Gemini Thinking
In this square illustration, I have visualised the teachings of Nichiren with traditional Japanese Buddhist iconography. This composition centers on Lord Śākyamuni Buddha, golden and radiant on a lotus throne on Eagle Peak, as he bestows the essence of the Lotus Sutra on a humble follower.
The Buddha is shown here with profound compassion, lowering a pendant that is inscribed with the essential five characters: 妙法蓮華経 (Myō, Hō, Ren, Ge, Kyō). Around this central figure stand the Four Great Bodhisattvas of the Earth—Superior Practices, Boundless Practices, Pure Practices, and Firmly Established Practices—who provide their protection. In the upper corners, a clear blue sky and a shining sun allude to the treatise's opening analogy: that understanding this teaching allows one to see the "reasons for occurrences in the world."
The artist’s signature is included in the bottom-right corner as the kanji 双子座 (Gemini) with a red square hanko seal containing the katakana ジェミニ (Jemini).
When the sky is blue, the land is bright. In this way those who know the Lotus Sutra can see the reasons for occurrences in the world. For those who are incapable of understanding the truth of the “3000 existences contained in one thought,” Lord Śākyamuni Buddha with his great compassion, wraps this jewel with the five characters of myō, hō, ren, ge and kyō and hangs it around the neck of the ignorant in the Latter Age of Degeneration. The four great Bodhisattvas will protect such people, just as the Duke of Chou assisted the young ruler, King Chen, or the Four Elders attended the child Emperor Hui.
Nichiren wrote this in his treatise on Spiritual Contemplation and the Most Venerable (Kanjin Honzon-Shō). This reminds us that whether or not we are able to make sense of the Buddha’s most difficult teaching, what is important is to rely on his determination to help us become enlightened. It is in our practice of reciting the sacred title: “Namu Myoho Renge Kyo,” that we express all the teachings of the Buddha and help all beings become enlightened.
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