When the skies are clear, the ground is illuminated. Similarly, when one knows the Lotus Sutra, one understands the meaning of all worldly affairs.
(Passage from “The Object of Devotion for Obeserving the Mind”, The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, p376)
Nichiren Daishonin completed this work during his exile at Ichinosawa on the island of Sado. It was addressed to Toki Jonin, a leading disciple who lived in Shimosa Province.
At that point of time, Japan suffered from frequent natural disasters including major earthquakes. Each time a calamity struck, the Japanese people suffered and trembled in fear, not knowing what the future held for them.
With regards to this condition, the Daishonin said in the preceding portion of this passage that these calamities including great earthquakes were signs that firetold the widespread propagation of the Mystic Law to save humanity and also the appearance of the Bodhisattva of the Earth (cf WND-1, p376) to fulfill this noble mission of propagation. In this way, the Daishonin displayed his profound wisdom to perceive the truth and essence of worldly matters based on Buddhism. He further taught that one who perceives that essence of Buddhism understands the meaning of all worldly affairs.
We can interpret this passage to mean that as long as one believes in and chant daimoku to the Gohonzon, one will be able to manifest the wisdom to perceive the truth of all worldly affairs in reality and with this, one can achieve victory in life.
In this lecture series on the Gosho, “On Attaining Buddhahood in this Lifetime”, SGI President Ikeda stated, “When we chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, the sun of the world of Buddhahood rises in our hearts. The ignorance and illusion that had shrouded the sun like heavy clouds are swept away. When the sun of Buddhahood comes to shine within us, the darkness of ignorance vanishes.”
Many times in the course of our lives, we find ourselves in a situation where our lives seem to be shrouded by endless darkness and there appears no hope of overcoming our problems or sufferings. However, as long as we continue to chant with doubt-free faith, we will be able to dispel this darkness in our lives and even be able to summon forth the power from within to help the people around us do the same.
************************************
This was exactly how Mrs Miwako Daihachi (WD chief of Okayama Prefecture) and her husband lived out their lives, dedicating their entire beings to the kosen-rufu (peace and happiness for all people) movement in Okayama.
Miwako’s maternal family took up faith in Nichiren Buddhism in 1959. The family first savoured the wonderful power of faith when Miwako’s sickly father, who was suffering from tuberculosis, regained his health to the extent that he could go back to work. With immense joy, Miwako and her family deeply committed themselves to the practice of faith.
However, in the spring of 1967, Miwako lost her mother and five-year old brother in a traffic accident. At that time, Miwako was only a secondary one student and she simply could not accept the death of her two beloved family members. Her father, a man of few words, became increasingly reserved and kept to himself more than ever.
That summer, SGI President Ikeda invited Miwako’s father to the Soka Gakkai Headquarters in Tokyo and together, President Ikeda offered solemn prayers for Miwako’s mother and brother. As he was doing gongyo by the side of President Ikeda, Miwako’s father could not stop his tears from flowing as he was choked with profound gratitude and emotions for President Ikeda’s kindness. On top of this, President Ikeda also offered prayers for them during the special memorial prayer session held later that day.
From that day onwards, Miwako’s father was a changed man. He made it a point to bring Miwako to the monthly discussion meeting and he also began delivering the Seikyo Shimbun, the daily organ paper of the Soka Gakkai, every morning. Looking at the complete transformation of her father, Miwako thought to herself, “President Ikeda must be a great man.”
President Ikeda’s tremendous life force was like a sun that ignited the faith of her father and helped to dispel the darkness that shrouded his life. With his darkness dispelled, her father’s life shone like the sun and this time, he helped dispel the darkness shrouding Miwako’s life.
In 1975, Miwako got married and pledged to work hand-in-hand with her husband, Mr Saihachi, for the peace and prosperity of their community.
In 1980, the couple set up a painting company. Even during the harshest recession when other businesses went bankrupt one after another, their company somehow managed to survive. Mystically, whenever Mr Daihachi offered determined prayers, “Come forth, work orders!”, work orders would come knocking at their door immediately. This even became a hot topics amongst the people in their community.
In 1998, the Soka Gakkai in Okayama Prefecture held the “First Okayama Sunrise Town and Villages Summit”. Miwako and her husband also attended the event as representatives of their Yoshinaga town. They told themselves that their struggle must touch the heart of their mentor, President Ikeda, and chanted abundant daimoku before attending the event.
Miwako and her husband were captured on the photograph published together with news of the event in the Seikyo Shimbun on the following day. President Ikeda saw the photograph on the paper and presented the couple with a gift to commemorate the occasion. Miwako and her husband were both surprised and overjoyed that their prayers were indeed answered.
Upon returning to their town, they initiated a new wave of kosen-rufu in their community.
They spoke to the people around them about President Ikeda’s struggles for peace, bought 30 copies of the particular issue of The Daibyakurenge (the Soka Gakkai monthly study journal) that carried President Ikeda’s annual peace proposal and presented them to their friends and neighbours. They also screened videos on the SGI’s movement for peace, culture and education to help the people in their neighbourhood understand the SGI better.
On top of this, they were finally able to realize their long-cherished dream to construct a personal building dedicated as a venue for kosen-rufu activities in their community.
In her community, Miwako serves as the vice chairperson for the Women’s Committee for Commerce and Industry, a member of the volunteers group and the in-charge of the local choir group. It seems that one of the favourite songs of this choir group is “Mother”, which has lyrics composed by President Ikeda.
Miwako also succeeded her father’s commitment to deliver the Seikyo Shimbun and till today, she has been making this daily delivery for a period of 32 years (as of 2008). Her three children have all grown up into outstanding individuals and she has successfully established a harmonious family of faith.
President Ikeda wrote in an essay specially dedicated to the members in Okayama: “Those who exert themselves to protect their communities with sincere devotion will never fail to become the beacon of hope for the people around them and the flowers of victory will surely bloom in their lives.”
Let us all develop ourselves to become individuals who can contribute happiness, peace and prosperity to our societies.
Translated and adapted from an article written by Yoshiko Kinto, Women Division Study Chief for Okayama Prefecture, published in the January 2008 issue of The Daibyakurange, the Soka Gakkai’s monthly study journal.
(Passage from “The Object of Devotion for Obeserving the Mind”, The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, p376)
Nichiren Daishonin completed this work during his exile at Ichinosawa on the island of Sado. It was addressed to Toki Jonin, a leading disciple who lived in Shimosa Province.
At that point of time, Japan suffered from frequent natural disasters including major earthquakes. Each time a calamity struck, the Japanese people suffered and trembled in fear, not knowing what the future held for them.
With regards to this condition, the Daishonin said in the preceding portion of this passage that these calamities including great earthquakes were signs that firetold the widespread propagation of the Mystic Law to save humanity and also the appearance of the Bodhisattva of the Earth (cf WND-1, p376) to fulfill this noble mission of propagation. In this way, the Daishonin displayed his profound wisdom to perceive the truth and essence of worldly matters based on Buddhism. He further taught that one who perceives that essence of Buddhism understands the meaning of all worldly affairs.
We can interpret this passage to mean that as long as one believes in and chant daimoku to the Gohonzon, one will be able to manifest the wisdom to perceive the truth of all worldly affairs in reality and with this, one can achieve victory in life.
In this lecture series on the Gosho, “On Attaining Buddhahood in this Lifetime”, SGI President Ikeda stated, “When we chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, the sun of the world of Buddhahood rises in our hearts. The ignorance and illusion that had shrouded the sun like heavy clouds are swept away. When the sun of Buddhahood comes to shine within us, the darkness of ignorance vanishes.”
Many times in the course of our lives, we find ourselves in a situation where our lives seem to be shrouded by endless darkness and there appears no hope of overcoming our problems or sufferings. However, as long as we continue to chant with doubt-free faith, we will be able to dispel this darkness in our lives and even be able to summon forth the power from within to help the people around us do the same.
************************************
This was exactly how Mrs Miwako Daihachi (WD chief of Okayama Prefecture) and her husband lived out their lives, dedicating their entire beings to the kosen-rufu (peace and happiness for all people) movement in Okayama.
Miwako’s maternal family took up faith in Nichiren Buddhism in 1959. The family first savoured the wonderful power of faith when Miwako’s sickly father, who was suffering from tuberculosis, regained his health to the extent that he could go back to work. With immense joy, Miwako and her family deeply committed themselves to the practice of faith.
However, in the spring of 1967, Miwako lost her mother and five-year old brother in a traffic accident. At that time, Miwako was only a secondary one student and she simply could not accept the death of her two beloved family members. Her father, a man of few words, became increasingly reserved and kept to himself more than ever.
That summer, SGI President Ikeda invited Miwako’s father to the Soka Gakkai Headquarters in Tokyo and together, President Ikeda offered solemn prayers for Miwako’s mother and brother. As he was doing gongyo by the side of President Ikeda, Miwako’s father could not stop his tears from flowing as he was choked with profound gratitude and emotions for President Ikeda’s kindness. On top of this, President Ikeda also offered prayers for them during the special memorial prayer session held later that day.
From that day onwards, Miwako’s father was a changed man. He made it a point to bring Miwako to the monthly discussion meeting and he also began delivering the Seikyo Shimbun, the daily organ paper of the Soka Gakkai, every morning. Looking at the complete transformation of her father, Miwako thought to herself, “President Ikeda must be a great man.”
President Ikeda’s tremendous life force was like a sun that ignited the faith of her father and helped to dispel the darkness that shrouded his life. With his darkness dispelled, her father’s life shone like the sun and this time, he helped dispel the darkness shrouding Miwako’s life.
In 1975, Miwako got married and pledged to work hand-in-hand with her husband, Mr Saihachi, for the peace and prosperity of their community.
In 1980, the couple set up a painting company. Even during the harshest recession when other businesses went bankrupt one after another, their company somehow managed to survive. Mystically, whenever Mr Daihachi offered determined prayers, “Come forth, work orders!”, work orders would come knocking at their door immediately. This even became a hot topics amongst the people in their community.
In 1998, the Soka Gakkai in Okayama Prefecture held the “First Okayama Sunrise Town and Villages Summit”. Miwako and her husband also attended the event as representatives of their Yoshinaga town. They told themselves that their struggle must touch the heart of their mentor, President Ikeda, and chanted abundant daimoku before attending the event.
Miwako and her husband were captured on the photograph published together with news of the event in the Seikyo Shimbun on the following day. President Ikeda saw the photograph on the paper and presented the couple with a gift to commemorate the occasion. Miwako and her husband were both surprised and overjoyed that their prayers were indeed answered.
Upon returning to their town, they initiated a new wave of kosen-rufu in their community.
They spoke to the people around them about President Ikeda’s struggles for peace, bought 30 copies of the particular issue of The Daibyakurenge (the Soka Gakkai monthly study journal) that carried President Ikeda’s annual peace proposal and presented them to their friends and neighbours. They also screened videos on the SGI’s movement for peace, culture and education to help the people in their neighbourhood understand the SGI better.
On top of this, they were finally able to realize their long-cherished dream to construct a personal building dedicated as a venue for kosen-rufu activities in their community.
In her community, Miwako serves as the vice chairperson for the Women’s Committee for Commerce and Industry, a member of the volunteers group and the in-charge of the local choir group. It seems that one of the favourite songs of this choir group is “Mother”, which has lyrics composed by President Ikeda.
Miwako also succeeded her father’s commitment to deliver the Seikyo Shimbun and till today, she has been making this daily delivery for a period of 32 years (as of 2008). Her three children have all grown up into outstanding individuals and she has successfully established a harmonious family of faith.
President Ikeda wrote in an essay specially dedicated to the members in Okayama: “Those who exert themselves to protect their communities with sincere devotion will never fail to become the beacon of hope for the people around them and the flowers of victory will surely bloom in their lives.”
Let us all develop ourselves to become individuals who can contribute happiness, peace and prosperity to our societies.
Translated and adapted from an article written by Yoshiko Kinto, Women Division Study Chief for Okayama Prefecture, published in the January 2008 issue of The Daibyakurange, the Soka Gakkai’s monthly study journal.
