Ichinen Sanzen

The Mutual Possession of the Ten Worlds

by Reverend Yosai Yamada,

former Chief Priest of Myohoji Temple, Los Angeles.
 PART I

“S ince wars begin in the minds of men, it is in the minds of men that the
defenses of peace must be constructed.” Regarding “world peace,” it may be
safely said that the most important question for us today is “How does one
gain a peaceful way to live?” A European philosopher once said that human beings have
the potential for a holy existence, similar to an angel. On the other hand, people can
become uglier and more frightening than wild animals.

There is no existence more interesting, mysterious, incomprehensible and complex than

human life. Buddhism completely explains life through the principles of the Mutual
Possession of the Ten Worlds. Our physical appearance and our actions in this world
are explained by the concept of shiki shin funi -- the unity of our minds and bodies.

The present and any future state of the world we live in is explained by the concept
of esho funi -- the unity of man and his environment. Or, to put it another way, our world
is consistent with our ideals, and as we act upon those ideals, we make the world as it is.

The Mutual Possession of the Ten Worlds explains the reality of the complex and changeable
aspects of existence that are the result of the Law of Cause and Effect. By discussing the
Mutual Possession of the Ten Worlds, I would like to examine how to live and how
to attain world peace.

Since ancient times, philosophers have defined humans as “Homo sapiens, ‘a thinking,
upright creature.’” However, Buddhism defines human beings as entities which possess
ten sorts of worlds. In other words, the Ten Worlds are the ten realms of thought and
emotion that are influenced by environmental changes. These changes are reflected in
many aspects of our physical appearance and surroundings.

In the Gosho, “The True Object of Worship,” Nichiren Daishonin gives an outline of the
Ten Worlds. He states:
“When we look from time to time at a person’s face, we find him sometimes joyful,
sometimes enraged, and sometimes calm. At times greed appears in the person’s face,
at times foolishness, and at times perversity. Rage is the world of Hell, greed is that of
Hunger, foolishness is that of Animality, perversity is that of Anger, joy is that of Rapture
and calmness is that of Humanity. These worlds, the six paths, are all present in the
physical appearance of the person’s face. The remaining four noble worlds are hidden and
dormant and do not appear in the face, but if we search carefully, we can tell that they are
there.” (MWN vol 1, p. 52)

He also states:

“The fact that all things in this world are transient, is perfectly dear to us. Is this not
because the worlds of the two vehicles are present in the world of Humanity? Even
a heartless villain loves his wife and children. He too has a portion of the Bodhisattva
World within him. Buddhahood is the most difficult to demonstrate. But since you
possess the other nine worlds, you should believe that you have Buddhahood as well.
Do not permit yourself to have doubts.” (MWN vol. 1, pp. 52-53)

As these passages indicate, the Ten Worlds are nothing but various aspects of our human
lives. Now let’s look further at human existence in the Ten Worlds.

The first is HELL.

Hell indicates a condition in which one is dominated by the impulse to destroy oneself
and everything else. Rage is the dominating force. In this state, we are utterly devoid of
freedom and undergo extreme and indescribable suffering.

HUNGER is the second.

Hunger is a state characterized by an insatiable desire for food, clothes, wealth, pleasure,
fame, power, and so forth. In this state, a person is tormented by relentless craving and by
his inability to satisfy it.

ANIMALITY is the third.

The state of Animality is governed by instinct, and one has no sense of reason or morality.
The Shushi Shin Gosho, (“On the Sovereign, Teacher and Parent”) describes the state of
Animality as follows: “The short are swallowed by the long, and the small are eaten by
the large, feeding upon each other without pause.” A man in the state of Animality stands
in fear of the strong but despises and preys upon those weaker than himself.

Since these three conditions, from Hell through Animality, are states in which we
scarcely function as human beings (although we have indeed been born human), they are
collectively called the Three Evil Paths.
The fourth world is ANGER.

In the state of Anger, a man is dominated by a selfish ego. A person in this state is
compelled by the need to be superior to others in all things, despising others and valuing
himself alone.

Nichiren Daishonin’s “Jippokai Myoiga Sho” (“Causality Within the Ten States of Life”),
describes it as follows:

“The first volume of the Maka Shikan reads, “He who is in the world of Anger, motivated
by the warped desire to be better than everyone else, is forever belittling others and
exalting himself. He is like a hawk sweeping the sky in search of prey. He may outwardly
display benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom and good faith, and even possess a
rudimentary moral sense, but his heart remains in anger.”

But in comparison with the Three Evil Paths, there is a little humanity within the realm
of Anger. These four states are collectively called the Four Evil Paths.

The fifth world is HUMANITY or TRANQUILITY.

In this state, one can pass fair judgment, control his instinctive desires with reason, and
act in harmony with his environment or society.

The sixth world is HEAVEN or RAPTURE.

This state indicates the sense of pleasure which one feels when his desire is fulfilled.
However, the joy in the state of Heaven is temporary and disappears with the passage
of time or with even a slight change in circumstances.

These states, from Hell through Heaven, are called the Six Paths. The majority of people
spend most of their time moving back and forth among them. In these states, one is
governed by his reactions to external influences and is therefore extremely vulnerable to
changing circumstances.

LEARNING is the seventh world.

Learning is a condition in which one awakens to the impermanence of all things and
understands the instability of the Six Paths, and therefore seeks some lasting truth.
He aims at self-reformation through the teachings of others. Men of Learning originally
meant those who listen to the Buddha preach the Four Noble Truths. They practiced
the Eightfold Path in order to acquire emancipation from earthly desires.
This definition is expounded in Hinayana Buddhism. This life condition is relatively free
from avarice, anger, stupidity, arrogance and doubt, as well as from bias or depravity.
Generally speaking, one enters this life condition when he has, in his own way, reached
a certain enlightenment, after pursuing the truth of life through the writings of others.
However, a selfish or arrogant mind, although hidden, is still present to some extent in
this life condition.

The state of REALIZATION is the eighth world.

It is a condition in which one perceives the impermanence of all phenomena and strives
to free himself from the sufferings of the Six Paths by seeking some lasting truth through
his own observations and effort. Men of Realization originally meant those who attained
a kind of emancipation by perceiving the twelve-linked chain of causation, or by observing
the natural order. In other words, he understands cause and effect as the nature of life in
the universe. Because this is a life condition a man reaches upon discovering the truth in
the universe after much thinking and effort, the sense of fulfillment felt in this state may
be deeper than that gained in the World of Learning.

This is the definition of both Learning and Realization expounded in Hinayana Buddhism:

Realization as well as Learning often turn into arrogance, because people in these
life conditions become stubbornly attached to their own realization with its limited
perspective. Learning and Realization are called the two vehicles. The defect of the two
vehicles lies in the fact that persons in these states seek only their own salvation.

BODHISATTVA is the ninth world.

In this state, one not only aspires to enlightenment himself but also devotes himself
to compassionate actions.

The characteristic of the Bodhisattva lies in his dedication to altruism. The Gosho,
“Causality in the Ten States of Life,” states about this life condition:

“Those in the state of Bodhisattva dwell among the common mortals of the Six Paths and
humble themselves while respecting others. They draw evil to themselves and give benefit
to others. This life condition is characterized by the great desire to extend help to those
who are suffering.”

The tenth and final world is that of BUDDHAHOOD.

This is the highest life condition in all of the Ten Worlds. It is a state of perfect and
absolute freedom, in which one enjoys boundless wisdom and compassion, and is
filled with the courage and power to surmount all hardships. However, in the Gosho,
Nichiren Daishonin states: “Buddhahood is the most difficult to demonstrate.” Exhibiting
Buddhahood from within is difficult. Explaining this life condition is also difficult.
The Twenty-Sixth High Priest, Nichikan Shonin, says: “Strong faith in the Lotus Sutra is
called Buddhahood.”

Therefore, the determination, will, and faith to believe in the Gohonzon is the
manifestation of Buddhahood. It is itself Buddhahood.

This is the great life condition which underlies the rich, altruistic activities of the
Bodhisattva, in which one takes the sufferings of others as his own and defies all
obstacles to help others change their destiny. It is this True Buddhism that demonstrates
how to help people call up their own Buddhahood from within themselves.

I firmly believe that the way to salvation lies only in the richness of the Bodhisattva
practice, beneath which lies the life condition of the Buddha. It is universally able to
help people out of difficulty and find a way out of deadlocks to rescue this planet and its
inhabitants from the scourge of war.

In the next lecture, we will talk about the Mutual Possession of the Ten Worlds and how
even the worst individuals possess it. Thank you very much.

PART II

Today I want to talk about the Mutual Possession of the Ten Worlds. But before I begin, I
want you accept, on faith, the definition of the entirety of human life and all its activities
as Ichinen Sanzen. I am asking this, because I do not expect you to “know” it yet as the
Buddha does. Why don’t I expect you to fully comprehend this? It is because Ichinen
Sanzen is the profound law inscrutable in its workings, not only in every aspect of our
lives but in the total aspect of all life in the universe. Yet, the Buddha “knows” this Law
as the essence of his life. He also has the infinite wisdom derived from it. And from this
wisdom comes his capacity to teach and save all living beings.

We need to retain a sense of humility, so I want to quote Shakyamuni’s words of caution

to his most clever disciple, Sharihotsu. We recited them this evening and do so every time
we do Gongyo. The Hoben Chapter says:

“Sharihotsu, the wisdom of the Tathagata is all-encompassing and profound. His mercy
is infinite and his teaching knows no bounds. Endowed with power, fearlessness,
concentration, freedom [from karma and desires] and the capacity to meditate, he dwells
in the boundless and awakes to the never-before-realized Law. Sharaihotsu, the Tathagata
has the power to perceive which among the various teachings is suited to his audience,
to preach the teachings in a skillful way, and to gladden the hearts of people with warm
and tender words. That is to say, Sharaihotsu, the Buddha has realized the infinite, boundless
and unparalleled Law.”

Now, we may be some of those attributes, but certainly not all of them. Is anyone here
free from karma and desires, yet? But I would be wrong if I did not give you warm
encouragement from the writings of the Daishonin, who knew the various teachings
but taught the only one appropriate for the Latter Day of the Law.

The “Gift of Rice” Gosho reads:

“Yet even common mortals can attain Buddhahood if they cherish one thing: earnest
faith. In the deepest sense, earnest faith is the will to understand and live up to the spirit,
not the words, of the sutra.” (MWN vol 2, p. 268)

Now I want to talk to you about the Mutual Possession of the Ten Worlds and why
practice to Gohonzon is the way to the human reformation that will in turn make world
peace possible. The Daishonin’s Gosho, “The Opening of the Eyes,” states:

“The concept of Ichinen Sanzen begins with an understanding of the mutual possession
of the Ten Worlds or states of existence.” (MWN vol. 2, p. 80)

This principle was formulated by T’ien-t’ai. It is based on the Lotus Sutra and states that
each of the Ten Worlds contains the potential for all ten. This is the second component
principle of Ichinen Sanzen. The first component is the concept of the Ten Worlds which
we talked about last time. The second component, the Mutual Possession of the Ten
Worlds, means that our thoughts and emotions are not fixed in any one world but can
exhibit any of the ten from Hell to Buddhahood at any given moment.

This concept also explains that each of us tends toward one or more of the ten states,
although the potential for any of them is always present. For example, a person who has
the basic life tendency of Hunger may exhibit Rapture or Bodhisattva at any moment
because his life possesses those two of the Ten Worlds. Only one of them appears in a
given moment; the other nine worlds are dormant. But that person always returns to the
basic life condition of Hunger, and his life activities consequently center around this state.

Another example is that, at any one moment, a person may experience the joy of Heaven,
but at the next moment, some factor in his circumstances may suddenly change, and he
is thrown into the depths of Hell. This does not mean, however, that the world of Heaven
has ceased to exist. Rather, it means that it has shifted from a state that we can witness to
a latent and potential condition. With the appropriate influences from the environment, it
will emerge again, and we will find this person happy and smiling -- temporarily.
In this way, the ten states from Hell to Buddhahood are activated by one’s relationship
with the outside world, and we are able to see them in ourselves and others as they
surface in response to changes in our environment. Furthermore, they are manifested in
both the physical and spiritual aspects of all human activities.

Please remember shiki shin funi. A person whose spirit and mind are in Hell will show it
in his appearance. Another concept to remember is esho funi. One whose mind and body
are in Hell will create Hell in his environment. It cannot be otherwise, if that is his basic
tendency, because body and mind are not separate. They are combined in one entity;
and this entity cannot be separated from its environment. The environment is an
extension of the human being.

I had mentioned that Nichiren Daishonin knew the beliefs of the other sects of his day
and the sutras on which they were based. All of you are also learning that Shakyamuni,
the historical Buddha, expounded provisional teachings for some forty or forty-two years
before he preached the supreme Buddhist teaching, the Lotus Sutra. Eventually, you will
also learn that, when it was preached, many of his disciples walked out of the assembly
and continued to practice the pre-Lotus Sutra teachings. The Daishonin says that all of
the sutras, except the Lotus Sutra, are the wrong teachings to practice. Why?

In “The Opening of the Eyes,” the Daishonin states:

“All provisional sutras such as the Kegon, Hannya and Dainichi not only conceal the fact
that people in the two realms of shomon [Learning] and engaku [Realization] can attain
Buddhahood, but they also fail to make clear that the Buddha attained enlightenment
countless aeons in the past. These sutras are guilty of two errors. First, because they teach
that the ten worlds of existence are separate from one another, they fail to move beyond
the provisional doctrines and reveal the doctrine of Ichinen Sanzen as it is expounded in
the theoretical chapters of the Lotus Sutra.” (MWN vol 2, p. 103)

Vasubandhu’s Kusho Ron says that Hell exists one thousand yojani under the ground.
The Shonen Sutra states that the world of Hunger exists five hundred yojani under the
ground. Those in Animality live in water, on land, and in the air. Those in the world of
Humanity dwell on earth, those in Rapture on a mountain, and so on. But from everyday
life, we can observe that Hell, Hunger, Animality, Anger, Rapture, and Humanity are
walking the streets at this very moment.

In the Mushimochi Gosho (“New Year’s Gosho”), the Daishonin writes:

“First of all, as to the question of where exactly hell and the Buddha exist, one sutra
states that hell exists underground and another sutra says that the Buddha is in the west.
However, careful thought will reveal that both exist in our fivefoot body. The reason
I think so is that hell is in the heart of a man who inwardly despises his father and
disregards his mother... You may question how is it that the Buddha can reside within
us when our bodies, originating from our parents’ sperm and blood...But repeated
consideration shows the validity of my claim. The pure lotus flower blooms out of the
muddy pond, the fragrant sandalwood tree grows from the soil, the graceful cherry
blossoms come forth from trees, the beautiful Yang Kuei-fei was born of a maidservant,
and the moon rises from behind the mountains to shed light on them.” (MWN vol 1, pp. 271-272)

The Lotus Sutra teaches that people in Learning and Realization, women, evil men,
virtually everyone, can attain enlightenment. By contrast, all the other sutras fall short.
They do not provide the absolute freedom and equality for all humanity to attain
Buddhahood. But the Dai-Gohonzon has been established and impartially sheds its
compassion on all who accept it, thus ensuring our enlightenment.

You probably know Christianity, Islam and Judaism much better than I do. Because
you do, you can probably see more similarities to the preLotus Sutra teachings than I.
Therefore, you are able to understand why Nichiren Shoshu Buddhism considers all
teachings, except the true teachings of the Lotus Sutra, provisional. But I want to caution
you. Any religion attempts to establish a basic morality through which order can be
brought to society. There are many “don’ts” in the teachings of Hinayana Buddhism and
in other religions that exist to tell people what they shouldn’t do, so that they don’t make
bad causes. These are not necessarily “bad” teachings.

The Nirvana Sutra remarks: ‘All scriptures or teachings, from whatever source, are ultimately
the revelation of Buddhist truth. They are not non-Buddhist teachings.’” (MWN vol 2, p.77)

In the same Gosho, he quotes T’ien-t’ai:

“In the Konkomyo Sutra it is recorded that ‘All the good teachings that exist in the world
derive from this sutra. To have a profound knowledge of this world is itself Buddhism.’”
(MWN vol. 2, p.75)

But although these teachings can be considered “revelations of Buddhist truth,” they do
not reveal the Supreme Truth of Buddhism. Furthermore, they have failed to bring peace.
They do not elucidate the innate Buddhahood possessed by all beings and phenomena
(Ichinen Sanzen--”three thousand worlds in a momentary state of existence”), nor do they
teach how to maintain a basic life condition that extends to all people.

Please remember that I said, “...the Ten Worlds respond to events and things in our
environment.” When you accept Gohonzon, you are accepting the entity of the Law as
Ichinen Sanzen and the Buddha into your environment. The Mutual Possession of the
Ten Worlds is inscribed in the Gohonzon. It therefore exists in environments that are
hellish or full of anger, animality, hunger, tranquility and fleeting rapture, as well as in
the arrogant worlds of Learning and Realization. This is because it acknowledges the presence
of Buddhahood in all of these worlds. Accepting the Gohonzon into any of these environments
is accepting the object that stimulates and develops Buddhahood as a basic life endency.

There is not time to talk about how one goes about his human reformation. But I want you
to remember the story about the woman who didn’t know that she possessed a cellar filled
with gold. First, she had to be told about it. Second, she had to vigorously and continuously
dig away the dirt that hid it. Then she was able to find the gold and use it to improve her
daily circumstances. In the same way, we must begin to reform our own lives. We have to
be told that we have; Buddha nature. And, if we want to actualize world peace, we have to
tell others that they possess this potential, too. Then we have to teach others vigorously
and continue ously how to do the same with faith practice and study. We have to bravely
practice this way until Buddhahood is established as a basic tendency of our lives.

Now perhaps you might be thinking, “Maybe I don’t want to be a Buddha. It all sounds
rather strange.”

However the most important implication of Ichinen Sanzen to remember and understand
is that all common mortals of the nine worlds have the potential for Buddhahood, and
a Buddha retains the lower nine worlds and is not separate from common mortals. So
you will live in these worlds, but with a difference. You will be angry sometimes, perhaps
hungry, too. You will experience Rapture and Hell, but the quality will be different. You
will manifest the lower worlds, but will no longer be controlled by them. The things that
you get angry and are hungry for will be of a high order. You will look better and feel
better and know to chant to the Gohonzon first, to acquire the wisdom needed to face
your lower worlds and all obstacles to happiness.

PART III

Today, I hope to complete this discussion of the Buddha’s realization about life.
Let me caution you. As the Buddha preached his enlightenment to Shariputra, he stated:

“That which the Buddha has achieved is the rarest and most difficult law to comprehend.
The true entity of all phenomena can only be understood and shared between Buddhas.”

“All phenomena” indicate the changing manifestations of life. They can generally be
classified into the Ten Worlds, while the “true entity” is life’s fundamental aspect. This
true entity of all phenomena is so difficult to comprehend that even Shariputra, known as
the foremost in learning, was unable to grasp it.
The Hoben Chapter reads:

“This reality consists of appearance, nature, entity, power, influence, internal cause,
relation, latent effect, observable effect, and consistency from beginning to end.”
We acknowledge this reality everytime we do Gongyo, when we recite the end of the
Hoben portion:

“Nyo ze so. Nyo ze sho. Nyo ze tai. Nyo ze riki. Nyo ze sa. Nyo ze in. Nyo ze en. Nyo ze ka.
Nyo ze ho. Nyo ze honmak kukyo to.”

What does this mean?

We have studied the Ten Worlds, the basic life conditions. We have also studied their mutual
possession. So, thus far, we have explored one hundred of the three thousand worlds.

Our lives constantly change, and we have the potential for enlightenment regardless of our
present life condition. But we also possess the Ten Factors. This is another component of life.

Perhaps it would help if you keep in mind the concepts of the oneness of man and his
environment (esho funi), and the oneness of body and mind (shiki shin funi). Both of
these concepts bear a relationship to the Factors. The latter concept says that a living
entity’s body and mind are combined in human life; they are two, but not two. As you
know, when the brain, the organ that gives rise to life’s functions, is dead, so is the body.
Possessing mind and body is what it means to be a living entity.

The Ten Factors in T’ien-t’ai’s theory of Ichinen Sanzen gives even more substance to the
idea of the oneness of body and mind. These Ten Factors are life itself. Each of us, and,
indeed, all of life has a unique physical form. So, the first factor that all life possesses
is appearance, or Nyo ze so.

The second is nature. All life has its spiritual quality. In human beings, this refers to our
conscious mind. The internal workings of our minds give rise to the kind of life force we
have. So, the second factor is Nyo ze sho.

Appearance and nature, or body and mind, combine to give us the third factor, entity,
or Nyo ze tai. We are now a living entity with both a physical and spiritual aspect.
And with this union comes power.

Power means the ability to move, to construct, and to achieve. It is the inherent energy in
all life. Power or Nyo ze riki, is the fourth factor.

With power comes influence, Nyo ze sa, the fifth of the ten factors. This does not need
too much explanation. As parents, we act, and our influence is seen in our families and
children. As workers on the job, we construct and achieve, and our influence is felt in
that area. But what we accomplish as parents and workers, and as people, is not the same.
Some produce very good results; others do not. Why?

Remember that we discussed the Ten Worlds, the basic life conditions, in the two previous
lectures. When we relate this to the factors of power and influence, we can really see our
basic life tendency. Realizing what this basic tendency is (in other words, what world we
are in) will help answer the question, “What causes him, or me, to move throughout life in
that way?” If we are in one of the higher worlds, the factors of power and influence will
be beneficial. If we are in one of the lower worlds, these two factors will be detrimental
to us and those around US.

The sixth of the Ten Factors is internal cause, or Nyo ze in. We touched on this when we
asked the question, “What causes him, or me, to move throughout life the way we do?”
The cause lies deep in our lives. We planted it there. We know this internal cause was karma.

Buddhism holds that life is eternal. During this lifetime and in many others, we have had
the power to make causes. When we previously had to give up our physical bodies, our
destiny in future lives was already imprinted on our eternal selves. Our past deeds provided
the blueprint for our next life, and we had already put into action the environmental
influences into which we would be born.

The seventh factor is relation, or Nyo ze en. Sometimes it is called external cause.
It is the environmental link between ourselves and those things outside ourselves to
which we respond. In this huge area are countless situations that are the result of karma.
We respond and create more karma, both good and bad. The result is that we again place
deep in our lives the eighth factor, latent effect or Nyo ze ka.

As we live, even our thoughts produce an effect. The good and evil of our minds plant
deep within our lives the latent effect that eventually surfaces as manifest result. This
observable effect or Nyo ze ho is the ninth of the Ten Factors. It emerges on the surface of
our lives after the passing of time. This is the result of internal cause and latent effect that
were made at the same time and which have now become our karma.

The tenth factor is consistency from beginning to end, or Nyo ze honmak kukyo to. What
it means is that life exists, appears, and functions consistently in this cycle. It begins with
appearance and ends with manifest effect. These Ten Factors are integrated in a single
entity at every moment.

If you are keeping in mind the concept of esho funi, you can see that T’ien-t’ai goes very
deeply into the relationship between man and his environment. This relationship is also
determined by internal cause and latent effect, or our karma.

With this discussion of the Ten Factors, we now arrive at a total of one thousand of the
realms of Ichinen Sanzen. We have discussed the Ten Worlds, their Mutual Possession
and the Ten Factors. There remain only three more realms, which when mul-tiplied by the
one thousand with which we are familiar, give us Ichinen Sanzen, or the three thousand
worlds in a momentary state of existence. So I will discuss this final component briefly.

The first realm is called go-on or the realm of the Five Components. Here, T’ien-t’ai even
more closely defines “entity.” This realm first of all includes the body and all its organs. It
is called shiki. It also includes the mind and all its functions: perception or ju; conception
or so; will or volition, called gyo; and finally shiki, which means our total consciousness.

The second realm is that of society where we as individuals live in conjunction with others.
Each in this realm possesses a basic life tendency, the Ten Worlds and their Mutual Possession,
and the Ten Factors.

The third realm is the environment that all of us create together, which in turn supports
our existence.

Perhaps now it has occurred to you that, if we want to understand Ichinen Sanzen, we can
begin by looking at our own lives. I believe we would find the same answer whether we
observed ourselves or tried to understand the totality of all phenomena in the universe.

Perhaps T’ien-t’ai’s explanation of Ichinen Sanzen seems a little cold. It says nothing
about how to become enlightened so that we can become absolutely happy. Yet, the mind
is restless and unyielding. If it is possible to know what the Buddha realizes, we want
to know it. Where can we find the answer? The Daishonin says to base yourself on the
Ninth Consciousness. It lies deep beneath the five senses. It is deeper than perception,
conception, and volition. It is the fundamental force that is the essence of our lives.

The Ten Factors in Nichiren Daishonin’s Buddhism reveal the Dai-Gohonzon which
embodies the profound doctrine of Ichinen Sanzen. So, by faith in and practice to the
Gohonzon, we can obtain the power of the Buddha to make our lives identical to that of
the Buddha. The primary cause breaks the bonds of karma that have predetermined our
existence and environment.

In other words, when we base our faith on the unchanging reality of the Law through
our faith and practice to the Gohonzon, our lives begin to exhibit their highest nature,
enlightenment. When this highest nature emerges, body and mind, power and influence
become purer, and Buddhahood becomes the internal cause, the latent effect and,
eventually, the manifest effect. It takes time and effort. But Buddhism promises the
absolute happiness of an enlightened life. This is possible through the Gohonzon.

Three years and six months have passed since I replaced Reverend Kudo as Chief
Priest of Myohoji Temple, at the direction of High Priest Nikken Shonin. During these
years, I did my best to protect the Gohonzon of Myohoji Temple, and with my small
power, conducted ceremonies. It was my good fortune to have the full cooperation
of all members. And my small efforts cannot be compared to yours. But through your
cooperation, I have been able to fulfill my duties as a priest. So let me avail myself of this
opportunity and thank all of you for your heartfelt support. Further, I intend to continue
using all my power to propagate the Daishonin’s Buddhism.

As you know, study based on the Gosho serves to deepen your faith in the Gohonzon. It
is very important that we gain a correct understanding of faith and a practical view of
practice. Without a basic knowledge of Buddhism, understanding Nichiren Daishonin’s
Buddhism is difficult. Even though you practice Nichiren Shoshu Buddhism, there are
times when you reach a state of stagnation. You can solve these difficulties by receiving
direction and guidance. If you follow the path of Nichiren Daishonin’s guidance, the
great power of the Mystic Law will manifest itself within your lives, and you will be able
to overcome any difficulty. So, in order to accomplish worldwide propagation, study is
indispensable. Others will understand the Daishonin’s Buddhism through our words
when they are based upon our insight into the principles of Buddhism. So, I hope you
study seriously. My advice is that you don’t put it off. The longer you delay, the less
inclined you will be to do so.

Thank you very much.