Guidance from Sixty-eighth High Priest Nichinyo Shonin
On the Occasion of the August Kōsen-rufu Shōdai Ceremony
August 6, 2017
Reception Hall, Head Temple Taisekiji
On this occasion of the August Kōsen-rufu Shōdai Ceremony, conducted here today at the Head Temple, I would like to express my heartfelt appreciation to the large number of participants in attendance.
The month of August already has begun in “The Year to Do Shakubuku, Develop your Faith, and Help Others Develop their Faith and Practice.” I imagine that all of you are devoting yourselves to your practice, day and night, aiming toward the achievement of this year’s shakubuku goals.
Shakubuku is our overarching mission, which was given to us by our Founder Nichiren Daishonin, the True Buddha in the Latter Day of the Law. It also is an essential Buddhist practice to build true happiness for oneself and others.
Regarding shakubuku, the Daishonin teaches the following in the Gosho, Attaining Enlightenment at the Initial Stage of Faith through the Lotus Sutra (Hokke shoshin jōbutsu-shō):
If they hear the Lotus Sutra, which enables people to attain Buddhahood, this [encounter] becomes the seed [of Buddhahood] for them, and they eventually will attain enlightenment without fail. Therefore, Tiantai and Miaole follow this notion and expound [in their commentaries] that one should tirelessly teach the Lotus Sutra. It is like those who falter and fall to the ground, but are able to use that very ground to push themselves up to stand again. In the same way, even if they descend into hell, they will rise again before long and attain Buddhahood. The people in the Latter Day of the Law will definitely fall into hell as a result of turning their backs on the Lotus Sutra. In any case, one should strongly teach and make people listen to the teachings of the Lotus Sutra. (Gosho, p. 1316)
We should be aware that shakubuku is the ultimate means to save many people who suffer misfortunes due to the poison of slander. It also enables us to accomplish the attainment of Buddhahood in this lifetime.
Today, Nichiren Shoshu is powerfully advancing, with unity between the priesthood and laity, as we aim toward our goal—to achieve a membership of 800,000 Hokkeko believers by 2021, the 800th Anniversary of the Advent of our Founder, Nichiren Daishonin. At this very time, each of the priesthood and laity must be aware of the importance of shakubuku and carry out shakubuku, overcoming every difficulty. With these efforts, we must accomplish our goal of establishing a membership of 800,000 Hokkeko believers, which we vowed to achieve in front of the Gohonzon.
Concerning the achievement of a goal, the Daishonin teaches the following in the Gosho, Many in Body, One in Mind (Itai dōshin ji):
With the spirit of many in body, one in mind, they (the Atsuwara believers) will achieve everything, whereas, in the case of one in body, many in mind, they will not accomplish anything. This has been proven in more than 3,000 volumes of Chinese non-Buddhist literature. For example, there was a battle between King Zhou of Yin with his 700,000 soldiers and King Wu of Zhou with his 800. King Zhou was defeated due to disunity, whereas King Wu won because of unity. An individual at odds with himself will not achieve anything, because his heart is not dedicated to a single purpose. Even if there are 100 or 1,000 people, if they are united with one heart, they can definitely accomplish anything. (Gosho, p. 1389)
As this Gosho passage teaches, it is most essential that the all the members of each chapter become united as one in the spirit of itai dōshin, and courageously do shakubuku.
I sincerely wish that each chapter will carry through the latter half of the shakubuku challenge without regret, so that they surely will accomplish their shakubuku goals, which they vowed to achieve in front of the Gohonzon.