Sutra of Infinite Meanings

The Justice Chronicle, provided by Soka Gakkai International-USA, is a free monthly e-mail in support of the Soka Spirit movement. Soka Spirit is the SGI's educational effort to create value and deepen our understanding of Nichiren Buddhism through increased awareness of issues surrounding the Nichiren Shoshu priesthood and the spiritual foundation of the SGI movement.

1) A JOURNEY OF FAITH WITHIN: THE SEARCH FOR HAPPINESS OUTSIDE LEADS TO UNHAPPINESS INSIDE

In this serialized article, which appears in the June issue of Living Buddhism, SGI-USA Study Department Vice Leader Shin Yatomi revisits the issue of pilgrimage, and discusses the meaning of faith in the Dai-Gohonzon.

THE GOHONZON IN OUR HOMES ARE SAME AS THE DAI-GOHONZON

The Gohonzon enshrined in our homes are transcriptions of the Dai-Gohonzon, and they are exactly the same as the Dai-Gohonzon in their beneficial power based on the principle of the dispersal of the Buddha's body (Jpn bunshin santai).

The Sutra of Infinite Meanings, which is regarded as a prologue to the Lotus Sutra, explains that the Buddha dispersed his body among many lands in order to lead all living beings equally to enlightenment. What is implied in this concept is the universality of the Buddha's compassion and of Buddhahood itself. Buddhism is a universal teaching without bonds to a particular place; it allows people to attain enlightenment regardless of their location. Based on this principle, Gohonzon are reproduced so that all believers may enjoy the same benefit as if they were directly praying to the Dai-Gohonzon, wherever they might practice. Therefore, it has been always understood that when we pray to the Gohonzon enshrined in our homes, it is the same as praying directly to the Dai-Gohonzon.

The priesthood, however, now claims that we should hink of the Dai-Gohonzon as the root, and all other Gohonzons as branches and leaves, suggesting that there is a fundamental difference in quality or effectiveness between the Dai-Gohonzon and the Gohonzon enshrined in our homes ([Nichiren Shoshu publication] The Group Tozan Handbook, p. 3).

The priesthood also asserts that we need to worship the Dai-Gohonzon directly in order to enjoy the benefit of our practice: There is absolutely no benefit in refusing to visit the Dai-Gohonzon¸and worshipping just a household Gohonzon, which is a transcription of that Dai-Gohonzon ([Nichiren Shoshu publication] 100 Questions and Answers, p. 9). It appears that the priesthood is oblivious to the principle of the dispersal of the Buddha's body. As the same Buddha appears in many lands in the Sutra of Infinite Meanings, the same Dai-Gohonzon is enshrined in each of our homes throughout the world.

The priesthood also seems to be confused about the foundation or what they describe as the
oot of the Gohonzon. Our faith in our innate Buddhahood is the source of the Gohonzon's beneficial power. As the Daishonin states: Never seek this Gohonzon outside yourself. The Gohonzon exists only within the mortal flesh of us ordinary people who embrace the Lotus Sutra and chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo¸.This Gohonzon also is found only in the two characters for faith (The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, p. 832). When we pray to the Gohonzon in our homes with strong faith, we will naturally enjoy the full benefit of practicing Nichiren Buddhism. Seeking the Mystic Law outside ourselves, the Daishonin points out, is as foolish as a poor man who spends night and day counting his neighbor's wealth but gains not even half a coin (WND, 3).

Furthermore, the priesthood's emphasis on the direct worship of the Dai-Gohonzon over worship of one's personal Gohonzon completely contradicts its own tradition. Throughout the history of Taiseki-ji, the successive high priests transcribed Gohonzon so that believers could practice Nichiren Buddhism without directly praying to the Dai-Gohonzon. Hori Nichiko, the 59th high priest and renowned scholar of the history of Nichiren Buddhism, explained that the Dai-Gohonzon was intended to we kept in secrecy until the time of kosen-rufu (The Detailed Accounts of Nikko Shonin of the Fuji School, vol. 2, p. 59). High Priest Nichiko also wrote, In the early times, this matter [i.e., the Dai-Gohonzon] was publicized neither within our school nor outside (p. 59).

If directly praying to the Dai-Gohonzon were so important for one's attainment of enlightenment, how could the priesthood have previously hidden its existence from believers and apparently even from many of its own priests? According to the priesthood's recorded history, many believers in the past knew not even of the existence of the Dai-Gohonzon. High Priest Nichiko explained that only hose of strong faith with special connection who were lucky enough to learn of the priesthood's well-kept secret were allowed to worship the Dai-Gohonzon with [the priesthood's] reluctance (p. 59).

One must assume that the early priesthood was not intentionally preventing the enlightenment of believers by hiding the Dai-Gohonzon; rather, this fact makes it clear that the dogma of the current priesthood that one must pray directly to the Dai-Gohonzon is a recent invention.

Five in a series.

2) CHERISH THOSE WHO WORK FOR KOSEN-RUFU

This is an excerpt from a speech given by SGI President Ikeda at the Shimane Prefecture leaders meeting on Sept. 9, 1991, two months before Nichiren Shoshu's excommunication of the SGI. It originally appeared in the November 1991 Seikyo Times.

THE SOKA GAKKAI HAS GUIDED MEMBERS TO SHOW PROOF IN SOCIETY

One of the reasons the Soka Gakkai has developed as it has is that, since the days of first president Tsunesaburo Makiguchi, its leaders have been guiding individual members to practice Nichiren
Buddhism in the realm of daily life, thus enabling them to show actual proof of the great benefit of Buddhism in society. However, there were times when the Nichiren Shoshu priesthood actually opposed the Soka Gakkai for declaring that the Gohonzon can impart both enefit and punishment to people. [Of course the Soka Gakkai's declaration does not mean that the Gohonzon, like an absolute being, can benefit or punish people on its own. It means that the Gohonzon embodies the law of cause and effect; and therefore our attitude toward the Gohonzon results in either positive effects, benefit, or negative effects, that is punishment.]

Before World War II, President Makiguchi emphasized the concept of punishment and commenced propagation efforts. Some priests raised critical voices against President Makiguchi. To such criticism, Mr. Makiguchi would respond, saying: Facing the Gohonzon, in its upper right-hand corner are the words, 'Those who vex or trouble [the practitioners of the Lotus Sutra] will have their heads split into seven pieces.' Doesn't this signify the theory of punishment?

Then, after the war, second Soka Gakkai president Josei Toda stood up alone to reconstruct the Soka Gakkai and launched strong propagation efforts while stressing the great beneficial power of the Gohonzon. It is true that some priests were critical of President Toda, too.

If faith remains only an idea separate from reality, that is, if faith never results in benefit for believers and punishment for slanderers, it has no value or meaning. Nichiren Daishonin made his advent in the Latter Day of the Law to save all people. His Buddhism exists to enable people to overcome their suffering and ultimately attain Buddhahood.

President Toda once called out to the people, When it comes to faith, return to the days of the Daishonin. Mr. Toda gave clear guidance in faith to each member, always based on the Daishonin's writings, and he showed the concrete way to overcome individual problems. At the same time he awakened the individual members to their noble mission of achieving kosen-rufu. In this way, he created a great organization of the followers of the Bodhisattvas of the Earth.

High Priest Nittatsu was more aware of this fact than anyone else. Therefore, he strictly prohibited priests from cunningly winning Soka Gakkai members' hearts and making them obedient followers of the priesthood. Those priests who run counter to such guidance from the former high priest must not be regarded as bona fide Nichiren Shoshu priests. They are committing the serious slander of revolting against their late master.

High Priest Nikken Abe, too, once said to the priesthood: You shouldn't say to believers who belong to a lay organization, 'You will not receive any benefit if you practice faith in your organization,' or 'You will receive only negative effects because the way you practice faith in your organization is not correct,' thus attempting to win them over to your side. In other words, I believe the movement to persuade members to leave the Soka Gakkai and join Nichiren Shoshu directly contradicts the way Buddhism should be propagated.

There are still many people in society who are ignorant of the Gohonzon of Nichiren Shoshu. Therefore, we [the priests] should preach the Law to these people. We should strive to spread the Law among such people, beginning with one person (at the chief priests' seminar opening ceremony on Aug. 28, 1980).

Here, High Priest Nikken clearly explains that the movement to convince members to leave the Soka Gakkai and join Nichiren Shoshu directly has nothing to do with propagating Buddhism, and that the correct way of the Nichiren Shoshu priesthood is to cultivate an understanding of the Law among those who do not yet know about the greatness of the Gohonzon.

[Editor's note: On Nov. 28 of the year this speech was given, High Priest Nikken excommunicated all members of the Soka Gakkai and the SGI, and subsequently stopped conferring the Gohonzon to any lay believers that did not become members of Nichiren Shoshu. This movement to persuade Soka Gakkai and SGI members to join the Nichiren Shoshu temple continues today.]

Four in a series.