GOSHO LECTURE
NICHIREN SHOSHU TEMPLE - MYOGYOJI
REVEREND SHUDO SUGANO
REFERENCE THE MAJOR WRITINGS OF NICHIREN DAISHONIN, VOLUME TWO PAGE 239, PARAGRAPHS 1 AND 2
Today, I would like to examine the very beginning of the Gosho, "Hell and Buddhahood", on page 239 of Volume Two of the Major Writings...., which I just read.
In this Gosho, the Daishonin clarifies that there is no essential difference between hell and Buddhahood, or between a Buddha and a common mortal. Everything depends upon whether one has embraced the Lotus Sutra or not.
In other words, if one has embraced the True Law of Nam-Myoho-Renge-kyo, he will be able to realize the pure land which exists in the depths of his life. Not only that, he will be able to manifest it in his daily life, even though he may be presently experiencing the sufferings of hell.
This is the profound principle of "sokushin jobutsu", or attaining enlightenment as a common mortal.
But first, let me give you a little background on the person who received this Gosho, Lady Ueno.
Unfortunately, we do not know too much about Lady Ueno and her late husband. According to the limited information we have, Lord Ueno was an official of the Kamakura Government. He became the Daishonin's follower during the time he served at Kamakura. His family religion was Nembutsu and he had practiced it for a long time. He had also suffered from some disease for many years, but he would not give up his family religion.
He finally converted to the Daishonin's Buddhism after personally receiving a letter from the Daishonin in December of 1264, a year before his death. That was ten years before his wife received this Gosho.
From that time on, he was a good example of a votary of the Daishonin's Buddhism, not only for his wife and children, but for other believers also. As a consequence, the Nanjo family members dedicated themselves to the Daishonin's Buddhism generation after generation. Unfortunately, he passed away in the prime of manhood in 1265.
After her husband passed away, Lady Ueno raised her nine children alone. At the same time, she consistently prayed for the peace and Buddhahood of her late husband and made offerings to the Daishonin, in spite of the hardship.
Indeed, Lady Ueno's sincere faith in and attitude toward the Daishonin influenced the entire family, especially Nanjo Tokimitsu.
This Gosho was written to Lady Ueno on July 11, 1274. This was the same year the Daishonin was released from Sado Island. As you Know, upon release, the Daishonin went back to KamaKura to remonstrate with the government a third time, but they ignored his admonishment, just as they did on two former occasions.
When this happened, the Daishonin knew that he had done all that he could in Kamakura; and he left for Mt. Minobu, following the maxim that says: "If a sage admonishes his sovereign three times and still is not heeded, he should depart from that country."
As a consequence, the Daishonin left for Mt. Minobu where he worked and lived until his death. This Gosho was written to Lady Ueno from Mt. Minobu, and he sent it to comfort her. He assures her that although she and her children cannot see or hear him, Lord Ueno is listening and watching over this saha world day and night; and that eventually they will be united on Eagle Peak. He tells her:
"You should revere him as a Buddha. Indeed, he was a Buddha while alive, and in death, he is a Buddha still. His Buddhahood transcends both life and death. This is the meaning of the profound doctrine of sokushin jobutsu, or attaining enlightenment as a common mortal."
It is from the standpoint of "sokushin jobutsu" or attaining enlightenment as a common mortal, that I am going to discuss this Gosho today. The information that I am going to give you now is a review of what you should already know.
As you know, teachings prior to the Lotus Sutra taught that one had to perform austere practices to gain the attributes of the Buddha. After doing so, he could attain enlightenment. In other words, they denied that a common mortal could become a Buddha in his present body, through his present mental abilities and in his present lifetime.
Furthermore, they made a distinction between the Buddha and a common mortal. For them a Buddha was something very special and separate from a common man. However, the Lotus Sutra clarified that ultimately there was complete equality between a Buddha and the common mortal. The Lotus Sutra clarified his principle because it is the doctrine of the one supreme vehicle that enables everyone to attain enlightenment.
In other words, the ultimate purpose of the Lotus Sutra was to declare the possibility of Buddhahood for every one through the practice of it. But even this Lotus Sutra of Shakyamuni's demanded ascetic practice for a long time as well as a past relationship with himself.
The Lotus Sutra set forth the theory or process through which one could become a Buddha. But it didn't explain the practical way to do that. However, it is an important teaching because it makes no distinction between a Buddha and a common mortal. As you know, T'ien-T'ai followed Shakyamuni approximately a thousand years later and clarified the theory. He did this with the doctrine of Ichinen Sanzen which said that the 3,000 worlds of a momentary existence were all permeated with Buddha nature. But his doctrine was still very vague about how to manifest that Buddha nature.
He clarified the Lotus Sutra in detail. But he did not clarify what everyone could do to manifest it in his daily life.
Consequently, only a very elite group could attain enlightenment by practicing T'ien-T'ai's teachings. A practical teaching to enable everyone to manifest their Buddha nature was still needed. One thousand years after T'ien-T'ai, it appeared. What was it? It was, and remains, the Daishonin's Buddhism and the practice of chanting to the Gohonzon. Herein is the paramount teaching and practice of Buddhism; and with it comes the profound doctrine and reality of "sokushin jobutsu" -- -- attaining enlightenment as a common mortal.
To put it another way, with this Buddhism, all common mortals are able to attain Buddhahood through their present bodies, through their present mental abilities, without any ascetic practices, and without spending a long time. Further, when we attain Buddhahood in this lifetime through our original bodies and nature, we will dwell in the pure land of Eagle Peak after death.
Now please do not confuse "pure land of Eagle Peak" with the christian idea of heaven. It does not mean that. The pure land of Eagle Peak means Buddhahood, or an enlightened state achieved in this life and continued in death. In other words, if one has embraced the True Law of Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo, he will be able to realize the purity that exists in the depths of his life; and he will be able to manifest it in his daily life, no matter what situation he faces.
Not only that, after death, his life will continue in a state of enlightenment or Buddhahood. I want to digress a moment and discuss the words, "embrace the True Law of Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo". I do not want you to confuse the easy availability of Gojukai with enlightenment. Gojukai opens the pathway to Buddhahood. But traveling along the pathway to Buddhahood means learning to embrace Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo in our thoughts, with our words and through our deeds.
When we can do that, we are in a state of "sokushin jobutsu". In other words, to embrace in the sense of "sokushin jobutsu", or attaining Buddhahood as a common mortal, means to live the Lotus Sutra. This is the profoundest meaning of "sokushin jobutsu" and it is not easy to realize and believe that at the core of our lives is the purity of the True Law. That is very difficult. Even more difficult is to manifest it in every cause we make with our mouths, minds and bodies.
However, as difficult as that is to do, from the brief information we have about Lady Ueno's husband and the influence he had on his family and other believers, he obviously did precisely that. Therefore, the Daishonin clearly points out to Lady Ueno that her late husband must certainly be a Buddha because he was while he was alive. He had known that he had sincerely embraced the Daishonin's Buddhism in his thoughts, with his words and through his deeds. Therefore the Daishonin says: "Indeed, he was a Buddha while alive, and in death, he is a Buddha still. His Buddhahood transcends both life and death."
With these words, the Daishonin comforts Lady Ueno; and further, he assures her that her marriage to her late husband had a profound meaning and that she continues to share a deep relationship with him. Why does he say this? It is because out of the many men who were her husbands in her past lives, only he led her to enlightenment; and so he tells her that she must revere him as a Buddha. In other words, she should revere him as her true husband who brought her to the true practice of the Lotus Sutra.
From this standpoint, we also should revere the person who taught us or led us to the Daishonin's Buddhism. Further, we must become like them and be the man or woman who leads others to it. This also, is the meaning of "sokushin Jobutsu".
Let's look at "sokushin jobutsu" another way. You have heard it said that faith equal's daily life, and that an enlightened way of behaving should be manifested in daily life. You have also heard that faith, practice and study are the building blocks for enlightenment. In a state of "sokushin jobutsu", or enlightenment as a common mortal, faith equals daily life, practice equals daily life and study equals daily life. Then as human beings who are enlightened to the nature of life, we can manifest our Buddhahood in our daily lives on the forefront of society. Then we can achieve Kosen-Rufu in society. In the Gosho, "Reply to Shijo Kingo", the Daishonin quotes a sentence from the Lotus Sutra, which says:
"Those who join the battle are all in the front lines." He further clarifies the meaning of that statement by adding: "This has the same meaning as 'All principles taught in non-Buddhist philosophies, culture and business are in accord with true Buddhism'."
In other words, everything we see and deal with in our lives and in society are the result of causality. Please remember that this is the meaning of the words, "All phenomena are derived from the one law". We may not like what we see, but it is the result of cause and effect. The state of our personal lives and our societies are the effects of the slanders against Nam-myoho-Renge-Kyo that we personally and collectively made.
Living Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo in these areas and applying the wisdom that comes from the practice of the law enables us to change those effects. Please remember another Gosho, "Proof of the Lotus Sutra" written to Nanjo Tokimitsu, Lady Ueno's son. It tells us what we must do in our personal lives and what we must collectively do when we do not like our lives. It says:
"One who falls to the ground rises by pushing himself up from the ground."
How do we push ourselves up from the ground of our circumstances? By embracing, Nam-Myoho- Renge-Kyo -- the solid ground and foundation of an elevated life condition, and the source of enlightened behavior in our daily lives.
"Sokushin jobutsu", or enlightenment as a common mortal, exists in our daily lives. If it presently does not, we should practice to cause it to exist in our daily lives. If we think that it exist after our deaths because a are discouraged by the problems we face, we may give up and abandon this lifetime.
If we do that, we will not become a Buddha in this lifetime. As a consequence, our lives and our society will not change. Further, to manifest our Buddha nature in this life guarantees that we will take this enlightened state with us into death. I do not want to emphasize death or the next life because we are talking about enlightenment in this one. But let's take a moment and consider the next life, in case you have questions about it.
I cannot precisely tell you what your next life will be. But according to the Law of Causality, it will be in accordance with the causes you make now. It is the law of the universe that everything manifests itself in some form. That form declines and dies. It takes form again in accordance with the causes it is making now.
For this reason, we must bear in mind that our futures, for better or worse, are made in this world now. In other words, our Buddhahood achieved now carries its benefits into the future. In contrast, the failure to make good causes also affects our future, and we will have to suffer negative effects.
I really want you to truly understand that out of all the possible life forms in the universe, it is rare to receive human form and life. This is great fortune. It is only through this form that we can actively embrace Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo in thought, word and deed and become enlightened in this lifetime. This is not easy to do, but the Daishonin tells us precisely how to do this at the end of this Gosho. At the same time, he gives us the true practice for becoming Buddhas as common mortals. He says:
"Base your heart on the Ninth Consciousness and your practice on the six consciousnesses.
The ninth consciousness is the fundamental purifying force that is the essence of our lives -- the law of Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo. This is what we base our faith on and deepen our faith in. This is what we dedicate our hearts to.
The six consciousnesses to base our practice on are our five senses of sight, hearing, taste, smell and touch; in addition to the way we perceive things and make Judgments. If our lives are deeply rooted in the purity of the ninth consciousness our five senses and the way we think will be purified. Then our mouths, bodies and minds will make causes that are pure and show "sokushin jobutsu" -- or our enlightenment as common mortals. Then illusions will disappear and everything will be illuminated.
In other words, we will have no illusions about the nature of heaven and hell; and we will see our lives and the causes we make as they truly are. To receive Gohonzon and the precept to practice is easy, but to embrace Gohonzon and precept in thought, word and deed is difficult.
Yet, the Daishonin says thai Lord Ueno should be revered as a Buddha in death because he was a Buddha in life. In other words he showed his Buddhahood in his daily life through his elevated and enlightened thoughts, words and deeds. This is very difficult to do, but from the March Kosen-Rufu Gongyo lecture, you probably remember what he had to do to deeply root his life in the purity of Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo -- the ninth level of consciousness.
First, he had to follow the Law. He did this by following the Daishonin, who, as the True Buddha since Kuon Ganjo, embodied the Law.
Second, he had to follow the teachings of the Lotus Sutra and not provisional teachings.
Third, he had to follow the intent and meaning of the Lotus Sutra and not its words.
Fourth, he had to follow the wisdom gained from practice to the Gohonzon and not the narrow opinions and biased views gained from discriminative thinking.
So I urge you to embrace Gohonzon this way and purify your senses and thinking so you can elevate your lives to enlightenment in this lifetime. Chant Daimoku and offer gongyo to Gohonzon morning and evening, study and teach others. Take this wisdom you will gain from doing these things into the behavior of your daily lives. If you do so, I assure you that you will manifest your enlightenment in you daily lives and be on the front lines of the struggle for Kosen-Rufu in society.
I want to emphasize -- -- we have to take good care of our daily lives. Don't waste time. To live wisely through the Daishonin's Buddhism is exactly the meaning of the profound doctrine of "sokushin jobutsu" or attaining enlightenment as a common mortal. Please remember the phrase which I quoted earlier:
"Base you heart on the Ninth Consciousness and your practice on the six consciousnesses."
In other words, embrace Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo in your heart and practice it using the six consciousnesses.
Thank you very much.