The Liturgy of Daishonin Translations in English and Dutch

Hoben-Pon Expedient Means Chapter 2 Geschikte middelen (hoofdstuk 2)

Myo ho ren ge kyo. Hoben-pon. Dai Ni.

1) Niji seson. Ju sanmai. Anjo ni ki. Go shari-hotsu. Sho-but^chi-e. Jinjin muryo. Go chi-e mon. Nange nannyu. Issai shomon. Hyaku-shi-butsu. Sho fu no chi.

At this time the World-Honored One serenely arose from meditation and addressed Shariputra: "The wisdom of all Buddhas is infinitely profound and immeasurable. The portal to this wisdom is difficult to understand and difficult to enter. Neither men of Learning (shomon) nor men of Realization (engaku) are able to comprehend it."

Op dat moment kwam de Wereld-Geëerde kalm uit zijn samadhi en richtte zich tot Sharipoetra met de woorden: "De wijsheid van de boeddha's is eindeloos diep en onmetelijk. De deur naar deze wijsheid is moeilijk te begrijpen en moeilijk om binnen te gaan. Niet één van de stemmenhoorders of pratyeka-boeddha's is in staat dit te begrijpen.

(2) Sho-i sha ga. Butsu zo shingon. Hyaku sen man noku. Mushu sho butsu. Jin gyo sho-butsu. Muryo doho. Yumyo shojin. Myosho fu mon. Joju jinjin. Mi-zo-u ho. Zui gi sho setsu. Ishu nange.

"The reason is this. A Buddha has carried out countless austerities under many hundred thousand myriads of kotis of Buddhas. He devoted himself to these practices so valiantly and untiringly that his name is universally known. He realized the profound, unparalleled Law and preaches it according to the people's capacity, yet his intention is very difficult to understand."

Wat is de reden hiervan? Een boeddha heeft persoonlijk honderd, duizend, tienduizend, een miljoen, een ontelbaar aantal boeddha's gediend en een onnoemelijk groot aantal religieuze beoefeningen volledig uitgevoerd. Hij heeft zich moedig en krachtig ingespannen en zijn naam is overal bekend. Hij is zich bewust geworden van de Wet die diepgaand is, en die nog nooit eerder bekend was en hij verkondigt deze wet in overeenstemming met wat geschikt is en toch is zijn bedoeling moeilijk te begrijpen.

(3) Shari-hotsu. Go ju jo-butsu irai. Shuju innen. Shuju hiyu. Ko en gonkyo. Mu shu hoben. Indo shujo. Ryo ri sho jaku.

"Shariputra, ever since I attained Buddhahood, I have widely expounded my teachings through many stories of past relationships and many parables, and by countless means have led the people to renounce all their attachments. Sharipoetra, vanaf het moment dat ik boeddhaschap bereikte, heb ik door middel van verschillende oorzaken en vergelijkingen mijn leerstellingen wijd verkondigd en gebruik gemaakt van talloze geschikte middelen om levende wezens te leiden en hen ertoe te brengen hun gehechtheden op te geven.

(4) Sho-i sha ga. Nyorai hoben. Chiken hara-mitsu. Kai i gu-soku.

The reason for this is that the Tathagata is possessed of both means and perfect wisdom."

Waarom is dit zo? Omdat de Aldus Gekomene volledig toegerust is met zowel geschikte middelen als met de paramita van wijsheid."

(5) Shari-hotsu. Nyorai chiken. Kodai jinnon. Muryo muge. Riki. Mu-sho-i. Zenjo. Gedas.^Sanmai. Jin nyu musai. Joju issai. Mi-zo-u ho.

"Shariputra, the wisdom of the Tathagata is all-encompassing and profound. His mercy is infinite, and his teaching knows no bounds. Endowed with power, fearlessness, concentration, emancipation [from sufferings and desires] and the capacity to meditate, he dwells in the boundless and awakens to the never before-realized Law."

"Sharipoetra, de wijsheid van de Aldus Gekomene is overvloedig en diepgaand. Hij heeft onmetelijk (mededogen), onbegrensde (welsprekendheid), kracht, onverschrokkenheid, concentratie, vrijheid, en samadhi's en hij is diep en het grenzeloze doorgedrongen en zich bewust geworden van de nooit eerder bereikte Wet."

(6) Shari-hotsu. Nyorai no. Shuju fun-betsu. Gyo ses^sho ho. Gonji nyunan. Ekka shushin. Shari-hotsu. Shu yo gon shi. Muryo muhen. Mi-zo-u ho. Bus^shitsu joju.

"Shariputra, the Tathagata has the power to perceive which among the various teachings [is suited to his audience], to preach the teachings in a skillful way, and to gladden the hearts of the people with warm and tender words. That is to say, Shariputra, the Buddha has realized the infinite, boundless and unparalleled Law."

"Sharipoetra, de Aldus Gekomene weet hoe hij verschillende soorten onderscheid kan maken en de leerstellingen deskundig uiteen kan zetten. Zijn woorden zijn zacht en vriendelijk en kunnen de harten van de verzamelden in verrukking brengen. Sharipoetra, om het samen te vatten: de boeddha is zich volledig bewust geworden van de Wet die onbeperkt , grenzeloos en nooit eerder bereikt is."

(7) Shi shari-hotsu. Fu shu bu setsu.^Sho-i sha ga. Bus^sho joju. Dai ichi ke-u. Nange shi ho.

"Shariputra, I will say no more, because that which the Buddha has achieved is the rarest and most difficult Law to comprehend." "Maar stop, Sharipoetra, ik zal niets meer zeggen. Waarom niet? omdat hetgeen de boeddha heeft bereikt, de zeldzaamste en moeilijkst te begrijpen Wet is."

(8) Yui butsu yo butsu. Nai no kujin. Shoho jisso. Sho-i shoho. Nyo ze so. Nyo ze sho. Nyo ze tai. Nyo ze riki. Nyo ze sa. Nyo ze in. Nyo ze en. Nyo ze ka. Nyo ze ho. Nyo ze honmak^kukyo to.

"The true entity of all phenomena can only be understood and shared between Buddhas. This reality consists of appearance, nature, entity, power, influence, internal cause, relation, latent effect, manifest effect, and their consistency from beginning to end."

"Het ware wezen van alle verschijnselen kan alleen worden begrepen en gedeeld door boeddha's. deze realiteit bestaat uit uiterlijk, aard, wezen, kracht, invloed, innerlijke oorzaak, relatie, latent gevolg, zichtbaar gevolg, en hun onderlinge samenhang van begin tot eind." top

Ji-Gage

Myo ho ren ge kyo. Nyorai ju-ryo-hon. Dai ju-roku.

Ji ga toku bur^rai. Sho kyo sho kosshu. Muryo hyaku sen man. Oku sai asogi. Jo seppo kyoke Mushu oku shujo. Ryo nyu o butsu-do. Nirai muryo ko.

At that time the World-Honored One, desiring to emphasize this teaching once more, spoke in verse.

"Since I attained Buddhahood, countless aeons have passed, a hundred, thousand, ten thousand, hundred thousand, asogi aeons. I have taught the Law continuously during these countless aeons and caused infinite millions to enter on the road to Buddhahood."

(26) I do shujo ko. Hoben gen nehan. Ni jitsu fu metsu-do. Jo ju shi seppo.

"I let the people witness my nirvana as a means to save them, but in truth I do not die; I am here always, teaching the Law."

(27) Ga jo ju o shi. I sho jin-zu-riki. Ryo tendo shujo. Sui gon ni fu ken. "I am here always, yet because of my mystic powers the deluded people cannot see me even when I am close by."

(28) Shu ken ga metsu-do. Ko kuyo shari. Gen kai e renbo. Ni sho katsu-go shin.

"When the people witness my passing, they pay widespread reverence to my relics All of them harbor thoughts of yearning, and in their hearts a thirst for me is born."

(29) Shujo ki shin-buku. Shichi-jiki i nyunan. Isshin yok^ken butsu. Fu ji shaku shinmyo. Ji ga gyu shuso. Ku shutsu ryojusen.

"When they have become truly faithful, honest and upright, gentle in mind, single- mindedly yearning to see the Buddha, not begrudging their lives to do so, then I and the assembly of monks appear together on Eagle Peak."

(30) Ga ji go shujo. Jo zai shi fu-metsu. I hoben-rik^ko. Gen u metsu fu-metsu. Yo- koku u shujo. Kugyo shingyo sha. Ga bu o hi chu. I setsu mujo ho.

"Then I tell the people that I am always here never dying , that l seem at times to live, at times to die, merely as all expedient means. If there are those in other worlds who are reverent and sincere in faith, among them also I teach the highest Law of all."

(31) Nyoto fu mon shi. Tan ni ga metsu-do. Ga ken sho shujo. Motsu-zai o kukai. Ko fu i gen shin. Ryo go sho katsu-go. In go shin renbo. Nai shutsu i seppo.

"But you refuse to heed my words and insist upon thinking that I die. I see the mass of people drowned in a sea of woe, and for that reason I do not show myself, causing them to thirst for me When their hearts commence to yearn, I appear to once to teach the Law."

(32) Jin-zu riki nyo ze. O asogi ko. Jo zai ryo jusen. Gyu yo sho jusho. Shujo ken ko jin. Dai ka sho sho ji. Ga shi do annon. Tennin jo juman. Onrin sho do-kaku. Shuju ho Shogon. Hoju ta keka. Shujo sho yu-raku. Soten gyaku tenku. Jo sas^shu gi-gaku. U mandara ke. San butsu gyu daishu. Ga jodo bu ki. Ni shu ken sho jin. Ufu sho kuno. Nyo ze shitsu juman. "Such are my mystic powers. For innumerable kotis of aeons I have always been on Eagle Peak and have lived in various other lands When men witness the end of an aeon and all is consumed in a great fire, this, my land, remains safe and unharmed, constantly filled with gods and men. The halls and palaces in its gardens and groves are adorned with all kinds of gems. Precious trees bear plentiful flowers and fruit, and the people there are happy and at ease. The gods strike heavenly drums making a ceaseless symphony of sound. A rain of white mandara blossoms scatters over the Buddha and the people. My pure land is indestructible yet men see it as consumed in fire, filled with sorrow fear and woe, a place of countless troubles."

(33) Ze sho zai shujo. I aku-go innen. Ka asogi ko. Fu mon sanbo myo.

"These people with their various crimes, because of the effects of their evil deeds, will never even hear the name of the three treasures, though countless aeons go by."

(34) Sho u shu ku-doku. Nyuwa shichi-jiki sha. Sokkai ken gashin. Zai shi ni seppo. Waku-ji i shi shu. Setsu butsu-ju muryo. Ku nai ken bussha. I setsu butsu nan chi.

"But those who follow meritorious ways, who are gentle, peaceful and upright, all of them will see me here in person, teaching the Law. At times I will teach these people the immeasurable length of the Buddha's life, and to those who see me only after a long while I will explain how difficult it is to meet the Buddha."

(35) Ga chi-riki nyo ze. Eko sho muryo. Jumyo mushu ko. Ku shugo sho toku.

"Such is the power of my wisdom that it illuminates infinitely far. This life that endures for countless aeons I gained as the result of lengthy practice." (36) Nyoto u chi sha. Mot^to shi sho gi. To dan ryo yo jin. Butsu-go jip^puko. Nyo i zen hoben. I ji o shi ko. Jitsu zai ni gon shi. Mu no sek^komo. Ga yaku i se bu. Ku sho kugen sha.

"You men of wisdom, rid yourselves of all doubts about this! Cut them off once and for all. The Buddhas words are true not false, He is like the skilled physician suing some devices to cure his deluded children. He lives but tells them he has died. No one can call his teaching false. I am the father of this world, saving those who are suffering and afflicted."

(37) I bonbu tendo. Jitsu zai ni gon metsu. I joken ga ko. Ni sho kyoshi shin. Ho- itsu jaku go-yoku. Da o aku-do chu. Ga jo chi shujo. Gyo do fu gyo do. Zui o sho ka do. I ses^shuju ho.

"Because of the delusions of ordinary people, I say I have departed though in fact I live, for if they see me constantly, arrogance and selfishness arise in their hearts, Abandoning themselves to the five desires, they fall into the paths of evil. I am ever aware of which people practice the Way, and which do not."

(38) Mai ji sa ze nen. I ga ryo shujo. Toku nyu mu-jo do. Soku joju busshin.

"This is my constant thought: how I can cause all living beings to gain entry to the highest Way and quickly attain Buddhahood."

The Meaning of Gongyo

Source: Lectures on the : The Hoben and Juryo Chapters

On many occasions throughout the Gosho, Nichiren Daishonin refers to himself as "a votary of the ." By that he means someone who translates every word of the Lotus Sutra into action and shows undeniable proof of the truth that it contains. After Shakyamuni, T'ien-t'ai in China and Dengyo in Japan each interpreted and spread the Lotus Sutra as votaries of the sutra in their own age, the Middle Day of the Law. In the Latter Day of the Law, Nichiren Daishonin propagated the sutra and lived its teachings exactly, fulfilling its predictions. He also revealed in its entirety the ultimate Law implicit in the Lotus Sutra. The sutra mentions this one great Law in various ways but does not define it specifically. Nichiren Daishonin revealed it as Nam-myoho-renge-kyo of the , and through this clarification, he pointed the way for all people to overcome their sufferings and for each individual to attain enlightenment. For this reason, too, he called himself "the votary of the Lotus Sutra."

Nichiren Daishonin not only revealed Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, but embodied this great Law in the Dai-, the object of worship for attaining Buddhahood in the Latter Day of the Law. The Dai-Gohonzon is the concrete manifestation of Nichiren Daishonin's enlightenment to the Law of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. For that reason, the Dai-Gohonzon embodies the perfect fusion of the Law, Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, and the Person, Nichiren Daishonin. The "" (Record of the Orally Transmitted Teachings) states, "The Buddha eternally endowed with the three properties [the Buddha of kuon ganjo or the original Buddha] is the votary of the Lotus Sutra in the Latter Day of the Law." (Gosho Zenshu p. 752) It also states, "The object of worship is the entity of the life of the votary of the Lotus Sutra."(Gosho Zenshu p. 752). "The votary of the Lotus Sutra" here means the Buddha of the Latter Day of the Law, who is Nichiren Daishonin.

The most basic practice in Nichiren Daishonin's Buddhism is gongyo, which consists of reciting portions of the Lotus Sutra and chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo (daimoku) to the Gohonzon. Doing this daily, morning and evening, serves to praise the power and greatness of the Gohonzon and to unite our life with the Gohonzon. Chanting Nam- myoho-renge-kyo is called the primary practice, and enables us to fuse our life with the Gohonzon. Reciting portions of the Lotus Sutra is called the supplementary practice, and helps fulfill the primary goal of fusing one's life with the Gohonzon.

One might wonder how reciting the Lotus Sutra could he efficacious when one cannot understand the sutra's meaning. Actually, a great many [] believers perform gongyo without understanding its meaning; this is true of many Japanese and Chinese people as well as those of other nations. The version of the Lotus Sutra we recite in gongyo is taken from the translation Kumarajiva made from Sanskrit into Chinese, and uses the same characters which are now utilized in the Chinese and Japanese languages. The phraseology is archaic, however, and quite different from modern Chinese or Japanese. It is no easy task, even for [Soka Gakkai] believers who can read Chinese characters, to understand the meaning of what they are reciting.

Most of us recite the Lotus Sutra during gongyo without a clear, precise understanding of its words. Its essence, however, lies within the depths of our lives, in the realm of the unconscious mind, where we can grasp the ultimate meaning of the Lotus Sutra. Reciting the Lotus Sutra enables us to praise the Gohonzon with our entire being and assists us, as we chant daimoku, in becoming one with the object of worship. Through the practice of gongyo we can experience the inexhaustible life force of Buddhahood which rises from the depths of our being. The Lotus Sutra consists of twenty-eight chapters, and among these, the second or Hoben chapter and the sixteenth or Juryo chapter are especially important. The Lotus Sutra's preeminence among all the lies in its assertion that all people can become Buddhas as Shakyamuni did, and in its philosophy which provides the theoretical explanation for this possibility.

In the Hoben chapter Shakyamuni begins to impart his enlightenment to his disciples. He reveals for the first time that all people have equal potential to attain Buddhahood. In the Juryo chapter he declares that he actually attained Buddhahood before this lifetime- in the distant past called gohyaku jintengo. By revealing his own Buddhahood to be of such long duration, he points to the Buddha nature eternally inherent in all human beings. Nichiren Daishonin taught that Nam-myoho-renge-kyo is the Law Shakyamuni revered to attain Buddhahood in the distant past of gohyaku-jintengo. By reciting the Juryo chapter, we are praising the great power of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, and by reciting the Hoben chapter, we express the belief that this power of Nam-myoho-renge- kyo, which is inherent in our lives, will become manifest and lead us toward Buddhahood. With this expectation deep in our lives we praise the supreme Law, Nam- myoho-renge-kyo.

While we praise the Law, Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, we also express gratitude to the Person, Nichiren Daishonin. Reciting the Juryo chapter is an expression of gratitude to Nichiren Daishonin, who first revealed the Law of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, which is the teacher of all the Buddhas of past, present and future. Reciting the Hoben chapter, on the other hand, gives voice to our awe and respect for the Daishonin as the Buddha who made it possible for us, the people in the Latter Day of the Law, to become Buddhas and enjoy the same state of enlightenment as his own.

The Hoben and Juryo chapters are clearly the most important chapters in the Lotus Sutra, and that is why the Gosho exhorts us to recite the Hoben and Juryo chapters and chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo.

The word Hoben, literally "means," here indicates preparatory teachings which are meant to lead people to the true teaching. To illustrate, they function like a bus, car or train carrying us from home to school or office. If study or work is the destination, then hoben is the means of getting there. Since both study and work are vital to improve life and be able to live a more truly human existence, these "means" are very important, indeed.

One reason the Hoben chapter is so called is because in it, Shakyamuni declares the preparatory nature of everything taught in the forty-two years before he expounded the Lotus Sutra. Everything was aimed only at leading people to the Lotus Sutra. This chapter is a statement, then, that the Lotus Sutra is the only true teaching. It is also called the Hoben chapter because it reveals that the life-activities of common mortals of the nine worlds are the means by which they manifest Buddhahood. If, as the Hoben chapter shows, the Buddha nature is intrinsic to our lives and we are therefore potential Buddhas, to manifest the Buddha nature is the goal, and the nine worlds are the means to attain it. For example, everyone has problems in daily life. They may be family troubles, difficulties at work, or character flaws. But when those problems compel us to pray to the Gohonzon, they become the "means" which lead to our human revolution.

The meaning of hoben also applies to Shakyamuni's teaching in the Lotus Sutra itself. The sutra is basically a "means" leading to the ultimate truth, which is Nam-myoho- renge-kyo of the Three Great Secret Laws. Not even in the Lotus Sutra itself did Shakyamuni Buddha clearly reveal the Law to which he was enlightened.

Nichiren Daishonin revealed this ultimate truth in the Latter Day of the Law. Even then, from one perspective, what the Daishonin taught is still a means-the only means in the Latter Day-to attain our enlightenment. Through our faith, practice and study based on the Gohonzon, in which the Daishonin embodied his enlightenment, we experience the truth in the depths of our being and make it the basis of our lives. As Nichiren Daishonin wrote to Lady Nichinyo, "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." ('Major Writings vol. 1, p.213.)

So far in this discussion we have talked about means as distinguished from the end, truth or result. But we also find instances where the means is not only closely connected to the end but also becomes the end in itself. The purpose of participating in sports, for example, is not merely to win a gold medal. An even greater purpose is the strengthening of one's body and mind through the serious pursuit of sports. In this case, means and end are inseparable.

In Buddhism a preparatory teaching (means) which simultaneously contains the true teaching (end) is called himyo hoben. Hi means "hidden," that is, the truth hidden in the preparatory teachings; myo means "beyond conception" or "unfathomable." In this sense, the hoben or "means" referred to in the second chapter are both teachings preliminary to the truth and, looking more deeply, teachings containing the truth.

Now let us reconsider what we have said so far about hoben in light of himyo hoben. From this perspective, it is apparent that the sutras taught before the Lotus Sutra are not merely preparatory teachings set down to lead people to the true teaching, but each of them contains part of the truth. Even so, the entire truth is contained only in the Lotus Sutra. After grasping the truth in the Lotus Sutra, we can go back to the pre-Lotus Sutra teachings and discover important points even within the partial truths they contain. When a part of the truth is seen within the context of the whole, it can be a trustworthy guide.

A similar relationship exists between Buddhahood and the other nine worlds. In a sense, the nine worlds are no more than a means to achieve the highest state of Buddhahood, but consider whether the Buddha's life could exist without the nine worlds. Even to imagine such a possibility is to miss the whole point of the Lotus Sutra's teaching. There can be no state of Buddhahood without the other nine worlds; they are necessary and integral components of life. As long as human beings are composed of flesh and blood, whether they are Buddhas or not, they will have the desires and instincts indispensable to living as men and women. They intrinsically possess all of the nine worlds, from Hell to Bodhisattva. The nine worlds are each distinct states, but they are also inseparable, and, when based on the Law of life, Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, they all work to create value within the dynamics of one's external circumstances.

Parts must be related to the whole in order to be of any use. If an arm is separated from the body, it cannot function. Only when an arm is part of the body can it fulfill the specific functions of writing, painting or holding things. When we base our lives on the Mystic Law, the ultimate truth of life, all our activities in human society will produce value. We do this by practicing gongyo. It connects us directly to the Mystic Law, and thus enables us to live with vigor, purpose and positive results.

We have said that Shakyamuni's teachings in the Lotus Sutra are the "means" and the "truth" is Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. And from one viewpoint, even the practice Nichiren Daishonin revealed and taught is a means leading to the "end" of attaining Buddhahood. However, from a deeper viewpoint, carrying out this means in itself contains the end. Reciting the Lotus Sutra and chanting daimoku is the means, while manifesting Buddhahood is the end. However, we manifest Buddhahood in the very act of reciting the Lotus Sutra and daimoku; the means and the end are thus inseparable.

The Juryo chapter reveals the unfathomable depth and duration of Shakyamuni's enlightenment. Hence the title: Ju means the Buddha's life span, specifically that of Shakyamuni, and ryo means to fathom. To "fathom the Buddha's life span" means to know how long he has been the Buddha. It does not mean that the Juryo chapter reveals the "eternity of life" itself Belief in the eternity of life was widespread among virtually all ancient Indian philosophers long before the advent of Buddhism and therefore did not merit discussion in the Juryo chapter. The chapter focuses on the length of Shakyamuni's life as a Buddha, i.e., how much time has passed since he originally attained Buddhahood.

Here Shakyamuni introduces an unimaginably distant time called gohyaku-jintengo, when he first attained Buddhahood, and declares that since that time he has always been teaching the Law in this world to save humankind. His contemporaries looked upon Shakya-muni as a prince who began religious austerities as a youth and finally became enlightened at Buddhagaya. No one even considered the possibility that he might have been a Buddha before then, and when he did attain Buddhahood, they thought it was because he was someone special. The Juryo chapter showed the error of their views.

Still people were doubtful. They wondered why the Buddha, having attained enlightenment long ago, was born a common mortal who carried out religious practices just as others who are still seeking the Way do. Why was he not born a Buddha, they wondered. The answer to this question is that even when one has attained Buddhahood, the other nine worlds do not disappear from his life. A Buddha appears in the world as an ordinary person possessing the nine worlds. This corresponds to the principle revealed in the Hoben chapter, that common mortals of the nine worlds all inherently possess the world of Buddhahood. It cannot exist apart from the nine worlds, nor vice versa, for both are always inherent in life. This relationship is described as himyo hoben.

Although they both teach the inseparability of Buddhahood and the nine worlds, the Hoben and Juryo chapters are written from different viewpoints. That is, the Hoben chapter reveals that the nine worlds inherently possess Buddhahood, while the Juryo chapter shows that Buddhahood retains the nine worlds. In addition, the Hoben chapter shows Buddhahood only as a potential within people's lives, but the Juryo chapter depicts Buddhahood as a manifest reality in the person of Shakyamuni.

The Juryo chapter reveals that Shakyamuni has been a Buddha since gohyaku- jintengo, a span of time far beyond one's imagination. Nevertheless, although in- calculably long, gohyaku-jintengo is still a finite period. Shakyamuni practiced the Law to become a Buddha at the time of gohyaku-jintengo, but the Law itself is eternal. It has neither beginning nor end, yet it is not an external existence; it is present both in the universe and equally within all our lives.

As Nichiren Daishonin's disciples, we read the Juryo chapter to praise the eternal Buddha who, in the Latter Day of the Law, appeared as Nichiren Daishonin. We likewise read this chapter in praise of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, the Law which is the entity of the eternal Buddha.

The eternal life of the Buddha, which is itself the Law, is embodied in the Gohonzon. When we read the Juryo chapter and chant the daimoku, the Buddha's life-state is realized from within our own being, leading us also to eternal Buddhahood.

Guidelines on Performing the new morning gongyo

- Face the Gohonzon, ring the bell, and chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo three times.

- Recite the "Expedient Means" chapter—Part A.

- Ring the bell and recite the verse section of the "Life Span" chapter—Part C.

- Then ring the bell as you begin chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo continuously (for as long as you wish).

- To end daimoku, ring the bell, then chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo three times.

- At this point, for morning gongyo, offer all the five silent prayers—as we normally do them— each segment separated by chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo three times. - For evening gongyo, offer the second, third and fifth silent prayers—as we normally do them— each segment separated by chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo three times.

- For both morning and evening gongyo, after the fifth silent prayer, ring the bell and chant Nam- myoho-renge-kyo three times to conclude gongyo.

Some points to keep in mind:

1. The new format of gongyo allows us to understand what is changeless and changeable. In his writings, Nichiren Daishonin encourages us to recite the "Expedient Means" and "Life Span" chapters—changeless. He never prescribed a specific format, which has varied over the centuries—changeable.

2. The new format helps us to focus on the primary practice of chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo; we can use the extra time to chant more daimoku.

3. The new format makes our practice more accessible to people all over the world, furthering the cause of kosen-rufu.

4. Not reciting the prose—or Part B of the "Life Span" chapter—and only the verse—or Part C— does not eliminate any of the teachings of the chapter. Part C repeats the message of Part B. The last line of Part B reads: "At that time the World-Honored One, wishing to state his meaning once more, spoke in verse form" (The Lotus Sutra, trans. Burton Watson, p. 229).

As to the importance of the verse, Part C, Nichiren states: "The Lotus Sutra represents the bone and marrow of all the sacred teachings of the Buddha’s lifetime, and the verse section of the "Life Span" chapter represents the soul of the twenty-eight chapters of the sutra" ("Letter to Horen," The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, p. 516).

If you have any questions regarding this memo, please contact your local zone leader.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Do we still need to face east in the morning?

A: This is not necessary. Facing east is a tradition that expresses our resolve to activate the protective functions of the universe, which are represented by the sun, through our innate Buddhahood; it is not a worship of the sun. These protective functions are represented on the Gohonzon, and most importantly, are inherent in our own lives and in the environment. What matters is our sense of appreciation for their protection and our resolve to exert ourselves in faith and practice to strengthen them. Therefore, we should be confident that when performing A & C gongyo and chanting sincere daimoku, we are activating these protective forces. What is essential is our confidence to affirm our innate Buddhahood through the practice of gongyo.

Q: How many times should I ring the bell? A: There is no specific formality in how many times to ring the bell, although three times is generally the way we start and end.

Q: When I was doing 5 prayers in the morning and 3 prayers in the evening, I would chant three prolonged Namu-myoho-renge-kyo after completing each recitation of the sutra. Do we still do this when performing A & C gongyo?

A: Chanting three prolonged Namu-myoho-renge-kyo, which followed the completion of each recitation of the sutra, is not necessary since we begin chanting daimoku immediately after reciting the "Expedient Means" chapter (Part A) and the verse section of the "Life Span" chapter (Part C).