrimination . . . be they men or women." Men and women are completely equal in that they are Bodhisattvas of the Earth. The social differences between male and female arise because of the different roles they play. Certainly there are occupations that are more suitable for men than for women, and vice versa, although it is not impossible to take on an occupation traditionally held by the other sex. Discrimination on the basis of sex cannot be justified, and salaries should be fixed according to the occupation and not the sex. However, there are inevitable differences between individuals. The real problem arises when such differences stem not from the type of work but simply on the basis of sex, which violates the human equality of both sexes. The attitudes fostered by religion are often influential in social attitudes toward the respective status of each sex.

Many religions, past and present, assume some kind of male dominance. For example, the Christian and Islamic gods are usually envisioned as male. In Buddhism only men were thought to be able to reach salvation by sects whose doctrines derived from the pre-Lotus Sutra teachings. In contrast, Nichiren Daishonin declares that those who propagate the Mystic Law are Bodhisattvas of the Earth, be they men or women. Denying that any difference existed between men and women as far as their religious mission and capability were concerned, Nichiren Daishonin advocated genuine equality between the sexes. I want all of you to know that Nichiren Daishonin's Buddhism endorses the dignity of all human beings with this great democratic principle.

"Were they not Bodhisattvas of the Earth, they could not chant the daimoku." Only Bodhisattvas of the Earth can chant daimoku. In the eternity of life, to be able to live as a human being is a rare and precious thing when we consider all the other innumerable forms of life. Buddhism defines human as the "correct vessel for the true teaching." Because we are human, we can follow the correct path to the higher states of life, and eventually enlightenment. The correct path is the religious faith which makes people truly human. But when we have no such source of humanity, we lack vitality, become rigid in our ideas and behavior, and become a weak and lifeless fossil. Truly religion is important, but it is very difficult to find a religion with the power to let us attain happiness. How fortunate we are to have faith in the true religion, and proud that we chant the daimoku!

"Were they not Bodhisattvas of the Earth, they could not chant the daimoku," states the importance of continuous, wholehearted chanting, no matter what may happen. Only Nam-myoho-renge-kyo can save us from all trouble. The original mission of bodhisattvas is to fulfill their vows. The Bodhisattvas of the Earth vowed to propagate the Lotus Sutra to the world. Therefore, we Bodhisattvas of the Earth should pray and chant daimoku mindful of our oath to work for kosen-rufu. Without this thought, we cannot chant daimoku as Bodhisattvas of the Earth.

First Man to Stand Alone

Only I, Nichiren, at first chanted Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, but then two, three and a hundred followed, chanting and teaching others. Likewise, propagation will unfold this way in the future. Doesn't this signify "emerging from the earth"? At the time of kosen-rufu, the entire Japanese nation will chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, as surely as an arrow aimed at the earth cannot miss the target.

In this well-known passage, Nichiren Daishonin teaches us the eternal formula for attaining kosen-rufu and reveals his conviction that kosen-rufu will be achieved. Nichiren Daishonin alone chanted daimoku first, and then he was followed by two, three and then a hundred. When he says, "Propagation will unfold this way in the future," he means that the process of achieving kosen-rufu will not change a bit in the future, either.

This passage has two important points. First, coupled with the preceding sentence, "Were they not Bodhisattvas of the Earth, they could not chant the daimoku," it tells us that those who chant daimoku are all Bodhisattvas of the Earth. However, as the next sentence says, "Only I, Nichiren, at first chanted Nam-myoho-renge-kyo," there always has to be one who starts chanting and initiates the propagation of the Mystic Law with two, three and then a hundred coming to follow. The propagation of a religion is always started by one person awakened to his mission, followed by a great number of people who come in turn. The initiator is especially important, for his spirit will permeate those who appear later. In our case, the "one" was Nichiren Daishonin, our founder. But as the Daishonin stated, "Propagation will unfold this way in the future," the Soka Gakkai was established by one person, Tsunesaburo Makiguchi, the first president. He stood up alone and began propagation. Following Mr. Makiguchi, two, three and finally three thousand came to chant.

Immediately after World War II, Josei Toda, who succeeded him, came out of prison only to find the organization utterly defunct and lifeless in the ruins of war-torn Tokyo. He embarked on the propagation and was followed by two, three and a hundred people. Today, the Soka Gakkai has more than ten million members. We must never forget these founders, so that we may transmit their spirit correctly. That the propagation of daimoku starts from one person means that his spirit should be shared by all who come later.

The first person who stands alone is important, for he is the source of growth from then on. I want you to be firm in your conviction of this as an unchanging principle of kosen-rufu. Nichiren Daishonin tells us in his Letter to Niike: "The relation between cause and effect is like that between flower and fruit. When someone lights a fire in a great plain of dry grass, even a spark as faint as a firefly, the fire will burn one, two, ten, a hundred and thousand blades of grass, and finally reach all the trees and grass of the thousand-mile plain." A single match can cause a great conflagration. Each of us must be a match stick of faith.

The phrase, "chanting and teaching others," is also very important. "Chanting" is our own practice (jigyo), while "teaching others" is practice for others (keta). On the Three Great Secret Laws has the following statement: "Now in the Latter Day of the Law, the daimoku which Nichiren chants is different from that of previous ages --- Nam-myoho-renge-kyo is the practice both for oneself and for others." If we do not practice both for ourselves and for others, we are not truly following Nichiren Daishonin.

The Ongi Kuden also mentions the significance of jigyo and keta concerning "chanting and teaching others." It reads, "The whole Yujutsu chapter is devoted to the mission of bodhisattvas sent by the original Buddha. The practice of these bodhisattvas is Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. That is what the sutra means by chanting. Teaching in the sutra means to lead all the people of Japan to the pure land of Eagle Peak." Only those who chant daimoku themselves and teach it to all the people around them are the Bodhisattvas of the Earth. The Daishonin says, "Propagation will unfold this way in the future," meaning that the principle of chanting and teaching is basic to all ages.

Since you believe in the Gohonzon, the entity of Nichiren Daishonin's life, and live up to the spirit of Makiguchi and Toda, I hope you will stand alone courageously, chanting and propagating daimoku wherever you are. To stand alone means to take total responsibility for kosen-rufu in the home, office or community. Buddhism and kosen-rufu lie in the places closest to you and in steady, continuous activities. We all have to be aware that we are here as envoys from the original Buddha, Nichiren Daishonin.

No matter what our circumstances, each of us has his own set of human relationships. He forms his own associations in his home, office and in his community with many types of people. In the light of the Mystic Law, these are the places to carry out his mission, and the people there are all fellow bodhisattvas. In that group of people you are the one and only person who can assume the responsibility and mission for kosen-rufu. To stand up alone to fight for kosen-rufu in your own place and circumstances is to "emerge from the earth."

In addition, the above passage declares that it is the common people who bear the burden of creating the worldwide tide of true Buddhism. Neither power nor authority will ever help to accelerate the movement for kosen-rufu. Never forget the Daishonin's words, "Propagation will unfold this way in the future." Kosen-rufu begins with a single person to reach all strata of people.

"At the time of kosen-rufu, the entire Japanese nation will chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, as surely as an arrow aimed at the earth cannot miss the target." Thus we see the Daishonin's conviction --- and prediction --- that all Japanese would come to chant the daimoku, Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. "The entire Japanese nation" means everyone, housewives, students, educators, statesmen and all others. As all people study and practice Buddhism, create value in their lives and contribute to society, they will bring about a total revolution in society. This is what is meant by "the entire Japanese nation." However, although the Daishonin mentions only Japan, he does not imply that we should neglect propagation of the Mystic Law in other countries. It is clear from the words, "to achieve kosen-rufu throughout the world," which appear in many parts of the Lotus Sutra and the Gosho. It might be noted, however, that Nichiren Daishonin meant Japan as the land where the people's efforts are especially needed in the first stage of kosen-rufu. Japanese members should realize that kosen-rufu in Japan will be a great example to members throughout the world, and act accordingly.

Buddhism for One and All

But now you must build your reputation as a votary of the Lotus Sutra and devote yourself to it. Shakyamuni Buddha and Taho Buddha, seated in the Treasure Tower in the air, surrounded by all other Buddhas and bodhisattvas, nodded in agreement. What they decided upon was solely for the perpetuation of the True Law throughout the Latter Day. Taho Buddha had offered Shakyamuni Buddha a place beside him, and when they unfurled the banner of Myoho-renge-kyo, the two leaders of the entire multitude made their decision together. Could there have been anything false in their decision? Their ultimate purpose in meeting was to provide a way for all of us ordinary people to attain Buddhahood.

The most important goal of faith is to "build your reputation as a votary of the Lotus Sutra and devote yourself to it." We feel the infinite mercy of Nichiren Daishonin, who has experienced the truth of life, when he says, "But now you must build your reputation . . ." He was witness to terrible persecution, but with belief in the coming of kosen-rufu he urged his disciples to do what they should. One of the qualities that impresses me most, that is most compelling to me, is his compassion. I can really feel it when he admonishes us not to discard our faith because of shallow, distorted ideas about Buddhism, not to abandon it through ignorance.

I remember something similar that President Toda once said in an essay called "My Problem": "My problem is that too few people stand up strongly in faith. Some, just converted, do not really believe in the Dai-Gohonzon's power and they soon give up, abandoning their faith. How superficial and impatient people can be! They will go to their deathbeds without ever experiencing the clear, fresh outpouring of blessings from the Gohonzon in their lives. How pitiful they are ! Just to think of them is like putting a knife through myself."

A spaceship follows a fixed orbit when it goes to the moon. If it should veer from that orbit, it might never return to the earth. We, too, have an "orbit" of life in the universe. If we veer from our own orbit, we might end up wandering in utter darkness for aeons without end. It is a terrible feeling to sense defeat in the ups and downs of life. The Daishonin meant to say, "You may have doubts and questions about the Mystic Law, but now trust what I say and devote yourself entirely to the Lotus Sutra."

To "build your reputation as a votary of the Lotus Sutra" is to live up to kosen-rufu with pride and honor. It is of course very important for each of us to be respected and trusted in whatever work we do. But when seen from the deeper level of eternal life, your efforts for and contribution to the goal of kosen-rufu are vastly more important. That is the only honor whose glory will never fade.

To "devote yourself to the Lotus Sutra" means to make the Gohonzon the sole foundation of your life --- the point to which you always return when you need courage and power. It means to keep up your daily practice of gongyo and activities for kosen-rufu to the best of your ability. No other life is stronger or more meaningful than a life devoted to the Lotus Sutra. If we devote ourselves to the Gohonzon, the Lotus Sutra for this day and age, we are rooting our lives in the law and power of the cosmos.

The following part, "Shakyamuni Buddha and Taho Buddha . . . ," explains why you have to "build your reputation as a votary of the Lotus Sutra and devote yourself to it." The ceremony and teaching of the Lotus Sutra was given for us, people of the Latter Day of the Law. The Buddhist philosophy exists entirely for our sake. If you do not realize that, Buddhism is just another powerless ideology.

In the first nine chapters of the Lotus Sutra, Shakyamuni attempts to awaken his disciples' understanding to his enlightenment and he predicts that they will eventually attain Buddhahood. From the tenth (Hosshi) chapter the story is developed on the theme of who is to propagate the Lotus Sutra after Shakyamuni's passing. In the next (Hoto) chapter, the Treasure Tower appears, and the ceremony in the air unfolds. In the Hoto and Daiba (12th) chapters, Shakyamuni asks who is willing to propagate the Lotus Sutra after his passing. In the next two (Kanji and Anrakugyo) chapters the bodhisattvas taught by the Buddha respond to his call and pledge to propagate the sutra. However, in the Yujutsu (15th) chapter, Shakyamuni refuses them and at that moment the Bodhisattvas of the Earth appear. All the other bodhisattvas wondered who they are, and Bodhisattva Miroku, on their behalf, asks Shakyamuni about his relationship to them. In the Juryo (16th) chapter the Buddha reveals his aeons of life since gohyaku-jintengo to answer the question. In the Jinriki (21st) chapter Shakyamuni entrusts the mission of propagation to the Bodhisattvas of the Earth, and in the next (Zokurui) chapter, to all the other bodhisattvas present at the ceremony. Therefore, the ceremony in the air was held to pass to the Bodhisattvas of the Earth the mission of propagating the Mystic Law in the Latter Day. This is one interpretation of what is meant by "what they decided upon was solely for the perpetuation of the True Law throughout the Latter Day."

That is still only a literal interpretation of the sutra. For true Buddhism, the ceremony in the air reveals the true object of worship that is to be propagated in the Latter Day of the Law. The ceremony in the air presents a blueprint for the Gohonzon of the Three Great Secret Laws. "The banner of Myoho-renge-kyo" is the essential part of the Gohonzon.

This Gohonzon is the object of worship to be propagated in the Latter Day, for it can lead all people to enlightenment. That is the meaning of "the perpetuation of the True Law throughout the Latter Day" and "their ultimate purpose in meeting was to provide a way for all of us ordinary people to attain Buddhahood." This is saying that the Gohonzon we worship daily is the ultimate of the "eighty thousand doctrines," the Buddha's teachings. It is the entity that embodies the cosmic law of the Lotus Sutra. This passage reconfirms that we will attain Buddhahood if we carefully follow true Buddhism.

In the Gohonzon, "Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, Nichiren" written in the center is what is meant by "the banner of Myoho-renge-kyo," while Shakyamuni and Taho on both sides of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo are what represent "Shakyamuni Buddha and Taho Buddha, seated in the Treasure Tower in the air."

Ceremony in the Air

Although I was not at that ceremony, in looking at the sutra, this is crystal-clear. On the other hand, I may have been at the ceremony, but since I am a common mortal, it is beyond my power to know the past. There is no doubt, however, that in the present life I am the votary of the Lotus Sutra, and that in the future I will therefore reach the seat of enlightenment. Judging the past from this point of view, I must have been at the ceremony in the air. There can be no discontinuity between past, present and future.

Here the Daishonin expresses his certain knowledge of attaining Buddhahood in the future because his behavior fulfills exactly the predictions of the Lotus Sutra. Since he is a common mortal, he has no personal memory of his past existences and cannot know from remembered experience whether he was among those who attended the ceremony in the air. But when he reads the sutra, he can clearly see everything that went on during the ceremony. No one can deny the fact that his actions in this lifetime are those of a Bodhisattva of the Earth, the votary of the Lotus Sutra. Therefore, he says, he "must have been at the ceremony in the air."

In the documents the Daishonin transmitted to Nikko Shonin, and a few other Gosho with equally profound meaning --- On the Three Great Secret Laws, for instance -- he definitely states that he was entrusted with the propagation of the Lotus Sutra during the ceremony in the air on Eagle Peak. Nowhere else is he so articulate; in all his other writings he refuses clearly to commit himself, and maintains a detached objectivity. What we were or what we did in a past existence is beyond our power to know, and any dogmatic assertion of what our past was or what it meant could lead nowhere except to misunderstanding on the part of our listeners. We must try to be objective, as the Daishonin does in this Gosho. First he compares the statements in the sutra with what he is actually doing, and based on that he then deduces what must have occurred in the past, just as historians and scientists do today.

"There can be no discontinuity between past, present and future." Past, present and future are closely interrelated. "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." The Buddhist way is to judge the past as well as the future from what we see and experience around us right now. But to recognize the past and future significance in the facts of the present, we must train our minds to develop a clear grasp of the strict law of causality --- the law which determines the effect that a given cause will produce. Because of that ability, a Buddha is said to see through the three existences of life. It requires no mystic or supernatural powers, only the power of true reason. "Buddhism is reason." Remember that always and engrave it in your heart.

Here, let me say a few more words about the ceremony in the air. The ceremony begins in the Hoto (11th) chapter of the Lotus Sutra and ends in the Zokurui (22nd) chapter. The Treasure Tower appears in the air above Eagle Peak, and Shakyamuni seats himself beside Taho Buddha before he begins to preach to the multitude of others also in the air during the ceremony. It is difficult to believe, however, that it actually took place and that it happened in India three thousand years ago. Imagine countless numbers of people airborne without the help of any mechanical device. It is too fantastic to be true. Furthermore, the Treasure Tower is described as having the dimensions 500X250X250 yujun. One yujun varies according to interpretation, but using a moderate estimate, 500 yujun would equal the radius of the earth!

Is everything in the Lotus Sutra no more than a figment of someone's imagination? No, and it would be a gross misunderstanding to think so. But how does one handle this kind of event as it appears in the sutra? First, we must understand that Shakyamuni could not preach the truth of his enlightenment other than by giving a graphic, almost surrealistic account of the ceremony in the air. Thus, when Mr. Josei Toda said that the solemn ceremony of the Lotus Sutra "took place in Shakyamuni's own life," he meant that Shakyamuni chose that way to portray his enlightenment.

The ceremony in the air conveys the substance of Shakyamuni's enlightenment. The ceremony is itself the entity of the Law to which the Buddha was enlightened. That entity was revealed by Shakyamuni as the ceremony in the air, by T'ien-t'ai as the doctrine of ichinen sanzen, and by Nichiren Daishonin as the Gohonzon through which he gave the suffering generations of the Latter Day a means to express their faith and attain enlightenment.

The Daishonin is speaking of Shakyamuni's Lotus Sutra in the above passage, so he says, "Judging the past from this point of view, I must have been at the ceremony in the air." But the real meaning of this paragraph is that by embracing the Gohonzon, doing gongyo and chanting daimoku, we actually participate in the ceremony in the air each day. Our life itself is the ceremony in the air --- the manifestation of kutai. Our physical and mental functions are given the power to work by the ultimate entity of life in the state of ku. Ku is not nothingness, but it is the basis of life filled with infinite creativity and power. Again, eternal life is itself the ceremony in the air. The assembly at Eagle Peak took the form of the ceremony in the air only to reveal the eternity of life --- the life itself which continues to exist even after physical death.

Absolute Happiness in Adversity

Because I view things this way, I feel immeasurable delight even though I am now an exile. Joy as well as sorrow brings us to tears. Tears express our feeling for both blessings and misfortune.

Here is an expression of the absolute happiness experienced by Nichiren Daishonin after he had read the Lotus Sutra and absorbed it with his entire being. All of Nichiren Daishonin's writings are beautiful prose. Whenever we read them, our hearts are quickened by the voice of a merciful father, and fill with a stronger determination to move ahead for kosen-rufu. The sentences of the Gosho are fundamentally different from the flowery sentences of other writers that are based on mere theory. By reading the Gosho, we can come to see that the Gosho is a living testimony to the Daishonin's state of life --- it clearly depicts the inner being of the author. Confined to Sado Island and forced to endure conditions as bitter as one of the eight cold hells, Nichiren Daishonin reflected in his letters a state of life that encompassed the entire universe. No words are adequate to describe his great courage and mercy.

Countless people were exiled to Sado during the years between the Tempyo era (710-794) and the Edo era (1603-1867) . Their despair, indignation, pain and resignation seemed to have soaked into the very soil of the island. Who else but the Daishonin could have remained as serene as the clear autumn sky and as vast and mild as the sea under a warm spring sun, so that he was able to say that he felt "immeasurable delight" in such an oppressive, forbidding place? Philosophers and sages, forced to live in misery, invariably look to the heavens for solace against their frustration or give themselves up to unbearable grief. But Nichiren Daishonin lived through the deepest suffering with unmatched courage, leaving a singularly brilliant example of a personal revolution. Never forget this passage. Make it part of you so that your lives will reverberate with the sound of his voice.

"Because I view things this way" indicates that in the final analysis, the Lotus Sutra was expounded exclusively for Nichiren Daishonin. The magnificent ceremony in the air, Shakyamuni and Taho Buddhas seated side by side, Buddhas throughout the universe coming to attend the ceremony --- all was directed toward "perpetuating the True Law throughout the Latter Day" and "providing a way for all of us ordinary people to attain Buddhahood." The ceremony was held, and the Buddhas assembled, solely to entrust the True Law to Nichiren Daishonin --- in a superficial sense the incarnation of Bodhisattva Jogyo, but in a deeper sense the original Buddha since time without beginning. This, he says, is a thing wonderful beyond words. Tears are the expression of sublime, irrepressible feelings that surge forth against all efforts to contain them. They reveal a tremendous emotion that breaks through to the surface, regardless of circumstances.

"Even though I am now an exile" bespeaks the difficult and painful life of an exile on Sado Island. It is a relative state of unhappiness, which places the Daishonin in a situation with what would appear to be the least security and happiness. However, because of the absolute joy in his heart, his happiness is greater, more effluent and more solid than that of anyone else in the world. Absolute happiness lies on a completely different plane from relative happiness. It is not something that is attained through wealth, good health, and having people close by who care for you.

A person can establish absolute happiness, no matter how dogged he may be by conditions of relative unhappiness. It is also possible to have everything one needs for relative happiness, and still be nowhere near attaining absolute happiness. There are many around us who possess all the conditions for relative happiness and, although they do not believe in Buddhism, they look much happier than we. But they do not have absolute happiness. The happiness of Buddhahood was something completely different from theirs, contingent upon nothing in his objective surroundings and never to be eradicated.

Relative happiness, no matter how great, cannot become absolute. Even a man who is fabulously wealthy or famous throughout the world can tumble into utter poverty and ignominy overnight, and with the disappearance of his fortune, his happiness vanishes also. A man in the prime of life may be badly injured in an accident. Even if he does not meet with any such mishaps, he will suffer from disease and physical frailty as he gets older, as well as many other problems we must all encounter. For most people, happiness mistakenly depends on relative circumstances.

Relative happiness depends totally on the precarious relationship between a person and his environment. Suppose you are hungry, and someone takes you for a sumptuous meal. Your hunger is satisfied by something in your environment --- in this case, food --- and you feel a momentary sense of relative happiness in your life. In contrast, absolute happiness depends on the relationship between the mission or objective to which you have pledged yourself and the fact of whether or not you are actually carrying it out. This is a sense of fulfillment and satisfaction that you can feel in the depths of your life. It is a state that is unaffected by constant change in your surroundings, a state that you firmly establish by your own will. It can, therefore, become absolute. But first, the mission or objective which you have taken on yourself must be in accord with a law that is as immutable and eternal as the universe itself. That is what makes absolute happiness possible.

A true state of absolute happiness can be established by linking yourself directly to the Mystic Law --- the Law that remains immutable since time without beginning --- and devoting yourself heart and soul to fulfilling the great wish for kosen-rufu. This is the objective which you have set for yourself. Please be firmly convinced of this, and take the greatest pride in your individual lives, as you follow the noblest course in life that any human being can travel.

"Thus I Heard"

The one thousand arhats shed tears in memory of the Buddha, and in tears Bodhisattva Monju chanted Myoho-renge-kyo. From among those one thousand arhats, the venerable Ananda replied in tears, "Thus I heard." Thereupon the tears of all the others fell, wetting their inkstones, and they wrote "Myoho-renge-kyo" followed by "Thus I heard." I, Nichiren, now feel exactly as they did. I am now in exile because I spread the teaching of Myoho-renge-kyo. I spread this teaching because I, too, "heard thus": Shakyamuni Buddha and Taho Buddha left Myoho-renge-kyo for the Japanese and all people in the future.

Here we see the meeting held to compile the Buddhist scriptures. Notice in particular the phrase, "Thus I heard." It appears at the beginning of all the sutras, following a title that encapsulates the essence of each sutra. Literally, it means that "I have personally heard Shakyamuni speak these words."

"Monju chanted Myoho-renge-kyo.... Ananda replied in tears, 'Thus I heard.' . . . all the others . . . wrote 'Myoho-renge-kyo' followed by 'Thus I heard.'" This means that all the participants had heard Myoho-renge-kyo and agreed it was the ultimate of Shakyamuni's teaching.

"Thus I heard" does not mean simply to listen to something. It is a much stronger declaration. In his Hokke Mongu, T'ien-t'ai states that "I heard" indicates a person who upholds [the True Law]. In other words, it implies the believer's affirmation that the sutra he "heard" is the essence of the Buddha's teaching and his resolution to practice Buddhism precisely as the sutra says, devoting himself to showing its validity through his behavior.

Nichiren Daishonin, too, "heard that Shakyamuni Buddha and Taho Buddha left Myoho-renge-kyo for the Japanese and all people in the future." That is why he fought so valiantly to propagate the Mystic Law, endured persecution to prove the validity of the Lotus Sutra, and at last left the Gohonzon for generations to come in the ten thousand years of the Latter Day and on into eternity.

Our first president, Tsunesaburo Makiguchi, and second president, Josei Toda, were the contemporary masters who "had heard" that the Buddhism Nichiren Daishonin left for us is the fundamental law of human revolution and world peace. Since they "had heard thus," one became a martyr for kosen-rufu, and the other gave his life, also, to the same lofty mission. The conduct of our two presidents exemplifies the Soka Gakkai spirit, and the way of life we, too, should strive for.

After Shakyamuni's passing, Monju, Ananda and the other disciples shed tears in his memory, called his teachings to mind, and in tears wrote them into the Buddhist scriptures. This was the expression of their infinite gratitude for the Buddha's mercy. In short, they could not contain their deep emotion toward Shakyamuni and left his teachings in sutra form, which paved the way for the spread of Buddhism into the future.

Nichiren Daishonin felt "exactly as they did." With gratitude for Shakyamuni and the Lotus Sutra, and with tears of boundless mercy for all mankind, he revealed the supreme law to be propagated throughout the Latter Day and on into eternity. This is what he means when he says in Requital for the Buddha's Favor, "If Nichiren's mercy is truly great, Nam-myoho-renge-kyo will spread for ten thousand years and more, for all eternity."

We, too, must thank the original Buddha, Nichiren Daishonin, for the treasury he left for us, despite his hardships. With the great joy we have in our faith in true Buddhism, let us tell everyone we can about it and get them as involved and excited as we are, until it spreads to all mankind in future generations.

Persecution and Enlightenment

I cannot hold back my tears when I think of the great persecution confronting me now, or when I think of the joy of attaining Buddhahood in the future. Birds cry, but never shed tears. I, Nichiren, do not cry, but my tears flow ceaselessly. I shed my tears not for worldly affairs but solely for the sake of the Lotus Sutra. So indeed, they must be tears of amrita. The Nirvana Sutra states that while the tears one sheds throughout his many existences on the death of his parents, brothers, sisters, wives, children and followers may surpass the quantity of water in all the seas, he weeps not a drop for Buddhism.

"The great persecution confronting me now," of course, is his exile to Sado. It was indeed a bitter experience, but he underwent this persecution as the votary of the Lotus Sutra. Because he was the votary then, he knew for certain that he would "attain Buddhahood in the future." Whichever way he thought about it, he could not hold back his tears.

Important here is his teaching that "the great persecution" at the moment leads directly to "attaining Buddhahood in the future." To overcome great persecution is to attain enlightenment. A long succession of hardships lies ahead on our way to the human revolution. But only by facing and overcoming them can you attain Buddhahood.

The history of the Soka Gakkai is filled with huge and painful trials, but that is only further proof that it is an organization of "envoys of the Buddha, sent to carry out the Buddha's work." What other person or group in this age has ever suffered so much for the sake of the Lotus Sutra? Some religious bodies are hopelessly degraded, concerned only to deceive their believers and preserve themselves. The single teaching quoted above makes one realize that the Soka Gakkai is an organization that echoes the Daishonin's life, carrying out the Buddha's work exactly as he has willed.

The Gosho states, "Those who overcome hardships and embrace the Lotus Sutra from beginning to end are the envoys of the Buddha." This means that those who endure persecution and oppression and overcome them are equal to Buddhas. Whenever I read this passage I feel renewed enthusiasm for our mission. Ours is a true revolution, not some game played under the cover of religion. Watched by the Buddhas and bodhisattvas throughout time and space, we are waging a decisive battle with the devil that pervades the universe, showing whether or not we can prove Nichiren Daishonin's Buddhism to be true. We cannot allow ourselves to weaken or retreat even a bit. Continue to advance cheerfully and valiantly together with me, fighting as the original Buddha commands, deceived or swayed by no one. Make this noble campaign a record of your own achievement --- one that will be remembered forever.

Tears express the feelings deepest within our hearts. The brief passage above gives a sense of the profound mercy and emotion Nichiren Daishonin felt every moment of his life. "Birds cry, but never shed tears." Birds sing. Some of them are well known for their beautiful calls. But their cries come from instinct, not feeling. "1, Nichiren, do not cry, but my tears flow ceaselessly." This famous phrase seems to show forth the boundless compassion of Nichiren Daishonin.

"I shed my tears not for worldly affairs," he says, "but solely for the sake of the Lotus Sutra." He does not shed tears just because he feels pain, hardship or sadness. His tears are shed as he tries to propagate the Lotus Sutra in order to save people from suffering for all time. "So indeed, they must be tears of amrita." Amrita (also known as ambrosia), according to ancient legends, is the sweet-tasting drink of immortality. The Chinese believed that the heavens let it rain down on paradise, to relieve human beings of all their sufferings and bring them perpetual youth and immortality. Nichiren Daishonin's tears were crystallized into the Dai-Gohonzon of the Three Great Secret Laws to enrich human life, remove suffering and give people unfading youth and eternal life. We can taste the amrita of the Dai-Gohonzon's blessings through our own experience.

The passage of the Nirvana Sutra talks of human life in the past, present and future. It says that we shed more than enough tears for mundane things during the countless lifetimes we live, but not a single tear for Buddhism. It is saying how difficult it is for people to encounter Buddhism and, even when they happen to do so, how rarely they truly have faith in it. Nichiren Daishonin shed tears throughout his life for the sake of Buddhism. In the same spirit let us dedicate our own lives to this noble mission, letting our tears flow for the sake of the True Law.

Mystic Bond

One becomes a votary of the Lotus Sutra by virtue of his practice in past existences. It is karmic relationships that determine which among so many of the same kind of trees are made into images of Buddha. It is also because of karma that some Buddhas are born as provisional ones.

Nichiren Daishonin became a votary of the Lotus Sutra, not because of his relation with the Lotus Sutra in this lifetime, but because of past karma --- because he practiced the sutra in his past existences. Trees are insentient, but some of them "are made into images of Buddha" --- for example, the Gohonzon. Others become bars in a prison. The Daishonin says that "it is karmic relationships that determine" their fate because plants cannot think or act on their own will. What they are made into depends on their inherent karma, and that decides who will use them.

For every effect, there is always a cause that produced it. The law of causality unites past, present and future. There are Buddhas and Buddhas. Some are the Buddhas of Hinayana teachings, others of provisional Mahayana teachings. Each has a different task and a different power, and all of this derives from their karma, from their acts in past existences.

We are engaged in the propagation of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo as true disciples of Nichiren Daishonin, but what about those who have no firm basis for their lives? What they consider to be happiness is as ephemeral as a thin blanket of snow in the noonday sun, as fleeting as a mirage, and as rootless as duckweed floating at the mercy of waves. How fragile, illusionary and empty their way of living is, engulfed in the constant changes of life ! Think of the misery a man feels when stripped of a reputation that once intoxicated him. Or of the petty, short-lived "haughtiness of ashura" --- those who were in some position of authority yesterday, but are removed from power today.

Such people are to be pitied for the weakness and shallowness of their foundation in life. For I know that in the depths of all that flux and phenomenal impermanence, unaffected by anything, lies the ultimate foundation --- the Mystic Law. You must be convinced that people who make that foundation their own have the most meaningful lives of all. My mentor, Josei Toda, was awakened to the fact that his true entity was that of a Bodhisattva of the Earth. When we are awakened to our mission and our true entity, we, too, will feel infinite power welling forth from within. Toda's words, filled with a thousand emotions, still ring in my heart, as in his poem written for me:

Now in bud is the mystic bond
Which we formed of old.
Let it come into full bloom
Stout-hearted and magnificent.

Our predecessors, who developed the Soka Gakkai into what it is today, were always aware of "the mystic bond which we formed of old" as they continued their struggle. You are now fighting as members of the Soka Gakkai, the group of Bodhisattvas of the Earth. Believe that it is because of your past karma, and fight courageously on to accomplish your mission. Attain your ultimate purpose in this life, for only by so doing can you lead a life of complete fulfillment.

Faith, Practice and Study

In this letter, I have written my most important teachings. Grasp their meaning and make them part of your life. Believe in the Gohonzon, the supreme object of worship in the world. Forge strong faith and receive the protection of Shakyamuni, Taho and all the other Buddhas. Exert yourself in the two ways of practice and study. Without practice and study, there can be no Buddhism. You must not only persevere yourself you must also teach others. Both practice and study arise from faith. Teach others to the best of your ability, even if only a single sentence or phrase. Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, Nam-myoho-renge-kyo.

With my deep respect,
Nichiren

The seventeenth day of the fifth month

I touched on the meaning of "my most important teachings" earlier. This Gosho contains the essence of all of Nichiren Daishonin's teachings: the supreme law and core of Buddhism that must be spread in the Latter Day; the revelation of the Buddha of the Latter Day; the way the Daishonin's disciples should practice their faith. Here he tells us again to understand them deeply and make them part of our lives.

"Make them part of your life" means for us to engrave his teachings in our hearts and practice exactly as this Gosho directs. Our Gohonzon is "the supreme object of worship in the world." I believe that the Daishonin's Buddhism is the very religion that can bring peace to humankind and that the Dai-Gohonzon is the crystallization of its essence. The rest depends entirely on our faith. He therefore urges us to "forge strong faith and receive the protection of Shakyamuni, Taho and all the other Buddhas."

Faith is not something that will someday deepen of itself. We must progress positively, with confidence, and no matter what obstacle may hinder us, we must resolve to turn it around and use it to advance another step, with the Gohonzon as our pillar. This requires courage, but if we continue in courageous faith, Shakyamuni, Taho and all the other Buddhas will always protect us.

Shakyamuni's protection is the welling up of Buddha nature --- the most fundamental change that can occur in our lives. Taho's protection appears as a life filled with benefits. The protection of all the other Buddhas means that all those around us will be awakened to the True Law and will, together with us, build an ideal, harmonious human society where peace, equality and justice are at last attained.

"Exert yourself in the two ways of practice and study. Without practice and study, there can be no Buddhism." I hope you have memorized this and all the sentences that follow. I have talked about "practice and study" as stressed in this Gosho on many occasions, so here I will go into the teaching, "Without practice and study, there can be no Buddhism." Buddhism exists in practice and study, in the efforts of living people who practice and study it. Buddhism is not contained in sutras, books, or the characters with which they are written. Nor is it found in the temples or other buildings. Buddhism exists and manifests itself only in the life of each person who studies the Gosho and practices his faith strictly according to the Daishonin's teachings. The Soka Gakkai is carrying out a global movement to propagate Buddhism. Its members remain in close contact with each other and concentrate upon developing the faith of others as well as their own. Remember that the true stream of Buddhism only lives and breathes in the association and mutual encouragement of us believers.

"You must not only persevere yourself; you must also teach others." This is the principle of jigyo and keta: to practice Buddhism for ourselves and also teach it to other people. We must become happy ourselves, and at the same time make others happy.

"Both practice and study arise from faith." Faith is the basis of both practice and study, and faith is always manifested as practice and study. These three --- faith, practice and study --- become the most important objective of the Soka Gakkai.

"Teach others to the best of your ability, even if only a single sentence or phrase." This tells us to do shakubuku to the full extent of our capabilities and to the degree that our circumstances allow, even if we can only teach others a single sentence or phrase of Buddhism.

Eternally Master and Disciple

Postscript:

I have already passed on to you many of my important teachings. Those I have revealed to you in this letter are especially important. Is there not a mystic bond between us ? Are you not the embodiment of one of the Four Bodhisattvas of the Earth headed by Jogyo who led bodhisattvas equal in number to the sands of the sixty thousand Ganges Rivers? There must be some profound reason for our relationship. I have given you some of the most important teachings relating to my own life and practice. Nichiren may be one of the countless Bodhisattvas of the Earth, for I have been chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo out of my desire to guide all the men and women in Japan. Hence the phrase of the sutra: "Among the bodhisattvas are four who led the entire multitude: The first is called Jogyo; [the second, Muhengyo; the third, Jyogyo; and the fourth, Anryugyo.] They are the four highest leaders." Our deep relationship in the past has made you one of my disciples. By all means keep these matters to yourself. Nichiren has herein committed to writing the teachings of his own enlightenment. I will end here.

"Those I have revealed to you in this letter are especially important." I discussed this sentence at the beginning of this lecture. Nichiren Daishonin gave several very important Gosho to Sairenbo, including Heritage of the Ultimate Law of Life, Enlightenment of Plants, and On Prayer. Here he says that this Gosho, The True Entity of Life, contains the most important of all the teachings he has ever conveyed to Sairenbo. He asks if there is not a mystic bond between the two of them, master and disciple. This Gosho carries "the main teachings" concerning Nichiren Daishonin himself --- those on the enlightenment and practice of the Buddha of the Latter Day. Sairenbo, the Daishonin declares, must be one of the Bodhisattvas of the Earth, born with a vital mission for kosen-rufu in the Latter Day.

The Daishonin is using strong- understatement when he says, "Nichiren may be one of the countless Bodhisattvas of the Earth," but it implies that in a transient sense he is Jogyo, the foremost of the four greatest leaders of those bodhisattvas, and that his true entity is the original Buddha from time without beginning. In a word, it expresses his conviction that he is the Buddha of the Latter Day of the Law.

"For I have been chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo out of my desire to guide all the men and women in Japan." He says "all the men and women in Japan," but what he really means is "all the people in the world for all eternity." No one other than Nichiren Daishonin ever strove to save all mankind with the Law of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo in the Latter Day. He is therefore the supreme leader of the Bodhisattvas of the Earth and the Buddha of the Latter Day.

"Our deep relationship in the past has made you one of my disciples." Here again he stresses the mystic bond and reminds Sairenbo of his mission. A passage from Reply to Sairenbo reads, "In your letter you say, 'From now on I will forsake all the heretical teachers I have hitherto followed, and regard you, and you alone, as the teacher of the True Law.' But I do not understand this." Why does he say he doesn't understand it? He gives the reason in a fairly long paragraph that follows, but the heart of it is this: "We have been master and disciple ever since the infinite past. This is not a relationship which we just happened to form for the first time in this life. It is not an accidental encounter."

From the Buddhist viewpoint, "I do not understand this" has profound meaning. Sairenbo's words are fitting from a superficial standard. But the Daishonin delved much deeper into the Buddhist master-disciple relationship because he knew of the three existences of life.

This applies to us as well. We did not "just happen" to encounter the Daishonin's Buddhism in this lifetime. Nichiren Daishonin and we have been master and disciples since the infinite past. The members of the Soka Gakkai have always been brothers, sisters and friends. And now we have again come together in this world, assuming new personalities and positions, and are marching onward to accomplish our mission for kosen-rufu.

The infinite past is here and now. Let us always remember that we, united by bonds we established in the infinite past, must advance hand in hand as brothers and sisters of Buddhism. As we learned earlier, "There can be no discontinuity between past, present and future." Our togetherness at this moment is a mirror of life reflecting both the remote past and the distant future. Believing this, let us continue to enlarge our circle of itai doshin (many in body, one in mind), studying together, respecting and encouraging one another.

To borrow the Daishonin's words, "our deep relationship in the past has made" us members of the Soka Gakkai. You have great capabilities accruing from that relationship, and your responsibilities are equally great. As a line in the "Song of Human Revolution" goes, "You have a mission to accomplish in this world."

"By all means keep these matters to yourself. Nichiren has herein committed to writing the teachings of his own enlightenment." The people in the Daishonin's day could not grasp the ultimate essence of his Buddhism. Out of consideration for the unthinking doubts they might harbor, he told Sairenbo to keep the letter to himself. But it also means that we must imprint his teachings indelibly on our lives. He concludes by saying that this, The True Entity of Life, is an important writing which consists of "the teachings of his own enlightenment."

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