Gosho Passage 10
Over and over I recall the moment, unforgettable even now, when I was about to be beheaded and you accompanied me, holding the reins of my horse and weeping tears of grief. Nor could I ever forget it in any lifetime to come. If you should fall into hell for some grave offense, no matter how Shakyamuni Buddha might urge me to become a Buddha, I would refuse; I would rather go to hell with you. For if you and I should fall into hell together, we would find Shakyamuni Buddha and the Lotus Sutra there. It would be as if the moon were illuminating the darkness, as if cold water were pouring into hot, as if fire were melting ice, or as if the sun were dispelling the darkness. But if you depart from my advice even slightly, do not blame me for what may happen.
Lecture: Never Forget the Starting Point of “Oneness of Mentor and Disciple”
“When deadlocked, return to the starting point.” This is a golden saying from founding president Tsunesaburo Makiguchi.
The core of the Lotus Sutra is the oneness of mentor and disciple. Nichiren Buddhism is a religion of mentor and disciple. Therefore, the starting point for practitioners lies in the shared vow with the mentor. Returning to this foundation ensures that one will never remain deadlocked.
This passage reaffirms that starting point: during the Tatsunokuchi Persecution, when the Daishonin was being led to the execution grounds, Kingo accompanied him, holding the reins of his horse with resolve to share his fate.
Praising Kingo’s faith at that moment, the Daishonin declares: “Even if you should fall into hell, no matter how Shakyamuni Buddha might urge me to become a Buddha, I would enter hell with you.”
Responding wholeheartedly to the disciple’s sincere devotion represents the pinnacle of Nichiren Daishonin’s Buddhism as a religion of humanism.
If mentor and disciple, dedicated to the Mystic Law, enter hell together, Shakyamuni Buddha and the Lotus Sutra will be there as well. In that moment, hell transforms into the realm of Buddhahood. This is the doctrine of “Hell itself is the Land of Tranquil Light.”
The brilliance of Buddhahood can be manifested anywhere. Presidents Makiguchi and Toda embodied this principle with their lives.
In prison during the peak of winter, President Makiguchi wrote: “Depending on one’s mind, there is joy even in hell.”
President Toda remarked: “Even if I were to fall into hell, I would simply propagate the Mystic Law and transform it into the Land of Tranquil Light.”
This is the ultimate secret of faith.
As long as Shijo Kingo maintains the spirit of fighting alongside the Daishonin, he can triumph anywhere through this principle. Yet if he yields to weakness, acts impulsively, and neglects consideration for others, he departs from the path of oneness. Hence, the Daishonin issues a strict reminder:
“If you should deviate from this instruction even slightly, do not blame Nichiren.”
The key to victory lies in aligning one’s heart with the heart of the mentor who embodies and propagates the Law. Following one’s fluctuating emotions rather than the mentor’s guidance makes it impossible to complete the rigorous course of Buddhist practice.
“Become the master of your mind rather than let your mind master you.” Forgetting the spirit of mentor and disciple prevents one from attaining Buddhahood in this lifetime.