Guidance from Sixty-eighth High Priest Nichinyo Shonin
On the Occasion of the January Kōsen-rufu Shōdai Ceremony
January 1, 2018
Reception Hall, Head Temple Taisekiji
In this early spring of the 766th anniversary of the establishment of true Buddhism, “The Year of Action,” I wish you a Happy New Year!
I believe that all of you, who are participating in this Kōsen-rufu Shōdai Ceremony at the beginning of the year, as well as all the other Nichiren Shoshu priests and lay believers, have welcomed the start of “The Year of Action” feeling refreshed, and have renewed your pledge to make further efforts in your practice.
As you know, the priesthood and laity of Nichiren Shoshu are powerfully moving forward in their practice with all their might, day and night, based on unity between the priesthood and laity, in the spirit of itai dōshin, as we aim toward our goal—establishing a membership of 800,000 Hokkeko believers by the auspicious occasion of the 800th anniversary of the advent of our Founder Nichiren Daishonin in 2021.
The establishment of a membership of 800,000 Hokkeko believers is the vow we pledged in front of the three treasures. This is an extremely important goal, which we must achieve at any cost with the concerted efforts of all of the Nichiren Shoshu priesthood and laity. This is because we need to save many people, who are suffering in agony due to the poison of slander. Today, in the Latter Day of the Law, we must purify this intensively chaotic world, defiled by the five impurities. Then, we must build true peace, and realize the true Buddha land.
In order to achieve this, each of us must first have an awareness and resolution that we are disciples and followers of the Bodhisattvas of the Earth, and earnestly devote ourselves to chant Daimoku. It is essential that, with the benefits and joy from chanting the Daimoku, we do shakubuku with unity based on the spirit of itai dōshin.
The Daishonin teaches the following in the Gosho, All Phenomena are Contained in a Single Life-moment (Sōzai ichinen-shō):
Question: If an ignorant person, who is unable to read or write, chants Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo, what benefit could he gain?
Answer: Suppose this illiterate person, who cannot read, write or understand even a single word, takes faith in and chants Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo. He first will gain the benefit of verbal action from among the three categories of action: thoughts, words, and deeds. Once he gains benefits [through all three categories of action], he definitely will be able to receive the seed of Buddhahood into his heart and liberate himself from the sufferings of life and death. This sutra is far superior to all other teachings, because it states that even those who slander the Lotus Sutra [will be able to attain enlightenment] through a reverse relationship, just like those who slandered Bodhisattva Never Disparaging. It goes without saying that those who take faith in the sutra through a positive relationship also can attain Buddhahood. Thus, the Great Teacher Dengyō stated, “Both the believers and slanderers will attain Buddhahood without fail.” (Gosho, p. 115)
The question asked is what kind of benefit “an ignorant person who is unable to read or write” and who does not understand a single word of the sutras or annotations will achieve, if one chants Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo. The answer is even an illiterate person can first achieve the benefit of verbal action among the three categories of action: thoughts, words and deeds, if one chants Daimoku with faith. If one achieves the benefit of verbal action, one will gain the seed of Buddhahood into one’s heart. Then, one will free oneself from the sufferings of life and death without fail, and achieve enlightenment. The superiority of the Lotus Sutra over the other sutras is that even those who slander the Lotus Sutra can attain Buddhahood through a reverse relationship, just like those who spoke ill of and cursed Bodhisattva Never Disparaging. This is stated in the Bodhisattva Never Disparaging (Fukyō; twentieth) chapter of the Lotus Sutra.
Bodhisattva Never Disparaging appeared during the Middle Day of the Law after the passing of Buddha Awesome Sound King (Ion’no). He insisted that all living beings possess the Buddha nature, [and bowed in reverence to the people he met,] reciting the words of the Twenty-Four-Character Lotus Sutra as follows:
I have profound reverence for you, I would never dare treat you with disparagement or arrogance. Why? Because you are all practicing the bodhisattva way and are certain to attain Buddhahood.
(Hokekyo, p. 500; The Lotus Sutra, Watson, pp. 266-267)
Since this passage consists of 24 characters in classical Chinese, it is called the Twenty-Four-Character Lotus Sutra. Whenever Bodhisattva Never Disparaging saw the four kinds of believers—priests, nuns, laymen, and laywomen—he would bow to them in reverence, reciting this Twenty-Four-Character teaching. He never despised them but instead, he praised them, asserting that all living beings possess the world of Buddhahood. That is why he was called Bodhisattva Never Disparaging. However, he was persecuted, and attacked with staves, sticks, stones, and tiles. Despite this, he continued to bow in reverence to people. Those who had mistreated Bodhisattva Never Disparaging fell into hell once, but later, they were saved through their reverse relationship formed by hearing the Lotus Sutra.
In this way, the benefit of Myoho-Renge-Kyois that even those who slandered Bodhisattva Never Disparaging could attain enlightenment through a reverse relationship. It goes without saying that those who have a positive relationship surely will attain Buddhahood.
Consequently, the Great Teacher Dengyō taught that “Both the believers and slanderers will attain Buddhahood without fail.” Concerning these words of the Great Teacher Dengyō, the Daishonin teaches the following in the Gosho, Ten Superior Doctrines Described in the Outstanding Principles of the Lotus Sutra (Shūku jisshō-shō):
Those who praise the Lotus Sutra accumulate good fortune as high as Mount Sumeru, while the offense that one commits by slandering the Lotus Sutra opens the path to the hell of incessant suffering. Even so, for those who take faith in the Lotus Sutra, the sutra becomes a heavenly drum, and for those who slander it, the sutra becomes a poison drum. Both the believers and slanderers of the Lotus Sutra will attain Buddhahood without fail. (Gosho, p. 1348)
As the passage teaches, those who revere the Lotus Sutra can accumulate good fortune as high as Mount Sumeru, while those who slander it commit the cause to fall into the hell of incessant suffering. For those who take faith in the Lotus Sutra, the sutra becomes a heavenly drum, and those who hear the heavenly drum will refrain from committing evil acts. On the contrary, for those who slander it, the sutra becomes a poison drum. It is said that when a drum smeared with poison is beaten, all those who hear the sound of the drum will instantly die. This is a metaphor showing that the Buddhist teaching enables all those who hear it to be liberated from earthly desires. Thus, through their relationship with Myoho-Renge-Kyo, there is no doubt that both the believers and slanderers of the Lotus Sutra will attain Buddhahood without fail. Precisely, the phrase: “Both the believers and slanderers will attain Buddhahood without fail” is extremely important.
When we perform shakubuku, it is important that we point out the errors of erroneous teachings and patiently teach people about the magnificence and superiority of the Daishonin’s Buddhism. This is because, even though those who we do shakubuku may oppose it or turn their backs on us, they eventually will take faith in true Buddhism through their relationship with it, by having the seed of Myoho-Renge-Kyo sown into their lives.
In particular, this year is “The Year of Action.” One’s faith itself can never produce results or bring forth benefits, unless one acts. The Daishonin teaches the following in the Gosho, Letter to Chikugo-bō in the Cave Prison (Tsuchirō-gosho):
When all others practice the Lotus Sutra, they read it with their mouths but do not believe it in their hearts. And even if they believe it in their hearts, they do not put it into action. You are upholding the sutra with both body and mind. How admirable! (Gosho, p. 483)
In this year, “The Year of Action,” I sincerely pray that all of us will revere these golden words and devote ourselves to practice for oneself and others in high spirits. With these efforts, I wish that all chapters will achieve this year’s shakubuku goals without fail. This concludes my New Year’s address.