Oko Sermon September 2008
Reverend Shogu Kimura
September 14, 2008
“Conversation Between a Sage and an Unenlightened Man” ("Shogu mondo-sho")
If only you chant Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo, then what offense could fail to be eradicated? What blessing could fail to come? This is the truth, and it is of great profundity. You should believe and accept it. (Gosho, p. 406, MW-5, p. 110-111)
After Nichiren Daishonin established true Buddhism, he constantly made efforts to shakubuku people of all religious sects. In particular, he expounded the doctrine of the four dictums (shika no kakugen) to denounce the teachings of the Ritsu, Nembutsu, Shingon, and Zen sects, which were widely popular and venerated among the people at the time.
In this Gosho, “Conversation Between a Sage and an Unenlightened Man,” the Daishonin refutes the Ritsu, Nembutsu, Shingon, and Zen sects, using a doctrine that defeats shallow teachings and promotes profound principles, based on the four dictums. He expounds the principle that the Lotus Sutra is the one great truth (hokke ichi jitsu).
This segment of the Gosho describes an unenlightened man who is alarmed by the uncertainty and harshness of life. He seeks salvation in the teachings of the Buddha and travels in his search to study the doctrines of the Ritsu, Nembutsu, and Zen sects. Finally, the unenlightened man meets a sage who embraces the truth of the Lotus Sutra, and he gradually comes to understand the true teaching. This process of understanding is set forth in a question-and-answer format between the two individuals.
Since the Gosho, “Conversation Between a Sage and an Unenlightened Man,” is extremely long, I would like to focus my sermon on the segments that are related to this month’s passage. Nichiren Daishonin states the following to the unenlightened man who has awakened to the truth from the delusions perpetuated by the other sects:
You should put the truth of the teaching before everything else. (Gosho, p. 402, MW-5, p. 100)
Then, the unenlightened man straightened his posture in a gesture of respect and said:
Truly it is more difficult to be born as a human being than it is to lower a thread from the heavens above and pass it through the eye of a needle at the bottom of the sea, and it is rarer for one to be able to hear the Law of the Buddha than it is for a one-eyed turtle to encounter a floating log [with a hollow in it that fits him exactly.] Now I have already obtained birth in the human realm, something difficult to achieve, and have had the privilege of hearing the Buddhist teachings, which are seldom encountered. If I should pass my present life in idleness, then in what future life could I possibly free myself from the sufferings of birth and death and attain enlightenment? … Though I may have to cast aside my life and destroy this body of mine, I am determined to hold life lightly and to enter the path of the Buddha’s teachings, to assist in bringing about the enlightenment of my father and mother and to save my own person from the bonds of hell. Please teach me exactly how I should go about it! How should one practice if he takes faith in the Lotus Sutra? (Gosho, p. 402, MW-5, p. 101)
In response to these admirable words spoken by the unenlightened man, the sage stated:
You have been imbued with the fragrance of your orchid-room friend. … Now in widely propagating the Buddhist teachings and bringing salvation to all people, one must first take into consideration the teaching, the capacity of the people, the time, the country, and the sequence of propagation. The reason is as follows. In terms of the time, there are the periods of the Former, the Middle, and the Latter Days of the Law, and in terms of the teachings, there are the Hinayana and the Mahayana doctrines. In terms of the practices to be adopted, there are shoju and shakubuku. It is a mistake to practice shakubuku at a time when shoju is called for, and equally erroneous to practice shoju when shakubuku is appropriate. The first thing to be determined, therefore, is whether the present period is the time for shoju or the time for shakubuku. … But the present age is a defiled one. … One should practice only shakubuku, and if he has the capacity, use his influence and authority to destroy slander of the Law, and his knowledge of the teachings to refute erroneous doctrines. (Gosho, p. 402-403, MW-5, p. 101-105)
Here the sage indicates that shakubuku is the correct practice for the world of defilement and delusion in the Latter Day of the Law. The unenlightened man agrees with the sage’s words, but he says that what others do is up to them. He tells the sage that he wants to simply cherish deep faith within his own heart and not be concerned about other people’s errors. The sage states that unenlightened man’s position is understandable. The sutras, however, expound that people must not begrudge their lives for the sake of the Law (fushaku shimmyo) and they must spread the Buddha’s teachings, even though it may cost them their lives. If a person propagates the Law without hesitation, just as taught in the sutras, then the three types of enemies will appear and seek to destroy his life. Furthermore, the sage sternly explains that, if one sees indiscretions against the Law and does not condemn them himself or fails to appeal to the sovereign to censure them, that person has turned his back on the teachings of the Buddha and is not worthy to be considered the Buddha’s disciple. If one personally condemns slander of the Law or appeals to the sovereign to denounce it, then this person truly seeks the Way of Buddhahood. The sage goes on to say:
Being therefore determined to avoid the charge of “betraying Buddhism,” although I have incurred the hatred of others, I have dedicated my life to Shakyamuni Buddha and the Lotus Sutra, extending compassion to all living beings and rebuking slanders of the Law. Those who cannot understand my heart have tightened their lips and glared at me with furious eyes. But if you are truly concerned about your future existence, you should think lightly of your own safety and consider the Law above all.(Gosho, p. 404, MW-5, p. 107)
The sage explains that denouncing slander and propagating the Law by thinking lightly of your own safety and considering the Law above all is the definite way to achieve emancipation from the sufferings of life and death. In response, the unenlightened man appears to be deeply satisfied and speaks from his heart:
To see evil and fail to admonish it, to be aware of slander and not combat it, is to go against the words of the sutras and to disobey the Buddhist patriarchs. The punishment for this offense is extremely severe, and therefore, from now on, I will devote myself to faith. But it is truly difficult to put this sutra, the Lotus, into practice. If there is some essential point to be observed, could you explain it to me? (Gosho, p. 405, MW-5, p. 109)
Responding to the unenlightened man’s question about the essential point of practicing the Lotus Sutra, the sage applauds his aspiration for the Way of the Buddha and reveals that the five characters of Myoho-Renge-Kyo, indeed, are the essence of the Lotus Sutra:
The essential thing needed for attaining the enlightenment of all Buddhas is nothing other than the five characters of Myoho-Renge-Kyo. … The eighty-thousand teachings in their vast entirety and the many words and phrases of the eight volumes of the Lotus Sutra were all expounded simply in order to reveal these five characters. When Shakyamuni Buddha … summed up the essence of the doctrine and entrusted it to the Bodhisattvas of the Earth, what do you suppose that teaching was? It was nothing other than these five characters, the essential Law. The six-thousand leaves of commentary by Tiantai and Miao-le, like strings of jewels, and the several scrolls of exegesis by Tao-sui and Hsing-man, like so much gold, do not go beyond the meaning of this teaching. If you truly fear the realm of birth and death and yearn for nirvana, if you carry out your faith and thirst for the Way, then the sufferings of change and impermanence will become no more than yesterday’s dream, and the awakening of enlightenment will become today’s reality. If only you chant Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo, then what offense could fail to be eradicated? What blessing could fail to come? This is the truth and it is of great profundity. You should believe and accept it. (Gosho, p. 406, MW-5, p. 109-111)
The unenlightened man who appears in this Gosho is not a single individual; he represents all mankind in the Latter Day of the Law. Furthermore, when the unenlightened man embraces the Lotus Sutra as a result of the sage’s shakubuku efforts, he symbolizes all of us, the practitioners of the Law. Thus, we must understand that shakubuku is the practice of the Lotus Sutra in the Latter Day of the Law. It is the way for us to achieve emancipation from the sufferings of life and death. When the unenlightened man understands this, he asks the sage to explain the essential point of practicing the Lotus Sutra. In response, the sage instructs that it is none other than to chant Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo.
We, who embrace the Gohonzon, must sincerely chant Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo and constantly do shakubuku. By so doing, we will be able to establish a life condition of peace and tranquility in this world. Nichiren Daishonin teaches that, when we chant Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo, we can eradicate all evil karma from our past existences, and good fortune and benefits will come without fail.
The unenlightened man wonders how it is possible that by simply chanting the five and seven characters of the Daimoku one can mysteriously achieve tremendous benefits. The sage, using various parables, patiently explains this to the unenlightened man:
…the small can actually encompass the great and the one be superior to the many. The seed of the nyagrodha tree, though one-third the size of a mustard seed, can conceal five-hundred carts within itself. … The wish-granting jewel, while only one in number, is able to rain down ten-thousand treasures without a single thing lacking. … The popular proverb says that “one is the mother of ten-thousand.”(Gosho, p. 406, MW-5, p. 111-112)
The sage further explains that even for those who have never encountered Buddhism, the practice of believing in the Lotus Sutra and chanting the Daimoku comprehensively characterizes the entirety of all Buddhist practices.
Even though the baby may not understand the flavor of milk, the milk naturally nurtures the baby’s growth. Similarly, if a doctor gives medicine to a patient, even though the patient may not know the origin and nature of the medicine, if he takes it, then in the natural course of events his illness will be cured. … The Buddha took the teachings that he had preached in the course of his lifetime, ground and sifted them, blended them together and compounded an excellent medicine, the pill of the mystic Law. Regardless of whether one understands it or not, so long as he takes the pill, can he fail to be cured of the illness of delusion? Even though the patient may not understand the medicine or even know the nature of the disease from which he suffers, if he takes the medicine, he is bound to recover. It is the same way with the practitioner of the Lotus Sutra. (Gosho, p. 407, MW-5, p. 115-116)
Thus, the benefits of sincerely believing in the Lotus Sutra and chanting Daimoku transcend the realm of knowing or not knowing. The powers of the Buddha and the Law are apparent before our eyes; therefore, when we sincerely believe in the Law and conduct our practice, we are naturally able to receive benefits.
Next, the sage explains that the benefits of the Lotus Sutra enable this one practice to equal the entirety of all Buddhist practices. He goes on to quote the annotations of T'ientai:
“When one pulls on the main cord of a net, there are no meshes that do not move, and when one raises a single corner of a robe, there are no threads in the robe that are not lifted up.” The meaning of this passage is that, when one carries out the single practice of exercising faith in Myoho-Renge-Kyo, there are no blessings that fail to come to one, and no good karma that does not begin to work on one’s behalf.(Gosho, p. 408, MW-5, p. 117)
For us, the believers of true Buddhism, no directions could be more precious than the words, “when one carries out the single practice of exercising faith in Myoho-Renge-Kyo, there are no blessings that fail to come to one, and no good karma that does not begin to work on one’s behalf.” Our Honorable Retired High Priest Nikken Shonin stated the following at a guidance meeting for Kotos and Vice-Kotos:
The principle of the one practice equaling the entirety of all Buddhist practices characterizes our practice observed from the standpoint of the essential principle of the perfect teaching of the Lotus Sutra. This means that the one practice directly encompasses the entirety of the practices. All of you in the positions of Koto and Vice-Koto are chanting sincere Daimoku and are always mindful of what is good for the Hokkeko. Your lives as you carry forth this one practice—the colossal responsibilities that you carry on your shoulders and your various professions—are directly characterized by the entirety of all practices. I would like to impress upon you that, as a result, you will be able to achieve everything without fail. …
There are some people who complain that if they do one thing, they must neglect some other thing. Others grumble that their time is limited to 24 hours each day and, if they try to achieve one thing during that limited time, they end up not being able to complete anything else. Those who complain in this way are not pursuing the true practice of the mystic Law (Myoho), and it is apparent that they clearly have not received the benefits of the mystic Law (Myoho). … If you exert your utmost efforts in this true practice, each of you will be directly and truly illuminated in your current professions, which have come upon you as a natural consequence, and in all other aspects of your life. Thus, your daily life and existence based on the mystic Law (Myoho) will be naturally and clearly manifested.(At the Kofu-bo, 3/29/1997)
These directions are advice and encouragement for all people, regardless of their positions and life conditions. The following passage, which was previously quoted, characterizes the mysterious powers inherent in the mystic Law (Myoho), which far transcend the realm of the simple understanding of common mortals: “…when one carries out the single practice of exercising faith in Myoho-Renge-Kyo, there are no blessings that fail to come to one, and no good karma that does not begin to work on one’s behalf.” I am certain that many of you have frequently felt these powers and have encountered mysterious experiences in your practice of Buddhism.
The sage’s intent is clearly expressed in the following passage: “If only you chant Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo, then what offense could fail to be eradicated? What blessing could fail to come? This is the truth, and it is of great profundity. You should believe and accept it.” Nichiren Daishonin wrote:
I, Nichiren, with sumi, have inscribed the Gohonzon by infusing my life into it. So believe in it. (Gosho, p. 685)
The Daishonin established the Dai-Gohonzon of the High Sanctuary of the Essential Teaching so that all mankind can attain enlightenment and so that all people can achieve salvation. The single practice of embracing the Dai-Gohonzon is equal to the entirety of all Buddhist practices and enables people to naturally manifest a life condition characterized by no doubts. We must never lose sight of the fact that the propagation of the mystic Law (Myoho) will greatly promote the establishment of peace and prosperity in society.
Next year, we will come upon the great occasion commemorating the 750th Anniversary of Revealing the Truth and Upholding Justice through the Submission of the Rissho ankoku-ron.
The time has come when we must address the intelligent minds of the world and pose the significant issues set forth by the Rissho ankoku-ron, which was written by Nichiren Daishonin for posterity and is universally adaptable to any world at any time.
The world is currently in search of new values and ideologies to construct the future. I am convinced that this is, indeed, the optimum time. Global warming and the surge in other critical conditions that are harmful to humanity are all caused by the collapse of the spiritual support that heretofore sustained the world and by the disintegration of the ideas that create value in society. Given these conditions, now is, indeed, the time to propagate the mystic Law (Myoho). We must rejoice that we have been able to receive the great karmic effect of embracing the Gohonzon. Let us pledge with one another to advance with ever more devotion toward the achievement of the worldwide propagation the mystic Law (Myoho).