Notes

2. Beings assembled at the ceremony of the preaching of the Lotus Sutra. The two worlds—the world of desire and the world of form—are two divisions of the threefold world. The “eight groups” refers to the gods of the world of desire, the gods of the world of form, the dragon kings and their followers, the kimnara kings and their followers, the gandharva kings and their followers, the asura kings and their followers, the garuda kings and their followers, and the king of the human world (Ajātashatru) and his followers.

Chapter5(Demonstrating by Citing Sutra Passages and Commentaries)

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This is what is meant when the sutra says “the true aspect of all phenomena.”³Miao-lo stated: “The true aspect invariably manifests in all phenomena, and all phenomena invariably manifest in the ten factors. The ten factors invariably manifest in the Ten Worlds, and the Ten Worlds invariably manifest in life and its environment.”⁴ It is also stated that the profound principle of the true aspect is the originally inherent Myoho-renge-kyo.⁵ The Great TeacherDengyō said, “A single moment of life comprising the three thousand realms is itself the Buddha of limitless joy; this Buddha has forsaken august appearances.”⁶ Therefore, this Gohonzon shall be called the great mandala never before known; it did not appear until more than 2,220 years after the Buddha’s passing.

Lecture

As stated in the previous chapter, within this Gohonzon, all living beings of the Ten Worlds are embraced, and illuminated by the light of the Mystic Law, they assume their “originally inherent noble form.” This chapter proves this point by citing sutra passages and commentaries.

First, the author cites the passage concerning “the true aspect of all phenomena” from the “Expedient Means” (Hoben) chapter, and presents the commentaries on it by Miao-lo, T’ien-t’ai, and Dengyo. As implied by the phrase, “The profound principle of the true aspect is the originally inherent Myoho-renge-kyo,” the “true aspect” is none other than the five characters of the Mystic Law, Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. On the other hand, “all phenomena” refers to the life of the Ten Worlds, as indicated by Miao-lo’s words: “All phenomena definitely possess the ten factors… and the Ten Worlds definitely possess both the environment and the self.”

Furthermore, since “the true aspect definitely manifests as all phenomena,” the reality of “the true aspect of all phenomena” lies precisely where the five characters of the Mystic Law and the life of the Ten Worlds are fused into one. Therefore, it can be said that the Gohonzon inscribed by the Daishonin directly expresses this principle of “the true aspect of all phenomena” from the “Expedient Means” chapter in an actual, concrete form.

T’ien-t’ai developed this into the principle of “three thousand realms in a single moment of life” (ichinen sanzen). In this context, “all phenomena” corresponds to the three thousand realms, while “the true aspect” corresponds to a single moment of life. While “three thousand realms in a single moment of life” is the “Law,” the Buddha who embodies it exactly as it is—that is, the “Person”—is the Buddha of Self-Enjoyment (Jijuyoshin). Therefore, the Gohonzon, as the embodiment of the oneness of the Person and the Law where “three thousand realms in a single moment of life” is identical to the Buddha of Self-Enjoyment, is the “Buddha who transcends physical characteristics” (the Buddha who emerges from the noble form).

At first glance, “the originally inherent noble form” in the previous chapter and this “Buddha who transcends physical characteristics” may seem contradictory, but they mean the same thing. That is to say, the “noble form” referred to in “transcending physical characteristics” is the conditioned, artificial noble form consisting of the thirty-two features and eighty characteristics. It is by emerging from or transcending this form that the unconditioned, originally inherent noble form naturally possessed by life shines forth.

To use an analogy, adorning oneself with things like status, honor, or wealth corresponds to the conditioned noble form. When people cover themselves with such superficial forms, the brilliance of their life itself and their inherent dignity as human beings are concealed. It is only when they cast these aside that they can manifest the true dignity inherent in life itself as a genuine human being.

Regarding the Significance of “The True Aspect of All Phenomena”

Furthermore, let us consider why the Daishonin cited the passage concerning “the true aspect of all phenomena” from the “Expedient Means” chapter to explain and define the position of the Gohonzon he inscribed.

In the Lotus Sutra, the passage on “the true aspect of all phenomena” in the “Expedient Means” chapter holds an extremely significant place. At the beginning of the chapter, Shakyamuni begins by preaching, “The wisdom of the Buddhas is profound and immeasurable. The gate to this wisdom is difficult to understand and difficult to enter.” From this, we can understand that the purpose of the Lotus Sutra was to reveal the wisdom possessed by all Buddhas—the very wisdom through which any person can attain Buddhahood.

What, then, is that wisdom? The answer provided in the “Expedient Means” chapter is “the true aspect of all phenomena,” as stated in the passage: “The true aspect of all phenomena can only be understood and shared between Buddhas.” T’ien-t’ai expounded this true aspect of all phenomena as “three thousand realms in a single moment of life,” and Nichiren Daishonin stated, “all phenomena are Myoho-renge-kyo” (The True Aspect of All Phenomena, WND-1, p. 384).

Therefore, this passage on “the true aspect of all phenomena” is the text that theoretically points to the Gohonzon of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, which is the embodiment of the enlightenment of all Buddhas and the fundamental source for enabling all living beings to attain Buddhahood. For this reason, the Daishonin cited “the true aspect of all phenomena” and its commentaries as scriptural proof to philosophically substantiate the Gohonzon.

Chapter6(Expounding the Benefits of Making Offerings to the Gohonzon)

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A woman who makes offerings to such a Gohonzon invites happiness in this life, and in the next, the Gohonzon will be with her and protect her always. Like a lantern in the dark, like a strong guide and porter on a treacherous mountain path, the Gohonzon will guard and protect you, Nichinyo, wherever you go. Therefore, you should take every care to ward off slanderers of the Law in the same way that you would never wish a courtesan even to come near your home. This is the meaning of “Thrust aside evil friends and associate with good companions.”⁷

Lecture

The Daishonin shows in concrete expressions how immense the benefit of making offerings to the Gohonzon is. In this context, as mentioned at the beginning of the letter, “making offerings” refers to Lady Nichinyo’s offering of money and rice, but it is not limited to such material offerings. Just as a distinction is made between the offering of wealth (material offerings) and the offering of the Law (spiritual offerings), our daily practice of gongyo and chanting daimoku, practicing shakubuku and propagation, and service to the Gohonzon are also magnificent ways of “making offerings to the Gohonzon.” We should be convinced that the benefits described in this section will strictly and surely manifest.

“A woman who makes offerings to such a Gohonzon invites happiness in this life, and in the next, the Gohonzon will be with her and protect her always.“

The benefit of this Gohonzon is that it not only enables us to become happy in our present life, but it also protects and assists us after we die. Since life is eternal, a religion that only promises happiness in the next life after death is, in essence, nothing more than an empty promise. Conversely, teachings that focus solely on happiness in this present world confine human nature to a low level and trap people within a narrow perspective. Only a religion that responsibly guarantees both “peace and security in the present existence and good circumstances in future existences” can be called a religion that truly saves human life, which is eternal throughout the three existences.

Furthermore, based on what the Daishonin states in this section, what I would particularly like to discuss is the state of life after death. By “after death,” we mean the state of our life during the period between death and the beginning of a new life—in other words, the period when we are in the state of death.

“Death” is when life loses its active functions. For life to sustain itself, it must take in matter and information from the outside world, digest them, or respond to external circumstances. “Death” is the state where these functions to sustain life become latent, and only the “self” exists. Therefore, in the state of death, even if there are hardships, one can neither avoid them nor crush them. One has no choice but to passively endure the suffering. The Daishonin teaches that for our life in such a state of death, the benefit of the Gohonzon will “stand by you, on your left and right, your front and rear,” protecting us just as if we found a lantern in the dark, or as if a sturdy porter helped us on a steep mountain path.

When he says, “[the Gohonzon] will move around to that side and come close to this side, surrounding and protecting Lady Nichinyo,” he chose this expression not simply because Lady Nichinyo was a delicate woman, but because life after death can only exist in a completely passive state.

“Therefore, you should take every care to ward off slanderers of the Law in the same way that you would never wish a courtesan even to come near your home.“

The human mind is easily swayed by external conditions. Women, in particular, are often easily moved by their surroundings and conditions. Although we do not know the details of what kind of woman Lady Nichinyo was today, judging from the tone of the Daishonin’s letter, she seems to have been a pure person with a strong seeking mind. For this very reason, while it would be ideal for her to encounter good influences, the Daishonin was likely worried that she might be swayed if she came into contact with the evil influence of slander of the Law.

There are two attitudes one can take toward practitioners of slander, or bad companions in general. One is to avoid them, as urged here. The other is to actively engage with them and lead them to reform. As practitioners who propagate the correct teaching, we must naturally take the latter approach. In that sense, instructions such as “exclude them” or “discard evil companions” might seem like a rather weak or passive approach.

As the background for why the Daishonin recommended such an approach in this instance, we must consider the orforementioned personality of Lady Nichinyo. At the same time, we need to consider that the believers of that time were hardly able to know the full scope of Nichiren Daishonin’s teachings. The full picture of Nichiren Daishonin’s teachings can only be known today because his individual letters and treatises written to various believers have been compiled into the Gosho Zenshu (The Complete Works of Nichiren Daishonin). For people during his lifetime, what they could learn through the letters they personally received or the correspondences they shared and read in turn was likely everything they had access to.

Nevertheless, this instruction to “exclude practitioners of slander” is not irrelevant even to those who strive in shakubuku and propagation. Physically, they may actively engage with slanderers, but spiritually, they must never allow themselves to be tainted. In the realm of the mind, “exclude practitioners of slander” remains the most vital admonition.

Chapter7(Clarifying the Abode and Significance of the Gohonzon)

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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. The body is the palace of the ninth consciousness,⁸ the unchanging reality that reigns over all of life’s functions. To be endowed with the Ten Worlds means that all ten, without a single exception, exist in one world. Because of this it is called a mandala. Mandala is a Sanskrit word that is translated as “perfectly endowed” or “a cluster of blessings.”

Lecture

You must never think that this Gohonzon exists outside of yourself. The Daishonin states that the Gohonzon is found within the “fleshy heart within the breast” of us living beings who “embrace the Lotus Sutra and chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo.” This passage is an extremely important section that directly and clearly demonstrates the true identity and reality of the Gohonzon.

As already stated, this Gohonzon manifested when Shakyamuni enlightened to the life of his own mind and expounded it as the Lotus Sutra. Nichiren Daishonin also inscribed his own life exactly as it is to reveal this Gohonzon. From this, it can be understood that this Gohonzon is none other than a single reality that exists at the ultimate depths of life, whether of a Buddha or a common mortal.

The only difference is that a person who has awakened to this life at the ultimate depths of their own being is called a Buddha, while one who fails to realize it and is misled by the illusions and delusions that arise moment by moment is called a common mortal or a living being. Because a Buddha is awakened to this, he manifests and shows what he has enlightened to. Living beings, through the object of devotion—that is, the Gohonzon—revealed and shown by the Buddha, manifest the same life hidden within themselves.

The Buddha’s purpose in inscribing this Gohonzon is to enable living beings to awaken to the object of devotion inherent within their own lives. Therefore, he admonishes, “Never seek this Gohonzon outside yourself.” If we were to view the Gohonzon merely as something bestowed by the Buddha, believing that we only need to have faith in it, worship it, or depend upon it, then the Buddha’s intent in revealing this Gohonzon would not only remain unfulfilled but would be distorted in an entirely different direction.

A person who seeks the Gohonzon elsewhere is like someone looking at their own face reflected in a mirror and mistaking it for the face of another person. A mirror exists so that one can correct one’s own appearance; if someone rejoices thinking it is another person, the mirror cannot fulfill its true purpose.

The reason the Daishonin taught Lady Nichinyo in this way—that the Gohonzon is not outside her but within the “fleshy heart within her breast”—is connected to his statement in the previous section that the Gohonzon will strictly protect her even after death. If it were something outside of oneself, it could not remain with a person after death, and it would be impossible to believe that it will “stand by you, on your left and right.” Because it exists within the “fleshy heart within the breast,” it can be said never to separate from us for even a moment, even after death.

However, what is even more important to note from this is that Nichiren Daishonin’s Buddhism stands on a foundation entirely different from all existing religions.

That is to say, the approach of all past religions was to set up an awe-inspiring existence far beyond human beings, outside of themselves. It held that if humans submit to and offer worship to this existence—namely, “God”—they would be protected and saved by this “God.” It is inevitable that such an approach to religion shapes an authoritarian human character.

In contrast, Nichiren Daishonin’s Buddhism teaches that the most fundamental aspect of the universe does not exist outside of each individual but within oneself; rather, it is the very essence of oneself. Of course, in the case of Shakyamuni as well, the philosophy of the Lotus Sutra taught precisely this. In a broader sense, Christianity also seems to have originally possessed such a concept, but it was unable to clarify it in a concrete, substantial form. Consequently, subsequent disciples fell into an authoritarian posture of faith.

In any case, it can be said that only through Nichiren Daishonin’s Buddhism was the grand path of truly humanistic faith opened. In a broad sense, such a humanistic religion is what the wisdom and good sense of humanity have equally sought. However, because it lacked concrete substance, it was easily poisoned by the authoritarianism familiar to the life of the three evil paths and quickly died out. It can be said that by being given concrete substance through the Daishonin’s Buddhism, humanity’s desire for a humanistic religion has, for the first time, found a path toward realization.

The body is the palace of the ninth consciousness, the unchanging reality that reigns over all of life’s functions.

The theory of the nine consciousnesses is a doctrine established from the proud insights of Buddhist philosophy. This clarified the importance of the spiritual structure through the analysis of human conscious activity—a field where the first steps were finally taken in Europe at the beginning of the twentieth century by Freud and others. In the East, a far deeper analysis of the human being had been conducted since the very inception of Buddhism.

When we observe the workings of consciousness, we find that the five sense organs—eyes, ears, nose, tongue, and body—each possess their own consciousness. Common sense might lead us to think of these five sense organs merely as mechanical devices, making the idea that each has its own consciousness seem strange. However, it has already been scientifically observed that the eyes, ears, nose, and so forth each perform their own selective functions, cutting off unnecessary information right there so that it is not transmitted to the cerebrum.

Now, it is the consciousness of the central nervous system of the cerebrum that integrates these individual consciousnesses of the five sense organs. This is called the sixth consciousness. This consciousness is the “mind that perceives and thinks,” which also functions to recollect the past and anticipate the future.

Next, as the seventh consciousness, there is the manas-consciousness. Manas means to ponder or reflect, and the core of this consciousness is the “mind in the realm that loves oneself”—in short, the ego-consciousness. Therefore, in a good sense, it leads to self-reflection, but on the other hand, it also becomes the source of delusion, such as arrogance, egotism, and self-love.

The eighth consciousness is called the alaya-consciousness. Alaya means a storehouse, and it is said to function by storing the impressions of mental actions from the previous moment and giving rise to mental actions in the next moment. This is why it is translated as the “storehouse consciousness.”

Ordinarily, the eighth consciousness was regarded as the mind-king. However, the Kegon and T’ien-t’ai schools held that there is an even deeper, more fundamental consciousness beneath it, which they named the amala-consciousness. Amala means pure or unstained, and it is translated as the “fundamentally pure consciousness.” Receiving the T’ien-t’ai doctrine that regarded this ninth consciousness as the fundamental mind-king and the eighth and lower consciousnesses as its mental functions, it is referred to as “the capital of the true aspect of reality, the mind-king of the ninth consciousness.”

It is in the realm of the eighth consciousness that the good and evil karma from the actions of our lives is accumulated. Up to this point, there is no eternal and unchanging “self”; its essence is empty (ku), formed by causes and conditions and constantly flowing in transmigration.

The ninth consciousness is the eternal and imperishable reality. When we place the foundation of our existence upon this eternal, true land, we can establish a powerful self that is not swept away by the constantly shifting karma. Furthermore, the ego of this ninth consciousness is pure and undefiled, enabling us to fully enjoy everything. It is none other than this fundamental ego of the ninth consciousness that possesses the four virtues of eternity, happiness, true self, and purity.

Since this fundamentally pure consciousness is eternal and unchanging, it is the very embodiment of our life exactly as it was in the remote past (kuon ganjo). Nichiren Daishonin demonstrated this as Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, and he taught the method of practice, showing that when we embrace Nam-myoho-renge-kyo and chant daimoku, this great life from time immemorial inherent in the depths of our own minds is manifested.

Mandala is a Sanskrit word that is translated as “perfectly endowed” or “a cluster of blessings.

Mandala is a Sanskrit word, translated as perfectly endowed, a cluster of blessings, a place of enlightenment, or an altar. Since ancient times, it seems to have referred to a place where statues of Buddhas and bodhisattvas were enshrined. In schools like the Shingon (True Word) sect, a mandala referred to a drawing on paper or other materials where Buddhas and bodhisattvas were arranged to resemble an eight-petaled lotus.

In contrast, Nichiren Daishonin placed Nam-myoho-renge-kyo in the center as the honorable title of the Buddha of time immemorial, and arranged around it the living beings representing all of the Ten Worlds, making it the mandala object of devotion.

In the case of the Shingon mandala, it consists only of Buddhas and bodhisattvas, while the people of the two vehicles and the six paths are excluded. However, based on the philosophy of the Lotus Sutra, which permits even Devadatta—the representative of the realm of hell—to attain Buddhahood, the Daishonin made it a mandala that embraces all of the Ten Worlds.

Applying this to our own lives, it does not mean discarding the two vehicles or the six paths. Rather, it expresses the principle that, illuminated by the light of the Mystic Law, all of the Ten Worlds—that is, every function of life we possess—enhance our happiness and generate benefit.

This is precisely why it can be called the true “perfectly endowed” and “cluster of blessings.” Since something like the Shingon mandala lacks the two vehicles and the six paths, it cannot be called truly perfectly endowed or a cluster of blessings, and one should know that it does not match the true meaning of the name mandala.

Because Nichiren Daishonin’s Gohonzon is truly perfectly endowed, any person can transform their life into the most excellent character. Furthermore, because it is a true cluster of blessings, it is a magnificent Gohonzon through which any suffering can be resolved and any wish can be fulfilled.

Chapter8(Expounding “Faith,” the Essential Key to Attaining Buddhahood)

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This Gohonzon also is found only in the two characters for faith.⁹ This is what the sutra means when it states that one can “gain entrance through faith alone.”¹⁰

Since Nichiren’s disciples and lay supporters believe solely in the Lotus Sutra, honestly discarding expedient means¹¹ and not accepting even a single verse of the other sutras,¹² exactly as the Lotus teaches, they can enter the treasure tower of the Gohonzon. How reassuring! Make every possible effort for the sake of your next life. What is most important is that, by chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo alone, you can attain Buddhahood. It will no doubt depend on the strength of your faith. To have faith is the basis of Buddhism. Thus the fourth volume of Great Concentration and Insight states, “Buddhism is like an ocean that one can only enter with faith.” The fourth volume of The Annotations on “Great Concentration and Insight” explains this: “With regard to the phrase ‘Buddhism is like an ocean that one can only enter with faith,’ even Confucius taught that faith is first and foremost. How much more so is this true of the profound doctrines of Buddhism! Without faith, how could one possibly enter? That is why the Flower Garland Sutra defines faith as the basis of the way and the mother of blessings.” The first volume of Great Concentration and Insight says, “How does one hear, believe in, and practice the perfect teaching to attain perfect enlightenment?” The first volume of On “Great Concentration and Insight” says, “To ‘believe in the perfect teaching’ means to awaken faith through doctrine and to make faith the basis of practice.”

A non-Buddhist document relates that, because the emperor of Han¹³ believed his aide’s report, the waters of a river froze on the spot. Another tells how Li Kuang, because he was eager to revenge his father, shot an arrow all the way up to its feathers into a boulder hidden in the grass. The commentaries of T’ien-t’ai and Miao-lo make it perfectly clear that faith is the cornerstone. Because the Han emperor believed completely in his retainer’s words, the river froze over. And Li Kuang was able to pierce a rock with his arrow because he fully believed it to be the tiger that had killed his father. How much more so is this true in Buddhism!

Lecture

This section explains that faith is the very key to attaining Buddhahood. Attaining Buddhahood means awakening to the Mystic Law, which is Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. Nam-myoho-renge-kyo is itself “the wisdom of the Buddhas”—the enlightenment of the Buddha and the very embodiment of the enlightenment that makes all Buddhas who they are. However, as Shakyamuni himself states in the “Expedient Means” (Hoben) chapter, “The wisdom of the Buddhas is profound and immeasurable.” The gate to this wisdom is difficult to understand and difficult to enter, and it is beyond the reach of any of the voice-hearers or cause-awakened ones.

How, then, can one enter this gate? The answer lies in the passage: “Even Shariputra was able to gain entrance [into the Lotus Sutra] through faith alone… Not because of any wisdom of his own.” In other words, it is only by sincerely believing in the Buddha’s teachings that one can enter for the first time.

In this way, one enters through faith, reaches the wisdom of the Buddha, and can obtain it. This implies that it is utterly impossible for the shallow and small wisdom of a common mortal to encompass the wisdom of the Buddha, which is comparable to the vast universe. It is only by believing the Buddha’s words and following the Buddha’s wisdom that we can make the Buddha’s wisdom our own.

To discuss this more deeply, our very heart that believes in the Buddha’s teaching is none other than the world of Buddhahood—the Buddha’s wisdom—inherent within our own lives. This is why The Object of Devotion for Observing the Mind states, “When the common mortals of the latter age are born and believe in the Lotus Sutra, it is because the world of Buddhahood is contained within the world of humanity” (WND-1, p. 358), and High Priest Nichikan commented, “A strong mind of faith in the Lotus Sutra is called the world of Buddhahood.” Nichiren Daishonin revealed this Nam-myoho-renge-kyo—the Buddha’s life and wisdom—as the Gohonzon. Furthermore, since this Mystic Law is the mind of faith within our own lives, he declared, “This Gohonzon also is found only in the two characters for faith” (WND-1, p. 832).

“You should enter the treasure tower of this Gohonzon.”

The idea that the Gohonzon is contained within our faith and the idea that we enter the treasure tower of the Gohonzon may seem contradictory, but herein lies the ultimate principle of attaining Buddhahood.

The expression “enter the treasure tower of the Gohonzon” might seem strange as long as one views the Gohonzon merely as a flat, two-dimensional mandala inscribed on paper or carved on wood. However, when we reverently view the Gohonzon, we can discern that it actually possesses a three-dimensional structure.

In the center, “Nam-myoho-renge-kyo Nichiren” is written, with Shakyamuni and Many Treasures arranged to its left and right. Facing the Gohonzon, Shakyamuni is on the left and Many Treasures is on the right. In terms of seating order, Shakyamuni occupies the upper seat (seat of honor) and Many Treasures occupies the lower seat. However, regarding the living beings of the nine worlds, including Bodhisattvas Superior Practices and Boundless Practices, Superior Practices and Boundless Practices are on the right, while Pure Practices and Firmly Established Practices are on the left. In other words, Bodhisattvas Superior Practices and Boundless Practices, who should be in the upper seats, are positioned in the lower seats when judged by the seating order of Shakyamuni and Many Treasures.

This indicates that Shakyamuni and Many Treasures are lined up in the opposite direction from Superior Practices and the other living beings of the nine worlds. That is to say, while Shakyamuni and Many Treasures are facing toward us, Superior Practices and the others are facing toward them. Therefore, when we sit before the Gohonzon to conduct gongyo, we, along with Superior Practices and all the other figures, are entering inside the Gohonzon. This is what is meant by “you should enter the treasure tower of this Gohonzon.”

Therefore, we should bear in mind that our daily gongyo and chanting of daimoku are solemn moments when we ourselves join the magnificent ceremony of the Treasure Tower depicted on the Gohonzon.

To enter this treasure tower of the Gohonzon, one must have faith. The Daishonin cites T’ien-t’ai’s words, “The Buddha’s teachings are like a great ocean, but they can be entered only through faith.” This treasure tower of the Gohonzon—this ceremony of the Buddha’s life—has a vast expansion equal to the size of the universe. Yet, without faith, one cannot enter it.

And as previously stated, our very heart that believes in the Gohonzon is the world of Buddhahood, which directly encompasses the Gohonzon. Therefore, from the perspective of the proper reward (the subjective self), the Gohonzon is contained within the two characters of our “faith” and “dwells within the fleshy heart within the breast.” At the same time, from the perspective of the environmental reward (the objective world), our very bodies “enter the treasure tower of the Gohonzon”—meaning the world and the universe in which we dwell become the treasure tower itself. Herein lies the principle of the oneness of life and its environment (isho funi).

“To ‘believe in the perfect teaching’ means to awaken faith through doctrine and to make faith the basis of practice.”

This is Miao-lo’s commentary on the passage from Great Concentration and Insight (Maka Shikan): “How can one hear the perfect teaching, awaken perfect faith, establish perfect practice, and dwell in the perfect stage?”

Perfect faith means faith in the Mystic Law—true faith. True faith in Buddhism is not blind faith. It is something that arises by hearing the “perfect teaching” and taking its “principle” (ri) as its basis. There is a common cynical saying, “Even the head of a sardine can become holy through faith alone,” but we should know that true faith in Buddhism is entirely different from such a notion. The character for “faith” (shin) itself carries two meanings: one is “to speak the truth,” and the other is “not to doubt.” Ultimately, when both of these align, the full significance of “faith” is fulfilled. When the Buddha reveals the true Law and living beings do not doubt it, the Buddha and living beings are bound together as one.

This is the principle by which Buddhist study—seeking the correct principles of the Buddha’s teachings—deepens our faith. And a deepened faith invariably sparks a greater seeking mind, driving us to further pursue the principles of Buddhism.

Chapter9(Concluding This Treatise by Citing the Five Wonderful Practices)

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Embracing the Lotus Sutra and chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo in itself encompasses the five practices. It was this matter, the wonderful practice that includes the immediate completion of the five practices, that was transmitted to the Great Teacher Dengyō when he journeyed to T’ang China and met the Reverend Tao-sui. No other teaching is more important for Nichiren’s disciples and lay supporters. It is referred to in the “Supernatural Powers” chapter.¹⁴ I will write again in detail.

Respectfully,

Nichiren

The twenty-third day of the eighth month in the third year of Kenji (1277)

Reply to Nichinyo

Lecture