January 2004 Sermon
Reverend Cho'on Shiba
In addition to my sincere gratitude to the Gohonzon, I have offered my heartfelt prayers for all of you present today to redouble your faith and for you to enjoy continued good health and happiness.
In my sermon today, I will focus on the Three Treasures of the Buddha, the Law, and the Priesthood (Bupposo no sampo).
Buddhism teaches that the salvation of all mankind is only possible when the three elements of the Buddha, the Law, and the Priesthood come together. These represent the Buddha, the teachings expounded by the Buddha, and the priests who transmit these teachings.
Accordingly, these three elements are revered as the Three Treasures (sampo). First of all, we must understand that, regardless of the existence of the supreme Law, no one would be able to enjoy the virtuous merits of it unless someone was enlightened to it and expounded it to the people. Accordingly, the Buddha, who expounded this Buddhism, is revered as a Treasure.
Moreover, the Buddha is one who is enlightened to the Law. He achieved Buddhahood by internalizing the benefits of that Law. In addition, he expounds this Law and leads people to enlightenment. Thus, the Law - this teaching must be revered as an invaluable Treasure.
However, even if the Buddha and the Law are manifested in the world, if there are no priests who correctly study the doctrines and transmit them to the world, true Buddhism cannot be widely propagated in society, and it will cease to exist. Thus, the priests who transmit and propagate the teachings are revered as a Treasure.
These three elements of the Buddha, the Law, and the Priesthood are called the Three Treasures.
Without fail, all Buddhist sects expound this principle of the Three Treasures of the Buddha, the Law, and the Priesthood. In one way or another, the Jodo sect that promotes the Nembutsu, the Zen sect, the Shingon sect, and other sects uphold the Buddha, the teachings, and the priesthood.
Of course, In Nichiren Shoshu , we also uphold the Three Treasures of the Buddha, the Law, and the Priesthood. You are all already aware of this.
In the Three Treasures of the Buddha, the Law, and the Priesthood in Nichiren Shoshu, the Treasure of the Buddha represents the essential focus, which we revere, as priests and lay believers, and to which we direct our offerings and sincerely repay our debts of gratitude. In short, the Treasure of the Buddha is none other than our master Nichiren Daishonin The second element, the Treasure of the Law, signifies the Gohonzon, the object of worship. It is the Dai-Gohonzon of the High Sanctuary of True Buddhism.
The third element, the Treasure of the Priesthood, represents the person who firmly embodies the entirety of the doctrines, formalities, and practices of True Buddhism that have been transmitted since the time of Nichjren Daishonin. He embraces them, receives them, and works to lead all mankind in each era in history. The lifeblood heritage of the Law, passed singularly from one person to another, was transferred from Nichiren Daishonin to Nikko Shonin, from Nikko Shonin to Nichimoku Shonin, and to all the successive High Priests. This transmission of the lifeblood heritage, indeed, characterizes the essential foundation of the Treasure of the Priesthood. Nikko Shonin is regarded as the primary figure characterizing the Treasure of the Priesthood. Thus, the successive High Priests who have embraced the transmission of the lifeblood heritage represent the Treasure of the Priesthood.
As I stated previously, all the sects of Buddhism uphold the principle of the Three Treasures. However, no Buddhist sect l other than Nichiren Shoshu, possesses the absolutely vital and true Three Treasures of the Buddha, the Law, the Priesthood, which actually emerged forth in this world.
Among the various sects of Buddhism, there is one that upholds Amida Buddha. Another sect reveres Dainichi Buddha. The different sects uphold the Treasure of the Buddha and the Treasure of the Law, but in each case, the Buddha represents an imaginary figure and the object of worship represents an illusory focus, which never appeared in this world. They do not exist as tangible forms. Accordingly, we must understand that they cannot offer actual salvation or benefits.
Since the Three Treasures form a single entity, if a doctrine represents an expedient teaching, then the attendant Three Treasures would also be expedients. If the teaching reveals the truth, then the attendant Three Treasures would also signify the truth. Moreover, it is a matter of course that the Three Treasures characterizing the Hinayana, provisional Mahayana, true Mahayana, theoretical Lotus Sutra, and essential Lotus Sutra are respectively increasingly superior to each other.
If we move away from the shallow and expedient teachings and proceed towards the profound doctrines and the truth, we will inevitably find that the Three Treasures contained in the Buddhism of the sowing, in which the truth is hidden in the depths of the sutra, are none other than the Three Treasures of the supreme truth. The Three Treasures characterizing the Buddhism of the sowing, in which the truth is hidden in the depths of the sutra, consist of
· The Treasure of the Buddha: Nichiren Daishonin, the True Buddha;
· The Treasure of the Law:The Dai-Gohonzon of the High Sanctuary of True Buddhism as revealed by Nichiren Daishonin;
· The Treasure of the Priesthood: Nikko Shonin, Nichimoku Shonin, and the successive
High Priests, who received the transmission of the lifeblood heritage of the Law from Nichiren Daishonin.
These represent the supreme Three Treasures of the Buddha, the Law, and the Priesthood of the Buddhism of the sowing, with the truth hidden in the depths of the sutra.
Let me further describe the characterization of the Treasure of the Priesthood, from among the Three Treasures. First, our Second High Priest Nikko Shonin received the lifeblood transmission of the Gohonzon, primarily, and also the entirety of the teachings from Nichiren, Daishonin. Thus, Nikko Shonin was the first successor, following Nichiren Daishonin's passing. He represents the foremost Treasure of the Priesthood,
Next, Nikko Shonin designated Nichimoku Shonin to be the Third High Priest and presented the lifeblood transmission of the heritage of the Law to him, Thereafter, Nichimoku Shonin performed the transmission to Nichido Shonin, who, in turn, made the transmission to Nichigyo Shonin and to the successive High Priests throughout history. Thus, the High Priest of any given time is considered to embody the Treasure of the Priesthood.
By extension, the priests of Nichiren Shoshu, who study and teach the true doctrines and formalities, as the disciples of the High Priest who receives the lifeblood transmission of the Law, are comprehensively associated with the Treasure of the Priesthood. By further extension, the believers who learn the teachings of Buddhism from the priest and who proceed forth to perform Shakubuku, also characterize the Treasure of the Priesthood
The Treasure of the Priesthood, however, is not a mere theoretical concept. It represents an object of reverence in faith, which we cherish as a treasure. The correct attitude toward faith is characterized by humility in matters concerning ourselves and reverence for others. As such, if we uphold ourselves to be the Treasure of the Priesthood, we would be committing the sin of tremendous arrogance
Thus, our individual positions concerning faith and reverence function to determine the scope of the Treasure of the Priesthood that correctly applies to us. From the standpoint of the believers, the reverence for the Treasure of the Priesthood extends to our Second High Priest Nikko Shonin, the successive High Priests, and all other priests. From the standpoint of the priests, such reverence extends to our Second High Priest Nikko Shonin and the successive High Priests. Moreover, from the standpoint of the High Priest, the reverence for the Treasure of the Priesthood extends to our Second High Priest Nikko Shonin.
Thus, each of us in Nichiren Shoshu - that is, the High Priest, the priests, and lay believers - must consolidate the aforementioned perspectives to promote forth the principle that the Treasure of the Priesthood refers to our Second High Priest Nikko Shonin. We can further expand upon the Treasure of the Priesthood and say that there is a difference between looking upon the Treasure of the Priesthood from the various individual standpoints and looking upon it
in terms of the entirety of the teachings of Nichiren Shoshu. Even so, there is absolutely no difference in the essential significance of the Treasure of the Priesthood.
Let me digress briefly. I am certain that many of you are familiar with Prince Shotoku, an important figure in ancient Japanese history. Prince Shotoku was the first in Japan to establish a constitution, known as the "Constitution of the Seventeen Articles" (Ju ~nana jo no kempo) The second of these Seventeen Articles was a reference to the Three Treasures of the Buddha, the Law, and the Priesthood.
Article 2 of the Constitution read:
Deeply revere the Three Treasures. These Three Treasures consist of the Buddha, the Law, and the Priesthood. All living beings - all people - must embrace the Three Treasures with their essential core and venerate them. The Three Treasures must be revered without fail by all people, regardless of the era, the people, and the countries in which they reside. The Three Treasures are capable of restoring the correct way of living in those with distorted minds, those steeped in evil, those who have sullied themselves by their attachments to earthly desires, and all other people. The Three Treasures are capable of teaching them all the correct way of life and the true joy of living.
Thus, Prince Shotoku included this among the Seventeen Articles.
Nichiren Daishonin stated the following about the great peril of slandering the Three Treasures:
Once you slander the Three Treasures, you will descend time and time again into the evil paths.
In other words, while the relatively minor karmic sins, such as the ten evil acts and the five cardinal sins, cannot be minimized, since they are, in fact, grave offenses, they are, indeed, minor, when they are compared to the egregious sins of slandering the Three Treasures. The aforementioned minor karmic sins can be expiated to a certain extent through repentance in one's current lifetime. However, Nichiren Daishonin pointed out that, when one slanders the Three
Treasures, he will suffer the consequences of those slanders for many, many lifetimes. He must repeatedly experience the hardships and suffering of Hell. We must be truly careful of our actions, so that we do not commit such slanders.
In the Gosho, Nichiren Daishonin described a common pattern of slandering the Three Treasures. Very few of those slandering the Three Treasures in the Latter Day of the Law do so by directly slandering the Law. It is rare for a person to directly slander the Buddha or the Gohonzon. However, they frequently slander the priests or their fellow believers. This is what the Daishonin described in his Gosho.
The Daishonin explained that slandering priests or ·fellow believers who uphold our faith is tantamount to slandering the Three Treasures.
Since we revere the Three Treasures, we must respect our High Priest, we must respect our priests, and we must respect our many fellow believers ask you all to forge ahead vigorously, in solid unity characterized by different bodies but one mind.
We must thoroughly and correctly understand the essential significance of the Three Treasures. We must revere it, believe in it, and exert forth our utmost efforts in our faith and practice, without fail. Doing so would enable us all to construct an ever-more joyful and happy individual life, family, and society.
Our High Priest stated:
When you find joy and interest in life, when you are happy, when you are sad, when you are suffering, and when you run up against various obstacles in your daily existence, you will be able to open forth all the best possibilities in your life by sincerely chanting Daimoku.
Throughout this year, you and I will undoubtedly encounter many events in our lives. Let us all muster forth our utmost efforts throughout this year to improve our faith and to perform Shakubuku, based on the strong conviction that all problems can be completely resolved, by continuously revering the Three Treasures of the Buddha, the Law, and the Priesthood, and by sincerely and seriously chanting Daimoku.
I would like to conclude my sermon for today by sincerely praying for your continued good health and ever-increasing happiness throughout this year and for you to achieve great successes in your great endeavors.
