{"id":1291,"date":"2019-03-10T16:13:41","date_gmt":"2019-03-10T16:13:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.senmyozanhokkejitemple.com\/?p=1291"},"modified":"2019-03-10T16:13:41","modified_gmt":"2019-03-10T16:13:41","slug":"guidance-from-sixty-eighth-high-priest-nichinyo-shonin-on-the-occasion-of-the-january-kosen-rufu-shodai-ceremony","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.senmyozanhokkejitemple.com\/index.php\/en\/2019\/03\/10\/guidance-from-sixty-eighth-high-priest-nichinyo-shonin-on-the-occasion-of-the-january-kosen-rufu-shodai-ceremony\/","title":{"rendered":"Guidance from Sixty-eighth High Priest Nichinyo Shonin On the Occasion of the January K\u014dsen-rufu Sh\u014ddai Ceremony"},"content":{"rendered":"

Guidance from Sixty-eighth High Priest Nichinyo Shonin<\/strong><\/p>\n

On the Occasion of the January K\u014dsen-rufu Sh\u014ddai Ceremony<\/strong><\/p>\n

January 1, 2019<\/strong><\/p>\n

Reception Hall, Head Temple Taisekiji<\/strong><\/p>\n

\n

On the 767th anniversary of the establishment of true Buddhism, \u201cThe Year of Courageously Advancing Forward,\u201d I wish you a Happy New Year! \u00a0By participating in the first K\u014dsen-rufu Sh\u014ddai Ceremony of this year, I believe you are welcoming \u201cThe Year of Courageously Advancing Forward\u201d feeling refreshed, and renewing your pledge to make further efforts in your practice.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

As you know, the priesthood and laity of Nichiren Shoshu are making concerted efforts, based on unity and in the spirit of itai d\u014dshin<\/em>. \u00a0Additionally, the members of each chapter are powerfully moving forward in their practice, as we aim toward our goal\u2015establishing a membership of 800,000 Hokkeko believers by the auspicious occasion of the 800th anniversary of the advent of our Founder, Nichiren Daishonin in 2021. \u00a0The establishment of a membership of 800,000 Hokkeko believers is our vow that we pledged to achieve in front of the Gohonzon. \u00a0Thus, the members of all of the chapters must devote every effort to achieve their goals at any cost, revering the Daishonin\u2019s teaching that \u201cOne\u2019s life is insignificant while the Law is supreme. \u00a0You should be willing to give your life to propagate the Law.\u201d \u00a0\u00a0In order to achieve our goal, each one of us must have an awareness and determined resolution as a disciple and follower of the Daishonin, the True Buddha, and earnestly chant Daimoku. \u00a0It is essential that, with the benefits and joy from chanting the Daimoku, we courageously do shakubuku.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The Daishonin teaches the following in the Gosho, On Chanting the Daimoku of the Lotus Sutra<\/em> (Sho\u0304 hokke daimoku-sho\u0304):<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

In the Latter Day of the Law, there are many who do not possess the seed of Buddhahood. \u00a0There are only a few who possess it. \u00a0Thus, there is no doubt that the people [in the latter Day of the Law] will fall into the evil paths. \u00a0[Since they are going to fall into the evil paths one way or another,] we should strongly teach and make them listen to the Lotus Sutra and let them form a poison-drum relationship with it. \u00a0Thus, now is certainly the time to create a reverse relationship by propagating the Lotus Sutra. (Gosho<\/em>, p. 231)<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

As you know, a \u201cpoison-drum relationship\u201d is also referred to as a reverse\u3000relationship. \u00a0Teaching and leading those who slander to listen to the Lotus Sutra is the cause for attaining Buddhahood. \u00a0This actually enables them to form a relationship with the mystic Law (My\u014dh\u014d)<\/em>. \u00a0In terms of the present day, the Latter Day of the Law, the Lotus Sutra is Myoho-Renge-Kyo of the sowing hidden in the depths of the Lotus Sutra. \u00a0In the Nirvana Sutra, it is taught as follows:<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

It is like a drum smeared with poison. \u00a0When it is beaten in the midst of the people, all those who hear the sound of the drum will instantly die, whether they wish to hear it or not. (Nirvana Sutra, Summary)<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

As the Sutra states, when a drum smeared with poison is beaten, those who hear the sound of the drum will instantly die without fail, even if they do not wish to hear it. \u00a0In other words, even if one does not take faith in the true Law and opposes it, one eventually will sever one\u2019s earthly desires and attain Buddhahood through hearing the Lotus Sutra. \u00a0This is likened to the metaphor of beating a poison-smeared drum. \u00a0Since all living beings inherently possess the Buddha nature, they can attain enlightenment by listening to the true Law, being awakened to it, and practicing it.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The Daishonin teaches the following in the Gosho, Attaining Enlightenment at the Initial Stage of Faith through the Lotus Sutra <\/em>(Hokke shoshin jo\u0304butsu-sho\u0304):<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

If they hear the Lotus Sutra, which enables people to attain Buddhahood, this [encounter] will sow the seed of [Buddhahood] into their lives and they eventually will attain enlightenment without fail. \u00a0Therefore, Tiantai and Miaole follow this notion and expound in their commentaries that they should tirelessly teach the Lotus Sutra. \u00a0It is like those who falter and fall to the ground and who are able to use that very ground to push themselves up to stand again. \u00a0In the same way, even if they descend into hell, they will rise again before long and attain Buddhahood. \u00a0The people in the world today have turned their backs on the Lotus Sutra and, for that offense, they will undoubtedly fall into hell. \u00a0Therefore, in any case, one should strongly teach and make people listen to the teachings of the Lotus Sutra. (Gosho<\/em>, p. 1316)<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

In this Gosho, the Daishonin precisely states that if they hear the Lotus Sutra, which enables people to attain Buddhahood, this [encounter] will sow the seed of [Buddhahood] into their lives and they eventually will attain enlightenment without fail. \u00a0He teaches that people in the saha <\/em>world can \u201cattain Buddhahood through their ears (nikon tokud\u014d).<\/em>\u201d \u00a0This means that people can attain enlightenment by listening to the Lotus Sutra. \u00a0Thus, it is essential that we teach the Daishonin\u2019s Buddhism to as many people as possible.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Today, the members of each chapter of Nichiren Shoshu are exerting their utmost efforts, based on unity between the priesthood and laity, as we aim toward our goal\u2014establishing a membership of 800,000 Hokkeko believers by the auspicious occasion of the 800th anniversary of the advent of our Founder, Nichiren Daishonin in 2021. \u00a0At this time, all the priests and lay believers of Nichiren Shoshu must strive toward achieving our goal of establishing a membership of 800,000 Hokkeko believers at all costs, no matter what difficulties or obstacles may arise before us. \u00a0I am convinced that your efforts will be witnessed by the three treasures, and you also will receive immeasurably great benefits. \u00a0I sincerely wish that all of the chapters certainly will achieve their own shakubuku goals with unity between the priesthood and laity, based on the spirit of itai d<\/em>\u014d<\/em>shin<\/em>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Guidance from Sixty-eighth High Priest Nichinyo Shonin On the Occasion of the January K\u014dsen-rufu Sh\u014ddai Ceremony January 1, 2019 Reception Hall, Head Temple Taisekiji On the 767th anniversary of the establishment of true Buddhism, \u201cThe Year of Courageously Advancing Forward,\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1291","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-guidance"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.senmyozanhokkejitemple.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1291","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.senmyozanhokkejitemple.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.senmyozanhokkejitemple.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.senmyozanhokkejitemple.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.senmyozanhokkejitemple.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1291"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.senmyozanhokkejitemple.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1291\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1292,"href":"https:\/\/www.senmyozanhokkejitemple.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1291\/revisions\/1292"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.senmyozanhokkejitemple.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1291"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.senmyozanhokkejitemple.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1291"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.senmyozanhokkejitemple.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1291"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}