Letter to the Lay Priest Dōmyō
Background
Little is known about the lay priest Dōmyō, the recipient of this letter. He may have been a retainer of the lay nun Myōichi or of Indo Saburō Saemon Sukenobu, who was an elder brother of Nisshō, one of the Daishonin’s six senior disciples. In any event, Dōmyō had evidently requested the lay nun Myōichi to carry a letter to the Daishonin asking him to pray for Dōmyō’s father, who was ill.
In this reply, the Daishonin clarifies the relationship between prayer and its resulting benefit. “Conspicuous prayer” means prayer offered with a clear objective or purpose. “Inconspicuous prayer” means prayer offered without a pressing need, that is, simply chanting the daimoku continually. “Conspicuous response” indicates the immediately perceptible fulfillment of one’s prayers. “Inconspicuous response” indicates benefit that may not become manifest immediately, but is evident over the p.751course of time, such as the gradual purification of one’s life.
The Daishonin stresses that the important thing is simply to maintain strong faith in the Gohonzon.
Main Text
I HAVE received your request for prayers for your father, and I will offer them before the Buddha. Concerning prayer, there are conspicuous prayer and conspicuous response, conspicuous prayer and inconspicuous response, inconspicuous prayer and inconspicuous response, and inconspicuous prayer and conspicuous response. But the only essential point is that, if you believe in this sutra, all your desires will be fulfilled in both the present and the future. The third volume of the Lotus Sutra states, “Although the devil and the devil’s people will be there, they will all protect the Law of the Buddha.”1 And the seventh volume states, “[If a person who has an illness is able to hear this sutra, then] his illness will be wiped out and he will know neither old age nor death.”2 You must not doubt these golden words. I deeply appreciate the lay nun Myōichi’s3 visit to this mountain. I have given her a written scroll. You should open it and read it. Nam-myoho-renge-kyo.
Nichiren
The tenth day of the eighth month in the second year of Kenji (1276), cyclical sign hinoe-ne
To the lay priest Dōmyō
Notes
1. Lotus Sutra, chap. 6.
2. Ibid., chap. 23.
3. A follower of Nichiren Daishonin, who lived in Kamakura. She was related to Nisshō (1221–1323), one of the Daishonin’s six senior priest-disciples, and was the recipient of the letter Winter Always Turns to Spring.
Lecture
This letter was written by Nichiren Daishonin in August 1276 at Mount Minobu when he was 55 years old. While some theories suggest the lay priest Domyo was a retainer of the lay nun Myoichi, a retainer of Indo Saburo Saemon Sukenobu, or the husband of the “woman of the Sajiki,” his exact identity is not known for certain. The letter serves as a reply to Domyo’s request, sent via the lay nun Myoichi, for prayers regarding his father’s recovery from illness.
The Four Types of Prayer and Response
“Concerning prayer, there are conspicuous prayer and conspicuous response, conspicuous prayer and inconspicuous response, inconspicuous prayer and inconspicuous response, and inconspicuous prayer and conspicuous response. But the only essential point is that, if you believe in this sutra, all your desires will be fulfilled in both the present and the future. “.
While there are various ways to pray and ways in which benefit manifests, the Daishonin asserts that if one maintains pure faith in the Gohonzon of the Three Great Secret Laws, every desire will be fulfilled throughout the present and into the future.
Definitions of Terms
- Conspicuous Prayer (Kenki): Praying with a specific, concrete goal for an individual event, such as the recovery from a disease or the resolution of a particular problem.
- Inconspicuous Prayer (Myoki): The daily practice of chanting Daimoku steadily and consistently, like the flow of water.
- Conspicuous Response (Ken-o): Benefit that manifests immediately as a visible, concrete result in response to prayer.
- Inconspicuous Response (Myo-o): Benefit that does not manifest immediately but involves the purification and enrichment of one’s life, placing one on a course toward the fulfillment of all desires.
The Four Combinations
- Conspicuous Prayer & Conspicuous Response: Earnestly praying about a specific challenge and seeing a solution open up accordingly.
- Conspicuous Prayer & Inconspicuous Response: Concrete results for the specific prayer do not appear immediately, but the benefits of that prayer accumulate within one’s life.
- Inconspicuous Prayer & Inconspicuous Response: Entering the path of attaining Buddhahood—gaining the “supreme cluster of jewels” without seeking it—through the benefit of tireless chanting.
- Inconspicuous Prayer & Conspicuous Response: The benefit of daily, consistent chanting manifests as a concrete fact during a time of need.
Ultimately, the key is to maintain faith in the Gohonzon regardless of the nature of the problem or the weight of one’s karma. A powerful prayer rooted in the conviction that the Gohonzon is the only source of fundamental resolution allows for a transformation of destiny and the establishment of a life fulfilled throughout eternity.
Although the devil and the devil’s people will be there, they will all protect the Law of the Buddha.
A “devil” is, ultimately, a function inherent within our own lives. Our lives constantly respond to the various phenomena that arise in the course of our daily activities, either transforming them into a driving force for growth or accepting them as causes for destruction. “Devils” represent the latter function.
To establish a state of life where everything becomes a source of value creation, it is vital to base oneself on strong faith in the Lotus Sutra—the correct perspective on life. Only when we stand upon such strong faith can we establish an unshakable, independent self. At that moment, the devils inherent in our lives are defeated; they may even become functions that protect life and promote happiness.
As stated in the “The Third Doctrine” (WND-1, p. 8561):
” It is the way of the devil to delight in obstructing good and in causing the production of evil. Concerning those whom he cannot force to perform evil acts, he is helpless and is capable only of allowing them to create good. “
By standing on strong faith in the Lotus Sutra—the correct view of life—one establishes an unshakable core. At that moment, internal devils are defeated and instead become functions that protect life and increase happiness.
His illness will be wiped out and he will know neither old age nor death.
Based on the “Medicine King” (23rd) chapter, those who embrace the Lotus Sutra can immediately eliminate sickness and attain a state of eternal youth and immortality.
In this context, “sickness” refers not only to physical ailments but also to the various earthly desires (bonno) that arise from the depths of the human spirit to erode life force. Buddhism resolves these “illnesses” across all dimensions of human life.
“Eternal youth and immortality” is not meant literally, as all living things age and die. Rather:
- Eternal Youth: Living actively and enjoying life with a perpetually youthful and vigorous life force.
- Immortality: Accumulating great good fortune while being awakened to the eternal nature of life.