My Favourite Gosho: Callum

This is a new feature for the blog which I'm trying out and that I hope many of you will get involved with. The idea is to support each other in study through sharing our own positive experiences. Studying can seem like a momentous task but it needn't be arduous. Indeed, it can be a great joy to study and we can do it in little, bite-size chunks. The important thing is not to be defeated in study but to carry on making great efforts to deepen our knowledge and, ultimately, our faith.

The purpose of "My Favourite Gosho" is for members to speak a little about one of the writings of Nichiren Daishonin that has particularly inspired them, that really stays with them in their daily life or that they just find a delight to read. The hope is that this will encourage others to read that same Gosho and that they might take something from it, too.

The SGI website has done a similar thing HERE. I think taking advantage of the bonds of friendships that have formed in the district, this project can have an even greater impact.

Anyway, here's mine:



Title of Gosho: The Recitation of the "Expedient Means" and "Life Span" Chapters (WND-1, 68-75) [LINK]

What is the Gosho about?: This was a letter written in response to a woman who asked the Daishonin about the formalities of her daily practice of Buddhism during her menstrual cycle (the Gosho is sometimes called "Letter on Menstruation"). In it, Nichiren encourages the recitation of the Expedient Means and Life Span chapters of the Lotus Sutra (the two chapters from which the extracts we recite in Gongyo are taken) as part of one's daily practice and also confirms that it is better to chant Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo than Namu-ichijo-myoten ("devotion to the wonderful sutra of the one vehicle").

In this Gosho, the Daishonin talks about how great the benefits that one who recites even a single phrase or word of the Lotus Sutra will receive will be. He tells us that, through upholding the Lotus Sutra in our lives and never turning our backs on it, we can definitely attain Buddhahood and that, conversely, if we do not believe in the Lotus Sutra but slander it, no matter how many good acts we have performed, we will never attain Buddhahood.

In more direct response to the question posed, Nichiren tells the woman that there is no scriptural reason for any change to her practice during menstruation. However, he also speaks about the precept of "following the customs of the region", which means that, as long as we do not commit a seriously offensive act against Buddhism, we should do our best to avoid going against the manners and customs of our country.

What about this Gosho do you like?: From the first time I read this letter, I considered it to be a very important Gosho that I knew I could learn a lot from. Every time I go back to it, I find something new to think about. It really reminds me how fortunate I am to have come into contact with the Lotus Sutra and Nichiren Buddhism in this lifetime and also how important it is to tell as many people as possible about this teaching.

What strikes me about this Gosho is the genuine compassion expressed by the Daishonin and his sincere joy at having received this letter and being able to reply to it. His wish for all people to become happy through the Lotus Sutra is so clear and we can see that he is truly humbled by his disciple's seeking spirit. Nichiren sets a wonderful example to us all of how to see and respect the Buddhahood inherent in each of us.

Not only is this a writing on some of the practicalities of Buddhism, it gives supreme hope for every person who upholds the Lotus Sutra. It is explained precisely why it is not enough to do good deeds alone, but that we must also forge unshakeable faith. This inspires me to keep advancing day after day and to never be defeated, no matter what.

Finally, I find his commentary on "following the customs of the region" very interesting as it really demonstrates how this Buddhism is a practice for daily life. In the SGI, we see how this Buddhism is independent of a particular culture but rather adapts to the culture of those people who embrace it. This makes it clear to me that, through this Buddhism, all people, regardless of background or circumstance, can become happy.

What is/are your favourite quote/s from this Gosho?:

"As for the Lotus Sutra, one may recite the entire sutra of twenty-eight chapters in eight volumes every day; or one may recite only one volume, or one chapter, or one verse, or one phrase, or one word; or one may simply chant the daimoku, Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, only once a day, or chant it only once in the course of a lifetime; or hear someone else chant it only once in a lifetime and rejoice in the hearing, or rejoice in hearing the voice of some else rejoice in the hearing, and so on in this manner to the fiftieth hearer. And... the blessings one would gain would be a hundred, thousand, ten thousand, million times greater than those gained by persons of keen faculties and superior wisdom who study other sutras..." (WND-1, 68)