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The Risshue and General Meeting Address I extend my sincere congratulations to you on this splendid occasion of the Risshue Ceremony, commemorating the 755th anniversary of the establishment of True Buddhism, and the 17th General Meeting of the Myoshin-ji Chapter of the Hokkeko. In particular, I express my heartfelt gratitude to all of you and especially members who traveled great distances, in spite of the weekend, from Canada, from various states such as Alaska, Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Nevada, and from as far away as Japan,. Thank you very, very much. The Risshue Ceremony, which I just performed, represents our expression of sincere gratitude towards our master Nichiren Daishonin, the True Buddha, and commemorates the establishment of True Buddhism by him on the 28th day of the 4th month of the 5th year of Kencho (1253). Furthermore, through this ceremony, we the priests and lay believers of Nichiren Shoshu pledged to exert forth increasing efforts in the three practices of faith, practice, and study; to sincerely pray for the successful achievement of our great objective of kosenrufu; and to advance forth with ever more devotion, upholding the spirit of never begrudging our lives for the sake of the Law. In the Gosho, “Repaying Debts of Gratitude” (Ho’on sho), Nichiren Daishonin stated: If Nichiren’s compassion is truly great and encompassing, Nam-myoho-renge-kyo will spread for ten-thousand years and more. (Gosho, p. 1036; MWND-4, p. 272) This Daimoku, based on the great compassion of the True Buddha Nichiren Daishonin, functions to illuminate the ten-thousand years and beyond of darkness in the Latter Day of the Law, and it will bring true salvation to all mankind. We chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo today, since someone shared this Buddhism with us through shakubuku in the past, and we have upheld our faith and practice. Since we were able to encounter True Buddhism and we have been fortunate enough to be able to chant Daimoku¸ let us extend forth this salvation through our shakubuku efforts to many, many more people. I express my sincere thanks to those who just presented their strong determinations and those who shared their precious experiences with us. I am certain that the Daishonin would be truly pleased to see so many of you in attendance today. In the “Orally Transmitted Teachings” (On giku den), the Daishonin stated: The seven kinds of treasure represent: listening to the true teaching (mon); believing it (shin); keeping the precept (kai); meditating on the true teaching (jo), practicing it assiduously (shin); selflessly devoting oneself to it (sha); and constantly reflecting on oneself seeking self-improvement (zan). (Gosho, p. 1752) These seven kinds of treasure refer to seven basic indispensable elements of Buddhist practice. If we do not uphold these seven elements, we would not be practicing the true teachings. Today, I would like to talk about these seven kinds of treasure. First, “listening to the true teaching (mon)” signifies the act of honestly listening to the correct doctrines of True Buddhism. This is the primary basis for the achievement of various benefits. It is essential to always come to worship at the temple with great joy and an eagerness to listen to the doctrines and sermons of True Buddhism. The next element is “believing (shin).” It refers to a pure heart that contains no delusions. It is the practice of sincerely embracing the teaching that we hear and truly believing in the doctrines of the Daishonin. As we chant Daimoku, if we entertain a thought such as, “I wonder if our prayers would really come true,” then we would be manifesting lack of faith in the Gohonzon and our hearts would not be pure. If we sincerely believe in the Gohonzon, we would never complain or show defeat or resignation. In other words, believing is none other than having no doubts. The third element is “keeping the precept (kai).” It represents the principle of discarding evil and advancing forth on the virtuous path, as we correctly uphold the Law. Without fail, this precept is an integral part of True Buddhism. Receiving the Law and embracing it forever refer to the pledge that we make during the initiation and acceptance ceremony – goju-kai. Even if we have undergone the goju-kai ceremony, if we are unable to sincerely believe in the Gohonzon, we cannot claim to be upholding the precept of the Latter Day of the Law. Furthermore, in our daily lives, if we commit any of the fourteen slanders or if we do not put forth efforts in shakubuku and lead a slanderous life, we also cannot claim to be correctly upholding the precept. The next element is “meditating on the true teaching (jo).” It denotes the true peace and stability of the mind based on the principles of Buddhism which are manifested when we correctly practice True Buddhism and gradually eliminate our various earthly desires, delusions, and problems. When we sincerely chant Daimoku, we will find that problems that had weighed heavily on our hearts would be gradually alleviated, based on the benefits of the Law. As a result, we will no longer be distressed by difficulties. The fifth element is “practicing assiduously (shin),” and it indicates how we must forge ahead diligently, without ever being lazy or slackening in our responsibilities. Our faith must not be like a raging fire that temporarily flares and soon fizzles out. It must be constant and everlasting like flowing water. Regardless of the conditions that may be manifested in our lives, it is important to practice assiduously – to attend sermons, to go on tozan pilgrimages, to participate in meetings, and to chant extra Daimoku whenever we have even a little free time. The next item is “selfless devotion (sha).” It represents the elimination of our attachment to things, which would then enable us never to begrudge our money, time, and our lives, for the sake of the Law, as we help others. Excessive desires and extreme attachments to things are the foremost causes for unhappiness in our lives. When we are self-absorbed and preoccupied by our own achievements, we will manifest arrogance, without fail. This represents a particularly serious pitfall in Buddhism. The following passage in contained in the Juryo (“The Life Span of the Buddha”) chapter of the Lotus Sutra: “Single-mindedly desiring to see the Buddha, not hesitating even if it costs them their lives.” The spirit expressed in this passage is intricately connected with the element of selfless devotion. The final element is “constantly reflecting on oneself seeking self-improvement (zan).” It refers to our ability to understand shame, self-reflection, and repentance. What should be the object of our shame? First, we must be ashamed of our own negative intentions and negative karma. Secondly, when we observe the appearance and conduct of a virtuous person, we must feel ashamed of our own lack of virtue. Thirdly, we must illuminate our lives and hold ourselves up to the principles of the Law; we must be ashamed of harboring any heretical views or evil thoughts. We must reflect upon our own words and conduct and ask ourselves the following questions: “Are we fostering any arrogance in our hearts?” “Are we certain that we have not combined our arbitrary perspectives in our faith and practice?” “Do we hold a grudge against someone?” We must reflect upon our words and actions, and we must never lose sight of the prime point of faith, as we sincerely advance forth in our faith and practice. I have provided a brief explanation of the seven kinds of treasure. Since we are common mortals in the Latter Day of the Law, there will be times when we make mistakes or succumb to laziness. However, we must exert forth our utmost efforts and chant Daimoku to the Gohonozon. Furthermore, by performing our Buddhist practice, we would be able to enrich our own lives with the seven treasures of listening to the true teaching (mon); believing it (shin); keeping the precept (kai); meditating on the true teaching (jo), practicing it assiduously (shin); selflessly devoting oneself to it (sha); and constantly reflecting on oneself seeking self-improvement (zan). Enriched with these treasures, we must endeavor forth with all our efforts at work and at school. Without fail, we would be able to manifest actual proof in the form of tremendous benefits, based on the principle of faith is in itself our daily lives (shinjin soku seikatsu). As a result, we would be able to establish a life condition of enlightenment within our current lifetime. As you know, the Nichiren Shoshu priests and lay believers are currently advancing forth in solid unity to achieve our objectives of doubling the number of the Bodhisattvas of the Earth and congregating at the great assembly in 2009, on the auspicious occasion of the 750th Anniversary of Revealing the Truth and Upholding Justice through the Submission of the Rissho Ankoku-ron. Our High Priest stated the following about the faith and practice that must be manifested by the Bodhisattvas of the Earth: Above all, correct faith and practice will provide you with the
strength and peace of mind to live a solid, active life. You will
cultivate tremendous power to be able to withstand any hardships or
suffering that you may encounter. And you will be able to transform your
life into an existence full of vigor and prosperity. Sharing this
happiness with as many people as possible characterizes the true faith and
practice of the Bodhisattvas of the Earth. I ask you all to use this splendid occasion today to enrich your lives with the seven kinds of treasure, to invigorate your spirits ever more, and to renew your determination, as you advance forth in your devotion towards the attainment of kosenrufu – the ultimate propagation of True Buddhism. I would like to conclude my guidance for today, by sincerely praying for your continued good health and ever-strengthening achievements. I extend my sincere appreciation to you for your attendance today. |