My wish is that all my disciples make a great vow. We are very fortunate to be alive after the widespread epidemics that occurred last year and the year before. But now with the impending Mongol invasion, it appears that few will survive. In the end, no one can escape death. The sufferings at that time will be exactly like what we are experiencing now. Since death is the same in either case, you should be willing to offer your life for the Lotus Sutra. Think of this offering as a drop of dew rejoining the ocean, or a speck of dust returning to the earth. A passage from the third volume of the Lotus Sutra (1) reads, “We beg that the merit gained through these gifts may be spread far and while to everyone, so that we and other living beings all together may attain the Buddha way.”
(The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin Vol 1, p1,003)
This letter was written at Minobu on the sixth day of the eleventh month in 1279 to young Nanjo Tokimitsu of Suruga Province.
Since losing his father at a young age, Tokimitsu embraced the Daishonin’s teaching quite early in his life just as his father did and revered Nikko Shonin as a trusted senior.
When Tokimitsu received this letter, he was 21 and was fast developing into a promising youthful leader in the Suruga region.
The Suruga region was a large domain that belonged to the Hojo family and the powerful family controlled the people and land of this region. When extensive propagation activities under the leadership of Nikko Shonin spread to this region, the authorities oppressed the Daishonin’s disciples, with the intent of forcing them into discarding the faith in the Lotus Sutra.
These persecutions culminated in the Atsuhara Persecution, when in the autumn of 1279, the government arrested 20 farmer believers from Atsuhara on false charges. These dedicated disciples refused to recant their allegiance to the Daishonin’s teachings despite being tortured.
This infuriated Hei no Saemon, the arch enemy of the Daishonin and a top government official, who issued the unreasonable order of beheading three of these farmers.
During the crucial period, Tokimitsu risked his life to protect fellow practitioners of the Daishonin’s teachings in the Atsuhara area.
In this letter, the Daishonin cited the story of the Dragon Gate which related how carps are able to transform into dragons if they successfully climb up a steep waterfall filled with various obstacles.
Through this folklore, the Daishonin described the difficulty of attaining Buddhahood and exhorted his disciples to make a great vow to dedicate their lives to the teachings of the Mystic Law, stating that this is the only way to absolute happiness.
**********
The life span of a human life is limited. For what purpose should one dedicate one’s fleeting life? The value of one’s life as a human being is decided by this one single factor. Those who dedicate their lives solely to pursuing wealth, fame and enjoyment, will only find emptiness during the last moments of their lives because these things have no true meaning and value at the time of death.
Such a life cannot be called a life of true happiness and fulfillment. Rather it is how one has lived one’s life, that is, how much good we have done, that will determine the value of one’s life.
By living out our life for the sake of kosen-rufu, that is, the realisaition of the happiness of all living beings through the propagation of the teachings of the Mystic Law, that we are able to create supreme value in our lives, thereby savouring a supreme life of greatest worth.
In this letter, Nichiren Daishonin called forth strongly to his disciples, “My wish is that all my disciples make a great vow…” When the Daishonin wrote this letter, Japan was plagued by natural disasters and epidemics. Even if one was fortunate enough to have avoided death during the natural calamities and epidemics, there was one more huge danger looming over Japan at that point in time – foreign invasion by the Mongols.
It was during the same period of social turmoil that the Daishonin’s cimmunity of disciples was confronting the Atsuhara Persecution. On top of the devastating circumstances surrounding their lives, they had to be prepared to face life-threatening oppression inflicted by the authorities.
It is against such a background that the Daishonin said to his disciples that “Since death is the same in either case, you should be willing to offer your life for the Lotus Sutra”.
The Daishonin continued, “Think of this offering as a drop of dew rejoining the ocean, or a speck of dust returning to the earth.” Our life may be as fleeting as a drop of dew or it could end up as insignificant as a particle of dust.
But by dedicating ourselves to the “great vow” [of the Buddha] and working for the propagation of the Mystic Law in this lifetime, our lives will merge and become one with the magnificent life state of compassion of Buddhahood, which is invincible and everlasting.
We will be able to enjoy a life of complete fulfillment and satisfaction of having fulfilled our fundamental mission in life of achieving kosen-rufu.
This is the meaning of awakening to the great vow of a Bodhisattva of the Earth since time without beginning.
At the end of this passage, the Daishonin quoted a passage from “The Parable of the Phantom City” (7th) chapter of the Lotus Sutra which stated, “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.”
As stated here by the Daishonin, the immeasurable benefits that we receive from dedicating our lives to spreading the Mystic Law will not only adorn our own lives but will spread far and wide to everyone, enabling every living being to attain Buddhahood.
SGI President Ikeda said, “Buddhism comes down to practice. This means making a personal determination and steadfastly taking action to accomplish it, no matter what obstacles may arise. If we aren’t striving to open a way forward, what we are doing cannot be called Buddhist practice. We will only enter the path to Buddhahood by making tireless effort based on the same determination as the Buddha. That is why the Daishonin called on his disciples to ‘make a great vow’ and to ‘dedicate their lives to the great desire for kosen-rufu’. Making a great vow creates a strong self. What’s more, the pledge to work toward a worthy goal enables us to overcome our weaknesses and become a solid support in helping us challenge any and all difficulties.”
Only when we break through our small egoistic self can we open the way for a life of supreme value. With this conviction, let us take one more step forward again today to take on the challenge to achieve a break through in our lives.
Translated and adapted from the June 2011 issue of The Daibyakurenge, the Soka Gakkai’s monthly study journal.
Footnotes: A passage from the third volume of the Lotus Sutra - A passage from “The Parable of the Phantom City” (7th) chapter of the Lotus Sutra. These are the words spoken by the Brahma kings when they offered their palaces to the Buddha Great Universal Wisdom Excellence, asking that the benefit they received through these gifts might be shared with all living beings. (cf The Lotus Sutra and its Opening and Closing Sutras, p168)
(The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin Vol 1, p1,003)
This letter was written at Minobu on the sixth day of the eleventh month in 1279 to young Nanjo Tokimitsu of Suruga Province.
Since losing his father at a young age, Tokimitsu embraced the Daishonin’s teaching quite early in his life just as his father did and revered Nikko Shonin as a trusted senior.
When Tokimitsu received this letter, he was 21 and was fast developing into a promising youthful leader in the Suruga region.
The Suruga region was a large domain that belonged to the Hojo family and the powerful family controlled the people and land of this region. When extensive propagation activities under the leadership of Nikko Shonin spread to this region, the authorities oppressed the Daishonin’s disciples, with the intent of forcing them into discarding the faith in the Lotus Sutra.
These persecutions culminated in the Atsuhara Persecution, when in the autumn of 1279, the government arrested 20 farmer believers from Atsuhara on false charges. These dedicated disciples refused to recant their allegiance to the Daishonin’s teachings despite being tortured.
This infuriated Hei no Saemon, the arch enemy of the Daishonin and a top government official, who issued the unreasonable order of beheading three of these farmers.
During the crucial period, Tokimitsu risked his life to protect fellow practitioners of the Daishonin’s teachings in the Atsuhara area.
In this letter, the Daishonin cited the story of the Dragon Gate which related how carps are able to transform into dragons if they successfully climb up a steep waterfall filled with various obstacles.
Through this folklore, the Daishonin described the difficulty of attaining Buddhahood and exhorted his disciples to make a great vow to dedicate their lives to the teachings of the Mystic Law, stating that this is the only way to absolute happiness.
**********
The life span of a human life is limited. For what purpose should one dedicate one’s fleeting life? The value of one’s life as a human being is decided by this one single factor. Those who dedicate their lives solely to pursuing wealth, fame and enjoyment, will only find emptiness during the last moments of their lives because these things have no true meaning and value at the time of death.
Such a life cannot be called a life of true happiness and fulfillment. Rather it is how one has lived one’s life, that is, how much good we have done, that will determine the value of one’s life.
By living out our life for the sake of kosen-rufu, that is, the realisaition of the happiness of all living beings through the propagation of the teachings of the Mystic Law, that we are able to create supreme value in our lives, thereby savouring a supreme life of greatest worth.
In this letter, Nichiren Daishonin called forth strongly to his disciples, “My wish is that all my disciples make a great vow…” When the Daishonin wrote this letter, Japan was plagued by natural disasters and epidemics. Even if one was fortunate enough to have avoided death during the natural calamities and epidemics, there was one more huge danger looming over Japan at that point in time – foreign invasion by the Mongols.
It was during the same period of social turmoil that the Daishonin’s cimmunity of disciples was confronting the Atsuhara Persecution. On top of the devastating circumstances surrounding their lives, they had to be prepared to face life-threatening oppression inflicted by the authorities.
It is against such a background that the Daishonin said to his disciples that “Since death is the same in either case, you should be willing to offer your life for the Lotus Sutra”.
The Daishonin continued, “Think of this offering as a drop of dew rejoining the ocean, or a speck of dust returning to the earth.” Our life may be as fleeting as a drop of dew or it could end up as insignificant as a particle of dust.
But by dedicating ourselves to the “great vow” [of the Buddha] and working for the propagation of the Mystic Law in this lifetime, our lives will merge and become one with the magnificent life state of compassion of Buddhahood, which is invincible and everlasting.
We will be able to enjoy a life of complete fulfillment and satisfaction of having fulfilled our fundamental mission in life of achieving kosen-rufu.
This is the meaning of awakening to the great vow of a Bodhisattva of the Earth since time without beginning.
At the end of this passage, the Daishonin quoted a passage from “The Parable of the Phantom City” (7th) chapter of the Lotus Sutra which stated, “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.”
As stated here by the Daishonin, the immeasurable benefits that we receive from dedicating our lives to spreading the Mystic Law will not only adorn our own lives but will spread far and wide to everyone, enabling every living being to attain Buddhahood.
SGI President Ikeda said, “Buddhism comes down to practice. This means making a personal determination and steadfastly taking action to accomplish it, no matter what obstacles may arise. If we aren’t striving to open a way forward, what we are doing cannot be called Buddhist practice. We will only enter the path to Buddhahood by making tireless effort based on the same determination as the Buddha. That is why the Daishonin called on his disciples to ‘make a great vow’ and to ‘dedicate their lives to the great desire for kosen-rufu’. Making a great vow creates a strong self. What’s more, the pledge to work toward a worthy goal enables us to overcome our weaknesses and become a solid support in helping us challenge any and all difficulties.”
Only when we break through our small egoistic self can we open the way for a life of supreme value. With this conviction, let us take one more step forward again today to take on the challenge to achieve a break through in our lives.
Translated and adapted from the June 2011 issue of The Daibyakurenge, the Soka Gakkai’s monthly study journal.
Footnotes: A passage from the third volume of the Lotus Sutra - A passage from “The Parable of the Phantom City” (7th) chapter of the Lotus Sutra. These are the words spoken by the Brahma kings when they offered their palaces to the Buddha Great Universal Wisdom Excellence, asking that the benefit they received through these gifts might be shared with all living beings. (cf The Lotus Sutra and its Opening and Closing Sutras, p168)
