Reply to Hoshina Gora Tara
However, the people of our time—whether clerics or lay believers, nobles or commoners—all revere persons and do not value the
Law
. They make their own mind their teacher and do not rely on the sutras.
The Gosho is very, very, very, very, very clear that we should rely on the sutras and not on persons. This may hurt the feelings of many Nichiren Shoshu members but the Buddha gave "Strict council" rely on the law and not persons. What Mr. Alan Billups writes does not have a textual background or can be backed up with Gosho. Let us look at other Gosho where Nichiren Daishonin says we should rely on the law and not persons. When it comes to our issuing a Gohonzon or helping others to get a Gohonzon; Nichiren Daishonin writes that it is the power of the Lotus Sutra that makes a Gohonzon valid not the Nichiren Shoshu "High Priest" this is in the Sutra.
In the Gosho "The Open of the Eyes" Nichiren Daishonin writes: "Nevertheless, our merciful father
Shakyamuni
Buddha, when he faced his end in the grove of sal trees, stated as his dying instructions that we are to “rely on the
Law
and not upon persons.” “Not relying upon persons” means that when persons of the first, second, third, and fourth ranks preach, even though they are bodhisattvas such as
Universal Worthy
and
Manjushrī
who have attained the stage of
near-perfect enlightenment
, if they do not preach with the sutra in hand, then they are not to be accepted.
It is also laid down that one should “rely on sutras that are complete and final and not on those that are not complete and final.” We must therefore look carefully among the sutras to determine which are complete and final and which are not and put our faith in the former.
Bodhisattva
Nāgārjuna
in his
Commentary on the Ten Stages Sutra
states, “Do not rely on treatises that distort the sutras; rely on those that are faithful to the sutras.” The
Great Teacher
T’ien-t’ai
says, “That which accords with the sutras is to be written down and made available. But put no faith in anything that in word or meaning fails to do so."
This is a picture of me and my friend Alan Billups in Japan in 2003. The difference between Alan Billups and myself is the "Lotus Sutra." Shakyamuni Buddha gave dying instructions "rely on the Law and not upon persons." Shakyamuni was referring to the the Lotus Sutra. The "Lotus Sutra is the Buddhist Dharma" or law. Dharma has a far greater meaning than law. The Dharma is the Buddha's teachings and also the Buddhist community. The essence of the Dharma is the "Lotus Sutra." In Nichiren Shoshu Buddhism the "Lotus Sutra" of Shakyamuni Buddha is not supreme. Shakyamuni Buddha taught that we should rely on the Sutra. Nichiren Daishonin is very clear that we do not put faith in words. Alan mention "Sacred utterances" and Gosho not be yet translated. Nichiren Daishonin means that we must put faith in the Lotus Sutra. Let us look at how Nichiren Daishonin further mentions how we must put faith in the law and not in persons.
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