Gemini Thinking
In this square illustration, inspired by the Shō Hokke Daimoku-shō, I have visually interpreted Nichiren’s warning about the dangers of rejecting the Buddha’s scriptures. The composition features three figures—a nobleman, a monk, and a commoner—who embody the distinct categories of people mentioned in the text. By neglecting the holy sutras, they fall into the grip of dark, whispering devils, symbolizing the confusion and selfish desire that arise when true teachings are abandoned. This internal spiritual decay is reflected externally in the background, where a once-harmonious society collapses into a desolate and fractured landscape, illustrating how personal neglect of the Dharma can ultimately destroy a nation.
Upon seeing such passages in various sutras as “The truth lies beyond language,” and “It is found where the mind is extinguished,” they will embrace an evil thought that the holy scriptures of the Buddha do not reveal his true Enlightenment. As a result, devils get hold of these three categories of people in the Latter Age of Degeneration, and even destroy the country.
Nichiren wrote this passage in his Treatise on Chanting the Great Title of the Lotus Sūtra (Shō Hokke Daimoku-shō). He reminds us that even though words are limited, we must not cast out the Buddha’s true teaching as unable to lead us to enlightenment. We can revere the Buddha Dharma without making it into a dogma. When we ignore completely what the Buddha left for us, what remains is our own selfish desires and confusion. When the individuals in a society are focused only on their own personal benefit, how can that society survive?
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