Myosetsuji Temple
NSH Handbook
Issue No. 1 October 1993
The Daishonin's conduct forms the basis for the formalities of Nichiren Shoshu, which have been transmitted at the Head Temple in the tradition of laws and regulations. The formalities represent both the rituals of substantiation and the manifestation of our faithful spirit. We must learn these formalities to examine our own behavior. Before we delve into a detailed study of the required conduct and the Buddhist ceremonies in this column, we must first explain how the formalities should be understood. The Perception of Formalities What thoughts do we conjure up when we encounter the word "formalities?" We immediately think of rituals. The Oeshiki Ceremony at the Head Temple comes to mind. Huge bonfires are lit on both sides of the main walkway on the temple grounds. As the light and shadows on the cobblestone path become increasingly faint with the approach of night, the slow and deliberate procession led by the High Priest moves towards Mieido Hall. Inside the hall, a lecture is given based on the ancient traditions, and then, before a full, attentive audience, the ceremony of exchanging sake cups is conducted to proclaim the bond between master and disciple.
In terms of tangible elements, we can say that the buildings at the Head Temple represent the formalities on a grand scale by being manifestations of the principles of the correct way of True Buddhism and of the location where Daimoku is chanted. Most important of all for the believers is the correct structure of doing the morning and evening prayers and of performing various functions for the Gohonzon.
The formalities of Nichiren Shoshu represent in various forms the determination that the believers must have towards the Mystic Law and the True Buddha, that is, towards the unity of the person and the Law. The essential point is that we must become one with the Mystic Law that was expounded by the Daishonin. This, in short,is the principle in which the "formalities are in themselves the entities of the Law."
In recent years, there has been a tendency to neglect formalities by considering them to be unnecessary conventions. There are people who omit them because they feel that they are old-fashioned and dull. It is important now to reconsider the significance of these traditional formalities.
THE MIND AND THE FORM
"Although I have endured It is evident in my demeanor My love for you You are buried in your thoughts."
The above is the fortieth poem in the 13th century Collection of One Hundred Poems. Written by Kanemori of the Taira clan, it shows how the mind and form are intricately connected and inseparable. It is about a person's love that is so obvious in his demeanor that it has caught the attention of the people around him.
The more profound a matter is in the mind of a person, the more likely that it will take on a manifest form. The mind and the physical body are deeply connected and interact with each other. When a person is under strain, for example, he naturally uses a great deal of energy and his shoulders become tense. His state of mind is acutely reflected in his physical body.
It is often said that where there is a mind, there is a form. Conversely, where there is a form, there is a mind. These are both true. Matters that are held in one's mind are manifested in a tangible form, Things that are embraced by a person's heart are reflected in his conduct.
The thoughts contained in one's heart will appear as a tangible form (shiki/body). This represents the principle of the oneness of body and mind, which expounds that, although the mind and the body (physical form) are separate, they function as one. When one sees the body, he can read the mind. He can influence the mind through the form. Thus, those who do not take the form seriously are also making light of the deeper mind.
The thoughts in one's mind can only be manifested through speech, writing or conduct. Without these, he cannot communicate. In Buddhism, there is an additional factor - Buddhist practice - that is necessary to indicate the form. The essence of Buddhism lies in the way in which the mind and body naturally unite to function as one.
The fundamental significance of Buddhist practice is "to learn through repetition." Buddhism is also explained in terms of the principle of kaiko kunju, which literally means to scent one's body with the fragrant incense of the precepts, to eschew evil acts and perform good deeds, and to learn to maintain a pure mind.
The most expedient means of controlling our minds is to regulate our bodies. The same holds true in the understanding of the essence of the entities of the Law and of the formalities. The entities of the Law can be truly embraced by comprehending the formalities in their structured forms.
THE ENTITIES OF THE LAW AND THE FORMALITIES IN NICHIREN SHOSHU
The words "entities of the Law" and "formalities" originally were concepts of the T'ien-t'ai sect. The formalities refer to the rituals of the Buddhist teachings. They are the means by which to guide people. The entities of the Law are the doctrines by which to guide them.
The principles of Tien-t'ai expound the four teachings of method (the sudden, the gradual, the secret and the indeterminate teachings) and the four teachings of doctrine (the Tripitaka [sutras, rules of discipline, doctrinal treatises], the connecting, the specific and the perfect teachings). Altogether, the eight teachings were used in T'ien-t'ai's classification of the five periods and eight teachings to expound the superiority of the Lotus Sutra over the other sutras.
The formalities are often paired with the entities of the Law. They should not be considered opposing principles, however. If we liken them to medical treatment, the entities of the Law would be the medicine, and the formality would refer to the act of taking the medicine. Both are equally crucial to fight against disease. Correct faith and practice result only with the combination of the entities of the Law and the formalities. Both are present when we exert ourselves in our Buddhist practice.
In Nichiren Shoshu, the word "formalities" appears in the Gosho, Reply to Lord Uemon: "You, also, are a man who is entrusted with the formalities of Bodhisattva Jogyo."
The formalities refer to the conduct of the Daishonin. Thereafter, in the Twenty-six Warning Articles by Nikko Shonin and the Formalities of True Buddhism by Nichiu Shonin, the general principles of the belief and formalities were concretely established. Based on these two documents, various additional unwritten directives were incorporated to form the laws and regulations of the Head Temple Taisekiji that have been transmitted to us to this day. If one stays at the Head Temple, without knowing it, he would learn the principles of beliefs and formalities, and by tacit understanding, he would be practicing them.
Let us now consider the relationship between the entities of the Law and the formalities in Nichiren Shoshu.
The entities of the Law are the doctrines themselves, and they are assimilated into the five syllables of the Mystic Law (Myoho-Renge-Kyo), which represent the essence of Buddhism. We must embrace the entities of the Law with our hearts and believe in the realm of our mind. The formalities are the doctrines that are put into a structured form. From our standpoint, it means that we have an open attitude towards faith and perform the entities of the Law by embracing them with our hearts and acting accordingly. They represent the methods and structures of our Buddhist practice.
Thus, the entities of the Law transcend the three existences and are universal. The formalities, however, have a tradition of seven-hundred years in Nichiren Shoshu. The entities of the Law in the realm of the Mystic Law and the formalities in the phenomenal world are united as one. Herein lies the significance of the practice in which the formalities are in themselves the entities of the Law.
The Gosho states:
"The true purpose of Shakyamuni's advent in this world is contained in the conduct of the people." (Shinpen, p. 1174)
Thus, we must dualize that we can fulfill the Buddha's intent by correctly performing the formalities. By so doing, we will be able to achieve the state in which the formalities are in themselves the entities of the Law.This, in turn, will enable all of us to deepen our conviction in our faith and practice.
Copyright 1994, Nichiren Shoshu Monthly, November, 1994