Myosetsuji News Aug_15

NICHIREN SHOSHU TEMPLE
FOR
THE NORTHEASTERN UNITED STATES, EAST CANADA AND TRINIDAD & TOBAGO
Myosetsuji News
A UGUST 1, 2015
I SSUE 170
Guidance from Sixty-eighth High Priest Nichinyo Shonin
On the Occasion of the June
Kōsen-rufu Shōdai Ceremony
June 7, 2015
Reception Hall, Head Temple
Taisekiji
Shonin. Furthermore, we successfully conducted a series of ceremonies,
including the commemorative Grand
Ceremony, and we now have begun
to move forward in high spirits to-
ward our next goal—to achieve a
membership of 800,000 Hokkeko
believers by 2021.
Good morning, everyone!
On this occasion of the June
Kōsen-rufu Shōdai Ceremony, conducted here today at
the Head Temple, I would
like to express my heartfelt
appreciation to the large number of participants in attendance.
The achievement of our goal is a
sublime mission given to us.
Thus, we must accomplish
this goal at all costs.
When I look at the conditions of the world today, I see
that ethnic conflicts are happening constantly across the
globe. I also see mounting
problems that might escalate
into a war. This precisely
shows the aspect of the defiled age of the Latter Day of
the Law—the age of conflict,
when the pure Law becomes
obscured and lost. Also at
home, the people’s minds are
distorted, and this is leading
to the increase and intensity
The members of the
Hokkeko chapters throughout
the country achieved our goal
of increasing the membership
of all Hokkeko chapters by 50
percent to commemorate the
770th anniversary of the birth
of Second High Priest Nikko
(Continued on page 2)
Gosho Quote for August 2015
On the Transmission of the Three Great Secret Laws
(Sandai hihō bonjō ji)
There are two types of Daimoku: the Daimoku chanted during the Former and Middle Days of
the Law, and the Daimoku to be chanted during the Latter Day of the Law. Although Bodhisattvas Vasubandhu and Nagarjuna themselves chanted the Daimoku during the Former Day of the
Law, they did so to practice for themselves only. During the Middle Day of the Law, Nanyue,
Tiantai, and others did chant the Daimoku; however, they did it only for the sake of their own
practice and not for teaching others. This type of Daimoku was practiced [in order to observe
one’s mind] based on the theory [elucidated in the surface meaning of the words]. Now, in the
Latter Day of the Law, the Daimoku that Nichiren chants is different from that of previous ages.
It is the Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo of the practice for oneself, and the practice for others.
(Gosho, p. 1594-1595)
M YOSETSUJI N EWS
P AGE 2
G UIDANCE FROM S IXTY - EIGHTH H IGH P RIEST N ICHINYO S HONIN ( CONTINUED )
(Continued from page 1)
of crimes. Recently, a volcanic eruption at Kuchinoerabu Island in Kagoshima prefecture occurred. These
current situations are causing the
doubling of the people’s anxiety
over the future.
The Daishonin teaches in his
Risshō ankoku-ron (On Securing
the Peace of the Land through the
Propagation of True Buddhism) that
the root cause for misfortune, confusion, and suffering in society is solely due to erroneous ideas, which are
the poisons of the slander of the Law
of heretical teachings. When individuals follow incorrect teachings,
the three poisons of greed, anger,
and stupidity will build up in their
hearts. Because of the three poisons,
the people’s thoughts and views become distorted, leading to the impurity of one’s life, and the impurity of
living beings. The continuing impurity of living beings in society results in the impurity of the age,
which leads to misfortune in the
world.
The three poisons of greed, anger,
and stupidity are the earthly desires
that will impair one’s tendency to do
good deeds. When these three poisons prevail in society, not only an
individual but
also the entire
nation will be
led to misery.
The
Daishonin
teaches in the
Gosho, Reply
to Soya (Soya
dono-gohenji)
(Gosho,
p.
1386) that all
misfortunes
such as war,
epidemics, and
suffering from hunger and thirst will
arise from the three poisons of
greed, anger, and stupidity. Unless
these three poisons of greed, anger,
and stupidity are eliminated, agony
and warfare will never cease.
The Daishonin’s Buddhism is the
supreme teaching that can save all
living beings. It enables a person to
transform one’s earthly desires of
the three poisons of greed, anger,
and stupidity into the three virtues of
the properties of the Law, wisdom,
and emancipation through the mystic Law (Myōhō) expounded in the
infinite past of kuon-ganjo.
In the Gosho, On First Hearing
the One Vehicle of the Buddha
(Shimon butsujō gi), the Daishonin
teaches:
Nagarjuna
interpreted the
single character “Myo” of
Myoho as follows:
“It is likened
to an excellent
physician skillfully turning
poison
into
medicine.”
What is poison? Poison indicates
our three paths of earthly desires,
karma, and suffering. What is
medicine? Medicine indicates the
three virtues [of the Buddha]: the
property of the Law, wisdom, and
emancipation. What is meant by
“skillfully turning poison into
medicine?” It means to transform
the three paths into the three virtues. (Gosho, p. 1208)
This passage precisely demonstrates the beneficial power of the
great Law of Myoho-Renge-Kyo,
which not only leads everyone to
true happiness, but also purifies the
whole world.
We, as the disciples and followers
of the Daishonin, must make the
world realize just how many people
are led into confusion and misfortune by erroneous teachings. There
are those who are suffering the most
dire distress. It is essential for us to
rescue as many people as we can.
Shakubuku is the ultimate act of
compassion. We conduct shakubuku
in order to remove every kind of
suffering from this earth, and to
eliminate conflicts and wars. This
then enables us to establish a peace(Continued on page 3)
I SSUE 170
P AGE 3
G UIDANCE FROM S IXTY - EIGHTH H IGH P RIEST N ICHINYO S HONIN ( CONTINUED )
(Continued from page 2)
ful land, and the people around the
world will be led to true happiness.
The Daishonin teaches the following in Questions and Answers on
Embracing the Lotus Sutra (Jimyō
hokke mondō-shō):
Since the Law that one embraces is supreme, the person who upholds it also must be supreme.
(Gosho, p. 298)
This passage expounds that a person who upholds the Gohonzon, the
supreme object of worship for the
entire world, certainly will become
the supreme person in the whole
world, through the vast and boundless beneficial power of the
Gohonzon.
I sincerely
wish
that
based
on
this
great
conviction,
each of us
will stand
up and uphold
our
vow to save
all
living
beings
in
the Latter
Day of the
Law. I then
hope
that
the members of each
chapter
make concerted efforts to do shakubuku, aiming toward our new objective—to achieve a membership of
800,000 Hokkeko believers by
2021, so that we can establish true
happiness for ourselves and others.
F AITH E XPERIENCE BY B RONX A REA M EMBER — S IJANTRA L EE
My name is Sijantra Lee and I
would like to share my experience
regarding a recent health issue.
the 2nd High Priest, Nikko Shonin
and then continue on to Australia,
Indonesia and Sri- Lanka.
This past April, my plan was to go
to Japan on Tozan, to attend the
770th Anniversary of the Birth of
This visit was supposed to take six
months, but the trip was canceled
abruptly as I almost lost my life after two
hours on the
airplane.
Though, I
have a diagnosis of
congestive
heart failure
and diabetes, my own
ignorance
led to unnecessary
suffering. I
did not
check my
sugar level
the night before the flight, nor the
morning of the flight A few days
before leaving my whole body felt
like a bomb ready to explode. My
cardiologist was not available and I
did not feel comfortable with the
treatment from the another physician after I complained of liquid in
my lungs and pain with tenderness
in the back of my left shoulder. Despite this, I felt better in the morning
before leaving and even had breakfast at McDonalds.
Once on the airplane my chest felt
heavy and I became short of breath.
I tried to calm down, but only felt
worse. After speaking to the flight
attendant, I went to the back of the
plane using a walker and drank water. I found no relief and began
gasping for air. They gave me or(Continued on page 4)
M YOSETSUJI N EWS
P AGE 4
F AITH E XPERIENCE BY B RONX A REA M EMBER — S IJANTRA L EE ( CONTINUED )
(Continued from page 3)
ange juice to increase my sugar level. At that point, I realized I had not
packed insulin. There was a Chinese
doctor holding my hand putting
pressure on my fingers. Also, a fellow Nichiren Shoshu member was
telling me to picture the Gohonzon
and chant to it and I would be okay.
I was told her name was Jacinta
from Trinidad and Tobago, I also
heard Geeta chanting while Fatu, a
nurse, was busy looking for all my
medications to no avail. She decided
to ask the pilot to fly back to JFK to
prevent my lapsing into a coma.
Someone told me to blink if I could
hear them. The pilot announced
there was a sick passenger and the
plane would have to fly back to JFK.
The last words I heard were, “we
will help you into the wheelchair.”
When I woke up I was in Jamaica
Hospital with tubes in my mouth to
help me breath.
Since then, I have finally overcome an illness that has been tormenting me for two years. It all
started while I
was visiting my
sister and her
family in Australia. It began as an
incredible pain in
my head, face and
neck. After multiple MRIs and
medications, the
neurologist could
not determine the
source of my
pain. I had to
sleep sitting up
for two years. I
could not lie
down and would
sit there crying
and chanting in
front of the
Gohonzon, until
finally I’d fall
asleep. At one
point I considered
suicide. But, I remembered Nichiren
Daishonin's Gosho, when he states,
“Suffer what there is to suffer. Enjoy
what there is to enjoy. Consider suffering and joy
as facts of life
and continue
chanting Nam
-MyohoRenge-Kyo.
And then you
will be able to
experience
boundless joy
from the
law.”
The DaiGohonzon's
protection is
absolute. My
apartment
manger recently demanded an in
person visit to
the office. I would have been unable
to comply if my plans had not
changed and would have lost my
apartment.
I would like to thank all Myosetsuji Temple members for chanting for
me. My sincere regards to the pilot
and co-pilot for flying me back to
JFK. Also, to the doctors, nurses and
paramedics for their medical care.
And thanks to members that visited
me in the hospital: Tyrone, Dena,
Veronica and Lois Burkett. I am
happy that although the airline originally said that the flight would have
to be canceled, they changed their
decision, so that my fellow members
and other passengers where able to
arrive on the same day as scheduled.
I am grateful to the Gohonzon for a
second chance to practice shakubuku
on this earth.
I SSUE 170
P AGE 5
F AITH E XPERIENCE BY B RONX A REA M EMBER — K ELLY C OOKE
Hi, my name is Geeta and I attended the Commemorative Tozan in
April 2015 to celebrate and repay my
warmest gratitude to the Second High
Priest Nikko Shonin. He was the
great master of propagation who devoted himself to study the doctrine of
Nichiren Shoshu and serve the True
Buddha, Nichiren Daishonin.
While traveling to Japan a member
became ill when we were over Canada and the crew made the decision to
return to the United States for her to
get medical care. When we landed in
New York it was announced that the
flight was cancelled. I went back to
my seat and silently chanted NamMyoho-Renge-Kyo and sent Daimoku to the pilot's heart. Then mystically the next words we heard was
there will be a night flight. This experience enabled me to think only about
Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo deeply
in my thoughts.
Although Sijantra Lee was not
able to attend this April Tozan, I
feel she changed her negative
karma. As the Gosho says, “...if
ones illness is caused by immutable karma, even medicine will
turn to poison. But, if we believe in the Lotus Sutra, poison
will change into medicine.”
This obstacle made Myosetsuji members stronger in communicating and helping each
other.
When we reached Narita Airport at 11:00 pm Rev. Takikawa
was there to greet and assist us.
The next morning we were all
able to travel together to the Head
Temple. This GOHONZON is truly
profound.
for the year: Increase daily chanting,
attend all Oko ceremonies, awaken
sleeping members, attain our shakubuku goals, unity among members,
show actual proof to friends and relatives, attend Tozan and increase our
meeting places. We are showing progress presently as the Bronx has 7
new members.
We also were
participants at
the April Commemorative Tozan and others
will be attending
Summer Study
Tozan and the
experiences in
this newsletter
show actual
proof.
that passed away this year, Robert Mc
Clean age 91 and Minnie Mae Burgess 61. They are in our prayers daily. We are encouraging all the new
members to make an effort to attend
the May 2016 Chapter Tozan, since it
will be especially for them. We have
explained, "The pilgrimage to
Nichiren Shoshu’s Head Temple,
Taisekiji to have an audience with the
Dai-Gohonzon, literally translates as
to ‘climb the mountain.’"
B RONX A REA R EPORT
Bronx members held their first
meeting of the year with the priest on
January 7, 2015, on one of the coldest
days this winter, it was 11 degrees .When Rev. Takikawa arrived
he was greeted by 7 members and 2
guests. Once Gongyo was completed,
we gave the following determinations
There were
two members
Even though we continue to struggle with problems regarding illness,
finances, housing and family disunity, these obstacles do not prevent us
from fully advancing in our faith in
this year of "The Year of Kickoff Towards 2021 Through the Achievement of the 2015 Objectives."
Higan-e Ceremony
September 20, 2015
The Higan-e Ceremony is held on the days of the vernal and autumnal equinoxes. On
these two days, the length of daylight and darkness in a day is exactly the same, and
the sun rises due east and sets directly in the west. As the sutra expounds, "The
Buddha desires the Middle Way." For this reason the benefits of performing positive
deeds on these days are superior to those practiced at other times. The word "higan" is
a translation of the Sanskrit word "paramita,” and it means, "arriving on the other
shore." In his writings, Nichiren Daishonin states: “In the great sea of sufferings of life
and death, the pre-Lotus Sutra teachings are but a raft or, at best, a small boat. Even if
the pre-Lotus Sutra teachings can transport us from this shore of life and death to
another shore of life and death, it cannot take us across the great sea of life and death
to the shore of great happiness.” Thus, the fundamental significance of arriving at the
"other shore," or higan, is that it is extremely important for us, as living beings, to
attain enlightenment in our present form through the Daishonin's Buddhism, and in a
sprit of appreciation, to present memorial offerings for our ancestors.
All Toba requests must be received by September 13th
Please Print Clearly
Name of Applicant
General Gokuyo (if any)
$
Name of Deceased
Gokuyo for Tobas ($10.00 ea.) $
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August 2015
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M YOSETSUJI
T EMPLE
143-63 Beech Ave.
(Entrance on
Parsons Blvd.)
Flushing, NY 11355
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Rev. Shinga Takikawa, Chief Priest
Rev. Joryo Nagasawa, Assistant Priest
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