OKO 2/12/95
Myogyoji Temple, Reverend Shoshin Kawabe
The 21st chapter of the Lotus Sutra, the Jinriki (Divine Power) Chapter, states,
"After the passing of the Thus Come One, that person will know the causal relations of all the sutras preached by the Buddha and will preach them truthfully in accordance with doctrine. As the sun and the moon skillfully eradicate the dimness, that person will practice in the world and skillfully extinguish the benightedness of the people. In the end he will cause incalculable Bodhisattvas to dwell in the One Vehicle. (Myoho Renge Kyo, Kaiketsu, page 584)
Good morning, everyone. It is truly respectworthy that in spite of your fatigue, you made a pilgrimage to the temple in order to repay your debt of gratitude to the True Buddha on this day when we observed the ceremony commemorating the birth of the Original Buddha Nichiren Daishonin. I humbly presented everyone's offerings to the Gohonzon and offered prayers for the expiation of everyone's slander and sins, the doubling of your faith, advancement in your shakubuku and the peace and harmony of your families.
I've spoken about this before, but this Myogyoji Temple is the Taisekiji of the American Midwest, and it is here that the Gohonzon, the life of Nichiren Daishonin, everyone's Great Master, resides. This temple is the "arena to which we devote our lives and in which we dwell" where we exert ourselves in Buddhist practice with our Master and attain Buddhahood. I think this arena is where our entire daily lives begin, and that we must never forget that this arena is our foundation. It is extremely far from downtown Chicago, and transportation is inconvenient, so I think even if you want to make a pilgrimage here, it's not easy to do so. Amidst such circumstances, to embrace the strong determination that "I'll practice together with the Gohonzon" and to spur yourselves on to make a pilgrimage is nearly impossible. I have heart-felt respect for the sincerity you all have toward your faith and practice. From this point forward, please be mutually diligent and be successful in your practice of making pilgrimages to this temple.
Nichiren Daishonin was born in a fishing village called Kominato in Awa Province (modern day Chiba Prefecture, the same prefecture where Narita Airport is) in Japan on the 16th day of the 2nd month of 1222 (the 1st year of Jo-o). His father's name was Mikuni no Tayu, and his mother's name was Umegiku. He was named Zennichimaro as a baby.
There is a transfer document entitled "Ubuyu Sojo" ( "The Bequeathal of the Newborn Baby's First Bath") which Nichiren Daishonin bequeathed to Nikko Shonin It contains detailed writings surrounding the Daishonin's birth. Among them is the following account. This is a story the Daishonin's mother told the Daishonin.
"Your father Tayu also said, 'I too had a mysterious dream. Bodhisattva Kokuzo had an extremely darling child perched on his shoulder. He said, "Because of me this child is Bodhisattva Jogyo. He is a great Bodhisattva who will produce a treasure for the sake of the people under the sun. Furthermore, in the future he will be an eternal Great Leader of the Three Existences for the sake of all sentient beings. I give him to you." After I had that dream, I heard from you that you were pregnant.' You are surely a Sage. Furthermore, in a dream I had the night before you were born, 1 climbed to the top of Mt. Fuji and looked out over the ten directions. It was as clear as looking the palm of my own hand, and the Three Existences were crystal clear. The Buddhist Gods Bonten, Taishaku and the Four Heavenly Kings descended to me, and informed me, 'The Buddha of Absolute Freedom who appeared in the person of Bodhisattva Jogyo in order to save all people is descending to this realm of common mortals. His birth will be soon...'" (Gosho, page 1708)
This Gosho contains other accounts related to the Daishonin's birth, and contains extremely important transmission contents, but at present it is not completely translated into English. Among its contents, I should make special mention of the fact that it clearly states that Nichiren Daishonin is "Bodhisattva Jogyo, the founder Shakyamuni Buddha of the Latter Day of the Law." This is a slightly difficult doctrine, but I think you are all well aware that everything has a cause and an effect.
Shakyamuni of India was a Buddha, a person who attained completion. In other words, he displayed the effect. If there is no cause, there is absolutely never an effect, so even though Shakyamuni was certainly a Buddha, he smacks of being one-sided and lacking an original cause. This Bodhisattva is the cause for Shakyamuni attaining Buddhahood, that is, he displays the ultimate foundation of Shakyamuni's practice of sokushin jobutsu (attaining Buddhahood with this very body) in kuon-ganjo. There are many people who interpret kuon-ganjo as being the beginning of the universe, but this a tremendous mistake.
Kuon-ganjo is when the Original Buddha, an actual person, was a common mortal the same as us and himself became enlightened to Myoho-renge-kyo, practiced it and attained sokushin jobutsu by enlightening the people. In short, Bodhisattva Jogyo is another name for the most fundamental Buddha who possesses all the causes and effects of the original cause. Bodhisattva Jogyo is definitely the one who grasped the aspect of that cause and gave it its name. If I were to discuss that, I would have to talk continuously for a week, so I'll stop here, but essentially this is important doctrinal proof which clearly shows that Nichiren Daishonin is the Original Buddha.
This Bodhisattva Jogyo is hardly known in general Buddhist circles. The reason is because during the 80 years of Shakyamuni's lifetime, this Great Bodhisattva suddenly appeared in the 15th chapter of the Lotus Sutra, the Juji Yujutsu (Springing from the Earth) Chapter and returned to the earth at the time of the 22nd Chapter, the Zokurui (Troubling the Buddha to Grant His Teachings) Chapter. In terms of the number of years, they appeared before Shakyamuni for only around two and a half years. After Shakyamuni expounded the Lotus Sutra in the Nyorai Juryo (The Lifespan of the Thus Come One) Chapter, in the 21st Chapter, the Jinriki Chapter, Bodhisattva Jogyo received the nucleus of Buddhism from Shakyamuni in order to propagate Buddhism in the Latter Day of the Law. Therefore, he pledged to Shakyamuni that he would be reborn as the Original Buddha of the Latter Day of the Law in order to save the people of the Latter Day of the Law. The passage from the Lotus Sutra I read at the beginning of my sermon indicates this fact. "This person" is without a doubt Bodhisattva Jogyo.
The Daishonin states in "San Dai Hiho Sho" ( "On the Three Great Secret Laws"),
"These Three Great Secret Laws were certainly orally
bequeathed from the founder, the World-Honored One of Profound Enlightenment,
to Nichiren, as the leader of the Bodhisattvas of the Earth of the thousand
worlds. Currently Nichiren's actions do not vary in the slightest from
the transferal at Ryojusen, and does not vary even in appearance with the
Three Important Matters of the Juryo Chapter."
(Gosho, page 1595)
He states in "Nanjo Dono Gohenji" ( "Reply to Lord Nanjo"),
"The Secret Law of Great Importance of the founder Shakyamuni was transmitted at Ryojusen, and Nichiren embraces it, secret and hidden in his heart." (Gosho, page 1595)
He does not use the words "Bodhisattva Jogyo," but these passages relate that he himself is clearly the reincarnation of Bodhisattva Jogyo. I need not explain that the nucleus of Buddhism as indicated by the phrases "Three Great Secret Laws" and the "Secret Law of Great Importance" is the Dai-Gohonzon. It further states in "Nanjo Dono Gohenji,"
"Within Nichiren's heart is where all Buddhas enter Nirvana, on his tongue is where they turn the wheel of the Law, his throat is where they are born, and they will attain perfect enlightenment when they enter his mouth." (Gosho, page 1569)
This suggests that he himself is the Original Buddha, and that all the Buddhas of the Three Existences are born from Nichiren Daishonin. Other Nichiren sects assert that "The Daishonin is forever and always a Great Bodhisattva, and is not the Original Buddha." They do not regard the transmission as being important. They do not believe in the bequeathal of the conferral of the Law. That way of thinking itself slanders the lotus Sutra, but since they would judge Buddhism based upon their own views and a surface understanding, it gives rise to arrogance and the inability to understand. They cannot understand even the meaning of "the Extinction of the Pure Law" of which Shakyamuni spoke. They completely believe without doubt that Shakyamuni is the Original Buddha. Based on this, we see just how frightening are selfish views, arrogance and teachings expounded in accordance with the minds of others.
It explains in the Lotus Sutra that when the innumerable Bodhisattvas of the Earth appeared behind Bodhisattva Jogyo, a great earthquake occurred and the earth spilt open:
"The realms and earths of the major world system of the saha world all shook and split open, and from within them sprang out at the same time immeasurable quadrillions of Bodhisattvas and Mahasattvas." (Myoho-renge-kyo, Kaiketsu, page 474)
This is frequently explained in the Gosho, but when the true Great Buddhism which saves all the people of the Latter Day of the Law spreads, great omens definitely appear. Last year the General Tozan of "60,000 Bodhisattvas of the Earth" was conducted. This general meeting holds the profound significance of being a new departure for world wide kosen-rufu. When we consider that it was also mysterious that at the same time this meeting brought about great slander on the part of the Soka Gakkai, it holds an extremely mysterious causal relationship.
"Zuiso Gosho" ( "Omens Gosho") explains,
"Great matters have no small omens. When great evil occurs, great good comes. There is already great slander in the country. The Great True Law will definitely spread. Why should each of you grieve?" (Gosho, page 796)
Furthermore, it is said that important matters know the time. As you all know, in Japan a volcano that erupted four years ago continues to erupt today and great earthquakes are occurring in succession. You also all understand that the three calamities and seven disasters of floods and regional disputes are occurring in the world exactly as taught in the sutras and the Gosho. The time for the spread of the Great Law is arriving before our eyes. The time for shakubuku is arriving. Who do think the "innumerable Bodhisattvas" of the Jinriki Chapter refers to? It refers to Nichiren Daishonin's disciples and lay believers who in the Latter Day of the Law practice Buddhism correctly, carry out shakubuku and save the people. It does not refer to anyone else. It refers to us, to all of us.
From the standpoint of the meaning of the General Conferral, we can say that we are the Bodhisattvas of the Earth. That in itself is a tremendous responsibility. Please don't look so mystified. Shakyamuni already predicted our existences and our actions 3,000 years ago. Unless we now unite together and do shakubuku, who else will? We can definitely do it if we firmly chant daimoku. However, if we do not, the sin of abrogating this responsibility would be tremendous. Whether these omens end with mere disasters, or whether they become great omens, is squarely placed on each of our shoulders.
How about it? There is no longer any room for options. We just have to do it. Today after the sermon we will hold the inauguration ceremony for the Hokkeko officers. It is a truly small ceremony, but I think it is suitable for us. However, its significance is unusually tremendous. It is exactly the same as a small evergreen seed being packed full with all of the requisites to become a huge tree in the future.
I pray for our faith of truly strong itai doshin (different bodies, one mind).
Thank you.