Lecture in Praise of Nichiren Daishonin March 2014, Oko Lecture

“The True Object of Worship” (“Kanjin no honzon-shō”)

This month, we will focus on the following passage from “The True Object of Worship” (“Kanjin no honzon-shō”) and work together to deepen our faith and practice:

For those who are ignorant of ichinen sanzen, the Buddha manifests his great compassion, and infuses the jewel [of actual ichinen sanzen hidden in the depths] into the five characters [of Myoho-Renge-Kyo], and adorns the necks of the common mortals in the Latter Day of the Law. (Gosho, p. 662)

“The True Object of Worship” was written on the 25th day of the fourth month of the tenth year of Bunei (1273), when Nichiren Daishonin was 52 years old and living in exile in Ichinosawa in Sado. This Gosho is one of the Daishonin’s most important writings. In it, he reveals that he made his advent into this world to save all mankind in the ten thousand years and eternity of the Latter Day of the Law. He declares that he will establish the supreme of the entire Jambudvipa world, to be embraced and believed in by all mankind. Nichiren Daishonin writes the following in the “Cover Letter to the ‘True Object of Worship’” (“‘Kanjin no honzon-shō soe jō”):

It is an ultimately significant matter that concerns me, Nichiren. (Gosho, p. 662)

The Nichiren Shoshu Gohonzon to which we pray every morning and evening is the object of worship identical to the Dai-Gohonzon of the High Sanctuary of the Essential Teaching, the supreme entity of the Three Great Secret Laws, which is strictly protected at the Head Temple Taisekiji. The true purpose of our master Nichiren Daishonin’s advent into this world was to inscribe the Dai-Gohonzon. Our Gohonzon has been transcribed by the High Priest, who has received the Heritage of the Law entrusted to a single person. This supreme Gohonzon, which we revere above all, manifests the inseparable entity of the object of worship in terms of the person and the object of worship in terms of the Law. In the Second Silent Prayer of Gongyo, we express our reverence when we read the phrase, “oneness of the person and the Law of the Supreme Object of Worship.” Nichiren Daishonin revealed the profound doctrine of the object of worship in terms of the person in the Buddhism of the sowing of the Latter Day of the Law in the Gosho, “The Opening of the Eyes” (“Kaimoku-shō”), which also was written in Sado. Thereafter, in “The True Object of Worship,” the Daishonin revealed the doctrine of “the object of worship in terms of the person is in itself the Law.” It is apparent that Nichiren Daishonin gave a great deal of thought and consideration to whom he would entrust these supremely significant writings concerning the Gohonzon, bearing in mind the eternal perpetuation of the true Law throughout the ten-thousand years and eternity of the Latter Day of the Law. “The Opening of the Eyes” was addressed to Shijō Kingo. He was ready to give his life, when he expressed his resolve to accompany Nichiren Daishonin in death at the Tatsunokuchi Persecution, when the Daishonin was about to be beheaded. “The True Object of Worship” was entrusted to Toki Jōnin. He constantly looked out for the Daishonin’s safety and wellbeing and protected him, from the time he took faith in the fifth year of Kenchō (1253), when the Daishonin formally established true Buddhism. Shijō Kingo and Toki Jōnin were the prominent followers of the Daishonin in Kamakura and Shimousa (Chiba Prefecture today) regions. These men had earned the strong trust of Nichiren Daishonin and they possessed the personal qualities that enabled them to be entrusted with the safekeeping of the most essential Goshos. The passage we are studying represents the conclusion of the entire writing of “The True Object of Worship.” It contains the term “ichinen sanzen” (three thousand realms in a single life-moment). This is a doctrine of supreme reason that is expounded to enable all mankind to attain enlightenment. Nichiren Daishonin states the following in his “Recorded Lectures” (“Onkō kikigaki”):

The Lotus Sutra represents the ultimate Law that enables all mankind to attain . (Gosho, p. 1818)

The Lotus Sutra is the true teaching that enables all people to attain enlightenment, because the great principle of ichinen sanzen is expounded therein. Ichinen, the single life-moment, refers to the condition of our minds that manifests and perishes every instant. Contained within each instant of the life-moment of our minds possess three thousand kinds of true entity of entire universe. The true entity of the three-thousand phenomena begins with the ten worlds that are inherent in the hearts of all people—hell, hunger, animality, anger, humanity, rapture, learning, realization, , and Buddhahood. Each of these ten worlds possesses the ten worlds within itself, which makes one hundred worlds. This is known as the mutual possession of the ten worlds (jikkai gogu). The ten factors (jū nyoze), contained in the Expedient Means (Hōben; second) chapter of the Lotus Sutra, which we recite during Gongyo, actually show us how life characterized by the mutual possession of the ten worlds operates, functions, achieves cause and effect, and manifests itself as an actual entity. Each of the one hundred worlds contains the ten factors, which makes one thousand factors. It is revealed that the life conditions and functions of the mutual possession of the ten worlds and the hundred worlds and thousand factors further advance to incorporate oneself and others and extend into the realm of the environment. This function is known as the three realms of existence (san seken). These three realms of existence are made up of the realm of the five components, which indicates that there are distinctions between the body and mind of all people who are the very entities who perform all life activities; the realm of living beings, which reveals that there are distinctions among the people of the ten worlds, formed by the five components; and the realm of the environment, which shows that there are distinctions among all the individual places where living beings of the ten worlds dwell. These include insentient phenomena, such as grasses, trees, mountains, rivers, minerals, and crystals. The three realms of existence are inherent in each of the thousand factors and combine to form the three thousand realms. The true entity of the realm of the entire universe, known as the three thousand realms, is contained within each split-second—each single instant state of mind. Thus, the great principle of ichinen sanzen expounds not only theoretically but also in actual terms how all mankind can attain enlightenment without fail. Ichinen sanzen, in the theoretical teaching of the Lotus Sutra, reveals the essential nature of life through the principle of the true entity of all phenomena (shohō jissō). Furthermore, it expounds the doctrine of the attainment of Buddhahood by those of the two vehicles and the principle of the mutual possession of the ten worlds. However, since Shakyamuni of India, who expounded this teaching, had not yet revealed his true purpose, the doctrine of ichinen sanzen expounded in the theoretical teaching of the Lotus Sutra was still incomplete. It only revealed the theoretical possibility that all people would be able to attain enlightenment. For this reason, this doctrine of ichinen sanzen is known as theoretical ichinen sanzen (ri no ichinen sanzen). In the Life Span (Juryō; sixteenth) chapter of the essential teaching of the Lotus Sutra, Shakyamuni revealed that he, himself, had practiced the Bodhisattva Way in the remote past of kuon (true cause [honnin myō]). As a result, he attained the effect of Buddhahood in the remote past of kuon (true effect [honga myō]). Thereafter, he resided in the saha world and expounded the Law (true land [honkokudo myo]). Based on this, the first nine worlds were contained within the world of Buddhahood, and the world of Buddhahood was a part of the nine worlds. The doctrine of ichinen sanzen was established in actual terms and Buddhahood for all people was expounded as a certainty. For this reason, the doctrine of ichinen sanzen in the essential teaching of the Lotus Sutra is called actual ichinen sanzen (ji no ichinen sanzen). However, these forms of ichinen sanzen are those of the Buddhism of the harvest, based on the surface meaning of the Lotus Sutra. Even the actual ichinen sanzen of Shakyamuni is ineffective in enabling the attainment of enlightenment by the people in the Latter Day of the Law, who do not possess the seed of Buddhahood from the distant past of kuon. Thus, both the doctrines of theoretical and actual ichinen sanzen of the surface meaning of the Lotus Sutra are categorized as theoretical. What, then, is the true entity of the great Law that will enable us to attain enlightenment in our present form (sokushin jōbutsu) as individuals in the Latter Day of the Law? It is none other than the ichinen sanzen hidden in the depths of the Life Span chapter of the Lotus Sutra. The Daishonin states the following in “The Opening of the Eyes” (“Kaimoku-shō”):

The doctrine of ichinen sanzen (three thousand realms in a single life- moment) can only be found hidden in the depths of the Life Span (Juryō; sixteenth) chapter of the essential teaching of the Lotus Sutra. (Gosho, p. 526)

The doctrine of ichinen sanzen, hidden in the depths of the sutra, is the fundamental great Law of the true cause of the Buddhism of the sowing, possessed by the Buddha from the infinite past of kuon-ganjo. This doctrine of ichinen sanzen, hidden in the depths of the Life Span chapter of the Lotus Sutra, is the “jewel” referred to in the passage we are studying from “The True Object of Worship.” We must believe and understand that this “jewel infused into the five characters of Myoho-Renge-Kyo” is the Dai-Gohonzon of the High Sanctuary of the Essential Teaching, the oneness of the person and the Law, and which is possessed in the mind of Nichiren Daishonin, the Buddha with the property of perfect wisdom from the infinite past of kuon-ganjo. The Daishonin inscribed and established it through his great compassion, in order to save all humanity in the Latter Day of the Law. There are concepts and doctrines, such as those expounded by the teachings of Tiantai, which strive to actualize the life condition of Buddhahood through the practice of observing one’s mind and analyzing and categorizing life conditions. These teachings, however, cannot lead the people in the Latter Day of the Law to attain enlightenment in their present form. The Daishonin states the following in the Gosho, “The Oral Transmission on the Attainment of Buddhahood of Insentient Beings” (“Sōmoku jōbutsu kuketsu”):

I have refined the doctrine of ichinen sanzen and revealed it in the form of the great . The misguided, incompetent scholars of today could not even imagine this doctrine in their dreams. (Gosho, p. 523)

The practice of observing one’s mind (kanjin) in the Latter Day of the Law consists of believing in and embracing the great mandala Gohonzon, which is supreme in the entire Jambudvipa world, and sincerely chanting Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo. It refers to the great, direct path to the direct attainment of correct observation (jikitatsu shōkan) and the attainment of enlightenment in one’s present form (sokushin jōbutsu). This is the “Year of Accomplishing Our Shakubuku Goal,” the grand finale of our efforts to increase the number of Hokkeko believers by fifty-percent, as we advance toward the 770th anniversary of the birth of Nikko Shonin next year. It is important for us to exert our utmost efforts in the practice for others by doing shakubuku and cultivating the faith and practice of others. We must do Gongyo with the new believers who have recently received the Gojukai ceremony, so that they can learn to recite the sutra and chant Daimoku. It is important for us to offer our assistance, so that the new believers are able to receive the Gohonzon, inscribed through the great compassion of the True Buddha, as soon as possible. Nichikan Shonin, the Twenty-sixth High Priest of the Head Temple, stated:

When we believe in and embrace this Gohonzon and chant Nam-Myoho- Renge-Kyo, our lives immediately will manifest the object of worship of ichinen sanzen, the doctrine of the three thousand realms in a single life- moment, and the entity of our founder Nichiren Daishonin. Herein lies the correct meaning of the phrase, “adorns the necks of the common mortals in the Latter Day of the Law.” Thus, we must uphold the powers of the Buddha and the Law, and strive with our powers of faith and practice. Do not spend an entire lifetime in vain and come to regret it for the next ten thousand infinite kalpas. (Mondan, p. 285)

This means that, through the power of embracing the mystic Law (Myoho), we, as common mortals, are able to achieve the immense benefit of attaining enlightenment in our present form (sokushin jobutsu). Let’s advance in the practice for ourselves and for others, with solid unity between priesthood and laity, in the spirit of itai-doshin, so that as many people as possible throughout the world can experience the vast and profound mystic effect of the Gohonzon.