Each of you should summon up the courage of a lion king and never succumb to threats from anyone. The lion king fears no other beast, nor do its cubs. Slanderers are like barking foxes, but Nichiren’s followers are like roaring lions.
(The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin Vol 1, p997)
Nichiren Daishonin wrote this letter at Minobu on the first day of the tenth month of the second year of Koan (1279) to his followers in general. Around 1275, propagation efforts in the Fuji area began to produce significant results under the leadership of Nikko Shonin.
In Atsuhara, a village in Fuji District of Suruga Province, believers were subjected to a series of threats and harassments known collectively as the Atsuhara Persecution.
The followers in Atsuhara were neither nobles, nor samurai, nor priests; they were farmers occupying a low status in society. Yet these nameless practitioners of the Mystic Law did not retreat a single step in the face of persecution.
************************************
Lets explore what it means to possess the “heart of a lion king”, which is the core of the mentor-disciple relationship conveyed in the Daishonin’s writings. “Oneness of mentor and disciple” means directly carrying on the spirit of Nichiren Daishonin, who is the “lion king”.
When we do so, we become the “cubs of the lion king”. To have the heart of a lion king is to have the courage to dauntlessly challenge even the most powerful of adversaries, no matter how fearsome, in order to protect the Law.
The key is courage. Courage fuses our lives with the fundamental life force. It also translates into innate hope that is never defeated, no matter how bleak or desperate the situation; it is the power to live resolutely to the very end. When the shadows of death, destiny, persecution, adversity, illness, failure, or destruction loom near, people tend to succumb to fear, trepidation, cowardice, anguish, anxiety, doubt and anger.
It is the power of inner-generated hope that dispels such darkness. To stand alone means to draw forth that hope from within and develop an unshakable self. Only when the wellspring of hope brims vibrantly in our own lives, can we continue to give hope to others.
In terms of Buddhism, the “heart of a lion king” refers to the inner state of life of a person who, through faith in the Mystic Law, has vanquished the fundamental darkness inherent in life and manifests the power of fundamental enlightenment.
We could also say that it refers to the life-state of Buddhahood that wells forth when we surmount the innate delusions of life with strong faith. Therefore, the “heart of a lion king” is endowed with the wisdom and compassion of Buddhahood. Faith is the cause, and the life-state of Buddhahood, the effect. Both cause and effect are contained within a single life-moment.
A lion cub will also become a lion. Hence, the Daishonin taught that we should struggle with the same spirit as the mentor. He wrote: “The lion king fears no beasts, nor do its cubs.” (WND, p997) A lion cub grows into a lion. Likewise, through ordinary people, the children of the Buddha who strive to realize kosen-rufu will definitely become Buddhas.
None of us believe from the start that we possess great power and ability. But when we gain courage from the mentor, the strength to take action and fight wells forth in our lives. We actually already possess that strength and ability within us. For we embrace the Mystic Law that is the lion king.
In other words, if the disciples only rely on the mentor to battle and defeat devilish forces without taking on the struggles themselves and emerging victorious, they cannot possibly carry on the mentor’s spirit. Kosen-rufu is a struggle against devilish forces.
It is a struggle that cannot be won with half-hearted determination. The Daishonin himself was repeatedly subjected to harsh persecutions, including exile and near execution.
The world of Buddhahood manifests itself in our lives when we continuously struggle for kosen-rufu, summoning forth courage and challenging ourselves and when our energy flags, summoning forth courage again and spurring ourselves on to further effort. Without the power of the world of Buddhahood, we cannot triumph over formidable adversaries.
When we stand up with the heart of a lion king, the Mystic Law fills our beings, and the life force of the Buddha to battle all obstacles and devilish functions well forth.
In other words, the path to attaining Buddhahood is found in earnest efforts such as striving like to sun to illuminate people’s lives, and like the lion king to vanquish the obstacles of “all other animals”. This is why the Daishonin urged his disciples to practice just as he did.
Only by struggling earnestly for people’s happiness in the same manner as Nichiren Daishonin can we attain Buddhahood.
Of crucial importance here are the words, “summon up”. Each of us inherently possesses the “heart of a lion king”. Summoning it forth is the direct path to happiness. And as the Daishonin indicated when he said, “Nichiren’s followers are like roaring lions.” (WND, p997), it is the “roar of the lion” that enables us to bring forth the “heart of a lion king” in our own lives.
Ultimately, everything depends on the awareness and determination of the disciple. While we speak of disciples in this Buddhism, there is no formal initiation process to become one. It is those actually giving voice to the lion’s roar and striving for kosen-rufu right now who are disciples.
In contrast, a person who dons the mask of a disciple but fails to roar the lion’s roar is not a true disciple. The important thing is action.
The lion’s roar is not something special like speaking out at an international conference. It is simply a matter of conducting sincere dialogue that speaks directly to the life of the person you are talking to.
When the mentor roars the lion’s roar, the disciple follows suit. And one after another enlightened individuals begin to raise the lion’s roar with powerful voices. The roaring of these lions will vanquish the devilish nature of all scheming “foxes”.
Keypoints:
1. The “heart of a lion king” is the core of the mentor-disciple relationship. “Oneness of mentor and disciple” means directly carrying on the spirit of Nichiren Daishonin, who is the “lion king”. When we do so, we become the “cubs of the lion king”. To have the heart of a lion king is to have the courage to dauntlessly challenge even the most powerful adversaries, no matter how fearsome, in order to protect the Law.
The “heart of a lion king” refers to the life-state of Buddhahood that wells forth when we surmount the innate delusions of life with strong faith. Therefore, the “heart of a lion king” is endowed with the wisdom and compassion of Buddhahood. Faith is the cause, and the life-state of Buddhahood, the effect. A lion cub grows into a lion. Likewise, through ordinary people, the children of the Buddha who strive to realize kosen-rufu will definitely become Buddhas.
2. None of us believe from the start that we possess great power and ability. But when we gain courage from the mentor, the strength to take action and fight wells forth in our lives. We actually already possess that strength and ability within us. For we embrace the Mystic Law that is the lion king.
3. Of crucial importance here are the words, “summon up”. Each of us inherently possesses the “heart of a lion king”. Ultimately, everything depends on the awareness and determination of the disciple. The lion’s roar is not something special like speaking out at an international conference. It is simply a matter of conducting sincere dialogue that speaks directly to the life of the person you are talking to. When the mentor roars the lion’s roar, the disciples follow suit. And one after another enlightened individuals will begin to raise the lion’s roar with powerful voices.
Translated and adapted from “The World of Nichiren Daishonin’s Writings, A Discussion on Humanistic Religion [8]: The Heart of a Lion King – The Courageous Roar of Mentor and Disciple”.
(The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin Vol 1, p997)
Nichiren Daishonin wrote this letter at Minobu on the first day of the tenth month of the second year of Koan (1279) to his followers in general. Around 1275, propagation efforts in the Fuji area began to produce significant results under the leadership of Nikko Shonin.
In Atsuhara, a village in Fuji District of Suruga Province, believers were subjected to a series of threats and harassments known collectively as the Atsuhara Persecution.
The followers in Atsuhara were neither nobles, nor samurai, nor priests; they were farmers occupying a low status in society. Yet these nameless practitioners of the Mystic Law did not retreat a single step in the face of persecution.
************************************
Lets explore what it means to possess the “heart of a lion king”, which is the core of the mentor-disciple relationship conveyed in the Daishonin’s writings. “Oneness of mentor and disciple” means directly carrying on the spirit of Nichiren Daishonin, who is the “lion king”.
When we do so, we become the “cubs of the lion king”. To have the heart of a lion king is to have the courage to dauntlessly challenge even the most powerful of adversaries, no matter how fearsome, in order to protect the Law.
The key is courage. Courage fuses our lives with the fundamental life force. It also translates into innate hope that is never defeated, no matter how bleak or desperate the situation; it is the power to live resolutely to the very end. When the shadows of death, destiny, persecution, adversity, illness, failure, or destruction loom near, people tend to succumb to fear, trepidation, cowardice, anguish, anxiety, doubt and anger.
It is the power of inner-generated hope that dispels such darkness. To stand alone means to draw forth that hope from within and develop an unshakable self. Only when the wellspring of hope brims vibrantly in our own lives, can we continue to give hope to others.
In terms of Buddhism, the “heart of a lion king” refers to the inner state of life of a person who, through faith in the Mystic Law, has vanquished the fundamental darkness inherent in life and manifests the power of fundamental enlightenment.
We could also say that it refers to the life-state of Buddhahood that wells forth when we surmount the innate delusions of life with strong faith. Therefore, the “heart of a lion king” is endowed with the wisdom and compassion of Buddhahood. Faith is the cause, and the life-state of Buddhahood, the effect. Both cause and effect are contained within a single life-moment.
A lion cub will also become a lion. Hence, the Daishonin taught that we should struggle with the same spirit as the mentor. He wrote: “The lion king fears no beasts, nor do its cubs.” (WND, p997) A lion cub grows into a lion. Likewise, through ordinary people, the children of the Buddha who strive to realize kosen-rufu will definitely become Buddhas.
None of us believe from the start that we possess great power and ability. But when we gain courage from the mentor, the strength to take action and fight wells forth in our lives. We actually already possess that strength and ability within us. For we embrace the Mystic Law that is the lion king.
In other words, if the disciples only rely on the mentor to battle and defeat devilish forces without taking on the struggles themselves and emerging victorious, they cannot possibly carry on the mentor’s spirit. Kosen-rufu is a struggle against devilish forces.
It is a struggle that cannot be won with half-hearted determination. The Daishonin himself was repeatedly subjected to harsh persecutions, including exile and near execution.
The world of Buddhahood manifests itself in our lives when we continuously struggle for kosen-rufu, summoning forth courage and challenging ourselves and when our energy flags, summoning forth courage again and spurring ourselves on to further effort. Without the power of the world of Buddhahood, we cannot triumph over formidable adversaries.
When we stand up with the heart of a lion king, the Mystic Law fills our beings, and the life force of the Buddha to battle all obstacles and devilish functions well forth.
In other words, the path to attaining Buddhahood is found in earnest efforts such as striving like to sun to illuminate people’s lives, and like the lion king to vanquish the obstacles of “all other animals”. This is why the Daishonin urged his disciples to practice just as he did.
Only by struggling earnestly for people’s happiness in the same manner as Nichiren Daishonin can we attain Buddhahood.
Of crucial importance here are the words, “summon up”. Each of us inherently possesses the “heart of a lion king”. Summoning it forth is the direct path to happiness. And as the Daishonin indicated when he said, “Nichiren’s followers are like roaring lions.” (WND, p997), it is the “roar of the lion” that enables us to bring forth the “heart of a lion king” in our own lives.
Ultimately, everything depends on the awareness and determination of the disciple. While we speak of disciples in this Buddhism, there is no formal initiation process to become one. It is those actually giving voice to the lion’s roar and striving for kosen-rufu right now who are disciples.
In contrast, a person who dons the mask of a disciple but fails to roar the lion’s roar is not a true disciple. The important thing is action.
The lion’s roar is not something special like speaking out at an international conference. It is simply a matter of conducting sincere dialogue that speaks directly to the life of the person you are talking to.
When the mentor roars the lion’s roar, the disciple follows suit. And one after another enlightened individuals begin to raise the lion’s roar with powerful voices. The roaring of these lions will vanquish the devilish nature of all scheming “foxes”.
Keypoints:
1. The “heart of a lion king” is the core of the mentor-disciple relationship. “Oneness of mentor and disciple” means directly carrying on the spirit of Nichiren Daishonin, who is the “lion king”. When we do so, we become the “cubs of the lion king”. To have the heart of a lion king is to have the courage to dauntlessly challenge even the most powerful adversaries, no matter how fearsome, in order to protect the Law.
The “heart of a lion king” refers to the life-state of Buddhahood that wells forth when we surmount the innate delusions of life with strong faith. Therefore, the “heart of a lion king” is endowed with the wisdom and compassion of Buddhahood. Faith is the cause, and the life-state of Buddhahood, the effect. A lion cub grows into a lion. Likewise, through ordinary people, the children of the Buddha who strive to realize kosen-rufu will definitely become Buddhas.
2. None of us believe from the start that we possess great power and ability. But when we gain courage from the mentor, the strength to take action and fight wells forth in our lives. We actually already possess that strength and ability within us. For we embrace the Mystic Law that is the lion king.
3. Of crucial importance here are the words, “summon up”. Each of us inherently possesses the “heart of a lion king”. Ultimately, everything depends on the awareness and determination of the disciple. The lion’s roar is not something special like speaking out at an international conference. It is simply a matter of conducting sincere dialogue that speaks directly to the life of the person you are talking to. When the mentor roars the lion’s roar, the disciples follow suit. And one after another enlightened individuals will begin to raise the lion’s roar with powerful voices.
Translated and adapted from “The World of Nichiren Daishonin’s Writings, A Discussion on Humanistic Religion [8]: The Heart of a Lion King – The Courageous Roar of Mentor and Disciple”.
