Part 1: Happiness; Chapter 3: The Practice for Transforming Our State of Life [3.3]

The Gohonzon exists for the enlightenment and genuine happiness of all people throughout the Latter Day of the Law and into the eternal future.

Enabling all living beings to attain the same enlightenment as Buddhas—that is Shakyamuni’s vow and the wish of all Buddhas past, present, and future. Nichiren Daishonin was the first person to reveal the object of devotion, or the Gohonzon, for actualizing this wish, manifesting it in the form of a “great mandala” (WND-1, 831).

He states: “This mandala is in no way my invention” (WND-1, 831). The Gohonzon, he assures us, is not his arbitrary creation. It is the object of devotion that depicts the five characters of Myoho-renge-kyo to which Shakyamuni Buddha, seated in the treasure tower of Many Treasures, and all the Buddhas who were his emanations were awakened. In other words, the Gohonzon perfectly represents the “true aspect of all phenomena”1 and the foundational principles of the “mutual possession of the Ten Worlds”2 and “three thousand realms in a single moment of life,”3 all of which were elucidated during the Ceremony in the Air4 of the Lotus Sutra.

When we look at the layout of the Gohonzon, we see that Nam-myoho-renge-kyo—referred to in this letter as “the five characters of the Lotus Sutra’s title” (WND-1, 831)—is written down the center, flanked by representatives of each of the Ten Worlds.5 This indicates that all living beings of the Ten Worlds, from the Buddhas and bodhisattvas on down, are without exception embodied in the Gohonzon. And it accords with the passage from the “Treasure Tower” chapter of the Lotus Sutra that the Daishonin cited in this letter: “[Shakyamuni Buddha used his transcendental powers to] lift all the members of the great assembly up into the air” [LSOC11, 215] (WND-1, 832). The Gohonzon, therefore, includes “without exception all of the various beings” of the Ten Worlds. It is a representation of the “mutual possession of the Ten Worlds,” the principle that all living beings, when illuminated by the light of the Mystic Law, can display the “dignified attributes that they inherently possess” (WND-1, 832).

When the light of the wisdom and compassion of Buddhahood illuminates the Ten Worlds within our lives, we can bring forth the power of supreme goodness and create enduring value. It also means that each individual comes to shine as an entity of the Mystic Law and to display their inherently dignified nature.

In such a realm, everyone—no matter their circumstances or whether they are still transforming their karma—shines with the “dignified attributes that they inherently possess.” Those in the world of hell, for instance, manifest the world of hell contained within the world of Buddhahood. Though there may still be suffering, it is not the hopeless suffering of wandering lost in eternal darkness. They can bring forth the courage to face difficult realities head-on, the wisdom to surmount the obstacles arising from within and from without, and the powerful life force to make new strides forward. Sufferings become challenges that aid one’s personal transformation and growth, a springboard to great development.

Illuminated by the light of the Mystic Law, the noble state of life that is one with the Mystic Law functions vibrantly even in the world of hell. The meaning of the sufferings of hell is thereby turned around completely.

Every person’s life inherently embodies the principles of the “mutual possession of the Ten Worlds” and “three thousand realms in a single moment of life.” In essence, every person’s life is perfect and complete—there is nothing extraneous to be subtracted and nothing lacking to be added. No life is without its joys and sorrows, its ups and downs. And no matter how we might try, we cannot avoid the universal sufferings of birth, aging, sickness, and death.

The mutual possession of the Ten Worlds is the true aspect of life, and each of the mutually inclusive Ten Worlds is an expression of the Mystic Law. The Gohonzon and our faith enable us to activate the Mystic Law in our lives and firmly establish it as our foundation.

The layout of the Gohonzon is based on the true aspect of all phenomena elucidated in the Lotus Sutra; it clarifies that we as ordinary people, in our present form, can reveal the boundless life state of Buddhahood.

No such object of devotion ever existed in Buddhism before this. Though there were many magnificent depictions of Buddhas and bodhisattvas in paintings and sculptures, there was no mandala embodying the principle of the “mutual possession of the Ten Worlds” that enabled ordinary people to attain enlightenment. Nichiren Daishonin was the first to reveal the Gohonzon that illuminates the “dignified attributes that we inherently possess,” that is, the object of devotion for the enlightenment of all humanity. This Gohonzon is truly the “great mandala never before known” (WND-1, 832), depicting the realm of religion that includes and benefits all people.

In the Daishonin’s day—and often even today—we find the deeply rooted view that we are but small, insignificant beings and that, in contrast, ultimate reality, or enduring value, is something that lies somewhere outside of us, somewhere far away. Such thinking is inextricably connected with a belief in some otherworldly supernatural power.

Nichiren Buddhism, however, rejects this idea. It teaches that the true reality of life, in which the eternal and ultimate Law is revealed, is to be found in ordinary people living right here and now.

The term Buddha, after all, means “enlightened one.” To what did the Buddha become enlightened? It was to that which should form the true basis of our life—namely, the Law and the true essence of our being. He awakened to the universal Law permeating all phenomena, which had previously been obscured by fundamental ignorance.6 He awakened to the greatness of each individual’s life that is one and indivisible with that Law.

The Daishonin refers to the Gohonzon as the “object of devotion for observing the mind” (WND-1, 354ff.). The purpose of the Gohonzon is to enable us to “observe our mind,” that is, to see and awaken to the Buddhahood within our own life. But being able to see the true nature of our mind, or attain enlightenment, is not achieved through contemplation or meditative practice. Faith is the foundation. The “object of devotion for observing the mind” is the “object of devotion of faith.”

The Gohonzon (Buddhahood) is expressed in the lives of those who have strong faith. A person may possess the Gohonzon, but without faith, they will receive no benefit. Faith is what causes the “cluster of blessings” (WND-1, 832) that is the Gohonzon to reveal itself in our life.7 Accordingly, as long as our faith stays alive, the “cluster of blessings” will never disappear. Even if we were to lose our material Gohonzon in an accident or natural disaster, as long as we retain our faith, the Gohonzon within our life is eternal and ever-abiding, and we can activate its beneficial power.

Only when we have faith does the beneficial power of the Gohonzon emerge. Truly, the Gohonzon is found in our faith alone.

From Learning from the Writings of Nichiren Daishonin: The Teachings for Victory, published in Japanese in December 2014.