Oko Sermon
Reverend Shogu Kimura
September, 2009
The Spirit of the Rissho ankoku-ron
This is a momentous time, marking the 750th year since Nichiren Daishonin revealed the truth and upheld justice through the submission of the Rissho ankoku-ron. On July 15th and 16th, the Grand Ceremony Commemorating the 750th Anniversary of Revealing the Truth and Upholding Justice through the Submission of the Rissho ankoku-ron was held at Head Temple Taisekiji, under the leadership of High Priest Nichinyo Shonin. There were approximately 4,200 representative Nichiren Shoshu priests and lay believers in attendance at this splendid event. Among them were 277 representative overseas believers. Ten days later on July 26th, more than 75,000 Hokkeko believers selected from each Hokkeko chapter nationwide congregated at the Head Temple to hold the General Meeting of the Great Assembly, an unprecedented event in the history of Nichiren Shoshu. The details of this occasion have already been widely reported. These ceremonies were all held based on the spirit of the Rissho ankoku-ron, to achieve kosen-rufu in the future, in order to save all mankind and to actualize the manifestation of the Buddha land.
The entirety of Nichiren Daishonin’s lifetime teachings, from the day he established true Buddhism until his entry into nirvana, constantly focused on saving all the people, who live in this delusionary and evil world in the Latter Day of the Law. The Rissho ankoku-ron (On Securing the Peace of the Land Through the Propagation of True Buddhism) is an instructional text that applies not only to those who lived during the Daishonin’s lifetime. It is a teaching for all people both now, and for the ten thousand years and eternity of the Latter Day of the Law.
The five impurities (gojoku) are truly rampant in the evil world of the Latter Day of the Law in which we live. This is a time when tragic circumstances arise in nations and within societies. The Rissho ankoku-ron reveals the means by which these nations, societies, and all people in the Latter Day of the Law, who are stained by the five impurities, can achieve fundamental salvation.
The Characteristics of the Latter Day of the Law
According to the Buddhist conceptualization of time, the first one thousand years following Shakyamuni’s entry into nirvana are called the Former Day of the Law (shobo), and the next one thousand years are known as the Middle Day of the Law (zobo). In the Sutra of the Great Assembly (Daishik-kyō), Shakyamuni explained that the Latter Day of the Law (mappo) commences at the end of these two thousand years. Moreover, in this Sutra of the Great Assembly, he revealed the following: “Quarrels and disputes will arise among those who embrace my teachings, and the pure Law will become obscured and lost.” Here, Shakyamuni predicted that his Buddhism of the maturing and the harvest—the pure Law—will become obscured and lost. Furthermore, in the Bodhisattva Medicine King (Yakuō bosatsu; twenty-third) chapter of the Lotus Sutra, Shakyamuni stated:
After I pass into extinction, in the last Five Hundred-year period you must spread it abroad widely throughout Jambudvipa and never allow it to be cut off. (Hokekyo, p. 539; The Lotus Sutra, Watson, p. 288)
Thus, he predicted that a new teaching in the Latter Day of the Law would be propagated throughout the world.
Nichiren Daishonin was born in the Latter Day of the Law. In the Gosho, “The Selection of the Time” (“Senji-sho”), he wrote:
Now more than two hundred years have passed since we entered the Latter Day of the Law, a time of which, as the Daijuku Sutra records, the Buddha predicted that "quarrels and disputes will arise among the adherents to my teachings, and the Pure Law will become obscured and lost." If these words of the Buddha are true, it is a time when the whole world will without doubt be embroiled in quarrels and disputes. (Gosho, p. 843, MW-3, pp. 106-107)
This is how he characterized the Latter Day of the Law in which we live. Indeed, during the Latter Day of the Law, all locations throughout the world become sites of conflict. The scriptures state that during this time, there will be ubiquitous tragedies caused by such conflict. The Latter Day of the Law is truly a time when fighting and other elements of the five impurities are widely manifested throughout the world.
What Causes the Five Impurities?
What causes the five impurities, and how do they arise to delude the world? In the Words and Phrases of the Lotus Sutra (Hokke mongu), the Great Teacher Tiantai gave the following explanation. First, he stated that the impurity of desire, based on the earthly desires of greed, anger, and stupidity, arises with the impurity of view, which is characterized by ideological delusions. This causes the impurity of living beings. When this condition continues for a prolonged period, it gives rise to the impurity of life, which then causes the impurity of the age. Chaotic conditions in the world, caused by wars, epidemics, starvation, and other factors, all characterize the impurity of the age. These are the conditions that describe the Latter Day of the Law in which we live today. This is eminently apparent to us when we look upon the current conditions that exist throughout the world. Various forms of conflicts around the globe have led to fighting, and these conflicts ceaselessly occur. In fact, they are intensifying with time. The manifestations of the five impurities are all too evident. As long as our world continues on its path of defilement and delusion, true peace and tranquility will never be achieved.
Nichiren Daishonin Expounded the Rissho ankoku-ron to Actualize the Peace and Tranquility of the Land Through the Propagation of True Buddhism.
Nichiren Daishonin fulfilled Shakyamuni’s prediction and made his advent into this world in order to bring fundamental salvation to all mankind in the Latter Day of the Law. He expounded the teachings of the Rissho ankoku-ron to actualize the peace and tranquility of the land through the propagation of true Buddhism. The Daishonin revealed the mystic Law (Myoho) to lead the people living in this deluded and evil age of the Latter Day of the Law. In the Gosho, “The Selection of the Time,” he wrote:
Can there be any doubt that, after this period described in the Great Collection Sutra [Sutra of the Great Assembly (Daishik-kyō)] when “the pure Law will become obscured and lost,” the great pure Law of the Lotus Sutra will be spread far and wide throughout Japan and all the other countries of the world? (Gosho, p. 843, MW-3, p. 107)
Thus, he declared that the great pure Law will be propagated throughout the entire world. He describes this great pure Law in the following way in the “The Meaning of the True Entity of Myoho-Renge-Kyo” (“Totai gi-sho”):
It is the five characters of Myoho-Renge-Kyo that constitute the great pure Law that will be spread widely in the Latter Day of the Law. (Gosho, p. 702; MW-7, pp. 81-82)
He reveals that the great pure Law is none other than Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo, which is inherent in the Gohonzon of the Three Great Secret Laws that all of us uphold. He taught that all mankind will attain salvation through the Three Great Secret Laws, and he affirmed the ultimate propagation of the great pure Law.
Today, 700 years after the lifetime of Nichiren Daishonin, there are many tragic occurrences throughout the world. They are none other than manifestations of the three calamities and seven disasters that are expounded in the sutras. It is truly amazing that, at this great juncture marking the 750th Anniversary of Revealing the Truth and Upholding Justice through the Submission of the Rissho ankoku-ron, the three calamities and seven disasters are occurring on a global scale. Everyday, we hear tragic reports of people suffering harm and destruction in various war zones around the world where conflicts continue to flare. It is truly alarming to hear news about the repeated occurrence of suicide bombings by terrorists. We are constantly bombarded by heart-wrenching images of innocent citizens who are dragged into the midst of these tragic conflicts. This is the reality that surrounds us today in our world. Even if these situations have not occurred in our own daily lives, there is no guarantee that we won’t experience them tomorrow. Furthermore, changes in climate have begun to threaten our sphere of daily existence. The phenomena associated with global warming are certain to bring forth great changes in our lives in the near future. They will affect agriculture, livestock, and marine products and may lead to food crises, which, in turn, may ignite new conflicts.
The Causes of Calamities
Next, I will explain two elements from the Rissho ankoku-ron that describe the causes for calamities to occur.
The first element is the departure of the benevolent deities. Because the people have turned their backs on true Buddhism, the guardian deities who protect the land have forsaken it. In the Rissho ankoku-ron Nichiren Daishonin wrote:
All people have gone against the correct Law and become wholly devoted to evil doctrines. This is why all the guardian deities have abandoned this country and sages have left this land, not to return. Seizing this opportunity, devils and demons rush in, bringing disasters and calamities. (Gosho, p. 234, The Gosho of Nichiren Daishonin-2, p. 3)
Thus, the fundamental cause for disasters and calamities is that the people have gone against the teachings of true Buddhism and upheld evil doctrines. In other words, the Daishonin declared that the cause is none other than slander. When slander based on evil and heretical doctrines permeates society, the guardian deities, who serve the Buddha, abandon the land. Devils and demons rush in to take their places and cause chaos in the nation and devastate the hearts of the people.
The second element that causes disasters and calamities is the prevalence of the three poisons in the hearts of the general populace. In the Gosho, “King Rinda” (“Soya nyudo dono go-henji”), the Daishonin wrote:
[They] favor erroneous teachings and view the correct teaching with hatred…[and] the three poisons [of greed, anger, and stupidity] prevail.… Famine occurs as a result of greed, pestilence as a result of stupidity, and warfare as a result of anger. (Gosho, p. 1386; MW-7, p. 187)
The three poisons (san doku) refer to the greed, anger, and stupidity that are inherent in us. These are the root causes of all earthly desires. These earthly desires harm a person just like the bite of a venomous snake. Thus, they are called “poisons.” These three poisons intensify with the corresponding escalation of the slander of true Buddhism. Greed causes famine to occur, and stupidity brings about epidemics. In addition, anger leads to warfare. Nichiren Daishonin teaches us that these are all manifested in our lives in the form of various disasters and calamities. However, we are able to change these conditions by leading the people to true Buddhism and enabling them to uphold the true Law. As a result, we will be able to actualize a world of true peace and tranquility through the propagation of true Buddhism (rissho ankoku).
The Actualization of the Peace of the Land Through the Propagation of True Buddhism Nichiren Daishonin stated the following in the Rissho ankoku-ron:
You must immediately renounce your erroneous belief and take faith in the supreme teaching of the one vehicle of the Lotus Sutra. (Gosho, p. 250, The Gosho of Nichiren Daishonin-2, p. 42)
The Daishonin explained that we must renounce our belief in slanderous doctrines and uphold the “one vehicle of the Lotus Sutra,” in order to calm the chaos that rules the world and establish a life condition of happiness.
Nichikan Shonin, the Twenty-sixth High Priest of the Head Temple, wrote the following in his Commentary on the Rissho ankoku ron (Rissho ankoku-ron guki):
The phrase “take faith in the supreme teaching” refers to none other than the propagation of true Buddhism (rissho). (Gosho mondan, p. 49)
He explains that taking faith in the supreme teaching of the one vehicle of the Lotus Sutra means that we must propagate true Buddhism throughout the world. He also wrote:
The two characters for “propagating true Buddhism” (rissho) contain the three secret laws. (ibid., p. 6)
Thus, taking faith in the supreme teaching of the one vehicle of the Lotus Sutra precisely means to propagate the Three Great Secret Laws throughout the world. The Three Great Secret Laws are the True Object of Worship, the Daimoku, and the High Sanctuary of the Essential Teaching. We must thoroughly propagate the true Buddhism of Nichiren Shoshu, based on the Dai-Gohonzon of the High Sanctuary of the Essential Teaching. Such is the true meaning of the phrase “propagating true Buddhism” (rissho). As a result, we will be able to establish countries and societies that are “peaceful lands” (ankoku). This is described in the Rissho ankoku-ron in the following way:
This entire threefold world will become the Buddha land. How could the Buddha land ever decline? All the lands in the ten directions will transform into treasure realms. How could a treasure realm ever fall to ruin? If the nation never declines and the land is indestructible, you will find safety and peace of mind. (Gosho, p. 250, The Gosho of Nichiren Daishonin-2, p. 42)
In other words, “establishing a peaceful land through the propagation of true Buddhism” (rissho ankoku) refers to the worldwide propagation of Nichiren Daishonin’s true Buddhism. This will transform the world into the Buddha land, which is fully embraced by the benefits of the Buddha, and this will establish a life condition of true happiness in the lives of all its inhabitants.
Carrying Through the Spirit of the Rissho ankoku-ron
Nichiren Daishonin remonstrated against the national authorities of his day by submitting the Rissho ankoku-ron to Hojo Tokiyori, who held supreme power at the time. We must make it our mission to uphold the spirit of the Rissho ankoku-ron, put it into actual practice, and strive to achieve kosen-rufu. The Daishonin wrote the following in “Letter to Shimoyama” (“Shimoyama-goshosoku”):
In my expression of appreciation to the nation, I have remonstrated three times. (Gosho, p. 1153)
Moreover, in “The Selection of the Time,” he wrote:
Three times now I have gained distinction by having such knowledge. (Gosho, p. 867; MW-3, p. 170)
The Daishonin used the Rissho ankoku-ron to remonstrate three times against the most powerful authorities of the nation. His first attempt was on the 16th day of the seventh month of the first year of Bun’o (1260). He described this occasion in the following passage from “The Selection of the Time”:
The first time was the first year of the Bunno era (1260)…on the sixteenth day of the seventh month, when I presented my Rissho ankoku-ron to His Lordship, the lay priest of Saimyo-ji, by way of Yadoya Nyudo. At that time, I said to Yadoya Nyudo, "Please advise His Lordship that devotion to the Zen sect and the Nembutsu sect should be abandoned. If this advice is not heeded, trouble will break out within the Hojo family, and the nation will be attacked by a foreign power." (Gosho, p. 867; MW-3, pp. 170-171)
He admonished the authorities to stop the slanderous practices of the Zen and Nembutsu sects. He predicted that, if they did not heed his warning and continued this slander, they would eventually encounter trouble within the Hojo clan and they would be attacked by foreign forces. Nine years later, an official messenger from the Mongolian Empire arrived and Japan entered a period of unprecedented national crisis. On the tenth day of the ninth month of the eighth year of Bun’ei (1271), the feudal shogunate summoned Nichiren Daishonin and interrogated him. Two days later, on the 12th day of the ninth month, the Daishonin wrote the Gosho, “Day Before Yesterday” (“Issaku jitsu-gosho”), attached it to a copy of the Rissho ankoku-ron, and submitted it once again, to remonstrate with Hei no Saemon Yoritsuna. That evening, Hei no Saemon had Nichiren Daishonin arrested and taken to the execution grounds of Tatsunokuchi. The 12th day of the ninth month marks the Daishonin’s second attempt to remonstrate against the national authorities. He was exiled to Sado and then released in the 11th year of Bun’ei (1274). On the eighth day of the fourth month, the feudal authorities summoned Nichiren Daishonin to the castle and asked him when the Mongols would be attacking. During this question-and-answer exchange, he once again remonstrated against the authorities for the third time. These events show that Nichiren Daishonin used the Rissho ankoku-ron to constantly admonish the national authorities and shakubuku them.
As you know, Nichiren Daishonin entered into nirvana on the 13th day of the tenth month of the fifth year of Ko’an (1282). The month before his demise, on the eighth day of the ninth month, he set out from Minobu and arrived on the 18th day of the month at the residence of Ikegami Munenaka. Numerous disciples and followers living in the area, who learned of his stay, came one after another to visit him. Then, on the 25th day of the ninth month, even though his health was failing, the Daishonin mustered his energy to conduct his final sermon for his followers. His final sermon was on the Rissho ankoku-ron. At the time of Nichiren Daishonin’s entry into nirvana, he imparted his sacred intention of the Rissho ankoku-ron as his final words. This signifies that he entrusted the achievement of kosen-rufu in the future to all his followers. Furthermore, he also was intent on answering all his disciples’ final questions concerning the Rissho ankoku-ron. The individual who was by his side and recorded the details of his sermon at the time was none other than Nikko Shonin. This record is known as the “Questions and Answers on the Rissho ankoku-ron” (“Rissho ankoku-ron mondo”) .
The Daishonin’s final sermon given to his disciples and followers was on the Rissho ankoku-ron. This means that he intended it to be the final testament of his wishes. It is his final directive to thoroughly propagate the Buddhism of the sowing through shakubuku to as many people as possible in all nations and societies.
In Nichiren Shoshu, we have been upholding and propagating the Daishonin’s final wishes for kosen-rufu for more than 700 years. Ever since the time of Nikko Shonin, Nichiren Shoshu has been conducting Ushitora Gongyo at Head Temple Taisekiji. Our successive High Priests have never ceased—not even for a day—to perform Ushitora Gongyo to pray for world peace through the establishment of kosen-rufu. Nichiren Shoshu, which has strictly upheld the spirit of the Rissho ankoku-ron and has actively sought to achieve kosen-rufu, truly possesses the legitimate heritage as the Daishonin’s disciples. As Nichiren Shoshu believers, we all follow the practice of our Head Temple and recite the five prayers of morning Gongyo every day without fail. During the fourth prayer, we also pray for kosen-rufu, since this is, indeed, an essential practice that has strictly continued since the time of Nikko Shonin. The spirit of this practice has not changed at all to this day, and it will remain unchanged into the future.
This year marks the significant juncture of the 750th Anniversary of Revealing the Truth and Upholding Justice through the Submission of the Rissho ankoku-ron. Therefore, we must increasingly demonstrate the spirit of the Rissho ankoku-ron to achieve kosen-rufu, as we advance into the future. This is our supreme repayment of the debt of gratitude we owe to Nichiren Daishonin.
Practice According to the Directions of Our High Priest Our High Priest
Nichinyo Shonin presented us with the following directions:
On the other hand, if we look at the world today, we can see that the conditions of Japan and the rest of the world literally mirror those of the evil age of the Latter Day of the Law. I think we all know that many people are struggling with confusion, agony, and adversity. They feel insecure because of the uncertainty of life and have no time to be complacent.
The biggest cause for such confusion and suffering is the evil influence of slander of the true Law, just as the Daishonin indicated in the Rissho ankoku-ron. Thus, if one honestly discards heretical teachings and instead takes faith in the true Law of Nichiren Daishonin, one will be able to attain true happiness for the first time.
The secret Law that can save all living beings in the Latter Day of the Law is none other than the supreme Law of the Three Great Secret Laws, the Dai-Gohonzon of the High Sanctuary of the Essential Teaching. We must sincerely hope that more people will take faith in the Dai-Gohonzon and receive the boundless benefits of the mystic Law, by transforming the three paths of earthly desires, karma, and suffering into the three virtues of the property of the Law, wisdom, and emancipation. It is the great mission of both priesthood and laity to put this wish into action, and carry through with our practice for the achievement of kosen-rufu throughout the world. This is the will of the Daishonin and is also our responsibility.
(Daibyakuho, October 16, 2008)
We must take these directions to heart and exert our utmost efforts to advance, following our High Priest, for the sake of achieving a world of true peace and tranquility through the propagation of true Buddhism (rissho ankoku). With this, I would like to conclude my sermon for this month.