On the occasion of the May Kosen-rufu Shodai ceremony, I would like to express my deep appreciation to the large number of participants here today. I trust that all of you are working diligently for the achievement of our pledge, as we enter into the month of May, the mid-term of this year, “The Year of Action.”

Nichiren Daishonin states in his Gosho, “The Treasure of a Filial Child” (“Sennichi ama gohenji”):

One’s acts of great good are nothing to rely on. If one fails to encounter the Lotus Sutra, of what avail can they be? Nor should one lament having committed acts of great evil. For if only one practices the one vehicle, then one can follow in the footsteps of Devadatta [in attaining Buddhahood].(MW-6, p. 295)

The passage, “One’s acts of great good are nothing to rely on,” is referring to the acts mentioned in the previous passages of the Gosho, which state:

In the Amida and other sutras expounded during the first forty and more years of the Buddha’s preaching life, Shariputra is said to have achieved great merit by reciting the name of Amida Buddha a million times in the space of seven days. But since these sutras were repudiated as teachings belonging to the period when the Buddha had “not yet revealed the truth,” such recitation is in fact as meaningless as if one were to boil water for seven days and then throw it into the ocean.

Lady Vaidehi, by reading the Meditation Sutra, was able to reach the stage known as the realization of the non-birth and non-extinction of all phenomena. But since the Buddha cast this sutra aside when he said that he would now “honestly discard expedient means,” unless Lady Vaidehi were to believe in the Lotus Sutra, she must revert to her former status as an ordinary woman.  (ibid.) 

This means that in the Amida and other sutras expounded by Shakyamuni Buddha for more than forty years or so, it was taught that, “Shariputra had achieved great merit by reciting the name of Amida Buddha a million times in seven days.” However, these sutras were rendered useless when [Shakyamuni preached] the Sutra of Infinite Meaning (Muryogi-kyo), the preface to the Lotus Sutra, which states:

For forty and more years, I have not yet revealed the truth.   (Hokekyo, p. 23)

Therefore, these sutras had become meaningless, just as if one were to boil water for seven days and then throw it into the ocean.

Also, Lady Vaidehi had been able to reach the stage of the realization of non-birth and non-extinction of all phenomena through reciting the Meditation Sutra. However, in the Expedient Means (Hoben; second) chapter of the Lotus Sutra, Shakyamuni stated:

Honestly discarding all expedient means (Shojiki sha hoben).  (Hokekyo, p. 124)

Lady Vaidehi would no longer be able to remain in the stage of realization and would not be able to attain enlightenment through the Meditation Sutra. Unless she took faith in the Lotus Sutra, she would have to revert to her former form as an ordinary woman.

In other words, it would be impossible to attain Buddhahood through the provisional teachings, such as the Meditation Sutra, regardless of how much immense merit or benefit one had already achieved. It is only through the true great merit of the Lotus Sutra that one is able to attain enlightenment.

The statement, “Nor should one lament having committed acts of great evil,” is referring to the previous passage, which states: 

Thus Devadatta, who had committed the three cardinal sins, and Rahula, who observed all of the two hundred and fifty precepts, both alike became Buddhas. And both King Wonderful Adornment who held erroneous views, and Shariputra who held correct views, equally received predictions that they would attain Buddhahood. This is because, in the words of the passage quoted earlier, “not one will fail to attain Buddhahood.”  (MW-6, p. 295)

Both the diabolic Devadatta, who committed the three cardinal sins, and Rahula, who sincerely observed and followed all of the two hundred and fifty precepts, attained enlightenment alike. Similarly, both King Wonderful Adornment, who had erroneous views, and Shariputra, who had correct views, equally received the predictions to attain Buddhahood. The reason why any of them could receive the predictions to attain enlightenment is because it was taught in the Lotus Sutra that, “not one will fail to attain Buddhahood.”

Therefore, it is pointless to lament over having committed negative offences. Once one starts to practice the Lotus Sutra, one will certainly be able to attain Buddhahood, just like Devadatta.

The Expedient Means (Hoben; second) chapter of the Lotus Sutra states the following: 

Among those who hear of this Law, there is not one who shall not attain Buddhahood. (Hokekyo, p. 118)

The statement above is expounding the boundless benefits of the Lotus Sutra. Thus, even if one had accumulated great merits through the provisional teachings, since these teachings were not the original intent of the Buddha, those merits would come to nothing unless one believed in the Lotus Sutra. Once one takes faith in the Lotus Sutra, he will also be able to eradicate all of his past negative offenses.

Needless to say, the Lotus Sutra that I have mentioned is the Myoho-Renge-Kyo hidden in the depths of the Sole Essential Teaching, the essence of the Lotus Sutra, not just the surface teaching. Intrinsically, common mortals in the Latter Day of the Law do not posses the seed of Buddhahood (honmi uzen). Moreover, they are living in the evil age of the Latter Day of the Law and their lives are stained with the Three Poisons. Thus, there are so many people who are suffering in the world of Animality, wasting away their fragile lives, and there are those in the world of Hunger, always demanding and having insatiable desires for money, fame, and honor. There are others who are in the world of Hell due to their past negative karma, and they are unable to relieve their suffering.

In order for us to save these people, we must first have absolute faith and conviction in the Dai-Gohonzon. When we are able to believe in the infinite benefits of this Gohonzon and possess absolute faith, we will be able to face these people and confidently tell them that once one takes faith in the Gohonzon, one will be able to build a steadfast path to attain enlightenment in one’s present lifetime. This is true, even though they may be common mortals in the Latter Day of the Law who do not posses the seed of Buddhahood and who are strongly influenced by the Three Poisons, or who possess deeply embedded offenses and sins, just like Devadatta. It is important to carry on and maintain our practice of spreading the teaching of the Mystic Law and sowing the seed of Buddhahood into the lives of the people.

Furthermore, when we make our faith the actual basis of our life and uphold our promise to save all living beings in the age of Latter Day of the Law, the greatness of Nichiren Daishonin’s Buddhism will enable us to solve and overcome all kinds of problems or difficulties that we may encounter.

Therefore, in the Simile and Parable (Hiyu; third) chapter of the Lotus Sutra it was revealed that Shariputra, who had been told that wisdom was most important, could not attain Buddhahood based on his own wisdom and capability. It was taught that when one casts aside one’s own shallow wisdom and builds absolute faith, one will be able to forge the path to attain enlightenment. Specifically, Shariputra was able to attain Buddhahood for the first time when he started to take faith in the teachings of the Buddha. This is referred to as “being able to gain entrance through faith alone” (ishin tokunyu). Nichiren Daishonin states in the “Orally transmitted teachings” (“Ongi kuden”):

This character “shin” (faith or belief) is the sharp sword that can cut off fundamental darkness. Based on the statement, “Having no doubt is called belief,” faith is the sharp sword to sever and remove doubts and delusions… The character for “faith” is defined as the seed of enlightenment. Today, because Nichiren and his disciples and followers believe in, accept, and chant Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo, we obtain a great precious jewel. As the sutra states, “This unsurpassed cluster of jewels has come to us unsought.”  (Gosho, p. 1737)

Based on this declaration, Nichiren Daishonin expounded the doctrine of the Five Guides for Propagation. He established the Dai-Gohonzon, the supreme Object of Worship in the entire universe, for common mortals who do not possess the seed of Buddhahood, so that any of them will be able to take faith and attain enlightenment.

Today, the priesthood and laity are working hard together in itai doshin toward the achievement of our goals of doubling the number of the Bodhisattvas of the Earth and gathering at the Great Assembly in 2009, when we will celebrate the 750th Anniversary of Revealing the Truth and Upholding Justice through the Submission of the Rissho ankoku-ron. As I have always mentioned, in order to welcome this grand ceremony both in name and in reality, we must definitely perform shakubuku and achieve the twofold increase in the number of the Bodhisattvas of the Earth.

It is important for us, both priesthood and laity, to recognize that no matter what types of characteristics the common mortals of the Latter Day of the Law possess, once they are able to believe in the Dai-Gohonzon, they will definitely be able to obtain the path to happiness.

Of course, you should know from the beginning that difficulties will always appear when we do shakubuku. However, if we sincerely chant Daimoku, we will be able to overcome those difficulties and further strengthen our resolution. By initiating the action of shakubuku, we will be able to sow the seed of Buddhahood into the life of the person to whom we have performed shakubuku, and therefore without a doubt, establish the path to happiness for both that person and for ourselves.

There are another two years left for us to achieve our objectives for 2009. I would like to close my address for today by sincerely praying that each and every one of you will be able to truly grasp the significance of this year, the “Year of Action,” and continue to progress forward.

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