Gosho Study

 

“The Opening of the Eyes (1)”                   

 

Learning from the Gosho:  The Eternal Teachings of Nichiren Daishonin,  Pgs. 49-58

Major Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, Volume 2, pages 59-188 [71-214]

Living Buddhism, January 1998, Pages

 

         Possible supplemental resources:

 

Pg.  2      Background:  Time-line:  The events & Goshos written between Tatsunokuchi Persecution

                  and the Daishonin’s move to Ichinosawa

                  Major Writings selections

                  President Ikeda’s speeches

Pg.  3      Standing up for justice          Proclaim the truth

                  Major Writings selections

                  Buddhism in Action, Vol. 7, pg. 351

                  Buddhism in Action,  Vol. V, pg. 94

Pg.  5      Have courage

                  Major Writings selections

                  President Ikeda’s speeches

Pg.  6      Nichiren Daishonin’s compassion

                  Major Writings selections

                  President Ikeda’s speeches

Pg.  7      Protection for those who take action

                  Major Writings selections

                  President Ikeda’s speeches

Pg.  9      Source of strength:  compassion

                  Major Writings selections

                  President Ikeda’s speeches

Pg.  10     Dialogue

                  Major Writings selections

                  President Ikeda’s speeches

Pg.  13     Propagation

                  Major Writings selections

                  President Ikeda’s speeches

Pg.  14     Dialogue & action

                  Major Writings selections

                  President Ikeda’s speeches

Pg.  15     Sunlight - dispelling darkness

                  Major Writings selections

                  President Ikeda’s speeches

 

 

Tatsunokuchi Persecution - Sado Exile Time-Line

 

1271

     Sept. 10th               Second remonstration with Hei no Saemon

     Sept. 11th               Nichiren Daishonin arrested

     Sept. 12th           Tatsunokuchi persecution:  government tries to execute Nichiren

     Sept. 13th               Government confines the Daishonin to the residence of Honma Rokurozaemon in Echi,                                                         Sagami Province

      Sept. 14th                      Letter from Echi written to Toki Jonin (MW 7, 17)

      Sept. 21st                       The Persecution at Tatsunokuchi written to Shijo Kingo   (MW 1, 13)

      Oct. 5th                        Lessening the Karmic Retribution written to Ota Saemon, Soya Nyudo & Kimbara Hokyo (MW1,17)

      Oct.  (D?)                       Banishment to Sado written to Enjo-bo   (MW 5, 123)

      Oct. 9th                          Letter to Priest Nichiro in Prison written to Nichiro   (MW 5, 127)

     Oct. 10th                 Leaves Echi bound for Sado

     Oct. 21st                 Arrives at Teradomari in Echigo - forced to wait out the storms

      Oct. 22nd                       Letter from Teradomari written to Toki Jonin   (MW 4, 97)

     Oct. 28th                 Reaches Sado Island

     November 1st     Arrives at Tsukahara

     Nov. 23rd               Aspiration for the Buddha Land written to Toki Jonin   (MW 5, 129)

                                                (1st letter written from Sado)

 

1272

     Jan 16th               Tsukahara Debate

      Jan 17th                         Hokke Jodo Mondo Sho written to (R?)    (GZ 117)

     Feb.  (D?)              Sairen-bo Nichijo becomes the Daishonin’s disciple

     Feb. 11th               Heritage of the Ultimate Law of Life written to Sairen-bo Nichijo   (MW 1, 21)

      Feb. 18th                        Hasshu Imoku Sho written to Toki Jonin     (GZ 154)

     Feb. 20th                Somoku Jobutsu Guketsu written to Sairen-bo Nichijo     (GZ 1338)

     Feb.  (D?)              The Opening of the Eyes written to Shijo Kingo & All believers   (MW 2, 59 [71])

     March 13th             On the Treasure Tower written to Abutsubo   (MW 1, 29)

     March 20th           Letter from Sado written to Toki Jonin & All believers   (MW 1, 33)

     April 3rd                 Moves to Ichinosawa on Sado Island

 

Background

 

After everyone had gone, I began to put into shape a work in two volumes, called “Kaimoku Sho” or The Opening of the Eyes, which I had been working on since the eleventh month of the previous year.  I wanted to record the wonder I had experienced, in case I should be beheaded.  The essential message in this work, which I had entrusted to Shijo Kingo’s messenger, is that the destiny of Japan depends solely upon me.

         On The Buddha’s Behavior, MW-1, 189

 

         For the cause of the Lotus Sutra, I, Nichiren, have likewise been driven from my dwelling and attacked on many occasions, suffering wounds on my body.  My disciples have been killed.  I have twice been condemned to exile in distant regions.  And, once, I was almost beheaded.  All this I bore for the sake of the Lotus Sutra.

         Myoho Bikuni Gohenji, GZ, 1416

 

President Ikeda

 

Selected Lectures on the Gosho, pages 77-78

         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.

 

Buddhism in Action, Vol. 7, page 351

Such was the life-condition of the original Buddha!  He was delighted to receive insults and abuse for the sake of the Lotus Sutra, regarding them as an honor.

 

Buddhism in Action,  Vol. V

The Sinking of the Titanic:  A Study in Human Behavior,  Feb. 7, 1987,  Malibu, California, USA

         [Pg. 94]  In thirteenth-century Japan, despite the extremely harsh winter conditions on Sado Island, Nichiren Daishonin stated:  “I, Nichiren am the richest man in all of present-day Japan [MW 2, 175].”  In an environment where his very existence was threatened by Nembutsu believers, the life of Nichiren Daishonin shone from within.  Although his surroundings were hellish, and he himself suffered from hunger and cold, he was in the supreme state of Buddhahood.  We should never forget this.

         When we chant daimoku to the Gohonzon, we can fuse our lives with the life of the Buddha and reveal the supreme state of life from within ourselves.  In this sense, those of us who are devoted to faith should be aware that we are the “richest” people in the world.  When you base yourself upon such resolute faith, you can experience from within an outburst of unlimited life force and creativity.

 

Standing up for justice                 Proclaim the truth

 

It is important to speak with even greater conviction to those who slander the Mystic Law.

            Kyo'o Gozen Gosho, GZ-1123

 

The voice does the Buddha's work (koe butsuji o nasu).  This is the meaning of kyo (sutra).

            Record of the Orally Transmitted Teachings, Ongi Kuden, GZ-708

 

Do not spare your voice.

            Record of the Orally Transmitted Teachings, Ongi Kuden, GZ-726

 

Likewise the people of Japan, by becoming enemies of the Lotus Sutra, bring ruin on themselves and their country.  And because I proclaim this, I am called arrogant by those of little understanding.  But I do not speak out of arrogance.  It is simply that if I did not speak out, I would not be the votary of the Lotus Sutra.  Moreover, when my words prove later to be true, people will be able to believe all the more readily.  And because I write this down now, the people of the future will recognize my wisdom.

            The Supremacy of the Law, MW-3, 200

 

The Buddha taught us to rely on the sutras if the Buddhist teachers should be in error.  You say those teachers could not possibly be in error, but between the Buddha's golden words and your personal opinion, I am committed to the former....  As a priest, how can you not speak out when evil doctrines spread throughout the land, when the people fall into the evil paths and the country stands on the brink of ruin?

            Letter of Petition from Yorimoto, MW-5, 213

 

Only honest priests who desire little and are happy with whatever they have can be called ‘priests’ in the true sense of the word. . . .  In the Nirvana Sutra, Shakyamuni stated, ‘If even a good priest sees someone slandering the Law and disregards him, failing to reproach him, to oust him or to punish him for his offense, then that priest is betraying Buddhism.  But if he takes the slanderer severely to task, drives him off or punishes him, then he is my disciple and one who truly understands my teachings.’  Never forget this admonition against ignoring another’s slander of Buddhism.  Both master and disciple will surely fall into the hell of incessant suffering if they see enemies of the Lotus Sutra and fail to reproach them.  The Great Teacher Nan-yueh wrote, ‘They will fall into hell with evil men.’  To seek enlightenment without repudiating slander is as futile as trying to find water in the midst of fire or fire in the midst of water.

         Admonitions Against Slander, MW-1, 165

 

No matter what great deed one may perform, even if he reads and transcribes the entirety of the Lotus Sutra a thousand or ten thousand times or masters the meditation to perceive ichinen sanzen, should he but fail to denounce the enemies of the Lotus Sutra, he will be unable to attain the Way.            Encouragement to a Sick Person, MW-6, 24

 

It is not that one does not recall the evil accusations, the sticks and stones that were suffered by Bodhisattva Fukyo.  It is not that one is unafraid of the world.  It is just that the censures of the Lotus Sutra are even more severe.

         Letter to Akimoto, MW-7, 199

 

The Great Teacher Nan-yueh has stated, ‘If one sees a foe of the Lotus Sutra and yet fails to censure him, one becomes a slanderer of the Law and will fall into the hell of incessant suffering.’  Even a man of great wisdom, if he sees such a person and fails to speak out, will fall into the depths of the hell of incessant suffering, and as long as that hell shall endure, he will never escape.

         Letter to Akimoto, MW-7, 206

 

"The meaning of this passage is that, if a practitioner of Buddhism should fail to chastise evil persons who slander the Law but give himself up entirely to meditation and contemplation, not attempting to distinguish between correct or incorrect doctrines, provisional or true teachings, but rather pretending to be a model of compassion, then such a person will fall into the evil paths along with other doers of evil".

         Conversation between a Sage and an Unenlightened Man, Part II, MW-5, 109

 

World Tribune, November 7, 1997, page 7 (9-25-97, 15th HQ Leaders Meeting, Hachioji, Japan)

There are many people who live ordinary and conscientious lives untouched by storms of hardship.  While such an existence is noble in its own right, it is those who fight for justice at the risk of their lives to create a better society, a better future, a better way forward, whom I respect most highly and for whom I feel the deepest understanding.

 

         This is an example of wisdom -- the wisdom of the people.  Such wisdom is needed to win.

         We, too, have to make ourselves heard.  We have to speak out for what we believe in.  When we, the people, boldly state our true conviction -- never losing our optimism or sense of humor -- the times will change.  When it comes to speaking out for justice, there isn’t any need for restraint.  On the contrary, to be reserved or hesitant under such circumstances is wrong.

 

Buddhism in Action, Vol. V, p. 75-6,  Jan. 15, 1987,  Tokyo, Japan

This passage tells us that ordinary people should voice their views on what they think is right to people of power who influence society. . . .  However many people there are who timidly yield to the powerful, and are totally silent and without spirit, left to them alone the reformation of society can never take place.  Therefore, we must have a great deal of courage for the sake of the Law, other people and society.  If we lose the compassion and courage to champion the interests of women, children and the fragile, we have no right to call ourselves Buddhists.  We must never become timid persons who cannot protect the weak and the young.

 

Have courage

 

The shallow is easy to embrace, but the profound is difficult.  To discard the shallow and seek the profound requires courage.

         On the Buddha's Prophecy, MW-1, 117

 

You should not have the slightest fear in your heart.  It is lack of courage that prevents one from attaining Buddhahood, although one may have professed faith in the Lotus Sutra many times since innumerable kalpas ago.

         The Three Obstacles and Four Devils, MW-2, 244 [288]

 

In this turbulent world [rampant with persecution] that conjures up images of howling winds buffeting the grasses and lightning striking terror in people's hearts, it is most wondrous that you should maintain your trust in this faith.  It is said that if the roots of the tree are deep, the leaves will not wither, and if there is a gem in a spring, the water will never run dry.  Likewise, your faith is always fresh and resolute, probably because the roots of your faith are deep, and the gem of courageous faith shines in your heart.  How respectworthy and admirable this is.

         Kubo no Ama Gozen Gohenji, GZ, 1479

 

World Tribune, November 7, 1997, page 8 (9-25-97, 15th HQ Leaders Meeting, Hachioji, Japan)

It is absolutely essential to cut evil off at the root.  The Daishonin instructs his disciples:  “Nichiren’s disciples cannot accomplish anything if they are cowardly” (MW-4, 128) and “Do not expect good times, but take the bad times for granted” (MW-1, 242).  He also tells us, “One should regard meeting obstacles as true peace and comfort” (GZ, 750).

         If we correctly practice the Lotus Sutra, just as the Daishonin teaches, difficulties are sure to arise.  The very appearance of obstacles, however, is proof that we are genuine practitioners.  In the modern age, the successive presidents of the Soka Gakkai have borne the full brunt of persecution for the sake of Buddhism.

         I hope that each of you, too, will advance with the strong conviction that “many evil forces are vanquished by a single great truth: (MW-1, 154) and that “Nam-myoho-renge-kyo is like the roar of a lion” (MW-1, 119).

 

Buddhism in Action,  Vol. IV, pg. 194-5,  Sept. 23, 1986,  Tokyo, Japan

Based on a firm conviction in the Buddhism of Nichiren Daishonin, we should live with confidence and pride as emissaries of the Buddha; such confidence and pride will cause an infinite flow of courage to burst forth in one’s life.  A person with this conviction is not daunted by the social status or power of others.  A person whose life is filled with compassion and courageous devotion to the True Law has nothing to fear, no matter what obstacles may arise.  A person who leads a life with such firm conviction is superior to any ostentatious celebrity or scholar, full of empty ideology.  This is the core of the Buddhist view of human nature.

 

Buddhism in Action,  Vol. IV, pg. 231,  Oct. 26, 1986,  Tokyo, Japan

In order to live our lives fully as human beings, it is very important that we ponder deeply this relationship between the virtue of courage and its respective extremes.  Just as the Daishonin states in the Gosho, “Nichiren’s disciples cannot accomplish anything if they are cowardly” (MW-4, 128) we must never be timid, either in our personal affairs or in the realm of faith.  Again, there are cases where a rash or reckless person may appear to have strong faith.  However, recklessness and strong faith are entirely different.  Someone who is reckless is apt to develop faith like fire, which flares up but has neither consistency nor sustaining power.  He is prone to act in a manner inconsistent with reason and common sense, and so is likely to lose his footing in life and to be off balance in his daily activities.

 

Nichiren Daishonin’s compassion

 

When the skies are clear, the ground is illuminated.  Similarly, when one knows the Lotus Sutra, he understands the meaning of all worldly affairs.  "Showing profound compassion for those ignorant of the gem of ichinen sanzen, the True Buddha wrapped it within the single phrase Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, with which he then adorned the necks of those living in the Latter Day.

         The True Object of Worship, MW-1, 82

 

Chang-an wrote, 'If you befriend another person but lack the mercy to correct him, you are in fact his enemy.'  The consequences of this offense are extremely difficult to erase.  The most important thing is to continually strengthen your own compassion to save others from their slanderous nature....  Reprove a person for acting against Buddhism when necessary so that both of you can forestall the consequences of slander.

         The Embankments of Faith, MW-1, 158

 

I vowed to summon up a powerful and unconquerable desire for the salvation of all beings, and never to falter in my efforts.

         The Opening of the Eyes (I), MW-2, 96 [114]

 

When it comes to understanding the Lotus Sutra, I have only a minute fraction of the vast ability that T’ien-t’ai and Dengyo possessed.  But in my ability to endure persecution and the wealth of my compassion for others, I believe I would put them to shame.  As a votary of the Lotus Sutra, I firmly believe that I will come under the protection of the gods, and yet I do not see the slightest sign of this.  On the contrary, I fall under growing accusation for the crimes I am said to commit.  In view of this, am I perhaps then not a votary of the Lotus Sutra after all?  Or have the numerous benevolent deities of heaven who vowed to protect the votary of the Lotus Sutra perhaps taken leave and departed from this land of Japan?  I find myself in much perplexity.

         The Opening of the Eyes (I), MW-2, 100 [118]

 

If Nichiren's compassion is truly great and encompassing, Nam-myoho-renge-kyo will spread for ten thousand years and more, for all eternity, for it has the beneficial power to open the blind eyes of every living being in the country of Japan, and it blocks off the road that leads to the hell of incessant suffering.

         Repaying Debts of Gratitude, MW-4, 272

 

"Bodhisattva Never Disparaging’s (Fukyo's) practice to pay reverence to people is compassionate, for he taught that all people are to become Buddhas.  Though he was attacked with sticks and staves, tiles and stones by those who would not listen to him, he continued to expound the true teachings and thereby caused them to form a relationship with Buddhism.  He did so because he possessed compassion."

         Record of the Orally Transmitted Teachings, Ongi Kuden, GZ, 769

 

I have merely been trying to make all the people of Japan hold in their mouths the five or seven characters of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo.  Mine is like the compassion of a mother trying to breast-feed her baby.

         Kangyo Hachiman Sho, GZ, 585

 

All the sufferings of the people are without exception Nichiren’s own sufferings.

         Kangyo Hachiman Sho, GZ, 587

 

Joy is to share wisdom and compassion with self and others.

         Record of the Orally Transmitted Teachings, Ongi Kuden, GZ, 761

 

When both oneself and others have wisdom and compassion, this is called joy.

         Record of the Orally Transmitted Teachings, Ongi Kuden, GZ, 761

 

Protection for those who take action

 

         What caused you to believe in the Lotus Sutra and to make offerings to me during my more than thirty-day stay there?  I was hated and resented by the steward and people of the district even more than I was in Kamakura.  Those who saw me scowled, while those who merely heard my name were filled with spite.  And yet, though I was there in the fifth month when rice was scarce, you secretly fed me.  It would almost seem as though my parents had been reborn in Kawana close to Ito in Izu Province.

         The Izu Exile, MW-2, 54-5 [53-4]

 

         Although unworthy, Nichiren propagates the Lotus Sutra; hence devils have competed to deprive him of food.  Understanding this, I have no complaint, but I believe that I survived this time only because Shakyamuni Buddha sent you to assist me. . . .

         General Stone Tiger, MW-1, 226

 

         The fourth volume of the Lotus Sutra states, ‘[If after I (Shakyamuni) have entered extinction there are those who can expound this sutra, I will send . . . monks and nuns] and men and women of pure faith, to offer alms to the teachers of the Law.’¹  The meaning of this sutra passage is that the heavenly gods and benevolent deities will assume various forms such as men and women and present offerings to help one who practices the Lotus Sutra.  There can be no doubt that you and your wife were born as just such a man and woman of pure faith and now make offerings to the teacher of the Law, Nichiren.

         The Izu Exile, MW-2, 55 [54]

 

Whatever heaven’s design in the matter may have been, every single steward and Nembutsu believer worthy of the name kept strict watch on my hut day and night, determined to prevent anyone from communicating with me.  Never in any lifetime will I forget how under those circumstances you, with Abutsu-bo, carrying a wooden container of food on his back, again and again came in the night to bring me aid.  It was as though my deceased mother had suddenly been reborn in this province of Sado.

         Sutra of True Requital, MW-6, 255

 

One may ask why the results of these vows should be so long in appearing.  And yet, though one might point at the earth and miss it, though one might bind up the sky, though the tides might cease to ebb and flow and the sun rise up from the west, it could never come about that the prayers of the practitioner of the Lotus Sutra would go unanswered.  If the bodhisattvas, the human and heavenly beings, the eight kinds of non-human beings, the two sages, the two heavenly deities and the ten demon daughters would by some unlikely chance fail to appear and protect the practitioner of the Lotus Sutra, then they would be showing disdain for Shakyamuni and the other Buddhas above, and below they would be guilty of deceiving the beings of the nine realms.

         It makes no difference if the practitioner himself is lacking worth, defective in wisdom, impure in his person and lacking in virtue derived from observing the precepts.  So long as he chants Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, they will invariably protect him.

         On Prayer, MW-7, 46

 

Shakyamuni, Taho and all Buddhas in the ten directions, Bonten and Taishaku and the other Buddhist gods vowed to protect the votaries of the Lotus Sutra in the fifth 500-year period.  This is surely the time which their pledge refers.

         The Daichido Ron states, '[The Lotus Sutra is like a great physician who] changes poison into medicine.'  T'ien-t'ai says, 'Poison is changed into medicine.'  If the character myo is not a lie, then clear reward and punishment cannot fail to shortly appear.

         Shonin to Gohenji, GZ, 1455

 

World Tribune, January 12, 1996, p.8

SGI President Ikeda's speech at the Kansai and Shiga Prefecture Executive Conference, Oct. 8, 1995.

 

"The People Are Central"        The Power of Daimoku Moves the Universe

'How infinite is the power of our daimoku, the sound of the Mystic law!  Our daimoku can activate and summon forth the supremely noble Buddha nature inherent in all living beings throughout the universe.  That is why it is possible for us to transform any situation, no matter how dire, into an instance of protection by the heavenly deities, for us to turn everything in our environment into an ally.'

 

World Tribune, January 26, 1996, p. 12

SGI President Ikeda's speech at the 93rd Headquarters Leaders meeting, Nov. 23, 1995

 

         "Daimoku:  The Great Sound of Hope Permeates the Universe"

 

The Daishonin says:  'There is no place among the worlds of the ten directions that the sound of our voices chanting daimoku cannot reach.  Our voices may be small, but when we intone the powerful sound of daimoku, there is no place in the universe that they do not penetrate.  To illustrate, even though our voices are small, when we blow into a conch shell the sound resounds far and wide.  And while the sound of a hand clap is slight, when we use our hands to beat a drum the sound carries a great distance.  This is the crucial doctrine of a single life moment encompassing three thousand realms.'  (Oko Kikigaki, GZ, 808)

 

World Tribune, March 29, 1996

True and lasting happiness only and always comes from our own efforts, our own wisdom, our own good fortune.  This is a fundamental truth.  Faith is the key to strengthening our efforts, wisdom and good fortune; SGI activities are the key to strengthening ourselves.…

         In the Gosho, the Daishonin indicates that wherever those who uphold the Mystic Law frolic or play, no harm will come to them; they will be free from fear, like the lion king (Reply to Kyo’o, MW-1, 119–20).  Each of us will be able to savor such a state of life of perfect freedom throughout eternity.  That is why we practice faith.

 

The Buddhist gods will surely manifest as men and women and make offerings to the votary of the Lotus Sutra.

         Record of the Orally Transmitted Teachings, GZ, 738  [S:  WT 10-24-97, p10]

 

World Tribune, October 24, 1997, pgs. 10-11 (Aug. 27, 1997 14th HQ Leaders Meeting, Hachioji)

Broadly speaking, “votary of the Lotus Sutra” indicates all those who are working for kosen-rufu.  When we take action for the Mystic Law, the Buddhist gods -- appearing as men and women -- will function in various ways to protect us.

         In some instances, “Buddhist gods” might indicate such beneficial functions of nature as water or wind.  But that is not the only form they take.  The Daishonin says that they “manifest as men and women.”  In other words, their functions are expressed through the actions of the people around us.  Above all, no one offers us greater support than our fellow members.  Their presence is deeply gratifying.  Through their actions, they are truly Buddhist gods.

         If we work hard to support and encourage a thousand of our fellow members, a thousand Buddhist gods will protect us.  If we support 10,000 of our fellow members, 10,000 Buddhist gods will protect us.  If we manipulate our fellow members for our selfish ends, however, the Buddhist gods will turn their backs on us in lifetime after lifetime.  Do we exploit the members, or do we serve them?  It comes down to this one point.

 

 

Source of strength:  compassion

 

I certainly have no intention of censuring the sons of the Buddha.  My only hatred is for the act of slandering the Law.

         Rissho Ankoku Ron, MW-2, 35 [40]

 

         I, Nichiren, am the only person in all Japan who understands this.  But if I utter so much as a word concerning it, then parents, brothers and teachers will surely censure me and the ruler of the nation will take steps against me.  On the other hand, I am fully aware that if I do not speak out, I will be lacking in compassion.  I have considered which course to take in the light of the teachings of the Lotus and Nirvana sutras.  If I remain silent, I may escape persecutions in this lifetime, but in my next life I will most certainly fall into the hell of incessant suffering.  If I speak out, I am fully aware that I will have to contend with the three obstacles and four devils.  But of these two courses, surely the latter is the one to choose.

         If I were to falter in my determination in the face of persecutions by the sovereign, however, it would be better not to speak out.

         The Opening of the Eyes (I), MW-2, 95 [113]

 

         Whether tempted by good or threatened by evil, if one casts aside the Lotus Sutra, one destines oneself for hell.  Here I will make a great vow.  Though I might be offered the rulership of Japan if I would only abandon the Lotus Sutra, accept the teachings of the Kammuryoju Sutra and look forward to rebirth in the pure land, though I might be told that my father and mother will have their heads cut off if I do not recite the Nembutsu-whatever obstacles I might encounter, so long as men of wisdom do not prove my teachings to be false, I will never yield!  All other troubles are no more to me than dust before the wind.

         I will be the pillar of Japan.  I will be the eyes of Japan.  I will be the great ship of Japan.  This is my vow, and I will never forsake it!

         The Opening of the Eyes (II), MW-2, 175 [200]

 

As the sutra itself says, 'To make certain that the Law will long endure, they have come to this place.'  One may surmise from this that Shakyamuni, Taho and the other Buddhas intend to insure the future propagation of the Lotus Sutra so that it can be made available to every single living being in times to come.  Their concern and compassion are even greater than that of a father and mother who see their only child afflicted with great suffering

         The Opening of the Eyes (II), MW-2, 186-7 [212]

 

         When I speak in this way, the ruler and others may think I am making threats, but I in no way speak out of hatred.  I speak out of profound compassion to let them eradicate in this life the tortures of the hell of incessant suffering into which they are otherwise destined to fall.  The Great Teacher Chang-an said:  "He makes it possible for the offender to rid himself of evil, and thus he acts like a parent to the offender.”  I, Nichiren, who admonish them for their evil, am father and mother to the ruler and the teacher of all mankind.

         The Royal Palace, MW-3, 74

 

And yet people fail to understand this principle or to examine the matter, but instead seek worldly reputation or give way to suspicion and prejudice, thus forming the basis for falling into hell.  All that is desired is that people embrace this sutra and cast their name upon the sea of vows made by the Buddhas of the ten directions, that they entrust their honor to the heaven that is the compassion of the bodhisattvas of the three existences.

         Questions & Answers on Embracing the Lotus Sutra, MW-5, 28

 

All Buddhas and bodhisattvas are our compassionate parents.  You should understand that the ultimate principle of compassion that these Buddhas and bodhisattvas use to instruct living beings is contained nowhere but in the Lotus Sutra….  This is the reason why the Lotus Sutra is superior to all other sutras.

         Sho Hokke Daimoku Sho, GZ, 9

 

To work out solutions according to the sufferings of the people is compassion; this condition of life is called bodhisattva.

         Record of the Orally Transmitted Teachings, Ongi Kuden, GZ, 774

 

Only the Lotus Sutra reveals that a woman can attain Buddhahood, and therefore I have come to realize that this sutra is the very one that makes possible true requital for a mother's kindness.  To repay that debt, I have vowed to enable all women to chant the daimoku of this sutra.

         The Sutra of True Requital, MW-6, 251

 

All Bodhisattvas make four vows without fail.  Unless they achieve their first vow of ‘saving innumerable living beings,’ they will not be able to fulfill their fourth vow of ‘attaining the supreme enlightenment.’

         Shojo Daijo Funbetsu Sho, GZ, 522

 

World Tribune, March 29, 1996

True and lasting happiness only and always comes from our own efforts, our own wisdom, our own good fortune.  This is a fundamental truth.  Faith is the key to strengthening our efforts, wisdom and good fortune; SGI activities are the key to strengthening ourselves. . . .

In the Gosho, the Daishonin indicates that wherever those who uphold the Mystic Law frolic or play, no harm will come to them; they will be free from fear, like the lion king (Reply to Kyo’o, MW-1, 119–20).  Each of us will be able to savor such a state of life of perfect freedom throughout eternity.  That is why we practice faith.

 

Dialogue on the Lotus Sutra #,  Living Buddhism, June 1997, Pg. 34

The Daishonin says, "Anger can be found in good and evil alike" (Kangyo Hachiman Sho, GZ, 584).  Anger directed toward evil is good.  Anger that derives from egotism is evil.  Anger itself cannot be called either good or evil.  Good and evil are relative.  It is important, therefore, that we actively seek to create “good relations.”

 

Dialogue

 

The Buddha, the World-Honored One, is a man of truthful words.  Therefore he is designated the sage and the great man.  In the non-Buddhist scriptures of India and China there are also persons called worthy men, sages or heavenly ascetics because they speak words of truth.  But because the Buddha surpasses all these, he is known as the great man.

            The Opening of the Eyes (I), MW-2, 72 [86]

 

You should always talk with one another and surmount the sufferings of life and death to attain the pure land of Eagle Peak, where you may agree and speak in one mind.

         On Flowers and Seeds, MW-1, 218

 

In this defiled age, you should always talk together and never cease to pray for your next life.

         The Votary of the Lotus Sutra Will Meet Persecution, MW-6, 78

 

All my disciples and followers should read and listen to this letter.  Those who are in earnest should discuss it with one another.

            The Votary of the Lotus Sutra Will Meet Persecution, MW 6, 83

 

This is the ship in ‘a ship to make the crossing,’ the vessel of Myoho-renge-kyo.  Those who board it are the disciples and followers of Nichiren.  Believe this wholeheartedly.  When you visit Shijo Kingo, please have an earnest talk with him.  I will write you again.

         A Ship to Cross the Sea of Suffering, MW-1, 11

 

He awoke to the error of his views, however, when he talked with Bodhisattva Asanga.

         Curing Karmic Disease, MW-2, 216 [250]

 

Someone reported to me that you had fallen ill.  Day and night, dawn and dusk, I prayed to the heavens.  Today I learned that you had recovered, and my joy knows no bounds.  Let us talk in more detail the next time we meet.

         Jobyo Gosho, GZ, 1298

 

Say these things mildly but firmly in a quiet voice with a calm gaze and an even expression.

         Teaching, Practice and Proof, MW-4, 122

 

The New Human Revolution,  Volume 4,  Rissho Ankoku Chapter

[Pg. 234]  In the “Rissho Ankoku Ron,” Nichiren adopts the form of a dialogue between a guest who laments the state of the world and a host who upholds Buddhism.  This format illustrates that Buddhism is spread by inspiration and agreement born of personal dialogue founded on sound logic, and not through coercion or pressure.

 

A New Humanism, Radicalism Revisited, Pgs 169-176 (Claremont McKenna College) "The application of external, coercive force will always destroy some aspect of our total humanity and compromise the balance and integrity of life."  (Pg. 172)

 

Choose Peace, pg. 22

Ikeda:  Socrates (470-399 BC), one of the greatest of all dialogists, warns against falling victim to the sickness of misology (the hatred of argument or reasoning), which must be as avidly avoided as misanthropy.  In a sense, to hate engaging in dialogue is to hate people.  Although war and oppression often begin with their suppression, trust and love are precisely the forces that sustain and cultivate freedom of speech and dialogue, ultimately enabling them to bear precious fruit.

[Pg 38] Galtung:  Verbal expression is of course very important.  And, for a person who must communicate and engage in dialogues frequently, certain conclusions about them take shape.

         Ideally, communication should be two-way.  I find television and radio performances very unsatisfactory.  Books, too, are a one-way communication.  Of course, the writing of books helps authors develop their own ways of thinking, and written texts may trigger autonomous thought-processes in readers.  Although I do not disregard the value of teleconferences, there is no substitute for direct, face-to-face dialogue.

         I often find that I communicate best by avoiding a direct approach and by employing such powerful communications devices as images, visions, models and metaphors.  One system of metaphors that I recently used extensively is the comparison between peace and health. . . [Pg. 39]  Humor is another important aspect of verbal communication. . . .  I see the dialogue as almost the opposite of the debate.  There are winners and losers in debates.  One party triumphs over the opponent by catching him or her in contradictions between values and facts or on facts or values.  The dialogue, however, is open-ended.  Participating in a dialogue in which the outcome is known from the start is a waste of time.  Dialogues must promote mutual enrichment; in them there can be only winners.  Both parties lay all their cards -- their insights -- on the table, holding nothing back to trump with later.  Like love, the dialogue is generous.  It can be beautiful.  I am always grateful not only to my fellow participants in dialogues, but also to the dialogue itself as a human possibility.

 

Ikeda:  Like you, by dialogue I mean mutually enriching, free and open discussion.  A true dialogue must be a candid, sincere engagement.  There is no place in it for condescension or false familiarity.  Dialogues are most productive when they are incandescent, person-to-person exchanges of opinion. . . .  [Pg. 40]  At their best, dialogues are unaffected encounters between two total personalities. . . .  I consider dialogue one of the noblest and most important acts in which human beings can participate.  I have taken part in as many as possible in the past and, on the basis of my firm belief in their value, am resolved to continue doing so for the rest of my life.

 

[Pg. 63-4]  Ikeda:  [Gandhi] realized that human beings are the true starting point and that, to be long-lasting, all external revolutions must arise from internal revolutions.  The more violent the times, the more unflinchingly human beings must direct their searching gazes inward.  This is the eternal theme to which he would have us all return.

Galtung:  The full human capability for both outer dialogue with others and inner dialogue with the self provides a good starting point for searching inward gazes.  In my view, together the inner and outer dialogues constitute the essence of the praxis of Buddhism.

 

A New Humanism,  Pg. 151-163,  Mahayana Buddhism & Twenty-first-Century Civilization, 9-24-93

[Pg. 154]  Since its inception, the philosophy of Buddhism has been associated with peace and pacifism.  That emphasis derives principally from the consistent rejection of violence combined with stress on dialogue and discussion as the best means of resolving conflict. . . .[Pg. 156]  Similarly, Nichiren, who demonstrated a familial affection and tender concern for the common people, was uncompromising in his confrontations with corrupt and degenerate authority.  Always unarmed in the chronically violent Japan of his time, he relied exclusively and unflinchingly on the power of persuasion and nonviolence.  He was tempted with the promise of absolute power if he renounced his faith, and threatened with the beheading of his parents if he adhered to his beliefs.  Nevertheless, he maintained the courage of his convictions. . . .  Nichiren’s faith in the power of language was absolute.  If more people were to pursue dialogue in an equally unrelenting manner, the inevitable conflicts of human life would surely find easier resolution.  Prejudice would yield to empathy and war would give way to peace.  Genuine dialogue results in the transformation of opposing viewpoints, changing them from wedges that drive people apart into bridges that link them together.

 

 

 

Lectures on the Expedient Means and Life Span Chapters of the Lotus Sutra, Vol. 1, Pg 85 (8)

         Dialogue is the lifeline of Buddhism.  The Buddha’s fundamental objective is to develop in the lives of all people a wisdom equal to his own.  As this implies, we tell others about Buddhism because, fundamentally, we venerate their live.  If, on the other hand, we had the attitude, “Even if I tell this person about Buddhism, it couldn’t possibly do any good,” then we simply would not bother talking to them.  We tell people about Buddhism because we respect them as human beings.  Because we trust the person, we can conduct tenacious dialogue.

         Saying, “I have . . . widely expounded my teachings and have used countless expedient means to guide living beings,” Shakyamuni indicates that he has guided people through free and boundless dialogue.  Shakyamuni and Nichiren Daishonin both spread the Law through talking and speaking out in the very midst of the people.

         Josei Toda and Tsunesaburo Makiguchi, the first and second presidents of the Soka Gakkai, were also experts at dialogue and discussion.  Regardless of the social standing of the person they were addressing, they always spoke with dignity and conviction.  They created a history of such conversation.

 

Propagation

 

         A hundred years of practice in the land of Perfect Bliss cannot compare to the benefit gained from one day's practice in this impure world.  Two thousand years of propagating Buddhism during the Former and Middle Days of the Law are inferior to an hour of propagation in this, the Latter Day of the Law.  This is in way because of Nichiren’s wisdom, but simply because the time makes it so.  In spring, the blossoms open, in autumn the fruit appears.  Summer is hot, winter is cold.  The season makes it so, does it not?

         Repaying Debts of Gratitude, MW-4, 272-3

 

And it is also this way with rice.  While the rice itself is the same, that rice which nourishes a slanderer of the Law supports the life of one who destroys the seeds of Buddhahood, enabling him to become a more powerful enemy than ever.  And yet, does it not sustain his life so that he will in the end be won over to the Lotus Sutra?  On the other hand, rice which nourishes the votary of the Lotus Sutra must be rice of the utmost compassion, because it benefits all living beings.  This is what is meant by the Buddha's relics turning into rice.  I cannot express my joy at your having sent a messenger all the way here at such a time.  Can it be that Shakyamuni Buddha or the Bodhisattvas of the Earth have entered into your body?

         I entrust you with the propagation of Buddhism in your province.  Because the seeds of Buddhahood sprout in response to the proper influence, one expounds the teachings of the one vehicle [Myoho-renge-kyo].

         The Property of Rice, MW-5, 151

 

Buddhism in Action, Vol. VI, p. 187,  October 11, 1987,  Tokyo, Japan

One person encounters the True Law and becomes awakened to it.  Then that individual, in a valiant effort to practice for others, goes out and shares it with another person.  This wave-like movement, flowing as it does from one person to another, is the source of the limitless advancement of kosen-rufu.  Only this steady method will perpetuate the history of kosen-rufu.  I hope you will not forget this.

 

World Tribune, November 7, 1997, pages 7-8 (9-25-97, 15th HQ Leaders Meeting, Hachioji, Japan)

         A question we must constantly ponder as SGI leaders is how we can generate fresh energy and momentum for kosen-rufu.  That is our responsibility as leaders, and wisdom is essential for this task.  Ingenuity and resourcefulness are important hallmarks of a leader. . . .  What is necessary for us to realize fresh progress and unleash new energy?  The first step must be to take action ourselves; to begin something ourselves; to create some kind of drama.  That is the only way.  And those who take the initiative will be victorious.

 

 

Dialogue & action

 

World Tribune, November 7, 1997, page 8 (9-25-97, 15th HQ Leaders Meeting, Hachioji, Japan)

As a private citizen, an ordinary person, I have actively pursued dialogue with world leaders.  My sole reason for holding candid discussions and forming friendships with such people has been a fervent wish to move the world in the direction of peace, toward the creation of a truly humane society.  Many people around the world have observed my actions impartially and have extended their understanding and recognition.

 

Buddhism in Action, Vol. VI, p. 187,  October 11, 1987,  Tokyo, Japan

The formula for the eternal expansion of kosen-rufu lies in a believer’s unsparing devotion to altruistic action and dialogue for the sake of “another person,” and in the steady repetition of this practice.

 

Choose Peace  A Dialogue Between  Johan Galtung & Daisaku Ikeda

Chapter 4:  Religion as Transformation  Universal Life-resonance           Pgs. 72-75

 

Ikeda:  On all dimensions, losing to negative force spells unhappiness; it brings loss of life-power, destruction, decline and schism.  It results in illness, economic hardships and struggle.  War is a concentration of all these sufferings.

         Life in the four states that Buddhist philosophy calls the Four Evil Paths is dominated by less-than-human tendencies.  These states represent negative energy.  In contrast to them, the Four Noble Worlds -- Buddhahood, Bodhisattvahood, realization and learning -- are conditions in which life generates positive energy.  These states spell happiness and fulfillment for human beings and produce the three values advocated by Soka Gakkai philosophy:  beauty, gain and goodness.

         In a sense, human life and, in particular, work for peace represent struggles between positive and negative energy.  Some minus aspects are violence, destruction, schism and hostility; among the positive aspects are nonviolence, creativity, union and harmony.  As you have pointed out, throughout human history the triumph of the positive has required each individual to conquer his or her own negative aspects and convert them to positive aspects.  Though it might seem circuitous, this is actually the shortest, most direct way to the goal, the attainment of which is the reason for the existence of Buddhism and the human revolution.

 

Galtung:  To facilitate the interconnections and mingling of good life-energy we must remove as many barriers and boundaries as possible.  Of course, boundaries make for long cuts not shortcuts.  Good life-resonance is possible only when the boundary lines between national states and other organizations have been shortened and when unity and solidarity have been achieved.  As an example, I might cite your own successful exchanges of ideas and positive energy with Mikhail S. Gorbachev.  Boundaries had to be eliminated and space crossed before those exchanges could take place.  For one thing, either you had to be free to go to Moscow, or he had to be free to come to Tokyo.  I believe that Buddhism agrees with the need to eliminate boundaries.

 

Ikeda:  Yes indeed.  This is why I travel widely, trying to bring different parts of the world together.

         A major Buddhist tenet teaches what are called the Three Realms of Existence (the realm of the five components, the realm of living beings and the realm of the environment).  Each realm embodies boundaries of difference:  personal differences, national differences and environmental differences. People all over the world differ radically in terms of their antecedents, endowments, cultures and traditions.  Nonetheless, encounters occur in which it is possible to experience profound sympathetic resonances that cross all these boundaries of difference.  Comrades and friends advancing toward a common goal draw together naturally and are soon walking side by side.

 

 

Sunlight - dispelling darkness

 

SGI President Daisaku Ikeda’s Addresses in the United States, Page 28

The hell of the four walls of his stifling solitary cell, its heats and colds, took a steady toll on Makiguchi’s aged frame.  But he was never despondent; in his heart, the brilliant sun of his beliefs rose and remained high.  Burning with righteous anger, Makiguchi continued his struggle against the forces of a state authority that refused to respect human rights.  His anger, however, was never tainted with hatred.

 

Lectures on the Expedient Means and Life Span Chapters of the Lotus Sutra, Vol. 1, Pg 85-6 (8)

The power of dialogue changes people’s hearts.  Sincere dialogue is the sunlight that can soften and melt hearts that are thoroughly frozen over.  Clear, confident words are the fresh breeze that dispels clouds of illusion.  Buddhist dialogue is the prime point for bringing change to people’s lives.

         Shakyamuni says here that he has conducted compassionate dialogue and spoken earnestly with a “must-win” spirit in order to help others; and that he has exercised every ounce of wisdom and ingenuity to ensure that his words might reach people’s hearts.  This is the significance of the “various causes and various similes” to which he refers.  In other words, he continually spoke out and conducted dialogue, explaining the reason behind the unfolding of actions and events and employing examples to make his teaching easy to understand.

 

Dialogue on the Lotus Sutra, #24, Living Buddhism, November 1997, Pgs. 45-47

 

         The Daishonin Is the Sun and the Moon and the Lotus Flower

 

Saito:  The “Supernatural Powers of the Thus Come One” (twenty-first) chapter, compares the Bodhisattvas of the Earth to the sun. 

 

[It says, “As the light of the sun and moon / can banish all obscurity and gloom, / so this person as he passes through the world / can wipe out the darkness of living beings” (LS21, 276).]

 

And so the Bodhisattvas of the Earth, like Shakyamuni Buddha, are compared to lotus flowers and to the sun.

 

Ikeda:  That’s right.  The Daishonin says that this passage in the “Supernatural Powers” chapter “means that the first five hundred years of the Latter Day of the Law will witness the advent of Bodhisattva Jogyo [Superior Practices], who will illuminate the darkness of human ignorance and earthly desires. . .” (MW-1, 236).  The Daishonin, who spread Nam-myoho-renge-kyo--the essence of the Lotus Sutra--in the Latter Day of the Law, thus suggests that he himself is the reincarnation of Bodhisattva Superior Practices. 

         He also says, “Names are important for all things. . . .  Giving myself the name Nichiren [Sun-Lotus] signifies that I attained enlightenment by myself” (MW-1, 236).

 

Suda:  This means that he attained the state of the Buddha on his own.  The Daishonin himself is the Buddha, and the name “Nichiren” expresses his enlightenment.

 

Endo:  In a letter to Shijo Kingo's wife he says, “The Lotus Sutra is the sun and the moon and the lotus flower.  Therefore, it is called Myoho-renge-kyo (the Sutra of the Lotus Flower of the Mystic Law).  Nichiren is also like the sun and the moon, and also like the lotus flower” (MW-4, 87).

 

Ikeda:  His taking the name Nichiren, the Daishonin says, signifies that he embodies the essence of the Lotus Sutra.  The Daishonin reveals that he is at one with the “sun” eternally illuminating the lives of all people in the Latter Day, and the pure lotus flower--or white lotus--giving life to all Buddhas.

         There are various profound teachings concerning the name Nichiren.  The twenty‑sixth high priest Nichikan Shonin sums these up in his writing “Nichiren no niji no koto” (On the Two Characters in the Name Nichiren).  He observes in his conclusion that the Daishonin, by taking the name Nichiren, is making a great declaration that he is the votary of the Lotus Sutra in the Latter Day of the Law and in fact the original Buddha.[1]

 

Saito:  This means that we who are the Daishonin’s followers also each have to become a “sun” and a “lotus flower” in our own right.

 

Ikeda:  When we become a “sun” all darkness is banished from our lives.  Each day is filled with light and we can brightly illuminate the lives of others, too.  When we become a “lotus,” we can change the muddy swamp of earthly desires into joyous enlightenment. 

         The “Emerging from the Earth” chapter describes the Bodhisattvas of the Earth as being “like the lotus flower in the water” (LS15, 222).  As Bodhisattvas of the Earth, we dwell in the “swamp” of society; we certainly do not seek to escape from reality.  And what’s more, our lives are in no way stained or tainted by society.  Why is this?  It is because we never forget our mission. 

         The Daishonin says of the Bodhisattvas of the Earth, “Their fundamental mission is to propagate Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, the one great reason for the Buddha’s appearance in this world” (GZ, 833).  It’s a matter of dedicating one’s life to kosen-rufu.  It’s a matter of possessing the spirit to do shakubuku--to help others become happy through the Mystic Law of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo.  The spirit of the Bodhisattvas of the Earth is found in the faith to dedicate oneself wholeheartedly to kosen-rufu.  If people lose this spirit, then no matter how splendid their appearance, their hearts will be tainted by worldly affairs and concerns. 

 

Buddhism in Action, Vol. VI, p. 48,  August 15, 1987,  Gumma, Japan

Speaking of the land of the sun and the Buddhism of the sun, I am reminded of a passage from the Gosho, “Letter to Niike.”  The Daishonin compares the Mystic Law to the sun, saying:  “The sum of our worldly misdeeds and evil karma may be as great as Mount Sumeru, but once we take faith in this sutra, they will vanish like frost or dew under the sun of the Lotus Sutra.”(MW-1 253)  When the sun of the Mystic Law rises high and shines brilliantly, the unlimited karma and impediments residing in the inner realm of our lives instantly disappear; this is Nichiren Daishonin’s Buddhism.

 

In the “Ongi Kuden” (Record of the Orally Transmitted Teachings), it is written that “the sun of wisdom is Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo which Nichiren is propagating in the Latter Day of the Law”(GZ, 786)  “The sun of wisdom ,” that is, the light of the Buddha wisdom that dispels karmic impediments, is Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo of the Three Great Secret Laws that Nichiren Daishonin was devoted to propagating in the Latter Day of the Law.  The power of the Gohonzon is that great.  When we dedicate our life to the Gohonzon and fuse our life with the Mystic Law, or the great Law of the universe, surely the supreme condition of life will emerge from within our lives like the brilliant sun.  All our evil karma accumulated from past lifetimes will vanish like dew in the morning sun.

 

A New Humanism,  Pg. 151-163,  Mahayana Buddhism & Twenty-first-Century Civilization, 9-24-93

[Pg. 157]  What role can Buddhism play in the restoration and rejuvenation of humanity?  In an age marked by widespread religious revival, we need always ask:  Does religion make people stronger or weaker?  Does it encourage what is good or what is evil in them?  Are they made better and wiser by religion?  . . .[Pg. 158]  We are now seeking a third path, a new balance between faith in ourselves and recognition of a power that is greater than we are.  These words of Nichiren illustrate the subtle and richly suggestive Mahayana perspective on attaining enlightenment:  “Neither solely through one’s own efforts . . . nor solely through the power of others.” (GZ, 403)  The persuasive argument of Buddhism is its conviction that the greatest good is derived from the dynamic fusion and balancing of internal and external forces.  [Pg. 159]  Indeed, Buddhism is not merely a theoretical construct; it helps us steer our lives, as we actually live them, moment by moment, toward the achievement of happiness and worth.  Thus, Nichiren states:  “When you concentrate the exertions of one hundred million aeons in a single life-moment, the three inherent properties of the Buddha will become manifest in your every thought and act.” (GZ, 790)  The expression “exertions of one hundred million aeons” refers to the ability to confront each of life’s problems with our full being, awakening the total consciousness, leaving no inner resource untapped.  By wholeheartedly and directly meeting the challenges of life, we bring forth from within ourselves the “three inherent properties of the Buddha.”  It is the light of this internal wisdom that constantly encourages and guides us toward true and correct action. 

            The vibrant tones of the drums, horns, and other musical instruments that appear throughout the Lotus Sutra work metaphorically to encourage the human will to live.  The function of the Buddha nature is always to urge us to be strong, good, and wise.  The message of the sutra is one of human restoration.