[F]aith is the property of the heart, and one of life’s treasures. Faith saves us from suffering or darkness with compassion, teaches us self-control, carries with it a secure mind that will never be defiled by evil or crime, and shows us the answer of life through enlightenment. Having faith gives our life vitality, and rejuvenates our minds. How do we transmit this treasure to our children and others? It is an essential thing to have in the world and in life. The transmission of faith is not so difficult. As Nichiren Shonin said, “At the beginning of Odaimoku, ‘Namu’ means respecting and following gently.” Faith begins with respecting the Buddha and following his teaching gently. Please keep this in your mind and heart, and make efforts to transmit the teachings and Buddhist faith.
Spring WritingsQuotes
The Buddha’s Promise
There is a passage from the Simile of Herbs chapter that is read at the Segaki, Feeding Hungry Ghosts, service, which is performed for the deceased. … During this service we read the passage where the Buddha states he will cause all beings to cross the ocean of birth and death. He goes on and states he will cause them to break free of suffering, have peace of mind, and attain Nirvana. The intent of the Buddha is clear; every thing he does and has done, has been for the sole purpose of benefiting living beings enabling the release from suffering. It is important to note here that there is no specific promise of material gain or benefit.
Lecture on the Lotus SutraThe Perfection of Patience with Ourselves
Of the Six Perfections – generosity, discipline, patience, energy, meditation, and wisdom – the perfection of patience also implies patience with oneself. Some people may even find this more difficult than being patient with others or with events in their lives. Patience toward ourselves includes not becoming frustrated when we do not progress as quickly as we might like, being willing to try again when we fall short of our expectation for ourselves, taking the time to nurture ourselves, and not fooling ourselves into believing that we have attained that which we have not.
Lotus SeedsThe First Day
On the first day of his mission of restoring the Buddha’s truth, Nichiren had, therefore, proclaimed his religion to the rising sun, had preached his first sermon at the sun’s height, had made his first converts at the sun’s setting, and, in the cover of darkness, under the threat of death, had fled to safety beyond the angry hands which sought to destroy him.
Nichiren, Leader of Buddhist Reformation in JapanBowing to the Buddha
We bow to the Buddha by placing our forehead on the ground at his feet. We place our hands on the floor beside our head with the palms facing upward. We then raise our hands beside our ears as if we were picking the Buddha up by his feet and elevating him above ourselves. We do this supplication not as beggars entreating some deity to bestow gifts or rewards. Instead we do this to show our great appreciation to the teacher who leads us to enlightenment. We are humble and appreciative in front of our great teacher.
The Magic City: Studying the Lotus SutraThe Good Law
If a vessel be tipped on one side, its contents will overflow ; if the tranquillity of a State be disturbed, its inhabitants will be in danger. Now the original doctrine of the “Holy Book of the Lotus of the Good Law” [The Sutra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma] is two-fold. In the first place it teaches that the visible, inhabited world, which is changeable and destructible, is but the external appearance of an underlying eternal Reality; in the second place, it teaches the original enlightenment of all living beings. Its object is to ensure the tranquility of the present life and relieve the future life of suffering, and therefore, whenever Nichiren preached, he claimed it as the merit of our Sect to establish the Good Law and preserve the peace of the State. Now the State prospers by virtue of the Law, and the Law receives its justification from Man. It is clear, then, that the prosperity or decadence of the State depends upon the truth or falsehood of its religion; and this being the case, it is our duty to promulgate the Good Law with faithfulness and zeal and so bring about the well-being of our country.
Doctrines of Nichiren (1893)Purifying Our World
With confidence that we can overcome all of our obstacles through the power of faith in the Lotus Sutra, through the power of our upholding the Odaimoku, we can purify our world and travel over clear paths lived with golden ropes and jeweled trees. All of these we create through our practice.
Lotus Path: Practicing the Lotus Sutra Volume 1Enlightenment Does Not Exist Outside the 10 Worlds
Each of the realms of the Ten Worlds – Hell, Hunger, Animality, Anger, Humanity, Heaven, Learning, Contemplatives, Bodhisattva and Buddhahood – possesses the other realms, including Buddhahood. Enlightenment does not exist outside the 10 Worlds.
Physician's Good MedicineFaith Actualized in Life
That Nichiren emphasized these virtues, together with obedience to the master, is noteworthy as showing his keen interest in moral life. It must be observed, also, that this ethical interest was not with him merely an adjunct of religious belief, but a vital criterion of religious truth. For to worship Buddha and revere the Truth revealed by him does not consist in devising rituals, or in contemplating Buddha’s truths in visionary ways, but in working out in our own life the truths taught, by putting faith in Buddha as the Lord, Master, and Father. Faith ought to be actualized in life, but is empty unless realized in the three cardinal virtues named above. Nichiren’s conviction that his life was vitalizing the Lotus of Truth was another way of stating his ethical interpretation of religion.
Nichiren, The Buddhist ProphetThe Reward of Effort
Transmitting faith is confirming your own faith by yourself, and continuing to practice makes your faith deeper. It is based entirely on “the way of the Bodhisattva,” which means you should be severe on yourself and gentle with others. For example, a grandfather might chant and pray every day with his grandchildren and take them to the temple on certain occasions. Those are actions that plant the seed of faith, and are the transmitting of faith. Even though children may not understand the meaning of each action, they receive a Buddha-nature and a peaceful mind unconsciously by copying their grandfather’s behavior. The Lotus Sutra, Chapter II says, “The children who made the stupa (tower) of the Buddha with heaps of sand while playing, were able to accumulate merits and attain the enlightenment of the Buddha.” If the grandfather takes a rest from his daily routine because he is tired, the children will also learn to take a rest due to personal reasons. However, if the grandfather always keeps the same routine, without taking a rest, then the children will learn patience, perseverance and the gratification which comes from effort.
Spring Writings