[A]ll one really needs to begin practicing is oneself. Simply having a family altar is not Buddhist practice. One will not develop Buddha nature by just having certain things in one’s house; practice itself is the most important part of being a Buddhist.

This story [of Maudgalyāyana and his mother] reminds us that we vow to save all beings as bodhisattvas; when Maudgalyāyana selfishly attempts to help only his own mother his spiritual powers do not work, but when he works for the good of everyone who is suffering his spiritual powers are effective. So we pray for the living, but also the deceased, so all may find the path to enlightenment.

The suffering of birth, old age, sickness, and death are facts of everyone’s lives. No matter how developed science may become or how far medicine may advance, these cannot be avoided. Buddhism teaches, however, that when a person discovers that he or she exists within the life of the Eternal Buddha and can perceive the great stream of life flowing endlessly from the past through the present and into the future, he or she will escape the suffering that these events normally cause.

Most Buddhists do not believe that everything about us ceases to exist upon our death. Death is the starting point of a new journey. Nichiren Shonin taught that death is a pilgrimage to Mount Sacred Eagle – an encounter with the Eternal Buddha and with Nichiren Shonin.

The Nirvana Sutra … set out four guidelines for judging the truth of any teaching. … These guidelines are: (1) to rely upon the Dharma, not upon persons; (2) to rely on the meaning, not on the words alone; (3)to rely on wisdom, not on knowledge alone; and (4) to rely on sutras that reveal the whole truth, not on sutras that only reveal partial truth.

Finally, in the night of February 15th, the Buddha spoke the words, “Make yourself your guiding light; rely on yourself instead of on others. Make the Dharma your guiding light; rely on the Dharma instead of on others.”

When we feel true compassion, our words and actions will affect other people and serve to increase their joy or lessen their pain. When this happens, we will make this world the Buddha’s pure land, not only in deepest truth but in a way that can be seen by all people.

Because all human beings have the potential to become Buddhas – their lives contain the world of Buddhahood because of ichinen sansen – we should treat all other people was we wish to be treated ourselves. We should keep in mind the lesson of Bodhisattva Never Despise in Chapter 20 of the Lotus Sutra, who told everyone that he met that he respected them because they would become Buddhas one day.

The Nichiren Shu recognizes certain basic truths that our daily lives should express in our actions. These truths … should naturally arise from our Buddhist practice; that is, we should live this way not because we are supposed to follow some rules, but because they express our natural beliefs.

Nichiren Shu creed:

1. We base our life on the example of the Lotus Sutra as personally experienced by Nichiren Shonin.
2. We put our faith in the Eternal Buddha Sakyamumi, who is the true teacher of wisdom and compassion for all people.
3. We train ourselves to attain Buddhahood by upholding Namu Myoho Renge Kyo, both in action and in spirit.
4. Our teacher is Nichiren Shonin, who vowed to cultivate the Buddha nature of all people and create the land of the Buddha in this world. We also vow to work for that goal.
5. We are all the Buddha’s children, and we will live together peacefully with all people in our search for the Truth.