Don't Forget this Marvelous Gohonzon You Have

Pavlov, the famous psychologist, said that, "Talent can be acquired and nurtured through effort. It is important to make consistent effort at your own pace. If you were not born blessed with talent or ability, you had best create it yourself with correct practice and training." Rather than lamenting over our lack of power and experience, or worrying that something is outside the realm of our capability, we should apply ourselves and challenge the task at hand. We can then develop our capability and product great results.
In volume ten of the novel The Human Revolution, SGI President Daisaku Ikeda writes,

Anyone would think that victory is impossible, and that's probably how you feel right now. But don't forget this marvellous Gohonzon we have. It has the power to transform what you'd normally think impossible into something possible. Those who give up before they try, thinking that it's impossible, don't really know the power of the Mystic Law. Only people who can bring forth the Mystic Law's power can succeed at anything they try.

We have to first of all pray powerfully to be able to carry out the kind of courageous practice that can make the impossible possible. 

- Guidance, Why is Faith Necessary Vol I, World Tribune Press

Principle behind the Gohonzon

The Gohonzon exists for the enlightenment and genuine happiness of all people throughout the eternal future of the Latter day of the Law.
Enabling all living beings to attain the same enlightenment as Buddhas - that is Shakyamuni's vow and the wish of all Buddhas throughout the three existences of past, present, and future. Nichiren Daishonin was the first person to reveal the object of devotion, the Gohonzon, for actualizing this wish, manifesting it in the form of  a "great mandala".

-The deeper the roots, the more prolific the branches

In Pursuit of True Happiness

Even though they do not have faith in the Gohonzon, some people seem blessed with fame, wealth and seeming happiness. However, their satisfaction is all temporary unless based upon the Mystic Law and it can be termed rootless because their happiness is of a fleeting nature in view of the eternity of life. All in all, without basing your life on the Gohonzon, there is no true and most profound sense of happiness. Therefore, you, who have been able to begin this practice of faith, should realize how fortunate and how fantastic your life is.
Having such an awareness is vital for all of you now and even if you cannot convince yourself of this truth, as long as your Faith is sincere and your practice is vigorous, please remember you are still being yourself in the correct foundation of life. But anyway, the Gohonzon will never forget about the efforts you put out for kosen-rufu. The Buddhist gods will definitely protect all of you. This is so true, especially in terms of the law of cause and effect. I sincerely hope that you remain convinced of the fact that you are now developing the greatest fortune and opening up a great palace of happiness within your life.
Source: Guidelines for Youth, compiled by George M. Williams

4 Simple Ways to Embrace the Gohonzon

Gosho: Persecution by Sword and Staff

"As you crave food when hungry, seek water when thirsty, long to see a lover, beg for medicine when ill or as a beautiful woman desires powder and rouge, so should you put your fiat hint he Lotus Sutra. If you do not, you will regret it later."

When you are hungry, no one has to tell you, “Eat, you’ll feel better.” The impulse is to go get food arises from within you of its own accord. And when you are thirst, you don’t tell yourself, “If I don’t think about it, maybe it’ll go away.” If possible, you stop whatever you’re doing, and drink some water. When you are deeply in love, then waking or sleeping, you will always have that person in your thoughts; he or she is the only man or woman in the world for you. And when you are ill or injured, getting well takes immediate priority over everything. People with obscure diseases often exhaust their financial resources seeking medicine or doctors to relieve their pain. Moreover, people blessed with good looks naturally want to make the most of them. A great beauty may willingly spend hours in front of a mirror, determining the precise shade of make-up that will set off her looks to best advantage.
With each of these examples, Nichiren Daishonin teaches us something about the ideal attitude in faith that we should strive for. It is indeed great if we can turn to the Gohonzon immediately, spontaneously, and wholeheartedly under any circumstances, without being told to by anyone.

I feel this passage also indicates that we can confidently pray to the Gohonzon for the fulfilment of any desire whatsoever.

• “As you crave food when hungry, seek water when thirsty” might be read as indicating the most basic needs of the human being that must be met if one is to survive. 
• “Long to see a lover” could be said to represent more complex desires, involving emotional and spiritual needs as well as physical ones. 
• “Beg for medicine when ill” might be said to stand for problems – things that need to be corrected or resolved. 
• And “as beautiful woman desires powder and rouge” could be said to represent desires to fulfil our potential and enhance the meaning of our existence. 

In this way the Daishonin teaches us that faith in the Gohonzon can benefit people in every aspect of live. No matter how big or how small or what it may concern, nothing is outside the scope of the Gohonzon’s beneficial power.

Source: George M Williams, Vice President SGI

Great Misfortune is Always Followed by Great good fortune

How should you deal (or help a member deal) when confronted with serious trouble?

No matter how great the misfortune may appear to be, the question is whether you yourself fully believe this principle of the Mystic Law. You may suspect that since the trouble is so serious, it may not be followed by great good fortune. That is not believing in this principle at all. The passage does not say, “Great misfortune is always followed by great good fortune, but super-great misfortune is not.”

If one of your members (or you yourself) is faced with a serious problem, you must emphasize the above passage and sincerely try to convince him of the Gohonzon’s power. His victory or defeat, so to speak, lies in whether or not he can bring himself to believe in this teaching. If he takes faith in it, then all he has to do is practice exactly as the Daishonin teaches.

There is no problem whatsoever which cannot be turned into a springboard for happiness, no poison which cannot be changed into medicine. Even if one fails in business, he will be able to recover as long as he maintains his faith. If often happens, however, that when one fails in business, he also allows himself to fail in faith. This is something about which we must be careful.

Source: Guidelines of faith by Satoru Izumi

Buddhist Concept: Gohonzon (Part 2)

This is a continuation of Part 1

It may at first be difficult to believe that the Gohonzon, a physical object, can have such a transforming effect on the lives of those to chant to it. However, Buddhism views the material and the spiritual as fundamentally inseparable. That is, all life manifests itself in both physical and spiritual aspects. There are many pieces of paper that affect how we feel, for example a letter from a loved one and an unexpected tax bill produce very different feelings within us. Both are physical objects, but what they contain and our relationship to them can transform our mood or even our life.

Just as a painting reflects the life-state of the person who created it, the Gohonzon reflects Nichiren Daishonin’s life-state: Buddhahood. By relating to the Gohonzon through chanting and studying the Daishonin’s writings, our own life-state is gradually but surely influenced by our own Buddhahood. As a piece of steel rubbed against a magnet will become magnetized, so our chanting to the Gohonzon brings forth our Buddhahood.

Many people interpreted the teachings of the first historical Buddha, Shakyamuni, as meaning that attaining enlightenment requires many lifetimes of consistent and dedicated Buddhist practice. However, Nichiren Daishonin recognized that in the Lotus Sutra Shakyamuni is in fact describing the effect of enlightenment. He further recognized that the seed, or cause, for the enlightenment of all Buddhas is the universal law of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo.

The Gohonzon embodies the source of enlightenment, Nichiren Daishonin’s life. It is not merely a symbol, or something to focus on while chanting, it is the actual reality of the Buddha’s life. It is the link between the Buddha state in ourselves and the environment. It is not a luck magic charm, but an instrument to see our true potential and use it.

We can prove the validity of the Gohonzon for ourselves through our experience of putting it to the test again and again. The stronger our faith and trust in the Gohonzon, the more we find balance and harmony emerging in our environment, as Daisaku Ikeda explains:

“A person who attains the state of Buddhahood is similar to the atom triggering a fission reaction. His life flow is pure and profuse, and it causes remarkable changes in the depths of other lives. Just as a grass which ash begun to wither can be restored by a good rain, or a caravan stopping at an oasis is revitalized by the fresh water, individuals and their environment will be infused with the power and joy of living when they find themselves in the life flow of Buddhahood. This chain reaction can spread in any kind of environment: from the individual to the family, and to neighbours and the community…As it spreads it imparts to the environment a new, vibrant quality, changes take place on an ever-larger scale and the world is transformed. (Life, An Enigma, A precious Jewel)”

Source: Gohonzon by James Rourke UKE 2000

Buddhist Concept: Gohonzon (Part 1)

What is the Gohonzon?

The Gohonzon is a paper scroll on which are printed Chinese and Sanskrit characters that depict life in the state of Buddhahood. ‘Go’ means honourable; ‘honzon’ means object of devotion. Nichiren Daishonin explains that the Gohonzon is ‘the object of devotion for observing the mind.’ He clarifies what this means by comparing the Gohonzon to a mirror. Just as we cannot see our face without a mirror, he explains, neither can we see our inherent Buddhahood without the Gohonzon.

Nichiren Daishonin’s sole desire was to enable people to experience the freedom and joy of Buddhahood. He therefore inscribed the Gohonzon for individuals who believed in his teachings. When a significant number for his followers demonstrated the strength of their faith, the Daishonin realized the time had come to inscribe a Gohonzon for all people in perpetuity. So, on the twelfth day of the tenth lunar month, 1279, he inscribed the Dai-Gohonzon (‘dai’ means great) and bestowed it upon the entire world.

What does the inscription on the Gohonzon signify?

The writing on the Gohonzon is composed mainly of Chinese ideograms, which express very profound ideas in a very concise and economical way. The largest characters, written down the centre from top to bottom, are ‘Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, Nichiren.’ This signifies the fusion of the universal law of live and Nichiren Daishonin, the Buddha who realized and expressed this law. The Gohonzon is therefore equivalent to Nichiren Daishonin’s life. Since the universal law of life is also inherent in each one of us: when we chant to the Gohonzon, our own Buddhahood is awakened and emerges.

Each element of life is revealed in relation to the bold central characters of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, indicating that all aspects of life can be transformed into positive value. 

To be continued

Source: Gohonzon by James Rourke UKE 2000

Sensei's Guidance

"WHEN one dedicates himself/herself to the Gohonzon and advances in practice for the sake of his/her own enlightenment and for kosen-rufu, then, without doubt, he/she will become capable of truly loving others, and others in turn will say to themselves that there is something about him/her that shines." - Ikeda Sensei

Sensei' on Mission and Not Begrudging One's Life: NHR excerpt

"The crucial thing to remember is that what you decide to devote yourself to or give your life to is what determines whether your life will be happy or unhappy. The Daishonin teaches us that the highest and most fundamental kind of devotion is to the Gohonzon of the oneness of the Person and the Law - that is, to Nam-myoho-renge-kyo."
Shin'ichi spoke with increasing force: "More specifically, we might say that this devotion is dedicating ourselves to the realisation of kosen-rufu, with the resolve to widely propagate Nam-myoho-renge-kyo and the Gohonzon of the oneness of the person and the Law as our lifes' purpose and lifelong goal. This is the path that leads to absolute happiness.
"I'm sure some of you regard expressions such as 'not begrudging one's life' and 'dedicating one's life to Buddhism' as encouraging a sort of self-sacrifice, some kind of tragic self-immolation. but the state of mind underlying the kind of devotion I am talking about is entirely different. It is a state of complete, self-assured calm adn peace, a state utterly without fear.
"Devotion to the Mystic Law means breaking through your 'lesser self,' the small you that has been driven and hounded by all kinds of petty, selfish wants and desires. It means returning to your greater self,' the self that is one with the universe, that is as vast as the cosmos itself. When that happens, you will shine with your highest human potential. The process by which this comes about is called human revolution."
From NHR volume 6, Young Eagles Chapter.

Sensei's guidance

BY correctly embracing the Gohonzon throughout our lives, we can manifest Buddhahood, the supreme condition of life, in lifetime after lifetime. In order to receive such benefit, to embrace the Gohonzon is the single precept that we must observe. This is termed in Buddhism the precept of the diamond chalice, a precept which, like a diamond, is impossible to break.- Ikeda Sensei

Guidance by Vice President Tsuji - Excerpt 2

The second part talks about why it is important to chant nam myo ho renge kyo aloud? Many members have asked this question at various times. I feel that the following guidance explains it very nicely.

"There is another quotation from page 832 of the Gosho, "Never
 seek this Gohonzon outside yourself. The Gohonzon exists only
 within the mortal flesh of us ordinary people who embrace the
 Lotus Sutra and chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo." As stated in this
 Gosho Nam-myoho-renge-kyo exists within us. But for some reason
 it is very difficult to manifest Nam-myoho-renge-kyo or we can
 not seem to bring it out. That is why we are mere mortals. Then
 how can we manifest it in our lives?

 We can bring it forth by just vocalizing Nam-myoho-renge-kyo.
 You may see cherry blossom and feel how beautiful it is. You
 may see a full moon and enjoy the moonlight. You may see a
 cockroach and feel disgusted. By seeing these things you feel
 these types of life conditions. You may be moved by hearing
 beautiful music or be motivated by hearing President Ikeda's
 speech on tape. You achieve these through your ears.

 You're related to your Gohonzon through vocalization. That
 means by chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo out loud you bring forth
 your Buddhist life force. There is a phrase in the Gosho that
 states that your voice brings out Buddhahood. As long as you
 chant Daimoku you bring out your Buddhahood. It will explode
 from you. If you are conned or robbed your life will burst
 with anger. If your life is filled with worries and suffering
 you may commit suicide. If you chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo you
 can change life filled with such suffering, anger or poverty
 and overcome your problems."

Guidance by Vice President Tsuji - Excerpt 1

In the early years of my practice, I had come across some guidance by SGI vice president Takehisa Tsuji. I found it very fresh and encouraging and I feel that this would be an appropriate forum to share it with all of you. I will be posting it in excerpts as it is a little long and one may lose oneself in reading it completely. The first part explains how important it is to chant joyfully and gratefully.


"Gongyo is directly related to your life. There are three things
 directly related sustaining life. One is to eat and rest. It is
 important to consume nutrients and to get adequate sleep. These
 two are easy to understand and everyone does them. You don't
 quit eating or sleeping because you are unhappy with someone.
 But when it comes to doing Gongyo, there are those who quit
 doing their prayers easily. It is because they do not realize
 that Gongyo and Daimoku are directly related to sustaining
 their life. You can improve your destiny by chanting Daimoku.
 Your karma will further deteriorate with out chanting. If you
 do not chant your destiny will revert back to your former bad
 karma. It is like reverting back to your former state of having
 a weak intestinal system or back to poverty. These types of
 changes are not easily recognized. This is why people get lazy
 with their daily Gongyo and Daimoku. This is a frightening
 thing.

 There is a phrase in the Gosho, English Gosho page 81, "There
 is no true happiness other than upholding faith in the Lotus
 Sutra." But do you really do your Gongyo with this conviction?

 You must feel that it gives you the greatest pleasure to do
 Gongyo and Daimoku. There is phrase in the Gosho that
 emphasizes that Nam-myoho-renge-kyo is the greatest of all
 joys. To be wed is a joyous thing. But Nam-myoho-renge-kyo is a
 greater joy. To save millions of dollars may make you happy.
 But Nam-myoho-renge-kyo is even more enriching. To finally
 renovate your home after many years of waiting may bring you
 joy but chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo is better than that.

 Finally getting a child after many attempts may be a joyous
 occasion but Nam-myoho-renge-kyo is more joyous than that. Look
 into your hearts to see if you are chanting with this type of
 gratitude. Are you receiving 100% of the benefits that the
 Gohonzon would like to grant you? I feel that most of you are
 just receiving 10 to 15% of what you could be receiving. With
 this type of life condition you will lose to obstacles and deep
 karma.

 Why do you receive benefits when you chant to the Gohonzon -
 and why do you continue to chant? If you chant only to overcome
 a specific illness will it only cure that illness? If you chant
 for the success of your business, will you only become
 successful in business? It is not such a limited practice.

 The Gohonzon is telling us it can elevate our life to the
 highest level, equal to the Gohonzon. There is a passage in the
 Gosho, "hoping to make all persons equal to me, without any
 distinction between us." You should chant with deep gratitude
 to the Gohonzon for granting you the same life condition as the
 Gohonzon."