Thoughts2

ON RUBBING THE PRAYER BEADS

Q: I notice you rub your beads often. What is the significance of that?

RH: It' just a bad habit. There's no deep meaning to my rubbing of the beads. It's just my habit. Definitely rubbing the beads fiercely, forcefully or excessively is something we should not do. Do not place the beads up towards your mouth because it echoes. The correct posture is to place your hands together in front of your chest. Rubbing the beads just a little is okay, but it has no meaning.

ON UNDERSTANDING THE LOTUS SUTRA

The Lotus Sutra is presented as a pageant or a Broadway musical, explaining how the Buddha became enlightened, how he came to be. Each part of the Lotus Sutra explains this. So the phrase Niji seson ju sanmai is translated to mean "at that moment the Buddha was enlightened." It's hard to recite the Lotus Sutra everyday without understanding what is written. To understand a little would be helpful.

ON SANGE

Sange (prayer of contrition) is something you do at the outset of your belief in this Buddhism. It is not only apologizing for what you've done, it is committing to what you will do to improve, correct, or make right the next time. Sange is included in the fourth prayer.

ON VEGETARIANISM

Q: I grew up as a Shingon Buddhist. We abstained from eating the flesh of animals, including fish and poultry, on the first anniversary memorial of a deceased person. We only ate vegetables. What are your thoughts on this?

RH: Vegetables are like people. It's not right that you can eat vegetables but not animals. It's all life. If you are concerned about eating life you have to realize that all things that we need to nourish our bodies are alive or have had life. Thinking this way you would have to eliminate everything. There is scientific proof that when you begin to cut a cabbage, for example, the cabbage signals telepathically through electric energy that it hurts. A plant has the same life value as an animal. It is wrong to think that you can eat a vegetable, but should not eat an animal, unless of course it is for medicinal reasons.

ON HAVING NO PRECEPTS

In Nichiren Daishonin's Buddhism there isn't anything that you cannot eat, wear or do. Nothing like that is specified. The only specifications in this Buddhism is that you can't believe what you want - believing in a little bit of this from this religion, and a little bit of that from that religion. There are no prohibitions against sex, smoking, drinking. Catholic priests and nuns have to abstain from sex. They have to be celibate and live chastely. That's not true of the clergy in Nichiren Daishonin's Buddhism. A religion should not prohibit sex or the drinking of alcohol, or instruct you on what you should or should not eat. A religion should not limit your life. Priests and lay people are not different in what they desire. We are all human beings. Therefore in Nichiren Daishonin's Buddhism there is no prohibition against any desire. There are no restrictions.

ON JUDGING OTHERS

Lay believers should be able to judge a priest by what he is doing, and not allow him to do whatever he pleases. You should be able to judge someone by whether they are focusing on the Law, or concentrating on trying to follow the Law. We all have the Buddha nature. Even if you hate someone, or are angry with someone, the person you hate still has the Buddha nature. Therefore the issue at hand is not whether a person is fundamentally evil, it is whether they have done something wrong. A person who does not believe in this Buddhism is not entirely separated from Namu-myoho-renge-kyo. Namu-myoho-renge-kyo is multifaceted, and is represented in what is best in an individual even if he or she does not believe in the Law. So if you see someone doing something wrong you must admonish them, for if you don't you are guilty of the same offense as they are. Your silence suggests you agree with them.

ON RIGHT AND WRONG AND BUDDHAHOOD

There are so many different people in this world. Even if they chant Daimoku and have the same faith as we do, they may still act and think differently. Each country has its own laws. And there are people within every country who try to figure out ways to break the laws. They cheat other people, and disregard the laws. On the other hand there are also people who don't even have to think about the laws, yet they obey them and live lawfully. But with regard to faith, there are just a few people who live a life based on faith. Daishonin said, "To accept [faith] is easy; to continue is difficult. But continuing faith will lead to Buddhahood."

No matter how much a wrongdoer tries to be right and professes to be right, he will never attain enlightenment. It is not only the person who is committing the wrong. Those who follow a wrongdoer must give consideration to eho-fue-nin -- relying on the law, not on persons.

ON ADMONISHING SLANDER

Nichiren Daishonin's teacher, Dozenbo, carved Amida Buddha statutes. The Daishonin told him, "If you write Namu Amida Butsu six times you will fall into hell six times. If you write it seven times, you will fall into hell seven times. You can't make an object of worship half way; your whole self goes into making an object of worship." The Daishonin warned Dozenbo of his fate directly, and at the time the slander was being committed.

ON THE DAI-GOHONZON

Many people believe that the DaiGohonzon at Taisekiji represents the high sanctuary. But it doesn't. Why was the DaiGohonzon inscribed? It was the spirit of the people of Atsuhara, who remained steadfast in their faith when confronted with the government's persecution, which inspired the inscription of the DaiGohonzon. So many people hold the belief that the physical presence of the DaiGohonzon is the most significant thing, when it is actually the seeking mind of every believer that is of primary importance. The DaiGohonzon at Taisekiji and our own Gohonzons are equal.

THOUGHTS
By Reverend Raido Hirota
2001

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Translated and edited by Udumbara Foundation staff.

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