June 2018 Creative Life
The following will be published on the June 2018 issue of Creative Life:
The Embankments of Faith
Strengthen your faith now more than ever. Anyone who teaches the principles of Buddhism to others is bound to incur hatred from men and women, priests and nuns. Let them say what they will. Entrust yourself to the golden teachings of the Lotus Sutra, Shakyamuni Buddha, T'ien-t'ai, Miao-lo, Dengyō, and Chang-an. This is what is signified by the expression, "practicing according to the Buddha's teachings."
(The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin Vol 1, p 626)
Background and Outline
Nichiren Daishonin composed this letter at Mount Minobu for the lay nun Sennichi, the wife of Abutsu-bo, both of whom were his followers on Sado Island. It has been held that the letter was written in September 1275 but recent studies have indicated that it is more likely to have been written in 1276.
The lay nun Sennichi and her husband, Abutsu-bo had long been followers of the Nembutsu (Pure Land) School but they were converted to the Daishonin's teachings while the Daishonin was in exile on Sado and since then they continued to protect and support the Daishonin wholeheartedly. After the Daishonin's return to Kamakura upon his pardon in March 1274, the couple served as leading followers in Sado, striving hard in encouraging fellow disciples and spreading the Daishonin's teachings. Together with her husband, Abutsu-bo, whom the Daishonin addressed as "a leader of this northern province" (WND-1, p 300), the lay nun Sennichi continued to maintain sincere faith and exerted herself in her practice throughout her life.
The letter is a reply to a question the lay nun Sennichi had asked about the effects of different degrees of slander against the correct teaching. The lay nun Sennichi seemed to have been concerned about the effects of slander of the Mystic law through her previous faith in the Nembutsu school of Buddhism, whose teachings denigrate the Lotus Sutra, wondering if she could really be able to attain Buddhahood.
In response, the Daishonin reveals that the Lotus Sutra is a teaching that enables all people to attain Buddhahood and that as long as one possesses faith in the Lotus Sutra, one can certainly attain Buddhahood.
Subsequently, the Daishonin strictly admonishes that if one does not reproach someone who is committing slander, one will become an enemy of the Buddha's teachings. Thereafter the Daishonin encourages the lay nun Sennichi to strengthen her faith more than ever. In addition, the Daishonin encourages the lay nun to continue maintaining courageous faith even though she may incur hatred from the people with whom she shares Buddhism.
Practicing According to the Buddha's Teachings
At the outset of this Gosho passage that we are studying this month, Nichiren Daishonin offers a powerful encouragement to lay nun Sennichi, who was striving sincerely in her practice of faith in Sado, so that she can continue to advance along the path to Buddhahood without regressing throughout her life by saying, "Strengthen your faith now more than ever."
Following this, the Daishonin teaches the lay nun Sennichi in concrete terms, what is the practice of faith she should be focusing on in order to do so. The Daishonin tells the lay nun Sennichi to teach "the principles of Buddhism to others". This refers to the practice of shakubuku or propagation. It means to refute erroneous teachings or ideologies that denigrates or reject the correct teachings of the Lotus Sutra as "slanders", the fundamental cause for unhappiness, and widely spread the correct teachings of the Mystic Law that leads all people to enlightenment.
On top of this, the Daishonin says that when one carries out the practice of shakubuku by sharing Buddhism with people whose lives are clouded by fundamental darkness (= deluded state of life), one "is bound to incur hatred from men and women, priests and nuns". That is to say, one who strives "to teach the principles of Buddhism to others", one will incur hatred and strong resistance from all kinds of people.
The Daishonin himself continued to exert himself in leading all people to enlightenment even though he knew that he would be persecuted if he persisted in his efforts. The Daishonin continued waging a struggle to spread the teachings of the Mystic Law in spite of this. Just as the Daishonin states in this Gosho, "Let them say what they will", the Daishonin continued to wage his struggle with a life state of magnificent composure, filled with a great passion and fearlessness based on the powerful resolve "to lead all people to happiness come what may!"
In this Gosho passage, the Daishonin cites Shakyamuni Buddha, who expounded the Lotus Sutra, and further cites the names of T'ien-t'ai, Miao-lo, Dengyō and Chang-an, the correct teachers of Buddhism and encourages us to entrust ourselves to their golden teachings. The basis of this is the practice to spread the teachings of the Mystic Law, a mission that Shakyamuni Buddha entrusted to the Bodhisattvas of the Earth at the assembly of the Lotus Sutra. In other words, those who uphold the teachings of Buddhism in our contemporary society and carry out the practice of propagation in accord with the Buddha's golden teachings are individuals who are "practicing according to the Buddha's teachings".
SGI President Ikeda says in his guidance, "We must 'strengthen our faith now more than ever' and keep forging ahead. The Daishonin's Buddhism teaches that everything begins from now. This day, today, is constantly a new departure of kuon ganjo (time without beginning). There may be occasions when we are verbally abused or criticized just because we share Buddhism with others. You may feel frustrated about it but just as the Daishonin says, 'Let them say what they will', we should not allow ourselves to be affected and continue forging ahead in this spirit. The Daishonin will certainly protect such individuals. There is no doubt about this."
Let's continue sharing Buddhism with others with courage and expand the circle of friendship far and wide!
(Translated from the October 2017 issue of The Daibyakurenge, the Soka Gakkai's monthly study journal.)
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