When you face the Honmon no Gohonzon of the Three Great Secret Laws, with faith in the Gohonzon, then chant - this is called Honmon no Daimoku. The important thing is this precise moment of ichinen.
The Daishonin states in the Gosho, Questions and Answers on Embracing the Lotus Sutra. "Moreover, as life does not go beyond the moment..." (Major Writings, Vol. 5, pg. 34).
Life is the accumulation of moment to moment. Whenever you do shodai, for ten minutes (or whatever time), each single moment of shodai is extremely important. Your ichinen must be the ichinen of faith.
There are three credences which comprise the ichinen of faith:
1. Place credence in the fact that the Gohonzon is the Buddha of limitless joy and the original Buddha of the Three Properties. The Gohonzon is the True Buddha, Nichiren Daishonin. In fact, if you look carefully at the Gohonzon, you will notice that down the center of the Gohonzon there is written not only "Nam-myoho-renge-kyo," but "Nam-myoho-renge-kyo - Nichiren." This has great significance.
2. Place credence in the fact that the Gohonzon is the realization of the Daishonin's enlightenment.
3. Place credence in the fact that the Gohonzon is the only path to enlightenment for us, as common mortals.
When we common mortals, living in the illusion of the six lower worlds, chant only to have our desires fulfilled, we are engaged in the practice of prayer. The ichinen of prayer and the ichinen of faith are totally different, like night and day. The original purpose of chanting daimoku to the Gohonzon is Kyochi-myogo with the Gohonzon which activates one's Buddha nature; this is what is meant by the Daishonin when he refers to "Kanjin no Honzon" (The object of worship to observe one's heart and mind). However, it must be emphasized that it is not wrong to pray about your problems or for what you want and need. Ultimately, these explanations regarding the differences between the practice of prayer and the practice of faith are guidelines to help us to have a correct spirit and concentrate to the fullest when we chant daimoku or recite the sutra to the Gohonzon.
The Daishonin states in the Letter to Gijo-bo: "The Jigage, the verse section of the chapter (in the Lotus Sutra) states, single-mindedly yearning to see the Buddha, I do not begrudge my life." This inner core itself is the Buddha of limitless joy and the original Buddha of the Three Properties. Moment by moment our behavior must solely be 'single-mindedly yearning to see the Buddha, I do not begrudge my life.'
This clarifies the direct path to grasp the Buddha nature as a common mortal. The correct ichinen of shodai is "single-mindedly yearning to see the Buddha, I do not begrudge my life." In The True Object of Worship, Nichiren Daishonin said:
"Kanjin means to observe one's own heart and mind and to find the Ten Worlds within it." (Major Writings, Vol. 1, pg. 49)
The 26th High Priest, Nichikan Shonin, explains about this passage as follows:
"To observe one's heart and mind means to place credence in the Gohonzon. To 'find the ten worlds within' means chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. When you place credence in the Gohonzon and chant daimoku, the ten worlds within the Gohonzon become the ten worlds within 'to observe one's own mind."'Shin-gyo-gushoku' means faith and practice are mutually inclusive; faith is contained in practice and practice is contained in faith. That is called Honmon no Daimoku. This kind of daimoku brings you kyochimyogo with the Gohonzon."
When you chant solely with the ichinen of prayer to the point that you cannot even concentrate on your daimoku or even see the Gohonzon, then your ichinen of faith is diminished. Therefore, when your ichinen at that precise moment is to fulfill your desire, you cannot have kyochi-myogo with the Gohonzon. Thus, in this manner the practice of prayer cannot become the practice of Honmon no Daimoku.
The Daishonin never actually said in any Gosho that we should engage solely in the practice of prayer. However, the Daishonin never denies prayer either. He states in the Gosho, On Prayer:
"When you pray with the Lotus Sutra, your prayers will never fail to be answered. "
When the Daishonin talks about prayer he always declares the subject of his intention. The following examples make this clear:
1. "My only worry is that she may die young; therefore, I'm praying with all my might for the Gods to protect her." (Reply to Kvo'o, Major Writings, Vol. 1, pg. 120)
2. "I am praying that no matter how troubled the times may become, the Lotus Sutra and the ten demon daughters will protect all of you, praying as earnestly as though to produce fire from damp wood or to obtain water from parched ground. " (Rebuking Slander of the Law and Eradicating Sins. Major Writings Vol. 6, pg. 74)
3. "If you pray earnestly to benefit others, how could your prayer go unanswered?" (On Prayer, Gosho Zenshu, pg. 1352).
4. "Under the circumstances, I feel great pity for persons such as you and the others, but there is little I can do to help. Nevertheless, I pray day and night to the Lotus Sutra. You, too, must spare no effort in offering up prayers with firm faith. " (The Story of Ohashi no Taro, Major Writings, Vol. 6, pg. 155).
These quotes indicate the difference between shodai and prayer. In Nichiren Shoshu, traditionally as a general rule, you offer personal prayers in the fourth silent prayer during morning Gongyo each day. Day by day, month after month, we need to deepen our faith and our understanding of the practice. The most important thing is to chant as sincerely and as much daimoku as possible to the point that you feel satisfied. In this way you will enjoy your practice, receive infinite benefits and joy from the Gohonzon and receive protection from the Shoten Zenjin. In Reply to Lord Matsuno, Nichiren Daishonin states:
"As a layman, you should single-mindedly chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo morning and evening, day and night, and then witness the results at the last moment of your life" (Major Writings, Vol. 5, pg. 237).
In this phrase, emphasis is placed on the importance of "single-mindedly." When you have this kind of faith, other distractions or thoughts will diminish. The most important point regarding "single-mindedly" is to strive to chant daimoku in this manner. When you chant in this manner, you will accomplish kyochi-myogo with the Gohonzon and as a result you are able to spring forth life force, change your karma and receive the protection from the Shoten Zenjin. You must have confidence in this.
For the past 700 years, Nichiren Shoshu has conducted shodai in this manner. Shodai is a profound Buddhist practice. Therefore, you must practice correctly, strictly and seriously and, above all, sincerely. The Gohonzon's power of the Buddha and the power of the Law are unlimited. The extent of this power is unfathomable.
Let's enjoy our practice and receive lots of benefit from the Gohonzon.
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