Take these teachings to heart, and always remember
that believers in the Lotus Sutra should absolutely be the last to abuse each
other. All those who keep faith in the
Lotus Sutra are most certainly Buddhas, and one who slanders a Buddha commits a
grave offense"
The Fourteen Slanders, MW-3, 208
Therefore, when
you chant the daimoku of the Lotus Sutra you should be aware that it is a more
joyful thing than for one who was born blind to gain his eyesight and see his
father and mother, and a rarer thing than for one who has been seized by a
powerful enemy to be released and reunited with his wife and children.
The Daimoku of the Lotus Sutra, MW-3, 8 (M?) (D?), 1266 (R?)
According to the
Great Teacher T'ien-t'ai, "If one befriends an evil person, he will lose
his mind.” "Mind" means the
heart which believes in the Lotus Sutra, while "lose" means to betray
one's faith in the Lotus Sutra and follow other sutras. The Lotus Sutra reads, "...but when
they are given the medicine, they refuse to take it.” The Great Teacher T'ien-t'ai stated, "Those who had lost
their minds would not take the excellent medicine, even though it was given
them. Lost in suffering, they fled to
other countries.”
Since this is so, the believers of the
Lotus Sutra should fear those who plague their practice more then they fear
bandits, burglars, midnight killers, tigers, wolves or lions--even more than
invasion by the Mongols.
Letter to the Brothers, MW-1, 135 Apr. 16, 1275 Ikegami Brothers
Attaining
Buddhahood is nothing extraordinary. If
you chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo with your whole heart, you will naturally become
endowed with the Buddha's thirty-two features and eighty characteristics. Shakyamuni stated, "At the start I
pledged to make all people perfectly equal to me, without any distinction
between us" Therefore, it is not difficult to become a Buddha. A bird's egg contains nothing but liquid,
yet by itself this develops into a beak, two eyes, and all the other parts
which form a bird, and can fly into the sky.
We, too are like the egg, ignorant and base, but when nurtured by the
chanting of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, we develop the beak of the Buddha's thirty-two
features and the feathers of his eighty characteristics and are free to soar
into the skies of the ultimate reality.
Letter to Niike, MW-1, 259-260 Feb. (D?), 1280 Niike Saemon-no-jo
I am entrusting
you with the Gohonzon for the protection of your young child. This Gohonzon is the heart of the Lotus
Sutra and the eye of all the scriptures.
It is like the sun and moon in the heavens, a mighty ruler on earth, the
heart in a human being, the wish-granting jewel among treasures and the pillar
of a house.
When one embraces this mandala, all
Buddhas and gods will gather around him, accompanying him like a shadow, and protect
him day and night, as warriors guard their ruler, as parents love their
children, as fish rely on water, as trees and plants crave rain, or as birds
depend on trees. You should trust in it
with all your heart.
Upholding Faith in the Gohonzon, MW-5,
177 Aug. 25, 1275 Myoshin-ama
Believe in this mandala with all
your heart. Nam-myoho-renge-kyo is like
the roar of a lion. What sickness can
therefore be an obstacle?
Reply
to Kyo’o, WND, 412 Aug. 15,
1273 Shijo Kingo [MW-1, 119]
Your illness is surely not due to karma, but even if it were, you could rely on the power of the Lotus Sutra to cure it. King Ajatashatru extended his life by forty years by embracing the Lotus Sutra. Ch’en Chen added fifteen years to his life. You also are a practitioner of the Lotus Sutra, and your faith is like the waxing moon or the rising tide. Be deeply convinced, then, that your illness cannot possibly persist, and that your life cannot fail to be extended! Take care of yourself, and do not burden your mind with grief.
The Bow and Arrow, WND, 656 Mar. 27, 1276 Lay nun Toki [MW-7, 125-6]
Maintain the Spirit of “Eternal Youth”, January 29, 1983,
Katsushika Culture Center, Tokyo, Japan
In his writings, Nichiren
Daishonin speaks of “perennial youth and eternal life.” Moreover, he teaches that the Law and our
life itself are “without beginning or end.”
You who lead the movement of kosen-rufu should be young at heart
throughout your lives. One’s
single-minded determination of faith knows no age. Because we are flesh and blood, we
naturally become tired or fall ill. We
may suffer from such ailments as high blood pressure, backaches or stiff
shoulders. But we must not allow our
spirits to become dark and heavy on that account. I hope that through your participation in the vast and
ever-expanding world of faith, you will transform all situations for the
better.
In
society, too, we find men such as Konosuke Matsushita, founder of the
Matsushita Electric Company, and Toshiwo Doko, honorary president of the Keidanren
(Federation of Economic Organizations), who, in their eighties, are still
actively contributing to society and to the nation. I hope we who have faith in the eternal Law revealed by Nichiren
Daishonin will be all the more vigorous and advance with a fresh and youthful
life force for the sake of Buddhism, the people and society, maintaining a
spirit of “eternal youth.” A youthful
spirit implies, for one thing, that you pour your full energy into the work
assigned to you. Do your utmost with
the attitude that you are always on the front lines. Buddhism in
Action, Vol. 2, P. 71
Lead a Life of Complete Satisfaction, February 9, 1982,
Ibaraki Culture Center, Japan
Strive to grow into the kind of
individuals who possess common sense and good health, and who are respected by
others as people of integrity, and as those who are able to improve themselves
in all aspects of their lives. Practice the Daishonin’s Buddhism so
that you can show actual proof of its validity through your own existence,
daily life and behavior. This is where
Nichiren Daishonin’s Buddhism differs from other religions. For instance, in the quoted passage the
Daishonin teaches those who are ill that the Buddha is compassionate enough to
cause one to suffer illness when that person slackens in his practice of
faith. Through illness he can deepen
his faith and revitalize his life. As
the Buddha teaches, you should never give in to illness, but rather develop
deeper faith so that you can overcome it and live your life with more vitality.
The sutras teach that one’s body
is insignificant while the Law is supreme.
If we follow this great Law with complete faith, we are able to
establish our true self or Buddhahood, the life-condition which secures eternal
happiness. Never forget that it is the
source of a glorious life for you to devote yourself single-mindedly to faith
and practice without yielding to sufferings such as illness and financial
difficulties, which are to some extent inevitable. …
I recently talked with a certain member who is bedridden at present and cannot sit up to do gongyo and chant daimoku. He deplored his situation and said, “I have now realized how joyful it would be for me to be able to sit upright and face the Gohonzon.” Strive to practice faith and do gongyo while you are healthy, and exert yourself to teach even a single phrase or sentence of this supreme teaching while you are in good health so that you will have no regrets. We should never neglect our practice of faith or else we will have regrets. Buddhism in Action, Vol. 1, pp. 182-3
Part I —
Life: Health
Life possesses the mysterious
power not only to transform the negative into a neutral state but to go beyond
that to achieve a positive state. We
overcome the suffering of sickness and in so doing even the experience of
sickness enriches our lives and makes them more worthwhile, providing the
material for a great drama of fulfillment that unfolds day after day. (2/23/90)
Nichiren Daishonin says, “A
hundred years of practice in the land of Perfect Bliss cannot compare to the
benefit gained from one day’s practice in the impure world.”* An awareness of how precious each life and
each day is produces hope that increases our life force, our benefits and our
healing power. (7/27/91) *[On Repaying Debts of Gratitude,
WND, 736 (MW-4, 272)]
When you cling to one set idea,
you can’t respond to changes. Most
people think that illnesses should be left entirely up to doctors. There is a certain degree of truth in that
assumption, but I also believe that we can respond to illness by realizing that
we ourselves are not only the patient but, to some extent, our own doctors as
well. (2/21/90)
It has been found that a person
becomes vulnerable to cancer following the spiritual shock accompanying the
death of someone important, such as a husband, wife or child. The inability to express sadness, anxiety or
anger, suppressing emotions, losing hope and experiencing melancholia all tend
to support the development of cancer or slow recovery in those already battling
the disease. If, on the other hand, you
have discovered new meaning in life and have a strong will to live, striving
toward new goals, cancer cells will be exterminated. (7/27/91)
It has been reported that
practicing a religion plays a vital role in shrinking cancer cells. According to a report, about one-third of
the cancer patients studied had experienced the agony of loneliness in their
infancy from losing parents or loved ones.
The report says that such negative experiences form spiritual stress and
can trigger cancer. Loss of someone you
love is the most powerful kind of stress.
Those who encountered someone who gave them parental love, however, were
able to release this spiritual stress, reducing the number of cancer
cells. Some contend that encountering
an excellent religion also makes this possible. (7/27/91)
There have been many reports from
all over the world of spontaneous remission or disappearance of cancer. One doctor in New York researched the
phenomenon and declared that spontaneous cures were not mere coincidence. He clearly asserted that a substantial
change of outlook, a dramatic inner change within the patient, checked the
progress of cancer cells. The progress
of the disease always depended on whether the patient had a strong desire to
win in the face of the crisis.
(7/27/91)
If you develop cancer, do not
become angry or hateful. Do not feel
sad or sorry for yourself. Instead,
always burn with hope and a sense of mission based on faith and maintain strong
willpower; such a person can win over illness and make the struggle against
sickness more effective and even encouraging.
(7/27/91)
Taking good care of our health is
most important. In particular, it is
vital for those who are advanced in years to get sufficient rest to avoid
becoming fatigued. Sleep is the best
medicine. I also hope you will put your
wisdom to work and find various ways to improve and maintain your health. (5/17/95)
Everyone at some time suffers
from illness in one form or another.
The power of the Mystic Law enables us to bring forth strength to
overcome the pain and suffering of sickness with courage and new
determination. (6/15/96)
The moment we resolve “I will
become healthy!” “I will be come
strong!” “I will work cheerfully for
kosen-rufu!” our lives begin to move in that direction. We have to make up our minds first. (7/12/95)
Faith Into Action, pp.
40-43
Dialogue on the Lotus Sutra #46
Turning
stress and worries into life force — this is the principle of changing poison
into medicine. We need to realize a
state of life that allows us to “live with great joy.” Toward that end, struggle is required. Buddhism urges us, “Over life and death,
accomplish what you must accomplish!”
With such a sense of mission, there is neither birth nor death. In the face of such commitment, even the
pain of death turns into strength to advance.
The
Daishonin teaches that the transmission section of the latter half of the
sutra, or the essential teaching, explains the method of practicing the “Life
Span” and “Expedient Means” chapters (cf. WND, 91 [MW-7, 4]). I think that the “Medicine King” chapter
truly calls out: “Champions of kosen-rufu
in the Latter Day of the Law! Make your
life burn like Bodhisattva Medicine King!”
When many youth possessing such spirit appear, the SGI will truly become eternal. It will become a body that “will know neither old age or death,” sending out the “healing light” to all humankind over the eternal future.
Living Buddhism, February
2000, Page 44
12th Headquarters Leaders Meeting, June 16,
1997, Makiguchi Memorial Hall, Tokyo, Japan
‘No Prayer Will Go Unanswered’
Mrs. Miyasaka joined the Soka
Gakkai in November 1959, some six months before I became third president. Illness initially prompted her to take
faith. She was then in her early 40s
and suffering from an abnormal enlargement of the heart. Her husband informed her that she probably
had only two or three years to live. At
that time, a Soka Gakkai women’s division member, Asako Minamikawa, told her,
in a tone ringing with confidence: “By
practicing this Buddhism you can definitely become healthy! It is the highest Buddhist teaching and no
prayer will go unanswered!”
Even just a few words spoken with honesty by a person of pure faith can deeply penetrate another’s heart. On the other hand, if one’s words are vague and uncertain, they will lack the freshness and the power to move others.
There are two types of
illness: minor and serious. Early treatment by a skilled physician can
cure even serious illnesses, not to mention minor ones. Karma also may be divided into two
categories: fixed and unfixed. Sincere repentance will eradicate even fixed
karma, to say nothing of karma that is unfixed.
On
Prolonging One’s Life Span, WND, 954
(M?) (D?), 1279 Myojo [MW-1,
229]
If one’s illness
is caused by fixed karma, even excellent medicine will turn to poison, but
that, if one believes in the Lotus Sutra, poison will change into medicine.
General
Stone Tiger, WND, 952 Oct. 22,
1278 Shijo Kingo [MW-1, 225]
The nature of human beings is
truly bewildering and complex. Those
things we seem to have no control over are called karma. The conclusion we reach is that, when we
live in accordance with the great inscrutable Law of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, we
can harmonize everything and change the poison of any bad karma into
medicine.
Faith Into Action, Pg. 133
It takes a great deal of time and
effort to overcome sufferings of a karmic nature, whose roots lie deep in
causes we made in the past. There is a
big difference between, for example, the time it takes for a scratch to heal
and the time required to recover from a serious disease. The same applies to changing our karma
through faith and practice.
Faith Into Action, Pg. 133 Discussions On Youth, Vol. 2, Pg.
192-3
Each
person’s level of faith and individual karma differs. By chanting daimoku, however, we can bring forth from within a
powerful sense of hope and move our lives in a positive, beneficial
direction.
Faith Into
Action, Pg.133 Discussions
On Youth, Vol. 2, Pg. 193
Buddhism in particular sees the
joys and sorrows of the present life as being determined by causes accumulated
in previous lives. Furthermore, it sees
the causes being accumulated in the present life as determining factors in
future lives throughout eternity. As we
have already noted, the great Chinese master Chih-i wrote in his Profound
Meaning of the Lotus Sutra (Hokke Gengi), “My present sufferings all result
from the past; the fruition of my present practice of the faith will come in
the future.”
It
seems to me that in Christian belief, if one leads a life of agony from the day
one is born to the day one dies, all one can do is reproach God for his lack of
mercy. Logically speaking, it must be
God who creates evil as well as good.
If we accept Buddhism, however, we become aware that the essential
causes of our troubles lie within our own lives. It is thus possible, by accepting responsibility for our own
sufferings, to allay them and arrive at an indestructible state of peace and
happiness. When people discover they
themselves are the masters of their destiny, they also find a bright star of
hope enabling them to see through the veil of illusion. In my opinion, the Buddhist concept of life
makes far more sense to modern man than the idea that everything is up to God.
In
1972 and 1973, I had a series of discussions with the late Prof. Arnold
Toynbee. I think he was one of the
greatest intellects of our age, and was gratified to find we agreed on many
points. One of them was that the
Buddhist-Hindu concept of karma represents a more reasonable and plausible
explanation of man’s fate than is found in the Judaic-Christian tradition. Prof. Toynbee spoke frequently of
Christianity, Islam, and Buddhism as “higher religions,” by which he meant
those religions seeking to put human beings into direct contact with “the
ultimate spiritual reality.” Since
these religions have similar views of the ultimate principle of life and the
cosmos, they agree on the eternity of life.
Life, an Enigma, a Precious
Jewel, pp. 174-5
The first five
causes of illness have their origins in our present lifetimes, but the sixth,
the effects of karma, is very different because its origins lie in our previous
existences. In “On Curing Karmic
Disease” Nichiren Daishonin said:
“Illnesses of the sixth, which result from karma, are the most difficult
to cure. They vary in severity and one
cannot make any fixed pronouncements [WND, 632 (MW-2, 215)].” Karmic disease can manifest itself in the
form of either mental or physical illness.
People
who do not believe in the Buddhist concept of karma may say that the underlying
cause of a fatal disease is destiny, or the will of some transcendent being, or
simply chance. But are any of us
willing to submit to the blind force of destiny without trying to do something
to counter it? Do we really want to
obey the dictates of a cruel god, or give ourselves up entirely to the vagaries
of chance?
The
concept of karma was not developed in order to persuade us to resign ourselves
to hopeless suffering. If we understand
the notion of karma correctly we automatically come to recognize that we are
responsible for whatever problems we might face in life and that we, ourselves,
must strive to overcome those problems.
This recognition enables us to establish true independence. In the case of karmic diseases, then, we can
act to eradicate the negative karma that is causing the illness, and by so
doing we can cause the illness to disappear.
Karmic
disease is characterized by the degree of physical, spiritual and social
suffering it causes, and so the specific diseases involved have changed over
the course of history, and presumably will continue to do so. For example, the sutras often refer to
leprosy as a karmic disease, because in Shakyamuni’s time it was incurable and
the victims had to suffer not only the realization that disfigurement and death
were almost certainly fairly imminent but also the loathing of and ostracism by
their fellow citizens. In other words,
to the physical torment was added very considerable mental anguish. However, today leprosy can be controlled and
the individual can lead a reasonably normal life. Many other diseases have been virtually eradicated thanks to
modern medicine — smallpox is a prime example.
Still, there are many diseases that are incurable and new ones — such as
AIDS — appear continually. Some are
born from the development of society, some even arise from medical treatment
itself. It is unlikely that medical
science will ever be able to eliminate all diseases: it is more probable that some will always remain a mystery, and
that it is our destiny to have to cope with incurable diseases and be faced by
the fear of death. Karmic disease is
thus, from the secular perspective anyway, an unavoidable enigma — but Buddhism
offers us the clues as to its solution.
We can no longer regard karmic
disease and its cure as matters just for the individual. Mankind as a whole has
accumulated a horrific amount of evil karma, symbolized by our obscene
stockpile of nuclear weapons, use of a small fraction of which would spell the
end of all land-based life on the planet.
Our lives are marred by the deadly influence of poisonous man-made
substances, from food additives to industrial wastes. Another problem is the degradation of the human spirit, resulting
in upward-spiraling violence and the ever-increasing search to gratify egoistic
desires. All of these negative aspects
of our lives — and we could list many others — can in a broad sense be
considered symptoms of humanity’s collective accumulation of evil karma.
We
can go a little further, and say that the collective karma of human society as
a whole interacts with the karma of each individual in that society, and that
living in such a society can in itself lead the individual to experience
greater karmic suffering. This is a
reflection of the principle of the oneness of life and its environment. Dealing with a karmic disease is, therefore,
not just a matter involving the individual: it is something that demands the
efforts of society as a whole. However,
it is only through transforming our individual karma that we can transform that
of society.
Unlocking the Mysteries of Birth and Death: Buddhism in the Contemporary World, Pg. 78-80
An even more important point is
found in the fact that the essence of the karma theory illustrates the rule
that, no matter what one’s karma, one can change it of one’s own free
will.
In
other words, the Buddhist concept of karma is in no way what is ordinarily
called fatalism or a mere simple philosophy.
Some people labor under the illusions of fatalism or determinism, seeing
only one aspect of karma — that karma from one’s past lives is encompassed in
one’s present life. At the same time,
however, according to the karmic law of causality, at each moment we create
fresh karma. This means that at the
present moment also, of our own free will, we are creating new karma and
opening up the future.
Thus,
in Buddhism, humans are beings that, seeking freedom in the midst of
inevitabilities, both base themselves on these inevitabilities and employ them
as springboards to build a state of life in which they are utterly free. Consequently, by acting of their own
volition to make good karma and transform negative karma, all human beings are
equally able, regardless of their present circumstances, to open up the path to
self-realization and self-perfection — the golden path to improving their
destiny.
Space and Eternal Life,
Page 118
Let me now talk about why we do
gongyo and chant daimoku. Life is
eternal, without beginning or end. It
continues from the past to the present, and from the present to the future,
strictly at the mercy of the individual’s karma and fate, according to the law of
cause and effect. Buddhism teaches that
according to this law of causality, we take the form of human beings at times,
while taking the form of other beings at other times. In this context, a passage from the Gosho, “The Opening of the
Eyes,” reads: “If you want to
understand the causes that existed in the past, look at the results as they are
manifested in the present. And if you
want to understand what results will be manifested in the future, look at the
causes that exist in the present” [WND, 279 (MW-2, 172)].
At
this present moment, we are creating causes while at the same time receiving
the results of the causes we have created since the infinite past. It is Nichiren Daishonin’s Buddhism which
embodies this wonderful single Law which simultaneously possesses both cause
and effect in the name of the Mystic Law.
Therefore, through chanting daimoku to the Gohonzon, we are able to
create the fundamental cause which enables us to become closer and closer to enlightenment
or absolute happiness. That is why we
need to do gongyo and chant daimoku.
Think,
for example, of a water pipe. If it is
not used for a long time, it will rust and the water which first runs through
it will become turbid. In this example,
the turbid water is compared to the unhappy life-condition of the human being
which is bound by negative karma. One’s
life has stored up negative karma, and it has become “turbid” for aeons from
the infinite past.
However,
as you continue chanting to the Gohonzon every day with strong faith, sending
clean water into the water pipe, that is, your life, you will eventually change
your karma fundamentally without fail just as the water becomes clear. Therefore, it is necessary to do gongyo and
chant daimoku every day without interruption.
Next, let me explain why we do shakubuku. The most important mission of Nichiren
Daishonin was to enable all human beings to embrace the Mystic Law, chant
daimoku and attain enlightenment. For
that reason he himself practiced shakubuku.
It is quite natural for us to do shakubuku and work toward
the propagation of the Law as his followers.
We
can discuss the importance of shakubuku from various angles, but, first
of all, we have to understand that Nichiren Daishonin’s Buddhism emphasizes
practice from beginning to end. Doing shakubuku
is equal to performing the Buddha’s work as an envoy of the Buddha, and,
therefore, it is the driving force to reveal Buddhahood from within your life
without fail. Nichiren Daishonin
teaches us that only through the practice of shakubuku can we not only
tap the treasure tower of Buddhahood from within our life through chanting
daimoku, but also let others tap their own treasure towers from within.
For
instance, a tree spreads its roots widely into the earth, and grows big and tall. Spreading its roots can be compared to
chanting daimoku, but a tree cannot grow to be strong indoors. A tree grows to be stout and large only when
it is bathed in sunshine and exposed to the winds and rains.
Likewise,
doing shakubuku and devoting oneself to propagation among the people in
society is an indispensable requirement for one to become large and strong like
a tree. A tree also needs sunlight,
water and air as food for growth. The
human being is much more complex and subtle, and has to live out his life,
being buffeted about by the complexities of life such as the struggle for
existence and the balancing of his family life and human relationships in
society. As you struggle for survival
in the complex realities of life, you should pursue the fundamentals of faith,
practice and study as the surest and most fundamental way to fully develop
yourself.
Suppose
a child has fallen into a river. Trying
to save the child at the risk of your own life expresses a life-condition of
Bodhisattva and exemplifies an act of good.
However, if you desert the drowning child even though you know he may
die, you are merciless and your act is an evil one. In like manner, striving to help others reveal the life-condition
of Buddhahood inherent in their lives takes tremendous courage and can be
defined as the greatest good, and your behavior will definitely result in the
revelation of the conditions of Bodhisattva and Buddhahood within your own
life.
For this reason, doing shakubuku,
to say nothing of conducting gongyo and chanting daimoku, will without fail
deepen your faith in the Gohonzon; these are the most effective causes for
accumulating good fortune and benefits.
Those
without faith who do not chant daimoku and practice shakubuku can never
savor the supreme taste of the great medicine of true Buddhism. Therefore, I urge you, first of all, to
chant daimoku and develop your faith.
For
example, no matter how much you may analyze the parts of a car in a detailed
discussion, unless you drive it, you can never enjoy the ride. Similarly, I hope you will always commit
yourself to the basics of faith, practice and study so that you can deepen and
broaden your faith along the correct course.
There
are no dead ends in life with the Mystic Law.
If you have faith resolute enough to become one with the Mystic Law, you
can change your life into one which has no stalemates at all. At any rate, the Gohonzon is absolute. We can say that following this absolute Law
with sincere faith is itself the core of our practice as common mortals.
Buddhism in Action, Vol. 1,
pp. 61-5
13. “Until
kosen-rufu is achieved, propagate the Law to the full extent of your ability
without begrudging your life.”
This admonition, termed by Nichiko the “principle for all generations to
come” and the “first principle of eternal importance,” is the unchanging
standard that is the most crucial and pivotal of the twenty-six warning
articles.
The
sixty-sixth high priest, Nittatsu, once remarked: “It is Soka Gakkai members who, embodying the spirit of spreading
the teachings even at the cost of their lives, are safeguarding Buddhism,
protecting the Dai-Gohonzon of the high sanctuary and carrying out the practice
of propagation for the sake of the eternal transmission of the Law.
“At
the same time, by overcoming all manner of persecutions by slanderous people,
Soka Gakkai members are carrying out the practice of the ‘six difficult and
nine easy acts’ with their lives, and accomplishing kosen-rufu in the Latter
Day of the Law.”
It
is the SGI that is putting this admonition into practice. Our history is a golden record of our
efforts to put this admonition into practice.
While
the SGI has always put kosen-rufu first, the priesthood has always placed its
own self-preservation above all else, thereby hindering the progress of
kosen-rufu.
Where in the priesthood can one
find people spreading the teachings “without begrudging their lives”? In stark contrast, not only do its members
lead indulgent lives, but they are even seeking to destroy the SGI and to bring
the flow of kosen-rufu to a halt. Such
priests are enemies of the True Law and enemies of Nikko Shonin.
Without
defeating these enemies of the Buddha, realizing the kosen-rufu of the True Law
will be impossible. Therefore, just as
Nikko Shonin admonishes, we must continue to pursue them without begrudging our
lives. A person who does so will
accumulate tremendous benefit.
Living Buddhism, April
1998, pg. 21
Our lives in their original state
exist eternally together with the life of the universe; they are without
beginning or end. When certain
conditions are attained, we manifest birth.
And, in time, we recede again into the universe, entering a state of
rest. This is the nature of our
death. It is not the case that our
lives are terminated through death; rather, it could be said that death is an
expedient means necessary for us to lead a fresh and vigorous existence in the
future.
Fundamentally,
there is no ebb or flow of birth and death; life, as thus conceived, embodies
the oneness of birth and death. Our
lives exist eternally and are inextinguishable. Those who thoroughly grasp this truth will neither take birth
lightly nor needlessly fear death.
In
other words, we can correctly fix our gaze on the present moment and advance
along the path of continual self-improvement — succumbing neither to impatience
nor to negligence. This is the way of
life of one who “perceives the true aspect exactly as it is.”
The
American philosopher Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-82) confidently remarked:
It is the depth at
which we live and not at all the surface extension that imports. We pierce to the eternity, … and, really,
the least acceleration of thought and the least increase of power of thought,
make life to seem and to be of vast duration.
[Ralph Waldo Emerson, Society & Solitude, p. 183]
What
matters is the “depth at which we live,” the “power of thought” we
manifest. A person who leads such a truly
profound life can make each day worth ten days or even a month. In a year, he or she can create the value of
ten or even a hundred years. This is
the true measure of one’s life span; it is not decided simply on the
superficial basis of length of time.
I
have lived my life struggling with this awareness, and I am determined to
continue to do so. Therefore, no matter
what happens, I have no fear. I can
overcome anything with composure and with the spirit of a lion king.
Lectures on the “Expedient Means”
& “Life Span” Chapters of the Lotus Sutra, V-2, pp. 105-6
Toward the end of 1957, President
Toda was extremely weak due to his experience in prison and his difficult
struggles following the war. Yet he
cheerfully told a doctor examining him:
“If it’s a matter of life force, then I have absolute confidence [in my
ability to recover]. The power of
Buddhism — as expressed by ‘Let us live out our lives!’ — makes it possible to
extend even one’s predetermined span of life.”
Just
as he said, he made an astonishing recovery.
And after accomplishing the ceremony on March 16, died when the cherry
trees were in full bloom.
I
myself was so weak and sickly as a youth that I was once told I would not reach
30. But I met President Toda, and
devoting my entire life to the mission of kosen-rufu, I have continued to
charge ahead all these years. I have
lived far longer than my mentor. I cannot
help feeling that my mentor ground down his life and shared it with me. How fortunate it is to have such a mentor!
The
subsequent “Distinctions in Benefits,” the seventeenth chapter, says that those
who hear the Buddha expound his eternal life span (i.e., who hear the “Life
Span” chapter) and who believe in and accept it, will use their long lives to
save others in the future (LS17, 239).
And
the Daishonin says, “The votary of the Lotus Sutra is the Thus Come One whose
life span is immeasurable” (The Difficulty of Sustaining Faith, WND 471 [MW-1,
128]). Those who determine to spread
the correct teaching, those who awaken to the missions to accomplish
kosen-rufu, are Buddhas of eternal life.
Through
our personal connections, each of us can lead any number of people to the
Mystic law whom no one else could reach.
Everyone, therefore, has an irreplaceable mission. Please lead long lives — until each of you
has fully accomplished your unique mission.
Let us have the spirit to introduce even one person to the Mystic Law,
to help even one person become happy, and toward that end, to live even one day
longer. Such an earnest attitude
extends our lives. Such a sense of
mission increases our vitality.
Those who wholeheartedly dedicate
themselves to kosen-rufu shine from the depths of their beings. They are vigorous and high-spirited. While others may live a comparable number of
years, those who dedicate their lives to kosen-rufu can create many tens,
hundreds or even thousands of times more value than them. The amount of value we create is the true
measure of our life span.
Those
now deceased who dedicated their lives to kosen-rufu have undoubtedly already
begun new lives of mission.
Each
of you has a noble mission. Every
morning and evening, I pray that each of you will live up to the spirit of “Let
us live out our lives!” — always in high spirits, always youthful and always
filled with hope.
Lectures on the “Expedient Means” and “Life Span” Chapters of the Lotus Sutra, V-3, pp. 51-3
One sincere word can unlock
tremendous power in a person’s life. On
another dimension, our SGI has been working to develop, step by step, a network
of encouragement. What is important is
neither money nor power; it is simply our earnest intent and actions to save
another person from suffering. Buddhism
teaches this most noble way of life.
Only honesty and sincerity can truly move people’s hearts. When we speak to others and act with such
sincerity, something will definitely remain with them — something that will
definitely blossom and bear fruit with time.
Living Buddhism, July
2000, Pg. 20
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