衆生の心けがるれば土もけがれ、心清ければ土も清しとて、
浄土と云ひ穢土と云ふも土に二つの隔てなし。
只我等が心の善悪によると見えたり
日蓮（G-４６頁）
Although not directly related to the Nichiren Daishonin's faith, it is a hint for understanding the eternal and immortal view of life (Sanze Joju).
Reincarnation and Science
Does reincarnation really exist?
Although this phenomenon has been taken for granted in the Buddhist view of the universe and life, modern science still tends to dismiss it as "superstition.
However, research has now been published that supports the existence of past lives. Although we cannot immediately accept the results of this research, the Lotus Sutra does indeed teach reincarnation, reincarnation in the six realms, and that life continues to exist in this world even after death.
Consciousness inherits the memories of previous lives
According to the "Express" (February 4, 2011), Dr. Jim Tucker of the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Virginia School of Medicine in the United States interviewed children in various parts of the United States who were said to have memories of previous lives. The results of his research are that children who have not had the experiences that they should have had. The results are documented in his book, "Life Before Life" which includes records of as many as 2,500 children who have memories of events they never experienced.
According to Dr. Tucker, reincarnation can be explained scientifically because consciousness (the mind) is really "energy at the quantum level" (proving that energy continues to exist away from the body, even if the vessel in which it is held (the body) is destroyed).
Today, many scientists also believe that quantum mechanics holds the key to solving the mystery of "human consciousness," such as Time magazine's "100 Most Influential People in the World (2012-2014). For example, Dr. Robert Lanza, an expert in regenerative medicine who was selected as one of Time magazine's "100 Most Influential People in the World" in 2014, also advocates "life-centeredness. He believes that "life and consciousness," not matter, are the basic elements for understanding (reality), and that consciousness is different from "physical death" and that the brain does not create consciousness.
Dr. Tucker also accepts the "life-centered" thesis and says that consciousness survives after physical death and acts as the consciousness of the next host. Dr.Tucker says, "Scientists such as Max Planck, the founder of quantum theory, spoke of consciousness as being more fundamental than matter. In other words, consciousness is not something created by the brain. An individual's consciousness continues to survive after the death of the brain or the body." So the consciousness retains the memory of the previous life and attaches itself to the brain of the next person." He said.
A boy with memories of a previous life
As evidence of reincarnation, Dr. Reininger cites James Reininger, then 2 years old, who has memories of a previous life.
James had an unusual obsession with toy airplanes from an early age and often had nightmares about plane crashes. When Dr. Tucker asked James about his nightmares, he was surprised to learn that he was a pilot himself. He told her that he was a pilot and that he had flown out of a ship.
He told her that he was a pilot and that he had flown out of a ship. When his father asked James for more details, he was told that he had flown out of a ship called the Natoma, that he had been shot down on Iwo Jima, and that he had a friend named Jack Larsen.
Subsequent research revealed that there was indeed an aircraft carrier called the USS Natoma Bay stationed at the time of World War II, and that it was involved in the battle of Iwo Jima. Moreover, it was even recorded that a man named James Houston's fighter plane had been shot down in exactly the condition described by Mr. James.
This is truly "testimony to the existence of a previous life," but by the time James was about seven years old, his memory had completely disappeared, and now he remembers nothing at all. According to Dr. Kato, it is common for "memories of previous lives" to disappear between the ages of 5 and 7 years old.
If reincarnation exists, it may make sense that our past lives and relationships have a significant influence on our present lives (sometimes expressed as "what we were born with" or "what our ancestors have carried with them from generation to generation"). In fact, the long-span view of life (reincarnation and the six realms of reincarnation) is a basic theory of life that has been explained as a matter of course in Buddhism for thousands of years.
この数週間、私は自宅と事務所と田舎と馴染みの海でしか時を過ごしていないが、することはいくらでもある。
今日も多少の潮風に当たりながら、海パンの裁縫をしようと思って、昼から出かけたら、それなりの東風が入っていた。ギリギリの風でちょこっと走って、変なしゃがれ声で、地元のお友達や海の仲間とお話しした。だいたいは喋りすぎなんだなぁ＾＾；
防水デジカメは何台か目になるが、こないだ手に入れた富士フィルムの何とかはよくできている。これからこれで海上・海中・空の模様、風の様子、様々な生き物たちの様相を残しておこうと思っている。
相の奥には性があり、更に体がある（三如是）という事実の一分でも、デジカメ画像で何とか現せないものかと・・・模索中である。
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正統仏教「日蓮正宗」の大原理の一つに「色心不二」「依正不二」というのがある。つまり、物（色）と心（こころ）、主体と環境はとりあえず、二つに分けて考えることはできるが、根本的には一体不二であるという事実。更につまり、どんな心もモノを生み出す力を持っていて、どんなモノにも心が宿っている。主体（自分）が変われば環境が変わる・・・ということ。
たぶん、現代人の多くには難信難解だろうな。これを本当に知るには、まだしばらく時間がかかるとは思う。ただ、もう20世紀の初頭から、相当数の、科学者と称する学者の皆さんなどはハッキリと気が付いている。モノの世界をずっと追及すると、結局、ココロの世界、観察者と観察対象の区別が不可能になるという「科学的」事実。
月の存在や運行は、今のところの通説的には一つの物質的・天文現象の一つに過ぎない。太陽や銀河もしかり。モノの側からだけ見るとそういうことになり、教育の現場でもそう教える。だから、多くの現代人はそういう、いわゆる「客観的」な観方をして事足れりとしたがる。
ところが、こんなものは、人類の、それなりに長い歴史の中では近代以降たかだか数百年。ごく最近のまことに皮相的な観方にすぎない。「色心而二不二」「依正而二不二」・・・これが通説にならなければ、人類の文明の未来はかなり厳しい・・・と私は思う。まぁ時間の問題だな。
https://headlines.yahoo.co.jp/hl?a=20200407-00004761-tenki-soci
Honesty in Our Faith and Practice
The true form of the Buddha who eternally lives in the saha world and expounds the Law was first revealed in the Life Span of the Tathagata (Nyorai juryō; sixteenth) chapter of the Lotus Sutra. A passage from the verse portion (Jigage) explains that “those who are gentle, peaceful, honest and upright” will be able to understand the eternal presence of the Buddha. Here, being “honest and upright” means to embrace true Buddhism with a sincere and honest attitude. This passage expounds the importance of living life with honesty in our faith and practice.
The Daishonin wrote the following about honesty in the Gosho, “The Daimoku of the Lotus Sutra” (“Hokke Daimoku-shō”):
Honesty is the essential core of the Buddha. (Gosho, p. 359)
The fundamental basis of true Buddhism always has been honesty. When we contemplate the meaning of honesty, as a matter of course, we think of the common-sense notions of not telling lies and not being deceitful. However, the most important issue is the object toward which we are honest.
Frequently we hear the expression, “Be true to your heart.” However, if people honestly followed their own confused hearts and minds, then children definitely would prioritize play over study, and adults would work obsessively to satisfy their many aspirations and desires. Under such conditions, our lives could become increasingly unhappy.
This is the reason why the Buddha, who is enlightened to the truth, expounded the honest teaching, in order to correct the distorted hearts and minds of the people. The correct attitude in faith that we must uphold is embracing and practicing this true teaching, as we maintain a mind that is completely free of lies and deceit.
In the Sutra of Infinite Meanings (Muryōgi-kyō), Shakyamuni stated the following about the numerous sutras that he expounded for fifty long years, to lead all people to great virtue:
I was aware that the capacities and desires of all people were different. Thus, I expounded the Law in a variety of ways. I used powerful expedients to expound the Law in these various ways. I have not yet revealed the truth after more than forty years.
(Hokekyō, p. 23)
Here, Shakyamuni revealed that all the sutras he had expounded prior to the Lotus Sutra were expedients. Furthermore, he said in the Expedient Means (Hōben; second) chapter of the Lotus Sutra:
Honestly discarding expedient means, I will preach only the unsurpassed Way.
(Hokekyō, p. 124; cf. The Lotus Sutra, Watson, pp. 44-45)
Therefore, he declared that the Lotus Sutra, which he honestly expounded, was none other than the supreme true teaching—the cherished objective of all the Buddhas of the three existences and the ten directions. Nichiren Daishonin made reference to this passage in the Gosho, “The Doctrine of the Precept of the Attainment of Buddhahood in One’s Present Form” (“Kaitai sokushin jōbutsu gi”):
The sutras preceding the Lotus Sutra lack truth. They are expedient teachings. The Lotus Sutra is a doctrine of honesty. It is the true teaching. (Gosho, p. 9)
Here, the Daishonin revealed that the Lotus Sutra is the true teaching that was sincerely and honestly expounded by the Buddha after he discarded the expedient teachings.
We must embrace the Lotus Sutra, the honest teaching of the Buddha, and assiduously continue our Buddhist faith and practice. We also must maintain a completely honest attitude. Nichiren Daishonin wrote the following in his Gosho, “Letter to Nichimyō Shonin” (“Nichimyō shōnin-gosho”):
Among other things, the Lotus Sutra represents the doctrine of honestly discarding the provisional teachings; of entirely expounding the truth; of being honest and upright and gentle in mind; and of being gentle, peaceful, and upright. Honesty, for those who believe in this sutra, must be like a straight and taut string on a bow and an inking cord that strikes a precise line. (Gosho, p. 606)
This passage teaches that people must discard all attachments to erroneous doctrines that are based on expedient teachings. They must uphold faith with honesty, with sincerity, and without any doubts. Those who do so are able to correctly believe in and embrace the Lotus Sutra, the true teaching of the Buddha. These are individuals whose essential natures are straightforward and sincere. However, Nichiren Daishonin stated the following in, “The Passing of Ishikawa’s Daughter” (“Ueno dono-gohenji”):
Now, in the Latter Day of the Law, neither the Lotus Sutra nor the other sutras have the power to save the people. Only Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo can lead all people to Buddhahood. (Gosho, p. 1219; GND, pp. 33-35)
Thus, in the Latter Day of the Law, the Lotus Sutra expounded by Shakyamuni cannot save the people. Furthermore, it would be impossible for other teachings, which have yet to manifest the truth, to possibly provide salvation.
The only honest doctrine completely devoid of expedients, which is capable of saving us, the people of the Latter Day of the Law, is Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo of the true cause, hidden in the depths of the Lotus Sutra of the Buddhism of the sowing. Thus, we single-mindedly must believe in and embrace the Dai-Gohonzon, which inherently manifests the entirety of the Three Great Secret Laws of the essential teaching expounded by Nichiren Daishonin in the Latter Day of the Law. This is the teaching that will correct the distorted minds of the people and bring them salvation.
Most people, however, are unable to believe in and understand the correct principles of true Buddhism. Many cling to the Lotus Sutra expounded by Shakyamuni and to the entirety of other sutras based on expedient means. Furthermore, there are numerous others who remain attached to erroneous teachings other than Buddhism. They are unable to correct their distorted views.
In the Latter Day of the Law, one criterion for upholding the true teaching is to follow the Law and not the person. We must eliminate our own arbitrary notions and follow true Buddhism. This is one of the conditions required for the attainment of Buddhahood. In the Gosho, “The Significance of Shakyamuni’s Lifetime Teachings” (“Ichidai shōkyō tai’i”), Nichiren Daishonin wrote:
The Lotus Sutra cannot be understood without the transmission of the heritage. (Gosho, p. 92)
Here, the Daishonin indicates the significance of the treasure of the priesthood. We sincerely must follow the directions of the successive High Priests, who have received the Lifeblood Heritage of the Law, entrusted to a single person since the time of Nichiren Daishonin. We also must practice honestly and assiduously, based on the standard to follow the Law and not the person. By so doing we can maintain a correct attitude in faith. The key to establishing honest faith is to immediately eliminate all deep-rooted delusions and to embrace true Buddhism.
When we received Gojukai, the ceremony to accept true Buddhism in our lives, we promised to “discard the deluded precepts of the pre-Lotus Sutra and theoretical teachings and to accept the precepts of the Lotus Sutra of the essential teaching.” Therefore, we must never abandon our faith and practice, even in the face of severe adversity.
In the Gosho, “On the Meaning of the True Entity of Myoho-Renge-Kyo” (“Tōtaigi-shō”), the Daishonin stated:
Thus, the followers of Nichiren honestly must discard the erroneous principles of the heretical doctrines and the teachers of provisional teachings, and they honestly must believe in the true principles of the doctrines and teachers of true Buddhism. By so doing, they can achieve the true entity of the mystic Law (tōtai renge) and manifest the mystic principle of the essential entity (tōtai no myōri) of the Land of Eternally Tranquil Light. They are able to achieve this because they believe in the golden words of the master—revealed in the Life Span chapter of the essential teaching—and chant Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo. (Gosho, p. 701)
In other words, the Daishonin explains that the benefit of attaining enlightenment in our present form can be achieved by honestly discarding the expedient, provisional teachings; by believing in the Lotus Sutra, which is the reason for the advent of all Buddhas; and by chanting Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo of the Three Great Secret Laws of the essential teaching, based on the transmission of true Buddhism. Therefore, we must have conviction in this great benefit that only can be achieved by the priests and lay believers of Nichiren Shoshu, and honestly put forth ever-increasing efforts in our faith and practice.
In order to achieve this, we must cultivate honest faith and uphold the directions of our High Priest, as we advance with devotion in our practice for ourselves and for others. We also are constantly reminded that we must prioritize shakubuku in our Buddhist practice.
The Daishonin wrote the following in, “Reply to Sairenbō” (“Sairenbō-gohenji”):
The votaries of the Lotus Sutra must never discard their faith or cater to the feelings of others. If they devote their lives completely to the Lotus Sutra and follow precisely the golden words of the Buddha, they will, without fail, enjoy a long and healthy life, unaffected by misfortunes and illnesses. Furthermore, they will achieve the ultimate supreme effect in this present existence and in their future lives. Moreover, they will be able to attain the great aspiration of kōsen-rufu. (Gosho, p. 642)
High Priest Nichinyo Shonin stated the following to us regarding this passage:
What is most essential now is not to selfishly hold back the greatness and joy of this practice only for yourselves. You should tell as many people as possible, plant the seed of Buddhism, and do shakubuku.
This is the “Year of Advancing Kosen-rufu Through Shakubuku.” So, true to its designation, we must do shakubuku. We must advance through our practice of shakubuku this year. To do this, we first must continue to chant powerful Daimoku. It is important for us to do shakubuku based on infinite benefits and joy.
(Dainichiren, March 2012, p. 17)
Our High Priest teaches that we must advance with great compassion in our practice of shakubuku and strive to achieve kosen-rufu. He explains that this is the most important practice that will enable us to attain Buddhahood.
You may be aware of those around you who uphold faith and practice of erroneous teachings. If you do not attempt to correct them and choose instead to engage in deceit or flattery; and if you know the importance of shakubuku but choose not to do it, then you are not upholding an honest attitude in faith. This eventually will lead you to develop a dishonest heart. The Daishonin wrote the following in the Gosho, “On the Meaning of the True Entity of Myoho-Renge-Kyo” (“Tōtaigi-shō”):
Those who honestly discard the expedient teachings, put faith only in the Lotus Sutra, and chant Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo, will transform the three paths of earthly desires, karma, and suffering into the three virtues of the property of the Law, wisdom, and emancipation. The threefold contemplation and the three truths immediately will manifest in their minds, and the place where they dwell will become the Land of Eternally Tranquil Light.
(Gosho, p. 694)
Let us constantly maintain honest faith and earnestly strive to chant Daimoku and do shakubuku. Furthermore, let us form a solid unity of itai doshin and vigorously advance. Let’s enable all people throughout the earth to embrace true Buddhism, and establish a secure and peaceful world as soon as possible.
Oko Sermon
Reverend Shogu Kimura
May, 2012
The Beneficial Medicine for All Illnesses
From ancient times until today, illness had been one of the biggest suffering people experienced. Shakyamuni Buddha classified illness as one of the four sufferings.
「四苦＝生老病死」
Nichiren Dashonin had mentioned about illness in the Gosho, "The Treatment of Illness".
"The Illness of human being may be divided into two general categories, the first of which is illness of the body. Physical diseases comprise one hundred and one disorders of the earth element, one hundred and one imbalances of the water element, one hundred and one disturbances of the fire element and one hundred and one disharmonies of the wind element, a total of four hundred and four maladies. These illnesses do not require a Buddha to cure them. The second category is illness of the mind. These illnesses arise from the three poisons of greed, anger and stupidity and are of eighty-four thousand kinds."
Illness of the mind is caused by the three poisons of greed, anger and stupidity. All these poisons pollute the life of the people of Mappo. This people commit the three evil acts : killing, stealing, unlawful sexual acts; or the four evil acts like, untruth-words, flowery words, evil-mouth or double tongue. The polluted mind causes the body to perform evil acts that create the evil karma which turn, damages the body. One's body is a subordinate to one's mind. When a person is sick, it affects the family and eventually the country. It is stated in the Gosho :
"Famine occurs out of greed, plague spreads out of stupidity and war breaks out from anger."
Tien-tai the Great mentioned the cause of illness as follows :
1.Disharmony of the four elements.
The body of the human being consist of earth, water, fire and wind. If one of these elements is not in order, it will cause a person to fall sick. For example, if the fire element is not in order, it will cause high temperature and affects the heart. If the water element is not in order, it will effect the kidney.
2.Immoderate eating or drinking.
Over-eating or lack of food will endanger our health.
3.Poor Posture.
When a person sits or walks, if his back is not straight, in the long term, it will lcause pain to the physical body. Irregular pattern of living activities, like working long hours and lack of sleep, will affect a person , causing one to become angry easily. Over-sleeping will also cause a person to feel lethargic.
4. An attack by demons from without.
For example, due to one's mind, one commits the unlawful sexual act, resulting in the attack of AIDS from without.
5.The work of devils from within.
The evil function within our life derails us from our practice, like having n odesire to chant, disregarding the law of cause and effect and having disrespect for the Gohonzon.
6.The effect of Karma
The past karma causing the present illness
The first three illnesses can be cured by the doctors, by taking the medicine or by changing one's way of life. The last three illnesses are illnesses of the mind which doctors would not be able to cure. Only the beneficial medicine,Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo can cure them.
As it is stated in the 23rd chapter of the lotus Sutra, The Yakuo-hon :
"This sutra is the beneficial medicine for the illnesses of all mankind. If one is ill and hear of this sutra, his illness will vanish immediately, and he will find perpetual youth and eternal life."
In"Conversation Between A Sage and Un-enlightened Man", NichirenDaishonin said :
"The Buddha has already been called an excellent physician, and the law has been likened to beneficial medicine and all living beings to people suffering from illness.The Buddha took the teaching that he had preached in the course of his lifetime, ground and shifted them, blended them together and compounded an excellent medicine, the pill of the Mystic Law.
Regardless of whether one understands it or not, so long as he takes the pill, can he fail to be cured of the illness of delusion? Even though the patient may not understand the medicine or even know the nature of the disease from which he suffers, if he takes the medicine, he is bound to recover."
Nichiren Daishonin reminded us again in the "Reply to Takahashi Nyudo" :
"With the coming of the Latter Day of The Law, however with regards to these Hinayana sutras, Mahayana sutras and the Lotus sutra - which were entrusted respectively to Mahakashyapa, Ananda and others, to the Bodhisattvas Monju, Miroku and others, and to Yakuo, Kannon and others - though the words of these sutras remain, they will no longer serve as medicine for the illnesses of living beings. The Illnesses will be too grave,and these medicines too ineffectual. At that time, Bodhisattva Jogyo will make his appearance in the world and bestow upon all living beings of Jambudvipa the five characters of Myoho-Renge-Kyo."
Our physical body is the combination of the five elements. So as we grow older,naturally it will decay and illness will appear. But when we can widely propagate this True Law, Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo, the illness will vanish immediately with the power of the beneficial medicine.
The following are the great benefits of "Illness vanishing immediately":
1.The pain and worry of the illness one is suffering now will vanish immediately.
2.The recent bad karma can be cleared in this present lifetimes.
3.The mutable karma can be cleared in this present lifetime.
4.The immutable karma can be changed to mutable karma.
5.The effect of the heavy karma which will manifest in the next lifetime, can be brought forward to this lifetime, and become a lighter one.
Nichiren Daishonin stated in the Gosho :
"TheMaka Shikan states : Even if one has committed heavy slanders...their retribution can be lessened in this life. Thus illness occurs when evil karma is about to be dissipated."
Another passage from the Nirvana Sutras states :
"One creates evil karma in this life will surely suffer the torments of hell in the next. However, by serving the three treasures, one can avoid falling into hell in the next life, but will instead suffer afflictions of the head, eye or back in this life."
Everybody knows that the Gohonzon is very merciful, and everybody says he believes, But whether one truly believes without the slightest doubt, or without committing any slanderous act, that is not easy. We always have to remind ourselves about the sincerity of faith. Through our sincere practice, we can clear our three poisons and our life will change. But there are still many people who do not know this beneficial medicine, so we must introduce this beneficial medicine to more people so that they will have a happy life too. (SKBK)
By Rev. Shinga Takikawa @ Kaimyo Issue 05
K先生とのやり取りがちょっと面白くなってきた＾＾。
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Good ^^! Just calm a bit down ... you as well as me are not superman... As to Shidehara, have you studied further ancestors in the range of hundreds or a thousand years...?
Do you know the first year of the official coming of Buddhism into Japan and there were roughly 6 sects in Nara-period, what Shotoku-taishi, Dengyo-taishi and some other major practitioners of Buddhism said, wrote and did in Asuka, Nara, Heian and Kamakura period? who have left great influence in most of Japanese then and now, which means not only Shidehara but most of our ancestors including myself, and they could also be your ancestors in the calculation of roughly fifty times power of 2 makes over the population 7,000,000,000 in a thousand years on earth now.
As to your book regarding Buddhism, I'm reading through it when I have free time. But why must I discuss "Buddhism" on the basis of your book? I've alreay had far better standards to discuss about Buddhism as well as other religions in the world.
Don't you think it's quite clear that I am in the center of Mahayana Buddhism for much longer than you. It is you who should read or listen to the great teaching of especially the True Buddhim, if ever you could not learn it by yourself.
Let me ask you here and now...what is you religion?, what do you belive in? what are you doing as a daily "practice" for it?
Then maybe naturally, one of the next points we should discuss should be the superiority or infefiority of Mahayana and Hindiana etc...it seems to me now 😉
過去は現在につながり、その「現在の現場」に身を置きながら、過去の出来事に想いを馳せる私の癖は、今やほとんど習慣のようになっている。
昨夜遅く、島原半島の車中で、「島原の乱」のことを調べていたら、そのあまりの悲惨さに気が滅入りそうになった。今から400年ほど前、江戸時代初期の話だ。
あの一揆(内乱)の歴史的意味は、いくつもの角度から見ることができるし、そのどれもが相当に興味深いものだが、今回、私の注意を引いたのは、できたばかりの江戸幕府がこの内乱をどう鎮圧したかではなく、その後どのようにして内乱を底支えしたキリスト教の拡大を阻止しようとしたかである。
正統仏教の眼で見れば、すべての物質や生命に内在する因果律を、その根源において無視する、いわゆる一神教の類は、まことに低級で間違った考え方であり、仏教用語では「外道」と呼ばれたりするが、天草四郎を旗頭にした約35,000人近くの人々は、ゼウス様の一神を頼りに、幕府の極めて過酷な年貢の取り立てに対抗した。
結果、たった1人の内通者を除いて、老若男女を問わず全ての人々が惨殺され、村ごと壊滅したところもある。本当にかわいそうな話だ。
この大事件の後、幕府はポルトガルとの交易を断ち、強力な鎖国政策を取ることになるのだが、同時に進めたのがキリスト教拡大防止の宗教政策だった。
この現実世界を苦しい穢土として嫌い、はるか彼方に楽土や救い主を願うという点ではキリスト教と念仏宗は同じ方向を向いている。おそらく念仏者の多くが、海の彼方からやってきた優しい神父様の教えに従おうとしたのだろう。
さて、それに対して幕府は何をしたか。直指人心・不立文字「禅宗」の僧を集め、多数の禅宗寺院を建立し、その拡大によってキリスト教を封じ込めようとしたのである。
禅宗の教えは、一神の教えどころか仏様の教えさえ必要なしとするのだから、人々の頭の中から神や経典を追い出すには誠に都合の良い宗派だったわけである。
宇宙法界の真実相を完全無欠に解き明かした仏様の教えに反し、人間のみならずあらゆる生命を不幸にする教え(宗教)を邪宗と言う。「宗」とは「根本としてよりどころとする」と言う意味である。ここでは結論部分の要点のみを書く。
つまりは、間違った教え「邪宗」を一掃するために、間違った教え「邪宗」を使ったら、その前の人々もその後の人々も救われるわけがなく、本当に幸せになるわけがないのは当たり前ということだ。
私は今回、あの無惨な舞台となった「原城」あたりにも行ってみようかとも思ったが、恨み辛み苦しみで死んでいった方たちの霊魂がワンサカいそうな気がしたので、とりあえず止めにした。
この旅最後の休憩所。昼飯時に川之江(四国中央市)に着いた。あの創業者のバカ息子が億単位の金を博打に使い、業務上横領で塀の中に入った大製紙会社のある街だ。
昼間はパルプ工場の煙突から吹き出る匂いが海風に乗って内陸部まで達し、それがあまりひどいので、私などはここを通過するたびに車の窓を閉める。
御書に「臭い厠(便所)の中にずっといると、その臭いのが分からなくなる」とある。ここにお住まいの方々には失礼な話になるかもしれないが、この匂いに慣れて生活することは、善くも悪くも仕方のないことだ。中にはこの匂いが好きな人もいるかもしれない。
ただ、このご金言の本来の意味で厄介なことは、ものの見方・考え方とか思想とか哲学とかその奥にある宗教とか、簡単に目には見えないけれども、確実に人生の幸不幸を左右する「臭」で、私を含め世界中の多くの人々は何らかの臭みの中で、日々、喜怒哀楽し、四苦八苦の大きなパルプ工場の中から脱出できないでいる。これを仏法の用語で「第六天の魔王の所領」とか言うのだが、つまりは様々な欲望の支配する世界のことだ。
ただ、このご金言の本来の意味で厄介なことは、ものの見方・考え方とか思想とか哲学とかその奥にある宗教とか、簡単に目には見えないけれども、確実に人生の幸不幸を左右する「臭」で、私を含め世界中の多くの人々は何らかの臭みの中で、日々、喜怒哀楽し、四苦八苦の大きなパルプ工場の中から脱出できないでいる。これを仏法の用語で「第六天の魔王の所領」とか言うのだが、つまりは様々な欲望の支配する世界のことだ。
正統仏教・日蓮正宗の世界観は、それらの欲望を否定し消し去るのではなく(そんなことできるわけがない)、「根本的に浄化する」ことによって、あらゆる欲望や煩悩を、即、菩提へと転じていく方途を示している。
そんなことが本当にできるのか？・・・これができるのである。試してみたい人は、全国・世界各地にある正宗寺院に足を運んで、ご住職にお会いしてみると良い。まぁ多分、びっくりするようなお話が聞ける。
以下は和歌山の正宗寺院。とても分かりやすく整理されている。
以下は和歌山の正宗寺院。とても分かりやすく整理されている。
大阪の下道はどうにも走る気がしないので、奈良の手前から高速に乗ったら、こんな時間にこんなところまできてしまった。この勢いなら今日中に松山に着きそうな気がするが、こういう時こそゆっくり進んだ方が良い、ということを私は知っている。
時間は伸び縮みする。特に令和3年までは、おそらく極めて濃密な時間となり、日本だけでなく世界中で大きな変化が起こるだろう。
私は聖人でも商人でもないが、「三世(現在・過去・未来)を委細に(詳しく)知るを聖人」と言い、それに大をつけて大聖人と呼ばれる方が、この世界に誕生してちょうど800年を迎えるのがこの年にあたる。まだ地球上の多くの人は知らないでいる。
この広大無辺な宇宙法界には無数の仏がいる。それら全ての仏を生み出した大元の仏、つまり「本仏」が、この日本という国土に現れたことの意味。それが今後、この世界の平和にとってどういう意味を持つのかを、さらに多くの人々が理解するようになるだろう。