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| ISBN-13: | 9781946635259 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Middleway Press |
| Publication date: | 11/01/2019 |
| Sold by: | Barnes & Noble |
| Format: | eBook |
| Pages: | 304 |
| File size: | 2 MB |
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CHAPTER 1
"The Drum at the Gate of Thunder"
"It Is the Heart That Is Important"— Continuously Strive To Deepen and Strengthen the Bonds of Mentor and Disciple
Introduction to New Lecture Series
"In adversity, it is necessary to cry out, 'Hope! Hope! And yet again hope!'" — this was the message that the French writer Victor Hugo sent from his place of exile to compatriots suffering under an oppressive regime. No matter how adverse the circumstances, as long as we have hope, we will never be defeated; as long as we have hope, we can keep moving forward.
Nichiren Buddhism is a teaching of hope. It is a great philosophy, affirming that we possess within ourselves the infinite power to surmount all hardships and break through all obstacles. Nichiren Buddhism also teaches the practice by which we can tap this infinite power in our lives, backed by solid examples of actual proof. As such, it is an inspirational teaching that has the power to generate unceasing hope in the hearts of all people.
The writings of Nichiren Daishonin fully elucidate this philosophy of hope as well as its practice and proof. They are a source of illumination that endlessly encourages and inspires. Nichiren composed these hope-filled writings for his followers and for all humankind in the midst of daunting and often life-threatening struggles. My mentor, Josei Toda, the second Soka Gakkai president, once said: "Nichiren, while himself experiencing serious illness and harsh persecution, exhorts us to forge ahead and shape our own destiny right in the midst of such obstacles. We are truly fortunate in this regard. I, too, have learned this from Nichiren, who engaged in a life-and-death struggle to impart his teachings."
Let us strive to read with our lives — that is, to put into practice — even a line or two of Nichiren's writings, which overflow with his spirit. Basing ourselves on his teachings and pursuing study to strengthen our Buddhist practice are traditions of the Soka Gakkai.
As we head toward the 80th anniversary of the Soka Gakkai's founding (in 2010), let us together study one writing each month in this series, focusing mainly on letters sent to individual followers, with the spirit to learn from the towering life-state of the Buddha of the Latter Day of the Law.
For this first lecture, we will study "The Drum at the Gate of Thunder," a letter addressed to the lay nun Sennichi.
* * *
THE PASSAGE FOR STUDY IN THIS LECTURE
Those who make offerings to the Lotus Sutra will receive the same benefit as they would by making offerings to all the Buddhas and bodhisattvas in the ten directions, because all the Buddhas of the ten directions originate from the single character myo. Suppose a lion has a hundred cubs. When the lion king sees its cubs attacked by other beasts or birds of prey, he roars; the hundred cubs will then feel emboldened, and the heads of those other beasts and birds of prey will be split into seven pieces. The Lotus Sutra is like the lion king, who rules over all other animals.
A woman who embraces the lion king of the Lotus Sutra never fears any of the beasts of hell or of the realms of hungry spirits and animals. All the offenses committed by a woman in her lifetime are like dry grass, and the single character myo of the Lotus Sutra is like a small spark. When a small spark is set to a large expanse of grass, not only the grass but also the big trees and large stones will all be consumed. Such is the power of the fire of wisdom in the single character myo. Not only will all offenses vanish, but they will become sources of benefit. This is what changing poison into amrita means. For example, black lacquer will turn white when white powder is added. A woman's offenses are like the lacquer, and the words Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, like the white powder.
When one dies, if one is destined to fall into hell, one's appearance will darken, and one's body will become as heavy as a stone that requires the strength of a thousand men to move. But in the case of a good person, even if she should be a woman seven or eight feet tall and of dark complexion, at the hour of death, her countenance will become pure and white, and her body will be as light as a goose feather and as soft and pliable as cotton.
It is a thousand ri across the sea and mountains from Sado Province to this province [of Kai where Mount Minobu is located]. You, as a woman, have held fast to your faith in the Lotus Sutra; and over the years you have repeatedly sent your husband here to visit me in your place. Surely the Lotus Sutra, Shakyamuni, Many Treasures, and the Buddhas of the ten directions know of your devotion. For example, though the moon is forty thousand yojanas high in the heavens, its reflection appears instantly in a pond on earth; and the sound of the drum at the Gate of Thunder is immediately heard a thousand, ten thousand ri in the distance. Though you remain in Sado, your heart has come to this province.
The way of attaining Buddhahood is just like this. Though we live in the impure land, our hearts reside in the pure land of Eagle Peak. Merely seeing each other's face would in itself be insignificant. It is the heart that is important. Someday let us meet at [the pure land of] Eagle Peak, where Shakyamuni Buddha dwells.(The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, vol. 1, p. 949)
LECTURE
"It is the heart that is important" (WND-1, 949), Nichiren Daishonin declares. The strongest bond in the mentor-disciple relationship in Buddhism is that of the heart. The hearts of mentor and disciple who aspire for the widespread propagation of the Mystic Law can connect instantly, transcending any distance that may lie between them. Just as when the moon appears in the heavens, "its reflection appears instantly in a pond on earth" (WND-1, 949).
This letter "The Drum at the Gate of Thunder" is like a great painting depicting the heart-to-heart exchange between mentor and disciple separated by a vast distance. Nichiren wrote this letter while living on Mount Minobu on October 19, 1278, when he was 57. He addressed it to the lay nun Sennichi, who lived on Sado Island, far away across the mountains and the sea.
Previously, during Nichiren's exile on Sado, the lay nun Sennichi and her husband, Abutsu-bo, converted to his teachings. They were sincere and pure-hearted followers who risked their lives to support and assist him. Even after Nichiren moved to Mount Minobu, this husband and wife played a leading role in efforts to propagate the Mystic Law on Sado, striving to fulfill the noble mission that Nichiren had entrusted to them. Furthermore, during a period of several years until his death, Abutsu-bo, despite his advanced age, made the long, perilous journey from Sado to visit Nichiren at least three times.
In summer 1278, a few months before this letter was written, Abutsubo had once again journeyed to Mount Minobu, motivated to seek out and support his mentor, Nichiren. Later that same year, as winter approached, Nichiren received offerings from the lay nun Sennichi. In this letter, which he composed to thank her for them, Nichiren also praises her unwavering sincerity in having sent Abutsu-bo to visit him almost every year. He encourages the lay nun wholeheartedly, saying to the effect: "Since you are a woman who embraces the lion king of sutras, there is nothing whatsoever that you need to fear. Shakyamuni, Many Treasures, and the Buddhas of the ten directions and three existences surely know of your devotion."
This letter resounds with the wondrous spirit of the unity of mentor and disciple; it reflects the faith of the disciple who sincerely seeks the mentor and the compassion of the mentor who strives to deeply encourage the disciple.
* * *
Those who make offerings to the Lotus Sutra will receive the same benefit as they would by making offerings to all the Buddhas and bodhisattvas in the ten directions, because all the Buddhas of the ten directions originate from the single character myo. Suppose a lion has a hundred cubs. When the lion king sees its cubs attacked by other beasts or birds of prey, he roars; the hundred cubs will then feel emboldened, and the heads of those other beasts and birds of prey will be split into seven pieces. The Lotus Sutra is like the lion king, who rules over all other animals.
A woman who embraces the lion king of the Lotus Sutra never fears any of the beasts of hell or of the realms of hungry spirits and animals. (WND-1, 949)
BOUNDLESS BENEFIT RESIDES IN MAKING OFFERINGS TO THE LOTUS SUTRA
The benefit of making offerings to the Lotus Sutra is boundless. Through that benefit, we can triumph over any obstacle and devilish function. And nothing is stronger than a person whose life is instilled with this confidence.
The Lotus Sutra — epitomized by the single character myo — is the source of the enlightenment of all Buddhas of the ten directions and three existences. The sutras teach that countless Buddhas have appeared in the universe from the infinite past and will continue to do so into the infinite future. The Lotus Sutra is the teacher by which all Buddhas attain enlightenment (see WND-1, 948). Therefore, making offerings to the Lotus Sutra is equivalent to making offerings to all Buddhas throughout time and space, and the benefit that derives from doing so is immeasurable.
In the first part of this writing, Nichiren Daishonin cites the names of each of the Buddhas of the ten directions who are described in the sutras. He also explains that the Buddhas of the three existences — that is, of past, present and future — are depicted in a sutra as "the thousand Buddhas of the past Glorious Kalpa, the thousand Buddhas of the present Wise Kalpa, and the thousand Buddhas of the future Constellation Kalpa" (WND-1, 948). In this way, he describes the existence of myriad Buddhas and bodhisattvas over the vast expanse of time and space that is expressed as "the ten directions and three existences." Why does Nichiren here present such a grand and magnificent view of the universe?
In terms of the worldview of the day, the letter's recipient, the lay nun Sennichi, was an elderly woman of no particular distinction living on a remote northerly island of Japan, which was itself a tiny, isolated archipelago. But in terms of faith, her spirit to steadfastly support and assist Nichiren, leader of the widespread propagation of the Mystic Law, was admirable beyond compare and shone with sublime nobility. By describing the existence of countless Buddhas in the universe, Nichiren no doubt seeks to highlight her good fortune and benefit, which are as vast as the universe. He is saying to the effect: "To make offerings to the Lotus Sutra is to make offerings to all Buddhas and bodhisattvas of the ten directions. Therefore, they are all sure to protect you. You will absolutely never become deadlocked. You need not worry about anything. You can serenely savor a state of life as eternal and vast as the universe."
THE BENEFIT INHERENT IN THE CHARACTER MYO: THE THREE MEANINGS OF MYO
Nichiren Daishonin states that this is so "because all the Buddhas of the ten directions originate from the single character myo" (WND-1, 949). The "single character myo" refers to the myo of myoho, the Mystic Law or Wonderful Law, and the myo of Myoho-renge-kyo, the title of the Lotus Sutra.
While various principles are expounded in the 28-chapter Lotus Sutra, in the final analysis, these are all for the purpose of expressing, teaching and transmitting the mystic principle of myo. One who fully understands and embodies this mystic principle becomes a Buddha. The Lotus Sutra is thus the teacher of all Buddhas. And it is in order to enable all people of the evil age of the Latter Day of the Law to awaken to the power of myo that Nichiren revealed and propagated Nam-myoho-renge-kyo of the Three Great Secret Laws — the teaching implicit in the depths of the Lotus Sutra.
In his writing "The Daimoku of the Lotus Sutra," Nichiren explains that myo has three meanings: "to open," "to be fully endowed" and "to revive." Let us now look at each of these:
(1) "The character myo means to open" (WND-1, 145). This means that the Lotus Sutra is the key that opens the storehouses of all the sutras preached by the Buddha, making it possible for the treasures that lie within those sutras to be utilized.
(2) "Myo means to be fully endowed, which in turn has the meaning of 'perfect and full'" (WND-1, 146). This means that just as all treasures emerge from a wish-granting jewel as small as a mustard seed, and just as all plants and flowers bloom due to the light of the sun, so each single character of the Lotus Sutra contains all teachings and benefits within it.
(3) "Myo means to revive, that is, to return to life" (WND-1, 149). This means that the Lotus Sutra can impart fresh life and hope to all people — even those who had been deemed incapable of attaining enlightenment in the pre-Lotus Sutra teachings — and enable them to attain Buddhahood without fail.
The Mystic Law is the fundamental and perfect Law that encompasses all phenomena (the principle of "full endowment") and has the power to open or bring out the inherent value of all things (the principle of "opening"). As such, it also has the power to revitalize and invigorate even those facing the most adverse and intractable circumstances and enable them to attain Buddhahood (the principle of "reviving").
By chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo and teaching others to do the same, we can concretely manifest the power of "the single character myo" in our own lives. That is the wonderful benefit of Nichiren Buddhism. We carry out our Buddhist practice in order to profoundly engrave "the single character myo" in our lives and to master its meaning through experience. This is also the point of our activities for kosen-rufu.
President Toda composed the following poem:
Now the time has arrived for the widespread propagation of the correct teaching, we stake our lives on the single character myo.
When we strive to further kosen-rufu without begrudging our lives, we can fully receive the benefit of "the single character myo" in every facet of our beings.
THE BENEFIT OF WOMEN WHO EMBRACE THE LION KING OF SUTRAS
In this relatively short letter, Nichiren begins quite a few sentences with words like for example, suppose and to illustrate to clarify his meaning. We can interpret this as reflecting his deep compassion to explain the principles of Buddhism in the most easily accessible and readily understandable form for his recipient.
In the analogy that begins "Suppose a lion has a hundred cubs," he clarifies how the limitless benefits of making offerings to the Lotus Sutra actually manifest in our lives. Here, the Lotus Sutra, endowed with the infinite power of "the single character myo," is likened to a lion king, while those who embrace and make offerings to the Lotus Sutra are likened to lion cubs. In contrast, those who reside in the unfortunate states of hell, hunger and animality — the lower three of the Ten Worlds — are likened to "beasts or birds of prey." When the lion king roars, no matter what beasts or birds of prey may threaten, the hundred lion cubs are filled with courage and can defeat them. In the same way, individuals who make offerings to the Lotus Sutra can acquire the immeasurable power of "the single character myo" and win over those in negative life-states such as hell, hunger and animality.
(Continues…)
Excerpted from "The Hope-Filled Teachings of Nichiren Daishonin"
by .
Copyright © 2009 Soka Gakkai.
Excerpted by permission of World Tribune Press.
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Table of Contents
Editor's Note,
(1) "The Drum at the Gate of Thunder" — "It Is the Heart That Is Important" — Continuously Strive To Deepen and Strengthen the Bonds of Mentor and Disciple,
(2) "On Prolonging One's Life Span" — Faith for Leading a Long and Healthy Life,
(3) "Reply to Sairen-bo" — Striving With a Shared Commitment for Kosen-rufu — The Eternal Bonds of Mentor and Disciple,
(4) "Hell Is the Land of Tranquil Light" — A Buddha in Both Life and Death — Attaining Buddhahood in One's Present Form Means Savoring Joy in Both Life and Death,
(5) "On the Buddha's Prophecy" — Worldwide Kosen-rufu — A Towering Declaration on Sado Island for the Happiness of All Humankind,
(6) "Winter Always Turns to Spring" — Bringing Forth the Great Power of Faith — The Inspirational Force of Nichiren Daishonin's Towering Conviction,
(7) "The Dragon Gate" — "My Wish Is That All My Disciples Make a Great Vow" — Carrying On the Great Vow for the Happiness of All Humanity,
(8) "The Strategy of the Lotus Sutra" — Faith for Absolute Victory — The Legacy Passed From Mentor to Disciple,
(9) "Lessening One's Karmic Retribution" — Action Is the Soul of Genuine Practitioners of Nichiren Buddhism — Transforming One's Destiny and Helping Others Do the Same,
(10) "Letter to Misawa" — Vanquishing the Devil King With Intrepid Faith — Inheriting Nichiren Daishonin's Self-reliant Courage,
(11) "The Essentials for Attaining Buddhahood" — The Great Path of Mentor and Disciple — Working Together for Kosen-rufu To Enrich Humanity With the Wisdom of the Mystic Law,
(12) "Many in Body, One in Mind"—"The Spirit of Many in Body, One in Mind" Is the Path to Victory,
(13) "On Repaying Debts of Gratitude" — Kosen-rufu: A Great River Enriching Humanity Eternally — Our Victory as Disciples Is the Greatest Way To Repay Our Gratitude to Our Mentor,
(14) "Letter to Jakunichi-bo"—The Shared Struggle of Mentor and Disciple — Leading a Profound and Hope-filled Life of Mission, Illuminating the Darkness With the Great Light of Buddhism,
(15) "A Warning against Begrudging One's Fief" — Dauntless Confidence and Conviction: The Invincible Path of Mentor and Disciple,