Supplementary Resources for Leaders Sharing the Discussion Meeting Gosho (May)
| Great Evil and Great Good Great events never have minor omens. When great evil occurs, great good follows. Since great slander already exists in our land, the great correct Law will spread without fail. What could any of you have to lament? Even if you are not the Venerable Mahākāshyapa, you should all perform a dance. Even if you are not Shāriputra, you should leap up and dance. When Bodhisattva Superior Practices emerged from the earth, did he not emerge dancing? (The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin Vol 1, p. 1119) |
(A) Background
Please refer to May 2024 issue of "Creative Life" and summarize.
(B) Key Points for Sharing
| Key Learning Points of the Gosho Passage: 1. Faith for Transforming Great Evil Into Great Good 2. The Buddha's Wisdom to Perceive the Underlying Meaning of One's Sufferings 3. By Manifesting Powerful Life Force through Chanting Daimoku Based on One's Vow for Kosen-rufu, One Can Transform Reality |
1. Faith for Transforming Great Evil Into Great Good
For this Gosho, neither its date nor its recipient is known. Judging from the content, however, it may have been sent to encourage disciples during the period when Japanese society was in turmoil following the first Mongol invasion in 1274.
The phrase, "What could any of you have to lament?" indicates that at that time, not only Nichiren Daishonin but his disciples were also subjected to persecutions.
In this Gosho passage we are studying this month, the Daishonin expresses his firm conviction that the occurrence of great evil is a sign that the correct teachings of Buddhism will spread without fail. As such, the Daishonin encourages us that we should not lament in the face of adversity but continue forging ahead with dauntless courage.
At the outset of this passage, the Daishonin states, "Great events never have minor omens." An omen refers to a sign, a harbinger of things to come, just as rain clouds fill the sky before it rains. If the omen is minor, what happens will be a small event, but if the omen is major, great events will happen.
In this sense, the Daishonin teaches us here that great omens always precede great events, and great evil portends the arrival of great good. He asserts, "Since great slander already exists in our land, the great correct Law will spread without fail." In other words, it is amid truly challenging circumstances that the great teaching of the Mystic Law is certain to spread.
With regard to transforming great evil into great good, Ikeda Sensei explains as follows:
| It is how we react when something bad occurs that is important. If we make up our minds to enact a wonderful drama, summon forth the heart of a lion king, and take bold action, we can transform great evil into great good. At the time of this letter, the entire country of Japan was slandering the Law, and the Daishonin's disciples found themselves in a very hostile environment on account of their faith. The Daishonin asserts that such times are a sign that the Mystic Law will spread widely. (From President Ikeda's Study Lecture Series, "Buddhism of the Sun, Illuminating the World") |
2. The Buddha's Wisdom to Perceive the Underlying Meaning of One's Sufferings
Although the Daishonin teaches here that great evil portends the arrival of great good, it will not do so of its own accord, with us simply standing by and doing nothing. When calamity strikes, it only becomes a sign of great good if we view it as an opportunity for growth and strive with unwavering determination and effort to transform it into something positive.
The Daishonin encourages his disciples who were facing a storm of hardships, saying, "What could any of you have to lament?" It is as if he is encouraging us, "No matter what happens, we will never be defeated!" It is faith in the Daishonin's Buddhism that helps us bring forth this indomitable life force, which is also the fundamental spirit of the Soka Gakkai.
Even if one is practicing faith, one will continue to face difficulties in life. When problems occur, be it at work, or in the family or illness, one will naturally be filled with anxiety and be disheartened. This is a natural response no matter who we are. And if one suffers an adversity so harsh that it can be defined as a "great evil" in one's life, one will probably sink into despair. However, it is faith that gives us the strength to perceive the underlying meaning of our hardships, continue to forge ahead with optimism, changing everything towards a positive direction.
Ikeda Sensei explains that having the belief that hardship has meaning is "optimism". He elaborates on this optimism as follows:
| Buddhist optimism is not the "escapist optimism' of those who throw up their hands and say, "Somehow or other things will work out". Rather it means clearly recognizing evil as evil and suffering as suffering, and resolutely fighting to overcome it. It means believing in one's own ability and strength to struggle against any evil or any obstacle. It is "fighting optimism". (From President Ikeda's Discussion on "The Wisdom of the Lotus Sutra") |
Perceiving "great evil" as an opportunity to take a leap forward and transform it into "great good" – It is this spirit and inner determination that opens the way forward to happiness.
3. By Manifesting Powerful Life Force through Chanting Daimoku Based on One's Vow for Kosen-rufu, One Can Transform Reality
The Daishonin perceived the situation at that time, with slanders against the life-affirming teachings of the Lotus Sutra becoming rampant and the frequent occurrence of natural disasters and famines, as the manifestations of the characteristics of the Latter Day of the Law and began taking action with the determination that "Now is precisely the time to propagate the teachings of the Mystic Law."
However, in accord with the teachings of the Lotus Sutra, the Daishonin's struggles to propagate his teachings resulted in a series of persecutions against him. The Lotus Sutra had predicted the age of the Latter Day of the Law in this manner: "Since hatred and jealousy toward this sutra abound even when the Thus Come One is in the world, how much more will this be so after his passing?" (LSOC10, p 203)
Next, the Daishonin calls forth to his disciples in this Gosho passage to continue practicing the Mystic Law with joy and courage despite the current harsh adversities surrounding them just as Mahākāshyapa and Shāriputra danced with joy upon hearing the Buddha's teaching for attaining Buddhahood.
Before Shakyamuni Buddha expounded the Lotus Sutra, both Mahākāshyapa and Shāriputra perceived the Buddha as a transcendental being that was different from them and thereby believed that they could never attain the same enlightenment as the Buddha. However, when the Lotus Sutra reveals their enlightenment, they were overwhelmed with irrepressible joy, so much so they wanted to leap up and perform a dance.
Also, the Daishonin concludes this Gosho passage with these words: "When Bodhisattva Superior Practices emerged from the earth, did he not emerge dancing?" This is Bodhisattva Superior Practices's dance of joy when Shakyamuni Buddha entrusted him with the mission to spread the correct teachings after his passing. It is therefore with overwhelming joy and courage that Bodhisattva Superior Practices chooses to be born in the evil age of the Latter Day on his own accord and to dedicate his life for the happiness of the people.
Ikeda Sensei elaborates on this point in this manner:
| The lives of those awakened to the bodhisattva vow to help others become happy brim with unsurpassed joy. The image of dancing symbolizes this irrepressible and unbounded vibrant energy. When we base our lives on the bodhisattva vow, we can transform great evil into great good. The Daishonin teaches us that when we awaken to our true identity and power as Bodhisattvas of the Earth, we have nothing to lament. (From President Ikeda's Study Lecture Series, "Buddhism of the Sun, Illuminating the World") |
As Ikeda Sensei teaches here, let's bring forth powerful life force from within our lives by chanting daimoku based on the bodhisattva vow for kosen-rufu and transform the reality surrounding us.
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Prepared by SGS Study Department
