"On Dieties" (continued)
October, 1995, NST Myogyoji Temple Magazine
by Rev. Shoshin Kawabe
8/13/95 -- The Original Buddha, Nichiren Daishonin, states in the "Niike Gosho,"
"Moreover, since this country is a land of slander,
the protective deities, hungering for the taste of the Law, have abandoned
their shrines and ascended to heaven, so evil demons have entered them
in their stead and provide guidance for many people. Since the Buddhas
have ceased their teaching and returned to the Pure Land, the temples and
shrines have wastefully formed the haunts of demonic karmic relations.
I picture in my mind their roof tiles lined up in rows using state funds
and people's sorrow. These are not my words. They are in the sutras. You
should learn them. The various Buddhas and deities would absolutely never
accept offerings from slanders. Much less should human beings receive them.
The Great Gracious Deity Kasuga proclaimed through an oracle, 'Though I
should have to eat rice ablaze with copper flames, I will not accept objects
belonging to people with defiled hearts. Though I should have to sit on
a seat ablaze with copper flames, I will not go to the houses of people
with defiled hearts. I would rather go to places with weeds in the corridor
and thatched roofs.' And 'Even if sacred straw festoons were hung for one
thousand days, I will not go to a place where there is no faith. Though
it be a house draped in heavy mourning, I will go to a place where there
is faith.' Just as stated, the deities lament over this country of slander
and ascend to heaven.
A 'defiled heart' refers to those who refuse to embrace the Lotus Sutra.
I see this in the fifth volume of the Lotus Sutra. It is deities who call
slanderous offerings copper flames. Still less should we common mortals
consume flames. If someone who killed my parents attempted to give me something,
could I, as their child, accept it? Even wise men and sages would be unable
to avoid the Hell of Incessant Suffering. In addition, you must no associate
with such slanderers. You should greatly fear being implicated in the same
slander." (Gosho, p. 1458)
Good morning, everyone. It is worthy of respect that all of you Hokkeko members have made a pilgrimage of profound faith on this day, when we hold the monthly Oko lecture in order to repay our debt of gratitude to the Original Buddha, Nichiren Daishonin. I have humbly presented to the Daishonin the offerings all of you have made, and have prayed for the slander and sin of each one of you to be extinguished, for the doubling of your faith and practice, for the promotion of your shakubuku, an for the fulfillment of your heartfelt desires.
It has been a while since I last lectured on the "Niike Gosho," but today I would like to continue where I left off before. For the past three months, I've been discussing this same Gosho passage, and I think we can conclude with the passage today.
To summarize the essentials of last month's lecture, shoten zenjin are people who never tell lies. In accordance with the saying, "Birds of a feather flock together," and according to the principle of kanno doko (similar mysterious sensations), the shoten zenjin reside within the heads of those whose natures are similar to their own, that is, within the heads of honest people, and protect such people. Honesty in this sense is different from the meaning used in society, and means to spend one's entire life walking the one and only correct path. This correct path is the Dai-Gohonzon of the Precept Sanctuary (High Sanctuary) of the Essential Teachings, True Buddhism. In short, only those who practice this one and only Buddhism with non-regressing faith possess the protection of the shoten zenjin.
"Hokke Shuyo Sho" ("Grasping the Essentials of the Lotus Sutra") teaches about shoten zenjin, saying,
"Having now arrived at the Lotus Sutra, the Buddha bestowed the True Law, and arriving at the Essential Teachings of the Lotus Sutra for the first time, the great bodhisattvas, those of the Two Vehicles, Heavenly king Daibon, Heavenly King Taishaku, the Heavenly Kings of the Sun and Moon, the Four Heavenly Kings and the Dragon King and others entered the stage below myogaku (enlightenment) and myogaku itself Therefore, when we face the heavens and look upon those deities, the living Buddha of myogaku sits in the position of the truth and leads the people to benefit." (summary of Gosho, p. 734)
This shows that when Shakyamuni expounded the Lotus Sutra, that is, the Lotus Sutra which is the one and only truth, he revealed that the Buddha and this truth are always one entity, spanning the past and the future. In short, he revealed that the universe has neither beginning nor end, that Buddhism is the unchanging and absolute principle of the oneness of the physical and the spiritual and the principle of the simultaneity of cause and effect ac well as the oneness of the person and the Law. When he did so, the bodhisattvas, those of the Two Vehicles, the shoten zenjin and all the other disciples of the Buddha discarded all the teachings of expedient means in which the truth had yet to be revealed and devoted their lives as one to the one and only absolute Mystic Law. Due to this devotion, the shoten zenjin as well were able to acquire absolute enlightenment, called myogaku.
This myogaku of the shoten zenjin is extremely important. As I just explained, myogaku is the true absolute attainment of Buddhahood, but it is impossible to obtain apart from the Lotus sutra. There is only one "correct," only one "absolute" and only one "truth". The Buddha's physical and spiritual is only one. in the same way there is only one path the Buddha followed in his attainment of Buddhahood. Disregarding this fact and giving priority to one's own preferences, and saying or teaching that "All doctrines are the teachings of the Buddha," or "There's freedom of religion, so they're all the same" is itself sophistry, deludes the people who hear it, and is a ridiculous heresy which promotes suffering.
This is an important point, so I'll elaborate a little. In Japan, a New Religion called "Aum Shinri Kyo" carried out a mass killing using poisonous gas. The crimes of this fanatical group are extraordinarily profound. There is no limit to them. They have killed, kidnapped, injured, broken child welfare laws, illegally possessed guns and swords, violated laws concerning medicines, used narcotics and caused riots. Whenever we in Nichiren Shoshu refute other religions, including this group, people in society on the whole criticize us, saying, "It's not good to speak ill of other religions."
However, when something like the above happens, they forget what they previously said and begin to criticize that group, saying, "That religion is no good." It is also terrible to shift total responsibility for what happened over to others. Are not the people of society who distorted the idea of religious freedom the ones who left that religion alone and thus prepared the way for these events. Those in society who failed to discriminate between religious truth and heresy are the very ones who should bear the responsibility.
In the same way, the mass media irresponsibly says, "These events happened most of all because Buddhism is degraded." When I saw these events, it occurred to me that I was witnessing the arrogant and dishonest ugliness of society. There is no reason to expect that shoten zenjin will protect such people. This is the true depiction of corrupted society.
In "Rissho Ankoku Ron," Nichiren Daishonin states,
"When the nation is corrupted, the destructive deities are corrupted first Since the destructive deities are corrupted, all the people are corrupted." (Gosho, p. 249)
The reality of these very real occurrences in society also offer proof that Nichiren Daishonin's Buddhism is the truth.
Returning to the main subject of my talk, the shoten zenjin protect the votaries of the Lotus Sutra through the tremendous power of their Buddhahood. To explain it simply, if the shoten zenjin did not possess the life condition of Buddhahood, they would offer no protection. There is absolutely no difference between the Buddhahood of common mortals, the Buddhahood of the shoten zenjin and the Buddhahood of the Mystic Law. This is extremely important.
The Mystic Law of common mortals and the Mystic Law of the shoten zenjin are exactly the same. Because of this, common mortals and the shoten zenjin share similar mysterious sensations, and the shoten zenjin reside inside the honest heads of those people. At present, there are individuals who correctly practice the Mystic Law, but society itself is overwhelmingly comprised of many people who do not, so the shoten zenjin provide no protection for society.
The "Niike Gosho" states,
"Moreover, since this country is a land of slander, the protective deities, hungering for the taste of the Law, have abandoned their shrines and ascended to heaven, so evil demons have entered them in their stead and provide guidance for many people. Since the Buddhas have ceased their teaching and returned to the Pure Land, the temples and shrines have wastefully formed the haunts of demonic karmic relations."
This passage describes the situation precisely. Christianity and Buddhism give one another their tacit approval, and I hear there are may religious people and priests who say with a serious face, "All religions are the same. Other religions are fine but believe in the religion I'm advocating." This way of thinking gives rise to insane religions, which sometimes cause people to live in fear. People fail to realize what the cause of this is.
"...so evil demons have entered them in their stead and provide guidance for many people." Just as this passage indicates,aren't the above truly the teachings of demons? "...the temples and shrines have wastefully formed the haunts of demonic karmic relations."
And just as this passage indicates, do not demons truly reside within the temples of heretical teachings? No matter how beautiful a temple or a church is, since their teachings are heretical, no deities or Buddhas are there.
The shoten zenjin do not limit themselves to beautiful people living in mansions. No matter how much they themselves have to suffer as a result, they definitely protect a person who believes in the Dai-Gohonzon, the ultimate of the Mystic Law, and who honestly practices, no matter where or when. However, a person who makes no efforts, a selfish person, or a person who relies only upon the protection of the shoten zenjin will never be protected. The guidance you received back in your SGI days that, "If you pray to the Gohonzon, you can get anything you want," completely disregards this doctrine.
In the first prayer of gongyo we shoten zenjin fulfill their allotted functions. In short, it means that through our practice we attain the life condition of Buddhahood. Furthermore, without this life condition of Buddhahood, the shoten zenjin will not function. In addition, the Buddha and the shoten zenjin have a master and disciple relationship, and in terms of their underlying inseparability, the shoten zenjin on this planet share a single entity with the Original Buddha of the origin of eternity (kuon ganjo). In terms of their separability, the shoten zenjin have a role to fulfill as the disciples and followers of the Original Buddha. This is an extremely profound doctrine.
This is the third time I've discussed the shoten zenjin, but if you understand about shoten zenjin, then I think you will easily understand what I'm going to discuss in the future. I'll conclude my talk today by reading a passage from the Gosho.
"Myoho Mandala Kuyo Ji" ( On Presenting the Mandala of the Mystic Law) states,
"The world has already entered the Latter Day of the Law, and aside from this not being the time for the other sects, the people have become incorrigible doubters and great slanderers throughout the entire Japanese nation. Furthermore, relatively speaking, their sin is worse than that of killing one's father and mother, the sin of fomenting a rebellion and the sin of injuring the Buddha. People who commit tremendous sins more profound than single-handedly extracting the eyes of all the people of a major world system, and exceeding even that of burning down the temples in the ten directions of the universe, fill the entire Japanese nation. Therefore, the heavens, their eyes filled with anger, glare down every day upon the Japanese nation and the earthly deities are enraged, occasionally trembling in anger. However, all the people in our realm believe themselves free of fault, and believe they will be reborn and attain Buddhahood. Those with no eyes neither see nor are aware of the brilliant sun. For example, those who are sleeping are not aware of an earthquake which rumbles like a giant drum. All the people of the Japanese nations are like this." (Gosho, pg. 690)
I sincerely pray for everyone's increasing faith, advancement
of shakubuku and good health. Thank you for your kind attention.