Guidance from Sixty-eighth High Priest Nichinyo Shonin
On the Occasion of the December
Kōsen-rufu Shōdai Ceremony
December 2, 2018
Reception Hall, Head Temple Taisekiji
On this occasion of the December Kōsen-rufu Shōdai Ceremony, the last Kōsen-rufu Shōdai Ceremony of the year, conducted here today at the Head Temple, I would like to express my heartfelt appreciation to the large number of participants in attendance. We have only a few weeks remaining in the final month of this year, “The Year of Action.” I imagine that the members of each chapter, based on unity between the priesthood and laity, are exerting themselves in their practice, aiming toward the achievement of this year’s shakubuku goals, as well as our goal to achieve a membership of 800,000 Hokkeko believers by 2021, when we will be commemorating the 800th Anniversary of the advent of our Founder, Nichiren Daishonin.
The Daishonin teaches the following in the Gosho, Attaining Enlightenment at the Initial Stage of Faith through the Lotus Sutra (Hokke shoshin jōbutsu-shō):
Though they are destined to fall into hell, if they hear the Lotus Sutra, which enables people to attain Buddhahood, this [encounter] will sow the seed of [Buddhahood] into their lives, and they eventually will attain enlightenment without fail. Therefore, Tiantai and Miaole follow this notion and expound in their commentaries that they should tirelessly teach the Lotus Sutra. It is like those who falter and fall to the ground and who 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 world today have turned their backs on the Lotus Sutra and, for that offense, they will undoubtedly fall into hell. Therefore, in any case, one should strongly teach and make people listen to the teachings of the Lotus Sutra. Those who follow and take faith in it will be able to attain enlightenment, and even those who slander it will likewise attain Buddhahood in the end through the poison-drum relationship. In any case, the seed of Buddhahood can be found nowhere other than the Lotus Sutra.
(Gosho, p. 1316)
This Gosho passage is the Daishonin’s answer to the question: “Would it be better to preach the teachings of Nembutsu, which conform to the people’s capacity, and make them awaken to Buddhism, rather than to strongly teach and make people listen to the Lotus Sutra, which does not suit their capacity, and cause them to slander it and fall into the evil paths?” The Daishonin expounds that even if one should fall into hell [as a result of slandering the Lotus Sutra], if one hears the Lotus Sutra, which enables one to attain Buddhahood, this [encounter] will sow the seed of [Buddhahood] into one’s heart, and one eventually will attain enlightenment without fail. Thus, we should strongly teach the Lotus Sutra, even if those to whom we preach do not believe in it. Both the Great Teachers Tiantai and Miaole instruct that one should strongly teach and make people listen to the teachings of the Lotus Sutra based on this belief. It is like those who trip and fall to the ground and who are able to use that very ground to push themselves up to stand again. In the same way, even if they descend into hell once, they will promptly rise again and attain Buddhahood.
In the Gosho, The Doctrine of Ichinen Sanzen (Ichinen sanzen hōmon) the Daishonin states as follows:
When one chants Myoho-Renge-Kyo, the Buddhahood inherent in one’s life will be manifested. Those who have the opportunity to hear it will be able to eradicate their negative karma that has been accumulating for infinite asamkhya kalpas. Those [who hear Myoho-Renge-Kyo] and rejoice for even a single life-moment, will attain Buddhahood in their present form. Even if they hear it but do not believe in it, this constitutes the sowing of the seed of Buddhahood. Thus, the sown seed will become mature and enable one to attain Buddhahood without fail. (Gosho, p. 109)
In this Gosho passage, the Daishonin refers to the principle of faith and practice based on a single moment of rejoicing. At the same time, he shows the benefit of a reverse relationship. Even those who do not take faith in Myoho-Renge-Kyo and oppose it, can attain enlightenment without fail through hearing it. This is because hearing the Lotus Sutra will create the sowing of the seed of Buddhahood into their lives. This sown seed will become mature and enable them to attain Buddhahood without fail. In particular, now in the Latter Day of the Law, those without the seed of Buddhahood undoubtedly will fall into hell. This is because, even though they do not directly slander the Lotus Sutra, they believe in heretical teachings that go against the Lotus Sutra. Thus, whether they know it or not, they are committing the offense of slandering the Lotus Sutra, and this definitely will lead them to fall into hell. In any case, we should strongly teach people the Lotus Sutra. It is certain that those who follow and take faith in it will be able to attain enlightenment, and even those who slander it will likewise attain Buddhahood in the end through their poison-drum relationship.
“A poison-drum relationship” indicates that when a drum smeared with poison is beaten, all those who hear the sound of the drum will instantly die, whether they wish to hear it or not. In other words, by teaching the Lotus Sutra to the people who slander the true Law, we can make them encounter the Lotus Sutra, which is the cause for attaining Buddhahood. This is referred to as a reverse relationship. Not only those with a positive relationship, but those with a reverse relationship also will be saved without fail, through forming a relationship with the true Law by listening to Myoho-Renge-Kyo of the sowing of the seed of the true cause.
Furthermore, the Daishonin teaches the following in the Gosho, On Discerning Cause and Effect in the Ten Worlds (Jippōkai myō inga-shō):
Due to the offense of greed and theft, one will fall into the world of hunger. Even ordinary people can easily understand this. Even good people, who are not greedy and do not commit other sins, will fall into the world of hunger if they commit slanders, or if they unknowingly come to believe in slanderous teachings by closely associating with slanderers. Only a man of wisdom understands this. We certainly must be fearful. (Gosho, p. 208)
We occasionally commit the same offense of slandering the Law by becoming friendly with those who slander. Before we know it, we are influenced by them. In order to avoid this, it is essential for us to strongly teach and make others listen to the Lotus Sutra. This is because by refuting slanders we will be able to walk the Buddhist path of attaining Buddhahood, without committing the same offense of slandering the true Law.
For both those with a positive relationship and reverse relationship, the seed of Buddhahood is none other than the Lotus Sutra. If the people in the world, because of their ignorance, claim that one can attain enlightenment by believing in the provisional pre-Lotus Sutra teachings, then why did the Buddha, by strongly teaching the Lotus Sutra, expound that both those who slander it and those who take faith in it will receive benefits? The Daishonin teaches that those who have faith to pursue the Buddha’s teaching must deeply understand this. Here, what is referred to as the “Lotus Sutra” now in the Latter Day of the Law is Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo of the meaning hidden in the depths of the Life Span chapter, the core of the Lotus Sutra. Thus, the Daishonin teaches the following in the Gosho, The True Object of Worship (Kanjin no honzon-shō):
The practices that Shakyamuni carried out and the virtues he consequently acquired are all contained in the five characters of Myoho-Renge-Kyo. If we embrace these characters, the same virtues that Shakyamuni gained will naturally be bestowed upon us. (Gosho, p. 653)
He further teaches in the Gosho, Questions and Answers between a Sage and a Foolish Man (Shōgu mondō-shō) as follows:
By the single practice of taking faith in Myoho-Renge-Kyo, there are no benefits that will not be drawn to you, and there are no benefits that will fail to come, and no good causes that will fail to be accumulated. (Gosho, p. 408)
Now, Nichiren Shoshu is powerfully moving forward, with unity between the priesthood and laity, as we aim toward our goal—to achieve a membership of 800,000 Hokkeko believers by 2021.
At this time, we have only a few weeks remaining until the end of this year. I sincerely wish that you will unite and conduct shakubuku in high spirits, based on the benefits and joy from chanting Daimoku, so that you will achieve this year’s shakubuku goals without fail. I hope that your efforts will be witnessed by our Founder Nichiren Daishonin, and that you then will accomplish the attainment of Buddhahood in this lifetime.