Gosho Passage 1
I HAVE received various articles from your messenger, including a white quilted robe and a string of coins, and the goods mentioned in Toki’s letter. The persimmons, pears, and fresh and dried seaweed are particularly welcome.
Lecture: Sincerity and Integrity Serve as Springboards to Overcome Adversity
As expressed in the Gosho as “great persecutions raining down like a downpour,” Shijo Kingo was in the very depths of a severe trial at that time. Three years prior to receiving this letter, Kingo had attempted to introduce his lord, Ema, to the teachings of Buddhism. That incident led Lord Ema to distance himself from Kingo. Since then, slander and false accusations from his colleagues followed one after another, placing Kingo in a precarious situation where his life was repeatedly targeted. Furthermore, he faced continuous misfortune as a retainer, including informal orders transferring him to an undesirable estate. Nevertheless, Kingo strictly adhered to the detailed guidance of his mentor and tenaciously maintained his faith.
However, in June 1277, triggered by the Kuwagayatsu Debate, Kingo faced the crisis of having his estates confiscated based on false accusations. His lord demanded: “Discard the Lotus Sutra, or your estates will be confiscated.”
Yet, Kingo chose faith without the slightest hesitation. He immediately sent a written oath stating his resolve to the Daishonin, whom he revered as his mentor. A reply arrived from the Daishonin with the speed of lightning. In it was the famous instruction: “This life is like a dream. One cannot be certain of seeing tomorrow. Even if you must become a beggar, never bring disgrace upon the Lotus Sutra.”
Along with this, the guidance the Daishonin consistently emphasized to Shijo Kingo was: “Never flatter or behave servilely.” Flattery leads to the destruction of one’s own noble soul. If one becomes cowardly and flatters devilish functions, one shuts down the manifestation of one’s own Buddha nature.
Before the dignified and majestic behavior of a true monarch of humanity who confronts the workings of negativity that bring unhappiness, devilish nature will surely retreat. Just as a fox flees before the lion king and darkness vanishes before the sunlight, evil cannot withstand genuine integrity.
Live with majestic dignity, never stooping to flattery! The Daishonin repeatedly taught his disciples that the true brilliance of human dignity resides right here.
Shijo Kingo’s greatness lay in the fact that he constantly sought his mentor and advanced straightforwardly in exact accordance with his teachings. It was because he fought with the spirit of the “oneness of mentor and disciple” that Shijo Kingo achieved great victory. The bond of mentor and disciple is the ultimate driving force for victory in both kosen-rufu and daily life. This principle remains an unchanging equation of Buddhism throughout eternity.
When Shijo Kingo embarked upon the path of mentor and disciple with the profound resolve to never bring disgrace upon the Lotus Sutra, the situation dramatically changed. His lord, Ema, fell severely ill, and Kingo, who possessed medical skills, was called upon to nurse and treat him. This presented a major opportunity to regain his lord’s trust, occurring merely a few months after the crisis of estate confiscation.
Even if a turning point toward improvement arrived in his relationship with his lord, the real battle was only beginning. The severity of the circumstances surrounding Kingo persisted and was by no means immediately resolved. Disharmony with his colleagues, friction among his brothers, and the continuing plots orchestrated behind the scenes by Ryokan of Gokuraku-ji Temple all remained.
Precisely when a situation begins to move significantly and signs of improvement emerge, carelessness is one’s greatest enemy. One must move forward toward resolution with utmost care and prudence. One must pay even greater attention to one’s surroundings and secure victory through wise “behavior” as a human being. Thus, this Gosho can be seen as a letter in which the Daishonin provided his beloved disciple with detailed, practical instructions on how to perceive and confront such circumstances.
The opening of the letter expresses gratitude for offerings. This shows that Shijo Kingo sent various sincere offerings to the Daishonin, along with letters entrusted to him by fellow practitioners. Deep in the mountains of Minobu, as winter approached, Kingo may have added various items out of concern for the Daishonin’s health. In expressing his thanks, the Daishonin notes items “above all” and “various other items,” deeply appreciating Kingo’s sincerity. These warm expressions clearly convey the profound heart-to-heart exchange between mentor and disciple.
Moving forward, the Daishonin addresses Kingo’s report on his current situation and provides meticulous guidance on how to conduct his life from various angles.
Among these points, the Daishonin praises Kingo’s victory in faith, remarking: “Is it not the protection of the Lotus Sutra that your lord now relies upon you?” At the same time, concerned that Kingo might invite even greater jealousy and endanger his life, the Daishonin strictly warns him to maintain self-discipline, conduct himself with caution, and avoid rash actions.
This letter contains numerous golden passages that count among the foundational pillars cherished by countless practitioners:
- “More valuable than treasures in a storehouse are the treasures of the body, and the treasures of the heart are the most valuable of all.”
- “The purpose of the appearance in this world of Shakyamuni Buddha, the lord of teachings, lies in his behavior as a human being.”
- “A person of wisdom is called human, while an ignorant person is called a beast.”
All of these remind Shijo Kingo, as he fought through hardships, that the key to overcoming adversity lies in wise actions and human character. This applies not only to Kingo but to all of us: our behavior itself is the proof of our faith and the decisive factor in the victory of Buddhism.
Every line of this letter overflows with the deep compassion of Nichiren Daishonin, who poured his entire being into encouraging his disciple. Fostering people and developing capable individuals—as Buddhist practitioners, there is no greater “behavior as a human being” than this.
Tsunesaburo Makiguchi, the founding president of the Soka Gakkai, once encouraged a young educator. That individual was from a rural area and hesitated to share his thoughts in public due to self-consciousness about his regional accent. President Makiguchi told him:
“Even if your pronunciation is poor and you have an accent, doing your utmost in a way true to yourself is what matters. Every person is endowed with wonderful potential. Stepping forward to express yourself—that is ‘benefit.’ Expressing your thoughts benefits other teachers and aids the growth of the children, becoming an action of ‘goodness.’ Striving for the creation of value in terms of benefit and goodness is the essence of Soka education.”
“Doing one’s utmost in a way true to oneself”—this principle of humanism directly aligns with the humanistic principles of Buddhism, because supreme value creation is found within the “behavior as a human being” demonstrated by Buddhist practitioners.
The blossoming of human character is the true domain of Buddhism. The continuous elevation of character and humanity—that is, “human revolution”—is the authentic path of Buddhism that the Daishonin instilled in Shijo Kingo.