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Guidance from Sixty-eighth High Priest Nichinyo Shonin On the occasion of the October Kosen-rufu Shodai Ceremony conducted at the Head Temple, I would like to express my appreciation to the large number of participants here today, including the Hokkeko Chapter General Tozan members. As we enter into the month of October, with three months remaining this year, I trust that all of you are working diligently day and night for the achievement of our pledge of “Doubling the number of the Bodhisattvas of the Earth and gathering at the Great Assembly.” Starting this month and continuing in November, the Oeshiki Ceremony will be conducted in the local temples throughout Japan. During the Oeshiki Ceremony, the Chief Priest who leads the ceremony at each local temple will read an excerpt of the Gosho, Rissho ankoku-ron (Treatise on Securing the Peace of the Land Through the Propagation of True Buddhism). The other participating priests will read the remonstrations (moshi-jo) of Second High Priest Nikko Shonin, Third High Priest Nichimoku Shonin, Fourth High Priest Nichido Shonin, Fifth High Priest Nichigyo Shonin, and Ninth High Priest Nichiu Shonin. Nichiren Shoshu is the only denomination that still continues the tradition of reciting the Rissho ankoku-ron and the remonstrations during the Oeshiki Ceremony. This is done to demonstrate the spirit of Nichiren Daishonin to secure the peace of the land through the propagation of True Buddhism and to pledge and reaffirm our determination in front of the Gohonzon to achieve Kosen-rufu. As you know, Nichiren Daishonin submitted the Rissho ankoku-ron at the risk of his life to Hojo Tokiyori, who was the most powerful government figure at the time. The Daishonin observed that all the people in Japan were suffering severely from natural disasters, famine, epidemics, and the calamities of invasion from foreign lands and revolt within their own country. This was due to their past slanderous offenses, and they would have to suffer in future lives by falling into the Hell of Incessant Suffering, choking in its flames. For the sake of the people’s happiness and the realization of eternal peace and security in the land, Nichiren Daishonin, through his identity as the True Buddha of the Latter Day of the Law and based on his great compassion, remonstrated with and admonished the sovereign. He did this so that the people of Japan would be able to embrace the One True Vehicle (the single good doctrine of the Lotus Sutra) as soon as possible. This means to devote themselves to the Dai-Gohonzon of the Three Great Secret Laws. The same holds true for the remonstrations submitted by the successive High Priests. Starting from Nichiren Daishonin and Nikko Shonin, the successive High Priests devoted their entire hearts and souls to write and submit their remonstrations to the government for the salvation of all humanity and the realization of the Buddha Land. Nichiren Daishonin stated in his remonstration: Now when I, Nichiren, consulted the various sutras to consider [the cause of] the great earthquake that occurred during the hour of the dog and boar on the twenty-third day of the eighth month of the first year of Shoka, I found that this was a disaster that the great beneficial gods who protect Japan brought about by exercising their wrath at the [rulers’] faith in the Nembutsu and Zen sects. (Gosho, p. 370) The Shoka earthquake and other natural disasters and calamities did not merely occur by coincidence. From the viewpoint of the Law of cause and effect as taught in Buddhism, these disasters occurred because the people turned their backs on True Buddhism and took faith in erroneous and slanderous teachings, such as the Nembutsu and Zen sects. Thus, the great beneficial gods who protect Japan decided to bring these disasters and calamities upon them with their virtuous indignation. Nichiren Daishonin taught that the cause of misfortune and instability in a country lies in the people’s belief in erroneous teachings. If erroneous teachings are discarded and the True Law is established, the country and its people will, for the first time, be able to establish peace and happiness in their land. Nikko Shonin stated in his remonstration: Now that we have entered the age of the Latter Day of the Law, as long as the Essential Teaching of the Lotus Sutra has yet to be established, the disasters and calamities afflicting the nation will increase day-by-day and internal and external strife will occur more incessantly as the years go by…. Therefore, if you hasten to subdue the slanders of the provisional and Theoretical Teachings and establish the True Law of the Essential Teaching of the Lotus Sutra, the world will be at peace and the land will be secure. The above passage explains that natural disasters, famine, epidemics, and the calamities of invasion from foreign lands and internal revolt had taken place because the True Law of the Essential Teaching of the Lotus Sutra had not yet been established. Thus, for the sake of the peace and security of the country, the provisional and Theoretical Teachings must be discarded as quickly as possible, and the True Law of the Essential Teaching, the Dai-Gohonzon of the High Sanctuary, must be established in the country. Furthermore, the Third High Priest, Nichimoku Shonin stated in his remonstration: Two thousand and some years after Shakyamuni’s death, the Three Secret Laws handed down through Mahakashyapa, Nagarjuna, T’ien-t’ai, and Dengyo have been established. They are the Object of Worship, the High Sanctuary, and the five characters of Myoho-Renge-Kyo of the Essential Teaching (honmon) of the Lotus Sutra. When you take faith in and uphold this teaching, the entire land will become tranquil and the dissidents throughout the country will be quelled…. Therefore, if you subdue the slanders of the provisional and Theoretical Teachings, the Buddha and the heavenly deities will be overjoyed. If you establish the True Law of the Essential Teaching of the Lotus Sutra, the country will flourish and the people will prosper. Just like these Three Masters, High Priests, Nichido Shonin, Nichigyo Shonin, and Nichiu Shonin also strongly remonstrated with the government in order to establish the True Law of the Essential Teaching of the Lotus Sutra, and subdue the slanders of the provisional and Theoretical Teachings for the sake of the tranquility of the country and the happiness of the people. We should consider the spirit of the successive High Priests, the spirit of fuji shaku shinmyo (not begrudging one’s life), offering their lives for the sake of worldwide Kosen-rufu. We must maintain a persevering spirit in our own faith and practice. However, most of present day society is governed by popular sovereignty. Therefore, in this present age, achieving worldwide Kosen-rufu will not be done through remonstrating directly with the government, but through shakubuku to individuals in society. Nichiren Daishonin, Nikko Shonin, and the successive High Priests remonstrated against the government with the spirit of not begrudging their lives. Each and every one of us must also have this same spirit and do shakubuku with a strong will and resolute determination, no matter what kind of obstacles and adversities may appear. This is how we can maintain the spirit of Nichiren Daishonin and the successive High Priests when they remonstrated against the government. At this time, we must never forget the great significance of both the priesthood and laity working hard and moving ahead together in itai doshin toward the achievement of our objectives of “Doubling the number of the Bodhisattvas of the Earth and gathering at the Great Assembly” in 2009, the direction we received from the Honorable Retired High Priest, Nikken Shonin. According to recent newspaper reports, about 70% of the Japanese people are feeling insecure and uncertain about their lives. Even though people may look happy on the surface, in actuality, many are suffering from problems. We must not lose sight of this present situation, and for the sake of the society and the people, let them know the causes of their suffering and unhappiness. We must tell people that erroneous teachings will entrap them into conditions of misfortune. This is done through propagating the correct teaching—the Buddhism of the True Buddha of kuon ganjo, Nichiren Daishonin—who made his advent in the Latter Day of the Law in order to save all living beings. It is vital that we sincerely perform shakubuku and try to sow the seed of the Mystic Law (Myoho) into the lives of as many people as possible, so that the people, society, and country will be able to establish peace and security through the teachings of Buddhism. The Gosho, “On the Protection of the Nation” (“Shugo kokka-ron”) states: The Pure Land in the provisional teachings that was revealed by Shakyamuni, who attained enlightenment in the inconceivably remote past (kuon jitsujo) is, in fact, an impure land. The foremost sections of the Lotus Sutra are two chapters, the Expedient Means (Hoben) chapter and the Life Span (Juryo) chapter. When [the Great Law hidden in the depths] of the Juryo chapter emerges and the true Pure Land is established, this entire Land will appear as an actual, true Pure Land. (Gosho, p. 155) The Great Law, hidden in the depths of the Life Span (Juryo) chapter of the Essential Teaching of the Lotus Sutra, is the secret Law of salvation for common mortals in the age of the Latter Day of the Law. When this Great Law emerges and is propagated, the principle of “the saha world is itself the Land of Eternally Tranquil Light” (shaba soku jakko) will, for the first time, be actualized. Then, the tranquility of the country and its people will reign, and world peace will be realized. The Gosho, “How Those Initially Aspiring to the Way Can Attain Buddhahood through the Lotus Sutra” (“Hokke shoshin jobutsu-sho”) states the following: If one uses the Lotus Sutra to pray for the welfare of the land, it will prove to be a great pure Law that will secure and protect the nation, insuring joy and prosperity to everyone from the ruler on down to the common people. (MW-6, p. 191) We must keep in mind these golden words of the Daishonin and arouse from within the courage to earnestly do shakubuku. When we see people suffering from the slander caused by erroneous teachings yet never try to help them through the act of shakubuku, we are behaving with an extreme lack of compassion. In Buddhism, this is known as “Betrayal of Buddhism” (buppo chu on). No one who behaves this way is exempt from this cause. We, therefore, must never be held in contempt for lack of compassion for others. We have two more years remaining before the fulfillment of our pledge, and next year, plans have been made for all the Hokkeko members throughout Japan to assemble at four venues for the General Meeting for the Advancement of the Great Assembly of the Bodhisattvas of the Earth.
I would like to conclude my address for
today by praying that each and every one of you, the descendants of the
Bodhisattvas of the Earth, will encourage yourselves in faith and forge
ahead toward our near and distant objectives of fulfilling our pledge for
2009 and for worldwide Kosen-rufu. |