Faith Practice & Study 

There is a famous passage in the writings of Nichiren Daishonin, which reads:  

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 it is only a single sentence or phrase.[1] 

This passage is very important and we can consider it the starting-point in examining the practical implications of Buddhist faith. 

As the Daishonin says, in his teachings faith is the starting point, the fundamental element that enriches the life of the believer. In another Gosho passage, he says: ‘That ordinary people born in the latter age can believe in the Lotus Sutra is due to the fact that the world of Buddhahood is present in the human world.’[2]  In other words, faith is an actual expression of the life condition of Buddhahood.  Faith is thus key to our progress in life. 

It is essential to understand this point to grasp correctly the role and the aims of practice and study. Practice and study both arise from, and are expressions of, faith.  At the same time, they are instruments the believer uses to deepen his faith. In this sense, faith, practice and study form a ‘virtuous circle’, where deep faith is the starting-point for, and simultaneously the result of, practice and study. 

Faith

The Chinese ideogram for ‘faith’ comprises two characters: shin, which means ‘to believe’, and jin, which means ‘heart’. Thus, the literal meaning of the Chinese word is to believe with one’s heart; that is, sincerely and strongly. 

Nichiren Daishonin in his writings explains faith from many viewpoints.  For example, in the letter, The Meaning of Faith he writes: 

What is called faith is nothing unusual. Faith means putting one’s trust in the Lotus Sutra, Shakyamuni, Many Treasures, the Buddhas and bodhisattvas of the ten directions, and the heavenly gods and benevolent deities, and chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo as a woman cherishes her husband, as a man lays down his life for his wife, as parents refuse to abandon their children, or as a child refuses to leave his mother.[3] 

In another letter he explains how strong faith can be:  

The mighty warrior general Li Kuang, whose mother had been devoured by a tiger, shot an arrow at the stone he believed was the tiger. The arrow penetrated the stone all the way up to its feathers. But once he realized it was only a stone, he was unable to pierce it again. Later he came to be known as general Stone Tiger. This story applies to you. Though enemies lurk in wait for you, your resolute faith in the Lotus Sutra has forestalled great dangers before they could begin. Realising this, you must strengthen your faith more than ever.[4] 

The Daishonin also explains that his followers should continually strive to deepen their faith, as stated in another famous letter: ‘Strengthen your faith day by day and month after month. Should you slacken in your resolve even a bit, devils will take advantage.’[5]  

An important teaching relating to faith is the need to substitute faith for wisdom (Jap: isshin taie). The development of the Buddha’s wisdom is a fundamental goal for believers in Nichiren Daishonin’s teaching, but since we all are ordinary people, stained by negative karma and with inadequate wisdom, the Buddha teaches that faith must be the foundation of our growth, not our intellect. On this basis, and consistent effort, we can develop the Buddha wisdom that we all inherently possess. Again, a sentence in the Gosho can help us understand the point: 

“Knowledge without faith” describes those who are knowledgeable about the Buddhist doctrines but have no faith. These people will never attain Buddhahood. Those of “faith without knowledge” may lack knowledge but have faith and can attain Buddhahood… If Shariputra could not attain Buddhahood through his wisdom, how can we ordinary people, with limited knowledge of the doctrines, dare to dream that we may attain Buddhahood when we do not have faith?[6]

Practice

The spirit of Buddhist practice is demonstrated by the Bodhisattvas of the Earth, disciples of the Buddha who appear in the Lotus Sutra, and who make constant efforts to relieve people from their sufferings through spreading the Law.  

This spirit is embodied in the Japanese term jigyo keta, which means ‘practice for oneself and others’.  Practice for oneself means to sincerely chant daimoku and perform gongyo in front of the Gohonzon.  Individual strength is essential and this is the fundamental way by which anyone can cause his life force well up from within. At the same time, the correct spirit of Buddhist practice is to help other people overcome their suffering, even if this involves tremendous efforts on our part.  Specifically, practice for others means to teach other people about the Buddhism of Nichiren Daishonin; more generally, it means to encourage others to overcome their difficulties through faith in the Gohonzon and so establish absolute happiness in their lives.  In this regard, it is not important how capable a person is to teach others. As the Gosho says, what matters more is the sincere spirit to do this ‘to the best of your ability’. 

Fundamentally, Buddhism teaches that ‘practice for oneself and others’ cannot be separated – the strength we gain through practising for ourselves is used to help others grow strong, while helping others also brings benefit back to us.    

Study

As with practice, study in Nichiren Daishonin’s Buddhism is based on faith. In essence, this means that we should strive to establish the regular study of the writings of Nichiren and SGI President Ikeda alongside our practice for self and others.  When we come to a deadlock in life, we can find a solution by returning to the teachings of the Buddha.   At the same time, studying regularly means that we can continually check and polish our faith.  As SGI President Ikeda warns:  

Without a thorough knowledge of Nichiren Daishonin’s teachings, one’s practice can easily become self-cantered, and one may begin interpreting Buddhism in his own way. Study will deepen one’s confidence in faith and direct him to a correct path towards kosen-rufu.[7] 

It is important to understand that study is a means, not an end in itself.  Its purpose is to deepen our faith, not to demonstrate how learned we are. One of Nichiren Daishonin’s disciples was a renowned scholar called Sammibo Nichigyo. More than once the Daishonin had to warn him against trying to impress the imperial court with his learning in an attempt to gain favour, but Sammibo refused to listen.  Eventually he turned against Nichiren Daishonin and ultimately came to an unhappy end.   

In other words, Buddhist learning in itself has only a limited value in daily life. What is most important is that through our study we can always refresh and deepen our confidence in the Gohonzon, in order to challenge our different realities. 

2.      The heritage of faith 

The concept of the heritage of faith refers to the transmission of the Law from master to disciple, or more generally, from the Buddha to the people.[8] In the Lotus Sutra this transmission happens during the ceremony in the air, in the central chapters of the sutra, and the recipients of this transmission are the bodhisattvas of the earth, led by the Bodhisattva Superior Practices. The Japanese word for heritage, kechimyaku, means ‘lifeblood’, indicating continuity through past, present and future. In this sense, the heritage of faith is a fundamental requirement for the Buddha’s disciples, whose mission it is to adhere to and transmit the true spirit of their master, and never abandon it or let it fade. It is a core point of Buddhist faith, as Nichiren notes in a well-known letter entitled Heritage of the Ultimate Law of Life:  

Be resolved to summon up the great power of faith, and chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo with the prayer that your faith will be steadfast and correct at the moment of death. Never seek any other way to inherit the ultimate Law of life and death, and manifest it in your life.  Even embracing the Lotus Sutra would be useless without the heritage of faith.[9]   

Earlier, the same letter focuses on three conditions that are essential for inheriting the Law.  The first is referred to in the sentence that reads: 

Shakyamuni Buddha who attained enlightenment countless kalpas ago, the Lotus Sutra that leads all people to Buddhahood, and we ordinary human beings are in no way different from one another. To chant Myoho-renge-kyo with this realisation is to inherit the ultimate Law of life and death.[10] 

In practical terms this means that all Nichiren’s followers and believers are equal in their nature and potential to become Buddhas. This teaching acknowledges an absolute equality of all living beings and respects them all as the Buddha’s disciples. 

The second condition is mentioned in the sentence which reads: ‘The heritage of the Lotus Sutra flows within the lives of those who never forsake it in any lifetime whatsoever, whether in the past, the present, or the future.’[11] The Daishonin explains here that all people who take faith in his teaching do so thanks to the strong ties they have created in the past with the Law; at the same time, he clarifies that an active and committed attitude in one’s faith is important to perpetuate this bond. His disciples should always make utmost efforts to deepen their faith and attain Buddhahood. 

The third condition is unity, as explained in the following passage:  

All disciples and lay supporters of Nichiren should chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo with the spirit of many in body but one in mind, transcending all differences among themselves to become as inseparable as fish and the water in which they swim. This spiritual bond is the basis for the universal transmission of the ultimate Law of life and. Herein lies the true goal of Nichiren’s propagation.[12] 

The practice of Buddhist faith is not solitary speculation. The Daishonin teaches that all believers should fight together for the same goal of kosen-rufu, sharing their experiences and giving encouragement to each other in the spirit of itai doshin (many in body, one in mind).  This unity does not mean a denial of individuality, but rather urges the bridging of the gaps between people that arise from self-centeredness. Striving together for kosen-rufu helps us to develop our Buddha nature. 

These three conditions can be used at any time to check the condition of our faith.  For example, before morning gongyo we could ask ourselves, ‘Am I happy to do this?  Do I feel lucky to have such a great opportunity to develop my good fortune?’ The answer to this question is a sort of measuring stick by which we can gauge the status of our faith. For example, if our mood towards gongyo is like what we feel when reading a tax demand, we probably need to do something to refresh our faith! 

Gongyo and daimoku (provisional position)

Gongyo is the daily practice that the followers of Nichiren Daishonin’s teaching perform as an expression of, and in order to strengthen, their faith and their Buddha nature. The meaning of the term is ‘assiduous practice’.  It is performed twice a day, in the morning and evening, and is composed of two main parts, the primary and the secondary practice. The primary practice is the invocation of the daimoku; that is, to chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo.   Daimoku means title, and refers to the fact that Myoho-renge-kyo is the title of the Lotus Sutra.  Placing the Sanskrit word nam before this means to devote one’s life to the law of the universe expounded by the sutra, and to gain life force from it.   

The secondary practice, which supports the primary practice, is the recitation of two key sections from the ‘Expedient Means’ and ‘Life Span of the Thus Come One’ chapters of the Lotus Sutra, combined with various silent prayers.   The Daishonin clearly defined these two chapters as foremost in the sutra. In the Gosho The Recitation of the ‘Expedient Means’ and ‘Life Span’ chapters he wrote:  

As I said before, though no chapter of the Lotus Sutra is negligible, among the entire twenty-eight chapters, the ‘Expedient Means’ chapter and the ‘Life Span’ chapters are particularly outstanding. The remaining chapters are all in a sense the branches and leaves of these two chapters. Therefore, for your regular recitation, I recommend that you practise reading the prose sections of the ‘Expedient Means’ and ‘Life Span’ chapters.[13] 

Reciting parts or all of the Lotus Sutra is referred to in the text of the sutra itself in several places, and had already become an important element of Buddhist practice before Nichiren Daishonin’s time. 

Explaining the relationship between the primary and the secondary practice, the twenty-sixth high priest Nichikan (1665-1726) wrote that daimoku and gongyo can be compared to rice and its seasoning. Rice possesses nourishment in itself, while the seasoning is used to enhance its flavour; it would be of little use if there were no rice.

This prompts the question of what we should do if we no time to perform a full gongyo.  SGI President Ikeda touched on this question during a discussion with leaders of High School Division of the Soka Gakkai:  

Skipping gongyo occasionally is certainly not going to erase all one’s previous efforts. There is no need to worry about that. If you are running late for school and don’t have time, there is no need to be anxious about missing gongyo. In such cases, for example, if your mothers are practising and are chanting for you, their prayers will protect you. More importantly, as long as you have sincere faith in the Gohonzon, the fortune you have accumulated will stay with you. You needn’t feel guilty when you miss a gongyo. Of course, I’m not saying that it is all right to neglect gongyo. If you fall into the mindset that you don’t have to do gongyo, your heart will gradually grow estranged from prayer. Nevertheless, because faith exists within daily life, there is no need to take things so far as to make yourself late for school because of gongyo.

…Those who don’t have time for gongyo, or find it difficult to do it, should chant daimoku... If you can do at least a short gongyo (the portion from the Hoben chapter and the verse portion of the Juryo chapter) along with some daimoku, then you will feel even greater satisfaction. Of course, it goes without saying that doing a full morning and evening gongyo is ideal. (SGI Newsletter Monthly 186, November 1998) Cut all text in italics? 

An important element to be considered in performing gongyo is that Buddhist thought places great emphasis on the rhythmic aspects of life.  Life itself is a rhythm, a pulsating force that manifests in all phenomena.  So we are encouraged to develop a regular, daily rhythm to our faith and practice, which will be reflected in our daily lives and our growing Buddhahood. 

3.      Doubt-free faith (mugi wasshin) 

Doubt-free faith is not to be confused with blind faith, which does not exist in Nichiren Daishonin’s Buddhism. The Japanese term, mugi wasshin, can help us understand -  ‘no doubt (mugi) means faith (wasshin)’. We are encouraged to always maintain a seeking spirit and continually challenge our doubts in order to deepen our faith and understanding.  As the Daishonin says, ‘If you do not question and resolve your doubts, you cannot dispel the dark clouds of illusion, any more than you could travel a thousand miles without legs.’[14]  On the basis of practice and study, we can use any doubts we might have actually to deepen our faith, if we choose to look at them from a positive angle.  The same doubt can constitute an opportunity to reflect on ourselves, and to test the power of the Gohonzon and the truth of Buddhist teachings; or an insurmountable obstacle that leads to a decline in our faith.  What is most important is that we always consider our lives and experiences from the standpoint of faith, and use our practice to the Gohonzon to all our problems. With this attitude, we will always be able to confront difficult circumstances in the best possible way. 

Moreover, in Buddhism faith and reason support one another, as second Soka Gakkai president Josei Toda noted: ‘Reason produces faith, and faith seeks reason. The reasons sought further deepen one’s faith.’[15]  Together, reason and faith work to build unshakable belief.  

PASSAGE HERE FROM SENSEI WISDOM OF LOTUS SUTRA?  ANYTHING COME TO MIND? 

4.      Prayer 

In Nichiren Daishonin’s philosophy the concept of prayer has a particular meaning that distinguishes it from prayer in other religious traditions. The difference derives from the fact that Buddhism is not based on the concept of a divinity, as in the Judaeo-Christian and Islamic traditions. Buddhism teaches that a Law underlies all phenomena in the universe and that each living being, like all aspects of our environment, is a manifestation of this same essential Law.  Prayer, therefore, is not a form of supplication, a humble request for help from some greater external power.  Rather, through chanting with a particular goal (prayer) in mind, we summon up life force from within our own lives, which appears in the form of wisdom, courage and compassion.  Instead of looking for spiritual grace from some divinity, we try with all our might to develop our own inner power. While many people in one way or another are able to tap their own inherent power, through faith in the Gohonzon anyone can gain access to the source of this power and use it to create value in their lives and society. Nichiren Daishonin explains that our prayer should be characterized by three elements: it should be sincere, strong and deep. When we pray in this way, we gain the conviction, strength and life force to challenge any obstacle.

MATERIAL FROM ND/SENSEI HERE? 

5.      The four powers of the Mystic Law 

This principle was elaborated by the twenty-sixth high priest Nichikan Shonin in his Commentary to the Object of Devotion for Observing the Mind, based on a sentence from the Gosho The Entity of the Mystic Law:  

In essence, the entity of Myoho-renge-kyo is the physical body that the disciples and followers of Nichiren who believe in the Lotus Sutra received from their fathers and mothers at birth. Such persons, who honestly discard expedient means, put faith in the Lotus Sutra alone, and chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, will transform the three paths of earthly desires, karma, and suffering into the three virtues of the Dharma body, wisdom, and emancipation. The threefold contemplation and the three truths will immediately become manifest in their minds, and the place where they live will become the Land of Eternally Tranquil Light. The Buddha who is the entity of Myoho-renge-kyo, of the ‘Life Span’ chapter of the essential teaching, who is both inhabiting subject and inhabited realm, life and environment, body and mind, entity and function, the Buddha eternally endowed with the three bodies - he is to be found in the disciples and lay believers of Nichiren. Such persons embody the true entity of Myoho-renge-kyo; this is all due to the meritorious workings that the spontaneous transcendental powers inherent in it display. Could anyone venture to doubt it? Indeed it cannot be doubted![16] 

According to the interpretation of Nichikan, this sentence explains that thanks to the strength of one’s faith and practice, we will be able to activate the powers inherent in the Gohonzon, that is the power of the Buddha and the power of the Law.  Specifically, he explains, the power of faith is expressed in the words ‘put faith in the Lotus Sutra alone’; the power of practice is mentioned in the words ‘and chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo’; the power of the Law is expressed in the words ‘the Buddha who is the entity of Myoho-renge-kyo’; and the power of the Buddha is mentioned in the words ‘the spontaneous transcendental powers inherent in it’.  ARE THESE LAST TWO CORRECT – SURELY THE OTHER WAY AROUND? 

In short, the powers of the Buddha and of the Law manifest themselves entirely according to the depth of our faith and the strength of our practice. Strong faith and practice on our part are essential to fully appreciate the benefits of Nichiren Daishonin’s Buddhism.  His is a teaching that gives primary importance to the role of the individual. Each of us should feel completely responsible of our own life condition and confident that, through faith in the Gohonzon, we will be able to overcome any difficulty or suffering. When we chant daimoku to the Gohonzon with strong conviction, the powers of the Buddha and the Law definitely emerge, revealing previously unimaginable energy and potential.   Nichiren Daishonin encourages us: 

But your faith alone will determine all these things. A sword is useless in the hands of a coward. The mighty sword of the Lotus Sutra must be wielded by one courageous in faith. Then one will be as strong as a demon armed with an iron staff.[17] 

6.      To receive and embrace equals observing the mind 

This sentence is the translation of the Japanese juji soku kanjin. These three words directly introduce us to the fundamental aim of Buddhist faith - the attainment of Buddhahood - and to the core of Buddhist philosophy. 

Juji means ‘to receive and embrace (a teaching)’; soku is translated in various ways – ‘equals’, ‘is the same as’ – but embraces the meaning of transformation. The word kanjin was used by T’ien-t’ai (558-597; also known as Chi-i), a Chinese monk and scholar was an important reformer of the Lotus Sutra tradition. The term means to observe one’s own mind to perceive the true nature of life. T’ien-t’ai taught that meditating on the ‘region of unfathomable’ in this way as means to enlightenment.  Nichiren Daishonin comments:  ‘Kanjin means to observe one’s own mind and to find the ten worlds within it.’[18]  Essentially, this means to recognise one’s Buddhahood, as the other nine worlds can be seen in one’s life without the need to observe one’s mind.  Nichikan Shonin interprets the Daishonin’s statement thus: 

‘To observe one’s own mind’ means to believe in the Gohonzon.  ‘To find the Ten Worlds within it’ means to chant [the daimoku of] the Mystic Law.  If only you believe in the Gohonzon and chant the Mystic Law, then the Ten Worlds of the Gohonzon will become the Ten Worlds of your life.[19] 

Putting these three words together, then, juji soku kanjin means that the act of ‘receiving’ and ‘embracing’ the Gohonzon is itself enlightenment.  In its fullest sense, to ‘receive’ and ‘embrace’ means to follow the path of faith, practice and study without begrudging our lives.  

7.      The three treasures 

The three treasures are often mentioned in Buddhist scriptures and refer to the fundamental objects of devotion and respect for a believer. They are the Buddha, the Law and the Samgha; that is, the Buddhist order or more generally the community of the Buddha’s disciples.  The Buddha is worthy of respect because it is thanks to his great efforts and compassion that the Law was revealed.  The Law is worthy of respect because, through awakening to it, ordinary people can become enlightened to the truth of life.  The Samgha is worthy of respect because it upholds the Law and ensures its transmission to present and future generations. 

Different Buddhist schools interpret the three treasures in different ways.  The Soka Gakkai considers the treasure of the Buddha to be Nichiren Daishonin, the Law to be the Dai-Gohonzon of the Three Great Secret Laws, and the Samgha to be the school founded by Nikko Shonin, the direct successor of Nichiren Daishonin.  This third treasure needs some explanation. 

After the Daishonin’s death, five of the six priests he had designated as the most senior of his followers failed to accept his instruction that Nikko should succeed him.  Ignoring Nikko’s guidance and fearing persecution by the authorities, in time they started to proclaim themselves as disciples of the Tendai School.  They failed to acknowledge Nichiren Daishonin as the treasure of the Buddha or the Gohonzon as the treasure of the Law, recognising instead Shakyamuni Buddha and the Lotus Sutra respectively.  Therefore, only the school founded by Nikko is considered by the Soka Gakkai to be purely connected to the Daishonin’s teachings. 

There is a complication, however.  The Sanskrit word samgha is rendered in Japanese characters as ‘priest’.  Traditionally, since Nikko’s time the treasure of the Samgha has been referred to as the treasure of the Priest; specifically Nikko himself, and more generally his successors.  But with the passing of the centuries, the clergy of the Nikko school came to regard the priesthood alone as the treasure of the priest, and lay believers as inferiors whose main function was to support them in their supposedly sacred life. In this, again they ignored the words of Nichiren Daishonin that stressed the equality of the ‘four kinds of believers’ – priests, nuns, lay men and lay women; for example: ‘The Lotus Sutra…was preached equally for all, including the eight kinds of nonhuman beings and the four kinds of believers.’[20]  Eventually, this attitude led to a major schism between the vast bulk of the laity, represented by the Soka Gakkai and SGI, and the majority of the priests of what the Soka Gakkai now calls ‘the Nikken School’.  This school identifies the high priest alone – currently Nikken - as the treasure of the priest.[21] 

8.      The three proofs 

In his efforts to reaffirm the supremacy of the Lotus Sutra among all the Buddhist scriptures, Nichiren Daishonin established three criteria  by which to evaluate religious teachings.  In the letter, Three Tripitaka Masters Pray for Rain, he states: ‘In judging the relative merit of Buddhist doctrines, I, Nichiren, believe that the best standards are those of reason and documentary proof. And even more valuable than reason and documentary proof is the proof of actual fact’.[22]   

The first of these criteria is reason, also called theoretical proof.  Any teaching should accord with reason, as far as it goes.  The second is documentary proof, written evidence of the teaching that is being expounded. Concerning this Nichiren Daishonin states:  

Even when great bodhisattvas such as Universal Worthy and Manjushri, men who have returned to the stage of near perfect enlightenment, expound the Buddhist teachings, if they do not do so with the sutra text in hand, then one should not heed them.[23] 

Documentary proof is necessary to avoid personal and arbitrary distortions of the teachings, which obviously create confusion and discord among the believers. The Daishonin himself was extremely well versed in the all the Buddhist texts that were extant in his day, and continually referred to them to clarify Shakyamuni’s true intent in expounding the Lotus Sutra, and his own mission as the Buddha of the Latter Day. 

The third and most important criterion is actual proof – what actually happens when the teaching is put into practice.  In his treatise of 1260, On Establishing the Correct Teaching

for the Peace of the Land, for example, Nichiren Daishonin predicted that by following incorrect teachings Japan would surely meet the two great calamities of internal strife and of foreign invasion. This prediction was itself based on documentary proof in various Buddhist texts.  As a result of these statements he was persecuted for many years and made many enemies, but his words actually came true: in February 1272 an elder brother of the regent Hojo Tokimune made an abortive attempt to seize power; and in 1274 and 1281 the mighty empire of the Mongol leader Kublai Khan twice tried to invade the country.  This was actual proof not only of the error of the prevailing Buddhist schools in Japan, but of the correctness of the Daishonin’s own teachings. 

On a more personal level, it is very important that we receive clear actual proof of our faith in our daily lives, in terms of both conspicuous and inconspicuous benefit.  Not only does this encourage us to continue to make efforts to deepen our faith; it is also the best demonstration we can offer to others of the validity of Nichiren Daishonin’s teachings. 

9.      The writings of Nichiren Daishonin 

During the sixty years of his life Nichiren Daishonin wrote an incredible number of works.  They can be divided into two main categories - individual letters to his disciples, and treatises, generally addressed to some specific person but clearly intended as milestones in the establishment of his teaching. 

The Japanese term for the writings, ‘Gosho’, was first used by Nikko Shonin and means ‘writings worthy of the highest respect’, since they are the writings of the Buddha of the Latter Day.  SGI President Ikeda describes the Gosho as ‘a record of the Daishonin’s intense struggles over the course of his lifetime. In order to fulfil his mission, he endured great persecution and left behind a monumental teaching. The Gosho crystallizes his spirit, action, and instruction. We should therefore read it as the scripture for the Latter Day of the Law.’[24] The Japanese edition is a volume of more than 1,500 pages, and was published by the Soka Gakkai in 1952 to celebrate the seven hundredth anniversary of founding of Nichiren’s Buddhism.  It was compiled largely thanks to the efforts of Josei Toda and the retired high priest and renowned Buddhist scholar Nichiko Hori. 

From a doctrinal point of view there are ten major works (judaibo), in which the Daishonin explained all the fundamentals of his teaching and entrusted the future attainment of worldwide propagation to his disciples.  The titles of these ten treatises are: 

1) Sho Hokke Daimoku Sho (On the Recitation of the Lotus Sutra?)

2) On Establishing the Correct Teaching for the Peace of the Land

3) The Opening of the Eyes

4) The Object of Devotion for Observing the Mind

5) The Essence of the Lotus Sutra (Hokke Shujo Sho)

6) The Selection of the Time

7) On Repaying Debts of Gratitude

8) On the Four Stages of Faith and the Five Stages of Practice

9) Letter to Shimoyama

10) Questions and Answers on the Object of Devotion (Honzon Mondo Sho) 

Among these, five major works are recognised as being of fundamental significance: On Establishing the Correct Teaching for the Peace of the Land; The Opening of the Eyes; The Object of Devotion for Observing the Mind; The Selection of the Time; and On Repaying Debts of Gratitude.  Apart from the first of these (which Nichikan Shonin defined as marking the beginning and end of Nichiren Daishonin’s teaching), all belong to the period following the Tatsunokuchi persecution and the Sado exile. The Daishonin’s commented on their significance thus: ‘As for my teachings, regard those before my exile to the province of Sado as equivalent to the Buddha’s pre-Lotus Sutra teachings.’[25] (WND, page 896) This is because it was only after these major persecutions that Nichiren revealed his true identity as the Buddha of the Latter Day of the Law, started to teach the essence of his doctrine directly, and started to inscribe the Gohonzon for his close followers.  

Even during the most difficult periods of his life, such as the more than two years that he was exiled on Sado, Nichiren always made every effort to encourage his followers.  He wrote as many letters as he could to support to those confronting great difficulties, some simply for being his disciples.  As a result, and thanks to the efforts of Nikko Shonin and others who in the centuries that followed collected and copied the original manuscripts, today we can refer directly to the Daishonin’s words whenever we need encouragement or clarification, or find ourselves at critical points in life. In the Gosho we can always find answers to our questions and for this reason it is very important to read it again and again, a little each day if possible.  In this way, the spirit of Nichiren Daishonin will gradually permeate our lives.  In the words of Daisaku Ikeda: 

Among all life forms, human beings are unique in their ability to manifest the power of Buddhahood in their character and actions. To do so, the heart, the spirit, is crucial.

In his writings, the Daishonin repeatedly emphasizes the importance of the heart in Buddhist practice. While on the one hand he teaches that faith and courage are the powers and functions of the heart that enable us to open the world Buddhahood in our lives, he also cautions against such negative functions of the heart as disbelief and cowardice, which close us off to our potential for Buddhahood. The Gosho is really a teaching about the heart.[26] 

10.  Oneness of master and disciple 

The oneness of master (or mentor) and disciple (shitei funi) is a term first used in relation to Nichiren Daishonin’s Buddhism by Nichikan Shonin, in his major work, Commentary on the Object of Devotion for Observing the Mind. ‘Oneness’ is a translation of the Japanese word funi, which is a shortened form of a phrase that literally means ‘two but not two; not two, but two’.  It refers to different phenomena that are inextricably linked, that are distinct yet inseparable: life and its environment (esho funi), and body and mind (shikishin funi) are two examples.  Funi used to describe the relationship of master and disciple indicates that each has his own role and function, while both are necessary for the achievement of the Buddha’s will - the widespread propagation of the teachings to bring about the happiness of all human beings.  As Nichiren Daishonin explains in the Gosho Flowering and Bearing Grain: 

It is said that, if a teacher has a good disciple, both will gain the fruit of Buddhahood, but if a teacher fosters a bad disciple, both will fall into hell. If teacher and disciple are of different minds, they will never accomplish anything.[27] 

The most important point is that the Buddha’s disciples need to awaken to the Buddha’s true intent, and realise it in their own lives.  This means to awaken to their own inherent Buddhahood, their own unique mission, and to freely dedicate their lives to the movement for kosen-rufu.  As SGI President Ikeda explains: 

We can change even painful destiny into mission. The Lotus Sutra teaches this strong and resilient way of life. This is what the ‘Teacher of the Law’ chapter explains when it speaks of the great bodhisattvas who, while capable of being born into pure lands if they so desired, choose instead to be born into impure worlds so that they can expound the Lotus Sutra to help those suffering. We who now spread the Mystic Law in this world are the bodhisattvas to whom the sutra refers. We are enacting a grand drama that we ourselves chose.[28]  

The oneness of master and disciple is not limited by time or space, in that master and disciple do not necessarily live in the same age or place.  Even so, an inseparable bond links the two – total commitment to realising the same goal of kosen-rufu. The Daishonin refers to this when he quotes a sentence from the Lotus Sutra in the Gosho Heritage of the Ultimate Law of Life, saying: ‘It must be ties of karma from the distant past that have destined you to become my disciple at a time like this... The sutra’s statement, “Those persons who had heard the Law dwelled here and there in various Buddha lands, constantly reborn in company with their teachers” cannot be false in any way.’[29]  The disciple consciously chooses to follow and learn from his master and, because of this decision, acts regardless of any obstacle or difficulty. 

SGI president Ikeda explains this point in the following passage.  Referring to his relationship with Soka Gakkai’s second president. Josei Toda, he makes a clear distinction between the path of master and disciple and that of the oneness of master and disciple: 

In the 1956 [propagation] campaign, Josei Toda sent to various parts of the country many of his disciples whom he had personally trained for a long time. For him this was the first opportunity to see whether they took the master-disciple relationship merely in the general sense of the word or considered it personally as the oneness of master and disciple. Is the master’s intention being truly realized or not? This one can easily judge from the way in which the disciple acts. It is vital that the master’s intention should pulse in the disciple’s life and that he acts spontaneously, for only then is the master-disciple bond honed to the point where master and disciple are truly one. The lifeblood which flows between master and disciple - this is the fundamental force which binds the two. In order to attain this state, the disciple must first grasp the source from which the master’s innermost intention derives, and then make it his own. This is a difficult process which can be accomplished through strong faith. The source for the power of both master and disciple is, needless to say, none other than the Gohonzon. Shin’ichi Yamamoto for one squarely faced the difficult task and accomplished it. For months preceding the Osaka campaign he had continuously taxed his life with incredible effort until he was finally able to manifest the oneness of master and disciple in his own actions. Many disciples shy away from such difficulty. They do not in any way intend to go against the master’s intention, but the fact is that they only have a one-sided understanding of it. For this reason, when confronted with severe realities some of them panic and then content themselves by mechanically forcing their master’s intention upon other members without first grasping it themselves. Others, although mindful of their master’s intention, decide that they are faced with a special case, and impatiently try to conform to it by utilizing shallow wisdom which does not derive from faith. All such disciples are totally unaware that they are disrupting the flow of the lifeblood between master and disciple by their own actions. Only when the result of the disciple’s serious concern coincides with the master’s thought does the lifeblood of faith begin the flow in powerful torrents. It is quite easy for a disciple merely to mechanically follow the master’s intention, but rarely does a disciple attain the state of mind in which he penetrates the source of the master’s intention and shares that source. However, the oneness of master and disciple totally depends on the accomplishment of this difficult task.[30]

As this passage implies, a fundamental equality lies at the heart of the concept of the oneness of master and disciple. The master does not simply give instructions and the disciple carry them out.  Each lives according to his own individuality, but both share the same commitment to the Buddha’s will and take full responsibility for propagating the Law.  The master is always concerned with how best to foster his disciples, while the disciples are always wracking their brains about how better to realise their master’s will. 

The position of the following text on the three virtues had not been decided. Maybe it could be after the three treasures

11.        The three virtues

The three virtues of sovereign, teacher and parent represent the three dominant characteristics of the life condition of the Buddha, as mentioned in various passages in the ‘Life Span’ (sixteenth) chapter of the Lotus Sutra.   ‘This, my land, remains safe and tranquil’[31] indicates the virtue of the sovereign.  ‘Constantly I have preached the Law, teaching, converting’[32] indicates the virtue of the teacher.  The virtue of the parent is indicated by the line, ‘I am the father of this world’.[33]  

The virtue of the sovereign refers to the fact that the Buddha has the power to protect all living beings; the virtue of the teacher refers to the power to instruct and lead all people to enlightenment; the virtue of the parent clarifies that the Buddha has the compassion to nurture and support people. 

Nichiren Daishonin discusses the concept of the three virtues at length in the Gosho The Opening of the Eyes. The first line states: ‘There are three categories of people that all human beings should respect. They are the sovereign, the teacher and the parent.’[34]  His conclusion is that ‘I, Nichiren, am sovereign, teacher, and father and mother to all the people of Japan.’[35] In this statement he is alluding to his true identity as the Buddha of the Latter Day of the Law, whose mission is to protect, instruct and nurture all Japanese people – in fact, all people – in the Latter Day; to awaken their Buddha nature so that they can overcome their sufferings and difficulties and establish a peaceful and creative world. 

It follows from this that the three virtues are not reserved for the Daishonin alone, but represent an ideal for our practice and faith.  In protecting, guiding and nurturing in faith other people, everyone who follows the Daishonin’s teachings can display the three virtues, and thus gain the love, trust and respect of others.  Leaders in the SGI especially have a responsibility to uphold the three virtues.  As SGI President Ikeda notes: 

Leaders must have the ability to provide training, protection, guidance and instruction. When someone has a problem, they need to provide kind guidance as well as necessary instruction. By so doing, they can ensure that people do not become deadlocked. A genuine leader protects people when they are tired, and nurtures them by providing training appropriate to their level of development.[36] 

They should not expect respect and appreciation simply because of their position.  Rather, it is only thanks to their efforts to help others day by day that they can come to be respected and appreciated by other people.

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