Letter to the Brothers Study Points

(3) “Letter to the Brothers”
The following study points are related to the following passage:
“The doctrine of three thousand realms in a single moment of life revealed in the fifth volume of Great Concentration and Insight is especially profound. If you propagate it, devils will arise without fail. If they did not, there would be no way of knowing that this is the correct teaching” (WND-1, 501).

When We Spread the Correct Teaching, Negative Functions Will Arise
Nichiren Daishonin emphasizes that those who practice and propagate the correct teaching of Buddhism will invariably encounter obstacles, and that the appearance of such obstacles serves to confirm the validity of their practice. This is a fundamental principle of Buddhism and a major point of this letter. (See Study Guide, pp. 49–50, or May–June 2007 Living Buddhism, pp. 53–54.)

Uncovering and Strengthening Our Buddhahood
Nam-myoho-renge-kyo—“the doctrine of three thousand realms in a single moment of life”—is the teaching that enables ordinary, unenlightened people to uncover their Buddhahood. All phenomena—body and mind, self and environment, sentient and insentient, cause and effect—are integrated in the life-moment of the common mortal. One’s life at each moment actually contains the whole of reality and pervades the entire universe. (See Study Guide, p. 50, or May–June 2007 Living Buddhism, p. 54.)

It is through a courageous practice that we transform the source of our suffering and bring forth the power to overcome it.When this transformation of our fundamental darkness takes place in the context of propagating the Law, our Buddha nature is strengthened to the utmost and we are assured of victory. (See Study Guide, pp. 50–51, or May–June 2007 Living Buddhism, pp. 54–55.)

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The following study points are related to the following passage:
“One passage from the same volume reads: ‘As practice progresses and understanding grows, the three obstacles and four devils emerge in confusing form, vying with one another to interfere. . . . One should be neither influenced nor frightened by them. If one falls under their influence, one will be led into the paths of evil. If one is frightened by them, one will be prevented from practicing the correct teaching” (WND-1, 501).

“The Wise Will Rejoice While the Foolish Will Retreat”
Once we resolve to struggle for the sake of our enlightenment and help others do the same, we invariably encounter resistance from the fundamental darkness within, which also manifests in the form of external hindrances. By quoting the passage from the Great Concentration and Insight, Nichiren encourages Munenaka that his disinheritance actually demonstrates his strong faith, and that by persevering through this obstacle, he can change his destiny and further his enlightenment. (See Study Guide, pp. 51–52, or May–June 2007 Living Buddhism, pp. 55–56.)

Developing the Wisdom To See Through All Negative Functions
Only when we fail to recognize obstacles as functions trying to obstruct our progress in faith are we influenced or frightened by them, and only then do we allow them to come between the Gohonzon and us, and thus fall into the lower states of life. However, once we can recognize such hindrances for what they are,we will quickly find that we have the will and the courage to challenge them. They will no longer have power over us; rather, we can take them as proof that we are practicing Buddhism correctly. (See Study Guide, pp. 52–53, or May–June 2007 Living Buddhism, p. 56–57.)

There is no other way for us to defeat devilish functions that arise from fundamental darkness than manifesting the life of a Buddha from within. To manifest Buddhahood, there is no other way than chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo with faith. (See Study Guide, p. 53, or May–June 2007 Living Buddhism, p. 57.)

Hardships Can Be a Good Teacher
We may tend to think of visible benefits as proof that we are practicing correctly, but in light of the above passage, the appearance of obstacles can also be tremendous proof of our progress in faith. What we must remember, then, is to “be neither frightened nor influenced by them,” as Nichiren teaches. Once we are resolved to overcome them, hardships can be a good teacher and a good means to lead us to purer faith, greater strength and a higher state of life. (See Study Guide, p. 53, or May–June 2007 Living Buddhism, p. 57.)

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The following study point is related to the following passage:
“Whatever trouble occurs, regard it as no more than a dream, and think only of the Lotus Sutra” (WND-1, 502).

No Trouble Lasts Forever
When we face a serious problem, it often seems as though it will drag on indefinitely. But in reality, no trouble lasts forever. Most sufferings will not even last a lifetime. Faith in the Gohonzon, on the other hand, awakens us to the part of our lives that is eternal. In saying, “Whatever trouble occurs, regard it as no more than a dream, and think only of the Lotus Sutra,”(WND-1, 502), Nichiren teaches us to not be deluded by relatively minor hardships, thereby compounding our suffering or perhaps even abandoning our faith. To practice Buddhism is to wage a battle against devilish functions. Challenging devilish functions to reveal the pure state of Buddhahood is the essence of Buddhism. Our enlightenment and kosen-rufu itself can be actualized only when we are prepared to overcome obstacles and devilish functions. (See Study Guide, p. 53, or May–June 2007 Living Buddhism, p. 57.)