Gohonzon, Prayer and Practice
Daisaku Ikeda's remarks at the Chicago Community center, October 11, 1980
Buddhism in Action, By Daisaku Ikeda, 1984 ed., pages 19-21. All Rights Reserved.
Any religious faith involves prayer, an object of worship and practice. These are the essentials of religion. However, no matter how much one may pray, those prayers will be meaningless if they do not bring about happiness or improvement in one's daily life. Moreover, no matter how much one may pray, one will only become unhappy if the object of worship is incorrect. The object of worship is a religion's most important point, because it exerts a decisive influence over its believers.
The twenty-sixth high priest of Nichiren Shoshu, Nichikan Shonin, states in the "Exegesis on 'The True Object of Worship,' " "If only you take faith in this Gohonzon and chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo even for while, no prayer will go unanswered, no sin will remain unforgiven, all good fortune will be bestowed, and all righteousness proven." Religion must remain a mere concept. The important question whether or not our prayers bear fruit as positive values in our daily life and in society. In Nichiren Daishonin's Buddhism there is no contradiction between prayers and the results of those prayers as they manifest themselves in reality.
The Gohonzon which we pray to is the fundamental basis of our practice. The Gohonzon, the supreme object of worship, is explained in the Gosho as the "cluster of blessings" and "perfectly endowed." It is embodiment of the Law, the original life force of the universe, and contains all of the "treasures" of the universe. The Gohonzon of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo contains the eighty thousand teachings of Shakyamuni and embodies the Mystic Law which is supreme among Buddhist teachings and is in fact the basis of everything that exists.
The Dai-Gohonzon of the high sanctuary of True Buddhism at the Nichiren Shoshu Head Temple, Taiseki-ji, is the basis of all Gohonzon. The Gohonzon, which we are allowed to receive so that we can pray our own homes, can be inscribed only by one of successive High Priests who inherit the true lineage of Nichiren Shoshu.
SGI World Tribune
September 13, 1993, page 5:
"...it is a great mistake to think that only the High Priest is vested with authority reagrding the Gohonzon merely because of position and title..."