THE BUDDHIST GODS Reverend Yosai Yamada CHIEF PRIEST, MYOGYOJI TEMPLE
Ever since we human beings began to think about the universe around us, we found that it contained countless mysteries. There were many unpredictable events, such as eclipses, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and even rain and snow, that in ancient times, were thought to be signs of the incomprehensible workings of "god" or "gods".
In modern times, however, science has shown that these events are not proof of same superhuman good-will or bad-will. We know that they are due to the laws of nature, which do not change. And as Buddhists, we believe that the supreme law of cause and effect governs it all. The existence of this absolute and ultimate law is proven again and again with every new discovery of science. Nevertheless, we are still unable to accurately predict all events, even with the aid of science, and we are still helpless to do anything to keep them from occurring.
In Buddhism, we still refer to these forces as "gods". But the use of that word has nothing in common with God the Creator of the Christian faith, and they are not supernatural. They always function based on the ultimate law of the universe, Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo. Their protective power does not, like the Christian God, exist by itself. Buddhist gods do not hold a controlling position like that of the Christian God. On the contrary, Buddhist gods come out of life itself. They do not punish and they do not give deliverance. They respond to the sound of the True Invocation of the Law, Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo. They are, so to speak, at the service of everyone who embraces the Gohonzon and practices, and everyone of us can experience the functioning of the Buddhist gods if we make the right cause.
In the Christian view, people are powerless in the face of God in this lifetime and also in the next. On the contrary, Buddhism teaches that we are not at the mercy of an arbitrary power and that natural forces can be made to protect us by chanting Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo to the Gohonzon.
To become a Buddha in everyday life means to live in complete harmony with the universe, and that also means that how the forces in the universe operate is directly linked to us. Those who chant the Daimoku and fuse with the universe through the Gohonzon will definitely succeed in their endeavors in this lifetime; and they will be able to perceive and experience the beneficial existence of the forces in the universe as protection. As the Buddhist gods function on our behalf, they will show us the validity of the Law of Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo.
When Shakyamuni revealed his enlightenment in the Lotus Sutra, all the gods, or natural forces, were in attendance. The first chapter of the Lotus Sutra contains this line:
"Present at the Ceremony were the God of the Moon, the God of the stars and the God of the Sun together with all the other Buddhist gods."
From talking with many members during the past year, I know how troublesome allegory is to most people in the west. This is a period of extreme rationalism. We demand to understand Shakyamuni's enlightenment with the tools of science. But it is the nature of the religious truth of Buddhism that the tools of science are not enough. Buddhist truth contains everything science has or will discover. That's why it's true. I have heard the statement that science validates Buddhism because they knew a lot of science in those days. That is absolutely incorrect.
Shakyamuni did not have the fabulous tools of science at his command. Everything science has to say thus far validates Buddhism because Buddhism is large enough and absolutely true enough to contain everything we can discover about the universe. But it took the Daishonin's life to validate every line of the Lotus Sutra, and unless we are able to master correct practice to the Gohonzon, the Daishonin's enlightened life will remain something apart from our own until what he experienced becomes our experience through the actual proof in our daily lives. So as troublesome as allegory is, I must talk about Shakyamuni's Lotus Sutra and then about the reality of Nichiren Daishonin's life.
When Shakyamuni revealed his supreme teaching, all natural forces and beings from all the ten directions of the universe were present. The first chapter of the Lotus Sutra contains this line:
"Present at the ceremony were the God of the Moon, the God of the stars and the God of the Sun together with all the other Buddhist gods."
Of course they were present. Shakyamuni's enlightenment contains the essence and totality of all life in the universe. It is complete enlightenment about all life and nothing is excluded.
As he prepared to preach the Lotus Sutra, he faced east and a ray of light was emitted from his forehead, and it first illuminated eastward. All worlds and all forces responded to this light as it gradually enveloped the ten directions, or the entire universe. And all worlds and all forces and representative beings were drawn to Eagle Peak.
Shakyamuni revealed the picture of his enlightenment in the Lotus Sutra, and it made the entire universe and its workings quite clear without the use of science. But he never revealed the cause for his enlightenment. The sutra's promise is for everyone, but its purpose as a tool of enlightenment was for a select few. Perhaps that is why we cannot understand it. We cannot read the Lotus Sutra and say, "Ah, yes, now I see." Shakyamuni himself predicted the decline of his teachings and the main reason for the ceremony was to transfer the law to one who could teach every person the way to enlightenment. And all beings and forces promised to guard and protect the votary of that teaching.
In the 5th five hundred years after Shakyamuni's death, the essence of the ceremony at Eagle Peak is enacted again, but in a real way that we can understand It is the Daishonin who climbs Seichozan mountain in Asahigo-mori forest. And he, like Shakyamuni, faces east. However, no light is emitted from his forehead. Instead, the sound of the true invocation of the Law, to which all beings and forces respond is heard. It is chanted for the first time on April 28th, 1253, as the sun rises out of the pacific as if in response. And the Buddhist gods, who had been waiting expectantly for so long to keep their promise, end up doing so as the Daishonin faced peril after peril. He could have never survived without the comet at Tatsunokuchi or the force of compassion in Abutsubo, Sennichi-ama or Yasaburo.
But the most wondrous thing, is that every man is able to make or think this sound and all life will respond. Try as we may, I don't think anyone is going to be able to emit a light from their forehead to illuminate all life. Should you be able to do this, please let me know about it. But through the sound of Daimoku, the effect will be the same.
A second wonderful thing about the compassion of the True Buddha, Nichiren Daishonin, is that now, each man can re-enact for himself and experience for himself, Eagle Peak and enlightenment. As you face east to chant Daimoku and recite the sutra, you yourself became Shakyamuni, or the Buddha, causing all forces in the universe to respond and keep their promise. You become the Buddha as you turn and face the Gohonzon, and it is the mystery and nature of this act, that the Buddha body and the Buddha action envelop you so that your entire day is influenced by this act.
Beginning the day by facing east to recite the Lotus Sutra and chant the true Invocation of the Law are deeply significant in Nichiren Shoshu Buddhism. It is not only because Shakyamuni Buddha did, and the Daishonin did, but why they did it. Dengyo the Great, indicates the meaning of facing eastward in his saying:
"The east is the origin of all quarters."
Of course he is correct. Among the Buddhist gods, the most visible to us is the Sun, or Dai-nichiten-no. It is called up, or rises up out of the east, and its light makes all quarters of our environment clear. All things begin to stir in response to its great power, and there would be no life on this planet without it. Therefore, we face eastward in our first prayer in the morning, thereby expressing our thanks. But this is by no means a prayer for us to attain Buddhahood. In Nichiren Shoshu, worshipping the Gohonzon as the true object of worship, is observed as the only orthodox way of worship in Buddhism. This will be clearly understood if you grasp the significance of Buddhist gods by reading the Daishonin's writings, the Gosho. And, as I indicated, enlightenment cannot be achieved through Shakyamuni's Lotus Sutra, although it contains an accurate picture of many things.
Our enlightenment is only possible through the Gohonzon, the true object for realizing that we possess a Buddha nature and can, through our efforts of faith and practice, became one in this lifetime.
Thank you very much.
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