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Suggested Study Material for July 2008

SGI-USA Men’s Division Monthly Meetings
Suggested study material for July 2008

This month we begin studying material from President Ikeda’s lecture series, “The Hope-Filled Teachings of Nichiren Daishonin” in the July/August issue of Living Buddhism (Volume 12, no. 4.)  We want to strongly encourage all Men’s Division members to subscribe to Living Buddhism and read the complete material there, as well as to attend and participate actively in the 4-divisional study meetings in your local organization.

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Lecture on “The Drum at the Gate of Thunder”
by SGI President Ikeda

“It Is the Heart That Is Important”—Continuously Strive To Deepen and Strengthen the Bonds of Mentor and Disciple

GOSHO PASSAGES

“Those who make offerings to the Lotus Sutra will receive the same benefit as they would by making offerings to all the Buddhas and bodhisattvas in the ten directions, because all the Buddhas of the ten directions originate from the single character myo.”  (WND-I, p. 949)

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“Though you remain in Sado, your heart has come to this province."

"The way of attaining Buddhahood is just like this. Though we live in the impure land, our hearts reside in the pure land of Eagle Peak. Merely seeing each other’s face would in itself be insignificant. It is the heart that is important. Someday let us meet at [the pure land of] Eagle Peak, where Shakyamuni Buddha dwells.”
(WND-1, 949)

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EXCERPTS  FROM THE LECTURE
Introduction to New Lecture Series
(LB 12/4, p. 51-52)

Nichiren Buddhism is a teaching of hope.  It is a great philosophy, affirming that we possess within ourselves the infinite power to surmount all hardships and break through all obstacles.  Nichiren Buddhism also teaches us the practice by which we can tap this infinite power in our lives, backed by solid examples of actual proof….

The writings of Nichiren Daishonin fully elucidate this philosophy of hope as well as its practice and proof. They are a source of illumination that endlessly encourages and inspires. Nichiren composed these hope-filled writings for his followers and for all humankind in the midst of daunting and often life-threatening struggles. My mentor, Josei Toda, the second Soka Gakkai president, once said: “Nichiren, while himself experiencing serious illness and harsh persecution, exhorts us to forge ahead and shape our own destiny right in the midst of such obstacles. We are truly fortunate in this regard. I, too, have learned this from Nichiren, who engaged in a life-and-death struggle to impart his teachings.”

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The Benefit Inherent in the Character Myo: The Three Meanings of Myo
(LB 12/4, p. 56-57)

(1) “The character myo means to open” (WND-1, 145). This means that the Lotus Sutra is the key that opens the storehouses of all the sutras preached by the Buddha, making it possible for the treasures that lie within those sutras to be utilized.

(2) “Myo means to be fully endowed, which in turn has the meaning of ‘perfect and full’” (WND-1, 146). This means that just as all treasures emerge from a wish-granting jewel as small as a mustard seed, and just as all plants and flowers bloom due to the light of the sun, so each single character of the Lotus Sutra contains all teachings and benefits within it.

(3) “Myo means to revive, that is, to return to life” (WND-1, 149). This means that the Lotus Sutra can impart fresh life and hope to all people—even those who had been deemed incapable of attaining enlightenment in the pre-Lotus Sutra teachings—and enable them to attain Buddhahood without fail.

By chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo and teaching others to do the same, we can concretely manifest the power of “the single character myo” in our own lives. That is the wonderful benefit of Nichiren Buddhism.

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Good Fortune and Benefit From Offerings to the Lotus Sutra, Not Status in Society (LB 12/4, p. 55-56)

In terms of the worldview of the day, the letter’s recipient, the lay nun Sennichi, was an elderly woman of no particular distinction living on a remote northerly island of Japan, which was itself a tiny isolated archipelago.  But in terms of her faith, her spirit to steadfastly support and assist Nichiren, leader of the widespread propagation of the Mystic Law, was admirable beyond compare and shone with sublime nobility.  By describing the existence of countless Buddhas in the universe, Nichiren no doubt seeks to highlight her good fortune and benefit, which are as vast as the universe.  He is saying to the effect:  “To make offerings to the Lotus Sutra is to make offerings to all Buddhas and bodhisattvas of the ten directions.  Therefore they are all sure to protect you.  You will absolutely never become deadlocked.  You need not worry about anything.  You can serenely savor a state of life as eternal and vast as the universe.”

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The Bonds of Mentor and Disciple in Buddhism
(LB 12/4, p. 63)

In a discussion with members of the student division, I once responded as follows to a question about the oneness, or unity, of mentor and disciple: “It means to have a mentor in your heart while standing on your own two feet. President Toda resides in my heart. This is not something you speak out loud; it’s a matter of the heart. This is because unity is something that exists inside you.”

At all times, no matter where I am, I feel as if I am constantly engaging in dialogue with President Toda as I go about my activities. Our unity exists within me. The unity of mentor and disciple transcends distance and time. The hearts of mentor and disciple compose an eternal history of united struggle.

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Suggested Discussion Questions

1. President Ikeda writes, “Nichiren Buddhism is a teaching of hope.”  Please share a recent experience of     bringing out hope in your own life through this practice.
2. “To open,” “to be fully endowed” and “to revive:” explain how these three meanings of myo relate to your own daily practice.
3. One message of this Gosho and lecture is that from the viewpoint of faith, women are 100% the equal of, if not stronger than, men.  How can we as men, reflect this respect in our behavior?  More broadly, how can we apply the spirit behind Nichiren’s encouragement that anyone, regardless of status in society, can “savor a state of life as eternal and vast as the universe” through practice?
4. President Ikeda describes the unity of mentor and disciple as having “a mentor in your heart while standing on your own two feet.”  What does this phrase mean to you? Given that we have not met Nichiren personally in this life, and may not have met or be able to meet President Ikeda face to face, how can we “transcend distance and time” to experience this unity?