Niike Gosho Part 12
6/9/96 -- The Original Buddha Nichiren Daishonin states in "Niike Gosho,"
There is no doubt that the protective deities have abandoned this country. The deities, bodhisattvas and men of learning made a pledge in front of Shakyamuni in the ancient past. They said that if there should be country which is an enemy of the Lotus Sutra, they would become frost and hail in June and bring famine to that country. They said they would become insects and completely devour all of the five grains. They said they would cause a drought, or become floods and flow through the fields and gardens. They said they would become great winds and blow the people to their deaths. They each said they would become evil demons and bring suffering to the people. The present Bodhisattva Hachiman was at that gathering. Bodhisattva Hachiman, how can you not be afraid of violating the pledge you made on Ryojusen? If you were to violate it, you would no doubt fall into the hell of incessant suf- ferings. You should fear this. You should fear this. (Gosho, page 1459)
Good morning, everyone. Today we have conducted the monthly ceremony to repay our debt of gratitude to the Original Buddha Nichiren Daishonin, and it is wor- thy of respect that all of you Hokkeko members of this temple have made a pilgrimage of profound faith to take part in this ceremony. I have just now humbly presented to the Gohonzon everyone's offerings of profound faith and practice, and have reported them all to the Gohonzon. I also prayed for all of you to expiate your sins from the beginningless past, to double your faith and practice, to advance in shakubuku, to have itai doshin, and to have good health in body and mind. Today I will continue to speak on the Niike Gosho. The passage we read today explains the fundamental cause for the continued occurrence of earthquakes, typhoons, epidemics and disasters in Japan at that time, as well as for the painful deaths of so many people. One main point that is noteworthy is that when people today read the events in these passages, they think that such suffering belonged to the people of those days, and that it has nothing to do with them. It is something that hap- pened to someone else.
Today, there is no end to the dis- asters, wars or people's sufferings throughout the world. We watch these events on television as though they are happening to someone else, but even though the exact same things could happen to us tomorrow, or even an hour from now, we are not amazed. A proverb says, -Today, someone else, tomorrow, me," but if we were the actual sufferers, we would fully realize that the mat- ters which the Daishonin wrote about in "Rissho Ankoku Ron" are actually continuing to occur in today's modern world. If you think about it from that standpoint, I think you will naturally understand the meaning of the passage we read today.
If we read this passage just on the surface, we will think, "Those who do not believe in the Lotus Sutra and slander it will receive punishment from heaven, suffer and become unhappy. Since the heavenly deities made a pledge to the Buddha, unless they punish the enemies of the Lotus Sutra, they themselves will suffer in hell." If that is all we read, we will think, "The Buddha is entire- ly merciless and leads a frightening existence." However, if we think about it, there is no reason to think that the Buddha is merciless. As all of you well know, Buddhism explains about three calamities and seven disasters. These teachings are expounded in the Konkomyo Sutra, the Nio Sutra, the Daishin Sutra, the Yakushi Sutra and others. Nichiren Daishonin explained them in detail in the "Rissho Ankoku Ron," in particu- lar. These teachings say that in an age 2,000 years after the Buddha's passing, that is, approximately 1,000 AD, the Pure Law would become extinct and it would be the age of the end of the Law (Mappo). Buddhism would completely lose its power and the world would begin to become disordered. There are slight differences accord- ing to each sutra, but the three calamities are either con- flagrations, floods and epidemics, or wars, disputes and famines. The seven disasters are extraordinary changes in the sun and moon, epidemics, invasion from other countries, internal strife, famines, storm and flood dam- age, and extraordinary changes in the heavenly bodies. Changes in the movements of the sun and moon, as well as the other heavenly bodies, would have a profound impact on the earth.
We see the prevalence of AIDS and Mad Cow Disease, people suffering due to never-ending wars, disputes and rebellions, famine in North Korea and Africa, and people being sacrificed by yearly storms and floods, volcanoes and earthquakes. Is this not exact- ly as the sutra states?
A tradition from the past says, "If people's hearts and society become disordered, heaven and earth will become disordered." I think there are extremely few people who earnestly believe in what this tradition tells us. Science and culture have developed, not based upon Buddhism, but based upon people's arrogance and self- ishness, so there is a strong tendency to view such things as being superstitions. Among the sages of the eras of the correct Law (Shoho) and the image Law (Zoho), there were many who contented themselves with the relics of Myoho-renge-kyo. Even though such people were not Buddhas, it was only natural that they leave behind precepts which would show people one portion of the Mystic Law. Such traditions show one aspect of the relationship between people and heavenly deities. However, since they were not Buddhas, they could not reveal Myoho-renge-kyo.
People today think there is no connection between natural disasters and disorder within society, but this is an extremely shallow view which only considers these matters on the surface. Of course, there is a close relationship between natural disasters and societal disorders, and in particular, between natural disasters and disorders in religion and thought. This applies to the motion of a machine as well. When some- thing goes amiss and there is a stoppage in the cog- wheels or the flow of electricity, there is a discord between the energy and the equipment. The result is breakdowns and accidents.
We could say the same for the human body. I've spoken previously about how Buddhism shows that "heavenly deities" indicates the existence and function of everything in the universe, and it is the same with the frightful three calamities and seven disasters which befall us. When we and the uni- verse are extremely out of sync, this produces tremen- dous disasters. What do I mean by this'! A definite dif- ference between heavenly deities and human beings is, as the farmers say, "The earth tells no lies." The former are completely honest, and the latter are dishonest peo- ple who tell huge lies. Buddhism explains that when this distinction becomes vast, equilibrium is destroyed and tremendous disasters are the result.
"The True Aspect of All Laws" states,
"The true entity of all Laws is the true entity of Myoho-renge-kyo. This is called the true aspect of all Laws." (Gosho, page 665)
"Bequeathal of Seven Articles Concerning the Gohonzon" states,
"The heart of it is that the Lotus Sutra, Shakyamnuni, Taho, Jogyo, Muhengyo and the rest, Fugen, Monju, Shariputra, Kashyapa, Heavenly King Daibon, Heavenly King Taishaku, the Four Heavenly Kings, the sun and moon, Kishimojin, the ten demon daughters, Tensho Daijin, the Great Bodhisattva Hachiman and all the rest are all Nichiren... The five ele- ments of the-universe-are the five elements of a single heart, and one of the five elements is the five elements of the universe. The universe equals Nichiren, and Nichiren equals the universe." ("The Sacred Texts of Nichiren Shoshu," page 379)
In short, the Original Buddha, the universe and the heavenly deities are not separate existences. They exist in a single body as separate bodies. This is because the fact that heavenly beings are completely honest shows that their very existence is Myoho-renge-kyo. Since peo- ple embrace ideologies which run counter to the Mystic Law and behave in a way which places precedence on their own dishonest, selfish and egotistical satisfactions and benefits, it is only natural for tremendous disasters to occur and for them to receive tremendous sufferings.
Even if food is prepared, it's of no use if no one eats it. No matter how much the Buddha wants to save people or how much the heavenly deities want to protect them, unless the people receive them into their hearts, they can neither be saved nor protected.
An excellent cook who holds a kitchen knife can pre- pare sumptuous food and delight many people. Seen from this aspect, the kitchen knife would become a won- derful gift from the heavenly deities and the universe. However, what would happen if a bloodthirsty felon held the same kitchen knife? It would become a fright- ening tool of disaster which would take people's lives. It would be nothing more than an evil demon. The heaven- ly deities are exactly the same. The original entity of both demons and gods are one and the same. For those who correctly practice the Lotus Sutra, they naturally function as heavenly deities and protect those people in seen and unseen ways. Furthermore, this is their job, and it gives them unparalleled delight. The same rain can fall lightly or heavily. However, for those who do not believe in the Lotus Sutra and slander it, even if they want to protect them, they naturally function as demons. For this reason, nothing is truly out of place. This is shown by the explanation of the sutra passage which reveals the pledge of the heavenly deities in the Lotus Sutra.
If we become truly honest and receive and embrace the one and only Gohonzon of Myoho-renge-kyo, this in itself will greatly delight the heavenly deities and even without our desiring it, they will naturally protect us. There is a joyful heart in both nature and the universe. Let's immediately reflect up ourselves and please live a life of faith full of courage and hope.
Someone raised a question about last month's Oko, so I will now take this opportunity to answer it. A portion of the Gosho we read last month states,
"For the Four Great Men of Learning to embrace the 250 precepts was like a diamond, and to endow themselves with the three thousand properties was like the (full) moon on the night of the 15th, but when they did not embrace the lotus Sutra, the Buddha spoke of them in the above manner. The present age is all the more inferior and the people are all the more below them. The priests of Kenchoji and Enkakuji destroying the precepts is like a mountain being leveled, and their reckless behavior resembles that of monkeys." (Gosho, page 1458)
In contrast, "Four Debts of Gratitude" states,
"Therefore, it is expounded in the Daishukyo, 'Think of a person who, in the fifth five hundred year period, tor- ments priests with no wisdom and no precepts, saying they are guilty of sins, as someone who is extinguishing the great lamp of Buddhism." (Gosho, page 268)
Someone asked if this showed that Nichiren Daishonin himself was a person who extinguished the great lamp of Buddhism. Kenchoji and Enkakuji both exist in Kamakura in present-day Kanagawa Prefecture. I have visited them a number of times to observe them as a part of my studies. They are denominations founded upon the precepts of so-called Hinayana Buddhism. They teach that to obey the precepts is an absolute. Even while they themselves determined this, behind the scenes they calmly violate their own standards by eating meat, drinking alcohol and keeping company with women. On the surface they put on the face of a sage, but behind the scenes they calmly deceive people. Therefore, the Daishonin refuted them by saying,
"The priests of Kenchoji and Enkakuji destroying the precepts is like a mountain being leveled, and their reckless behavior resembles that of monkeys."
In contrast, the passage from "Four Debts of Gratitude" which states,
"...in the fifth five hundred year period...priests with no wisdom and no precepts..."
indicates the priests who believe in, practice to and propagate the Daishonin's Gohonzon in the period of the end of the Law (Mappo). These priests do not spread Shakyamuni's Buddhism, so they have absolutely no connection with the Hinayana and Mahayana precepts. Therefore, there are no precepts. Those who slander the priests of the correct Law say, "Nichiren Shoshu's priests violate the precepts." So Shakyamuni spoke in the above manner in order to pro- tect Nichiren Daishonin and his priests and believers in the period of the end of the Law.
My earlier explanation was lacking, so I just wanted to remedy it.
Finally, on July 6 we will conduct a ceremony to com- memorate the fifteenth anniversary of the establishment of Myogyoji and hold a General Meeting of the Myogyoji Chapter of the Hokkeko. I will conclude today's sermon with a prayer to the Gohonzon that we will work in itai doshin toward the success of these events.
The Yakuo Chapter of the Lotus Sutra states,
"After my passing, spread this throughout the entire world in the final five hundred year period, and consider its extinction to be tidings from evil demons, evil people, various deities, dragons, female demons and others." (Lotus Sutra, page 605)
Thank you for your kind attention.