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Leading a Sublime Life in

Accord With the Gosho

 

Rocky Mountain Joint Territory

Executive Conference, Denver, Colorado,

June 10, 1996.

 

 

THANK YOU for all the efforts you have made and the long distances you have traveled to attend today's meeting. I am overjoyed to meet with all of you, who possess such beautiful hearts, here in the lovely city of Denver. May all of you live long, long lives. Please cherish hopes for the future and strive to realize all your dreams as you live each day with courage and tenacity.

The Gosho serves as the foundation of our Buddhist practice. With the desire that you advance brightly and harmoniously and with abundant good fortune, I will share some passages of Nichiren Daishonin's writings with you today.

In the "Record of the Orally Transmitted Teachings," he states: "Realizing for the first time that Buddhahood is innate in one's life is described as a great joy. [Chanting) Nam-myoho-renge-kyo is the greatest of all joys" (GZ, 788).

People who possess strong faith are fearless; they can over­come anything. There is no obstacle or adversity they cannot sur­mount. In the very depths of their lives, no matter what happens, they live with "the greatest of all joys."

 

 

 

Respect Comes From Respecting Others

In another passage of the "Orally Transmitted Teachings," the Daishonin observes, "When you bow to a mirror, the reflected image bows back" (GZ, 769). People who respect others are respected by others in turn. Those who are unstinting in their compassion and concern for others are also protected and sup­ported by others. Our environment is essentially a reflection of ourselves.

In "On Attaining Buddhahood in This Lifetime," the Daishonin writes:

 

A mind now clouded by the illusions of the innate darkness of life is like a tarnished mirror, but when polished, it is sure to become like a clear mirror, reflecting the essential nature of phe­nomena and the true aspect of reality. Arouse deep faith, and dili­gently polish your mirror day and night. How should you polish it? Only by chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. (WND, 4)

 

No one can match a person who earnestly chants daimoku. Those who chant abundant daimoku, dedicating their lives to kosen-rufu, are people who enjoy the greatest glory.

In "Letter to Akimoto," the Daishonin states, "If the mind of faith is perfect, then the water of wisdom, the great impartial wis­dom, will never dry up" (WND, 1015). If you have faith, wisdom wells forth. Wisdom is proof of faith. As the expression "great impartial wisdom" indicates, impartiality and fairness are require­ments of a Buddhist leader.

In "Letter to Myomitsu Shonin," Nichiren Daishonin writes: "The more gold is heated in the flames, the brighter will be its color; the more a sword is whetted, the sharper it will become. And the more one praises the blessings of the Lotus Sutra, the more one's own blessings will increase" (WND, 673).

The heart matters most. A heart that praises the Mystic Law brings forth boundless benefit, and the heart that praises those who spread the Mystic Law elicits still greater benefit. I hope all the leaders in the SGI will have the spirit to praise others and put everyone at ease, creating a warm and pleasant atmosphere. Kosen-rufu expands where people feel a true sense of pleasure and enjoyment.                       .

There is truly no more sublime way of life than living in accord with the golden words of Nichiren Daishonin.

 

 

 

Courage at a Crucial Moment

 

Nothing gives me greater pleasure than to be here creating a momentous page in history with you, my dear friends in Denver.

Margaret Tobin (Molly) Brown, a native of Denver, was on board the Titanic when it tragically sunk in 1912. Although she knew the ship was taking on water, she shouted to a panic-strick­en fellow passenger: "There's no danger. It simply can't go down, because I'm on it and I'm unsinkable." Her bantering words, which rang out with the determination never to be defeated and never to give in to despair, are said to have given courage to her fellow passengers as she assisted them into the lifeboats.

Those who stand up at a crucial moment demonstrate genuine greatness. They are people who leave behind an immortal histo­ry. May each of you in the Rocky Mountain Joint Territory lead truly victorious existences. May your lives be as majestic as the soaring Rocky Mountains.

Please convey my very warmest regards to all the members whom I couldn't meet on this visit. I am praying with all my heart that you will enjoy even greater good health and happiness. Thank you for your warm hospitality.