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Winter Always Turns to Spring Today, on this occasion of the Okyo-bi Ceremony for March, I have sincerely recited the sutras and chanted Daimoku together with you. I have also offered my heartfelt prayers for the peaceful repose of all the deceased individuals for whom you have requested a memorial. Moreover, I have sincerely prayed for you to eliminate your sins and negative karma from this and 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; and for the ultimate continuation of the Law. I have also prayed for the further advancement of the Myoshin-ji Chapter of the Hokkeko. In the Gosho, “Winter Always Turns to Spring,” Nichiren Daishonin wrote the following: Those who believe in the Lotus Sutra are as if in winter, which never fails to turn into spring. Never have I seen or heard of winter turning into autumn. Nor have I ever heard of any believer in the Lotus Sutra who remained a common mortal. A passage from the sutra reads, “Among those who hear of this Law, there is not one who shall not attain Buddhahood.” (Gosho, p. 832; MW-1, p. 150) In his explanation, the Daishonin compared the definitive principles of faith with the certainty of the changing of the seasons. Thus, just as winter turns to spring without fail, those who uphold faith in the Lotus Sutra will attain enlightenment without fail, even though they will definitely encounter obstacles. Such certainty is based on the fact that the Lotus Sutra is a true doctrine and not an expedient one. Only expedient benefits could result from embracing expedient teachings; however, true benefits are achieved through upholding the True Teaching. Why, then, do those who practice the Lotus Sutra encounter persecution? There are various reasons. One such reason is that the people in the Latter Day of the Law have never received the original seed of Buddhism in their past existences (hommi uzen). The land and society are tainted by the Five Impurities. Another reason is that, while we are individuals living under such conditions, we are also persons who have deliberately amassed negative karma to be born into this evil world to propagate True Buddhism (ganken ogo). Even if we seek happiness outside ourselves, we will find that a realm based on the karmic suffering of Earthly Desires is a hollow world. This is illustrated by the parable of the wealthy man and his poor son, which appears in the Belief and Understanding (Shinge; fourth) chapter of the Lotus Sutra. True happiness does not exist in that outside realm. In fact, our world is doubly difficult for those who are honest. Thus, if people realize that true happiness can only be achieved when their lives are based on True Buddhism and if they do shakubuku to lead others to True Buddhism, they will not only encounter opposition from powerful authorities—they will also face persecution without fail. However, all people are seeking true happiness in the depths of their lives. If, through a karmic bond, they are able to hear about True Buddhism, one person at a time, they will eventually realize the contradictions that are obvious in the world. Like the thawing of ice, the karmic sins will be eliminated, and people will be able to transform the entire saha world into a realm of Eternally Tranquil Light. This land of Eternally Tranquil Light does not suddenly appear by itself. It is actually a realm that we must gradually construct through our systematic and devoted action in faith. For all of us in the Latter Day of the Law, we cannot encounter the true happiness exemplified by spring, without first undergoing the rigorous process of expiating our karmic sins – a wintry period in our lives. Let me briefly present a summary of this parable. In a certain province, there was a wealthy man’s son who, as a child, ran away from his father and his home. He wandered from province to province for ten, twenty, and more than fifty years. He suffered from increasing poverty and roamed from place to place in search of food. Finally, he happened to return to his hometown. The wealthy father had tried with great effort to find his lost son, but his whereabouts were unknown. Meanwhile, the father had built himself a splendid castle. His storehouses were full of tremendous treasures. He employed many servants in his home, and he controlled numerous subjects in his fief. Moreover, he possessed large numbers of elephants, cattle, and sheep. In spite of his wealth, for more than fifty years, the father was constantly troubled by the disappearance of his child. Not even for a day did he ever forget about his son. He was also concerned about how he would be able to pass on his vast wealth to him. The aging wealthy man contemplated upon his life; his storehouses were full of treasures, but he missed his son. He thought, “When I die, I would have no heir to whom I could transfer my estate. Without a doubt, my wealth would be dispersed.” The wealthy man was constantly concerned about the well-being of his son. He continued to think, “If only my child were here. Nothing would make me happier than to be able to transfer my wealth to him.” Meanwhile, the son wandered aimlessly in search of menial labor for insignificant amounts of money. In time, without realizing it, he finally came upon the entrance to his father’s castle. From outside the castle, he peered inside and saw the vast luxurious structure. He also saw the handsome, dignified wealthy man. He thought, “Such an illustrious man would never take notice of someone like me. If I loiter around a place like this, people will become suspicious of me.” He hastily ran away. The wealthy man recognized his son, and was overjoyed that he had returned. He sent messengers after him to convince him to return home. The son thought, “I have done nothing wrong, but I am certain that they will kill me.” He was extremely frightened and he fainted. Seeing this, the father sought to find a good way to ensure his son’s return. He sent two servants dressed in rags to invite the son to the castle. They said, “You can earn a great deal of money if you work clearing away night soil at the wealthy man’s castle.” The son would not readily agree. When he received an advance payment, he finally agreed to work there. The wealthy father was distressed to see the lowly condition of his son. He gradually led him to perform increasingly essential tasks. The wealthy man told his poor son, “You can work here for as long as you want. You have all the things that you need, so don’t hesitate to use them. I am old but you are young. You must never become lazy or angry. Even so, I would never look upon you as a stranger, since I consider you to be family – my son.” He encouraged the poor man in this way for twenty years. Twenty years later, the poor man – the true son of the wealthy man – had gained the trust of the wealthy man and freely went in and out of the castle. But, he continued to live in the humble servants quarters. Around that time, the wealthy man fell ill and sensed his death approaching. He entrusted the management of his tremendous estate to the poor man. The son still had the lowly spirit of a poor man. He continued to believe that he was nothing more than a common employee. Some time thereafter, the wealthy father learned that his son was finally able to discard the miserable notion that he was merely a hired man. The father invited the sovereign of the province, the ministers, and the nobility and disclosed his son’s true identity, “Standing here before you is my son. He left home as a child and, now, after seventy years of searching for him, I was able to reunite with him. He is truly my son, and I am truly his father. I am transferring my entire estate to him.” Hearing his father’s words, the poor son was overjoyed. He said, “Not even in my dreams could I have imagined that I am the wealthy man’s son. I never sought to gain this wealth, but now, I have been able to acquire this immeasurable estate of treasures.” Sages of ancient times have embraced the spirit illustrated by the “pine, bamboo, and plum,” in their description of the harsh, wintry process that everyone endures. They have managed to identify an aspect of Buddhism through the observation of nature. There are intrinsic properties that we can recognize in the pine, bamboo, and plum. First, the pine endures the severest winters and remains green. This characteristic in humans describes a person who would never compromise his integrity in the face of the greatest adversities. Next, the bamboo possesses the flexibility and strength to spring back, even when it is weighted down with heavy snow. Moreover, it carefully nourishes each segment, as the stalk grows. The spirit of the bamboo can be described as an inner strength in faith and the nurturing of order, courtesy, and propriety. Finally, the plum is the first flower to blossom in spring. Its rich fragrance announces the coming of spring. When applied to our lives, these properties compel us to uphold our conviction as individuals who share a karmic bond with the Bodhisattvas of the Earth and who must forge ahead as forerunners to achieve worldwide Kosen-rufu. Nichiren Shoshu is advancing toward 2009, the 750th Anniversary of Revealing the Truth and Upholding Justice through the Submission of the Rissho ankoku-ron. We are striving to embrace and emulate Nichiren Daishonin’s essential spirit, by doubling the number of the Bodhisattvas of the Earth and by promoting the achievement of the Great Assembly to worship the Dai-Gohonzon at the Head Temple Taisekiji. Nichiren Daishonin wrote the following in his Gosho, “The Property of Rice” (Beikoku gosho): I entrust you with the propagation of Buddhism in your province. Because the seeds of Buddhahood sprout in response to the proper influence, one expounds the teaching of the One Vehicle. (Gosho, p. 1242; MW-5, p. 151) We must be firmly convinced that our current location is, indeed, the place that Nichiren Daishonin has designated for us to achieve Kosen-rufu. Based on the Daishonin’s Buddhism, we must strive in our faith, with great honesty, diligence, high spirits, and optimism within our individual realms. Furthermore, it is absolutely essential to exert our utmost energy and effort in our daily lives and work, as we devote ourselves to achieve Kosen-rufu and to support and protect True Buddhism. Let us forge ahead in our faith and practice for ourselves and for others, as we proceed toward our objective two years from now – the 750th Anniversary of Revealing the Truth and Upholding Justice through the Submission of the Rissho ankoku-ron. |