Conceptual Summary
The illustration is a direct visual translation of Nichiren’s instructions for practicing the Lotus Sutra amidst adversity. The core composition centers on a calm, radiating depiction of Sakyamuni Buddha (the "Ever-Present Buddha") under a prominent pine tree, representing the True Dharma and steadfast wisdom. Seated immediately before him are two practitioners in humble prayer, signifying "he who practices the Lotus Sutra" with sincerity. Crucial to the interpretation is the tension between this group and the hostile figures to the right. These antagonists represent the "three kinds of enemies"—the wicked teachers and deluded disciples sickened by greed, anger, and ignorance. By placing the calm practitioners and the Buddha together, the artwork visualizes how encountering persecution is "natural" when upholding the True Teaching. It depicts the internal shift away from confrontation with those lost in delusion, focusing instead on internal nourishment and allowing the Buddha to work within the heart to cultivate patience and compassion.
Iconography & Character Identification
Item 1: Deities/Figures Featured:
Sakyamuni Buddha (Shaka Nyorai), central seated figure with halo.
Two faithful disciples/followers, kneeling in devotion before the Buddha.
A group of four antagonists (representing false teachers and the "three poisons"), one seated and three aggressively pointing or shouting in opposition.
Item 2: Text Translations:
Kanji signature (top): 双子座 (Futago-za), meaning "Gemini".
Katakana in red seal (bottom): ジェミニ (Jemini), meaning "Gemini".
Although the time is ripe for the Lotus Sutra to convert everyone, teachers who propagate it are ordinary teachers while their disciples are wicked and sickened by the three poisons of greed, anger and ignorance. They avoid teachers who preach the True Dharma, befriending teachers who preach false Dharma. Is it not natural then that he who practices the Lotus Sutra, the true teaching of the Buddha, and his disciples and followers and lay followers are persecuted more severely than the three kinds of enemies?
Nichiren wrote this passage in his Treatise on the True Way of Practicing the Teaching of the Buddha (Nyosetsu Shugyō-shō). In our efforts to uphold and practice the Wonderful Dharma of the Lotus Sūtra, we may be surprised to be the targets of anger or aggression from others, especially from others who also practice the Dharma with us. These difficulties will be opportunities for us to practice wisdom and nourish our compassion. We can learn to recognize others’ delusions within our own minds and remain focused on ridding ourselves of the three poisons, rather than attempting to change someone else’s behavior. In this way we become an example for how to live, and allow the Ever-Present Buddha Śākyamuni to work within our hearts.
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