Since childhood, I, Nichiren, have never prayed for the secular things of this life, but have single-mindedly sought to become a Buddha.
                               (Gosho, p. 1179; MWND-3, p. 229)

            Good morning everyone. Today, on this occasion of the December Oko sermon in our expression of gratitude to our master Nichiren Daishonin, I have sincerely recited the sutras and chanted Daimoku together with you.  Moreover, I have sincerely prayed for you to eliminate your sins and negative karma from this and infinite past lifetimes; for you to redouble your faith; for you to enjoy a safe and long life; for peace and harmony to reign in your home; for all matters to proceed forth smoothly; and for the successful achievement of all your great objectives in this and future existences. I am certain that the Daishonin would be truly pleased to see so many of you in attendance today.

            This is already December, and we have come upon the last month of the “Year of Advancement with Unity between Priesthood and Laity.” How did this year turn out for all of you? Each person is equally given the same amount of time in a year, but our individual circumstances are all different. I am certain that there were those who spent their days filled with joy and others who overcame unfortunate events and managed to proceed forth. There may be others who were overwhelmed by conditions in their lives that caused them to slacken in their practice and performance of gongyo and who are now feeling somewhat regretful as the year comes to a close. Life is different for every individual.

            There is something that I would like for you to consider.

            Imagine that a certain bank deposits $864 dollars in your account every morning. However, the balance reverts to $0 dollars every evening. In other words, if you do not use the entire sum that was deposited, you will lose the remaining amount each night. You are unable to transfer the money into another account. As the recipient of the $864 dollars, what would you do with this money? Would you spend the entire amount every day, or would you not care about doing so, since you can receive a deposit of the same amount the next morning?

            All of us, in fact, possess a similar “bank account” in our lives. The currency is time. Every morning, we are given 86,400 seconds. If we do not effectively use this time, it disappears at the end of the day. We cannot transfer that time to the next day, and we cannot rent it out or borrow it. We cannot return to time that is already in our past. In other words, we must effectively live our lives in the present, within the time that we are allotted. Therefore, we must make full use of the here and now- the time that we are given in the present- and advance forth to manifest our highest potential.

            In reality, the eternity of the three existences expounded in Buddhism can only be manifested in a single instant in the present. Each and every second in the present must be truly illuminated by our faith and practice in Myoho (the Mystic Law). This would then promote the appearance of the precious Buddha eternally endowed with the three properties (musa sanjin), and the lives of all mankind would manifest benefits of true enrichment. When we look upon the issue from this perspective, we can begin to understand how important time is everyday and how essential it is for us to sincerely advance forth each day.

            This month, I chose to focus on a single sentence from a gosho that the Daishonin addressed to Shijo Kingo.

            On the 9^th day of the 6^th month of the 3^rd year of Kenji (1277), a debate took place in Kamakura, between Sammi-bo, a disciple of the Daishonin, and Ryuzo-bo, a famous priest of the Tendai sect. As a matter of course, in the Latter Day of the Law, the Tendai doctrines could not compete with the supreme teachings of the Daishonin. Before a public audience, Sammi-bo systematically proceeded to completely denounce his opponent’s heretical doctrines.

            Resentful that he was defeated, Ryuzo-bo retaliated against Shijo Kingo, who was in the audience and was not even involved in the debate. He falsely reported to Lord Ema, who was Kingo’s superior, that Shijo Kingo conspired against Ryuzo-bo, that he threatened him with a weapon, and that he was engaged in bad-mouthing Ryuzo-bo and in evil collaborations against him.

            These false allegations functioned to outrage Lord Ema. He sent forth a decree to Shijo Kingo, ordering him to submit a written agreement to renounce his faith in the Lotus Sutra. Shijo Kingo reported this incident to the Daishonin, who, in turn, explained to him with conviction that those who oppose the True Law will be punished, without fail. The Daishonin told Shijo Kingo to focus great attention on every aspect of his daily life.

            The Daishonin was well aware of Shijo Kingo’s personality. Around this time, the Daishonin wrote another letter to him and stated the following:

Since you are hot-tempered and behave like a blazing fire, you will certainly be deceived by others. If your lord coaxes you with soft words, I am sure you will be won over, just as a fire is extinguished by water.

            Shijo Kingo was a man who sincerely served his master, but he was short-tempered. The Daishonin warned Shijo Kingo not to let this weakness lead him to make major mistakes.

            To make matters worse, Lord Ema had been coaxing Shijo Kingo with sweet propositions. He told Kingo that he would pardon his dispossession and return his territory to him, if he discontinued his faith in the Lotus Sutra. Shijo Kingo was well aware that, if he followed the directions of his lord, he would discredit the True Law throughout all eternity.

            The Daishonin instructed Shijo Kingo to cultivate a strong conviction that would enable him to unequivocally overcome all obstacles that cause his heart to waiver about whether or not to uphold true faith.

            He then stated, “Since childhood, I, Nichiren, have never prayed for the secular things of life, but have single-mindedly sought to become a Buddha.” The Daishonin explained that, ever since his youth, his prayers were not limited to seeking the temporary attainment of peace and tranquility and long life in this life. He said that he prayed continuously into the future, to achieve the eternal objective of Buddhahood. The Daishonin’s instructions were not merely addressed to Shijo Kingo. They illustrated the correct method of performing our practice that would enable all of us in the Latter Day of the Law to achieve true enlightenment.

            We all tend to focus on the immediate and tangible aspects of our lives. In our faith and practice, we may concentrate on achieving worldly benefits, such as long life, material wealth, and happiness. We must follow the Daishonin’s instructions and embrace the three existences of life. We must vigorously advance forth in our performance of our morning and evening gongyo, Daimoku, and shakubuku, based on the principle of good causes bring forth good effects and based on our prayers to achieve enlightenment. By so doing, we can attain the life condition of true happiness characterized by the principle of enlightenment in this lifetime (issho jobutsu).

            Let us all sincerely embrace the words and deeds of the Daishonin, as we chant sincere Daimoku and advance forth everyday for the sake of achieving kosenrufu.

            Finally, this is the month when we perform the year-end cleaning. Let me say a few brief words about how this cleaning should be performed and about the benefits of cleaning the temple.

            First, there are six issues that we must follow when we are cleaning.

1) We must frequently clean the area around the altar and keep it spotless. 2) No items should be placed at the same level as the Gohonzon. 3) The evergreens, incense, candles, and bell must be placed on a secondary sutra table or at the very front of the altar. 4) The booklet for deceased ancestors and photographs must never be placed in a position that would eclipse any portion of the Gohonzon in any way. 5) Nothing should be placed above the altar and no photographs should be above it. 6) Items associated with other religions should not be displayed inside or outside the house.

I am certain that you will be cleaning your house soon. Please be particularly mindful to follow item 6.

Next, let me talk about the significance of cleaning the temple. There are many benefits. Shakyamuni explained that there are 5 benefits for those who clean. 1) The first benefit is that one’s own heart and mind will be cleansed. 2) Second, the hearts and minds of others will also be cleansed. 3) Third, cleaning causes the guardian deities to rejoice. 4) Fourth, one will be reborn proper and beautiful in future lives. 5) Fifth, one will ultimately be born in a heavenly real.

We are performing the great year-end cleaning that occurs only once a year. I pray that as many believers as possible will come forth, so that they can all work together to amass tremendous benefits.

I would like to inform you that the New Year’s Gongyo on New Year’s Day next year will be performed at 8:50 a.m. In past years, it was performed at 10 a.m. However, I have received orders from the Head Temple to attend the Kick-off Meeting at the Head Temple on January 3^rd, and I must travel immediately after the New Year’s Gongyo ceremony. I have arranged to take the last flight out that day, but I still must leave the temple at 10 a.m. I know that those of you who live in distant areas must leave your homes in the early morning. I realize that it is inconvenient for you, but I sincerely ask you for your understanding on this matter. I am truly looking forward to seeing as many people as possible at the New Year’s Gongyo.

I would now like to conclude my sermon for this month. Thank you very much for your attendance. The days are growing colder, so I ask you to take good care of your health so that you do not catch any colds. I am also sincerely looking forward to seeing as many of you as possible in attendance at the Year-end Gongyo ceremony.

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