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Articles to be Observed after the 1. When the Temple of the Honmon Teaching is established, Niidakyo Ajari Nichimoku is to be Master of the Seat of the Law. Half of the Temples in the country of Japan and in the entire world as well, are to be governed by my legitimate successor Nichimoku, the remaining half are to be administered by the other priests. 2. I, Nikko, transfer to Nichimoku the Dai-Gohonzon of the 2nd year of Ko’an which was transferred to me. It should be enshrined at the Temple of the Honmon Teaching. 3. Nichimoku is to administer and make repairs to Taisekiji, that is, the Mido and await the time for Kosenrufu. (The Gosho of Nichiren Daishonin 1883) Good morning everyone. Today, on this occasion of the November Oko sermon in our expression of gratitude to our master Nichiren Daishonin and the Mokushi-e Ceremony, 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. Today, prior to this sermon, I conducted the Shichi-go-san Ceremony. It was during the mid-Edo period (around the 18th century) that the 11th day of the 11th month was established as the day for this ceremony to celebrate boys and girls who are 3 years of age; boys who are 5 years of age; and girls who are 7 years of age. The individual Nichiren Shoshu temples have been celebrating this occasion ever since then. The Daishonin said the following about children: The sutra passage says that children are a treasure. (Gosho, p. 1552; MWND-7, p. 261) For those of us who protect and uphold the True Buddhism of the Daishonin, children are our treasure. Children represent precious individuals of talent for the parents, their country, and for the sake of kosenrufu. Therefore, I have conducted the Shichi-go-san Ceremony today at Myoshin-ji Temple and tapped the heads of the children of the appropriate ages, with the Gohonzon. As you are aware, Wednesday, November 15th, marks the anniversary of the passing of our 3rd High Priest Nichimoku Shonin. For this month, I have chosen a passage from “Articles to be Observed After the Passing of Nikko” (Nikko ato jo-jo no koto). In December, I will resume my sermons on passages from Volume 1 of the Gosho. Nichimoku Shonin was born in Hateke-go in Izu, in the 1st year of Bun’o (1260), the same year in which the Daishonin submitted the Rissho ankoku ron (“On Securing the Peace of the Land through the Propagation of True Buddhism”) to the feudal government of Japan. His father was Niida Goro Shigetsuna. His mother was Ren’a-ni, who was the eldest daughter of Lord Nanjo Hyoe Shichiro and an elder sister of Nanjo Tokimitsu. Nichimoku Shonin’s childhood name was Torao-maru. When he was 13 years of age, he entered Soto-san Enzo-bo Temple, a center that focused on teaching the principle of the master and disciple relationship, as it applied to samurai warriors. He studied diligently at this center. The location of this temple today is in the Izu-san area. It is situated approximately 30 minutes north by car, from Ryugan-ji Temple, which we visited during our tozan pilgrimage in April. In the 11th year of Bun’ei (1274), our 2nd High Priest Nikko Shonin, who was visiting the Fuji region to promote shakubuku efforts, stopped by at Soto-san, to visit Torao-maru. On the 8th day of the 4th month of the 2nd year of Kenji (1276), 2 years following his encounter with Nikko Shonin, Nichimoku Shonin entered the priesthood and embraced the Way of the Law at Soto-san Temple; he upheld Nikko Shonin as his master. Thereafter, on the 24th day of the 11th month of that year, he traveled with Nikko Shonin to Mt. Minobu. The Daishonin approved of his training and practice in Minobu. For 7 years from then, Nichimoku Shonin offered constant service, until the Daishonin passed away on the 13th day of the 10th month of the 5th year of Koan (1282). Please take a look at 1 and 2 of the material that has been distributed to you. Both represent images of Nichimoku Shonin. You may notice that the top of his head is flat. Why is his head flat? According to legend, every single day for 7 years, Nichimoku Shonin made several trips to the river in the valley of Minobu to fetch water for the Daishonin. He carried the water in a wooden bucket on his head; gradually the top of his head grew flat. In the 2nd month of the 2nd year of Koan (1279), the Daishonin bestowed a Gohonzon upon Nichimoku Shonin. As you all know, the 2nd year of Koan represented an extremely significant year, when the Daihsonin inscribed the Dai-Gohonzon. In the 9th month of the 5th month of Koan (1282), the Daishonin set out from Minobu to visit the therapeutic hot springs of Hitachi (presently Iwaki City in Fukushima Prefecture). Nichimoku Shonin, together with his master Nikko Shonin, traveled with the Daishonin. On the way, they stopped at the residence of Ikegami Munenaka at Ikegami in Musashi Province (currently Ota-ku, Tokyo). It was there that the Daishonin entered nirvana, as his disciples and followers looked on. It has been reported that shortly before his death, the Daishonin leaned against a pillar for support, mustered forth his final energy, and presented a sermon on the Rissho ankoku ron (“On Securing the Peace of the Land through the Propagation of True Buddhism”). Upon Nichimoku Shonin’s return to Mt. Minobu, he offered consistant service in the upkeep of the Daishonin’s grave site. When it was not his turn to service the site, he traveled to Oshu Province (currently the Tohoku Region) to propagate True Buddhism. At the time, he traveled no less than 20 days to go from Minobu to Oshu Province. In spite of the treacherous journey, Nichimoku Shonin traveled there frequently and established the four Oshu temples of Hongen-ji, Jogyo-ji, Myoen-ji, and Myokyo-ji. As a result of Nichimoku Shonin’s propagation efforts in the Oshu region, Nikko Shonin bestowed the Gohonzon upon numerous believers in the area almost every year, since establishing Taiseki-ji. There are more than 30 that survive to this day. Due to the slanderous behavior of Mimbu Niko and Hakiri Sanenaga, the steward of Minobu, Nikko Shonin departed from Minobu. Based on Lord Nanjo Tokimitsu’s protection and support, Nikko Shonin established Taiseki-ji on the 12th day of the 10th month of the 3rd year of Sho’o (1290). On the next day, Nikko Shonin set forth a private decision to transfer the lifeblood heritage of the law to Nichimoku Shonin. At this time, Nikko Shonin bestowed a Joza Gohonzon to Nichimoku Shonin to mark the transfer. This Gohonzon is currently enshrined in the Reception Hall (Kyaku-den). Eight years thereafter in 1298, when Nikko Shonin was 53 years of age and Nichimoku Shonin was 39, Nikko Shonin followed the Daishonin’s example and designated six senior disciples headed by Nichimoku Shonin. Nikko Shonin moved away to Omosu (currently Kitayama Hommon-ji Temple) and transferred the entirety of Taiseki-ji to Nichimoku Shonin. Then, on the 10th day of the 11th month of the 1st year of Genko (1332), Nikko Shonin, who was 87 years of age and sensed his imminent death, handed Nichimoku Shonin the “Articles to be Observed After the Passing of Nikko” (Nikko ato jo-jo no koto), which he had previously prepared. Our passage for this month is taken from this gosho. After transferring the entirety of the Law to Nichimoku Shonin, for the sake of the eternal continuation of the Law and the achievement of kosenrufu, Nikko Shonin peacefully entered into nirvana the following year, on the 7th day of the 2nd month of the 2nd year of Genko (1333). At the time, Nichimoku Shonin was already 74 years of age. His repeated remonstrations against the imperial authorities and his frequent travels under difficult conditions to propagate True Buddhism in the Oshu region had taken a toll on his health. His legs were impaired, and he fell ill from time to time. However, he was determined to submit in person to Emperor Godaigo – who was in power at the time – his treatise promoting the Daishonin’s True Buddhism. He resolutely departed from Taiseki-ji to accomplish this task. Prior to his departure, Nichimoku Shonin chose Nichido Shonin from among his senior disciples and transferred the lifeblood heritage of the Law to him, to ensure the continued strict protection of the Dai-Gohonzon of the High Sanctuary of True Buddhism and to entrust him with the provision of leadership and direction to the disciples and believers. Accompanied by the priests Nichizon and Nichigo, Nichimoku Shonin then set forth on his journey to remonstrate against the emperor. He would not return alive to Taiseki-ji again. Traveling to Kyoto, which was the capital of the nation at the time, took approximately 11 days. However, due to Nichimoku Shonin’s advanced age and disabled legs, he was supported by both Nichizon and Nichigo and laboriously dragged his every step, as he continued his journey, in his single-minded determination to propagate True Buddhism. Photograph 4 of the recorded materials depicts the conditions at the time. Finally, he fell ill at Tarui in Mino Province (currently Tarui-cho in Gifu Prefecture). The two disciples who accompanied him constantly remained at his side and cared for him. In the end, Nichimoku Shonin opened his eyes and told his disciples that his last moment had come upon him. He directed his two disciples to go on to meet with the emperor and remonstrate in his stead; furthermore, he instructed them to report the news to Nichido Shonin. Then, he directed the two to enshrine a Gohonzon and he quietly chanted Daimoku. On the 15th day of the 11th month he peacefully entered nirvana. He was so calm and tranquil at death that the two disciples who continued to chant Daimoku at his side thought that he was asleep and did not immediately recognize that he had departed. The priests Nichizon and Nichigo cremated Nichimoku Shonin and carried his remains with them, as they went on to remonstrate in his stead. Nichizon remained in Kyoto to propagate True Buddhism there. Nichigo returned to Taiseki-ji with the remains of Nichimoku Shonin. Nichimoku Shonin’s deathbed poem read as follows: Generations shall pass This meant that the true lifeblood transmission of the Daishonin’s Law, occurring only in Taiseki-ji, is transferred to the successive High Priests; the determination to achieve kosenrufu is higher than Mt. Fuji and reaches far beyond the clouds. Thus, kosenrufu can be attained without fail. Based on this poem, Nichiren Shoshu has held since olden times that, on the eve of the achievement of kosenrufu, Nichimoku Shonin will return once again, without fail, to provide solid unity to the entire congregation. The heritage of Nichimoku Shonin’s responsibilities has been directly succeeded by our current High Priest Nichinyo Shonin. Ever since assuming his position as the High Priest, Nichinyo Shonin has continued to present us with directions, as we advance forth to the imminent objective of the doubling the number of the Boddhisattvas of the Earth who will congregate for the 750th Anniversary of Revealing the Truth and Upholding Justice through the Submission of the Rissho Ankoku-ron. He stated the following at the summer training course that was conducted in Japan: The performance of shakubuku functions to expiate the various karmic sins from your past lifetimes. It enables you to achieve enlightenment within your current lifetime. In addition, it enables you to make others happy. Since you are performing the deed of the Buddha, you will receive tremendous benefits. … I ask you all – the old, the young, men, and women – to stand and advance forth to perform shakubuku, towards our objective of doubling the number of believers – the Bodhisattvas of the Earth – by the year 2009. I would like to conclude my sermon for today by asking you to strengthen your devotion and your practice, so that we could successfully achieve this objective without fail. This has been a lengthy sermon, and I extend my sincere appreciation to you all for your kind attention. |