Oko Lecture in Praise of Nichiren Daishonin
Reverend Shogu Kimura
June, 2010
Upholding Faith and Practice with a Solid Vow
“Where there’s a will there’s a way.” These famous words are attributed to Abraham Lincoln, the 16th President of the United States. Emperor Guangwu, who founded the Later Han Dynasty (25-220 CE) in China, spoke similar words when he said, “An individual with a will can achieve whatever he sets out to accomplish.” Both these sayings teach that anything ultimately can be attained without fail if one maintains a solid determination.
This is also true in our Buddhist practice. The first step is to establish a solid determination. This is, first and foremost, to make a determination to achieve our own enlightenment. Furthermore, it is to make a solid vow to attain the Buddha’s way.
Needless to say, merely being motivated will not enable us to achieve anything. However, making a determination or solid vow establishes a concrete objective. We can manifest this objective in tangible form by continuously and diligently exerting our efforts day and night and advancing to achieve it. Then, we ultimately will be able to attain Buddhahood.
No matter what hardships we may encounter and no matter what obstacles arise to impede our progress, we must never lose sight of or discard our own initial determination and solid vow. We must develop a powerful will to struggle until the end and to cultivate the capacity to actually achieve our goal.
Our master Nichiren Daishonin stated the following in his Gosho, “Reply to an Offering of Polished Rice” (“Hakumai ippyō-gosho”):
Common mortals can attain Buddhahood through sincere determination. (Gosho, p. 1544)
In the same Gosho, he further wrote:
Depending upon one’s position in society, some people may have a wife and children, servants, a manor, gold and silver, and so on, while others may not. Whether or not one possesses these treasures, there is no treasure more precious than one’s life. That is why sages and wise men in the past have offered their lives to the Buddha and thereby attained enlightenment. (Gosho, p. 1544)
In our precious lives, how can we use our cherished time for our faith and practice? The most significant issue here is to focus on the nature of our solid determination. This lecture will discuss the significance of practicing for the sake of others, based on the general theme of upholding faith and practice with a solid vow.
A solid vow refers to the pledge made by the Buddhas and bodhisattvas to save all mankind. There are two types of solid vows: general vows (sō no seigan) and specific vows (betsu no seigan). Well-known examples of specific vows established by the Buddha include the twelve vows of Medicine Master Buddha; the forty-eight vows of Amida Buddha; and the five hundred great vows of Shakyamuni Buddha. By contrast, the four universal vows (shigu seigan) are the general vows that must be made without fail by all Buddhas and bodhisattvas.
The four universal vows—also known as the general vows of the bodhisattvas (bosatsu no sōgan)—are the four kinds of vows that are made mainly by bodhisattvas when they first resolve to uphold the Buddhist practice. They are the vow to save innumerable living beings; the vow to eradicate countless earthly desires; the vow to master immeasurable Buddhist teachings; and the vow to attain the supreme enlightenment.
- The vow to save innumerable living beings describes the pledge to bring salvation to all people, who are immersed in the sufferings of life and death.
- The vow to eradicate countless earthly desires is the promise to eliminate all earthly desires.
- The vow to master immeasurable Buddhist teachings signifies the resolve to study and understand the entirety of the Buddha’s teachings.
- The vow to attain the supreme enlightenment refers to the determination to achieve the supreme enlightenment by practicing the Buddha’s teachings.
All bodhisattvas make the determination to attain Buddhahood for themselves and to propagate the teachings to all mankind, based on the four universal vows. Thus, they continue to advance in their devotion to attain enlightenment. Nichiren Daishonin states the following about the four universal vows:
All bodhisattvas pledge the four universal vows without fail. Unless they can successfully accomplish the first vow, to save innumerable living beings, they cannot achieve the fourth vow, to attain the supreme enlightenment. (Gosho, p. 706)
Thus, the Daishonin indicates that, of the four universal vows, the vow to save innumerable living beings is the most essential.
Indeed, the bodhisattva represents a life condition in which one constantly maintains the great compassion to bring salvation not only to himself, but also to all others—to all mankind. The bodhisattva’s practice is to strive for the accomplishment of this vow by exerting all efforts, and practicing continuously. One can manifest the life condition of bodhisattva only when this vow is made and actual practice is put into action.
In Buddhism, the current times are known as the Latter Day of the Law. Revealed in the scriptures is the existence of the Bodhisattvas of the Earth. Their solid vow is to propagate the true doctrines of the Lotus Sutra, based on the teachings of Shakyamuni Buddha, in order to save all people, who are suffering in the Latter Day of the Law. The Bodhisattvas of the Earth have made the solid vow to save innumerable living beings in the Latter Day of the Law. Furthermore, they have been tasked with the mission to propagate Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo, the essence of the Lotus Sutra, hidden in the depths of the Buddhism of the sowing.
Nichiren Daishonin states the following in the Gosho, “The True Entity of all Phenomena” (“Shohō jissō-shō”):
Nichiren alone is the forerunner of the Bodhisattvas of the Earth. Perhaps he even should be counted among them. (Gosho, p. 666)
Here, Nichiren Daishonin reveals that he, himself, is the reincarnation of Bodhisattva Jogyo, the leader of the Bodhisattvas of the Earth. He further states:
How can Nichiren’s disciples and followers not be associates of the Bodhisattvas of the Earth? (Gosho, p. 666)
Here, the Daishonin confirms that the priests and lay believers of Nichiren Shoshu who precisely follow his teachings and work assiduously to uphold their faith and practice are the associates of the Bodhisattvas of the Earth. Accordingly we, as priests and lay believers of Nichiren Shoshu, must deepen our own awareness as the associates of the Bodhisattvas of the Earth. It is of foremost importance that we make a solid vow to propagate the Lotus Sutra precisely according to the teachings of the Daishonin.
The following passage is from the “Recorded Lectures” (“Onkō kikigaki”):
After all, the most essential of the four universal vows is the pledge to save innumerable living beings. Now, Nichiren and his disciples and followers work to save all mankind through Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo. There is no means other than this to achieve it….What is the significance of the character “to propagate” (“gu”) in the term “four universal vows”? It refers to none other than Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo transmitted from Jogyo. (Gosho, p. 1862)
Another passage states:
The great vow signifies the propagation of the Lotus Sutra. (Gosho, p. 1749)
Thus, we must uphold Nichiren Daishonin’s great vow as our own solid pledge. We must advance with devotion in our Buddhist practice for the sake of others by performing shakubuku, so that as many people as possible are able to embrace Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo of the Three Great Secret Laws. These passages teach us that this is the key to successfully achieve the path to our own enlightenment and the establishment of true happiness in our lives.
Therefore, for us as Hokkeko members, the pledge to save innumerable living beings is our solid vow to lead all the people—who are unaware of the correct practice of Nichiren Shoshu and are immersed in a life of hardship and suffering—to attain enlightenment. In order to achieve this, we fully must be aware of our position as associates of the Bodhisattvas of the Earth and chant Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo with great enthusiasm and sincerity. Let us be mindful that the four universal vows in actual practice are manifested in the way we seek to achieve kosen-rufu and advance with devotion in our practice of shakubuku.
High Priest Nichinyo Shonin explained that the General Meeting of the Great Assembly of 75,000 Believers and the Great Assembly of 20,000 Overseas Believers, which were held last year, were significant ceremonies to show the Daishonin the accomplishments of the seven-year struggle by the Hokkeko toward the advancement of kosen-rufu. At the same time, they were kick-off meetings to mark our departure toward our new objectives. Based on this, our High Priest stated the following to the overseas believers:
The main focus of this new objective is to increase the current number of believers. In other words, it is to promote the propagation of the great Law through shakubuku. This is because, without shakubuku, kosen-rufu cannot be achieved. Accordingly, I ask each of you assembled here today to establish a shakubuku goal and immediately take action. (Dainichiren, Vol. 767)
Our High Priest has great expectations for further development in our overseas propagation efforts. He also stated the following concerning our mission as members of the Hokkeko:
We must precisely follow the golden words of the Daishonin and exert our utmost efforts in upholding pure faith in our practice for ourselves and for others. Furthermore, for the sake of our world and its inhabitants, we must firmly uphold our great vow to save all mankind. The only way to achieve kosen-rufu of the true cause throughout all lands spanning the four seas under the heavens is to completely devote ourselves to the accomplishment of the will of the True Buddha. (Dainichiren, Vol. 732)
As priests and lay believers of Nichiren Shoshu, we are currently advancing in great unity toward the new objectives established by our High Priest Nichinyo Shonin for 2015 and 2021.
Nichiren Daishonin, the True Buddha, states:
In essence, one’s solid vow refers to a person’s pledge to propagate the Daimoku. This is what the Great Teacher Chang-an meant when he said, “One who eliminates evil for the sake of another person is none other than his parent.” (Gosho, p. 1862)
This is a great directive for the achievement of kosen-rufu by the Bodhisattvas of the Earth. Our first objective is to increase the number of current believers by 50 percent by 2015, which marks the 770th anniversary of the birth of our Second High Priest Nikko Shonin. I sincerely pray that each one of you will make a solid vow to propagate true Buddhism through shakubuku in order to achieve this objective, and that you will redouble your devoted efforts as you advance in your faith and practice.