Preparing for the March / April 2001 Gosho Study

Letter to Niike

       The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, Pg. 1027

			Living Buddhism,  March 2001,  Pages 10-16

		Possible supplemental resources:

Page  2	About Study #13

Page  4		1.  Life and Death

Page  9		2.  Sustaining Faith

Page 16		3.  Benefit of Offerings to the Three Treasures

Page 20		4.  Defeating Evil in Our Lives

San Francisco Research Group notes:  

Thanks to these contributors: 	Jim Johannsen 	Karen Henderson
Grace Christianson	   Chisato Arai	Barbara Howe	Ricki Jo Kaufman

As always, comments, disagreements, suggestions and help are welcome.  E-mail Markive@aol.com
Mark Willwerth,  East Bay Region Study Dept. Leader for the members of the SF Research Group

	Abbreviations that may have been used in this packet:
	WND	The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin
	MW	The Major Writings of Nichiren Daishonin		GZ	Gosho Zenshu
	LS		The Lotus Sutra:  translated by Burton Watson		FiA	Faith into Action
	LG		Learning From the Gosho:  The Eternal Teachings of Nichiren Daishonin

Translation updates we may have made (indicated with an asterisk or [brackets]):  Mentor for master, SGI-USA for NSA, Nichiren Daishonin’s Buddhism or SGI for Nichiren Shoshu,  Bodhisattvas of the Earth for followers of the Bodhisattvas of the Earth.  WND references have been added for Gosho that were quoted in speeches.  The Major Writings references have been included if possible.

About Study #13
Trailblazing
In the Gosho, the Daishonin writes, ‘become the master of your mind rather than let your mind master you.’ (WND, 502 [MW-1, 146]).  It’s vital not to be defeated by your own weakness — to not let your weakness become your master.  At such times, you should go back to the Gosho.  The Gosho is the true master of the heart.  For this reason, studying Nichiren Daishonin’s Buddhism is very important.
	The New Human Revolution, Vol. 5, P. 63

Building a Society Serving the Essential Needs of Education, September 29. 2000
Hence, as I consider education in the twenty-first century, I would like to assert that what is most urgently needed is a paradigm shift from looking at “education for society’s sake” to building “a society serving the essential needs of education.”
	In formulating the conceptual paradigm of “a society serving the essential needs of education,” I was inspired by Professor Robert Thurman of Columbia University.  Each time I have had the chance to meet him, I have been impressed by the depth of his vision.  In an interview with the Boston Research Center (BRC[http://www.brc21.org/index.htm]), he was asked how he viewed the role of education in society.  He replied, “I think the question should rather be: What is the role of society in education?  Because in my view education is the purpose of human life.” 
	This is indeed a penetrating insight.  Professor Thurman says that this view is largely due to influences from the teachings of Shakyamuni, whom he considers one of humanity’s first teachers.  This resonates with Kant’s ethical philosophy, which insists that we respect the autonomy of others and that humans must never be used as a means to an end. 
	Learning is the very purpose of human life, the primary factor in the development of personality, that which makes human beings truly human.
	Living Buddhism, February 2001, pp. 14-15

Building a Society Serving the Essential Needs of Education, September 29, 2000
In the face of this tendency, we need to return to the core issue of human values.  I believe we need to redefine the crucial concept “development of personality.” 
	People have come to take this phrase, described as the purpose of education in the Fundamental Law of Education, for granted.  But this is a universal goal that we must strive to realize and implement.  It is a fundamental concept, and it can never be reemphasized enough as the key to educational reform.
	For this purpose, let us experiment by replacing the phrase “development of personality” with the word “happiness.”  The first president of the Soka Gakkai, Tsunesaburo Makiguchi, who was an outstanding educator, never ceased to stress that the purpose of education is ensuring children’s happiness.  Makiguchi’s pedagogy is gradually gaining international recognition today, but it was originally conceived under the prewar militarist regime in Japan, which mobilized every educational institution to foster obedient imperial subjects.  It was against this process that Makiguchi protested, asserting that education’s true aim should be the lifelong well-being of children and critiquing the Imperial Rescript on Education as providing nothing more than a “minimum set of moral standards.”
	In other words, he was a farsighted individual who, during a period of fanatical militarism, held fast to his belief that society should serve the authentic needs of humanistic education and that education must never be sacrificed to nationalist goals. 
	Happiness, however, must not be confused with mere pleasure.  Mistaking momentary pleasure for a life of genuine satisfaction and happiness exemplifies the skewing of values that in my opinion has been at the root of the distortions of postwar Japanese society.  This mistaken attitude results in liberty yielding to indulgence and self-seeking, peace yielding to cowardice and indolence, human rights to complacency, and democracy to mobocracy.
	Consequently, development of personality ceases, and we are left with immature and arrogant individuals, unable to grow out of their childish ways and never listening to others, described by José Ortega y Gasset.
	The experience of a truly human life — genuine happiness — can only be realized in the bonds and interactions between people.  Herein lies the essence of the Buddhist perspective on human life and happiness.  Enmity, contradiction and discord may seem to be an unavoidable aspect of relations between humans and our relations with nature and the universe.  But it is through the process of persevering in spite of this and transforming these conflicts, restoring and rejuvenating the bonds between us, that we are able to forge and polish our individuality and character.
	If these bonds are severed, the human spirit can only roam aimlessly in the pitch darkness of solitude.  In psychological terms this might be referred to as a “communication disorder,” a pathology of modern society due to a weakening of the bonds between people.  Antisocial behavior and the increasing viciousness of juvenile crimes are acute manifestations of this social pathology.  There is an ongoing debate in Japan about amending the juvenile law, but changing the law will not of itself lead to a solution of the problem.  It is the responsibility of adults to patiently restore the ability to communicate by listening to the voices of isolated children calling out for help from the darkness. 
	There is a famous episode about Socrates in which his influence on youth is described as being like an electric ray that stings those who touch it.  He explains that he can electrify others because he is electrified himself.  Similarly, a teacher must be constantly creative if he is to evoke creativity in his students.  This is an essential quality in an educator.
	What is most important is the attitude of the teachers themselves.  Human interaction is the key. 
	Living Buddhism, February 2001, pg. 16

Building a Society Serving the Essential Needs of Education, September 29, 2000
The youth division of SGI-USA has been engaged in “Victory Over Violence (VOV),” a movement to educate people about nonviolence, since 1999.  This movement is conducted through promoting dialogue to disseminate the spirit of nonviolence.  The overarching goal is to transform the tendency to downplay the sanctity of life that became deeply rooted in the minds of our children during the twentieth century, the century of war and violence.  The VOV movement is developing broadly in U.S. society and receiving support from many human rights organizations, schools and other educational institutions.  Above all, it has become a tremendous source of hope and courage for young people who have suffered the effects of violence.
	Like the U.S.A., Japan also needs to address this tendency to devalue life.  Sensational coverage of tragic incidents, pointing at the darkness in children’s hearts, will never do anything to solve the problem.  It is society’s values that have become inverted.  As adults, we must speak out and take action.  The Soka Gakkai has consistently emphasized the promotion of peace education on the grassroots level.  In line with the UN international decade, I call upon the Soka Gakkai youth division and the education division to play central and active roles in raising awareness of the culture of peace and nonviolence in Japanese society.
	I believe that through such engagement we can strive to construct a value-creating society and live truly non-egoistic lives grounded in mutual respect.
	Education separated from society can have no vital force; likewise, there is no future for a society that has lost sight of the fact that education is its true mission.  Education is not a mere right or obligation.  I believe that education in the broadest sense is the mission of every individual.  To awaken this awareness throughout society must be the highest priority in all our endeavors.
	Finally, I would like to conclude by pledging that I will devote all my energy to creating a century in which children’s lives will shine with happiness and the magnificent promise of education will finally be fulfilled.
	Living Buddhism, February 2001, pp. 19-20
1	Life and Death

If you truly fear the sufferings of birth and death and yearn for nirvana, if you carry out your faith and thirst for the way, then the sufferings of change and impermanence will become no more than yesterday’s dream, and the awakening of enlightenment will become today’s reality.
	Conversation between a Sage and an Unenlightened Man (2), WND, 130
	Written in 1265 from Awa — recipient unknown

Myo represents death, and ho, life.  Living beings that pass through the two phases of life and death are the entities of the Ten Worlds, or the entities of Myoho-renge-kyo.
	The Heritage of the Ultimate Law of Life, WND, 216
	Written to Sairen-bo Nichijo on February 11, 1272 from Tsukahara on Sado

“The sufferings of birth and death are nirvana” exists only in realizing that the entity of life throughout its cycle of birth and death is neither born nor destroyed.
	Earthly Desires Are Enlightenment, WND, 318
	Written to Shijo Kingo on May 2, 1272 from Ichinosawa on Sado

When he was alive, he was a Buddha in life, and now he is a Buddha in death.  He is a Buddha in both life and death.  This is what is meant by that most important doctrine called attaining Buddhahood in one’s present form.
	Hell is the Land of Tranquil Light, WND, 456
	Written to Ueno-ama Gozen on July 11, 1274 from Minobu

In the end, no one can escape death.  The sufferings at that time will be exactly like what we are experiencing now.  Since death is the same in either case, you should be willing to offer your life for the Lotus Sutra.  This of this offering as a drop of dew rejoining the ocean, or a speck of dust returning to the earth.
	The Dragon Gate, WND, 1003
	Written to Nanjo Tokimitsu on November 6, 1279 from Minobu

The Enduring Self, University of California at Los Angeles, April 1, 1974
According to the Buddhist Law, since life itself is eternal and universal, life and death are merely two aspects of the same thing.  Neither is in any way subordinate to the other.  There is a Japanese term, ku that helps us to understand the ultimate, eternal life governing individual living and dying.  Ku transcends the concept of space and time, for it signifies limitless potential; it is the essence from which all things are made manifest and to which all things return.  Being everlasting and all pervasive, it surpasses the space-time framework.  In our many discussions of eternity, Toynbee said that he felt in the idea of ku an approximation of what he calls the ultimate spiritual reality.
	It is impossible to do justice to the nature of ku in so short a time, but I should like to make a few points.  First of all, ku is not nonexistence.  In fact, it is neither existence nor nonexistence.  These two terms represent human interpretations of reality based on the space-time axes by which we ordinarily gauge our experiences and environments.  Ku is more profound, more essential; it is a fundamental reality.  Its nature may be illustrated by reference to the universal experiences of human development.  The psychological and physical changes which take place as the individual grows from infancy to maturity are so great that the entire person seems to be transformed.  Yet throughout this process, there is a self that unites mind and body, and remains relatively constant.  We are not always aware of this self, which is manifested on both the physical and the mental planes, but it is the fundamental reality that lies beyond the realm of existence and nonexistence.
	According to Buddhist philosophy, this enduring self is directly connected with the great web of cosmic life, and so it is capable of operating eternally — now in the life phase and now in the death phase.  This is why Buddhism interprets life and death as one.  Since the lesser self is included in the greater self, each of us partakes of immutable cosmic life while living in the world of transience and change.
	A New Humanism, pp. 124-5

The Ultimate Teaching Affirmed by All Buddhas of Past, Present and Future
To conceive of life and death as separate realities is to be caught in the illusion of birth and death.  It is deluded and inverted thinking.  When we examine the nature of life with perfect enlightenment [the true enlightenment of one awakened from the dream of illusions], we find that there is no beginning marking birth and, therefore, no end signifying death.  Doesn’t life as thus conceived already transcend birth and death?
	Learning from the Gosho, pg. 178, October 1279

President Ikeda’s Lecture on Heritage of the Ultimate Law of Life
Myo represents death, and ho represents life.  Life and death are the two phases passed through by the entities of the Ten Worlds, the entities of all sentient beings which embody the law of cause and effect (renge).

Nichiren Daishonin next reveals that the ultimate entity of life in all sentient beings — in all people — is also shoji ichidaji kechimyaku, or Myoho-renge-kyo.  “Myo represents death, and ho represents life” is another way to say that the law of life and death is in itself myoho, the Mystic Law.  The two phases of life and death, which are manifested in the ultimate entity of life, are together the Mystic Law.  The law does not exist outside the realities of living and dying; our life itself is the Mystic Law.  Then again, our lives in their repetition of the cycle of birth and death are also the entities of the Ten Worlds.  Earlier I explained how birth and death occur in a moment of life by referring to the Ten Worlds.  They do not mean types of environments or surrounding situations; the Ten Worlds are to be found in the life of everyone — in its rise and fall, ebb and flow.
	Some people are harassed by bill collectors.  Some students go through agony as they cram for examinations.  There are many more examples of life in the state of Hell, but basically the tortures of Hell always come back to the question of life and death.  The intense desire to live on and the desperate attempt to escape death give rise to the anguish and agonies of Hell, which are, then, nothing but the results of such desires.  The state of Hunger revolves around greed, and so that, too, is related to life and death.  In this way everyday life, in its depths, always involves life and death.  Patients groan with and fear the pain of illness because they do not want to die.  Some seek fame and status; others set their minds on learning.  All derive from their attitudes toward life.
	As long as we take the occurrences of every day lightly, we will not understand life’s true meaning.  Joy, anger, sorrow and pleasure may seem trivial, but they are ultimately related to the question of life and death.  Because we are human, we may consciously or unconsciously evade relating our feelings and activities to life and death, but in the depths of the changing phenomena of the Ten Worlds, this problem of life and death is the most serious question of all.  Only when we squarely confront it, recognize it and reflect our recognition in the way we live, can we improve the state of our life.  The human revolution is the process of transition from the six paths to the four noble worlds, from the two vehicles (Learning and Realization) to Bodhisattva to Buddhahood.  It is a revolution that can only take place when we seek the ultimate law and root our attitude toward life and death firmly within it.
	Let us next consider why the Daishonin says, “Myo represents death, and ho represents life.”  It is impossible to imagine anything about the state of death.  Where does it exist, and how?  Even if told that it continues to exist as part of universal life, we remain unconvinced.  Death, therefore, is myo, a mystic phenomenon.  In contrast to death, manifest life appears in many ways, shapes and forms.  Like a law, it manifests one or another of the Ten Worlds in accordance with the workings of the Ten Factors of Life.  When you do not eat for a long time, you crave food — the state of Hunger.  When ridiculed, you are upset or angry — the world of Anger.  This is the natural law of life.  Life, therefore, is ho, or law.
	The Chinese character for ho consists of the ideographs for “water” and “passing away” combined.  Together they mean “flow of water.”  Water represents the even, eternal and impartial, that which pervades the universe.  “Passing away” symbolizes the flow of time from the infinite past to the infinite future.  In some ancient literature we read that the radical “passing away” also indicates “an existence that banishes evils.”  All streams, be they rapids rushing down mountainsides or large rivers meandering through plains, flow on and on, never stopping, until they finally empty their waters into the ocean.  The Buddhist sees the rise and fall of all phenomena, sometimes manifest and at other times latent, in terms of causality.  He observes law within the movements of everything, not in a still, abstract form.  It is probably for this reason that Buddhism regards the flow of water as symbolic of law.  Buddhist law exists in the realities of everyday life, in the actual feelings of being alive.  Hence shoho (literally, all laws) of shoho jisso is translated as “all phenomena.”
	Selected Lectures on the Gosho, Vol. 1, pp. 111-13

The Eternal Law:  the Source of Eternal Happiness, Okinawa, Japan, February 18, 1988
Life is eternal.  The universe, as well, is eternal and limitless.  Life and the universe are one and inseparable.  At one with the great universe, life simply repeats the phases of birth and death endlessly.  This true nature of life is clarified in the Lotus Sutra, and particularly in Nichiren Daishonin’s teachings-the Lotus Sutra of the Latter Day of the Law.  Emerging from and returning to the great universe-this is life’s magnificent drama of birth and death.
	The entire Lotus Sutra itself is an elucidation of the two laws of life and death.  As you know, the first of the twenty-eight chapters of the Lotus Sutra is the Jo (Introduction) chapter, which begins with the phrase nyoze gamon, or “thus I heard.”  The last of the Lotus Sutra is the Fugen (Encouragements of Bodhisattva Fugen) chapter, which ends with the phrase sarai niko, or “they bowed in obeisance and departed.”  The Lotus Sutra begins with the character nyo, or “thus,” and ends with the character ko, or to “depart.”
	Regarding this, the Daishonin states in the “Ongi kuden”:
“The two characters nyo and ko represent the two laws of birth and death.”
	Nyo signifies birth, and ko, death.  Then the Daishonin states, “Nyo signifies to compress the entire universe into one mind, and ko indicates to expand one mind into the universe.”  The universe is condensed to form a single entity of life, which means birth.  Nyo signifies “thus,” “equally” or “as it is.”  This indicates that a single entity of life is endowed impartially with all laws and principles in precisely the same way as the universe itself.
	On the other hand, death means that a single entity of life expands to pervade and merge with the universe.  An individual entity of life brings its activities to a temporary end and departs.  Then, it becomes fused with the universe in a state of non-substantiality, as described in the above passage:  “ko (depart) indicates to expand one mind into the universe.”
	The Daishonin also states, “Ko means to open, and nyo means to combine.”  Birth occurs when the universe is compressed into an individual “self,” and all laws are combined into a single entity of life.  Death is the “opening,” or merging, of this entity of life back into the universe.  These two phases of birth and death are inherent in the ultimate reality of life.
	The Lotus Sutra clarifies this true aspect of life, in which the cycle of birth and death is repeated eternally from the point of view of its connection with the universe.  The sutra’s view of life and the universe and its philosophy of life and death, are astonishingly profound and startlingly vivid.
	Buddhism in Action, Vol. VII, pp. 134-5

The Ultimate Teaching Affirmed by All Buddhas of Past, Present, and Future
No view of the nature of existence can offer direct proof of what happens after death.  It seems, therefore, that rather than trying to compare the relative merits of different views, it is far more fruitful to ask how a particular view influences people’s lives in the present whether it makes them strong or weak, happy or miserable.
	Buddhism teaches that life is eternal.  It encourages us to use this existence to thoroughly polish the eternal entity of our lives.  Eternal happiness, it explains, lies precisely in making such efforts.
	With the view that life continues eternally over past, present and future, accomplishing human revolution becomes the ultimate purpose.  When we polish and revolutionize our lives, then life is joyful and death is joyful, too.  We will also experience happiness in our future lives.  What else can we call eternal?
	Learning From the Gosho, P. 180

Pioneer the Ultimate Frontier of Life and Death, Santa Monica, Ca.  September 29, 1991
No matter how much wealth, authority or fame a person may possess, the problem of life and death is a fundamental issue that absolutely no one can avoid.  Still, at no time in history have people been able to arrive at a solution to this problem of life and death….

All of you who embrace faith in, practice and study the Buddhist law are great pioneers who are challenging this ultimate frontier or life and death.
	My Dear Friends in America: Collected U.S. Addresses 1990-1996, pg. 156

Part 1 — Life:  Death
To die happily is extremely difficult.  And since death is the final settlement of accounts for one’s life, that is when our true self comes to the fore.  We practice faith to live happily and to die happily.  One who has faith in the Mystic Law will not die unhappily.  (9/26/96)
	Faith into Action, pg. 23

Part 1 — Life:  Death
The state of mind with which we meet death will greatly influence the course of our lives over eternity.  If one is unconcerned by how one dies, or if one dismisses any connection between this existence and the next, then there probably isn’t any need to practice the Daishonin’s Buddhism.  But the truth is that life is eternal; that our existence continues even after we die.  Moreover, during the latent stage of death before rebirth, we cannot change the essence of our lives; we cannot carry out a Buddhist practice.  Only while we are alive as human beings can we practice Buddhism.  (3/24/97)
	Faith into Action, pg. 23-24

Pioneer the Ultimate Frontier of Life and Death, Santa Monica, Ca.  September 29, 1991
It is not true that because we practice faith in the Mystic Law our lives will be free of worries.  And of course, it is certain that we will eventually die.  Nevertheless, through our minds of faith, we can illuminate our lives with the brilliant light of wisdom and the flame of happiness shining forth from the depths of our lives.   

For this reason, no matter what happens, as long as you embrace faith you will never be deadlocked; you have nothing to fear.  Turning everything into a source of energy to advance still further, you can continue vigorously climbing the hill of growth and hope in life.  By challenging your circumstances with composure in this fashion, you can perfectly establish a vast and eternally unshakable inner state as if you were kings and queens of life.

Writing about Nanjo Tokimitsu’s father, Nichiren Daishonin writes:  “when he was alive, he was a Buddha in life, and now he is a Buddha in death.  He is a Buddha in both life and death.”  (WND, 456)  This also applies to the great seniors in faith whom you yourselves have known.  In life, great good fortune, and in death, great satisfaction — in fact, a single person can enact an infinitely respectable drama of life and death in this world.  I hope that you will continue making tenacious efforts based on the three pillars of faith, practice and study, all the while cherishing lofty pride in being philosophers who embrace the great Buddhist Law.  
	My Dear Friends in America: Collected U.S. Addresses 1990-1996, pg. 157

5  “Three Meetings in Two Places”:  Exchange Between Eternity and the Present Moment
Ikeda:  I think we can also say that the three assemblies in two places also expresses the oneness of life and death.

Endo:  Yes.  The Daishonin goes to say, “the passage ‘all the members of the great assembly are in the air’ refers to ourselves in death” (GZ, 742).  Consequently, if the Ceremony in the Air represents death, then Eagle Peak represents life.
	The three assemblies in two places thus also represents the dynamic movement from life to death and to life again.  It reveals the true aspect of life and death as one inseparable phenomena.

Ikeda:  That’s true.  I think we can so discuss this from the perspective of the Daishonin’s works in “The Heritage of the Ultimate Law of Life”:  The ultimate law of life and death as transmitted from the Buddha to all living beings is Myoho-renge-kyo….  Myo represents death, and ho, life’ (WND, 216)…  

Ikeda:  Life and death are indeed the most fundamental issues we face.  In a sense, the Lotus Sutra itself elucidates the two phases of life and death.  The introduction chapter begins with the word this of the expression “This is what I heard” (LS1, 3), and the last word departed — “they bowed in obeisance and departed” (LS28, 324).  Based on this, the Daishonin says” the two characters of nyo (this) and ko (departed) represent the two phases of life and death (GZ, 782).  
	Wisdom of the Lotus Sutra, Vol. 1, pg. 105-106

Part 1 — Life:  Death
Death is a certainty.  Therefore, it’s not whether our lives are long or short but whether, while alive, we form a connection with the Mystic Law — the eternal elixir for all life’s ills.  That, in retrospect, determines whether we have led the best possible lives.  (LG, pg. 171)  
	Faith into Action, pg. 21

Part IV — Our Treasured Organization:  Religious Reformation
The original teaching of Buddhism is that our actions during our lifetimes are what fundamentally determine our fates after death.  There are, of course, memorial services for the deceased in Buddhism.  But here again, it is sincere prayers made by a person who upholds faith in the True Law that are communicated and extend benefits to the life-entity of the deceased.  It is not the ceremony itself that is important.  It is sending waves of love and good wishes from the heart of one who believes in the Mystic Law to the heart of another that is important.  (Dialogue 2, 1994)  
	Faith into Action, pg. 243-4

Dialogue on the Lotus Sutra #35 
Ikeda:  The second Soka Gakkai president, Josei Toda, would often say that upon death our lives fuse with the universe.  It’s not a matter of there being a soul; rather, our life, as an entity of the oneness of body and mind, returns to the universe.  The universe itself is one great living entity.  It is a vast ocean of life.  It nurtures all things, gives all things life and enables them to function.  When things die, they return again to its embrace and receive new vitality.  There is a boundless and overflowing ocean of life, which is always in motion.  As it moves and changes, it enacts the rhythm of life and death.  Our individual lives are like waves produced from the great ocean that is the universe; the emergence of a wave is “life,” and its abatement is “death.”  This rhythm repeats eternally.  This is not only true of the lives of people.  Nichiren Daishonin says, “No phenomena — heaven or earth, Yin or Yang, the sun or the moon, the five planets, or any life-condition from Hell to Buddhahood — are free from birth and death” (The Major Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, vol. 1, pp. 21-22).  “Heaven or earth, Yin or Yang, the sun or the moon, the five planets” refers to the realm of celestial bodies.  Stars also experience birth and death.  They have a life span.  The Milky Way was born and it, too, will die; its life is limited.  The laws of birth and death dictate this.  The same holds true in the realm of the microscopic.  Each of the Ten Worlds from Hell to Buddhahood, in all phenomena, experiences birth and death.  For example, the state of Hell may manifest in life at one time, and in death at another.  The Daishonin writes to his follower Nanjo Tokimitsu about his late father, “While he was in this world, he was a living Buddha, and now, he is a Buddha in death.  His Buddhahood transcends both life and death” (MW-2 [2nd ed.], 207), indicating that the effect of Buddhahood he had attained in his life would continue even after death.  All things in the universe weave an eternal rhythm of life and death.  What, then, is the state after death in which one fuses with the universe like?  Let’s try to investigate this further.  Why don’t we first consider the moment of death, which is the transition from life to death?  
	Living Buddhism, February 1999, pg. 29-30

7  Teachers of the Law Live Among the People
Death and rebirth are like going to sleep one day and waking up the next morning.  
	The Wisdom of the Lotus Sutra, Vol. II, pg. 208

2	Sustaining Faith

A mind now clouded by the illusions of the innate darkness, of life is like a tarnished mirror, but when polished, it is sure to become like a clear mirror, reflecting the essential nature of phenomena and the true aspect of reality.  Arouse deep faith, and diligently polish your mirror day and night.  How should you polish it?  Only by chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo.
	On Attaining Buddhahood in This Lifetime, WND, 4
	Written to Toki Jonin in 1255 from Kamakura

It is the way of ordinary people that, even though they spur themselves on to arouse the aspiration for enlightenment and wish for happiness in the next life, they exert themselves no more than one or two out of all the hours of the day, and this only after reminding themselves to do so.  As for myself, I read the Lotus Sutra without having to remember to, and practice it even when I do not read its words aloud. 
	The Four Debts of Gratitude, WND, 43
	Written to Kudo Yoshitaka on January 16, 1262 from Ito on the Izu Peninsula

Now, if you wish to attain Buddhahood, you have only to lower the banner of your arrogance, cast aside the staff of your anger, and devote yourself exclusively to the one vehicle of the Lotus Sutra.  Worldly fame and profit are mere baubles of your present existence, and arrogance and prejudice are ties that will fetter you in the next one.  Ah, you should be ashamed of them!  And you should fear them, too!
	Questions and answers about Embracing the Lotus Sutra, WND, 58-9
	Written in March of 1263 from Kamakura — recipient unknown 

Everywhere other than the Capital of Tranquil Light is a realm of suffering.  Once you leave the haven of inherent enlightenment, what is there to bring you joy?  I pray that you will embrace the mystic law, which guarantees that people “will enjoy peace and security in their present existence and good circumstances in future existences.”  This is the only glory that you need seek in your present lifetime, and is the action that will draw you toward Buddhahood in your next existence.  Single-mindedly chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo and urge others to do the same; that will remain as the only memory of your present life in this human world.
	Questions and answers about Embracing the Lotus Sutra, WND, 64
	Written in March of 1263 from Kamakura — recipient unknown 

The essential thing the Buddhas needed in order to attain the true way or enlightenment is nothing other than the five characters of Myoho-renge-kyo.  It was solely because of these five characters that King Suzudan relinquished his jeweled throne [and attained Buddhahood], and the dragon king’s daughter transformed her reptilian characteristics [into those of a Buddha].  “When we stop to consider it, we find that the sutra itself says, concerning how much or how little of it is to be embraced, that a single verse or phrase is sufficient, and, concerning the length of practice [necessary to reach enlightenment], that one who rejoices even for a moment on hearing it [is certain to become a Buddha].  The eighty thousand teachings in their vast entirety and the many words and phrases of the eight volumes of the Lotus Sutra were all expounded simply in order to reveal these five characters.
	Conversation between a Sage and an Unenlightened Man (2), WND, 130
	Written in 1265 from Awa — recipient unknown

I have outlined my findings in other writings, which I hope you will consult.  And I hope that people who seek the Way will take advantage of the time while they are alive to learn the truth of the matter and pass it on to others.
	The Tripitaka Master Shan-wu-wei, WND, 168
	Written to Joken-bo & Gijo-bo in 1270 from Kamakura

I vowed to summon up a powerful and unconquerable desire for the salvation of all beings and never to falter in my efforts.
	The Opening of the Eyes (1), WND, 240
	Written to Shijo Kingo in February of 1272 from Tsukahara on Sado

Fish want to survive; they deplore their pond’s shallowness and dig holes in the bottom to hide in, yet tricked by bait, they take the hook.  Birds in a tree fear that they are too low and perch in the top branches, yet bewitched by bait, they too are caught in snares.  Human beings are equally vulnerable.  They give their lives for shallow, worldly matters but rarely for the Buddha’s precious teachings.  Small wonder they do not attain Buddhahood.
	Letter from Sado, WND, 301
	Written to Toki Jonin on March 20, 1272 from Tsukahara on Sado

Carry through with your faith in the Lotus Sutra.  You cannot strike fire from flint if you stop halfway.  Bring forth the great power of faith, and be spoken of by all the people of Kamakura, both high and low, or by all the people of Japan as “Shijo Kingo, Shijo Kingo of the Lotus school!”  Even a bad reputation will spread far and wide.  A good reputation will spread even farther, particularly if it is a reputation for devotion to the Lotus Sutra.
	Earthly Desires Are Enlightenment, WND, 319
	Written to Shijo Kingo on May 2, 1272 from Ichinosawa on Sado

The Great Teacher Dengyo says: “Shakyamuni taught that the shallow is easy to embrace, but the profound is difficult.  To discard the shallow and seek the profound is the way of a person of courage.”
	On the Buddha’s Prophecy, WND, 402
	Written to all disciples & lay supporters on May 11, 1273 from Ichinosawa on Sado

Toki, Saburo Zaemon-no-jo, Kawanobe, Acharya Yamato, and the rest of you, gentlemen and priests, should read this letter to one another and listen.  In this defiled age, you should always talk together and never cease to pray for your next life.
	The Votary of the Lotus Sutra Will Meet Persecution, WND, 449
	Written to Toki Jonin on January 14, 1274 from Ichinosawa on Sado

A passage from the Lotus Sutra reads that it is “the most difficult to believe and the most difficult to understand.”  Many hear about and accept this sutra, but when great obstacles arise, just as they were told would happen, few remember it and bear it firmly in mind.  To accept is easy; to continue is difficult.  But Buddhahood lies in continuing faith.  Those who uphold this sutra should be prepared to meet difficulties.  It is certain, however, that they will “quickly attain the unsurpassed Buddha way.”  To “continue” means to cherish Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, the most important principle for all the Buddhas of the three existences.  The sutra reads, “We will protect and uphold what the Buddha has entrusted to us.”  The Great Teacher T’ien-t’ai stated, “One accepts because of one’s power of faith and continues because of one’s power of constant thought.” 
	The Difficulty of Sustaining Faith, WND, 471
	Written to Shijo Kingo on March 6, 1275 from Minobu

I have written out the prose section of the “Expedient Means” chapter for you.  You should recite it together with the verse portion of the “Life Span” chapter, which I sent you earlier.  The characters of this sutra are all without exception living Buddhas of perfect enlightenment.  But because we have the eyes of ordinary people, we see them as characters. 
	Reply to the Lay Priest Soya, WND, 486
	Written to the lay priest Soya in March of 1275 from Minobu

The fact that her prayers have gone unanswered is like a strong bow with a weak bowstring, or a fine sword in the hands of a coward.  It is in no sense the fault of the Lotus Sutra.
	The Royal Palace, WND, 489	     Written to Shijo Kingo on April 12, 1275 from Minobu

Strengthen your resolve more than ever.  Ice is made of water, but it is colder than water.  Blue dye comes from indigo, but when something is repeatedly dyed in it, the color is better than that of the indigo plant.  The Lotus Sutra remains the same, but if you repeatedly strengthen your resolve, your color will be better than that of others, and you will receive more blessings than they do.
	The Supremacy of the Law, WND, 615
	Written to Nichimyo on August 4, 1275 from Minobu

I hope all those who are serious in their resolve will gather in one place and listen to this letter.
	The Problem to Be Pondered Night and Day, WND, 622
	Written to Toki Jonin on Aug. 23, 1275 from Minobu

Even among those who embrace the Lotus Sutra, very few uphold it steadfastly both in mind and in deed.  Few are the practitioners who are able to uphold this sutra.
	The Embankments of Faith, WND, 625	Written to Sennichi on September 3, 1275

You also are a practitioner of the Lotus Sutra, and your faith is like the waxing moon or the rising tide.  Be deeply convinced, then, that your illness cannot possibly persist, and that your life cannot fail to be extended!  Take care of yourself, and do not burden your mind with grief.
	The Bow and Arrow, WND, 656
	Written to the lay nun Toki on March 27, 1276 from Minobu 

Spare no effort in offering up prayers with firm faith.  It is not that my resolve [to save you] is weak.  Rather, it depends on the strength of each person’s faith.
	The Story of Ohashi No Taro, WND, 678
	Written to Nanjo Tokimitsu on March 24, 1276 from Minobu

The reason is that all gods are subjects, and the Lotus Sutra is their lord.  It is against even the code of society to visit one’s lord on the way back from calling on one of his subjects.  Moreover, Utsubusa is a lay nun and should have the Buddha foremost in mind.  Because she made this and other mistakes as well, I refused to see her.  She was not the only one, however.  I refused to see many others who stopped by to visit me on their return from the hot spring resort at Shimobe.
	Letter to Misawa, WND, 896
	Written to Misawa Kojiro on February 23, 1278 from Minobu

Today there are people who have faith in the Lotus Sutra.  The belief of some is like fire while that of others is like water.  When the former listen to the teachings, their passion flares up like fire, but as time goes on, they tend to discard their faith.  To have faith like water means to believe continuously without ever regressing.  Since you visit me constantly, regardless of the difficulties, your belief is comparable to flowing water.  It is worthy of great respect!
	The Two Kinds of Faith, WND, 899
	Written to Nanjo Tokimitsu on February 25, 1278 from Minobu

If you continue living as you are now, there can be no doubt that you will be practicing the Lotus Sutra twenty-four hours a day.  Regard your service to your lord as the practice of the Lotus Sutra.  This is what is meant by “No worldly affairs of life or work are ever contrary to the true reality.”  I hope you will deeply consider the meaning of this passage.
	Reply to a Believer, WND, 905	Written to Shijo Kingo on April 11, 1278 from Minobu

Just as flowers open up and bear fruit, just as the moon appears and invariably grows full, just as a lamp becomes brighter when oil is added, and just as plants and trees flourish with rain, so will human beings never fail to prosper when they make good causes.
	The Third Day of the New Year, WND, 1013
	Written to Nanjo Tokimitsu on January 11, 1280 from Minobu

The sutra states, “If there are those who hear the Law, then not a one will fail to attain Buddhahood.”  This means that, even if one were to point at the earth and miss it, even if the sun and moon should fall to the ground, even if an age should come when the tides cease to ebb and flow, or even if flowers should not turn to fruit in summer, it could never happen that a woman who chants Nam-myoho-renge-kyo would fail to be reunited with her beloved child.  Continue in your devotion to faith and bring this about quickly!
	The Gift of Clear Sake, WND, 1092
	Written on January 13, 1281 to the lay nun Ueno from Minobu

Why Do We Have an Organization?
There’s no need to be impatient.  Faith is a lifelong process, spanning the three existences of past, present and future.  What’s important is to make plenty of friends and work at solidifying those relationships.  Introducing others to Buddhism and striving for kosen-rufu are extensions of the spirit of friendship that wishes to see those that we care about become happy.
	Discussions on Youth, Vol. 2, P. 239

President Ikeda’s Lecture on “The True Entity of Life”
Faith is not something that will someday deepen of itself.  We must progress positively, with confidence, and no matter what obstacle may hinder us, we must resolve to turn it around and use it to advance another step, with the Gohonzon as our pillar.  This requires courage, but if we continue in courageous faith, Shakyamuni, Taho and all the other Buddhas will always protect us.
	Shakyamuni’s protection is the welling up of Buddha nature — the most fundamental change that can occur in our lives.  Taho’s protection appears as a life filled with benefits.  The protection of all the other Buddhas means that all those around us will be awakened to the True Law and will, together with us, build an ideal, harmonious human society where peace, equality and justice are at last attained.
	“Exert yourself in the two ways of practice and study.  Without practice and study, there can be no Buddhism.”  I hope you have memorized this and all the sentences that follow.  I have talked about “practice and study” as stressed in this Gosho on many occasions, so here I will go into the teaching, “Without practice and study, there can be no Buddhism.”  Buddhism exists in practice and study, in the efforts of living people who practice and study it.  Buddhism is not contained in sutras, books or the characters with which they are written.  Nor is it found in the temples or other buildings.  Buddhism exists and manifests itself only in the life of each person who studies the Gosho and practices his faith strictly according to the Daishonin’s teachings.  The Soka Gakkai is carrying out a global movement to propagate Buddhism.  Its members remain in close contact with each other and concentrate upon developing the faith of others as well as their own.  Remember that the true stream of Buddhism only lives and breathes in the association and mutual encouragement of us believers.
	“You must not only persevere yourself; you must also teach others.”  This is the principle of jigyo and keta:  to practice Buddhism for ourselves and also teach it to other people.  We must become happy ourselves, and at the same time make others happy.
	“Both practice and study arise from faith.”  Faith is the basis of both practice and study, and faith is always manifested as practice and study.  These three — faith, practice and study — become the most important objective of the Soka Gakkai.
	“Teach others to the best of your ability, even if only a single sentence or phrase.”  This tells us to do shakubuku to the full extent of our capabilities and to the degree that our circumstances allow, even if we can only teach others a single sentence or phrase of Buddhism.
	Selected Lectures from the Gosho, Vol. 1, pp. 88-9

Long Journey
“Basically,” Shin’ichi replied, “all of society, all phenomena and events are Buddhism, so that whether discussing history, politics or life in general, I can’t help expressing the Buddhist point of view.
	“If we make Buddhism and faith the bases of our lives and have pride and confidence in that, our discussions will just naturally become dialogues on Buddhism.  If we find ourselves unable to do so, it is because we have somehow built a fence around Buddhism in our minds.  It hasn’t permeated every aspect of our lives and thought.
	“If every time you talk about Buddhism you become defensive, tense up and look severe, people won’t be receptive to what you say.  For us, Buddhist dialogue is the most natural, effortless expression of our humanity.”
	The New Human Revolution, Vol. 6, P. 100

Devote All Your Energies to Creating a Genuine Way of Life, Tokyo, Japan, March 12, 1988
When all is said and done, no one can defeat a person who dedicates himself with earnestness and effort.  The brilliance of final victory in life will glow for those who never cease making constant and tenacious efforts.  In contrast, there is no real victory or progress as a human being for those who avoid steady and diligent effort, even though they pretend to be committed when people are watching.  There is no flowering of humanity in the world of superficial glitter.
	The world of faith is particularly strict.  No matter how conspicuous their actions may appear, those who merely pretend to be trying hard and who lack a steadfast daily practice of faith will surely succumb to evil influences and meet with ruin.  I am sure that most of you have seen and heard of such people.  We should always polish our faith and advance along the road of steady endeavor and self-development.  These are the true characteristics of a believer.
	Buddhism in Action, Vol. VII, P. 240

Setting Out Anew on the Journey of Hope, Fukuoka, Japan, October 20, 1987
Faith is the standard in all situations and at all times.  Neither education, position, honor nor wealth is ultimately important.  Herein lies the strict view of Buddhism that is totally different from the views that currently prevail in the secular world.
	Even if one has nothing else if one follows through to the end with deep faith, one will most certainly attain the condition of eternal happiness.  Even if one has all the gorgeous possessions in the world, without faith one will live in a state of darkness.  I hope that you will keep this strict principle firmly in mind at all times.
	Buddhism in Action, Vol. VI, P. 225

Soka Gakkai Malaysia Representatives Conference on December 1, 2000
What matters is continuing and moving forward.  The important thing is that you maintain continuous faith that flows unceasingly like water.
	By the same token, I hope that you will warmly encourage and support others facing various hardships and problems, that you will watch over them with genuine concern and advance together with them.
	No matter what happens, please never let go of the Mystic Law, please never leave the SGI.  I way this because they form the railway track that leads to absolute happiness.  If you get off the train midway, you cannot reach your destination.  It is important not to veer from the fundamental path in life.
	World Tribune, January 1, 2001, pg. 7

52nd Headquarters Leaders Meeting on December 14, 2000
The Daishonin also warns his followers, “In general when Nichiren’s followers go to the imperial capital, Kyoto, though at first they seem to remember their original aspirations, they eventually become afflicted by demons and lose their minds”  (Gosho Zenshu, P.1268).  At the time, Kyoto was the center of the imperial court and the nobility, and certain disciples of the Daishonin who went there began to labor under the delusion that they had become important people just because they were in the capital.  In other words, they gave in to self-conceit and snobbery.
	We can see the same thing today in people who foolishly think they are great simply because they graduated from a good university or have high social position.  Please do not live vain, shallow lives where you succumb to arrogance, lose your faith, and finally end up falling into a state of hellish suffering.
	World Tribune, February 2, 2001, pg. 7

Mahayana Buddhism & Twenty-first-Century Civilization, Harvard University, September 24, 1993
Cycles of life and death can be likened to the alternating periods of sleep and wakefulness.  Just as sleep prepares us for the next day’s activity, death can be seen as a state in which we rest and replenish ourselves for new life.  In this light, death should be acknowledged, along with life, as a blessing to be appreciated.  The Lotus Sutra, the core of Mahayana Buddhism, states that the purpose of existence, the eternal cycles of life and death is to be “happy and at ease.”  It further teaches that sustained faith and practice enables us to know a deep and abiding joy in death as well as in life, to be equally “happy and at ease” with both.  Nichiren describes the attainment of this state as the “greatest of all joys.”
	My Dear Friends in America: Collected U.S. Addresses 1990-1996, pg. 292

Belief and Understanding:  The Dynamic Relationship of Faith and Wisdom (DLS #11)
Ikeda:  Buddhist faith is the engine for continuous self-improvement.  It is a force that motivates us to strive for the perfection of our entire being, including the intellect, and to develop our hidden potential to the fullest.
	The Wisdom of the Lotus Sutra, Vol. II, pg. 52 	(Seikyo Times, 8/96, pg. 38)

Belief and Understanding:  The Dynamic Relationship of Faith and Wisdom (DLS #11)
Ikeda:  The reason the Lotus Sutra emphasizes faith or belief so strongly is that the goal of the sutra is to eliminate the fundamental ignorance of life, what Buddhism calls “fundamental darkness,” and to cause all beings to awaken to their “fundamental enlightenment,” the wisdom originally inherent in the lives of each.  This “fundamental enlightenment” can also be described as the Buddha nature or the world of Buddhahood.
	But this fundamental enlightenment exists at a level so deep within our being that the intellect or reason, which operates more on life’s surface, is unable to reveal it in its entirety.

Nichiren Daishonin writes, “Faith is a sharp sword which cuts the fundamental darkness of life” (Gosho Zenshu, p. 725).  Faith opens; doubt closes.  When we open ourselves to the Mystic Law, the Mystic Law in turn opens to us.  That is the meaning of Nichikan’s statement that “Strong faith in the Lotus Sutra is itself Buddhahood.”
	The Wisdom of the Lotus Sutra, Vol. II, pg. 57	(Seikyo Times, 8/96, pg. 40)

Part 1 — Life:  Life-Condition
We are all human beings; in that regard, we are all the same.  The only real difference lies in people’s life-conditions.  Our life-condition continues beyond death, into eternity.  Therefore, as the Daishonin says, “Faith alone is what really matters.”  (9/26/96)
	Faith into Action, pg. 135

Reaffirming Our Course toward the Twenty-first Century, May 22, 1984, Shimane, Japan
Study without faith and practice is nothing more than acquisition of knowledge.  Even if one studies the Gosho, if he forgets to practice gongyo and shakubuku, his faith will lack any substance.  
	Buddhism in Action, Vol. II, pg. 228-9

“The Opening of the Eyes”:  The Great Compassion of the Original Buddha, January 19, 1981, Hawaii
I would like to reemphasize that faith manifests itself in daily life.  Faith is not something abstract; it is a reality.  It is the motivating force of one’s daily activities and is reflected in one’s life.  
	Buddhism in Action, Vol. 1, pg. 267

Maintain Faith like Flowing Water throughout Life, December 25, 1986, Tokyo, Japan
In the world of faith, the strength and depth of faith are what constitute the foundation.  You must not be swayed in your resolve by worldly phenomena and the compelling forces of human emotion.  
	Buddhism in Action, Vol. V, pg. 34-5

Our Mission as the Buddha’s Children, July 7, 1985, Honolulu, Hawaii
A true religion should always be grounded in real life.  Faith must never become just an idealistic pursuit which is divorced from the realities of daily living.  I hope you will deeply engrave in your minds the conviction that faith is for the sake of daily existence, for your lives themselves and for living within society.  …  To have the notion that just because you have faith everything will turn out satisfactorily is nothing but fantasy.  …  Faith alone is the key to attaining Buddhahood.  …  Whether or not we are able to attain the state of Buddhahood or eternal happiness is determined by our faith and daily practice during this life.  
	Buddhism in Action, Vol. III, pg. 119-21

2  Belief and Understanding, The Dynamic Relationship of Faith and Reason
I think we can summarize the three kinds of faith as follows.  When we first hear the Buddhist teachings, we feel a wonderful awe and, arousing “reverent faith” (sraddha), we commence our Buddhist practice.  Through developing “belief and understanding” (adhimukti), we cultivate and polish our lives toward perfecting the sublime state that is pure faith (prasada), by which one perceives that all living beings are equal and have dignity.  
	The Wisdom of the Lotus Sutra, Vol. II, pg. 52

Part 1 — Life:  Life-Condition
Much human misery arises from people despairing over things that despair cannot help.  We should not worry about things that no amount of worrying will resolve.  The important thing is to build a golden palace of joy in our hearts that nothing can disturb — a state of life like a clear blue sky above the storm, an oasis in the desert, a fortress looking down on high waves.  (LG, pg. 243)  
	Faith into Action, pg. 134-5

3	Benefit of Offerings to the Three Treasures

Whether you chant the Buddha’s name, recite the sutra, or merely offer flowers and incense, all your virtuous acts will implant benefits and roots of goodness in your life.  With this conviction you should strive in faith.
	On Attaining Buddhahood in This Lifetime, WND, 4
	Written to Toki Jonin in 1255 from Kamakura

If a woman who believes in the Lotus Sutra should ever fall into the evil paths as a result of jealousy or ill temper or because of excessive greed, then the Thus Come One Shakyamuni, the Buddha Many Treasures, and the Buddhas of the ten directions would immediately be guilty of breaking the vow they have upheld over the span of countless major kalpas never to tell a lie.  Their offense would be even greater than the wild falsehoods and deceptions of Devadatta or the outrageous lies told by Kokalika.  But how could such a thing ever happen?  Thus a person who embraces the Lotus Sutra is absolutely assured of its blessings.
	The Recitation of the “Expedient Means” and “Life Span” Chapters, WND, 70
	Written to Hiki Daigaku Saburo Yoshimoto’s wife on April 17, 1264 from Kamakura

The ‘Dharani’ chapter in the eighth volume of the Lotus Sutra says, ‘If you can shield and guard those who accept and uphold the mere name of the Lotus Sutra, your merit will be immeasurable.’  In this passage, the Buddha is praising the Mother of Demon Children and the ten demon daughters for their vow to protect the votaries of the Lotus Sutra, and saying that the blessings from their vow to protect those who embrace the daimoku of the Lotus Sutra are beyond even the Buddha wisdom, which completely comprehends the three existences, to fathom.  While by rights nothing should be beyond the grasp of the Buddha wisdom, the Buddha says here that the blessings that accrue from accepting and embracing the daimoku of the Lotus Sutra are the one thing that wisdom cannot measure.  
	Conversation between a Sage and an Unenlightened Man (2), WND, 131
	Written in 1265 from Awa — recipient unknown

The Lotus Sutra of the Correct Law says that, if one hears this sutra and proclaims and embraces its title, one will enjoy merit beyond measure.  And the Supplemented Lotus Sutra of the Wonderful Law says that one who accepts and upholds the name of the Lotus Sutra will enjoy immeasurable good fortune.  These statements indicate that the good fortune one receives from simply chanting the daimoku is beyond measure.
	The Daimoku of the Lotus Sutra, WND, 143
	Written in 1266 from Awa — recipient unknown

All disciples and lay supporters of Nichiren should chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo with the spirit of many in body but one in mind, transcending all differences among themselves to become as inseparable as fish and the water in which they swim.  This spiritual bond is the basis for the universal transmission of the ultimate Law of life and death.  Herein lies the true goal of Nichiren’s propagation.  When you are so united, even the great desire for widespread propagation can be fulfilled.  But if any of Nichiren’s disciples should disrupt the unity of many in body but one in mind, they would be like warriors who destroy their own castle from within.
	The Heritage of the Ultimate Law of Life, WND, 217
	Written to Sairen-bo Nichijo on February 11, 1272 from Tsukahara on Sado

Abutsu-bo is therefore the treasure tower itself, and the treasure tower is Abutsu-bo himself.  No other knowledge is purposeful.  It is the treasure tower adorned with the seven kinds of treasures — hearing the correct teaching, believing it, keeping the precepts, engaging in meditation, practicing assiduously, renouncing one’s attachments, and reflecting on oneself.  You may think you offered gifts to the treasure tower of the Thus Come One Many Treasures, but that is not so.  You offered them to yourself.  You, yourself, are a Thus Come One who is originally enlightened and endowed with the three bodies.  You should chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo with this conviction.  Then the place where you chant daimoku will become the dwelling place of the treasure tower. 
	On the Treasure Tower, WND, 299-300
	Written to Abutsu-bo on March 13, 1272 from Tsukahara on Sado

I recently received an official pardon, and I will return to Kamakura.  Can this be the year in which the passage “What I long ago hoped for has now been fulfilled” comes true for me?  Without your protection, could I possibly have sustained my life?  Could I have survived to be pardoned?  My life’s achievements are due entirely to you and to those like you.
	Letter to Endo Saemon-no-jo, WND, 454
	Written to Endo Saemon-no-jo on March 12, 1274 from Ichinosawa on Sado 

The Nirvana Sutra reads:  “There are three types of people whose illness is extremely difficult to cure.  The first is those who slander the great vehicle; the second, those who commit the five cardinal sins; and the third, icchantikas, or persons of incorrigible disbelief.  These three categories of illness are the gravest in the world.”
	It also states:  “One who creates evil karma in this life… will surely suffer in hell….  But by making offerings to the three treasures, one avoids falling into hell and receives the retribution in this life, in the form of afflictions of the head, eye, or back.”
	On Curing Karmic Disease, WND, 631
	Written to Ota Jomyo on November 3, 1275 from Minobu

The more gold is heated in the flames, the brighter will be its color; the more a sword is whetted, the sharper it will become.  And the more one praises the blessings of the Lotus Sutra, the more one’s own blessings will increase.  Bear in mind that the twenty-eight chapters of the Lotus Sutra contain only a few passages elucidating the truth, but a great many words of praise.
	The Blessings of the Lotus Sutra, WND, 673
	Written to Kuwagayatsu Myomitsu on March 5, 1276 from Minobu

A woman who makes offerings to such a Gohonzon invites happiness in this life; and in the next, the Gohonzon will be with her and protect her always.  Like a lantern in the dark, like a strong guide and porter on a treacherous mountain path, the Gohonzon will guard and protect you, Nichinyo, wherever you go.
	The Real Aspect of the Gohonzon, WND, 832
	Written to Nichinyo on August 23, 1277 from Minobu

Stop and ponder!  How rare is the faith that moves one to give alms to the priest who knows the heart of the Lotus Sutra!  One will not stray into the evil paths if one does so even once.  Still greater are the benefits arising from ten or twenty contributions, of from five years, ten years, or a lifetime of contributions.  They are beyond even the measure of the Buddha’s wisdom.  The Buddha taught that the blessings of a single offering to the votary of this sutra are a hundred, thousand, ten thousand, million times greater than those of offering countless treasures to Shakyamuni Buddha for eighty million kalpas.
	Letter to Niike, WND, 1026-27
	Written to Niike Saemon-no-jo in February of 1280 from Minobu

The Buddha taught that the blessings of a single offering to the votary of this sutra are a hundred, thousand, ten thousand, million times greater than those of offering countless treasures to Shakyamuni Buddha for eighty million kalpas.  When one encounters this sutra, one will overflow with happiness and shed tears of joy.  It seems impossible to repay one’s debt to Shakyamuni Buddha.  But by your frequent offerings to me deep in this mountain you will repay the merciful kindness of both the Lotus Sutra and Shakyamuni Buddha.
	Letter to Niike, WND, 1027
	Written to Niike Saemon-no-jo in February of 1280 from Minobu

As you well know, a sutra says that the boy Virtue Victorious, who offered a mud pie to the Buddha, was later reborn as King Ashoka, who ruled over most of the southern continent of Jambudvipa.  Since the Buddha is worthy of respect, the boy was able to receive this great reward even though the pie was only mud.  Shakyamuni Buddha teaches, however, that one who makes offerings to the votary of the Lotus Sutra in the latter age for even a single day will gain benefit a hundred, thousand, ten thousand, million times greater than one would by offering countless treasures to the Buddha for one million kalpas.  How wonderful then is your having wholeheartedly supported the votary of the Lotus Sutra over the years!  According to the Buddha’s golden words, in the next life you are certain to be reborn in the pure land of Eagle Peak.  What remarkable rewards you will gain!
	The Person and the Law, WND, 1097
	Written to Nanjo Tokimitsu on September 11, 1281 from Minobu

Gift of an Unlined Robe
When I put on this robe and recite the Lotus Sutra before the Buddha, while the robe is only one, it clothes 69,384 Buddhas.  This is because there are 69,384 characters in the Lotus Sutra.  And each character is a golden Buddha.
	Therefore, these Buddhas will surely visit the two of you, husband and wife, who presented me with this robe and protect you as their followers.
	In this life, your sincere offering becomes a prayer for the fulfillment of your every desire and a treasure.  At the time of your deaths it will become the moon, the sun, a path, a bridge, a father, a mother, an ox or a horse, a litter, a cart, a lotus flower, and a mountain, and will usher you into the pure land of Eagle Peak.  Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, Nam-myoho-renge-kyo.
	Learning From the Gosho, 178, August 1275

Letter to Ko-ama Gozen (1)
Daily life is a collection of both good things (value) and bad things (antivalue).  If the value or benefit in someone’s life outweighs the antivalue or loss, the person becomes happy.  If the opposite is true, the person is unhappy.
	Faith in the Mystic Law is the wellspring of value creation.  It enables us to turn everything in our lives both our joys and sufferings into causes for accumulating the values of beauty; benefit and good in still greater measure.  When we base ourselves on this kind of faith, everything that happens to us is a benefit.
	Learning From the Gosho, P. 104

Benefit
We are a gathering of the Buddha’s children.  Therefore, if we respect one another, our good fortune will multiply infinitely, like an image reflected between mirrors.  A person who practices alone cannot experience this tremendous multiplication of benefit.  (2/27/90)

The real benefit of the Mystic Law is of an inconspicuous kind.  Just as trees grow taller and stronger year after year, adding growth rings imperceptible to the human eye, we, too, will grow to have a victorious existence.  For this reason, it is important that we lead tenacious and balanced lives based on faith.  (6/5/96)

Nothing is wasted in faith.  One never loses out.  Please be confident that all your efforts to help others and promote Buddhism are accumulating immense treasures of good fortune in your life.  This is what is meant by inconspicuous benefit.  (5/26/98)

The second Soka Gakkai president, Josei Toda, often used to cite fifteen years as the first milestone for showing actual proof in faith.  He would say that even a small bud grows into a great tree after fifteen years.  Someone who had not seen the bud sprout and grow during those fifteen years would be amazed by its growth; this is what is called an inconspicuous benefit.  On the other hand, he observed, a great tree may also wither away during a fifteen-year period; this is an example of inconspicuous punishment or loss.  (6/15/96)
	Faith Into Action, pp. 90-91

The Quintessence of Life
Buddhism outlines the four debts of gratitude.  These are the debts owed to one’s parents, to all living beings, to one’s sovereign and to the three treasures (the Buddha, the Law and the Priesthood). 
	According to one scholar’s opinion, the tragedies of world history originate from the fact that people forget these debts of gratitude, not having been taught their profound meaning.  Since animals have some awareness of the debts of gratitude, human beings should be that much more aware!  Unless people understand the obligations that they, as human beings, are require to fulfill, our world is destined to relive a cruel and dismal history forever.  Herein lies the significance of the propagation of Buddhism throughout the world. 
	Buddhism in Action, Vol. VI, pg. 103

2001b4	Defeating Evil in Our Lives

I certainly have no intention of censuring the sons of the Buddha.  My only hatred is for the act of slandering the Law.
	On Establishing the Correct Teaching for the Peace of the Land, WND, 23
	Submitted to Hojo Tokiyori on July 16, 1260 from Kamakura

If one doubts the strength of the Buddha when he says, “I am the only person who can rescue and protect others”; if one is suspicious of the rope held out by the Lotus Sutra when its teachings declare that one can “gain entrance though faith alone”; if one fails to chant the Mystic Law which guarantees that “such a person assuredly and without doubt [will attain the Buddha way],” then the Buddha’s power cannot reach one, and it will be impossible to scale the embankment of enlightenment.  Lack of faith is the basic failing that causes a person to fall into hell.
	Questions and Answers about Embracing the Lotus Sutra, WND, 59-60
	Written in March of 1263 from Kamakura — recipient unknown 

I, Nichiren, am the only person in all Japan who understands this.  But if I utter so much as a word concerning it, then parents, brothers and teachers will surely censure me and the ruler of the nation will take steps against me.  On the other hand, I am fully aware that if I do not speak out, I will be lacking in compassion.  I have considered which course to take in the light of the teachings of the Lotus and Nirvana sutras.  If I remain silent, I may escape persecutions in this lifetime, but in my next life I will most certainly fall into the hell of incessant suffering.  If I speak out, I am fully aware that I will have to contend with the three obstacles and four devils.  But of these two courses, surely the latter is the one to choose.
	The Opening of the Eyes (1), WND, 239
	Written to Shijo Kingo in February of 1272 from Tsukahara on Sado

Although I, Nichiren, am not a man of wisdom, the devil king of the sixth heaven has attempted to take possession of my body.  But I have for some time been taking such great care that he now no longer comes near me.  Therefore, because the power of the heavenly devil is ineffectual against me, he instead possesses the ruler and his high officials, or foolish priests such as Ryokan, and causes them to hate me.
	Reply to Sairen-bo, WND, 310
	Written to Sairen-bo Nichijo on April 13, 1272 from Ichinosawa on Sado

The doctrine of three thousand realms in a single moment of life revealed in the fifth volume of Great Concentration and Insight is especially profound.  If you propagate it, devils will arise without fail.  If they did not, there would be no way of knowing that this is the correct teaching.  One passage from the same volume reads, “As practice progresses and understanding grows, the three obstacles and four devils emerge in confusing form, vying with one another to interfere.  …  One should be neither influenced nor frightened by them.  If one falls under their influence, one will be led into the paths of evil.  If one is frightened by them, one will be prevented from practicing the correct teaching.”  This statement not only applies to me, but also is a guide for my followers.  Reverently make this teaching your own, and transmit it as an axiom of faith for future generations.
	Letter to the Brothers, WND, 501
	Written to Ikegami Munenaka and Ikegami Munenaga on April 16, 1275 from Minobu

I, Nichiren, am the only person who is aware of this.  If I should begrudge my life and thus refrain from speaking out, not only would I be failing to repay the debt of gratitude I owe to my country, but I would also be acting as an enemy of Shakyamuni Buddha, the lord of teachings.  On the other hand, I knew from the outset that, if I set aside my fears and declared things exactly as they are, I would be sentenced to death.  And even if I should escape the death penalty, I would surely be condemned to exile.  So great is the debt of gratitude I owe the Buddha, however, that I have not let others intimidate me, but have spoken out.
	Letter to the Lay Priest Ichinosawa, WND, 529
	Written to the lay priest Ichinosawa on May 8, 1275 from Minobu

There is definitely something extraordinary in the ebb and flow of the tide, the rising and setting of the moon, and the way in which summer, autumn, winter, and spring give way to each other.  Something uncommon also occurs when an ordinary person attains Buddhahood.  At such a time, the tree obstacles and four devils will invariably appear, and the wise will rejoice while the foolish will retreat.
	The Three Obstacles and Four Devils, WND, 637
	Written to Munenaga Ikegami on November 20, 1277 from Minobu

If in this present existence I am so fearful for my life that I fail to speak out, then in what future existence will I ever attain Buddhahood?  Or in what future existence will I ever be able to bring salvation to my parents and my teacher?  With thoughts such as these uppermost in my mind, I decided that I must begin to speak out.  And, just as I had expected, I was ousted, I was vilified, I was attacked, and I suffered wounds.  Finally, on the twelfth day of the fifth month in the first year of the Kocho era (1261), the year with the cyclical sign kanoto-tori, having incurred the wrath of the authorities, I was banished to Ito in the province of Izu.  Eventually, on the twenty-second day of the second month in the third year of Kocho, cyclical sign mizunoto-i, I was pardoned and allowed to return.
	On Repaying Debts of Gratitude, WND, 727
	Written to Joken-bo & Gijo-bo on July 21, 1276 from Minobu

After that, I became more determined than ever to attain enlightenment and continued to speak out.  Accordingly, the difficulties I encountered became increasingly severe, like great waves that rise up in a gale.  I experienced with my own body the kind of attacks with sticks and staves that Bodhisattva Never Disparaging suffered in ancient times.  It would seem that even the persecutions suffered by the monk Realization of Virtue in the latter age after the death of the Buddha Joy Increasing could not compare to my trials.  Nowhere in all the sixty-six provinces and the two offshore islands of Japan, not for a day, not for an hour, could I find a place to rest in safety.
	On Repaying Debts of Gratitude, WND, 727
	Written to Joken-bo & Gijo-bo on July 21, 1276 from Minobu

Question:  In the Latter Day of the Law, is it necessary for beginners in the practice of the Lotus Sutra to devote themselves to all three types of learning associated with the perfect teaching?  
Answer:  This is a very important question, and so I will be consulting the text of the sutra in answering you.  In describing the first, second, and third of the five stages of practice, the Buddha restricts those at these stages from practicing precepts and meditation, and places all emphasis upon the single factor of wisdom.  And because our wisdom is inadequate, he teaches us to substitute faith for wisdom, making this single word “faith” the foundation.  Disbelief is the cause for becoming an icchantika and for slander of the Law, while faith is the cause for wisdom and corresponds to the stage of hearing the name and words of the truth.
	On the Four Stages of Faith and the Five Stages of Practice, WND, 785
	Written to Toki Jonin on April 10, 1277 from Minobu

Moreover, even though one may encounter a wise teacher and the true sutra and thereby embrace the correct teaching, when one resolves to break free from the sufferings of birth and death and attain Buddhahood, one will inevitably encounter seven grave matters known as the three obstacles and four devils, just as surely as a shadow follows the body and clouds accompany rain.  Even if you should manage to overcome the first six, if you are defeated by the seventh, you will not be able to become a Buddha.
	Letter to Misawa, WND, 894
	Written to Misawa Kojiro on February 23, 1278 from Minobu

Each of you should summon up the courage of a lion king and never succumb to threats from anyone.  The lion king fears no other beast, nor do its cubs.  Slanderers are like barking foxes, but Nichiren’s followers are like roaring lions.  The lay priest of Saimyo-ji, now deceased, and the present ruler permitted my return from my exiles when they found that I was innocent of the accusations against me.  The present ruler shall no longer take action on any charge without confirming its truth.  You may rest assured that nothing, not even a person possessed by a powerful demon, can harm Nichiren, because Brahma, Shakra, the gods of the sun and moon, the four heavenly kings, Sun Goddess and Hachiman are safeguarding him.  Strengthen your faith day by day and month after month.  Should you slacken in your resolve even a bit, devils will take advantage.
	On Persecutions Befalling the Sage, WND, 997
	Written to Shijo Kingo on Oct. 1, 1279 from Minobu

Strive even harder in faith, and never give in to negligence.  All the people appear to believe sincerely when they first embrace the Lotus Sutra, but as time passes, they tend to become less devout; they no longer revere or make offerings to the priest, giving themselves up to arrogance and forming distorted views.  This is most frightening.  
	Letter to Niike, WND, 1027
	Written to Niike Saemon-no-jo in February of 1280 from Minobu

If you do not question and resolve your doubts, you cannot dispel the dark clouds of illusion, any more than you could travel a thousand miles without legs.
	Letter to Niike, WND, 1031
	Written to Niike Saemon-no-jo in February of 1280 from Minobu

Since you now appear certain to attain Buddhahood, perhaps the heavenly devil and evil spirits are using illness to try to intimidate you.  Life in this world is limited.  Never be even the least bit afraid!
	The Proof of the Lotus Sutra, WND, 1109
	Written to Nanjo Tokimitsu on February 28, 1282 from Minobu

Have a Mind of Profound Gratitude and Deep Joy, Tokyo, Japan, August 23, 1987
The Daishonin does not teach resignation to circumstances.  He does not advocate the feudal morality of absolute submission to authority.  He is asking us to consider what sort of mental attitude will enable us to carry out our irreplaceable lives, and what the most forward-looking, worthwhile and intelligent approach to living is.  This is what he was concerned about.
	Buddhism in Action, Vol. VI, P. 55

Build a Life of Creativity along the Path of Your Mission, Aichi, Japan, September 21, 1987
Nichiren Daishonin fearlessly engaged in a warfare of words for the cause of justice to protect this one disciple from the oppression of authority.  His efforts culminated in the writing of the famous “Letter of Petition from Yorimoto,” in which, on behalf of Shijo Kingo (or Yorimoto), the Daishonin argued for his disciple’s innocence.  Here we strongly feel the infinite compassion of the Daishonin, who deeply treasured each of his disciples.
	In order to clarify the truth of the incident, in the “Letter of Petition from Yorimoto,” Nichiren Daishonin repeatedly asked the lord to call together the people involved — Shijo Kingo and those who plotted against him — and to open his eyes to the truth.
	For example, he says:  “What you heard must have been the fabrication of those who harbor jealousy against me.  If you quickly summon them to face me in your presence, the truth of the matter will be brought to light.”  
	Also at the end of the letter, he says, “In any event, I urge you to summon those who are plotting to use me in order to provoke some major incident, and have them confront me in your presence.”  After all, nothing is more powerful than the truth.  There is no room for counterargument.  As the Daishonin points out, we should find out which side is right by listening open-mindedly to all opinions.
	Nichiren Daishonin explains in detail what had happened during the Kuwagayatsu Debate.  I am quite confident that after reading this letter, Lord Ema must have realized that what he had been led to believe was a far cry from the truth, and his eagerness to persecute Shijo Kingo must have diminished.
	In his petition, the Daishonin completely unmasks the priest Ryokan, whom Lord Ema revered.  His argument was clear-cut.  Although Ryokan was respected as a sage, he had secretly plotted to entrap the Daishonin and bring him to ruin, for example when he vied with the Daishonin in praying for rain.  Nichiren Daishonin unhesitatingly exposes his atrocity and meanness.
	Ryuzo-bo is the evil priest who committed such barbarian acts as taking the corpses of his starved countrymen and feeding on human flesh morning and evening.  In the letter, the Daishonin draws attention to the fact of Ryuzo-bo’s expulsion from Mt. Hiei.  Those who oppose the True Law blatantly stray from the path of humanity, as well as faith.  The Daishonin brings Ryuzo-bo’s true colors to light.
	Buddhism in Action, Vol. VI, pp. 148-9

Long Journey
In his heart, Shin’ichi addressed his mentor:  “Sensei, my innocence has been proven conclusively.  The Soka Gakkai, which was your life, is unharmed.
	“I can now fully play my role, without the slightest worry or reservation, as your successor on the stage of world peace.
	“I promise to realize every aspect of your vision for kosen-rufu, to rid the world of all misery.  Watch me as I fight with all my might in your place, as your disciple.”
	The New Human Revolution, Vol. 6, P. 101

Part IV — Our Treasured Organization:  Religious Reformation
A Kenyan saying goes that we should treat the earth well; it is not a gift from our parents but a loan from our children.  But the adults of our day are leaving a dismal inheritance to today’s young people and the children you may have.  It is your legacy, so you must act.  You who have not forgotten the beauty and wonder of the earth must speak out.  Your struggle to protect the twenty-first century, your century, the century of life, has already begun.  (DOY 2, Ch. 17)  
	Faith into Action, pg. 245

Part VI — The Wider Ethical Perspective:  1  Innate Good and Innate Evil
Buddhists believe that all life, including the highest condition, which is called Buddhahood, simultaneously includes both innate evil and innate good, and that it is therefore essential constantly to attempt to extend and reinforce the good while suppressing and controlling the evil.  Since suppression and control must be carried out from within, each individual must attempt to cultivate the power to combat his own evil.  
	Morality is generally thought of as the way to control one’s innate evil.  However, it tends to be an intellectual matter, and human evils involve emotion more often than reason.  I believe that religion, which delves deeper into human life than the rational mind, must be the source of the inner strength to control evil and facilitate life on a high moral and ethical plane.  
	Human Values in a Changing World, pg. 271.

President Ikeda’s 1990 Peace Proposal
One of our most important tasks today, and one upon which the fate of humankind rests, is to effectively transcend national borders and to create new channels of communication to link this and other trends to the global movement. 
	We must begin by looking into ourselves, by examining, as Plato advocated, the “state within” even more rigorously than the “state without.”  That process of introspection will, I believe, offer us important insights in defining the universal meaning of human rights.  Articulating such a definition will both serve as a symbol of the movement for freedom and democracy and answer one of our most pressing needs as we stand on the threshold of the twenty-first century. 
	Seikyo Times, March 1990, pg. 117

President Ikeda’s 1990 Peace Proposal
	As in relations between individuals, relations between countries cannot be managed on a mature level if one side insists on its own point of view without regard for the position of the other side.  The ability to perceive the negative in oneself enables one to perceive the positive in others.  I do not mean to advocate a Manichaean concept of the duality of good and evil, but only to emphasize that we must acknowledge the good and evil within each of us.  Even as we lock horns with a rival, we should be seeking to manifest the good and obliterate the bad.  The power of self-restraint can help us avoid conflict and estrangement and enable us to take a correct stance of mutual acceptance and respect.
	If we are in sufficient command of ourselves, we will not feel compelled to impose our own values upon others nor to trample upon the customs and values they hold dear.  Self-control would also prevent us from trying to rationalize everything in economic terms regardless of the conditions, perceptions, and ramifications of other countries, saving us from being relegated to the ignoble company of “economic animals.”
	Seikyo Times, March 1990, pg. 120

President Ikeda’s 1998 Peace Proposal
	Buddhism stresses the quality of our motivation, valuing that which issues spontaneously from within, as expressed in the simple phrase, “Our heart is what matters most.”  It teaches that the ultimate objective of Shakyamuni’s life was revealed in the humanity he manifested in his behavior and actions.  Thus the cultivation and perfection of a person’s character is considered in the Buddhist tradition to be the true goal of religious training.  Norms that are not inner-generated and do not encourage the development of individual character are ultimately weak and ineffective.  Only when external norms and inner values function in a mutually supportive manner can they enable people to resist evil and live as genuine advocates and champions of human rights.
	Over half a century ago, at the height of Japanese militarism, Soka Gakkai’s founding president Makiguchi declared, “Rejecting evil and embracing good are two actions born of the same impulse.”  He also said, “Only a person courageous enough to fight against evil can be a true friend of the good,” and, “It is not enough to indulge passively in goodness; we must have the moral courage actively to pursue good.”  In this way Makiguchi launched a critique of the militarist regime which trampled human rights as it carried out its wars of invasion.  In the face of constant persecution, he never yielded an inch, holding firm to his beliefs up to the moment of his death in prison.  I derive profound personal inspiration from the struggles that culminated in his martyrdom; I feel that it is here that we can find the spiritual wellsprings of the SGI’s current activities to promote human rights.
	Living Buddhism, May 1998, pg. 20