5/1/2022 Myohoji Temple iNFOPACKET

Contents Volume 12 Issue 5

1. Guidance from Sixty-eighth High Priest Nichinyo Shonin 1

(Excerpt) from April 4, 2022

2. Guideposts in Faith: “A Comparison between the Lotus Sutra and 3

Other Sutras”
Myokyo, May 2021

3. Buddhism Made Simple: “The Buddha Nature” 7

Myokyo, October, 2018

4. A Passage from Nichiren Daishonin’s Writings for May 2022 11

5. Nichiren Shoshu Monthly information and subscription Mail-in form 12

6. Nichiren Shoshu Monthly information and subscription ePayment form 13

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Guidance from Sixty-eighth High Priest Nichinyo Shonin

On the Occasion of the January Kosen-rufu Shodai Ceremony
April 4, 2022
Reception Hall, Head Temple Taisekiji
(Excerpt)

The Daishonin teaches the following in the Gosho, Questions and Answers on Embracing
the Lotus Sutra (Jimyo hokke mondo-sho):

Apart from the land of eternally tranquil light where the Buddha resides, every realm
is a place of suffering. If we leave the realm of [the Buddha’s] original
enlightenment, what joy can we find? I believe that embracing Myoho-Renge-Kyo,
which ensures “peace and security in this lifetime and good circumstances in the
next,” is the only honor to pursue in this lifetime and is the guide to maintain
enlightenment in the future. Single-mindedly chant Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo and
encourage others to do the same. This will remain as your only memory from this
present, human life.
(Gosho, p. 300)

When I look at today’s chaotic conditions of the world, it is apparent that to overcome
this crisis, as many people as possible must take faith in the true Buddhism of Nichiren
Daishonin, the True Buddha in the Latter Day of the Law, so that they can embody the
benefits of upholding Myoho-Renge-Kyo.
If you are a member of the priesthood or laity of Nichiren Shoshu, you should be aware
that the teaching that can save the people in the Latter Day of the Law is none other than
the Buddhism of Nichiren Daishonin, the True Buddha in the Latter Day of the Law.
However, just knowing this without the act of taking faith is nothing more than desk
theory. This is one-sided from the perspective of one’s faith based on the practice for oneself
and others, and does not meet the will of the Daishonin.
In other words, one’s act of taking faith in Buddhism is one’s actual practice. Theory
alone will not enable one to attain Buddhahood. The faith of those who do not conduct

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shakubuku, in terms of one’s practice for oneself and others, does not correctly suit the will
of the Daishonin.
In the Gosho, One Hundred and Six Articles (Hyaku rokka-sho), the Daishonin
expounds as follows:

The Law does not spread naturally. Since a person propagates it, both the person
and the Law are equally revered.
(Gosho, p. 1687)

We must not forget our important mission—teaching those who are undergoing intense
suffering due to the poison of slander about the fearfulness of slander, and teaching as many
people as possible that we cannot achieve true happiness unless we take faith in the true
Buddhism of Nichiren Daishonin.
The Daishonin expounds the following in the Gosho, Attaining Enlightenment at the
Initial Stage of Faith through the Lotus Sutra (Hokke shohin jobutsu-sho):

Fundamentally, in the Latter Day of the Law, it is a matter of principle that we

should firmly teach the five characters of the honorable title of the Lotus Sutra,
whether or not it is suited to the capacities of ignorant common mortals.
(Gosho, p. 1315)

No matter what circumstances we are facing, and no matter what obstacles may arise,
we must courageously perform shakubuku with compassion, perseverance, and the
determination of “Single-mindedly yearning to see the Buddha, they do not begrudge their
lives,” based on absolute conviction in the vast and boundless Dai-Gohonzon.
Your words full of confidence and certainty will move a person’s heart. No matter what
obstacles may arise, we should fearlessly and single-mindedly devote ourselves to do
shakubuku, always upholding faith in the Dai-Gohonzon of the High Sanctuary of the
Essential Teaching, the supreme object of worship for the entire world. With conviction that
your efforts will be witnessed by the Dai-Gohonzon without fail, all members of each
chapter and organization must devote themselves to perform shakubuku based on unity, in
the spirit of itai doshin.

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Guideposts in Faith
“A Comparison between the Lotus Sutra and
Other Sutras”
(“Shokyo to hokekyo to nan-i no koto”)

Myokyo, May 2021

Since the doctrines of Kobo, Jikaku, and Chisho have been followed widely, this truth
[of the Lotus Sutra] has been obscured in Japan for more than 400 years. It is like
exchanging a gemstone for a piece of gravel or selling off sandalwood as common
lumber. When Buddhism becomes corrupted, society becomes defiled and chaotic.
Buddhism is like the body and society like the shadow. When the body is twisted, so is
the shadow. Fortunately, my disciples are able to follow the Buddha’s will and
naturally flow into the all-encompassing sea of profound wisdom. The Buddhist
scholars in society will suffer, since they will sink into the ocean of misery, as they
believe in the expedient teachings expounded according to the capacity of the people.
(Gosho, p. 1469)

Let Us Actively Do Shakubuku and Purify the Universe

During the year before the birth of Nichiren Daishonin, the Jokyu War raged in Japan, and
the imperial attempt to overthrow the Kamakura Shogunate of the Hojo clan was defeated.
The three retired Emperors Gotoba, Tsuchi-mikado, and Juntoku were exiled to Oki, Tosa,
and Sado respectively.
The Daishonin writes in the “Letter to Shimoyama” (“Shimoyama-goshosoku”):

It was unparalleled in history, the first under the heavens, as inferiors overthrew
their superiors.
(Gosho, p. 1149)

Thus, this was an unprecedented case in which inferior retainers overthrew their superiors,
as the warriors, who were the vassals, forced the banishment of the sovereign emperors.

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 The Daishonin states the following about this incident, in the Gosho, “On the
Buddha’s Behavior” (“Shuju ofurumai-gosho”):

They believed in the heresy of Kobo Daishi and the falsehoods of Jikaku Daishi and
Chisho Daishi, considering them to be the truth. The priests from Mount Hiei, Toji, and
Onjoji supported the courtiers in their opposition of the Kamakura shogunate. [As the sutra]
states that the curse “returns back to the original people,” in effect, the emperor and the
imperial courtiers were defeated.
(Gosho, p. 1068)

Accordingly, the teachings of Kobo, Jikaku, and Chisho, relied on by the imperial
courtiers, represented slanders against the Law, which opposed the essential will of
Shakyamuni. The Universal Gate of Bodhisattva Who Perceives the World’s Sounds
(Fumon; twenty-fifth) chapter of the Lotus Sutra stated that it “will rebound upon the
originator.”
(Hokekyo, p. 569; The Lotus Sutra, Watson, p. 304)

Thus, because the emperors sought out heresy and slanderous doctrines, they invited
their own disasters.
In the Gosho, “The Rulers of the Land of the Gods” (“Shinkokuo gosho”), the
Daishonin writes:

If one wishes to examine one’s face, one must only look into a clear mirror.
Likewise, when one tries to understand the nation’s rise and decline, the most superior
source is that of the Buddhist mirror. When I refer to the various Mahayana sutras…they all
make the following points: Depending on the Buddhist teaching that the people follow,
either the nation will prosper and the people’s lives will be prolonged, or the nation will
come to ruin and the people’s lives will be cut short. One could compare this to water, which
is able to support a boat, but also potentially can destroy it. Or, it is like the five kinds of
grain, which sometimes can nourish human life and other times can be harmful. Small waves
and a gentle breeze cannot do much damage to a large ship, but high waves and strong winds
can easily capsize a small boat. In the same way, even if the secular rule of the sovereign is
defective, it is like small waves and a gentle breeze, and cannot do much damage to a great
nation or a great man. On the other hand, misinterpretation of the Buddhist teachings is just
like high waves and strong winds, which can capsize a small boat, and certainly will cause
the ruin of the nation.
(Gosho, p. 1301)

Here, he teaches us that the rise and fall of a nation and the happiness and unhappiness of
the people are determined by the truth or heresy of Buddhism.

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When people in society learn this, they will probably wonder, “Why do disasters
occur when erroneous doctrines are propagated? And why does the land become peaceful
and safe when people uphold the true teaching?”

Currently, in the field of geology, there is reportedly a focus on the term

“Anthropocene.” In the 4.6-billion-year history of the earth, human beings appeared just
12,000 years ago. These humans have had a tremendous effect on the global environment.
Based on this, there is an ongoing discussion about whether or not to call the present
geological age “Anthropocene” (age of human beings).

We can see from this that it is an undeniable fact that humans have had a great impact
on the global environment.
Conversely, people have been affected in many ways by their environment, as the
following proverbs suggest: “A rotten apple spoils the barrel,” and “Nurture over nature.”
Thus, it is well known in the secular world that people and the environment affect
each other. In Buddhism, it is expounded that, based on the principle of ichinen sanzen
(three thousand realms in a single life-moment) in the Lotus Sutra, both the insentient
environment (eho) and the living inhabiting subject (shoho) are entirely contained in the
single life-moment (ichinen) and united as a single entity (ittai funi [literally “one body,
not two”]), as revealed by the doctrine of the oneness of life and its environment (esho
funi).
Based on this doctrine, the Daishonin stated in the passage we are reading today:
Buddhism is like the body and society like the shadow. When the body is twisted, so is the
shadow.
(Gosho, p. 1469)

Furthermore, in “Attaining Buddhahood in this Lifetime” (“Issho jobutsu-sho”), he

writes:
The pure and impure lands are not separate realms. The goodness or evil of our hearts
and minds determines the nature of the land.
(Gosho, p. 46)

Thus, he taught us that the truth or heresy of the teachings upheld by the people
determine the rise or fall of the nation. Then in the Rissho ankoku ron (On Securing the
Peace of the Land through the Propagation of True Buddhism), he declares:

You must immediately renounce your erroneous belief and take faith in the supreme
teachings of the one vehicle of the Lotus Sutra. Then, this entire threefold world will become
the Buddha land. How could the Buddha land ever decline? All the lands in the ten
directions will transform into treasure realms. How could a treasure realm ever fall to ruin?
If the nation never declines and the land is indestructible, you will find safety and peace of
mind.

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 (Gosho, p. 250; The Gosho of Nichiren Daishonin, Vol. 2, p. 42)

Therefore, he clearly describes the method of securing a peaceful land through the
establishment of the truth (rissho ankoku), by upholding Myoho-Renge-Kyo, the essential
truth of the single vehicle, and transforming the environment of the land into a peaceful and
safe Buddha land.
High Priest Nichinyo Shonin gave us the following guidance:

When we, as living subjects (shoho), discard all slander against the Law and uphold
the Gohonzon of the Essential Teaching, the supreme object of worship of the Three Great
Secret Laws of the essential truth of the single vehicle, then, through the limitlessly
expansive and mystical power of Myoho-Renge-Kyo, our lives—each of our lives as
individuals—will be purified. Then, it will spread from the individual to the whole, the
entire realm of living beings, and the entirety of society will be purified. In time, this
purification will be continued to the realm of the environment and the realm will gradually
transform into the Buddha land.
(Dainichiren, June 2011)

Furthermore, Sixty-seventh High Priest Nikken Shonin composed the following poem:

Continually chanting Daimoku, to purify the universe, to the end of time.

He encouraged the priests and lay believers of Nichiren Shoshu to continue to chant
Daimoku and work to purify the universe—that is, to actually perform shakubuku based on
refuting heresy and revealing the truth.

Let us etch into our hearts the conviction that our earnest actions in doing shakubuku
will enable us to purify the lives of ourselves and others, and that it is the most precious
action that will enable us to purify the realm of the lands and the entire universe.
Furthermore, let us continue to do shakubuku, by refuting heresy and revealing the truth, as
we strive to achieve kosen-rufu and secure the peace ofthe land through the propagation of
true Buddhism.

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Buddhism Made Simple

The Buddha Nature
Myokyo, October 2018

Unceasing Efforts Lead To Productive Achievements

In the rice fields around the Head Temple, the seedlings of rice planted in the spring have
grown tall, and the heavy grains have caused the individual stalks to hang low, as the farmers
are busy harvesting their crops. I am certain that your lives are also in full swing for you,
and you are feeling the results of your efforts, as you exert yourselves in extra-curricular
activities and your studies.
This is true in any field, but people rarely achieve great success based solely on skill and
inherent qualities. Kosuke Ogino, the competitive swimmer who won the gold medal in the
400-meter individual medley at the Rio de Janeiro Olympics, is an individual who never
ceases to apply his best efforts.
Ogino’s coach, who guided him from his elementary to high school years, said the
following about him:

It is a matter of course that any athlete who competes on a global scale needs to exert a
great deal of effort. Ogino has been a genius when it comes to putting forth effort. I have
seen Ogino push himself to the very limit in his practice, so much so that I was concerned
that he may pass out. It is unusual for an elementary school child to push himself to that
extent. He possessed talent, and on top of that, he put forth more effort than anyone else.
This is why he has been able to achieve great success as an athlete.

Thus, this great athlete who stood on the world stage of his dreams and achieved the
medal that he sought to win, had continued unceasingly to apply tremendous efforts toward
his objective.
As the saying goes, “Where there’s a will, there’s a way.” Even if you possess skills and
inherent qualities, just possessing these skills will not lead to any glory. If you don't exert
efforts to develop them, they will merely end up as useless treasures.
We are all aware that we can achieve true, supreme happiness through our faith and
practice in Nichiren Shoshu. However, simply being aware of it will not enable us to attain
this supreme happiness. Nichiren Daishonin states:

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 All people individually possess the seed that will enable them to attain enlightenment.
(Gosho, p. 339)

Here, the “seed that will enable them to attain enlightenment” refers to the life state of
the Buddha that inherently is possessed by everyone. This is known as the “Buddha nature.”
In the Gosho, “Questions and Answers between a Sage and a Foolish Man” ("Shogu mondo-
sho"), the Daishonin explains this in the following way:

...this inherent Buddha nature is called Myoho-Renge-Kyo. Thus, if you chant this title
of Myoho-Renge-Kyo once, the Buddha nature of all living beings will be called forth
and gather around you. The three enlightened properties of the Law, wisdom, and
compassionate action of the true nature of the Law within you will be brought forth and
then clearly manifested. This is the state of enlightenment.
(Gosho, p. 406)

Here, the Daishonin teaches us that chanting Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo is the way to

manifest our Buddha nature and attain enlightenment.

The Three Inherent Potentials of the Buddha Nature

There is a principle called the three inherent potentials of the Buddha nature (san’in
bussho). These potentials are the innate Buddha nature; good causes and relations to develop
the innate Buddha nature; and the wisdom to perceive the innate Buddha nature.
The innate Buddha nature means that everyone possesses the Buddha nature. However,
just because everyone possesses the Buddha nature, it does not mean that all people can
attain the life condition of enlightenment. Thus, while all persons possess this innate
Buddhahood, they can manifest their Buddha nature only when they assiduously develop it.
Next, the good causes and relations refer to the karmic bonds with the Buddha, such as
the practices and training that are required to develop our Buddha nature. These signify
support and actions that help people achieve Buddhahood.
The wisdom to perceive the innate Buddha nature signifies the ability to know one’s
own Buddha nature. The wisdom to perceive the innate Buddha nature is the ability to
eliminate confusion, delusion, and obstacles and to achieve an understanding of the innate
Buddhahood that exists deep within each of our lives. Furthermore, it is the ability to
manifest the benefits of this wisdom.
Sixty-seventh High Priest Nikken Shonin stated the following about the three inherent
potentials of the Buddha nature:

Let us say, for example, that there is a chunk of gold in the ground. The condition in
which that gold is buried in the ground can be likened to the innate Buddha nature. It
exists but it is not visible to the eye. Thus, this innate Buddha nature is inherent in many

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things, but no one can see it. Next, digging up the dirt and extracting the gold—this
action corresponds to the development of good causes and relations to develop the innate
Buddha nature. And finally, when the digging is completed and the gold, itself, is
manifested and it glows brilliantly—this is when the wisdom to perceive the innate
Buddha nature is manifested.
(Sermon on the "True Object of Worship" ["Kanjin no honzon-sho" kowa], Vol. 3, p. 80)

Thus, even if we are aware that there is a gold nugget in the ground, we cannot get that
gold unless we dig up the dirt. Accordingly, we first must know that there is a seed of
happiness inherent in our lives. Then, we must chant Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo and enable
a beautiful flower to blossom from that seed. This is the meaning of the three inherent
potentials of the Buddha nature.

We Must Become the Karmic Bond For Good Buddhist Friends (zenchishiki)

In “The Teaching Affirmed by All Buddhas of the Three Existences” ("Sokanmon-sho"),

the Daishonin states:

Even though you may possess the three inherent potentials of the Buddha nature, if you
do not encounter the karmic bond of good Buddhist friends (zenchishiki), you cannot
become enlightened to it, understand it, or manifest it. However, if you have a karmic
bond with a good Buddhist friend, you can manifest it and attain enlightenment, without
fail.
(Gosho, p. 1426, Summarized)

We cannot fundamentally resolve the issues of life—the unhappiness and the difficulties
in our lives—only through our own wisdom and capacity. However, what is most important
is for us to develop a karmic bond of good Buddhist friends, so that, as individuals who
uphold faith and practice, we are able to teach others the way and lead them on the path to
achieve a life condition of happiness together with us.
Accordingly, we, ourselves, first must believe in the Gohonzon and chant Daimoku, and
tell our precious friends and acquaintances about the benefits that we gain. Nothing can be
more wonderful than this. In the Gosho, "On the Transmission of the Three Great Secret
Laws" ("Sandai hiho bonjo ji"), the Daishonin teaches us:

Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo encompasses the practice for oneself and the practice for
others (jigyo keta).
(Gosho, p. 1595, Summarized)

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Serving the Gohonzon

The purpose of our faith and practice is to attain enlightenment. Another way of
describing this is that our objective is to develop, through the performance of our Buddhist
practice, the three inherent potentials of the Buddha nature, which will be manifested
intrinsically in our lives as capabilities or potentials.
One form of Buddhist practice that we perform is our service to the Gohonzon. Nichiu
Shonin, the Ninth High Priest of the Head Temple, stated:

Presenting greens, incense, and other offerings to the Buddha signifies our contributions
to the three inherent potentials of the Buddha nature.
(Fuji shugaku yoshu, Vol. 1, p. 246)

Serving the Gohonzon is an important, indispensable form of practice and training.

Every day, we must clean the altar, change the water for the greens, and offer water to the
Gohonzon. When we do Gongyo, we light a candle and burn incense to create a solemn
atmosphere in front of the Gohonzon.
Nichiin Shonin, the Thirty-first High Priest of the Head Temple states the following
about this matter:

When we make offerings to the three natures, the three enlightened properties, and the
three treasures of the Buddha [the Law, and the priesthood] we are ultimately presenting
offerings to our own three inherent potentials of the Buddha nature, three virtues, and
three enlightened properties of the Buddha. Accordingly...we are essentially nourishing
and developing the three inherent potentials of the Buddha nature in our own lives.
(Fuji shugaku yoshu, Vol. 1, p. 247)

Thus, he teaches us that when we make offerings of incense, greens, and other things to
the Gohonzon, we are actually nourishing and developing our own three inherent potentials
of the Buddha nature within our lives.
For those of you who are young, your parents may be performing most of these offerings
to the Gohonzon. Please try as much as possible to actively participate in these practices to
serve the Gohonzon.

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今月の御聖訓
2022 年 5 月

Nichiren ga ichirui wa itai dōshin nareba, hitobito sukunaku sōra’e domo daiji wo jōjite
日蓮が一類は異体同心なれば、人々すくなく候へども大事を成じて
ichijō hokekyō hiromari nanto obo’e sōrō.
一定法華経ひろまりなんと覚へ候。
“Itai Dōshin-ji”
（本因妙抄 御書 1679 頁）

A Passage from Nichiren Daishonin’s Writings

May 2022

Despite their small numbers, if Nichiren and his followers have the spirit of many
in body, one in mind, they certainly will accomplish their great purpose and the
Lotus Sutra will spread.

(“On itai doshin”; Gosho, p. 1389)

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