Oko Sermon
Reverend Shogu Kimura
May, 2009
The Benefits of Doing Shakubuku
When we look upon our world today, we see that there are countless problems, including financial failures, repeated natural disasters, epidemics, and war. Amidst all these difficulties, people constantly seek to be happy. The concept of happiness varies according to the values held by each individual. However, the fact that every person wants to be happy indicates how difficult it is to achieve happiness in this world.
What, then, is happiness?
Does happiness signify professional success? Is it to become wealthy? Is it to live a life surrounded by luxury, or is it a delightful existence doing only the things one wants to do? Still further, is it to fulfill one’s desire of achieving positions of power?
The Parable (Hiyu; third) chapter of the Lotus Sutra states the following:
He will constantly dwell in hell, strolling in it as though it were a garden, and the other evil paths of existence he will look on as his own home. (Hokekyo, p. 180; The Lotus Sutra, Watson, pp. 76-77)
This describes how daily life in the saha world, where we reside, is actually characterized by great difficulties; however, we mistakenly construe as happiness the momentary pleasures that we feel at certain times, such as when we go for an outing at a park or enjoy ourselves at an amusement park. In society, there are many people who pursue transitory happiness. They are clueless about the essential cause of the misfortunes that are occurring around the world. Unfortunately, there are all too many people who live their lives singly focused upon fulfilling their immediate desires in this lifetime.
What most people in society consider to be happiness is nothing more than the temporary pleasures that occur as a result of karmic causes made in past lifetimes. This is definitely not the happiness that is expounded in Buddhism. It is not the true happiness that transcends this and all future existences (gento nise). Rather, it is an extremely fragile condition, and can be easily destroyed by any number of external factors.
There are many people who are convinced that this form of temporary pleasure is happiness. They completely ignore the Buddhist principle of cause and effect, and they are entirely absorbed in the immediate benefits described in the Parable (Hiyu; third) chapter of the Lotus Sutra.
Then, what must we do to eliminate the cause of misfortune and establish true happiness?
First and foremost, we must refute the doctrines that cause misfortune. We must expiate our own sins and cleanse our lives, tarnished by the negative karma from past lifetimes. Furthermore, we must transform our karma so that our lives will manifest purity. Faith and practice are indispensable in accomplishing this. We can forge a path of true happiness based on the mystic Law (Myoho).
We must face the Gohonzon, recite morning and evening Gongyo without ever slackening, chant Daimoku, and pray for happiness. The Twenty-sixth High Priest Nichikan Shonin wrote:
No prayer will go unanswered, no sin will remain unforgiven, all good fortune will be bestowed, and all righteousness will be proven. (Mondan, Vol. 1, p. 189)
He teaches that we can expiate our negative karma and receive benefits if we sincerely pray to the Gohonzon.
Are we able to become happy simply by doing Gongyo and chanting Daimoku? Our High Priest Nichinyo Shonin addressed this issue citing the following passage from the Gosho, “On the Three Great Secret Laws” (“Sandai hiho-sho”):
There are two methods for the practice of Daimoku. The first was used during the Former and Middle Days of the Law, and the second is to be used during the Latter Day of the Law. Although Bodhisattvas Vasubandhu and Nagarjuna themselves chanted the Daimoku during the Former Day of the Law, they did so for their own sakes only and did not tell many others about it. So did Nan-Yueh and Tiantai during the Middle Day of the Law. This method might be called practice in principle only. Now, in the age of the Latter Day of the Law, the Daimoku that Nichiren chants is different from that of previous ages. It is the Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo of both practice for oneself and for others. (Gosho, p. 1594)
Our High Priest stated:
In other words, the Daishonin instructs us that the method of chanting Daimoku for our own sakes only and not telling others about it is the practice of Daimoku in principle only. Thus, not doing shakubuku would go against the essential will of the Daishonin, and we would then be chanting Daimoku characterizing the pre-Lotus Sutra and theoretical teachings. We are unable to attain enlightenment based on Daimoku characterizing the pre-Lotus Sutra and theoretical teachings.…Doing shakubuku will not only bring salvation to others, but it will also elevate our own life condition and enable us to amass great benefits.…Indeed, by doing shakubuku, we will be able to gain tremendous benefits. (Dai-Nichiren, April 2008; “March Kosen-rufu Daimoku Meeting”)
It is absolutely necessary for us to recite the sutra and chant Daimoku to the Dai-Gohonzon, in order to expiate our sins, transform our negative karma from past existences, and achieve true happiness based on the supreme life condition of enlightenment. In addition, we must not forget about the actual practice of shakubuku. We must tell others about the benefits of this faith and bring salvation to the people who are suffering.
Thus, we would be wrong to think that all is well because we are upholding faith in Nichiren Shoshu and practicing only for ourselves. As long as slander permeates our world, our daily lives are affected by erroneous teachings. As a result, our lives could be easily destroyed by these evil doctrines.
Shakubuku is an act of compassion. What is compassion? Based on the principle of “removing suffering and giving joy” (bakku yoraku), we must bring joy to people and enable them to overcome their suffering. When true Buddhism spreads throughout the world and all people are able to receive the benefits of the mystic Law (Myoho), we will be able to attain our individual happiness as a matter of course. Furthermore, we will gradually achieve a peaceful world devoid of the extreme delusion and confusion that cause financial failures, repeated natural disasters, epidemics, and wars. This is, indeed, the fundamental principle of “securing the peace of the land through the propagation of true Buddhism” (rissho ankoku). It represents the establishment of the Buddha’s land, characterized by true happiness that will never decline.
Our High Priest stated the following on the occasion of the Overseas Believers’ General Meeting in 2006:
Each of the characters that comprise the term “securing the peace of the land through the propagation of true Buddhism” (ritsu = establish; sho = truth; an = peace; koku = land) clearly indicates that propagating true Buddhism is the way to achieve peace in every country. However, people in society at large do not understand this principle. Therefore, individuals eagerly make repeated attempts to seek happiness and peace through their pursuits in various fields, such as politics, economics, education, and culture. With any such pursuit they will run up against limitations that will hinder their progress and prevent them from developing a valid resolution. In fact, people will encounter such limitations because they fail to understand the great principle of the “oneness of life and its environment” (esho funi) in true Buddhism. This principle underlies the Daishonin’s assertion that true Buddhism must first be established in order to bring peace in the land and that such peace will come about naturally when true Buddhism is established. The establishment of true Buddhism (rissho) represents the cause, and the peace of the land (ankoku) indicates the effect. True happiness and peace cannot materialize because people are thinking of the process in reverse.…When we look upon our world, we see ubiquitous occurrences of unfortunate events such as abnormal weather conditions on a global scale, wars, political unrest, terrorism, uprisings, famines, natural disasters, and increased criminal activity. Indeed, our world mirrors the actual conditions of delusion and confusion in society. We must do shakubuku to thoroughly bring salvation to those in this world who are deluded and confused. Shakubuku is our precious mission and it is our responsibility. It is none other than the great act of compassion to bring salvation to all mankind. (Dai-Nichiren, May 2006 issue, p. 42)
Shakubuku is the foremost way to build a life condition of true happiness. True happiness cannot be achieved without doing shakubuku. The benefits of doing shakubuku are manifested when we correctly propagate the true Buddhism of Nichiren Daishonin, establish peace in the land and, as a result, secure peace and harmony in our individual lives. The Daishonin wrote the following golden words in his Gosho, “The True Entity of All Phenomena” (“Shoho jisso-sho”):
Only I, Nichiren, at first chanted Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo, but then two, three, and a hundred followed, chanting and teaching others. Likewise, propagation will unfold this way in the future. (Gosho, p. 666; MW-1, p. 93)
Thus, we must honestly and sincerely propagate true Buddhism. Then, we will be able to receive benefits that will enable us to overcome all obstacles and difficulties and maintain absolutely unshakable faith.
Some time ago, our Honorable Retired High Priest Nikken Shonin composed the following poem:
Constantly chanting Daimoku
Infinitely opening forth our life condition
Ever seeking to achieve
Kosen-rufu
(Kagiri naku, kyogai hiraku, daimoku wo,
tsune ni tonae tsu, kofu mezasan)
(Dai-Nichiren, March 1999 issue, p. 72)
As priests and lay believers, let us unite together to form solid unity characterized by many in body, one in mind (itai doshin), under the leadership of our High Priest Nichinyo Shonin, and exert our utmost efforts in propagating true Buddhism. Let us advance with ever more devotion, and accomplish, without fail, the objectives designated for this year—to double the number of the Bodhisattvas of the Earth and the achievement of the Great Assembly.