oy . KEY BUDDHIST CONCEPTS IN SOCIETY TODAY The Gohonzon The Gohonzon is the object of devotion in Nichiren, the form of a scroll inscribed with Chinese and The significance of the Gohonzon lies not in the lit characters, but in the fact that it is was created by as the physical embodiment, in the form of a mani and intrinsic law of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo famous passage from the writings of Niel i states, “I, Nichiren, have inscribed my life in § lieve in the Gohonzon with your whole heart” WND-1, 412). Honzon is a Japanese word meaning “obj respect or devotion”. The prefix go means “wor While Nam-myoho-renge-kyo is the ultimate Law the Gohonzon is its graphic expression. As we ch ho-renge-kyo, focusing on the Gohonzon, we: \ the power of this Law. Every religion has an object of devotion. supreme being or god. The many schools of E traditionally revered the Buddha and the B The concept of the Buddha and the conten however, have differed from school to scho For example, Shakyamuni Buddha being who dedicated his lifeiren taught that people who view the Buddha or the Law from themselves cannot realise their full potential “Ifyou think the Law is outside yourself, you are ees t the Mystic Law but an inferior teaching” (‘On Attaining 8 Fpahood in This Lifetime’, WND-1, 3)- Bu Nich »parate seP' e sal clear mirror of life ha or Law as externals, basing his teaching on set forth a meditative discipline for attaining alled this “observing the mind”. T’ien- gnised the potential for Buddhahood in ople. Bu was too difficult to carry out amid ise e Wy life. Only those of superior ability, ae ' inet c had a chance of attaining enlightenment. i ‘ Nichiren Daishonin established a teaching and practice to te enlightened nature in any human directly awaken the inna f chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. Enlight- being—the practice 0 st a state of mind. It encompasses the enment is more than ju totality of our mental, spiritual and physical being, as well as our behaviour. Introspection alone, as in T’ien-t’ai’s teachings, is inadequate for attaining enlightenment. Nichiren inscribed the Gohonzon to serve as a mirror to re- flect our innate enlightened nature and cause it to permeate every aspect of our lives. SGI President Ikeda states: “Mirrors reflect our outw: i i pheno - form. The mirror of Buddhism, however, re- se angible aspect of our lives. Mirrors, which function y virtue of the laws of light and reflecti : : on, are a product of uman wisdom. On the other hand, th , the Gohonzon, based on t to worshipping the Budd her Tien-t’ai of China, ircumstances,the Law of the universe and life itself, is the culmination of Buddha‘s wisdom and makes it possible for us to attain ra the hood by providing us with a means of perceiving the tiles \- of our life.” And just as we would not expect a mirror to apply our up, shave our beards or fix our hair, when we chant to th Gohonzon, we do not expect the scroll in our altars to fulfil re wishes. Rather, with faith in the power of the Mystic Law that im Gohonzon embodies, we chant to reveal the power of ur own enlightened wisdom and vow to put it to use for the BOod of ourselves and others. eva” Nichiren, emphasising the nature of the Gohonzon’s power. writes: “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” (‘The Real Aspect of the Gohonzon’, WND-1, 832), _ a. Pect Make. An expression of Nichiren’s winning state of life From childhood, Nichiren ignited within himself a powerful determination to rid the world of misery and lead people to lasting happiness. With this vow, he thoroughly studied the sutras and identified chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo as the essence of Shakyamuni's teachings. In the course of propagating this practice, Nichiren overcame numerous harsh persecutions, including attempts on his life. i After the failed attempt to execute him at Tatsunokuehi in 1271, Nichiren began to inscribe the Gohonzon and bestow it upon staunch believers. Regarding this, he said: “From that time, | felt pity for my followers because | had notyet revealed this true teaching to any of them. With this in mind, 1 secretly conveyed my teaching to my disciples from the province of Sado” to Misawa’, WND-1, 896). 208 © ValueCreationemerged victorious over the most powerful reli- nf en . : hice! secular oppression, and resolved to leave a physical and s n of his winning state of life so all future disciples could essiO! exP forth that same life-condition. ae re ne, iting to his samurai disciple Shijo Kingo, he stated: “In wr ibing this Gohonzon for [your daughter's} protection, inscr ichiren was like the lion king. This is what the sutra means by ne power {of the Buddhas] that has the li t ;, this mandala with all your heart, Nam- Fhe roar of a lion. What sickness can th (Reply to Kyo'0’, WND-1, 412), on’s ferocity. Believe myoho-renge-kyo is like erefore be an obstacle?” The treasure tower ‘The Emergence of the Treasure Tower’, the 11th chapter of the potential —the grandeur of the Buddhan (see ‘On the Treasure Tower’, WND-1, 299), Next, the sutra describes the Ceremony in the Air—a vast assembly of Buddhas, bodhisattvas and beings of all description, gathering from all corners of the cosmos. The Buddha employs special powers to raise the entir ‘ assembly into the air the treasure tower, He then begins Preaching his teachi Nichiren chose to depict on the Gohonzon, form, key elements of this Ceremony in the Air, Nai renge-kyo, representing the treasure tower, is inscri the centre of the Gohonzon. Rather than a painted ature within all people before ing. in written m-myoho- bed downmete * According to President Ikeda: “Such [a statue or inte never fully express Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, the fundamen Coulg that includes all causes (practices) and effects (virtues) ce Law visible attribute of the heart or mind, however, can ies - The jn. in words.” *Presseq President Ikeda also emphasises: “Through our daily of [reciting the sutra] and chanting [Nam-myoho-ren, we can join the eternal Ceremony in the Air here and el can cause the treasure tower to shine within Us, and ea, within our daily activities and lives. That is the Wonder of ine Gohonzon. A magnificent ‘cosmos’ of life opens tones the reality presents itself as a world of value creation,” end Practice The Gohonzon exists in faith While most can agree that everyone possesses a wonderf potential within, truly believing this about all people and a based on this belief is not easy. Nichiren Daishonin inscribed the Gohonzon so that anyone can believe in and activate his a her Buddha nature. Just having the Gohonzon, however, will a ensure this. Both faith and practice are essential to unlocking our powerful Buddha nature. Nichiren says: “This Gohonzon also is found only in the two characters for faith. This is what the sutra means when it states that one can ‘gain entrance through faith alone’... What is most importants that, by chanting Nam-myoho- renge-kyo alone, you can attain Buddhahood. It will no doubt depend on the strength of your faith. To have faith is the basis of Buddhism” (‘The Real Aspect of the Gohonzon’, WND-1, 832), The banner of propagation Nichiren Daishonin also says, “I was the first to banner of propagation of the Lotus Sutra this g) (‘The Real Aspect of the Gohonzon’, wND-1, 831). 210 ValueCreationday, the SGI, through the leadership of its three founding To ay -_Tsunesaburo Makiguchi, Josei Toda and Daisaku pres embraced the Gohonzon as Nichiren truly intend- hoa “banner of propagation” of the Buddhist teaching that a humankind to peace and happiness. For that reason, members who chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo to the Gohonzon and exert themselves in SGI activities to spread the Law in the spirit of the three presidents consistently achieve remarkable growth, benefit and victory in their lives. (Adapted from the October issue of The Daibyakurenge, the Soka Gakkai monthly study journal, in the SGI-USA 2010 Introductory Exam: Study Guide; reprinted with permission)