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29 The Heritage of the Ultimate Law of Life

Written by Nichiren

HAVE just carefully read your let- hell to Buddhahood—are free from Iter. To reply, the ultimate Law of the two phases of life and death. Life life and death as transmitted from and death are simply the two func- the Buddha to all living beings is tions of Myoho-renge-kyo. In his Great Myoho-renge-kyo. The five characters Concentration and Insight, T’ien-t’ai says, of Myoho-renge-kyo were transferred “Arising is the arising of the essential from Shakyamuni and Many Treasures, nature of the Law, and extinction is the the two Buddhas inside the treasure extinction of that nature.” Shakyamuni tower, to Bodhisattva Superior Prac- and Many Treasures, the two Buddhas, tices, carrying on a heritage unbroken are also the two phases of life and since the infinite past. Myo represents death. death, and ho, life. Living beings that Shakyamuni Buddha who attained pass through the two phases of life enlightenment countless kalpas ago, and death are the entities of the Ten the Lotus Sutra that leads all people Worlds, or the entities of Myoho- to Buddhahood, and we ordinary hu- renge-kyo. man beings are in no way different or T’ien-t’ai says that one should un- separate from one another. To chant derstand that living beings and their Myoho-renge-kyo with this realization environments, and the causes and ef- is to inherit the ultimate Law of life fects at work within them, are all the and death. This is a matter of the Law of renge (the lotus).1 Here “living utmost importance for Nichiren’s disci- beings and their environments” means ples and lay supporters, and this is what the phenomena of life and death. Thus, it means to embrace the Lotus Sutra. it is clear that, where life and death For one who summons up one’s exist, cause and effect, or the Law of faith and chants Nam-myoho-renge- the lotus, is at work. kyo with the profound insight that The Great Teacher Dengyo states, now is the last moment of one’s life, “The two phases of life and death are the sutra proclaims: “When the lives of the wonderful workings of one mind. these persons come to an end, they The two ways of existence and non- will be received into the hands of a existence are the true functions of an thousand Buddhas, who will free them inherently enlightened mind.”2 No from all fear and keep them from phenomena—either heaven or earth, falling into the evil paths of existence.”5 yin or yang,3 the sun or the moon, the How can we possibly hold back our five planets,4 or any of the worlds from tears at the inexpressible joy of know-

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THE HERITAGE OF THE ULTIMATE LAW OF LIFE ing that not just one or two, not just widespread propagation can be ful- one hundred or two hundred, but as filled. But if any of Nichiren’s disciples many as a thousand Buddhas will come disrupt the unity of many in body but to greet us with open arms! one in mind, they would be like war- Concerning one who disbelieves the riors who destroy their own castle from Lotus Sutra, because the sutra states, within. “When his life comes to an end he will Nichiren has been trying to awaken enter the Avichi hell,”6 the wardens of all the people of Japan to faith in the hell will surely come for one and take Lotus Sutra so that they too can share one away by the hands. How pitiful! the heritage and attain Buddhahood. The ten kings7 of the world of the dead But instead they have persecuted me in will then pass judgment, and the heav- various ways and finally had me ban- enly messengers8 who have been with ished to this island. You have followed one since birth will berate one for Nichiren, however, and met with suf- one’s evil deeds. fering as a result. It pains me deeply to Think of those thousand Buddhas think of your anguish. Gold can be extending their hands to all of Nichi- neither burned by fire nor corroded or ren’s disciples and lay supporters who swept away by water, but iron is vul- chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo as mel- nerable to both. A worthy person is ons or moonflowers extending their like gold, a fool like iron. You are like slender vines. My followers are now pure gold because you embrace the able to accept and uphold the Lotus “gold” of the Lotus Sutra. The sutra Sutra because of the strong ties they states, “Just as among all the moun- formed with it in their past existences. tains, Mount Sumeru is foremost, so They are certain to obtain the fruit of this Lotus Sutra is likewise.”11 It also Buddhahood in the future. The heri- states, “The good fortune you gain tage of the Lotus Sutra flows within thereby . . . cannot be burned by fire or the lives of those who never forsake it washed away by water.”12 in any lifetime whatsoever—whether It must be ties of karma from the in the past, the present, or the future. distant past that have destined you to But those who disbelieve and slan- become my disciple at a time like this. der the Lotus Sutra will immediately Shakyamuni and Many Treasures cer- “destroy all the seeds for becoming a tainly realized this truth. The sutra’s Buddha in this world.”9 Because they statement, “Those persons who had cut themselves off from the potential to heard the Law dwelled here and there attain enlightenment, they do not share in various Buddha lands, constantly re- the heritage of the ultimate Law of life born in company with their teachers,”13 and death. cannot be false in any way. All disciples and lay supporters of How admirable that you have asked Nichiren should chant Nam-myoho- about the transmission of the ultimate renge-kyo with the spirit of many in Law of life and death! I have never body but one in mind, transcending all heard of anyone who has asked such a differences among themselves10 to be- question. I have answered in complete come as inseparable as fish and the wa- detail in this letter, so please take it ter in which they swim. This spiritual deeply to heart. The important point is bond is the basis for the universal trans- to carry out your practice confident mission of the ultimate Law of life and that Nam-myoho-renge-kyo alone is death. Herein lies the true goal of the heritage that was transferred from Nichiren’s propagation. When you are Shakyamuni and Many Treasures to so united, even the great desire for Bodhisattva Superior Practices.

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THE HERITAGE OF THE ULTIMATE LAW OF LIFE

The function of fire is to burn and myoho-renge-kyo with the prayer that give light. The function of water is your faith will be steadfast and correct to wash away filth. The winds blow at the moment of death. Never seek away dust and breathe life into plants, any other way to inherit the ultimate animals, and human beings. The earth Law of life and death, and manifest it produces the grasses and trees, and in your life. Only then will you realize heaven provides nourishing moisture. that earthly desires are enlightenment, The five characters of Myoho-renge- and that the sufferings of birth and kyo are also like that. They are the death are nirvana. Even embracing the cluster of blessings brought by the Bo- Lotus Sutra would be useless without dhisattvas of the Earth, disciples of the the heritage of faith. Buddha in his true identity. The Lotus I will go into particulars again on Sutra says that Bodhisattva Superior another occasion. Practices will appear now, in the Latter With my deep respect, Day of the Law, to propagate this teach- Nichiren, ing, but has this happened? Whether the shramana of Japan or not Bodhisattva Superior Practices has appeared in this world, Nichiren The eleventh day of the second has already made a start in propagating month in the ninth year of Bun’ei this teaching. (), cyclical sign mizunoe-saru Be resolved to summon forth the Reply to the Honorable Sairen-bo great power of faith, and chant Nam-

Background This letter, dated the eleventh day of Sairen-bo was a highly educated the second month in , was sent priest to whom the Daishonin sent by Nichiren Daishonin to Sairen-bo several important essays, including The Nichijo, a former Tendai priest who, True Aspect of All Phenomena and The for reasons that are unclear, was also Heritage of the Ultimate Law of Life. He living in exile on Sado Island. Details had a number of unresolved questions about Sairen-bo are scarce, but it is about Buddhist theory, and he ad- known that he was originally from dressed them one by one to the Dai- Kyoto, and that he had studied at shonin, who in turn answered these Mount Hiei, the seat of the Tendai questions in written form. The Dai- school, before his exile. He was also shonin praised him, saying, “How ad- present at the Tsukahara Debate, held mirable that you have asked about the in front of Sammai-do, the Daishonin’s transmission of the ultimate Law of life dwelling at Tsukahara, on the sixteenth and death!” In his reply the Daisho- and seventeenth days of the first month nin offers a look into the wonder of in . In this debate the Daishonin the Buddha’s own enlightenment, as was the clear victor over Pure Land, well as the practical means whereby True Word, and other priests from ordinary people may attain the same Sado and from various provinces of end. northern Japan. A number of people In the first paragraph, the Daishonin converted to his teachings at this time, states that Nam-myoho-renge-kyo is among them Sairen-bo. the heritage of the ultimate Law of life,

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THE HERITAGE OF THE ULTIMATE LAW OF LIFE and that the transmission of this Law is future, unbroken in any lifetime. In made from the Buddha to all living terms of space, the Daishonin pro- beings. Then he refers to the question claims that the heritage of the ultimate of how we can inherit the ultimate Law flows within the lives of his disci- Law of life and manifest it within our- ples and lay supporters who work in selves. perfect unity for the realization of a This Law flows in the depths of the peaceful world and happiness for all lives of those who believe in the teach- humanity. ings of the Lotus Sutra, practice in Having stated that the ultimate Law exact accord with them, and chant the is within the lives of human beings, daimoku. The Daishonin declares that Nichiren Daishonin further explains there is no distinction whatsoever be- how to inherit the Law. He emphasizes tween Shakyamuni Buddha, the Lotus the importance of the attitude, “now is Sutra, and us, ordinary people. the last moment ...,” in order to mani- Viewed from the standpoint of the fest innate Buddhahood, a state that Daishonin’s Buddhism, this can be transcends both life and death. taken as a declaration that there is In discussing the thousand Buddhas absolutely no difference or separation and the ten kings of hell, he reveals the between Nichiren Daishonin as the continuity of cause and effect spanning Buddha of the Latter Day, the Law of past, present, and future. Whatever state Nam-myoho-renge-kyo—or the Go- of life predominates while one is alive honzon which embodies that Law— will continue in the next life. Whether and ourselves, who chant Nam-myoho- one can succeed to the heritage of the renge-kyo. Law depends entirely on one’s faith. In terms of time, the heritage—the This is why he strictly warns in his mystic relationship between the Law conclusion, “Even embracing the Lo- and the lives of the people—courses tus Sutra would be useless without the eternally through past, present, and heritage of faith.”

Notes 1. The Profound Meaning of the Lotus Su- viewed hell as a demonic court of law tra. where the dead were tried for their evil 2. The Essential Doctrines Transmitted with- deeds. in the Tendai Lotus School. 8. Gods said to dwell on one’s shoulders 3. Yin and yang are two universal prin- from the time of birth and to record one’s ciples of ancient Chinese philosophy. Yin is every act. They represent the law of cause the negative, dark, and feminine principle; and effect at work in one’s life. yang is the positive, bright, and masculine 9. Lotus Sutra, chap. . principle. Their interaction was thought to 10. The phrase “transcending all differ- determine the destiny of all things. ences among themselves” could be ren- 4. Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and dered literally as “without any thought of Saturn. In the thirteenth century the more self or other, this or that.” This is not a distant planets were as yet unknown, and denial of individuality, but rather urges the Earth was not known to be among the bridging of the gaps between people that planets. arise from self-centeredness. 5. Lotus Sutra, chap. . 11. Lotus Sutra, chap. . 6. Ibid., chap. . 12. Ibid. 7. Symbolic figures from popular reli- 13. Ibid., chap. . gious tradition. One Chinese concept

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