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Condolences On A Deceased Husband
Flow 461, pp. 9-21
Background
The gosho was written on the sixth day of the ninth month in 1278 while Nichiren Daishonin was living in Mount Minobu after having remonstrated with the government three times.
Having received from lay nun Myoho an offering of an unlined robe, a gift from her elder brother’s wife, and a report about her husband Jiro Hyoe’s death, Nichiren Daishonin sent her this reply.
The Daishonin begins the letter by expressing his appreciation for the offering and closes it by expressing sympathy for Jiro Hyoe’s wife.
In the passage we are studying now, the Daishonin describes the harsh conditions that beset him at Minobu, as well as his situation of being estranged from both his home province and the land of his exile where he had gained many followers.
He then compares himself with Bodhisattva Never Disparaging, who also spread the Lotus Sutra. While the Daishonin was wounded, condemn to exile, and nearly put to death, the bodhisattva was merely cursed and beaten. The people who persecuted him, the Daishonin says, are doomed to the hell of incessant suffering. In contrast, to have encountered the votary of the Lotus Sutra and presented him with offerings is cause for great benefit.
Explanation
"I, Nichiren, have done likewise….But I cannot help thinking about the grave of my father and mother and wondering how the people I used to know are faring."
Here Nichiren Daishonin makes reference to General Li Ju-hsien who had shown utmost loyalty yet ended up not permitted to go to his native home nor allowed to retire and join his wife and children.
The Daishonin spoke out fearlessly against slander for the sake of his native country Japan. For this, he was maliciously persecuted despite the fact that his spirit and intent was to prevent the country from going astray.
The Daishonin’s willingness to undergo repeated persecution for the great cause of kosen-rufu conveys the essence of the “conduct of the mentor” which is, in other words, taking action without begrudging one’s life. This is what it means to embrace true faith in the Lotus Sutra.
This spirit of ‘not begrudging one’s life’ is inherited by the three founding presidents of the SGI and also Soka Gakkai members who shared the same commitment towards the great goal of kosen-rufu with our mentor – SGI President Ikeda.
For us as true disciples of President Ikeda, embracing the Lotus Sutra specifically means internalizing the great vow of our mentor who has dedicated his life to actualize the worldwide kosen-rufu as willed by the Daishonin even in times of adversity, maintaining the same resolute and selfless faith as the mentor.
You may ask, in this modern time, is there really a need to sacrifice one’s life and safety for the sake of Buddhism? Under what circumstances do we practice faith with the spirit of not begrudging one’s life?
As practitioners of True Buddhism, we are certain to meet with obstacles coming from the 3 powerful enemies as prophesized in the Lotus Sutra. You must be prepared to exert yourself without begrudging your lives if you want to triumph over the 3 powerful enemies to achieve the goal of enlightenment and kosen-rufu.
“Practicing Faith without Begrudging One’s Life” is the heart of “Refuting Evil and Imparting the True”, rebuking slander at the risk of one’s life is Nichren’s spirit. It is also the Soka Spirit. Practicing with such a spirit enables us as disciples to come in contact with the great spirit and courage of the true Buddha and leads us to enter the path of oneness of mentor and disciple.
“There is one thing, however, that makes me happy….And the Buddha has also promised that he will transfer to such persons the benefits resulting from his own trials and ascetic practices. (I have summarized the meaning of the sutra passages.)”
Nichiren Daishonin was like a warrior who fights in the front ranks for kosen-rufu, and in so doing, makes a name for himself.
Kosen-rufu is a struggle to spread the Mystic Law so that all people can attain enlightenment. Obstacles and devilish are bound to appear. In particular the three powerful enemies will appear as a concrete manifestation of the devilish nature or the fundamental darkness in life.
The Three Powerful Enemies:
- Arrogant lay people (fundamental darkness expressed as ignorance)
- Arrogant priests (fundamental darkness expressed as perverse wisdom)
- Arrogant false sage (fundamental darkness expressed as malice. The most difficult to discern and the most pernicious.)
Ultimately, however, for all its negative or destructive influence, fundamental darkness is in essence nothing but ignorance and as such can be vanquished by wisdom. By bringing forth Buddha wisdom through faith in the correct teaching – that is, by substituting faith for wisdom – we can triumph over fundamental darkness as ordinary people, just as we are.
In other words, the essential nature of the three powerful enemies is none other than the fundamental darkness that grips the lives of the oppressors. This fundamental darkness manifests itself as the powerful devil king of the sixth heaven which can only be defeated by one who exerts oneself in faith without begrudging one’s life.
Both Makiguchi and Toda sensei had lived the spirit of spreading the Law at the risk of one’s lives, just like Nichiren did. Ikeda sensei too had challenged the 3 powerful enemies head on. The three presidents had tested the truth of Buddhism and the proof is the spread of Nichiren Buddhism to 192 countries today.
The Three Powerful Enemies may appear frightening but Nichiren Daishonin says, “One who cares nothing about oneself for the sake of the Law has nothing to be frightened about.” (WND-1, pg 269)
“When we dedicate our lives to kosen-rufu, overcoming painful suffering and persevering in faith,”…we too “can manifest the same life of the Buddha that the Daishonin possessed.” We must develop our faith so that we can have the courage to tackle our difficulties head on each time they appear.
Succumbing to cowardice is the result of being unaware of the inherent power of Buddhahood in our lives. Ikeda sensei teaches us that a person with courage can manifest the wonderful benefits of the gohonzon. Cowardice means defeat. A coward cannot have any of his prayers answered. In other words, it takes “courageous faith” and “prayer with a strong ichinen or determination” to have your prayers answered.
Sensei further says, “Prayer with a vow”, prayer for the sake of kosen-rufu will alleviate our life condition, and accumulate good fortune.
The will of Nichiren is kosen-rufu. So when we pray and take courageous action despite of our sufferings for the happiness of others, at the same time chant for our own human revolution, we are practicing faith correctly.
In the past there was a bodhisattva named Never Disparaging….They have been treated more severely than one would treat night raiders, thieves, pirates, mountain bandits or plotters of rebellion.”
In this passage, Nichiren Daishonin compares himself with Bodhisattva Never Disparaging who faced persecution for spreading the Lotus Sutra.
The attack on the Daishonin and his followers was the direct result of accusations against him made by respected priests. At the root of these accusations was jealousy.
Just like the Nikken and the Nikken sect priesthood, they demanded people’s respect but could not catch up with the footstep of our mentor and that of the Soka Gakkai. Consumed by jealousy and completely taken over by their ego, they plotted to disrupt the harmonious unity of this beautiful organization. These evil priests ignored reason and trampled upon justice, the infamous ‘Operation C’ was one such evil scheme designed to destroy the Soka Gakkai – the organization that is dedicated to fulfill the will of Nichiren Daishonin.
The Daishonin suffered all four types of persecution predicted in the Encouraging Devotion (13th) chapter of the Lotus Sutra, they are:
- Cursed and spoken ill of by the populace
- Attacked with swords and staves.
- Accused in petition to the authorities because of the Lotus Sutra.
- Banish again and again.
The Daishonin resolutely battles and triumphs over all these persecutions. Likewise, we too must continue to support our Soka Spirit movement to fight the Nikken sect with unshakeable resolve.
Evil priest like Nikken epitomizes the third of the three powerful enemies. Nichiren Daishonin exposes how the third of the three powerful enemies operates and the way to deal with it, “When an evil ruler in consort with heretical priests tries to destroy true Buddhism and banish a man of wisdom, those with the heart of a lion will surely attain Buddhahood as Nichiren did.” (WND-1, pg 302)
We are now practicing at an age where Nichiren Buddhism is seriously being adulterated and its eternal flow threatened. The people in society are confused by the erroneous views that are being propagated by the Nikken sect.
For us in SGM, this means we must have the heart of a lion to struggle in the face of persecution or threat by the three powerful enemies headed by the Nikken sect. Chanting daimoku for the victory of justice of Soka Gakkai and engaging the Nikken sect followers in dialogue, exerting yourselves in these two Soka Spirit activities is exerting in your faith without begrudging your lives.
“Courage is the absolute condition for attaining Buddhahood. Courage is the absolute condition for becoming happy.”
The Buddha and Devadatta are like a form and its shadow – in lifetime after lifetime they are never separated. This is a truth we must recognize.
The co-existence of the positive and negative in life operates inside our lives as well. Our practice to strengthen the positive in our life is that of drawing out the Buddha nature from the depth of our life. We do this through challenging our weakness – the negative tendency in our life, which causes us to disparage others and ourselves.
The meaning of benefit or ‘kudoku’ in Japanese means subduing evil and manifest good The only way to strengthen good is to wage a battle against evil.
Nichiren Daishonin makes it clear that it is rare and difficult to be born at the same time as such a Buddha. When such a teacher exists, he implores us to seek him out and make him our mentor. He asked us to open our eyes to the votary of the Lotus Sutra who battles fundamental darkness and arrogant false sages.
We are indeed fortunate to be born in the same era as SGI President Ikeda who has actualized Nichiren’s prophesy of ‘westward transmission of Buddhism’ to 192 countries. Indeed we are fortunate to be able to strive together with him as our mentor and we as his disciples to refute evil and impart the truth in battling the slanderous Nikken sect.
(Adapted from Flow 461)
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