Comments on "The Gift of Rice" Gosho

Nichiren Daishonin's gosho 'The Gift of Rice' explains the sincerity of offering while emphasizing the value of life.

Man has two kinds of treasure, he saya, - clothing and food. Man depends on clothing and food to stay alive. But life itself is the most precious treasure. Even the treasures of the entire universe cannot equal the value of a single human life.

The boy Snow Mountains (Sessen Doji) offered his body to a demon to receive a teaching composed of eight characters (see the writing "14 Slanders"). Boddhisttva Yakuo, having no oil, burned his elbow as an offering to the Lotus Sutra. Prince Shotoku peeled off the skin of his hand on which to copy the Lotus Sutra and Emperor Tenji burned his third finger as an offering to Shakymuni Buddha. Such austere practices are for saints and sages but not for ordinary people.

The word "nam" derives from sanskrit and means to devote one's life. Ultimately it means to offer our lives to the Buddha. Whether man has wealth or not, life is still the most important treasure. Accordingly, saints and sages of ancient times offered their lives to the Buddha and were themselves able to attain Buddhahood.

Even common mortals can attain Buddhahood if they possess earnest faith. Earnest faith is the will to understand and live up to the spirit, not the words, of the sutras. It means that offering one's only coat to the Lotus Sutra or, in a time of famine, offering one's food on which life depends is equivalent to the acts of Sessen Doji and other sages. Therefore, saints consecrated themselves by offering their own bodies, but common mortals can do so by the sincerity with which they give.

The true path of life lies in the affairs of this world. Pre Lotus Sutra teachings expounded the duality of life - that they relate secular matters in terms of Buddhism. In contrast, the Lotus Sutra teaches that secular matters are Buddhism. Based on thsis oneness of life and environment, rice is not merely rice, but life itself.

News 09-23-07

Coming Events
Mon 24 Sep 10am Japanese HR Study DCCC
Wed 26 Sep District Planning with Michael Aiken at Wolpert’s
Fri 28 Sep 7pm Crofton Toso at Wendy’s

Wisdom of the Lotus Sutra

From Wisdom of the Lotus Sutra Vol II The Parable of Medicinal Herbs Chapter.

President Ikeda:

… the point is that the Buddha’s preaching begins from a recognition of human diversity. The Buddha asks the question: How can I enable each person to attain Buddhahood, notwithstanding differences in circumstance, temperament and capacity? The Lotus Sutra, without departing in the least from the reality of the individual, clarifies the path to Buddhahood for all.

The humanism of the Lotus Sutra comes down to the tenet of treasuring the individual. This is the Buddha’s spirit. The Lotus Sutra’s fundamental objective of universal enlightenment begins with treasuring the individual and can be realized only through steadfast adherence to this point.

To love people or love humanity in the abstract is easy. To feel compassion toward real individuals is difficult.

Tariq Hassan Visits DC

Saturday 15th Tariq Hassan, East Territory Leader, met with district chiefs at the DC Community Center. He presented his views on the meaning of the ‘2nd Act of Kosenrufu’ that was proclaimed by President Ikeda at the June Headquarters Leaders meeting and announced to the SGI-USA by General Director Danny Nagashima at the June 24th simulcast. Citing several issues of the World Tribune and Living Buddhism, Mr. Hassan spoke of the completion of the ‘essential phase’ and the appearance of disciples who must have the same ‘great vow’ as the mentor. Everything depends on the disciples, who should challenge their human revolution. We need to raise successors for the next 50 years. Empower the youth, he said. Now is the time. See WT 12 Jan 2007, 23 March 2007 and 31 March 2006. See also Jan 98 Living Buddhism. Installment 9 of President Ikeda’s lecture on ‘The Heritage of the Ultimate Law of Life and Death’ that will be published in the Jan-Feb 08 Living Buddhism answers the question, “What action is required now?”