{"id":263,"date":"2016-10-04T23:43:08","date_gmt":"2016-10-04T23:43:08","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.senmyozanhokkejitemple.com\/?p=263"},"modified":"2017-07-23T08:52:45","modified_gmt":"2017-07-23T08:52:45","slug":"guidance-from-sixty-eighth-high-priest-nichinyo-shonin-october-2-2016","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.senmyozanhokkejitemple.com\/index.php\/en\/2016\/10\/04\/guidance-from-sixty-eighth-high-priest-nichinyo-shonin-october-2-2016\/","title":{"rendered":"October 2, 2016, High Priest Guidance"},"content":{"rendered":"

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

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

October 2, 2016<\/strong><\/p>\n

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

 <\/p>\n

Good morning, everyone!\u00a0 On this occasion of the October K\u014dsen-rufu Sh\u014ddai Ceremony, conducted here today at the Head Temple, I would like to express my heartfelt appreciation to the large number of participants in attendance.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Three quarters of this year already have passed, and we have only three months remaining. \u00a0I imagine that all of you are further devoting yourselves to your practice, aiming toward the achievement of this year\u2019s shakubuku goals. \u00a0Some chapters already have achieved their goals for this year. \u00a0The members of those chapters are progressing well with their practice and producing good results, aiming toward our goal\u2014to achieve a membership of 800,000 Hokkeko believers by 2021. \u00a0For the chapters that have not yet achieved their goals, the remaining three months are the crucial stretch. \u00a0I truly wish that the members of each chapter will make concerted efforts in the spirit of itai<\/em> do\u0304shin<\/em>, so that they certainly will achieve their goals that they pledged in front of the Gohonzon.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The Parable of the Phantom City (Kejo\u0304yu<\/em>; seventh) chapter of the Lotus Sutra reads:<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

We beg that the merit gained through these gifts may be spread far and wide to everyone, so that we and other living beings all together may attain the Buddha way.<\/p>\n

(Hokekyo<\/em>, p. 268; Lotus Sutra, <\/em>Watson, p. 130)<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The preceding passages state:<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Before the Buddha made his advent into this world, all the lands in the ten directions were in complete darkness. \u00a0More people fell into the three evil paths everywhere throughout the land, and the people\u2019s minds were dominated by anger. \u00a0Even heavenly beings fell into the evil paths when they died. \u00a0For innumerable kalpas, people had no chance to attend the Buddha\u2019s preaching. Instead, they constantly committed evil deeds and their health declined both physically and mentally. \u00a0Because of the grave sins they committed, they lost the spirit of seeking for true happiness. \u00a0Their minds were attached to heretical doctrines, and they had no knowledge of good customs or rules. \u00a0As a result, they were undergoing intense suffering. \u00a0At a time like this, the Buddha appeared in the world. \u00a0Feeling pity and sorrow for the living beings, the Buddha made his advent into this world and attained enlightenment. \u00a0People were filled with great joy. \u00a0We, as well as all others rejoiced, feeling unprecedented joy. \u00a0Our palaces, because they received the Buddha\u2019s light, became wonderfully adorned. \u00a0Now we will present them to the Buddha. Please accept them.<\/p>\n

(Hokekyo<\/em>, p. 267; summary)<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

These passages are followed by the above-mentioned passage:\u201cWe beg that the merit gained through these gifts may be spread far and wide to everyone, so that we and other living beings all together may attain the Buddha way.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Unlike the Hinayana teachings, the Lotus Sutra teaches the core of the Mahayana teachings, which state that the practice for oneself and others is most important. \u00a0The Lotus Sutra emphasizes that pursuing one\u2019s own attainment of Buddhahood and saving others should be as one.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The Daishonin teaches the following in the Gosho, Letter to Nanjo\u0304 Hyo\u0304\u2019e Shichiro\u0304\u00a0<\/em>(Nanjo\u0304 hyo\u0304\u2019e shichiro\u0304 dono-gosho):<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Although both are good, if you employ the lesser good [of the pre-Lotus Sutra teachings] and force someone to renounce the greater good [of the Lotus Sutra], you will fall into the three evil paths.<\/p>\n

(Gosho<\/em>, p. 323)<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The Daishonin strictly warns that if one upholds faith based on only pursuing one\u2019s own happiness, even though this act itself is a good deed, it is the lesser good that renounces the greater good. \u00a0Thus, this will cause one to fall into the evil paths.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Practicing merely in pursuit of one\u2019s own happiness and not imparting the benefit of the Buddha to others is self-centered faith, lacking the practice of shakubuku. \u00a0This kind of attitude was most disliked by the Buddha. \u00a0This is one of the reasons why the Buddha strictly admonished in the pre-Lotus Sutra teachings that the people of the two vehicles could never attain Buddhahood.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Thus, the most important thing now is for all of us to devote ourselves to the practice for oneself and others. \u00a0We must urge ourselves to summon up the power of faith and strive in our practice. \u00a0At the same time, we must extend a helping hand to the many people who are undergoing intense suffering due to the poison of slander, and conduct shakubuku.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

We have three months remaining this year. \u00a0Though we have a limited amount of time, the members of each chapter should make concerted efforts in the spirit of itai do\u0304shin<\/em> and strive to chant Daimoku. \u00a0Then, I believe that if we courageously step forward to do shakubuku through the benefit from chanting Daimoku, we will be able to achieve our goals without fail.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

In the Gosho, Attaining Enlightenment at the Initial Stage of Faith through the Lotus Sutra<\/em>\u00a0(Hokke shoshin jo\u0304butsu-sho\u0304), the Daishonin teaches the following:<\/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.<\/p>\n

(Gosho<\/em>, p. 1316)<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

I sincerely wish that you will engrave these golden words into your hearts, and use the remaining three months most effectively. Then, all the chapters will achieve their goals without fail.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Guidance from Sixty-eighth High Priest Nichinyo Shonin On the Occasion of the October K\u014dsen-rufu Sh\u014ddai Ceremony October 2, 2016 Reception Hall, Head Temple Taisekiji   Good morning, everyone!\u00a0 On this occasion of the October K\u014dsen-rufu Sh\u014ddai Ceremony, conducted here today<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[37,35],"class_list":["post-263","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-guidance","tag-2016-guidance","tag-high-priest"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.senmyozanhokkejitemple.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/263","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\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.senmyozanhokkejitemple.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=263"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.senmyozanhokkejitemple.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/263\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":796,"href":"https:\/\/www.senmyozanhokkejitemple.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/263\/revisions\/796"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.senmyozanhokkejitemple.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=263"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.senmyozanhokkejitemple.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=263"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.senmyozanhokkejitemple.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=263"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}