ICHINEN SANZEN

By Yosai Yamada

Ichinen Sanzen 
The Mutual Possession of the Ten Worlds

"Since wars begin in the minds of men, it is in the minds of men that the
defenses of peace must be constructed." Regarding "world peace," it may be
safely said that the most important question for us today is "How does one gain
a peaceful way to live?" A European philosopher once said that human beings have
the potential for a holy existence, similar to an angel. On the other hand,
people can become uglier and more frightening than wild animals.

There is no existence more interesting, mysterious, incomprehensible and complex

than human life. Buddhism completely explains life through the principles of the
Mutual Possession of the Ten Worlds. Our physical appearance and our actions in
this world are explained by the concept of shiki shin funi -- the unity of our
minds and bodies.

The present and any future state of the world we live in is explained by the
concept of esho funi -- the unity of man and his environment. Or, to put it
another way, our world is consistent with our ideals, and as we act upon those
ideals, we make the world as it is.

The Mutual Possession of the Ten Worlds explains the reality of the complex and
changeable aspects of existence that are the result of the Law of Cause and
Effect. By discussing the Mutual Possession of the Ten Worlds, I would like to
examine how to live and how to attain world peace.

Since ancient times, philosophers have defined humans as "Homo sapiens, 'a
thinking, upright crea- ture.'" However, Buddhism defines human beings as
entities which possess ten sorts of worlds. In other words, the Ten Worlds are
the ten realms of thought and emotion that are influenced by environmental
changes. These changes are reflected in many aspects of our physical appearance
and surroundings.

In the Gosho, "The True Object of Worship," Nichiren Daishonin gives an outline
of the Ten Worlds. He states:

"When we look from time to time at a person's face, we find him sometimes
joyful, sometimes enraged, and sometimes calm. At times greed appears in the
person's face, at times foolishness, and at times perversity. Rage is the world
of Hell, greed is that of Hunger, foolishness is that of Animality, perversity
is that of Anger, joy is that of Rapture and calmness is that of Humanity. These
worlds, the six paths, are all present in the physical appearance of the
person's face. The remaining four noble worlds are hidden and dormant and do not
appear in the face, but if we search carefully, we can tell that they are
there." (MWN vol 1, p. 52)

He also states:

"The fact that all things in this world are transient, is perfectly dear to us.
Is this not because the worlds of the two vehicles are present in the world of
Humanity? Even a heartless villain loves his wife and children. He too has a
portion of the Bodhisattva World within him. Buddhahood is the most difficult to
demonstrate. But since you possess the other nine worlds, you should believe
that you have Buddhahood as well. Do not permit yourself to have doubts." (MWN
vol. 1, pp. 52-53)

As these passages indicate, the Ten Worlds are nothing but various aspects of
our human lives. Now let's look further at human existence in the Ten Worlds.

The first is HELL.

Hell indicates a condition in which one is dominated by the impulse to destroy

oneself and everything else. Rage is the dominating force. In this state, we are
utterly devoid of freedom and undergo extreme and indescribable suffering.

HUNGER is the second.

Hunger is a state characterized by an insatiable desire for food, clothes,

wealth, pleasure, fame, power, and so forth. In this state, a person is
tormented by relentless craving and by his inability to satisfy it.

ANIMALITY is the third.

The state of Animality is governed by instinct, and one has no sense of reason
or morality.

The Shushi Shin Gosho, ("On the Sovereign, Teacher and Parent") describes the
state of Animality as follows: "The short are swallowed by the long, and the
small are eaten by the large, feeding upon each other without pause." A man in
the state of Animality stands in fear of the strong but despises and preys upon
those weaker than himself.

Since these three conditions, from Hell through Animality, are states in which
we scarcely function as human beings (although we have indeed been born human),
they are collectively called the Three Evil Paths.

The fourth world is ANGER.

In the state of Anger, a man is dominated by a selfish ego. A person in this

state is compelled by the need to be superior to others in all things, despising
others and valuing himself alone.

Nichiren Daishonin's "Jippokai Myoiga Sho" ("Causality Within the Ten States of
Life"), describes it as follows:
"The first volume of the Maka Shikan reads, "He who is in the world of Anger,
motivated by the warped desire to be better than everyone else, is forever
belittling others and exalting himself. He is like a hawk sweeping the sky in
search of prey. He may outwardly display benevolence, righteousness, propriety,
wisdom and good faith, and even possess a rudimentary moral sense, but his heart
remains in anger."

But in comparison with the Three Evil Paths, there is a little humanity within
the realm of Anger. These four states are collectively called the Four Evil
Paths.

The fifth world is HUMANITY or TRANQUILITY.

In this state, one can pass fair judgment, control his instinctive desires with
reason, and act in harmony with his environment or society.

The sixth world is HEAVEN or RAPTURE.

This state indicates the sense of pleasure which one feels when his desire is
fulfilled. However, the joy in the state of Heaven is temporary and disappears
with the passage of time or with even a slight change in circumstances.

These states, from Hell through Heaven, are called the Six Paths. The majority
of people spend most of their time moving back and forth among them. In these
states, one is governed by his reactions to external influences and is therefore
extremely vulnerable to changing circumstances.

LEARNING is the seventh world.

Learning is a condition in which one awakens to the impermanence of all things

and understands the instability of the Six Paths, and therefore seeks some
lasting truth. He aims at self-reformation through the teachings of others. Men
of Learning originally meant those who listen to the Buddha preach the Four
Noble Truths. They practiced the Eightfold Path in order to acquire emancipation
from earthly desires. This definition is expounded in Hinayana Buddhism. This
life condition is relatively free from avarice, anger, stupidity, arrogance and
doubt, as well as from bias or depravity.

Generally speaking, one enters this life condition when he has, in his own way,
reached a certain enlight- enment, after pursuing the truth of life through the
writings of others. However, a selfish or arrogant mind, although hidden, is
still present to some extent in this life condition.

The state of REALIZATION is the eighth world.

It is a condition in which one perceives the impermanence of all phenomena and

strives to free himself from the sufferings of the Six Paths by seeking some
lasting truth through his own observations and effort. Men of Realization
originally meant those who attained a kind of emancipation by perceiving the
twelve-linked chain of causation, or by observing the natural order. In other
words, he understands cause and effect as the nature of life in the universe.
Because this is a life condition a man reaches upon discovering the truth in the
universe after much thinking and effort, the sense of fulfillment felt in this
state may be deeper than that gained in the World of Learning.
This is the definition of both Learning and Realization expounded in Hinayana
Buddhism:

Realization as well as Learning often turn into arrogance, because people in

these life conditions become stubbornly attached to their own realization with
its limited perspective. Learning and Realization are called the two vehicles.
The defect of the two vehicles lies in the fact that persons in these states
seek only their own salvation.

BODHISATTVA is the ninth world.

In this state, one not only aspires to enlightenment himself but also devotes
himself to compassionate actions.

The characteristic of the Bodhisattva lies in his dedication to altruism. The

Gosho, "Causality in the Ten States of Life," states about this life condition:

"Those in the state of Bodhisattva dwell among the common mortals of the Six
Paths and humble them- selves while respecting others. They draw evil to
themselves and give benefit to others. This life condition is characterized by
the great desire to extend help to those who are suffering."

The tenth and final world is that of BUDDHAHOOD.

This is the highest life condition in all of the Ten Worlds. It is a state of
perfect and absolute freedom, in which one enjoys boundless wisdom and
compassion, and is filled with the courage and power to sur- mount all
hardships. However, in the Gosho, Nichiren Daishonin states: "Buddhahood is the
most dif- ficult to demonstrate." Exhibiting Buddhahood from within is
difficult. Explaining this life condition is also difficult. The Twenty-Sixth
High Priest, Nichikan Shonin, says: "Strong faith in the Lotus Sutra is called
Buddhahood."

Therefore, the determination, will, and faith to believe in the Gohonzon is the
manifestation of Buddhahood. It is itself Buddhahood.

This is the great life condition which underlies the rich, altruistic activities
of the Bodhisattva, in which one takes the sufferings of others as his own and
defies all obstacles to help others change their destiny. It is this True
Buddhism that demonstrates how to help people call up their own Buddhahood from
within themselves.

I firmly believe that the way to salvation lies only in the richness of the
Bodhisattva practice, beneath which lies the life condition of the Buddha. It is
universally able to help people out of difficulty and find a way out of
deadlocks to rescue this planet and its inhabitants from the scourge of war.

In the next lecture, we will talk about the Mutual Possession of the Ten Worlds
and how even the worst individuals possess it. Thank you very much.
PART II

Today I want to talk about the Mutual Possession of the Ten Worlds. But before I
begin, I want you accept, on faith, the definition of the entirety of human life
and all its activities as Ichinen Sanzen. I am asking this, because I do not
expect you to "know" it yet as the Buddha does. Why don't I expect you to fully
comprehend this? It is because Ichinen Sanzen is the profound law inscrutable in
its workings, not only in every aspect of our lives but in the total aspect of
all life in the universe. Yet, the Buddha "knows" this Law as the essence of his
life. He also has the infinite wisdom derived from it. And from this wisdom
comes his capacity to teach and save all living beings.

We need to retain a sense of humility, so I want to quote Shakyamuni's words of

caution to his most clever disciple, Sharihotsu. We recited them this evening
and do so every time we do Gongyo. The Hoben Chapter says:

"Sharihotsu, the wisdom of the Tathagata is all-encompassing and profound. His

mercy is infinite and his teaching knows no bounds. Endowed with power,
fearlessness, concentration, freedom [from karma and desires] and the capacity
to meditate, he dwells in the boundless and awakes to the never-before-realized
Law. Sharaihotsu, the Tathagata has the power to perceive which among the
various teachings is suited to his audience, to preach the teachings in a
skillful way, and to gladden the hearts of people with warm and tender words.
That is to say, Sharaihotsu, the Buddha has realized the infinite, boundless and
unparalleled Law."

Now, we may be some of those attributes, but certainly not all of them. Is
anyone here free from karma and desires, yet? But I would be wrong if I did not
give you warm encouragement from the writings of the Daishonin, who knew the
various teachings but taught the only one appropriate for the Latter Day of the
Law.

The "Gift of Rice" Gosho reads:

"Yet even common mortals can attain Buddhahood if they cherish one thing:
earnest faith. In the deepest sense, earnest faith is the will to understand and
live up to the spirit, not the words, of the sutra." (MWN vol 2, p. 268)

Now I want to talk to you about the Mutual Possession of the Ten Worlds and why
practice to Gohonzon is the way to the human reformation that will in turn make
world peace possible. The Daish- onin's Gosho, "The Opening of the Eyes,"
states:

"The concept of ichinen sanzen begins with an understanding of the mutual

possession of the Ten Worlds or states of existence." (MWN vol. 2, p. 80)

This principle was formulated by T'ien-t'ai. It is based on the Lotus Sutra and
states that each of the Ten Worlds contains the potential for all ten. This is
the second component principle of Ichinen Sanzen. The first component is the
concept of the Ten Worlds which we talked about last time. The second component,
the Mutual Possession of the Ten Worlds, means that our thoughts and emotions
are not fixed in any one world but can exhibit any of the ten from Hell to
Buddhahood at any given moment.
This concept also explains that each of us tends toward one or more of the ten
states, although the poten- tial for any of them is always present. For example,
a person who has the basic life tendency of Hunger may exhibit Rapture or
Bodhisattva at any moment because his life possesses those two of the Ten
Worlds. Only one of them appears in a given moment; the other nine worlds are
dormant. But that person always returns to the basic life condition of Hunger,
and his life activities consequently center around this state.

Another example is that, at any one moment, a person may experience the joy of
Heaven, but at the next moment, some factor in his circumstances may suddenly
change, and he is thrown into the depths of Hell. This does not mean, however,
that the world of Heaven has ceased to exist. Rather, it means that it has
shifted from a state that we can witness to a latent and potential condition.
With the appropriate influences from the environment, it will emerge again, and
we will find this person happy and smiling -- temporarily. In this way, the ten
states from Hell to Buddhahood are activated by one's relationship with the
outside world, and we are able to see them in ourselves and others as they
surface in response to changes in our environment. Furthermore, they are
manifested in both the physical and spiritual aspects of all human activities.

Please remember shiki shin funi. A person whose spirit and mind are in Hell will
show it in his appearance. Another concept to remember is esho funi. One whose
mind and body are in Hell will create Hell in his environment. It cannot be
otherwise, if that is his basic tendency, because body and mind are not sep-
arate. They are combined in one entity; and this entity cannot be separated from
its environment. The environment is an extension of the human being.

I had mentioned that Nichiren Daishonin knew the beliefs of the other sects of
his day and the sutras on which they were based. All of you are also learning
that Shakyamuni, the historical Buddha, expounded provisional teachings for some
forty or forty-two years before he preached the supreme Buddhist teaching, the
Lotus Sutra. Eventually, you will also learn that, when it was preached, many of
his disciples walked out of the assembly and continued to practice the pre-Lotus
Sutra teachings. The Daishonin says that all of the sutras, except the Lotus
Sutra, are the wrong teachings to practice. Why? In "The Opening of the Eyes,"
the Daishonin states:

"All provisional sutras such as the Kegon, Hannya and Dainichi not only conceal
the fact that people in the two realms of shomon [Learning] and engaku
[Realization] can attain Buddhahood, but they also fail to make clear that the
Buddha attained enlightenment countless aeons in the past. These sutras are
guilty of two errors. First, because they teach that the ten worlds of existence
are separate from one another, they fail to move beyond the provisional
doctrines and reveal the doctrine of ichinen sanzen as it is expounded in the
theoretical chapters of the Lotus Sutra." (MWN vol 2, p. 103)

Vasubandhu's Kusho Ron says that Hell exists one thousand yojani under the
ground. The Shonen Sutra states that the world of Hunger exists five hundred
yojani under the ground. Those in Animality live in water, on land, and in the
air. Those in the world of Humanity dwell on earth, those in Rapture on a
mountain, and so on. But from everyday life, we can observe that Hell, Hunger,
Animality, Anger, Rapture, and Humanity are walking the streets at this very
moment.
In the Mushimochi Gosho ("New Year's Gosho"), the Daishonin writes:

"First of all, as to the question of where exactly hell and the Buddha exist,
one sutra states that hell exists underground and another sutra says that the
Buddha is in the west. However, careful thought will reveal that both exist in
our fivefoot body. The reason I think so is that hell is in the heart of a man
who inwardly despises his father and disregards his mother... You may question
how is it that the Buddha can reside within us when our bodies, originating from
our parents' sperm and blood...But repeated consideration shows the validity of
my claim. The pure lotus flower blooms out of the muddy pond, the fragrant
sandalwood tree grows from the soil, the graceful cherry blossoms come forth
from trees, the beautiful Yang Kuei-fei was born of a maidservant, and the moon
rises from behind the mountains to shed light on them." (MWN vol 1, pp. 271-272)

The Lotus Sutra teaches that people in Learning and Realization, women, evil
men, virtually everyone, can attain enlightenment. By contrast, all the other
sutras fall short. They do not provide the absolute freedom and equality for all
humanity to attain Buddhahood. But the Dai-Gohonzon has been estab- lished and
impartially sheds its compassion on all who accept it, thus ensuring our
enlightenment.

You probably know Christianity, Islam and Judaism much better than I do. Because
you do, you can probably see more similarities to the preLotus Sutra teachings
than I. Therefore, you are able to under- stand why Nichiren Shoshu Buddhism
considers all teachings, except the true teachings of the Lotus Sutra,
provisional. But I want to caution you. Any religion attempts to establish a
basic morality through which order can be brought to society. There are many
"don'ts" in the teachings of Hinayana Buddhism and in other religions that exist
to tell people what they shouldn't do, so that they don't make bad causes. These
are not necessarily "bad" teachings.

"The Nirvana Sutra remarks: 'All scriptures or teachings, from whatever source,
are ultimately the reve- lation of Buddhist truth. They are not non-Buddhist
teachings.'" (MWN vol 2, p.77)

In the same Gosho, he quotes T'ien-t'ai:

"In the Konkomyo Sutra it is recorded that 'All the good teachings that exist in
the world derive from this sutra. To have a profound knowledge of this world is
itself Buddhism.'" (MWN vol. 2, p.75)

But although these teachings can be considered "revelations of Buddhist truth,"

they do not reveal the Supreme Truth of Buddhism. Furthermore, they have failed
to bring peace. They do not elucidate the innate Buddhahood possessed by all
beings and phenomena (Ichinen Sanzen--"three thousand worlds in a momentary
state of existence"), nor do they teach how to maintain a basic life condition
that extends to all people.

Please remember that I said, "...the Ten Worlds respond to events and things in
our environment." When you accept Gohonzon, you are accepting the entity of the
Law as Ichinen Sanzen and the Buddha into your environment. The Mutual
Possession of the Ten Worlds is inscribed in the Gohonzon. It therefore exists
in environments that are hellish or full of anger, animality, hunger,
tranquility and fleeting rapture, as well as in the arrogant worlds of Learning
and Realization. This is because it acknowledges the presence of Buddhahood in
all of these worlds. Accepting the Gohonzon into any of these environments is
accepting the object that stimulates and develops Buddhahood as a barr lifo
tendency.

There is not time to talk about how one goes about his human reformation. But I
want you to remember the story about the woman who didn't know that she
possessed a cellar filled with gold. First, she had to be told about it. Second,
she had to vigorously and continuously dig away the dirt that hid it. Then she
was able to find the gold and use it to improve her daily circumstances. In the
same way, we must begin to reform our own lives. We have to be told that we
have; Buddha nature. And, if we want to actualize world peace, we have to tell
others that they possess this potential, too. Then we have to teach others
vigorously and continue ously how to do the same with faith practice and study.
We have to bravely practice this way until Buddhahood is established as a basic
tendency of our lives.

Now perhaps you might be thinking, "Maybe I don't want to be a Buddha. It all
sounds rather strange."

However the most important implication of Ichinen Sanzen to remember and

understand is that all common mortals of the nine worlds have the potential for
Buddhahood, and a Buddha retains the lower nine worlds and is not separate from
common mortals. So you will live in these worlds, but with a difference. You
will be angry sometimes, perhaps hungry, too. You will experience Rapture and
Hell, but the quality will be different. You will manifest the lower worlds, but
will no longer be controlled by them. The things that you get angry and are
hungry for will be of a high order. You will look better and feel better and
know to chant to the Gohonzon first, to acquire the wisdom needed to face your
lower worlds and all obstacles to happiness.

PART III

Today, I hope to complete this discussion of the Buddha's realization about

life. Let me caution you. As the Buddha preached his enlightenment to
Shariputra, he stated,

"That which the Buddha has achieved is the rarest and most difficult law to
comprehend. The true entity of all phenomena can only be understood and shared
between Buddhas."

"All phenomena" indicate the changing manifestations of life. They can generally
be classified into the Ten Worlds, while the "true entity" is life's fundamental
aspect. This true entity of all phenomena is so difficult to comprehend that
even Shariputra, known as the foremost in learning, was unable to grasp it.

The Hoben Chapter reads:

"This reality consists of appearance, nature, entity, power, influence, internal

cause, relation, latent effect, observable effect, and consistency from
beginning to end." We acknowledge this reality everytime we do Gongyo, when we
recite the end of the Hoben portion:
"Nyo ze so. Nyo ze sho. Nyo ze tai. Nyo ze riki. Nyo ze sa. Nyo ze in. Nyo ze
en. Nyo ze ka. Nyo ze ho. Nyo ze honmak kukyo to."

What does this mean?

We have studied the Ten Worlds, the basic life conditions. We have also studied
their mutual possession. So, thus far, we have explored one hundred of the three
thousand worlds.

Our lives constantly change, and we have the potential for enlightenment
regardless of our present life condition. But we also possess the Ten Factors.
This is another component of life.

Perhaps it would help if you keep in mind the concepts of the oneness of man and
his environment (esho funi), and the oneness of body and mind (shiki shin funi).
Both of these concepts bear a relationship to the Factors. The latter concept
says that a living entity's body and mind are combined in human life; they are
two, but not two. As you know, when the brain, the organ that gives rise to
life's functions, is dead, so is the body. Possessing mind and body is what it
means to be a living entity.

The Ten Factors in T'ien-t'ai's theory of Ichinen Sanzen gives even more
substance to the idea of the oneness of body and mind. These Ten Factors are
life itself. Each of us, and, indeed, all of life has a unique physical form.
So, the first factor that all life possesses is appearance, or Nyo ze so.

The second is nature. All life has its spiritual quality. In human beings, this
refers to our conscious mind. The internal workings of our minds give rise to
the kind of life force we have. So, the second factor is Nyo ze sho.

Appearance and nature, or body and mind, combine to give us the third factor,
entity, or Nyo ze tai. We are now a living entity with both a physical and
spiritual aspect. And with this union comes power.

Power means the ability to move, to construct, and to achieve. It is the

inherent energy in all life. Power or Nyo ze riki, is the fourth factor.

With power comes influence, Nyo ze sa, the fifth of the ten factors. This does
not need too much explanation. As parents, we act, and our influence is seen in
our families and children. As workers on the job, we construct and achieve, and
our influence is felt in that area. But what we accomplish as parents and
workers, and as people, is not the same. Some produce very good results; others
do not. Why?

Remember that we discussed the Ten Worlds, the basic life conditions, in the two
previous lectures. When we relate this to the factors of power and influence, we
can really see our basic life tendency. Realizing what this basic tendency is
(in other words, what world we are in) will help answer the question, "What
causes him, or me, to move throughout life in that way?" If we are in one of the
higher worlds, the factors of power and influence will be beneficial. If we are
in one of the lower worlds, these two factors will be detrimental to us and
those around US.

The sixth of the Ten Factors is internal cause, or Nyo ze in. We touched on this
when we asked the question, "What causes him, or me, to move throughout life the
way we do?" The cause lies deep in our lives. We planted it there. We know this
internal cause was karma.

Buddhism holds that life is eternal. During this lifetime and in many others, we
have had the power to make causes. When we previously had to give up our
physical bodies, our destiny in future lives was already imprinted on our
eternal selves. Our past deeds provided the blueprint for our next life, and we
had already put into action the environmental influences into which we would be
born.

The seventh factor is relation, or Nyo ze en. Sometimes it is called external

cause. It is the environmen- tal link between ourselves and those things outside
ourselves to which we respond. In this huge area are countless situations that
are the result of karma. We respond and create more karma, both good and bad.
The result is that we again place deep in our lives the eighth factor, latent
effect or Nyo ze ka.

As we live, even our thoughts produce an effect. The good and evil of our minds
plant deep within our lives the latent effect that eventually surfaces as
manifest result. This observable effect or Nyo ze ho is the ninth of the Ten
Factors. It emerges on the surface of our lives after the passing of time. This
is the result of internal cause and latent effect that were made at the same
time and which have now become our karma.

The tenth factor is consistency from beginning to end, or Nyo ze honmak kukyo
to. What it means is that life exists, appears, and functions consistently in
this cycle. It begins with appearance and ends with manifest effect. These Ten
Factors are integrated in a single entity at every moment.

If you are keeping in mind the concept of esho funi, you can see that T'ien-t'ai
goes very deeply into the relationship between man and his environment. This
relationship is also determined by internal cause and latent effect, or our
karma.

With this discussion of the Ten Factors, we now arrive at a total of one
thousand of the realms of Ichinen Sanzen. We have discussed the Ten Worlds,
their Mutual Possession and the Ten Factors. There remain only three more
realms, which when mul-tiplied by the one thousand with which we are familiar,
give us Ichinen Sanzen, or the three thousand worlds in a momentary state of
existence. So I will discuss this final component briefly.

The first realm is called go-on or the realm of the Five Components. Here,
T'ien-t'ai even more closely defines "entity." This realm first of all includes
the body and all its organs. It is called shiki. It also includes the mind and
all its functions: perception or ju; conception or so; will or volition, called
gyo; and finally shiki, which means our total consciousness.

The second realm is that of society where we as individuals live in conjunction

with others. Each in this realm possesses a basic life tendency, the Ten Worlds
and their Mutual Possession, and the Ten Factors.

The third realm is the environment that all of us create together, which in turn
supports our existence.
Perhaps now it has occurred to you that, if we want to understand Ichinen
Sanzen, we can begin by look- ing at our own lives. I believe we would find the
same answer whether we observed ourselves or tried to understand the totality of
all phenomena in the universe.

Perhaps T'ien-t'ai's explanation of Ichinen Sanzen seems a little cold. It says

nothing about how to become enlightened so that we can become absolutely happy.
Yet, the mind is restless and unyielding. If it is possible to know what the
Buddha realizes, we want to know it. Where can we find the answer? The Daishonin
says to base yourself on the Ninth Consciousness. It lies deep beneath the five
senses. It is deeper than perception, conception, and volition. It is the
fundamental force that is the essence of our lives.

The Ten Factors in Nichiren Daishonin's Buddhism reveal the Dai-Gohonzon which
embodies the profound doctrine of Ichinen Sanzen. So, by faith in and practice
to the Gohonzon, we can obtain the power of the Buddha to make our lives
identical to that of the Buddha. The primary cause breaks the bonds of karma
that have predetermined our existence and environment.

In other words, when we base our faith on the unchanging reality of the Law
through our faith and practice to the Gohonzon, our lives begin to exhibit their
highest nature, enlightenment. When this highest nature emerges, body and mind,
power and influence become purer, and Buddhahood becomes the inter- nal cause,
the latent effect and, eventually, the manifest effect. It takes time and
effort. But Buddhism promises the absolute happiness of an enlightened life.
This is possible through the Gohonzon.

Three years and six months have passed since I replaced Reverend Kudo as Chief
Priest of Myohoji Temple, at the direction of High Priest Nikken Shonin. During
these years, I did my best to protect the Gohonzon of Myohoji Temple, and with
my small power, conducted ceremonies. It was my good fortune to have the full
cooperation of all members. And my small efforts cannot be compared to yours.
But through your cooperation, I have been able to fulfill my duties as a priest.
So let me avail myself of this opportunity and thank all of you for your
heartfelt support. Further, I intend to continue using all my power to propagate
the Daishonin's Buddhism.

As you know, study based on the Gosho serves to deepen your faith in the
Gohonzon. It is very important that we gain a correct understanding of faith and
a practical view of practice. Without a basic knowledge of Buddhism,
understanding Nichiren Daishonin's Buddhism is difficult. Even though you
practice Nichiren Shoshu Buddhism, there are times when you reach a state of
stagnation. You can solve these difficulties by receiving direction and
guidance. If you follow the path of Nichiren Daishonin's guidance, the great
power of the Mystic Law will manifest itself within your lives, and you will be
able to overcome any difficulty. So, in order to accomplish worldwide
propagation, study is indispensable. Others will understand the Daishonin's
Buddhism through our words when they are based upon our insight into the
principles of Buddhism. So, I hope you study seriously. My advice is that you
don't put it off. The longer you delay, the less inclined you will be to do so.

Thank you very much.

quoted from a lecture by Reverend Yosai Yamada