"If you confuse the general with the specific, even in the slightest, you will fail to attain Buddhahood."

 SGI member: 

"Present within our lives is the Lord Shalyamuni who obtained the three enlightened properties of life before gohyaku-jintengo, the Original Buddha since time without beginning." (MW vol 1, The True Object of Worship, pg 65) 

and

"The Lord Shakyamuni who declared 'I alone can save them,' at a time even more distant than gohyaku-jintengo, is none other than each of us." (MW vol 2, I2U Exile, pg 55)

So, since Shakyamuni, Nichiren and each of us are the same, then we must all be the eternal Buddha Shakyamuni. Then how can one deny that Nichiren is also the eternal, original Buddha? (And each of us too).

Reponse: 

First of all, the happiest New Years to you and yours. Thank you so much for your question. I have pondered your question all day, chanted about it, and hope that I can answer it to your satisfaction.

Nichiren Daishonin stated: "If you confuse the general with the specific, even in the slightest, you will fail to attain Buddhahood."

The Daishonin states in the Gosho, Dialogue on the Way to Correctly Hold the Sublime Lotus Sutra (Ji Myo Hokke Mondo Sho)

"The Lotus Sutra teaches:

If, in the future, there should be in any world, a good son or good daughter having a pure heart and reverential belief, free from doubt, such a one shall not fall into hell or become a hungry spirit or animal, but shall be born, instead, into the presence of the Buddhas of the universe."

You should definitely understand and embrace this passage, expecting, in the next lifetime, to be born into the presence of the Buddhas.

If you find yourself at the foot of a high cliff and, unable to scale the bank, discover that someone has lowered a rope to pull you up and asks that you seize it, should you hesitate to grasp the rope because you doubt the strength of your rescuer or the security of the rope? If you refuse to take hold of the rope, how can you be lifted from the depths? If you place trust in the words of the rescuer and stretch out your hands to clasp the rope, then you may be pulled from the abyss.

So then, how can you be saved if you doubt the strength of the Buddha who declares: "I alone can save and protect you?" How can you be saved if you question the security of the rope of the Lotus Sutra that teaches: "Only with faith can you enter into Buddhahood?" The Sublime Dharma reveals that, "If you believe in, and devote yourself to this Law you will, without fail, create the destiny to become a Buddha." If you hesitate to chant the Daimoku of the Sublime Dharma, it will be impossible for you to reach the peak of the precipice of enlightenment. Those who refuse to believe this will fall into hell. Thus, the Sutra teaches: "Those who doubt and disbelieve this Sutra will fall into the evil paths."

How could you possibly spend your life in vain, after having received a human life which is so difficult to receive, after having encountered Buddhism which is so rare to encounter?

If all of your relatives depart from your native village, leaving the path to your home abandoned and overgrown, your eagerness to return there will wane. If a loved one cannot be depended upon, and refuses to make a vow together with you for the future, then your longing to see the loved one will naturally diminish.

Then why do people not visit the Pure Land of Eagle Peak, an easy place to reach, and much more wonderful than the mansions of nobility? Why do people not long to see the Buddha’s figure, who tenderly declares, "I am your Father?" This thought causes me such overwhelming grief that my heart aches within my chest and my sleeves are heavy with tears.

Pensive or melancholy feelings may arise within you as you note the hue of the clouds in the evening sky, or the pale light of the moon as night gives way to dawn. At these moments, and at any and all other times, you should think of your eternal life. Think of it in the late afternoon of a day colored by the blossoms of spring; think of it on the morning of a heavy snow fall. Remember it on an evening as you watch the winds drive tufts of clouds across the sky. An outgoing breath does not wait for the incoming one. You should not at any moment forget the Buddha’s merciful pledge, "I am always thinking of how to save all living beings." Nor should you abandon the Sutra that reads, "There is no being who cannot become a Buddha." 

Yesterday became today and last year became this year, but can you be certain that you will see this year pass into the next? When we count the years that have passed since birth, we know exactly how long we have been living, but one is assured of not even one day more, nor of even a moment longer. Even with the knowledge that they may die at any moment, many people still are filled with self-conceit and stubbornly adhere to their own narrow ideas, or they foolishly waste themselves striving after fame and profit, neglecting to chant the Daimoku of the Sublime Law. It is truly lamentable that even though this Law allows anyone to realize Buddhahood, such people are unable to enter into the Buddha’s Path. How can the moon-light be reflected off the sleeve of a cold-hearted person?

As a life is nothing more than what exists in a single moment (Ichinen), the Buddha taught that it is a great benefit to believe in the Lotus Sutra and feel the joy of that belief for even a moment. If it were necessary to practice for even two or three moments to realize such joy, it would contradict the Buddha’s vow to allow all beings to enter, equally, the Buddha’s great wisdom, and therefore, it could not be the teaching to bring all beings to immediate enlightenment.

If a person is not in the seat of Eternal Tranquil Light, then any place will be full of agony. What pleasures can be enjoyed by those who are away from the home of true enlightenment?

I pray for you to cherish the Sublime Law, the Law of security in this life time and of wonderful existence in the next. Upholding the Sublime Law is the only real honor of this life time, the only genuine path guiding us into the next. Wholeheartedly chant Namu Myoho Renge Kyo yourself and teach it to others. To chant Namu Myoho Renge Kyo is the purpose of this human life and is the only support we can carry with us into the next.

Namu Myoho Renge Kyo.

Namu Myoho Renge Kyo.

Nichiren

It is a good thing not to doubt one's own power. It is a sublime thing not to doubt the power of the Eternal Buddha Shakyamuni and the Gohonzon.

Now, let us look at the first Gosho quote you posted:

"Present within our lives is the Lord Shakyamuni who obtained the three enlightened properties of life before gohyaku-jintengo, the Original Buddha since time without beginning." (MW vol 1, The True Object of Worship, pg 65)

An alternative translation is as follows:

"...Shakyamuni Buddha, within our minds, is an ancient Buddha without beginning, manifesting Himself in three bodies he attained Buddhahood in the eternal past......(Kanjin Honzon Sho, translated by Kyotsu Hori  P.94)

The Daishonin states in the Hoon Sho:

"Yet it was not I, Nichiren who made these important pronouncements. Rather it was in all cases the spirit of Shakyamuni Buddha that had entered into my body. And at having personally experienced this I am beside myself with joy." (MW vol 3, Ibid, pg 171)

In The Supremacy of the Law he states:

"When I was about to be beheaded, the Lord Buddha Shakyamuni took my place." (MW vol 3, The Supremacy of the Law, pg 199).

These passages are not inconsistent with the passage you posted. When we practice correctly, the Buddha enters into our mind. The Eternal Shakyamuni entered into the minds of the Great Saints and Sages of Buddhism such as Buddhamitra, Nagarjuna, Kumarujiva, Nan Yueh, Tientai, Chang-an, Miao-le, and Saicho in order to correctly expound the Lotus Sutra. The Daishonin states in the Kanjin Honzon Sho:

"The Causal Practices and the Virtues of the Effect of Buddhahood of Lord Shakya are fully possesed in the Five characters "Myoho renge kyo." When we receive and keep these Five Characters, he spontaneously yields and cedes to us the merit of those causes and effects."(Kempon Hokke Seiten).

The second passage you posted reads:

"The Lord Shakyamuni who declared 'I alone can save them,' at a time even more distant than gohyaku-jintengo, is none other than each of us." (MW vol 2, I2U Exile, pg 55)

Let us contrast this with three passages from three other writings of Nichiren Daishonin

"Shakyamuni Buddha, our father and mother, who is endowed with the three virtues of sovereign, teacher and parent, is the very one who encourages us, the people driven out by all other Buddha, saying, "I alone can save them." The debt of gratitude we owe him is deeper than the ocean, weightier than the earth, vaster than the sky. Though we were to pluck out our two eyes and place them before him as an offering until there were more eyes there than stars in the sky, though we were to strip off our skins and spread them out by the hundreds of thousands of ten thousands until they blanketed the ceiling of heaven, though we were to give him our tears as offerings of water and present him with flowers for the space of a hundred billion kalpas, though we were to offer him our flesh and blood for innumerable kalpas, until our flesh piled up like mountains and our blood overflowed like vast seas, we could never repay a fraction of the debt we owe to this Buddha! (MW vol. 4, The Learned Doctor Shan-wu-wei) 

"However, later seeking and entering the deep cave, you see a single hermitage. The voices of the reading and reciting of the Hokekyo echo against blue heaven and the words of discussing the doctrine of the One Vehicle are heard in the midst of the mountains. Informing [them, of your presence and requesting] admittance, you enter the chamber, place your mother's bones before the Master of Teachings Lord Shakya, cast your five limbs to the ground, press your palms together, and opening your two eyes, look up to the Holy Face: joy overflows your body and the pain of your heart suddenly ceases." (On Forgetting Ones Copy Of The Lotus Sutra, NOPPA Translation) 

"........, I was banished to Ito in the province of Izu. Eventually, on the second day of the second month of the third year of Kocho(1263), the year with the cyclical sign mizonoto-i, I was pardoned and allowed to return. After that, I became more determined than ever to attain enlightenment and continued to speak out." (Repaying Debts of Gratitude, 1276)

The passage from the Izu exile teaches that we are the Eternal Buddha Shakyamuni ourselves. Nevertheless, the Daishonin qualifies this in the Hoon Sho, where he states, "I became more determined than ever to attain enlightenment". This is not the eternal nature of the enlightenment of the Original Buddha Shakya, the teacher of the Daishonin. The other two Gosho passages also give the impression that there is a distinction between the Eternal Shakyamuni and oneself. What are we to make of these seeming contradictions? 

We should examine to whom the Daishonin is speaking. Yasoboru was a Nembutsu believer before taking faith in the true Buddhism. The Daishonin probably felt that he had to break Yasoboru's attachment to something [another being] outside himself for his own salvation. Another example is the teaching to Abutsubo in On the Treasure Tower. The Hoon Sho, on the other hand, is one of the Daishonin's most important works. It was entrusted to Niko with Joken, Gijo, Dozen-bo, and all mankind, the recipients of this treatise. 

I think it would be wise to keep in mind that the Daishonin's teachings and understanding continued to develop throughout his life. Early on, before Tatsunokuchi and Sado. Nichiren Daishonin more fully embraced the principles of Original Enlightenment, that we are all Buddhas endowed with the Three Properties of the Buddha's life. Later, after Tatsunokuchi and during the Sado exile, he realized that it was only due to the Original Teacher, the Eternal Lord Buddha Shakyamuni's enlightenment, that we can  experience the boundless joy and benefit of the Lotus Sutra. For example, in the Opening of the Eyes we read, 

"But now that it has become apparent that Shakyamuni Buddha attained enlightenment countless aeons ago, then the Bodhisattvas Nikko and Gakko, who attend the Buddha Yakushi of the eastern region, the Bodhisattvas Kannon and Seishi, who attend the Buddha Amida of the western region, along with the disciples of all the Buddhas of the worlds of the ten direction and the great bodhisattvas who are disciples of the Buddha Dainichi as they are shown in the Dainichi and Kongocho sutras --- all of these beings are disciples of Shakyamuni Buddha. Since the various Buddhas themselves are emanations of Shakyamuni Buddha, it goes without saying that their disciples must be disciples of Shakyamuni. And of course the various deities of the sun, moon and stars, who have dwelt in this world from countless ages in the past, must likewise be disciples of Shakyamuni Buddha."

Lastly, let us look carefully at the entire paragraph of the passage that you cite: 

"We common mortals all have dwelt in the sea of suffering since time without beginning. But now that we have become votaries of the Lotus Sutra, we WILL (certain words capitalized for emphasis) without fail become Buddhas who are enlightened to the entity of body and mind which has existed since the infinite past. We WILL reveal the unchangeable nature innate within us, as well as the mystic wisdom which enables us to realize the mystic truth. We WILL enjoy a state of life as indestructible as a diamond. THEN how can we be in any way different from the Buddha who appeared from the sea? The Lord Shakyamuni, who declared, "I alone can save them," at a time even more distant than gohyaku jintengo, is none other than each of us. This is the teaching of ichinen sanzen expounded in the Lotus Sutra . Our Behavior is a personal demonstration of "I am here always, teaching the Law." Thus we are all entities embodying the supreme teaching of the Lotus Sutra and the august life of Shakyamuni Buddha, though ordinary people never realize this. This is the meaning of the passage in the Juryo chapter, ".....the deluded people cannot see me even when I am nearby." The difference between delusion and enlightenment is like the four different views of the grove of sal trees. Let it be known that the Buddha of ichinen sanzen is anyone in any of the ten worlds who manifests his inherent Buddha nature." 

We see in this long paragraph that the Daishonin teaches that we will attain Buddhahood in the future. He then goes on to delineate who will go on to attain Buddhahood; those who embody the teachings of the Lotus Sutra and the "august life of Shakyamuni Buddha" will go on to attain Buddhahood. This excludes the SGI and NST members who have abandoned the Lotus Sutra and Lord Shakyamuni. He then goes on to restate his teachings of the difference between a Buddha and a common mortal; the common mortal is deluded while a Buddha is enlightened. He concludes this paragraph defining Buddha, " Let it be known that the Buddha of ichinen sanzen is anyone in any of the ten worlds who manifests his inherent Buddha nature." 

Taking the paragraph in its entirety we must conclude that those who embrace the Lotus Sutra and embody the life of Shakyamuni Buddha will without fail reach the seat of enlightenment in the future. 

The snippet you cite, can only be understood correctly taken in light of the above paragraph, the entire Izu Gosho, the Five Major Works and the entire body of the Daishonin's teachings (keeping in mind the question of the accuracy of the NSIC translation and remembering that this Gosho falls into the pre-Tatsunokuchi teachings). "A common mortal is a Buddha, and a Buddha a common mortal" when and only when certain criteria are met: Embodying the Lotus Sutra and Lord Shakyamuni and manifesting one's inherent Buddhahood completely (is no longer deluded). To interpret the Daishonin's teachings to mean that we are the Buddha just as we are is irrational, egotistical, and simplistic. If we look at the Fukyo chapter of the Lotus Sutra which the Daishonin embodied, we read, "I dare not slight you, because you are all to become Buddhas." No where, not in one place, does the Lotus Sutra state you are Buddhas just as you are. SGI doctrines are distorted and lead to delusion.

Katie is duplicitous.

Duplicity is a Buddhist sin. Admonishing me for attacking the Ikeda cult and their members, while failing to admonish Greg for the exact same views regarding SGI, is to be duplicit.

From the Opening of the Eyes...The Lotus Sutra calls non-Buddhists "demons".

"The goods and evils of non-Buddhist creeds, when compared with the Hinayana sutras, all represent a bad way. Similarly, the good ways of Hinayana teachings, and the four flavors and three teachings as well, when compared with the Lotus Sutra, are all mistaken and bad. The Lotus Sutra alone is correct and good. The perfect teaching of the sutras preached before the Lotus Sutra is so called from the relative viewpoint; from the absolute viewpoint, it must still be counted as bad. Fundamentally it falls into the category of the three teachings, and therefore it is bad in that sense as well. To practice the highest principles of the pre-Lotus Sutra teachings according to the sutras is still bad."

and

"It is said that good medicine tastes bitter. This sutra, which is like good medicine, dispels attachments to the five vehicles and establishes the one ultimate principle. It reproaches those in the ranks of ordinary beings and censures those in the ranks of sagehood, denies [provisional] Mahayana and refutes Hinayana. It speaks of the heavenly devils as poisonous insects and calls non-Buddhists demons. It censures those who cling to Hinayana teachings, calling them mean and impoverished, and it dismisses bodhisattvas as beginners in learning. For this reason, heavenly devils hate to listen to it, non-Buddhists find their ears offended, persons of the two vehicles are dumbfounded, and bodhisattvas flee in terror. That is why all these types of people try to make hindrances [for a practitioner of the Lotus Sutra]. The Buddha was not speaking nonsense when he declared that hatred and jealousy would abound.”

Nichiren on fame and profit

 "How long does a lifetime last? If one stops to consider, it is like a single night’s lodging at a wayside inn. Should one forget that fact and seek some measure of worldly fame and profit? Though you may gain them, they will be mere prosperity in a dream, a delight scarcely to be prized. You would do better simply to leave such matters to the karma formed in your previous existences."

"Law-devouring hungry spirits are people who renounce the world and spread Buddhism. They think that if they preach the Law people will respect them, and because of their ambition for fame and profit, they spend their entire present lifetime striving to be thought of as better than others. They neither help other human beings nor have a mind to save their parents. Such people are called Law-devouring hungry spirits, or hungry spirits who use the Buddhist teachings to satisfy their own desires."

"Now, if you wish to attain Buddhahood, you have only to lower the banner of your arrogance, cast aside the staff of your anger, and devote yourself exclusively to the one vehicle of the Lotus Sutra. Worldly fame and profit are mere baubles of your present existence, and arrogance and prejudice are ties that will fetter you in the next one. Ah, you should be ashamed of them! And you should fear them, too!"

"Since the remotest past up until now, you have merely suffered in vain the pains of countless existences. Why do you not, if only this once, try planting the wonderful seeds that lead to eternal and unchanging Buddhahood? Though at present you may taste only a tiny fraction of the everlasting joys that await you in the future, surely you should not spend your time thoughtlessly coveting worldly fame and profit, which are as fleeting as a bolt of lightning or the morning dew. As the Thus Come One teaches, “There is no safety in the threefold world; it is like a burning house.” And in the words of a bodhisattva, “All things are like a phantom, like a magically conjured image.”

"Later, he (Devedatta) broke his ties with his family and joined the Buddhist Order, but when there were large gatherings of human and heavenly beings, the Buddha would censure him, calling him a fool or one who eats the spit of others. In addition, being a man who cared deeply about fame and personal profit, he envied the attention that was paid to the Buddha. He then began observing the five ascetic practices in an attempt to appear more admirable than the Buddha. He pounded iron to make a thousand-spoked wheel pattern [to imprint on the soles of his feet], gathered together fireflies to form a tuft of white hair between his eyebrows, and committed to memory sixty thousand and eighty thousand jeweled teachings. He erected an ordination platform on Mount Gayāshīrsha and lured many of the Buddha’s disciples over to his side. He smeared poison on his fingernails and thus attempted to poison the feet of the Buddha. He beat the nun Utpalavarnā to death and rolled a huge rock down on the Buddha, injuring the latter on the toe. He was guilty of committing three cardinal sins and, in the end, gathered about him all the evil men of the five regions of India and strove to harm the Buddha and his disciples and lay supporters."

"Yet we assume that those who have preceded us in death are wretched, and that we who remain alive are superior. Busy with that task yesterday and this affair today, we are helplessly bound by the five desires of our worldly nature. Unaware that time passes as quickly as a white colt glimpsed through a crack in the wall, ignorant as sheep being led to the slaughter, held hopeless prisoners by our concern for food and clothing, we fall heedlessly into the snares of fame and profit and in the end make our way back to that familiar village in the three evil paths, where we are reborn time after time in the realm of the six paths. What person of feeling could fail to grieve at such a state of affairs, or could fail to be moved to sorrow!"

"How long can we expect to live on as we have, from yesterday totoday or from last year to this year? We may look back over our past and count the years we have accumulated, but when we look ahead into the future, who can for certain number himself among the living for another day or even for an hour? Yet, though one may know that the moment of one’s death is already at hand, one clings to arrogance and prejudice, toworldly fame and profit, and fails to devote oneself to chanting the Mystic Law. Such an attitude is futile beyond description! Even though the Lotus Sutra is called the teaching that enables all living beings toattain the Buddha way, how could a person such as this actually attain it? It is said that even the moonlight will not deign to shine on the sleeve of an unfeeling person."

"Answer: I, too, admire and believe in these various accomplishments of his. There are other men of old who possessed such uncanny powers. But the possession of such power does not indicate whether that person’s understanding of the Buddhist teaching is correct or not among the non-Buddhist believers of India there have been men who could pour all the waters of the Ganges River into their ear and keep it there for twelve years, or those who could drink the ocean dry, grasp the sun and moon in their hands, or change the disciples of Shakyamuni Buddha into oxen or sheep. But such powers only made them more arrogant than ever and caused them to create further karma to confine themselves in the sufferings of birth and death. It is men like these whom T’ien-t’ai is referring to when he says, “They seek after fame and profit and increase their illusions of thought and desire.”

"...But even on the rare occasions when they happen to be reborn in human form, the winds of fame and profit blow violently, and the lamp of Buddhist practice is easily extinguished. Without a qualm they squander their wealth on meaningless trifles, but begrudge even the smallest contribution to the Buddha, the Law, and the Buddhist Order. This is very serious, for then they are being hindered by messengers from hell. This is the meaning of “good by the inch and evil by the foot.”

"That you have asked me about Buddhism shows that you are sincerely concerned about your next life. The Lotus Sutra states, “... a person capable of listening to this Law, such a person is likewise rare.”Unless the Buddha’s true envoy appears in this world, who is there that can expound this sutra in exact accord with the Buddha’s intent? Moreover, it would appear that there are very few who ask about the meaning of the sutra in an effort to resolve their doubts and thus believe in it wholeheartedly. No matter how humble a person may be, if his wisdom is the least bit greater than yours, you should ask him about the meaning of the sutra. But the people in this evil age are so arrogant, prejudiced, and attached to fame and profit that they are afraid that, should they become the disciple of a humble person or try to learn something from him, they will be looked down upon by others. They never rid themselves of this wrong attitude, so they seem to be destined for the evil paths."

Response to a friend.

Nice to hear from you. Thank you. It is not always easy when the criticisms come ten to one to the praises. Still, Believing in Establishing the Correct Teaching for the Peace of the Land, I feel that I must speak out despite the criticisms from other believers that I promote hate speech. I bet Nichiren also encountered such hostility. Still, I am alive almost three years since I should be dead and more recently, having been in the hospital for 12 days, not knowing if I would make it. My gratitude to the Gohonzon, Eternal Buddha and Nichiren for being alive so much outweighs my shame for the criticisms, I know I must be doing the right thing. Hang in there. The Gohonzon is GREAT.

5:19 AM

"Do not look down upon my disciples!" - Nichiren

"Therefore I entreat the people of this country: Do not look down upon my disciples! "If one inquires into their past, they are great bodhisattvas who have given alms to Buddhas over a period of eighty myriads of millions of kalpas, and who have carried out religious practices under Buddhas as numerous as the sand of the Hiranyavati and Ganges rivers. And if one speaks of the future, they are endowed with the benefit of the fiftieth person, surpassing that of one who gives alms to all living beings for a period of eighty years. They are like an infant emperor wrapped in swaddling clothes, or a great dragon who has just been born. Do not despise them! Do not look on them with contempt!

Miao-lo writes: "Those who vex or trouble [the practitioners of the Lotus Sutra] will have their heads split into seven pieces, but those who give alms to them will enjoy good fortune surpassing the ten honorable titles." King Udayana behaved insolently toward the Venerable Pindolabharadvaja, and within seven years he had lost his life. The lord of Sagami condemned Nichiren to exile, and within a hundred days armed rebellion broke out in his domain.

The Lotus Sutra says: "If anyone shall see a person who embraces this sutra and try to expose that person's faults or evils, whether what he speaks is true or not, he will in his present life be afflicted with white leprosy...he will suffer various grave illnesses of a malignant nature." It also says: "In age after age he will be eyeless."

Myoshin and Enchi contracted white leprosy in their present lifetime, while Doamidabutsu lost his sight. The epidemics that afflict our nation are punishments of the kind described as "the head being split into seven pieces." And if we surmise the degree of benefit according to that of punishment, then there can be no doubt that my followers will enjoy "good fortune surpassing the ten honorable titles." - On the Four Stages of Faith and the Five Stages of Practice

Question: What is the purpose of receiving and keeping the Lotus Sutra?

Answer: In order to awaken Buddha.

There are both causes and conditions, our own and not our own that contribute to the environment.

It is not true that we and we alone are the source of our environment, our problems, or even overcoming our problems. Nichiren taught that there are Four Powers: The power of faith; the power of practice; the power of the Buddha (Gohonzon); and the power of the Law. The first two powers are cause generated and the last two are condition generated (causes and conditions)

Yes, it was our karma to be born in this Saha realm and to encounter Namu Myoho renge kyo.

However their are also evil societies and retched environments that only massive shakubuku will change. The time is not quite right for billions to chant Namu Myoho renge kyo but i suspect, the time is rapidly approaching. Faster than I even imagined five years ago.

That everything derives from the mind is a type of Yogacara (Mind Only Buddhism) and is basically untrue. For example there are six causes of illness taught in Nichiren's Buddhism and "karma" is but one of the causes. Yogacara basically derives from the Flower Garland Sutra, the third most profound Sutra. It teaches, “The mind is like a skilled painter.” Life and our environment is more complicated than our causes or even our karma.

As we read in Gongyo, "only a Buddha with a Buddha can exhaustively penetrate the Reality of the Dharmas". The Three Realms (of  The Three Thousand Realms in a Moment of Thought) is indeed difficult to penetrate. There is The Realm of the Individual which is composed of the Five Aggregates: 1). Form or matter; 2). Consciousness; 3). Feeling or Conception; 4). Perception including memory; 5). Mental formations or volition. It includes, for example one's power and influence. Then there is The Realm of Society, all the billions of people's Five Aggregates and their power and influence. Lastly, there is The Realm of the Environment's Five Aggregates, for example, the Gohonzon's Five Aggregates, its power and influence. This is the most difficult Realm to understand.

Therefore, there is a panoply of the Three Realms. In short, there are both causes and conditions, our own and not our own.

The Four Stages of Faith and The Five Stages of Practice:

The Four Stages of Faith:

1). Stage of believing in and understanding the sutra even for a moment.

2). Stage of generally understanding the intention of the words of the sutra.

3). Stage of expounding the sutra widely for others.

4). Stage of deep faith in the truth of the Buddha's Mystic Law.

The Five Stages of Practice:

1). Stage of first hearing the name of the Law (myoji-soku) – where one first hears the true Law and understands that all phenomena are the Mystic Law.

2). Stage of observation and practice (kangyo-soku) – perceiving the truth within and having no contradiction between perception and action

3). Stage of having purified the six sense organs (soji-soku) – outwardly resembling a Buddha)

4). Stage of eradicating fundamental darkness (funjin-soku) – partial awakening to the truth

5). Stage of perfect enlightenment (kukyo-soku, or the ultimate level).

Nichiren stated that he was at the stage of first hearing the name of the Law (myoji-soku) from the Eternal Buddha in the remote past... The stage where one first hears the true Law and understands that all phenomena are the Mystic Law. Having heard the Law in the remote past, Nichiren is an "advanced practitioner".

What is the primary practice of the Lotus Sutra according to Nichiren?

 Faith.

Nichiren on keeping the precepts in this evil degenerate age

"The Great Teacher Dengyō declared, “I have forthwith cast aside the two hundred and fifty precepts!” And the Great Teacher Dengyō was not the only one to do so. Nyohō and Dōchū, who were disciples of Ganjin, as well as the priests of the seven major temples of Nara, all in like manner cast them aside. Moreover, the Great Teacher Dengyō left this warning for future ages: “If in the Latter Day of the Law there should be persons who keep the precepts, that would be something rare and strange, like a tiger in the marketplace. Who could possibly believe it?" - On the Four Stages of Faith and the Five Stages of Practice

Today, there is only the Diamond Precept... Chant and uphold Namu Myoho renge kyo until the last moment of life.

Nichiren on The Five Types of Faults and The Five Types of Virtues

“The five types of faults are (1) to possess an inferior and unworthy mind, (2) to possess an arrogant mind, (3) to cling to what is unreal and illusory, (4) to slander the true doctrine, and (5) to think only of oneself. The five types of virtues are (1) assiduousness, (2) reverence, (3) wisdom, (4) knowledge, and (5) great compassion.

“To doubt that one can bring forth the Buddha nature and therefore to fail to set one’s mind on the attainment of enlightenment is what is meant by possession of an inferior and unworthy mind. To be confident that one possesses the Buddha nature and to go about declaring that one has set one’s mind on the attainment of enlightenment is what is meant by possession of an arrogant mind. Though all things are lacking in an inherent self, to cling to the idea that they have a self is what is meant by clinging to what is unreal and illusory. To deny and speak slanderously of the wisdom and blessings inherent in the purity of all phenomena is what is meant by slandering the true doctrine. To be conscious only of one’s own existence and to have no wish to show pity toward all living beings is what is meant by thinking only of oneself. By replacing these five faults with the five virtues and understanding once and for all that all beings possess the Buddha nature, one can set one’s mind on the attainment of enlightenment.” - Persons of the Two Vehicles and Bodhisattvas

Nichiren regarding the Secret Law of the Object of Devotion...

"The object of devotion as set forth in the “Life Span” chapter is Shakyamuni Buddha, the lord of teachings, eternally endowed with the three bodies, who since the beginning of numberless major world system dust particle kalpas in the past has had deep and abiding affinities with this land of ours." - On the Receiving of the Three Great Secret Laws

It is important to know that Nichiren "received" the Three Great Secret Laws from the Eternal Buddha. Nichiren is the messenger of the Eternal Buddha,

There were deluded disciples of Nichiren in his day and now the situation is far worse.

"There are some of my disciples who, in their foolish way of thinking, declare: “Though our teacher tries to propagate the teachings of the Lotus Sutra, not only does he fail to do so but he meets with these great difficulties. This is because he goes around proclaiming that ‘True Word will ruin the nation, Nembutsu leads to the hell of incessant suffering, Zen is the work of the heavenly devil, and the Precepts priests are traitors to the nation.’ He is like a person who with good reason files a complaint, but peppers it with abusive language.”

The millions of SGI members who are loathe to employ the forceful practices among the evil teachings and their adherents yet, perform the forceful practices against other Nichiren believers and their adherents, are just such renegade disciples.

Nichiren on the two Shakyamuni Buddhas and the Relative Sin of Devedatta

"As we have seen, Devadatta committed three grave offenses. But when he drew blood from the body of the Buddha, it was from the Buddha of the sutras preached prior to the Lotus Sutra, not the Shakyamuni who attained enlightenment in the inconceivably remote past. When he killed an arhat, it was an arhat of the pre-Lotus Sutra teachings, not a votary of the Lotus Sutra. And when he disrupted the harmony of the Buddhist Order, it was the Order that observed the pre-Lotus Hinayana precepts, not the Order of the great precepts of the Lotus Sutra, of perfect and immediate enlightenment. Though the earth opened up and Devadatta fell into the hell of incessant suffering, since he did not commit these three grave offenses against the Lotus Sutra, his punishment was not all that severe. Therefore in the Lotus Sutra it is predicted that he will become a Buddha named Heavenly King Thus Come One.: - Refuting Ryokan and Others

On Dealing with Disasters

On Dealing with Disaster

THE aim of this memorial is to inquire into the causes that bring about such disasters to the nation as major earthquakes, strong winds that blow out of season, serious famines, great outbreaks of epidemics, or major military uprisings, and the steps to be taken in dealing with them.

The Golden Light Sutra states: “[The four heavenly kings said to the Buddha], ‘Though this sutra exists in the nation, the ruler has never allowed it to be propagated. In his heart he turns away from it, and he takes no pleasure in hearing its teachings. He neither makes offerings to it, honors it, nor praises it. Nor is he willing to honor or make offerings to the four kinds of Buddhists who embrace the sutra. In the end, he makes it impossible for us and the countless other heavenly beings who are our followers to hear this profound and wonderful teaching. He deprives us of the sweet dew of its words and cuts us off from the flow of the correct teaching, so that our majesty and strength are drained away. Thus the number of beings who occupy the evil paths increases, and the number who dwell in the human and heavenly realms decreases. People fall into the river of the sufferings of birth and death and turn their backs on the road to nirvana.

“‘World-Honored One, we, the four heavenly kings, as well as our various followers and the yakshas and other beings, observing this state of affairs, have decided to abandon this nation, for we have no heart to protect it. And it is not we alone who cast aside this ruler. All the great benevolent deities who guard and watch over the countless different regions of the country will also invariably reject him. And once we and the others abandon and desert this nation, then many different types of disasters will occur in the country, and the ruler will fall from power. Not a single person in the entire population will possess a heart of goodness; there will be nothing but binding and enslaving, killing and injuring, anger and contention. People will slander each other or fawn upon one another, and the laws will be twisted until even the innocent are made to suffer. Pestilence will become rampant, comets will appear again and again, two suns will come forth side by side, and eclipses will occur with unaccustomed frequency. Black arcs and white arcs will span the sky as harbingers of ill fortune, stars will fall, the earth will shake, and noises will issue from the wells. Torrential rains and violent winds will come out of season, famine will constantly occur, and grains and fruits will not ripen. Marauders from many other regions p.180will invade and plunder the nation, the people will suffer all manner of pain and affliction, and no place will exist where one may live in safety.’”

The Great Collection Sutra says: “Though for countless existences in the past the ruler of a state may have practiced the giving of alms, observed the precepts, and cultivated wisdom,1 if he sees that my teaching is in danger of perishing and stands idly by without doing anything to protect it, then all [the inestimable roots of goodness that he has planted through the practices just mentioned] will be entirely wiped out, and his country will become the scene of three inauspicious occurrences.2 . . . After his life has come to an end, he will be reborn in the great hell.”

The Benevolent Kings Sutra states: “Great King,3 when a nation becomes disordered, it is the spirits that first show signs of rampancy. Because the spirits become rampant, all the people of the nation become disordered.”

It also says: “Great King, now when I use the five types of vision to clearly perceive the three existences, I see that in their past existences all the rulers served five hundred Buddhas, and that is the reason that they were able to become emperors and sovereigns. And that also is the reason that all the various sages and arhats are born in their nations and bring great benefits. But if a time should come when the good fortune of these rulers runs out, then all the sages will abandon them and depart. Once the sages have departed, then the seven disasters are certain to arise.”

And in the Benevolent Kings Sutra [the Buddha addresses King Prasenajit in these words]: “Great King, the region where my teachings now hold sway consists of one billion Sumeru worlds with one billion suns and moons. Each of these Sumeru worlds comprises four continents. In the southern continent of Jambudvīpa, there are sixteen great states, five hundred middle-sized states, and ten thousand small states. In these states, seven types of fearful disasters may occur. All the rulers of these states agree that these are indeed disasters. What, then, are these disasters?

“When the sun and moon depart from their regular courses, when the seasons come in the wrong order, when a red sun or a black sun appears, when two, three, four, or five suns appear at the same time, when the sun is eclipsed and loses its light, or when one, two, three, four, or five coronas appear around the sun, this is the first disaster.

“When the twenty-eight constellations do not move in their regular courses, when the Metal Star, the Broom Star, the Wheel Star, the Demon Star, the Fire Star, the Water Star, the Wind Star, the Ladle Star, the Southern Dipper, the Northern Dipper, the great stars of the Five Garrisons, and all the many stars that govern the ruler, the three high ministers, and the hundred officials4—when each of these stars manifests some peculiar behavior, this is the second disaster.

“When huge fires consume the nation, and the people are all burned to death, or when there are outbreaks of demon fire, dragon fire, heavenly fire, mountain god fire, human fire, tree fire, or bandit fire5—when these prodigies appear, this is the third disaster.

“When huge floods drown the population; when the seasons come out of order and there is rain in winter, snow in summer, thunder and lightning in winter, and ice, frost, and hail in the sixth month;6 when red, black, or green rain falls; when mountains of dirt and stones come raining down, or when it rains dust, sand, or gravel; when the rivers and streams run p.181backward; when mountains are afloat and boulders are washed away—when freakish happenings of this kind occur, this is the fourth disaster.

“When huge winds blow the people to their death, and the lands, the mountains and rivers, and the trees and forests are all at one time wiped out; when great winds come out of season, or when black winds, red winds, green winds, heavenly winds, earthly winds, fire winds, and water winds blow7—when prodigies of this kind occur, this is the fifth disaster.

“When heaven and earth and the whole country are stricken by terrible heat so that the air seems to be on fire, when the hundred plants wither and the five kinds of grain8 fail to ripen, when the earth is red and scorched and the inhabitants all perish—when prodigies of this kind occur, this is the sixth disaster.

“When enemies rise up on all four sides and invade the nation, when rebels appear in the capital and the outlying regions, when there are fire bandits, water bandits, wind bandits, and demon bandits,9 and the population is subjected to devastation and disorder, and fighting and plundering break out everywhere—when prodigies of this type occur, this is the seventh disaster.”

In the Lotus Sutra [the heavenly king Vaishravana, protector of the world, said to the Buddha, “I will also shield and guard those who uphold this sutra], making certain that they suffer no decline or harm within the area of a hundred yojanas.”10

The Nirvana Sutra says, “You should understand that wherever this wonderful sutra of the Great Nirvana is propagated, that land is made of diamond, and the people who live there are like diamonds.”

The Benevolent Kings Sutra states, “This sutra constantly emits a thousand beams of shining light, and insures that for a thousand ri around the seven disasters will not occur.”

It also says: “Evil monks, hoping to gain fame and profit, will in many cases appear before the ruler, the crown prince, or the other princes, and take it upon themselves to preach doctrines that lead to the violation of the Buddhist Law and the destruction of the nation. The ruler, failing to perceive the truth of the situation, will listen to and put faith in such doctrines, and proceed to create regulations that are perverse in nature and that do not accord with the rules of Buddhist discipline. In this way he will bring about the destruction of Buddhism and of the nation.”

Taking these passages into consideration now, we see that the Lotus Sutra says it will “make certain that they suffer no decline or harm within the area of a hundred yojanas,” the Benevolent Kings Sutra says that “for a thousand ri around the seven disasters will not occur,” and the Nirvana Sutra says, “You should understand that . . . that land is made of diamond, and the people who live there are like diamonds.”

Question: Now we receive reports that this land of ours is beset by various kinds of disasters. From the eighth month of the eighth year of Kenchō [1256] until the second month of the second year of Shōgen [1260], various disasters such as major earthquakes, strong winds that blow out of season, widespread famines, and great outbreaks of epidemics occurred one after another and continue even today, until it almost seems as though the entire population of the nation will be wiped out. Many people have offered prayers in an attempt to alleviate these various calamities, but they appear to have had no effect.

The Lotus Sutra, in which the Buddha declared, “Honestly discarding expedient means [I will preach only the unsurpassed way],”11 the truth of which p.182was testified to by the Buddha Many Treasures and all the other Buddhas when they put forth their tongues,12 states that no decline or harm will come to those “within the area of a hundred yojanas”; the Nirvana Sutra, the Buddha’s final words delivered in the grove of sal trees, states that “that land is made of diamond”; and the Benevolent Kings Sutra says that “for a thousand ri around the seven disasters will not occur.” But all these passages would seem to be mere lies, would they not?

Answer: If I may be allowed to state my humble opinion on this matter, I would like to suggest a possible reason why, although the various Mahayana sutras cited above exist in this nation, prayers have no effect and these disasters arise in the country.

The passage from the Golden Light Sutra states, “Though this sutra exists in the nation, the ruler has never allowed it to be propagated. In his heart he turns away from it, and he takes no pleasure in hearing its teachings. . . . [And it is not] we, the four heavenly kings [alone who cast aside this ruler]. All the great benevolent deities . . . will also invariably reject him. [And once we and the others abandon and desert this nation], then many different types of disasters will occur in the country.”

The Great Collection Sutra says, “If he [the ruler of the state] sees that my teaching is in danger of perishing and stands idly by without doing anything to protect it, . . . his country will become the scene of three inauspicious occurrences.”

And the passages from the Benevolent Kings Sutra declare that the ruler will “[create regulations that are perverse in nature and that do] not accord with the rules of Buddhist discipline. In this way he will bring about the destruction of Buddhism and of the nation.” And they also say that “once the sages have departed, then the seven disasters are certain to arise.”

If we consider the meaning of these passages, we will see that, although the Lotus Sutra and the other Mahayana sutras may exist in the nation, the four kinds of Buddhist believers all reject and turn away from them in their hearts, and feel no desire to listen to their teachings or offer alms to them. Therefore the benevolent deities who guard and protect the country and all the sages will desert and abandon that country and it will be without benevolent deities or sages to protect it. That is why the disasters occur.

Question: What causes the people of this country to reject and turn their hearts away from these Mahayana sutras and to feel no desire to offer alms to them?

Answer: The Benevolent Kings Sutra says: “Evil monks, hoping to gain fame and profit, will in many cases appear before the ruler, the crown prince, or the other princes, and take it upon themselves to preach doctrines that lead to the violation of the Buddhist Law and the destruction of the nation. The ruler, failing to perceive the truth of the situation, will listen to and put faith in such doctrines, and proceed to create regulations that are perverse in nature and that do not accord with the rules of Buddhist discipline.”

The Lotus Sutra states: “In that evil age there will be monks with perverse wisdom and hearts that are fawning and crooked who will suppose they have attained what they have not attained, being proud and boastful in heart. . . . These men with evil in their hearts . . . will address the rulers, high ministers, Brahmans, and householders, as well as the other monks, slandering and speaking ill of us, saying, ‘These are men of perverted views who preach non-Buddhist doctrines!’ . . . Evil demons will take possession of others.”13

p.183If we consider the matter in the light of these passages, we will see that evil monks fill the country and preach doctrines that lead to the destruction of the nation and the violation of the Buddhist Law. The rulers and the four kinds of Buddhist believers who live in that nation, failing to perceive the truth of the situation, listen to and put faith in their words. Therefore they reject and turn their hearts away from these Mahayana sutras.

Question: These evil monks who fill the country and preach doctrines that lead to the destruction of the nation and the violation of the rules of Buddhist discipline—do they appear among the disciples of the Buddha, or do they appear among the followers of non-Buddhist doctrines?

Answer: The Benevolent Kings Sutra says: “Those persons who should uphold and guard the three treasures of Buddhism will on the contrary become the destroyers of the three treasures, just as it is the worms that are born from the body of a dead lion that will feed on the lion’s flesh. It will not be the non-Buddhists [but in most cases the Buddha’s own disciples who will destroy this Buddhist Law of mine].”

If we go by this passage, those who destroy the nation and the Buddhist Law will come from among the disciples of the Buddha.

Question: These evil monks who destroy the correct teaching—do they destroy it with a teaching that resembles the correct teaching, or do they destroy it with an evil teaching?

Answer: The Hinayana teachings are used to destroy the provisional Mahayana teachings, and the provisional Mahayana teachings are used to destroy the true Mahayana. These teachers and their disciples are unaware that they are committing acts that slander the Law and destroy the nation. Therefore they carry out these actions that violate the rules of Buddhist discipline and destroy the nation, and as a consequence will fall into the three evil paths of existence.

Question: What is your proof of this?

Answer: The Lotus Sutra says: “[The evil monks of that muddied age], failing to understand the Buddha’s expedient means, how he preaches the Law in accordance with what is appropriate, will confront us with foul language and angry frowns; again and again we will be banished.”14

The Nirvana Sutra states: “After I have entered nirvana, there will be hundreds, thousands, countless numbers of living beings who will speak slander and fail to have faith in this Great Nirvana Sutra. . . . And the persons of the three vehicles will do likewise, hating and despising this unsurpassed Great Nirvana Sutra.”

The monk Superior Intent spoke slanderously of the bodhisattva Root of Joy and hence fell into the three evil paths; the layman Thinking of Buddha and the others attacked the bodhisattva Never Disparaging and called down on themselves the flames of the Avīchi hell.15 These persons all failed to distinguish between Mahayana and Hinayana or the provisional and the true teachings and hence met this fate. Even foolish people understand that it is an offense to commit the ten evil acts or the five cardinal sins. Therefore they are not quick to commit acts that bring about the destruction of the nation or the destruction of the Buddhist Law.

Thus the Benevolent Kings Sutra says, “The ruler, failing to perceive the truth of the situation, will listen to and put faith in such doctrines.” The Nirvana Sutra states: “There may be those who commit the four grave offenses or are guilty of the five cardinal sins, and who, though aware that they are guilty of serious faults, from the beginning have no trace of fear or contrition in p.184their hearts or, if they do, give no outward sign of it.”

As these passages demonstrate, those who slander the Law fail to realize in full how their acts affect others and proceed to commit grave faults, bringing about the destruction of the nation and the destruction of the Buddhist Law.

Question: If this is so, then is there someone in this country who is using the provisional teachings to attract the attention of the people and bring about the obliteration of the true teaching?

Answer: Just so.

Question: What is your proof?

Answer: The proof is in The Nembutsu Chosen above All written by the Honorable Hōnen. I will just quote some passages from it so you can compare them with the sutra passages cited above and see plainly where the error lies. But if proper steps are taken to remedy the situation, I believe the country can be restored to peace and safety.

Nembutsu Chosen above All states: “Regarding the passage in which the Meditation Master Tao-ch’o distinguished between the Sacred Way teachings and the Pure Land teachings and urged people to abandon the former and immediately embrace the latter, first of all, there are two kinds of Sacred Way teachings: one is the Mahayana and the other is the Hinayana. Within the Mahayana there are various categories such as the exoteric and the esoteric teachings, the provisional and the true teachings. But from the point of view of the treatise [The Collected Essays on the World of Peace and Delight], only the exoteric Mahayana and the provisional Mahayana are taken into consideration, and these require countless kalpas of religious practice before one can attain enlightenment. Judging from this, we may assume that the esoteric Mahayana teachings and the true Mahayana teachings are both included in the Sacred Way. If that is so, then the eight present-day schools—the True Word, Zen, Tendai, Flower Garland, Three Treatises, Dharma Characteristics, Treatise on the Ten Stages Sutra, and Summary of the Mahayana—all are included in the Sacred Way that is to be abandoned.

“The Dharma Teacher T’an-luan in his Commentary on ‘The Treatise on Rebirth in the Pure Land’ states: ‘I note that Bodhisattva Nāgārjuna’s Commentary on the Ten Stages Sutra says, “There are two ways by which a bodhisattva may reach the state of avaivartika, or non-retrogression. One is the difficult-to-practice way, the other is the easy-to-practice way.”’

“The difficult-to-practice way is the same as the Sacred Way teachings, and the easy-to-practice way is the Pure Land teachings. Students of the Pure Land school should first of all understand this point. Though they may be people who have previously studied the Sacred Way teachings, if they wish to become followers of the Pure Land teachings, they must discard the Sacred Way and give their allegiance to the Pure Land teachings.”

Hōnen also says: “Regarding the passage in which the Reverend Shan-tao distinguished between correct and sundry practices and urged people to abandon the sundry and embrace the correct: Concerning the first of the sundry practices, that of reading and reciting sutras, with the exception of the recitation of the Meditation on the Buddha Infinite Life Sutra and the other sutras that preach rebirth in the Pure Land, the embracing, reading, and recitation of all other sutras, whether Mahayana or Hinayana, exoteric or esoteric, is to be regarded as a sundry practice. . . . Concerning the third of the sundry practices, that of worshiping, with the exception of worshiping the Buddha Amida, the worshiping or honoring of any other Buddha or p.185bodhisattva, or any deity of this world, is to be regarded as a sundry practice. . . . In the light of his statement, I declare that one should abandon such sundry practices and concentrate upon the practice of the Pure Land teachings. What reason would we have to abandon the correct practices of the Pure Land teachings, which insure that out of a hundred persons all one hundred will be reborn in the Pure Land, and cling instead to the various sundry practices and procedures, which could not save even one person in a thousand?16 Followers of the way should ponder this carefully.”

Hōnen further states: “In The Chen-yüan Era Catalog of the Buddhist Canon we find it recorded that, from 600 volumes of the Great Wisdom Sutra to the Eternity of the Law Sutra, the exoteric and esoteric sutras of Mahayana [the great vehicle] total 637 works in 2,883 volumes. The phrase [from the Meditation Sutra] ‘reading and reciting the great vehicle’ should be applied to all these works. You should understand that, when the Buddha was preaching according to the capacity of his various listeners, he for a time taught the two methods of concentrated meditation and unconcentrated meditation.17 But later, when he revealed his own enlightenment, he ceased to teach these two methods. The only teaching that, once revealed, shall never cease to be taught, is the single doctrine of the Nembutsu.”

Finally, in a concluding passage, Hōnen says: “If one wishes to escape quickly from the sufferings of birth and death, one should confront these two superior teachings and then proceed to put aside the teachings of the Sacred Way and choose those of the Pure Land. And if one wishes to follow the teachings of the Pure Land, one should confront the correct and sundry practices and then proceed to abandon all of the sundry and devote one’s entire attention to the correct.” (All the passages quoted above are from Nembutsu Chosen above All.)

When we consider the situation now, we find that the people of this country, both those of high and low station, put profound faith in the Honorable Hōnen and are much taken by this book of his. Hence, when the ignorant priests and lay believers see the words “discard, close, ignore, and abandon” in his book, they think it means to “discard, close, ignore, and abandon” all the sutras, Buddhas, bodhisattvas, and heavenly gods and benevolent deities other than the three Pure Land sutras and the Buddha Amida. They no longer feel moved to give alms to or embrace these other Buddhas and sutras, but on the contrary turn their hearts away from them. As a result, the Buddhist institutions founded by the great teachers of old and designed to insure the protection of the nation fall into ruin, but no one is moved to guard them or keep them in repair. And since no one is moved to guard them or keep them in repair, the sound of almsgiving and sutra recitation is no longer heard there and the benevolent deities who formerly gave their protection, because they can no longer taste the flavor of the Law, abandon the nation and depart, and the four ranks of sages no longer appear.

The present situation is just as the Golden Light and Benevolent Kings sutras describe: “Once the sages have departed, then the seven disasters are certain to arise,” and, “We, the four heavenly kings, . . . have decided to abandon this nation. . . . And once we and the others abandon and desert this nation, then many different types of disasters will occur in the country.” Is it not Hōnen who is referred to in the passages “evil monks, hoping to gain fame and profit . . .” and “In that evil age there will be monks with perverse p.186wisdom and hearts that are fawning and crooked . . .”?

Question: You say that these disasters have arisen because Nembutsu Chosen above All has been propagated throughout the country. Were there then no disasters in the country before this book came into existence?

Answer: No, there were disasters at that time too. They occurred because there were persons who violated the five constant virtues and destroyed the Buddhist Law. Yu-wen Yung of Chou and Wei Yüan-sung were examples.18

Objection: If we were to say that the disasters occurring in our present age are due to the fact that the five constant virtues are being violated, then we need not necessarily blame them on the propagation of Nembutsu Chosen above All, need we?

Answer: The Benevolent Kings Sutra says: “Great King, in future ages the kings of the various small countries and the four types of Buddhist disciples19 [will of their own initiative commit faults of the type that bring about the destruction of their own nation]. . . . Evil monks . . . [preach doctrines that lead to the violation of the Buddhist Law and the destruction of the nation. The ruler, failing to perceive the truth of the situation, will listen to and put faith in such doctrines], and proceed to create regulations that are perverse in nature and that do not accord with the rules of Buddhist discipline.” It also says, “And he will not permit the making of Buddhist images or the building of Buddhist stupas.” It further says, “Then the seven disasters are certain to arise.”

The Golden Light Sutra states: “He neither makes offerings to it [the sutra], honors it, nor praises it. . . . Then many different types of disasters will occur in the country.” The Nirvana Sutra speaks of those who “hate and despise the unsurpassed Great Nirvana Sutra.”

Do these passages not refer to the kind of people who say that giving alms to, worshiping, or praising any Buddhas or sutras other than Amida are all mere “sundry practices”?

Objection: Those disasters that occurred in the country before the introduction of Buddhism—how can they have been caused by persons who slandered the Law?

Answer: In the period before the introduction of Buddhism, the country was ordered according to the five constant virtues, but this was as though from far off one were observing Buddhist vows in ordering the country. In violating the norms of propriety and righteousness, one was in effect violating the five precepts laid down by the Buddha.

Question: What is your proof?

Answer: The Golden Light Sutra says, “All the good teachings that exist in the world derive from this sutra.”

The Lotus Sutra states, “If they should expound some text of the secular world or speak on matters of government or occupations that sustain life, they will in all cases conform to the correct Law.”20

In the Universal Worthy Sutra it is stated, “To use the correct Law to order the country and not to lead the people astray with erroneous views, this is called the third act of repentance.”

The Nirvana Sutra states, “All of the non-Buddhist scriptures and writings in society are themselves Buddhist teachings, not non-Buddhist teachings.” Great Concentration and Insight says, “To have a profound knowledge of this world is itself Buddhism.” And in The Annotations on “Great Concentration and Insight” we read, “First the teachings on rites and music were set forth, and later the true way was introduced.”

An Extensive Commentary on the Universally Bestowed Bodhisattva Precepts21 states: “The Buddha dispatched three p.187persons22 to give instruction to China. Using the five constant virtues, they prepared the way for the introduction of the five Buddhist precepts. In ancient times, the chief minister asked Confucius, ‘Were the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors sages?’

“Confucius replied, ‘No, they were not sages.’

“Then the chief minister asked, ‘Are you a sage?’

“‘No,’ replied Confucius.

“‘Then who is a sage?’ asked the chief minister.

“Confucius replied, ‘I have heard that in the western region there is a sage named Shakyamuni.’”

Examining these passages, we see that in the time before the introduction of Buddhism, the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors used the five constant virtues to order the country. King Chieh of the Hsia dynasty, King Chou of the Yin, and King Yu of the Chou23 violated the norms of propriety and righteousness and brought about the downfall of the state. In doing so, they were as though from far off violating the vows one takes to uphold the Buddhist precepts.

Question: If what you say is true, then why do persons who put their faith in the Mahayana sutras such as the Lotus Sutra or the True Word sutras encounter such disasters?

Answer: The Golden Light Sutra says: “The laws will be twisted until even the innocent are made to suffer.” The Lotus Sutra states, “They would bring unexpected disaster on him.”24

Judging from these passages that have just been quoted, such practitioners of the Lotus Sutra and True Word teachings have not yet reached any very profound level of practice, their minds are still weak in faith, and though their mouths recite the words of the sutra, they do not yet understand their meaning; they recite them only for the sake of fame or gain. The sins they have incurred in previous existences through slander of the Law have not been fully wiped out, and though outwardly they appear to practice the Lotus Sutra, inwardly their hearts are devoted to Nembutsu Chosen above All. Such persons do not understand the causes that bring about disaster, and therefore it is difficult for them to escape such disaster.

Question: If that is so, then among those who put faith in Nembutsu Chosen above All and slander the Law, are there any who do not meet with such disaster?

Answer: The forces of karma do not operate in fixed ways. There is what is called karma that manifests itself in one’s present existence. Describing such cases, the Lotus Sutra says that a person “will in his present existence be afflicted with white leprosy. . . . And he will suffer from . . . severe and malignant illnesses.”25 The Benevolent Kings Sutra states: “If persons destroy the teachings of the Buddha, they will have no filial sons, no harmony with their six kinds of relatives, and no aid from the heavenly deities. Disease and evil demons will come day after day to torment them, disasters will descend on them incessantly, and misfortunes will dog them wherever they go.” And the Nirvana Sutra states: “If there are those who fail to put faith in this sutra, when they approach the time of death, they will encounter a world troubled by disorder, armed strife will break out, or they will find themselves the victims of the tyranny of rulers or the quarrels and contentions of warring families.”

Regarding the second type of karma, that which manifests itself in one’s next existence, the Lotus Sutra says, “If a person fails to have faith but instead slanders this sutra, . . . When his life comes to an end he will enter the Avīchi hell.”26 And the Benevolent Kings Sutra states: “If persons destroy the teachings of the Buddha, . . . when p.188they die, they will fall into the realms of hell, hungry spirits, and animals.”

I will omit here a description of the third type of karma, that which manifests itself in one’s later existences.

Question: What is the quickest way to put an end to these disasters?

Answer: One must quickly take measures to deal with those who slander the Law. If this is not done, then although endless prayers are offered, they will not put an end to these disasters.

Question: What measures should be taken to deal with them?

Answer: The measures are indicated in the sutras. In the Nirvana Sutra we read, “The Buddha said, ‘With the exception of one type of person, you may offer alms to all kinds of persons. . . . [Persons of this one type] slander the correct teaching, and go on committing these grave acts. . . . With the exception of this one group of people called icchantikas, however, you may offer alms to all others, and everyone will praise you.’”

From this passage it is clear that one should take measures to see that no alms are given to persons of this type. In addition, there are many other measures to be taken, but I do not have time to discuss them all here.

Question: If one takes severe measures of this kind to cut off the giving of alms to those who slander the Law, is this a blameful act or not?

Answer: The Nirvana Sutra states: “Now I entrust the correct teaching, which is unexcelled, to the rulers, the ministers, the high officials, and the monks and nuns. If anyone should vilify the correct teaching, then the rulers, the ministers, and the four kinds of Buddhists should reprimand him and bring him to order. [In doing so, they] are not guilty of any fault.”

Question: You yourself are a priest, and yet you are exposing the errors of other priests—is this not a blameful act?

Answer: The Nirvana Sutra says: “If even a good monk sees someone destroying the teaching and disregards him, failing to reproach him, to oust him, or to punish him for his offense, then you should realize that that monk is betraying the Buddha’s teaching. But if he ousts the destroyer of the Law, reproaches him, or punishes him, then he is my disciple and a true voice-hearer.”

When I read this passage, it seems to me that, in order to avoid being condemned as a “betrayer of the Buddha’s teaching,” I must not be fearful of how others may judge my actions, but must proclaim that the Honorable Hōnen and the followers of his teachings are destined to fall into the great citadel of the Avīchi hell. If so, among the clerics and lay believers who heed and understand my argument, there will be some at least who have a change of heart.

But if, having once perused what I have written, they do not carry out the measures recommended in the passages I have quoted, then how can they escape the fate described in the Great Collection Sutra when it says: “Though for countless existences in the past the ruler of a state may have practiced the giving of alms, observed the precepts, and cultivated wisdom, if he sees that my teaching is in danger of perishing and stands idly by without doing anything to protect it, then all [the inestimable roots of goodness that he has planted through the practices just mentioned] will be entirely wiped out, and his country will become the scene of three inauspicious occurrences. . . . After his life has come to an end, he will be reborn in the great hell.”

The passage in the Benevolent Kings Sutra states, “If a time should come when the good fortune of these rulers runs out, . . . then the seven disasters are certain to arise.” And the passage in the Great Collection Sutra says that p.189“though for countless existences in the past the ruler of a state may have practiced the giving of alms, observed the precepts, and cultivated wisdom, . . . all [the inestimable roots of goodness that he has planted through the practices just mentioned] will be entirely wiped out.”

In view of these passages, should one not set aside all other affairs and consider first of all why these disasters occur? If one does not do so, then more and more such disasters are bound to occur!

Such is my humble opinion. I leave it to others to accept or reject it.