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May 10, 2002
Advancing With Absolute Conviction
(SGI Vice Women's Leader Yumiko Hachiya)
SGI Vice Women's Leader Yumiko Hachiya recently
traveled to 10 cities in the United States. The following
are some of the points she made to encourage SGI-USA members
in faith.
I have been practicing Nichiren Buddhism since 1951. One
day just before I joined the Soka Gakkai, my teacher at
school gave us an assignment to research the impact of
Buddhism on society. So I visited a neighborhood temple
to seek some answers from a priest. This temple was affiliated
with one of the more than 260 Nichiren sects of the day.
The priest was out, but his wife said that there was a
young man who always visited to discuss religion, and
she gave me the man?s address. So I visited this youth,
who welcomed me and helped with my homework. He told me
that there was a discussion meeting going on in the other
room and invited me to join. Six or seven young students
were in the room sitting in a circle, discussing how Buddhism
could impact society. In the center, there was a young
man whose head was drooping down and he looked downcast.
This was around six years after the end of World War II,
and Japan was still in a devastated condition. I watched
as these young men proceeded to share the greatness of
faith in Buddhism. They explained to the young man that
with the practice of Nichiren Buddhism, we could end war
forever, that with the power of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo we
are able to change our karma and the destiny of nations.
They also explained that through this great Law all our
prayers would be fulfilled.
Watching the meeting from behind as they talked to the
youth sitting in the center, I thought to myself, “Why
doesn?t he just join?” At the time, that guest was
suffering from tuberculosis. As it turns out, that youth
was Einosuke Akiya, the current Soka Gakkai president.
Excited with what I heard at that meeting, I soon told
my father about this practice, who joined the Soka Gakkai
with me. I also told all of my classmates about Nam-myoho-renge-kyo.
Nobody listened. They thought I was strange. Nonetheless,
I had absolute conviction that Nichiren Buddhism would
spread throughout the world.Without the Soka Gakkai presidents,
we would not have encountered the Gohonzon.
The first time I visited the Head Temple Taiseki-ji was
in January 1952. It was in a very miserable state. Priests
did not share Buddhism with the people, so no one visited
the temple. The Dai-Gohonzon was enshrined in a small
storehouse. The altar reached the ceiling.
Without the first three Soka Gakkai presidents, Tsunesaburo
Makiguchi, Josei Toda and Daisaku Ikeda, the Dai-Gohonzon
would have remained in this small storehouse without anyone?s
knowledge, forever. Without them, none of us would have
been able to encounter the Gohonzon and Nichiren Buddhism.
President Toda used to give regular lectures in Ikebukuro,
Tokyo. Around 3,000 members would gather from all over
the nation. During one lecture, President Toda suddenly
said, “Yes, I see shabby-looking Buddhas!”
Everyone looked back, thinking that priests wearing shabby
robes must be entering the hall. However, no one was there.
We then realized that he was talking about us. In those
days, Soka Gakkai members were either poor or sick. But
it was President Toda?s perception that we were all Buddhas,
no matter how shabby our appearance.
The good fortune we accumulate
through faith is unlimited
Members would take trains to Ikebukuro Station from all
over Japan to attend the lectures. President Toda once
said: “I can imagine that when you took your money
out to buy your ticket, you wondered whether you should
actually do it. You wondered whether you shouldn?t buy
bread or rice instead. You finally made a decision and
said in a small voice, ?Ikebukuro Station, please.?
“However, you cannot accumulate great fortune like
that. Rather, why not spit on your money three times and
clap on it three times and exclaim: ?Please return to
me by increasing 100 times, 1,000 times. Ikebukuro Station,
please.?
“It is a struggle to accumulate good fortune, but
once you do, it will keep coming without bounds. Even
if you shut the door on it saying, ?Please, I don?t need
any more fortune,? it will open the door and force itself
in anyway.”
I attended the March 16 ceremony back in 1958. [On this
day, now known as Kosen-rufu Day, President Toda symbolically
passed the responsibility for the kosen-rufu movement
to Daisaku Ikeda and the other youth.] It was only a couple
of days before that I heard about this gathering. We were
told to bring our chopsticks and bowl. We took a bus overnight
and arrived at Taiseki-ji in the morning. President Toda
had pork soup prepared, thinking about the youth who would
be gathering that morning in the cold. And when we ate
the pork soup, our bodies truly warmed up. When President
Toda spoke, we all shed tears. We didn?t know why. Later
we found out it was to be our last encounter with President
Toda. He passed away less than one month later.
We were unaware that this gathering would become such
a magnificent part of history. It is the same with our
present activities. When you look back later after many
years, you will be proud of the efforts you made. It will
become a brilliant history that will shine in the annals
of kosen-rufu.
Those who embrace the Mystic
Law will definitely experience great protection
When Buddhism speaks of “devilish functions,”
what does that really mean? These represent whatever tries
to prevent us from advancing in our Buddhist practice.
In a sense, they are frightened when we expand the Buddha?s
forces, because the realm they want to control will then
be changed into a pure land. In our case right now, this
function is being manifested in the current high priest
of Nichiren Shoshu.
Nichiren Daishonin states: “Although I, Nichiren,
am not a man of wisdom, the devil king of the sixth heaven
has attempted to take possession of my body. But I have
for some time been taking such great care that he now
no longer comes near me. Therefore, because the power
of the heavenly devil is ineffectual against me, he instead
possesses the ruler and his high officials, or foolish
priests such as Ryokan, and causes them to hate me”
(The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, p. 310).
Even the Daishonin had to struggle with the fundamental
darkness inherent in life. However, because he was so
vigilant in recognizing this function in his own life,
he was never influenced. High Priest Nikken Abe, on the
other hand, because he actually has no faith, gave into
the inherent egoistic desire to control others.
In another letter the Daishonin explains: “A woman
who takes this efficacious medicine will be surrounded
and protected by these four great bodhisattvas at all
times. When she rises to her feet, so too will the bodhisattvas,
and when she walks along the road, they will also do the
same. She and they are inseparable as a body and its shadow,
as fish and water, as a voice and its echo, or as the
moon and its light. Should these four great bodhisattvas
desert the woman who chants Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, they
would incur the wrath of Shakyamuni, Many Treasures, and
the emanation Buddhas of the ten directions” (WND,
415).
It says “women” here, but men are also included.
Those who embrace the Mystic Law will definitely be protected
by the bodhisattvas. If they should desert us, they will
be scolded. Let?s advance with absolute conviction that
we will always be protected.
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