Gongyo—which includes reciting portions of the “Expedient Means” and “Life Span of the Thus Come One” chapters of the Lotus Sutra morning and evening—is part of daily practice for Nichiren Buddhists. This series carries Ikeda Sensei’s explanations of gongyo, section by section. The full text can be found in The Heart of the Lotus Sutra, pp. 99–101.
Shi shari-hotsu. Fu shu bu setsu. Sho-i sha ga. Bussho joju. Dai ichi ke-u. Nange shi ho.
Literal translation: “But stop, Shariputra, I will say no more. Why? Because what the Buddhas have achieved is the rarest and most difficult-to-understand Law.” (The Lotus Sutra and Its Opening and Closing Sutras, p. 57)
Ikeda Sensei:
Shariputra, regarded as the foremost in wisdom among Shakyamuni’s disciples, listens to the preaching that follows and comes to realize that the sole purpose of Buddhist practice is to open up the world of Buddhahood in one’s own life. Because he accepted the strictness of the mentor, Shakyamuni, with his whole being, the disciple, Shariputra, could develop his state of life. …
On one level, the Lotus Sutra, and this scene in particular, might be thought of as a spiritual drama unfolding between the mentor who begins to expound the truth and the disciples who receive his teaching with their entire beings.
From the standpoint of its deepest meaning, this passage indicates that the great Law of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo that Nichiren upholds is the “rarest” teaching, beyond people’s ability to comprehend with their ordinary state of life.
The vast and boundless power of the Gohonzon cannot be fathomed with a shallow state of life. It is foolish to try to estimate or determine the power of the Gohonzon with our minds. Such thinking betrays conceit. When we practice, summoning forth the great power of faith, we can definitely produce results in the form of inconspicuous and conspicuous benefit. To the extent we are convinced of this, we can expand our inner state of life.
The Mystic Law is the “rarest and most difficult-to-understand Law.” Nichiren writes, “If the Law that one embraces is supreme, then the person who embraces it must accordingly be foremost among all others” (“Embracing the Lotus Sutra,” The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, vol. 1, p. 61). The lives of those who embrace the supreme Law are supremely happy.
I want all of you to shine as the foremost people on your respective stages of activity. Please lead lives of brilliant proof of the supreme Law. This is what it means to practice the “rarest and most difficult-to-understand Law.”
The SGI is a gathering of such foremost people. We should not demean ourselves. Never say such things as, “My capability is so limited.” Everyone has a mission that only he or she can fulfill.
President Toda said: “I want even those who seem the least remarkable among Soka Gakkai members to do things beyond the ability of members of other groups. I would like to develop an organization such that even the weakest person in it is stronger than anyone outside it.”
Determined to shine as foremost people in our respective fields and to live in a manner true to ourselves, let us fulfill our missions with dignity.
You are reading {{ meterCount }} of {{ meterMax }} free premium articles