by Rev Shogu Kimura
Those who visit this place can instantly expiate the sins they committed since the infinite past and transform their illusions into wisdom, their errors into truth, and their sufferings into freedom. A suffering traveler in central India once came to Munetchi Lake to quench the fires of anguish in his heart. He proclaimed that its waters satisfied all his desires, just as a cool, clear pond quenches thirst. Although Munetchi Lake and this place are different, the principle is exactly the same. Thus, the Eagle Peak of India is now here at Mount Minobu. It has been a long time since you were last here. You should come to see me as soon as you possibly can. I am eagerly looking forward to seeing you. How can I describe your sincerity? In truth, it is splendid!
Nichiren
The eleventh day of the ninth month in the fourth year of Koan (1281).
Good morning everyone. Today, on this occasion of the June sermon in appreciation for our master Nichiren Daishonin, we have recited the sutras and chanted Daimoku together, to express our debt of gratitude to the Daishonin. I have offered my sincere prayers for the expiation of all your karmic sins from your past and present existences. I have also prayed for all of you to redouble your faith; for your safety and long life; for peace and stability in your families; for protection from all harm in this and future existences; and for us to be able to achieve our great objective. I am absolutely certain that the Daishonin would be pleased, indeed, to see so many of you in attendance here today.
The Gosho passage that we just read was from “The Person and the Law” (Nanjo dono gohenji). Nichiren Daishonin wrote this Gosho on the 11th day of the 9th month of the 4th year of Koan (1281), when he was 60 years of age. Lord Nanjo Tokimitsu, the steward of Ueno at Fuji (currently the entire region around the Head Temple), sent a servant with offerings of provisions, such as salt, soy beans, seaweed, and rice wine. In this Gosho, the Daishonin thanked Nanjo Tokimitsu for these offerings.
The Gosho for this month is “Persecution by Sword and Staff” (Ueno-dono gohenji), and I presented an explanation of it during the Okyo-bi Ceremony. The addressee of that Gosho, Lord Ueno, and Nanjo Tokimitsu are one and the same. Ueno is the place name of the area around the Head Temple. Nanjo was the actual surname of the lord. The middle school that I attended, during my service at the Head Temple, was called Ueno Middle School. Strangely enough, those who reside in the area around the Head Temple refer to the region as Ueno, but the name “Ueno” never appears in any formal address. For example, the address of the Head Temple is Kami-jo in Fujinomiya City. Moreover, the address of the current Myoren-ji Temple, where Nanjo Tokimitsu resided during his lifetime, is Shimo-jo in Fujinomiya City. The area is surrounded by areas such as Kitayama, Shojin-gawa, and Aoki. Not a single region is formally called Ueno. That the name “Ueno” is prevalently used today, 700 years later and even though there is no formal location by that name, is testament to the fact that Nanjo Tokimitsu wielded tremendous power as the steward for the area at that time. Perhaps saying that he “wielded tremendous power” is slightly misleading. Indeed, we may assume that Nanjo Tokimitsu was powerful, since he was able to use his influence to protect the Head Temple. However, when we study the lifetime of Nanjo, we find that he overcame various obstacles by upholding strong faith, as he thoroughly protected the Daishonin. This is evident from the contents of many letters that he received from the Daishonin. Indeed, he can be considered an exemplary model of a faithful believer for all Hokkeko believers today. For this reason, every year on May 1st, the Daigyo-e Ceremony is held at the Head Temple, to honor Nanjo Tokimitsu with a memorial service on the anniversary of his death.
I would like to present you with an explanation in brief segments. First, the Daishonin wrote:
Those who visit this place can instantly expiate the sins they committed since the infinite past and transform their illusions into wisdom, their errors into truth, and their sufferings into freedom.
“This place” refers to Kuon-ji Temple in Minobu, during the time of the Daishonin. This meant that those who visited Minobu were able to expiate the sins they committed from the infinite past and to transform the evil karma that they created through the three categories of action – that is, through physical, verbal, and mental action – into the three virtues of the property of the Law, wisdom, and freedom.
Our lives all function according to the principle of cause and effect. Moreover, as individuals born in the Latter Day of the Law, we are unable to purify our own lives. What did we do in our past lives? I don’t know what I did. We all have no idea what we did in our past lives. I would like for you to take a moment to think of how, even in our daily lives in this lifetime, we are not totally unfamiliar with telling small lies, experiencing some happiness in seeing the misfortune of those whom we dislike, and feeling some jealousy when others are successful. Therefore, we perform our morning and evening gongyo, and we pray to expiate the slanderous sins from our past and present lifetimes. Furthermore, the Daishonin explained the importance of going on tozan pilgrimages to the temple to have audience with the Daishonin in order to truly expiate one’s sins. Of course, these instructions were directed at those who lived during the Daishonin’s lifetime, 700 years ago. For us today, this means that we must go on tozan pilgrimages to the Head Temple Taiseki-ji and pray to the Dai-Gohonzon, since none other than the Dai-Gohonzon manifests the life of the Buddha and the essential source of our faith, as the Daishonin wrote in the following passage:
I, Nichiren, have
inscribed my life in sumi.
(Gosho, p. 658; MWND-1,
p. 120)
The next section read as follows:
A suffering traveler in central India once came to Munetchi Lake to quench the fires of anguish in his heart. He proclaimed that its waters satisfied all his desires, just as a cool, clear pond quenches thirst. Although Munetchi Lake and this place are different, the principle is exactly the same. Thus, the Eagle Peak of India is now here at Mount Minobu.
Munetchi Lake (also known as Icy Lake), reportedly was situated to the southwest of Mount Vipula, near Eagle Peak in India. The source of this lake was located in the southern Himalayas, and its water was crystal clear, beautiful, and formed 500 tributaries, which, in turn, were characterized by water ranging from icy cold to warm. A suffering traveler found that Lake Munetchi was able to remove the earthly desires that raged in his heart. He happily reported that “its waters satisfied all his desires, just as a cool, clear pond quenches thirst.” While there is a difference in location between India and Japan, the essential principle is the same. Through the benefits of the Gohonzon, those who visit the Head Temple on tozan are all able to transform a life of karmic suffering caused by earthly desires into a life of purity.
The next passage read:
It has been a long time since you were last here. You should come to see me as soon as you possibly can. I am eagerly looking forward to seeing you. How can I describe your sincerity? In truth, it is splendid!
Thus, the Daishonin expressed his appreciation to Nanjo Tokimitsu for sending him the offerings. At the same time, the Daishonin reminded Tokimitsu that he had not visited in some time and urged him to do so as soon as possible. At this time, Nanjo Tokimitsu was ill. However, the Daishonin stated the following in a postscript, encouraging Nanjo Tokimitsu:
I have just heard from your messenger that you are suffering from a serious illness. I hope you will recover soon and come to see me.
For those of us living and practicing in the United States, it is, indeed, difficult to go to the Head Temple several times a year. However, our attitude of yearning to go on a tozan pilgrimage is most essential.
Based on this significant issue set forth by the present Gosho, I would like to briefly talk about the disciples who yearned to see the Daishonin during his lifetime and went on tozan pilgrimages.
Are you all familiar with Abutsu-bo? Abutsu-bo embraced True Buddhism at the end of the 8th year of Bun’ei (1271), while the Daishonin was exiled to Sado. Since he died in the 2nd year of Koan (1279), when he was 91 years old, we can see that Abutsubo was 83 when he received the Daishonin’s shakubuku. According to the Gosho concerning Abutsubo, during the period of 5 years before Abutsu-bo died at the age of 91, he went on three tozan pilgrimages. In fact, in the 7th month of the 1st year of Koan (1278), when he turned 90, he went on a tozan pilgrimage to deliver a letter from his wife, Sennichi-ama, who wanted to ask the Daishonin a question about his doctrine. In a letter that the Daishonin sent Sennichi-ama in the 10th month of the same year, he wrote:
Over the years you
have repeatedly sent your husband here to visit me in your
place.
(Gosho, p. 1290)
This showed that Abutsu-bo went on tozan pilgrimages almost every year from Sado. The tozan in the 1st year of Koan (1278), when he was 90 turned out to be his last. On the 6th day of the 7th month of this year, Abutsu-bo set out from Sado, to deliver Sennichi-ama’s letter. The Daishonin’s response to this letter was dated the 28th day of the 7th month. This meant that Abutsu-bo took 23 days each way to go on his tozan pilgrimage from Sado to Minobu. According to a map, the direct distance from Sado to Minobu is approximately 190 miles. For Abutsu-bo, there obviously was no direct route. Since Sado is an island, it was necessary for Abutsu-bo to first depart the island and arrive on the main island of Honshu. This process, itself, must have taken a great deal of time. Abutsu-bo heard the Daishonin’s sermons for the first time when he was 83 years old. Then, between the time he was 85 and 90 years old, he crossed the ocean and climbed mountains to go on a tozan pilgrimage each year. This was evidence of the strong faith of Abutsu-bo and his wife Sennichi-ama and their powerful yearning and determination to see the Daishonin.
Oto-gozen and her mother lived in Kamakura. When the Daishonin was exiled to Sado Island, this single mother took her daughter Oto-gozen, a small child, and traveled the long distance from Kamakura to Sado Island, to have audience with the Daishonin. The mountain paths were full of bandits, and pirates roamed the seas. She risked her life and her daughter’s life in the long, perilous journey with her little girl, through difficult terrain and stormy weather. The Daishonin praised Oto-gozen’s mother for her strong faith and determination. Of all his followers, she was the sole recipient of the saintly title “shonin.” The Daishonin bestowed upon her the title of Nichimyo-shonin. When the Daishonin established his residence in Minobu, Nichimyo-shonin immediately paid audience to him and presented a sincere offering.
From the Gosho, we also found that Toki-jonin from the province of Shimofusa (presently Chiba prefecture) performed the 100th day memorial service for his deceased mother and went on a tozan pilgrimage to Minobu to bury her ashes. Needless to say, Toki-jonin frequently visited the Daishonin on tozan.
Thus, the objective for going on a tozan pilgrimage for the believers during the lifetime of the Daishonin is no different for us today, as we go forth on tozan, full of yearning to have audience with the Dai-Gohonzon. Indeed, our tozan spirit represents a tradition that was already established more than 700 years ago.
Therefore, we must never hold a casual or cavalier attitude about tozan. The following is a Gosho passage in which the Daishonin presents a strict admonition concerning a person’s tozan spirit:
Had I permitted her
to see me, I would have been allowing her to commit slander against
the Lotus Sutra. The reason is that all gods are subjects, and the
Buddha is their lord. It is against even the code of society to visit
one’s lord on the way back from calling on one of his subjects.
Moreover, Utsubusa is a nun, a follower of the Buddha. She should
have the Buddha foremost in mind. Because she made this and other
mistakes as well, I refused to see her. She was not the only one,
however. I refused to see many others who stopped by to visit me on
their return from the hot spring resort at Shimobe.
(Gosho,
p. 1204)
This incident concerned a nun, who was approximately as old as the Daishonin’s mother and who lived in Utsubusa in Ihara county, which, today, is located at a distance of 30 to 40 minutes from Taiseki-ji by car. The nun asked for audience with the Daishonin, as an afterthought, on her way back from visiting a shrine. She had violated the formalities in both Buddhist and secular terms, by not distinguishing between the Buddha (Buddhism) and the deities (Shintoism) and by disrespecting the relationship between the master and the follower. The Daishonin wrote that he refused to see the nun because he wanted to point out her blunders and cause her to reflect upon her conduct. In the segment of the passage, the Daishonin further wrote that he also refused to see many others who came on tozan and asked to have audience with him after their pleasure trip to the nearby Shimobe hot spring resort, so that they, too, would understand their mistakes. Let us apply this to our lives today. When we go on a tozan pilgrimage to pray to the Dai-Gohonzon, we must never do so as an afterthought, following a vacation to Japan or following a trip to meet friends there. If the Daishonin were actually alive today, I doubt that anyone here would visit him as an afterthought. Thus, we must uphold the same spirit when we go on tozan to pray to the Dai-Gohonzon.
We generally say that we will receive benefits when we go on a tozan pilgrimage. In concrete terms, what is the significance of tozan, and what are the benefits? As you know, the Dai-Gohonzon of the High Sanctuary of True Buddhism is the essential object of worship, manifested by the Daishonin for the salvation of all people in the world for the ten-thousand years and all eternity of the Latter Day of the Law. The Dai-Gohonzon represents the very entity of Nichiren Daishonin. Today, we cannot meet with the Daishonin in person, but we are able to have audience with our High Priest Nikken Shonin, who resides at the Head Temple and who has inherited the entirety of the Daishonin’s teachings. It is essential, therefore, that we go on our tozan pilgrimage to Taiseki-ji, with a great yearning to have audience with the Dai-Gohonzon, the true entity of the Daishonin, and with our High Priest Nikken Shonin. This is the essential significance of participating in the gokaihi ceremony (audience with the Dai-Gohonzon). Let me add that the Gohonzon in the temples and the Gohonzon we have received into our homes, to which we perform our morning and evening prayers, can be likened to the branches and leaves of a large tree trunk, which represents the Dai-Gohonzon. Thus, praying every day to the Gohonzon in our homes has the same significance as praying to the Dai-Gohonzon. For this reason, we can amass benefits by praying to our Gohonzon at home. A certain organization that was excommunicated from Nichiren Shoshu claims that people can gain benefits by praying to a fake gohonzon. However, these fake objects of worship, that are cut off from the lifeblood heritage of the Daishonin, are all like the dried and fallen leaves of a tree, which are unable to receive vital support and nourishment from the trunk and roots. Naturally, it is impossible to amass benefits. It is sad, indeed, that there are still people who do not understand this and who continue to pray to such fake objects. Let me add one more thing about the Gohonzon. We never pray to the gohonzon in the possession of the Nichiren sect and other Buddhist sects, even if they were actually inscribed by the Daishonin. The same comparison as before can be used here. In the same way that the dried, fallen leaves cannot receive nourishment, no lifeblood heritage nor benefits are inherent in these objects of worship.
When we go on a tozan pilgrimage to the Head Temple, we are always able to participate in the Ushitora gongyo ceremony. Ushitora, a term which represents the zodiacal signs of the ox and the tiger, refers to the hour of the ox (from 1 a.m. to 3 a.m.) and the hour of the tiger (3 a.m. to 5 a.m.). Thus, ushitora denotes the time of the early morning centered around 3 a.m. What is the significance of this time? It marks the passing of the darkest part of the night and the beginning of the emergence of the sun in the eastern sky. It represents a natural process that separates lightness from darkness, ying from yang. It is significant in Buddhism because Shakyamuni in India attained enlightenment during the hour of the ox and tiger. Moreover, Nichiren Daishonin, at this hour on the 13th day of the 9th month of the 8th year of Bun’ei (1271), discarded his life as a common mortal and commenced his practice as the True Buddha. Based on this, the hour of the ox and tiger represents the death and conclusion of the common mortal and the beginning of life as the Buddha. In other words, it represents the median between life and death. It represents an important time when the Buddha attains enlightenment. Therefore, in Nichiren Shoshu, for more than 700 years, gongyo has been performed at the hour of the ox and tiger, since the time of the Daishonin and throughout the years of the successive High Priests. Ushitora gongyo also signifies the prayer by which our High Priest leads all mankind to enlightenment. It is a ceremony to pray for kosenrufu. Some of you may have wondered why our High Priest, after completing the five prayers during Ushitora gongyo, moves to a distant seat and proceeds to perform gongyo from that distant location to the Dai-Gohonzon of the High Sanctuary of True Buddhism. What is the meaning of these procedures? Let me briefly refer to my previous explanation concerning the gokaihi ceremony (audience with the Dai-Gohonzon). The Dai-Gohonzon of the High Sanctuary of True Buddhism was originally meant to be placed in secret storage and not open to the public until the achievement of kosenrufu. This is why the doors on the altar of Hoan-do Hall are always closed. Moreover, there are no offerings of greens and water at the Hoan-do. Since the Dai-Gohonzon is officially in secret storage, the performance of morning and evening gongyo and offerings is not allowed. Since we have not achieved kosenrufu as yet, we have prepared the Buddhist altar fittings for the Dai-Gohonzon at a remote site. Thus, gongyo is officially performed to the Dai-Gohonzon from the remote location. At the present time, we are truly fortunate that our High Priest has permitted us to have audience with the Dai-Gohonzon through the gokaihi ceremony.
Based on the information in today’s Gosho passage and based on my explanation of the tozan pilgrimages performed by the believers during the lifetime of the Daishonin, we can understand how we are enjoying favorable circumstances, even though we live overseas.
However, sometimes there are people who, in spite of the fact that they were fortunate enough to be able to participate in the tozan pilgrimage, tend to experience relief and slacken in their self-control; they proceed to selfishly complain about how the room is noisy, how the bedding is uncomfortable, and how the food is unappetizing. The priests at the Head Temple put forth their utmost efforts to make the tozan experience a truly happy event for the believers. However, it is impossible to please everyone. As you know, the Head Temple is not a hotel. Therefore, everyone is expected to pitch in and help out. Moreover, the schedule is usually extremely tight, since this represents Buddhist training at the Head Temple. When I was at the Head Temple, a senior priest once told me that one day of training at the Head Temple is equivalent to a week of such training at a branch temple. The stricter the training, the more benefits we will receive when we successfully perform them. The prevalent oppressive conditions during the lifetime of the Daishonin did not allow any believer the wherewithal to complain that the room was too small or that the surroundings were too noisy. Going on a tozan pilgrimage meant that the believers risked their lives to do so.
A tozan pilgrimage starts at the moment of departure. It encompasses everything from performing gongyo, making offerings, eating, cleaning, to retiring to bed and many other activities.
As a matter of course, this is also applicable to everyone when they attend functions at Myoshin-ji, the branch temple. We are all disciples of the Daishonin. We are all priests and lay believers who have received the heritage of the Hokkeko believers during the time of the Daishonin. At the present time, Nichiren Shoshu is vigorously advancing forth towards the “750th Anniversary of the Manifestation of the Truth through the Writing of the Rissho ankoku ron.” I ask you all to sincerely pray to the Gohonzon for the objectives of the Myoshin-ji believers, with a spirit of different bodies but one mind, to achieve our goals without fail. Today, I spoke about the significance of tozan. I would like to conclude my sermon for today by sincerely praying for your vigorous advancement and your continued good health.
Thank you for all your efforts in your attendance today.
