Good Morning, everyone. On the occasion of the December Kosen-rufu Shodai Ceremony conducted today at the Head Temple, I would like to express my appreciation to the large number of participants here today, including the members attending the Hokkeko Chapter General Tozans. With one more month remaining this year, I trust that all of you are working diligently day and night for achievement of our shakubuku pledge.

We often use different methods of performing shakubuku, depending on the situations of the people involved. However, the common characteristic is our belief in the benefit of the Gohonzon and our absolute conviction. Therefore, it is important to remember that we do shakubuku not with fancy speech, but with sincerity, vitality, and the conviction to share with others the boundless merit and mystic power of the Gohonzon. In the Gosho, “Everything Contained in One Thought” (“Sozai ichinen-sho”), it is stated:

Even though one may be a fool, who cannot read or write and is unable to understand even one word, once he firmly believes in the Gohonzon and chants this Daimoku, he will first gain the benefit of the karma of the mouth. Once he obtains the benefit of the karma of the mouth, this benefit will extend, sowing the seed of Buddhahood into his body, engraving it into his heart, and emancipating him from the transmigration of the Six Paths. He will be released from the sufferings and illusions of the cycle of birth and death in the Threefold World and the Six Paths. This is the attainment of Buddhahood.                  (Gosho, p. 115 [summary])

 This Gosho discusses the benefit of the karma of the mouth, and we should know that this benefit also applies to us when we are doing shakubuku. In other words, no matter who the person is, when one sincerely faces the Gohonzon and chants the Daimoku, one will be able to obtain the benefit of the karma of the mouth through the great merit of the Gohonzon. This initial attainment of the benefit of the karma of the mouth will, in time, lead to the attainment of enlightenment. Thus, it is essential for us, first and foremost, to chant Daimoku.

When we perform shakubuku, there will be various reactions from people. Some will amicably accept our words, while others will strongly oppose us, or curse us, making derogatory remarks. However, the same Gosho, “Everything Contained in One Thought,” states the following:

Why is this sutra superior to all others? It is because it states that even if one were to slander this teaching, one would still be able to form a relationship with it, such as the opponents who cursed and vilified Bodhisattva Fukyo. There is no doubt that those who already have a relationship will certainly attain Buddhahood. The Great Teacher Dengyo stated, “Both those who slander this Law and those who embrace it will certainly attain enlightenment.”       Gosho, p. 115) 

The above quote contains the passage, “It is because it states that even if one were to slander this teaching, one would still be able to form a relationship with it, such as the opponents who cursed and vilified Bodhisattva Fukyo.” This refers to the Never Disparaging (Jo-Fukyo; twentieth) chapter of the Lotus Sutra. As Bodhisattva Fukyo (Never Disparaging) tried to propagate the Lotus Sutra, he was cursed and vilified by the people and attacked with wooden sticks and stones. However, even though these people fell into Hell, due to the fact that they had persecuted Bodhisattva Fukyo, they were finally able to be relieved from their sufferings through accepting and listening to the teachings of Bodhisattva Fukyo again. They were thus able to attain Buddhahood through the Reverse Relationship (relationship of rejection) that they had formed with the Lotus Sutra.

In this way, even if one has slandered the Lotus Sutra, he is able to gain the benefits of the Lotus Sutra and attain enlightenment through a Reverse Relationship formed with the Law. This is even more so for those who possess a Positive Relationship with the Law and sincerely believe in the Lotus Sutra. They will definitely be able to attain enlightenment. In other words, the Lotus Sutra, which is supreme among all sutras, has the great power to save all living beings, regardless of whether they form a Positive or Reverse relationship with it.

Thus, it is preached by the Great Teacher Dengyo in “A Clarification of the Schools Based on the Doctrine of T’ien-t’ai”:

Both those who slander this Law and those who embrace it will certainly attain enlightenment.                          ("Ehyo-Tendai-shu")

The act of shakubuku itself is a cause for people to form a relationship with the Law. Even if people were to slander the Law, they would be able to attain salvation through the great merit of the Gohonzon by forming a Reverse Relationship with it. This is the great function of the practice of shakubuku. The Words and Phrases of the Lotus Sutra (Hokke mongu) states:

This means that we must strongly preach the teachings of the True Law to those who as yet do not believe in it and enable them to form a relationship with it. Those who have never received the seed of Buddhahood in the past (honmi uzen) possess little merit or virtue. They are not able to seek this Mystic Law by themselves. Thus, the practice of shakubuku is essential, so that they can accept the Mystic Law and attain enlightenment, even if it means that at first, they must form a Poison-Drum (Reverse) Relationship where they bring forth the Three Poisons of the heart.

          Nichiren Daishonin stated the following in the Gosho, “How Those Initially Aspiring to the Way Can Attain Buddhahood Through the Lotus Sutra” (“Hokke shoshin jobutsu-sho”):

Most of all, we must learn from these golden words: “Those who put their faith in it will surely attain Buddhahood, while those who slander it will establish a ‘poison-drum relationship’ with it and will likewise attain Buddhahood.” This sentence indicates that the correct method of propagation in the Latter Day of the Law is shakubuku.

Today, we received the directives from our Honorable Retired High Priest Nikken Shonin to double the number of the Bodhisattvas of the Earth and gather for the Great Assembly in the year 2009, with both priesthood and laity working hard together to press ahead for the achievement of these objectives.

Next year, we will be holding the General Meeting for the advancement of the Great Assembly of the Bodhisattvas of the Earth at four venues across Japan. As I have stressed before, this will be held as a pre-assembly to further encourage all the Hokkeko Chapters to do shakubuku, to participate in the Great Assembly, and for the priesthood and laity to work together in itai-doshin toward the achievement of our objectives for 2009.

Therefore, the success of this General Meeting is a very important matter. We must make this a great success next year in 2008, and further expand our practice of shakubuku with an irresistible force, just like a lion, so that we can move on to 2009.

For the success of this General Meeting, it is crucial that we do our best during this remaining month of 2007 to achieve our current objectives and unite in our chapters so that we will not have any regrets.

Please, deeply etch into your heart the understanding that the act of shakubuku will definitely allow all living beings to attain enlightenment, even if they have slandered the Lotus Sutra. I hope that all of you will have the absolute conviction that those who form both Positive and Reverse Relationships with the Law will be able obtain the great merit of the Gohonzon. Therefore, please do shakubuku with all your might.

I would like to conclude my speech for today by praying that each and everyone of you present here and the Hokkeko believers across Japan will do your best and work hard for the achievement of our pledge for 2009.