by Rev Takano
In Buddhism, a “seeking mind” means the spirit to ardently and single-mindedly seek the Way to attain Buddhahood. It could also be called “the spirit to seek the Way of Buddhism.” Therefore, an approach to Buddhism oriented only toward fulfilling desires for “treasures of the storehouse” or “treasures of the body” is not a true seeking mind. Striving to accumulate “treasures of the heart” is the fundamental path of Buddhism.
Seeking mind means to draw closer to the state of life of the Buddha, even if only by a bit. It means the desire to correct our faith, to deepen our faith, and to make our faith stronger for this purpose. This is expressed as one of the four universal vows of the bodhisattva—the vow to attain the supreme enlightenment. Nichiren Daishonin stated:
Exert yourself in the two ways of practice and study. Without practice and study, there can be no Buddhism.
(Gosho, p. 668; MW-1, p. 95)
What we need to note about this passage is that the Daishonin adds study to practice and teaches that there are the two ways of practice and study. This is truly strict—because there is no Buddhism if we do not pursue both these paths. Furthermore, the next line states, “Both practice and study arise from faith.” Practice and study originate in faith, and at the same time, exerting ourselves in practice and study is a natural consequence of believing. In short, faith is put into practice when we devote ourselves steadfastly to practice and study.
“Practice,” means the practice of doing Gongyo and chanting Daimoku morning and evening, and also the practice of teaching others about Buddhism. “Study,” means to study the teachings of Buddhism. When the topic of study comes up, some believers may have the idea, “I’m no good at study. But since a person of faith without knowledge can attain Buddhahood, as long as I believe in the Gohonzon, that’s enough.” This idea is a mistake for two reasons.
The first reason is that, as the Daishonin’s words show, study is inseparable from faith. Thus, the need to study has nothing to do with whether we are good at it or bad at it. Thinking, “I’m bad at study so I don’t feel like doing it,” is just as mistaken as thinking, “I’m bad at doing Gongyo so I don’t want to do it.” We should all make an effort to study the Daishonin’s teachings, regardless of whether we are good at it or not.
The second reason is that this is a misinterpretation of the concept that a person of “faith without knowledge” can attain Buddhahood. The true meaning of this is, “Even if one does not understand the doctrines, one can definitely attain Buddhahood if one has faith. But there can be no attainment of Buddhahood if faith is lacking, even with a superior understanding of doctrine.” The concept of “faith without knowledge” is a guideline that emphasizes the importance of faith in the practice of Buddhism. It by no means implies that there is no need to make any effort to understand the teachings.
Then, for us, what is the real purpose of study? It means to learn the fundamentals of Buddhism and the correct path of Buddhist practice—to learn about how great the Gohonzon is, how venerable the True Buddha is, and how wonderful the benefits of embracing the true Law are. It means to learn about the real meaning of happiness, the source of unhappiness, and about how dangerous it is to follow incorrect teachings. More than anything else, study is for the sake of correcting our own faith.
The strength of faith is not all that matters. Even if our faith is very strong, it will not benefit us if it is off base. It should be obvious that fanaticism and distorted faith can be a wrong path, judging from the state of the members of certain extreme religious groups. The purpose of study is to constantly check our own faith to see if we are making any mistakes, and to make sure we are not committing any slanders.
Study is for the sake of carrying out faith properly. It is important to study in order to deepen and elevate our faith. If we study with the aim of understanding the teachings of Buddhism better and thereby deepen our understanding, it will make our faith stronger and happier and give us more energy to practice Buddhism. This is the meaning of having a seeking mind.
The famous story of Sessen Doji is truly instructive about the spirit of a seeking mind. Sessen Doji searched for Buddhism. In the end, he offered his own life in order to hear a doctrine of only half a verse from a demon. This is the model of a believer with a seeking mind. The Gosho, “The Fourteen Slanders,” contains the following passage:
It would appear that there are very few who ask about the meaning of the sutra in an effort to resolve their doubts and thus believe in it wholeheartedly. No matter how humble a person may be, if his wisdom is in the least bit greater than yours, you should ask him about the meaning of the sutra.
(Gosho, p. 1047; MW-3, p. 209)
In “Letter to Niike,” the Daishonin states:
If a person has the wisdom to know the spirit of the Lotus Sutra, no matter how lowly he may appear, worship him and serve him as though he were a living Buddha.
(Gosho, p. 1458; MW-1, p. 257)
Let’s have a correct seeking mind to establish a true happiness.
