the wisdom of the lotus sutra-chapter twenty-three

8/10/2019 The Wisdom of the Lotus Sutra-Chapter Twenty-Three

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/the-wisdom-of-the-lotus-sutra-chapter-twenty-three 1/25

The Wisdom Of The Lotus Sutra

Chapter Twenty-Three

True Health Lies in Bodhisattva Practice

This sutra can save all living beings. Thissutra can cause all living beings to freethemselves from suering and anguish.This sutra can bring great benets to allliving beings and fulll their desires, as aclear cool pond can satisfy all those whoare thirsty. It is like . . . a child nding itsmother, someone nding a ship in which

to cross the water, a sick man nding adoctor, someone in darkness nding alamp…Such is this otus Sutra. It cancause living beings to cast o all distress,all sickness and pain. It can unloose allthe bonds of birth and death. !S"#, "$%&

This sutra provides good medicine for theills of the people of 'ambudvipa. If aperson who has an illness is able to hearthis sutra, then his illness will be wiped

out and he will know neither old age ordeath. !S"#, "$$&

Ikeda( )hat is the purpose of faith* It is to transform one+sstate of life.There are those who, upon seeing a ower, can immediatelycompose a poem. The great 'apanese haiku artist -atsuoasho !/%00120& was one such person. 3t a 4uncture in histravels, he once wrote(

The wild violets1 somehow strangelyappealing on the mountain track.

5thers, though they may not go as far as composing a poem,are lled with 4oy at the sight of a beautiful ower.)e may see a single ower and think how lonely it appears. Itmay remind us of someone, causing us to wonder, 67ow is so1and1so doing* Is he or she in good health*6 and inspire us to

1



give that person a call. This is a reection of the odhisattvastate of life.There are also those, however, in whom the sight of a ower orthe moon stirs no reaction at all. They must have hearts ofstone8

)hen eethoven composed his Symphony no. % !9astorale&, hewas already fairly hard of hearing. ut in his heart he couldhear the birds singing in the countryside and the murmur of ameandering brook. 7e could hear the 4oyous voices of ruralfolk. The clamor of a erce storm and the freshness in the airthat follows1all of this was in his heart. 3nd he communicatedthe great nature lling his heart to humankind through music.Such was his incredible state of life, even without the ability tohear or without knowledge of uddhism.It is impossible, therefore, that we who practice the -ysticaw should be unable to broadly e:pand the universe of our

heart. -ystic, or myo, has the meaning of 6to open.6 )epractice faith in order to open the vast treasures in our heart,to establish a state of life where we can en4oy all that lifebrings.Shakyamuni says, 6et us live most happily, free from diseasein the midst of the diseased; let us remain free from disease inthe midst of diseased people6 eing free of suering meanstransforming earthly desires or illusions into enlightenment. Itmeans changing them into 4oy and fulllment; into a profoundsense of happiness that transcends all suering.The passage continues, 6et us live most happily, free from

restlessness in the midst of the restless; let us remain freefrom restlessness in the midst of restlessness.6 Suering isborn of greed. Shakyamuni is encouraging us to 4oyfully striveto accumulate the treasures of the heart. 7e also says,6<reedom from sickness is a holy gift; = >ontentment isopulence. = ?Indulgence@ the nest friend, = 3nd nirvana thenest bliss.6Ando( Birvana is enlightenment.Ikeda( This is referring to the principle, 6the suerings of birthand death are nirvana,6 and it is what Shakyamuni meanswhen he talks about achieving an 6immortal6 state of life. 7e is

talking about the world of uddhahood.Saito( It is said that when Shakyamuni began preaching at thereCuest of the god rahma after he had attainedenlightenment, his rst words were, 6I have opened the gateof immortality86Suda( 3nd when he rst e:pounded the aw for others, hecalled out to the ve practitioners, 6end me your ears. I haveattained immortality86

2



Ikeda( 7e had awakened to the aw transcending the6suering of death,6 the -ystic aw. Bichiren Daishonin says,6+-yo+ is the eli:ir of immortality6 !Eosho Fenshu, p. $#/&.Saito( The 6<ormer 3airs of the odhisattva -edicine Ging6!twenty1third& chapter contains these famous words( 6This

sutra provides good medicine for the ills of the people of 'ambudvipa. If a person who has an illness is able to hear thissutra, then his illness will be wiped out and he will knowneither old age or death6 !S"#, "$$&. Aternal youth andimmortality are the benets of the otus Sutra.Ando( In other words, the otus Sutra elucidates the 6immortalstate6 to which Shakyamuni had awakened.Ikeda( The otus Sutra is the true purpose of Shakyamuni+sadvent; it is the nal conclusion to his life of preaching.Suda( To say that we 6will know neither old age or death6actually sounds absurd8

Ikeda( This of course does not imply that we won+t grow oldand die. If that were the case, then the already seriousproblem of over1population would get even more out ofcontrol8)hat it means is that we will not e:perience suering becauseof aging and death. True to Shakyamuni+s words, 6et us livewith great 4oy,6 we are able to develop our life to the e:tentthat, as we overcome various hardships, we can live each day,each moment, savoring the 4oy of being alive. This is true6health.6Suda( In a passage cited earlier, Shakyamuni says that health

is the supreme benet.Ando( 3nd that satisfaction is the supreme treasure.Ikeda( This is health in both body and mind. To be healthy inbody and mind is to live vigorously, dedicated wholeheartedlyto accomplishing one+s mission in this e:istence. It means that,as long as we are alive, even should illness overtake us, wewill continue chanting daimoku and telling others about the-ystic aw. It means living fully for our mission throughouteternity. To have such faith is to possess a state of life free ofaging and death.This is the teaching of the 6odhisattva -edicine Ging6

chapter. odhisattva -edicine Ging demonstrates this with hisown life. et us go over the chapter.

Bodhisattvas of the Essential and TheoreticalTeachins

3



Suda( 5kay. The section of the otus Sutra where the6ceremony of transmission6 takes place concludes with theprior 6Antrustment6 !twenty1second& chapter. In a sense,therefore, it could be said that this previous section completesthe otus Sutra.

ut there are in fact si: more chapters. These are the6-edicine Ging,6 6odhisattva )onderful Sound,6 6HniversalEateway of the odhisattva 9erceiver of the )orld+s Sounds,66Dharani,6 6<ormer 3airs of Ging )onderful 3dornment6 and6Ancouragements of the odhisattva Hniversal )orthy6chapters. )hy is this* The Daishonin compares the preachingin these last si: chapters of the sutra to a post1harvest6gleaning6 of the elds !cf. Eosho Fenshu, p. ""&.Ando( 6Eleaning6 means collecting the fallen grain left byreapers. 3fter harvesting a crop, people would pick up thegrain that remained. The ceremony for transferring

responsibility to carry on the work of leading humankind toenlightenment after Shakyamuni+s death is concluded with theessential transmission to the odhisattvas of the Aarth !in the6Supernatural 9owers of the Thus >ome 5ne6 ?twenty1rst@chapter& and the general transmission to all bodhisattvas !inthe 6Antrustment6 ?twenty1second@ chapter&.To ensure that the aw is transmitted, Shakyamuni thenemphasiJes the role of the bodhisattvas of the theoreticalteachings and those from other worlds and entrusts them withpropagating the otus Sutra. I think it could be said that thesesi: chapters provide 6added insurance,6 as it were.

Ikeda( These si: chapters are pervaded with Shakyamuni+sspirit to show all people without e:ception the way toenlightenment and to accomplish the widespread propagationof the -ystic aw, no matter what diKculties such a task mightentail. In terms of format, they resemble an addendum; and infact, research on the history of the otus Sutra+s originsstrongly suggests that these chapters were added to the te:tat a later date.Saito( >ertainly, each of these chapters stands largely on itsown, like a series of independent sutras, and the connectionsbetween them are also very tenuous. The 6odhisattva

)onderful Sound6 chapter is actually sometimes called the6odhisattva )onderful Sound Sutra,6 and historically peoplehave placed their faith in this te:t as an independent sutra.Ikeda( Aven so, these si: chapters are not simply an6addendum.6 In terms of the 6three assemblies in two places,6the second assembly at Aagle 9eak !which succeeds the rstassembly at Aagle 9eak ?rst through eleventh chapters@ andthe >eremony in the 3ir ?eleventh through twenty1second

4



chapters@& takes place in these si: chapters. This sectionelucidates the important role of bodhisattvas in returning toactual society with the eternal -ystic aw that was revealedduring the >eremony in the 3ir engraved deeply in theirhearts.

Suda( This signies moving from the world of uddhahood, orthe 6eect6 of enlightenment, to the nine worlds, or the6cause6 of enlightenment.Ikeda( Aach bodhisattva, believing in and accepting the Bam1-yoho1Lenge1Gyo contained in the depths of the 6ife Span6!si:teenth& chapter, shows actual proof of the -ystic aw intheir respective eld of endeavor. They test and prove andthen propagate the -ystic aw. That is probably why thebodhisattvas appearing in these si: chapters aree:traordinarily varied in their appearance and activities.Ando( odhisattvas -edicine Ging, )onderful Sound, 9erceiver

of the )orld+s Sounds, rave Donor !who appears in the6Dharani6 ?twenty1si:th@ chapter&, -edicine Superior !whoappears in the 6Ging )onderful 3dornment6 ?twenty1seventh@chapter&, and Hniversal )orthy are indeed each very dierent.Saito( They are certainly highly individual.Ikeda( This is 4ust an e:ample, but, as you know, when lightpasses through a standard triangular prism, it breaks into theseven colors of the spectrum. ight is the totality, and theseven colors are its constituent parts. Similarly, thebodhisattvas of the theoretical teaching who appear in thelatter assembly at Aagle 9eak, while each carrying in their

heart the light of uddhahood, richly e:hibit the hues of theirindividual mission.Saito( The term 6theoretical6 !in 6bodhisattvas of thetheoretical teaching6& implies an image or reection of thetruth. The Ereat Teacher T+ien1t+ai of >hina compares6essential6 !as in 6essential teaching6& to the actual moon inthe sky and 6theoretical6 to the moon in the pond !i.e., themoon+s reected image&.Ando( )hile there is only one moon in the sky, its reectionsare innite in number, given the countless bodies of water ine:istence.

Suda( The bodhisattvas of the essential teaching !i.e., theodhisattvas of the Aarth& are rather unassuming incomparison to those of the theoretical teaching; they arestraightforward and unadorned.<rom their names alone, we see that the four leaders of theodhisattvas of the Aarth1Superior 9ractices, oundless9ractices, 9ure 9ractices and <irmly Astablished 9ractices1are

5



completely dierent from the bodhisattvas of the theoreticalteaching.Ikeda( That+s right. They are on a dierent level. The names ofthe four bodhisattvas represent functions of the -ystic awitself, and they are compared to the 6moon in the sky.6 Their

mission is simply the propagation of the -ystic aw. This is asthe Daishonin indicates when he says, 6The action carried outby the bodhisattvas of the essential teaching is ?to propagate@Bam1-yoho1Lenge1Gyo6 !Eosho Fenshu, p. M/&.Ando( In other words, the bodhisattvas of the theoreticalteaching are in the rst place bodhisattvas instructed byprovisional uddhas !uddhas who do not reveal their trueidentity but assume transient identities to lead people toenlightenment&. y contrast, the bodhisattvas of the essentialteaching are the direct disciples of the true uddha who are atone with the true uddha.

Ikeda( Nes. The two groups could not be more dierent.Ando( The 6protagonists6 of Gosen Lufu after Shakyamuni+spassing are none other than the bodhisattvas of the essentialteaching, the odhisattvas of the Aarth. The bodhisattvas ofthe theoretical teaching play a supporting or assisting role.5ne can reason that it is in the si: chapters making up thesecond assembly at Aagle 9eak where the function of thesebodhisattvas to assist the odhisattvas of the Aarth inaccomplishing their mission is made clear. This, at least, is thesurface meaning.Suda( Throughout the world today there are many people who,

while not practicing faith themselves, agree with, support andpraise the movement for Gosen Lufu. 9erhaps they can bethought of as representing a function of the bodhisattvas ofthe theoretical teaching.Ikeda( I think we could say that.5f course, what we are talking about here are activities orfunctions to support Gosen Lufu, and not physical attributes.

!ctual Proof throuh "ultifaceted !ctivities

Ando( 5n a deeper level, it seems that 6bodhisattvas of thetheoretical teaching6 are actually activities carried out in awide range of areas based on the world of uddhahood, as inthe prism metaphor mentioned earlier.Saito( That makes it easy to understand.Ando( <or e:ample, odhisattva -edicine Ging is active in thearea of medicine, odhisattva )onderful Sound in the area ofmusic and other arts, odhisattva Hniversal )orthy in the area

6



of scholarship. Their activities are fundamentally reectedimages of the bodhisattvas of the essential teaching. In otherwords, this is referring to our respective roles in society asbodhisattvas of the essential teaching.Ikeda( Nes, that is the conclusion. Through our SEI activities

we are advancing the widespread propagation of the -ysticaw as bodhisattvas of the essential teaching. ut we eachhave dierent 4obs, roles and positions in society, in the familyand the community.ased on faith, it is important that we fulll our respectiveresponsibilities in a way that people can really appreciate. Thisitself is showing proof of faith and of the -ystic aw. Throughobserving SEI members in action, people can sense the 6sun6that burns brightly in their hearts. It+s impossible thatsomeone practicing the Daishonin+s uddhism correctly shouldbe living irresponsibly. Such a person is not a true practitioner

of faith; in fact, they are degrading the aw.3s bodhisattvas of the essential teaching, we need to fullyreveal in society and our daily lives the life force of the worldof uddhahood that we develop through our eorts to practicefor ourselves and for others. y continually doing so, wefurther deepen our faith and strengthen our true potential.It is a two1way process. Through this cycle of practicing faithand taking action in society, we can realiJe boundless growthin our lives and limitlessly advance Gosen Lufu. I think this isthe practical standpoint of the si: chapters that make up thesecond assembly at Aagle 9eak.

Suda( I understand more clearly the role of the bodhisattvas of the theoretical teaching. Hntil now I viewed them as somethingcompletely unrelated to us. 9erhaps I even looked down onthem8Ikeda( <aith is what matters. 3 person who is active in societyyet forgets about faith is neither a bodhisattva of the essentialteaching nor of the theoretical teaching. Such people willinevitably succumb to the desire for fame and fortunerepresentative of the worlds of 7unger and 3nimality. This isbecause, in forgetting about faith, they are concealing the life1state of uddhahood. Hltimately, they will fall into the state of

7ell. 3ctually, given the reality of the simultaneity of causeand eect, the moment we lose faith, we are in the state of7ell.Saito( I can really see why the bodhisattvas of the theoreticalteaching are so varied in their appearance. The reason)onderful Sound has 6thirty1four forms6 and 9erceiver of the)orld+s Sounds has 6thirty1three forms6 is so that they canassume a multitude of guises in order to help people become

7



happy, to demonstrate the validity of the -ystic aw and topromote Gosen Lufu.Ikeda( They are splendid, and free of all impediments. TheSEI+s fundamental path of promoting peace, culture andeducation based on uddhism has its origin in the principle of

this second assembly at Aagle 9eak. )e are advancing 4ust asthe otus Sutra teaches.

#$ "ust %epay "y &e't to "y "entor(#

Suda( In a word, the 6odhisattva -edicine Ging6 chapter is atale about -edicine Ging+s eorts to repay his debt ofgratitude to his mentor. 3 bodhisattva named >onstellationGing <lower asks Shakyamuni why odhisattva -edicine Gingengages in diKcult and arduous practices in the Saha world,adding that everyone wishes to understand this !cf. S"#,

"$O&. Shakyamuni replies that in the past there was a uddhanamed Sun -oon 9ure right Pirtue Thus >ome 5ne whoe:pounded the otus Sutra to a bodhisattva named EladlySeen by 3ll iving eings. The bodhisattva practiced the sutrasingle1mindedly for /",OOO years. 3s a result, he attained the6samQdhi in which one can manifest all physical forms6 !cf.S"#, "$/&.Ando( This is the state of life where one can uninhibitedlydisplay the forms of all living beings in the Ten )orlds. This iswhat is meant by 6thirty1four forms 6 or 6thirty1three forms.6Suda( LealiJing that it was thanks to the otus Sutra and Sun-oon 9ure right Pirtue uddha that he was able to attain thisstate, the bodhisattva makes a vow to repay his debt, saying,6I must now make an oering to the uddha Sun -oon 9ureright Pirtue and to the otus Sutra86 !S"#, "$/&. Leasoningthat the greatest oering would be to oer his own life, hedrinks various perfumes and fragrant oils, pours fragrant oilover his body, and sets re to himself, making an oering ofthis light. The ame burns continuously for a period of /,"OOyears, illuminating the entire world. 3ll uddhas praise thisoering as the 6foremost donation of all6 and as a 6trueDharma oering6 !S"#, "$"&.Ikeda( The sincerity of his eorts to repay his debt of gratitudeilluminates the world. )e, too, have been able to becomehappy thanks to the EohonJon. 3nd thanks to the SEI, whichhas taught us about the EohonJon, we have learned thecorrect path in life.If we cherish the spirit to repay this debt of gratitude in thedepths of our hearts, then our good fortune will increase in

8



leaps and bounds. Bo matter how much action someone mightseem to be taking outwardly, if they lack the spirit to repaytheir debt of gratitude, their arrogance will destroy their goodfortune. >onseCuently, they will be unable to genuinelytransform their state of life. 3 subtle dierence in our spirit, or

Ichinen, produces diametrically dierent results.Aven if someone has a high position in the organiJation or issuccessful in society, if they forget to work toward repayingtheir debt of gratitude, then, even though we may not seetheir decline, in their heart they will become destitute.Ando( The desire of Eladly Seen by 3ll iving eings to repayhis debt of gratitude is not e:hausted even after he hasburned his body for /,"OO years. 3fter the ame burns out andhis life comes to an end, he is born again in the land of Sun-oon 9ure right Pirtue uddha and the household of the king9ure Pirtue. 7e goes back to Sun -oon 9ure right Pirtue with

the intent to make oerings to repay his debt of gratitude.Ikeda( 7is spirit to repay his debt of gratitude transcends lifeand death. 7e is resolved that after his death he will comeback again to be with his mentor and continue the struggle.Since he has attained the state of being able to manifest allphysical forms, he can choose e:actly where he would like tobe born. Those who dedicate themselves wholeheartedly tofaith in the -ystic aw are completely free.Saito( The uddha then tells Eladly Seen by 3ll iving eingsthat he is about to die, and he transfers the aw to thisdisciple who has again returned to his service. Bot only that,

he also entrusts him with all of his other disciples and all of histreasures.Ikeda( 7e leaves everything to this disciple who is foremost inrepaying his debt of gratitude.Suda( Eladly Seen by 3ll iving eings proceeds to build$0,OOO stupas as an oering to house the remains of Sun -oon9ure right Pirtue Thus >ome 5ne. ut he is still not satised.So, standing before the $0,OOO stupas, he burns his arms as anoering of light. 3nd he continues doing this for M",OOO years.3t this time, seeing his disciples saddened that he has lost hisarms, Eladly Seen by 3ll iving eings declares, 6I have cast

away both my arms. ?ut@ I am certain to attain the goldenbody of a uddha. If this is true and not false, then may mytwo arms become as they were before86 !S"#, "$&. 7is armsare then restored, 4ust as he said.Ikeda( )hen we make oerings with utmost condence, we arecertain to receive even greater good fortune and benet inreturn. 3n oering made reluctantly and with skepticism is notgenuine. The heart is all1important.

9



Suda( 3fter relating these events from the past, Shakyamunie:plains that odhisattva Eladly Seen by 3ll iving eings wasodhisattva -edicine Ging in a previous e:istence.69resident -akiguchi+s Selessness Is >omparable to the5ering of odhisattva -edicine Ging6

Ikeda( To give one+s life for the sake of the aw is the ultimateact of repaying one+s debt of gratitude. The 6-edicine Ging6chapter came to have a great deal of inuence in latergenerations. In >hina and 'apan, there were even some wholiterally burned their arms or their bodies to make an oeringto the uddha.There is today of course no need to go to such e:tremes8 There referred to in this chapter is the re of wisdom. )hen weburn the 6body6 of earthly desires with the 6re6 of wisdom,the 6light6 of the world of uddhahood shines forth. 3nd thesupreme wisdom is faith; it is chanting daimoku. 3lso, in

burning incense and candles as oerings to the EohonJon, weare demonstrating faith that can illuminate the entireuniverse.The 6-edicine Ging6 chapter essentially teaches the faith to6dedicate one+s life to the aw.6 I recall that my mentor andsecond Soka Eakkai president 'osei Toda used to alwaysdescribe -r. -akiguchi+s death in prison as the 6oering ofodhisattva -edicine Ging.6

?-r. Toda said( 6)hy was a person of suche:alted virtue made to die in prison* If he

had not been a votary of the otus Sutra,he could never have had such a destiny.

67e gave his life for the sake of the otusSutra; he is a model of dedicating one+slife to the otus Sutra by facingpersecution. 7is death was the oering of odhisattva -edicine Ging. 9resident-akiguchi is Cualied to be praised bythe words !used in the sutra to describe-edicine Ging+s oering of self1

immolation& 63mong all donations, this isthe most highly priJed6 !S"#, "$"&.

69resident -akiguchi, who continuallycited the words of the Daishonin that fora person of wisdom to be praised by foolsis a disgrace, was in the end hailed as aperson of the foremost wisdom.

10



6The +odhisattva -edicine Ging+ chaptersays( +3fter the odhisattva Eladly Seenby 3ll iving eings had made thisDharma oering and his life had come toan end, he was reborn in the land of the

uddha Sun -oon 9ure right Pirtue, inthe household of the king 9ure Pirtue.Sitting in cross1legged position, he wassuddenly born by transformation+ !S"#,"$"&. 6Bichiren Daishonin teaches thatthe otus Sutra is a mirror reecting allphenomena. The Daishonin does not lie1he always speaks the truth. Therefore,believing in the Daishonin+s words andlooking into this clear mirror, I am rmlycondent that -r. -akiguchi will be

reborn as a prince in a land where theotus Sutra has spread and into the homeof a royal family of pure virtue. 7ishappiness in his ne:t life must bethousands, tens of thousands of timesgreater than our own.6@

9resident Toda was always earnest when he spoke about -r.-akiguchi. 7is heart was lled with memories of his mentor,praise for his mentor and thoughts of his mentor. )hen hismany years of hard struggles had nally caught up with him,

-r. Toda would often remark, 6I am lonely without 9resident-akiguchi. I would like to return to my mentor+s side.6 -r. Todalived longer so that he could devote himself completely toGosen Lufu. The two years he spent in prison during the warhad seriously undermined his health. 5nce when he was wearywith fatigue, but deep in thought, he remarked to me as I gavehim a back rub, 6Bo matter how many centuries it might take,we absolutely have to accomplish Gosen Lufu. Ancounteringpersecution and criticism goes hand in hand with waging arevolution. Bo matter what happens, we must not be afraid. Ifwe stake our lives on this, we will have nothing to fear.6

7e spoke these words as though his life depended on it.9resident Toda also made the 6oering of odhisattva-edicine Ging.6 urning with the desire for Gosen Lufu, healone protected the ame of the True aw, causing it to shinebrightly.

11



Bodhisattvas of the Earth En)oy Protectionfrom Without

Saito( The 6-edicine Ging6 chapter contains the famous line

which directly refers to Gosen Lufu(3fter I have passed into e:tinction, in the last ve hundredyear period you must spread it abroad widely throughout

'ambudvipa and never allow it to be cut o, nor must you allowevil devils, the devils+ people, heavenly beings, dragons,yakshas or kumbhanda demons to seiJe the advantage8 !S"#,"$$&6Don+t allow devils in86 it implores. This is the uddha+s will.)e must not allow the ow of worldwide Gosen Lufu to beobstructed. )e must continue passing the teachings frommentor to disciple, and from one generation to the ne:t,

illuminating our lives like a lighthouse for the sake of otherswith the spirit to practice even at the cost of our lives.Ando( The bodhisattvas of the theoretical teaching also e:ertthemselves in this fashion. Bichiren Daishonin says that T+ien1t+ai is the reincarnation of odhisattva -edicine Ging.Lepeatedly in the Eosho he says things like, 6odhisattva-edicine Ging is T+ien1t+ai, leader of the -iddle Day of the aw6!Eosho Fenshu, p. $M&. T+ien1t+ai steadfastly protected theame of the True aw during the -iddle Day.Suda( The Ereat Teacher Dengyo of 'apan, born two hundredyears after T+ien1t+ai, is said to have been his reincarnation.

Ando( The Daishonin designates the uddhism of T+ien1t+ai as aprelude to the widespread propagation of the -ystic aw thatis called for in the depths of the otus Sutra !cf. Eosho Fenshu,p. #0%&. Hntil the arrival of the time for the widespreadpropagation by the bodhisattvas of the essential teaching, thebodhisattvas of the theoretical teaching protect the otusSutra.3lso, we may speculate that in the atter Day of the aw it istheir mission to venerate and support the odhisattvas of theAarth of the essential teaching who directly work for GosenLufu.

Ikeda( Sometimes it is actual people who oer protection, andsometimes protection comes from forces we cannot see. Aitherway, the principle of 6when the uddha nature manifests itselffrom within, it will obtain protection from without6 !-)1", "##?"M#@& is true. ecause the odhisattvas of the Aarth practicethe -ystic aw in the depths of their lives and manifest theworld of uddhahood, they en4oy protection from e:ternalforces.

12



Averything depends on our faith. Bo matter how tumultuousthe times, those who struggle to the end to open a path ofhope for the sake of Gosen Lufu will be protected by alluddhas and heavenly deities. In the 6-edicine Ging6 chapter,Shakyamuni describes the benet of those who spread the

-ystic aw saying(The good fortune you gain thereby is immeasurable andboundless. It cannot be burned by re or washed away bywater. Nour benets are such that a thousand uddhasspeaking all together could never nish describing them. Bowyou have been able to destroy all devils and thieves, toannihilate the army of birth and death, and all others who boreyou enmity or malice have likewise been wiped out.

Eood man, a hundred, a thousanduddhas will employ their transcendental

powers to 4oin in guarding and protectingyou. !S"#, "$M1$$&

In other words, the good fortune and benet of those whocarry out the practice of propagation cannot be destroyed bythe res of suering, or washed away by the waves ofmisfortune. This passage also states that the benet of such aperson is so great that even a thousand uddhas speaking alltogether could not fully describe it. The person has destroyedall devils and broken the forces of the suerings of birth anddeath; and vanCuished all enemies. 3nd a thousand uddhas

will protect that person using their transcendental powers.uddhism is victory or defeat. It is a struggle between theuddha and the devil. Therefore, we have to win. 5nly byrealiJing victory through faith can we become truly happy andaccomplish Gosen Lufu. 6Triumphant 5ne6 is another name forthe uddha.

"edicine *in Prepares the +roundwor, for*osen-%ufu

Ikeda( The uddha is also called the 6Ging of 9hysicians6 andthe 6Ereat Ging of 9hysicians.6 The uddha is like a skilleddoctor who cures the 6illness of the suerings of birth anddeath.6 In that sense, the name -edicine Ging suggests a high1ranking bodhisattva whose state of life is close to that of theuddha.If we say that the uddha is a physician, the aw is medicine,and the practitioners are nurses, then we can think of -edicine

13



Ging1given that his name indicates he is the king of themedicine that cures suering1as representing all bodhisattvas.Saito( In the otus Sutra, odhisattva -edicine Ging indeedrepresents the bodhisattvas of the theoretical teaching. 7eappears as early as the 6Introduction6 !rst& chapter, and the

preaching of the 6Teacher of the aw6 !tenth& chapter isaddressed to him.Ando( The transmission section of the rst half or theoreticalteaching of the otus Sutra begins with the 6Teacher of theaw6 chapter. The recipients of the preaching are initiallyvoice1hearers, but from this chapter on they becomebodhisattvas. 3nd -edicine Ging is named from the veryoutset.Saito( In the ne:t chapter, 6Amergence of the Treasure Tower6!eleventh&, Shakyamuni calls on those in the assembly tospread the sutra after his passing; and in the 6Ancouraging

Devotion6 !thirteenth& chapter the innumerable bodhisattvavow to uphold the -ystic aw in an evil age. -edicine Ging isthe central gure among these bodhisattvas. I think he couldbe considered the principal player in the propagation of theaw after the uddha+s death.Suda( ut afterwards the odhisattvas of the Aarth appear andit is established that they will be the main proponents of thepropagation of the -ystic aw in the atter Day of the aw.Ikeda( So, what about odhisattva -edicine Ging* The answerseems to lie in the 6-edicine Ging6 chapter.Saito( Nes. The bodhisattvas of the theoretical teaching, as

represented by -edicine Ging, have the mission to prepare thegroundwork for Gosen Lufu until the bodhisattvas of theessential teaching appear, and then to thoroughly protect andsupport them.

The Power of the #"edicine *in# $s in OurOwn Lives

Ikeda( Bow that we understand the concept of -edicine Gingfrom the doctrinal standpoint of the otus Sutra, let+s consider

what is meant by 6odhisattva -edicine Ging in one+s ownheart6 or by -edicine Ging appearing as we observe our mind.In its entirety, the otus Sutra is a ceremony that takes placein our heart. If we view the sutra as merely a te:t that isseparate from ourselves, we will fail to understand its essence.3s the term suggests, odhisattva -edicine Ging in our ownlife could be thought of as the function, which cures physicaland spiritual ills and restores good health. It originates from

14



nowhere other than the -ystic aw and the world ofuddhahood. The great life force of uddhahood that functionsto cure life+s suerings is named 6-edicine Ging.6 Therefore,when we chant daimoku to the EohonJon we activateodhisattva -edicine Ging in our own life. 9resident Toda said(

6)hen you go to a doctor, even if he is a real Cuack, because-edicine Ging is functioning in your own life, the doctornaturally cannot help but provide a cure.6This is not to say that we should not look for a good doctor.The point, rather, is that ultimately we have to cure ourselves.3bove all, our own life force and natural healing powers arethe fundamental powers to cure illness. 3 physician merelyassists that process.Suda( This is what is meant by the saying, 63 doctor stitchesthe wound, but the gods make it heal.6Ando( I have also heard( 6The gods heal the illness, but the

doctor takes the money86Saito( The underlying source of this healing power is the worldof uddhahood. uddhahood is the 6great life force of eternalyouth.6

!ppreciation and Confidence !ctivate the Lifeof "edicine *in

Ikeda( 9resident Toda had incredible condence. In Cuestion1and1answer sessions there would freCuently be Cuestions

concerning illness. 5ften he would reply( 6Nou mustn+t ask,+)ill I get better*+ Nour illness will be cured without fail as longas you continue practicing in earnest.66If, on the other hand, you have doubts as to whether you willget better,6 he would say, 6then your prayers will not beanswered.6 69eople+s bodies are susceptible to such ailmentsas stomach cancer, stomach illness and lung disease. ecauseour bodies have the ability to become ill, they also possess thepower to : themselves. It+s similar to how a person who hasclimbed a hill can also descend the hill. This is my ownpersonal outlook on life, and it is possible with a correct life

philosophy.6Saito( I understand that he would often reprimand people whowould start out with a complaint, saying something like, 6I+mnot better yet even though I+ve been chanting for some time . ..6Ikeda( )hen he heard someone speak of their illness,9resident Toda would empathiJe with them to such an e:tentthat he would often dream about them that night.

15



That+s why he would strictly correct the attitude in faith ofthose who craved only benet while not practicing sincerely, orwho would complain that they were not completely cured eventhough they had seen some improvement.6It+s not a matter of form,6 he would say. 6)e need to pour our

life into praying to the EohonJon; we need to engrave theEohonJon in our life. )hen we chant daimoku with truedetermination as though oering up our very life, we cannotfail to overcome any illness.66It is completely braJen to think that you can cure an illnessthat even doctors at the best of hospitals cannot cure withoutgiving yourself completely to the EohonJon. The uddha is notobligated to provide a cure8 7ow many hundreds of peoplehave you introduced to this uddhism* 7ow much have youhelped your chapter ourish* Nou should reect on this. If youturn over a new leaf and are able to truly dedicate yourself to

Gosen Lufu, staking your very life, then I can say withcondence that you will be cured without fail.66If your condition improves even a little, you should feelappreciation from the depths of your heart. If, on the otherhand, instead of feeling appreciation, you are disappointedbecause you have not improved more and treat the EohonJonas though it owes you a debt1that will not do. 6If you takeaction, yet forget your debt of gratitude, then even thoseareas that have improved will get worse. Nou must practicefaith with abundant gratitude, deeply appreciative of even theslightest improvement8 If you have the attitude +9lease cure

me Cuickly,+ 4ust making demands without really devotingyourself, then the EohonJon will be deaf to your prayers.6This is how 9resident Toda taught the faith of repaying one+sdebt of gratitude that is e:emplied by odhisattva -edicineGing. )hen we base ourselves on this faith, the spirit ofodhisattva -edicine Ging in our heart springs into vigorousactivity on our behalf. )e need to pray with suchdetermination as to cause all the cells in our body to renewthemselves; we need to spur all si:ty trillion of them intoaction.3lthough as a youth I was told that I would only live to about

the age of #O, I have thoroughly e:erted myself for GosenLufu, and have as a result e:tended my life. I lived the line inthe 6ife Span6 chapter, 6let us live out our lives86 !S/%, ""$&,and for this I feel immense appreciation. 6ife span6 has themeaning of longevity. Simply put, the 6ife Span6 chaptere:pounds the underlying life force to e:tend our lives and liveto the fullest. <rom one standpoint, therefore, it could be said

16



that uddhism pursues the Cuestion of what constitutes truehealth.Suda( )ould you elaborate on this*

The Precepts !re %ules of Health

Ikeda( 5vercoming the four suerings of birth, old age,sickness and death is not 4ust a matter of theory. )e mustn+tmove away from the issues of how we can lead healthy,fullling and long lives, and how we can die without suering.uddhism teaches the wisdom that enables us to do this.<or e:ample, the 7inayana teachings include the 6eightprecepts6 that lay followers were supposed to observe onspecic days. 5ne of these stipulates that a practitioner shouldnot eat food after the noon hour. These seem to be practicesfor increasing one+s span of life.

Saito( In other words, this is an admonition against overeating.Ikeda( 5ther precepts also aim to control desires andharmoniJe the body and mind. uddhist practice could bedescribed as a 6health regimen6 for regulating the body andmind.Ando( 9recepts certainly do cover the key points for6maintaining a pure life.6 3nd this is not limited to the7inayana teachings. 5n the whole, by purifying ourselvesthrough uddhist practice, the original functions of our lifebecome more highly activated. <or e:ample, the practiceestablished by T+ien1t+ai entails twenty1ve preparatorye:ercises; one of these, 6regulating the ve matters,6 seems tobe on one level concerned with maintaining good health as itprescribes proper regulation of eating, sleeping, posture,breathing and the mind.Ikeda( Through regulating the body and mind, we establish afoundation for the practice of 6observing the mind6; that is tosay, for observing that one+s own life is an entity of threethousand realms in a single moment. Eood health is anecessary condition for awakening to the eternity of life. 5nlythen can we perceive the life of the universe in our own being.Illness, in essence, throws the 6venue6 of our life into disarray.Therefore, we can think of the 7inayana and provisional-ahayana teachings as progressively seeking to createbalance and harmony in life, with the otus Sutra nallyrevealing the great life force that is free of aging and death.7ealth is a most precious treasure. 3n acCuaintance who hadsuered from illness for many years once remarked, 6Somepeople complain about being busy and e:hausted, but I can

17



only imagine how wonderful it would be to be busy ande:hausted86It is to our advantage to accumulate as much good fortune andwisdom as we can while we are healthy. uddhism is wisdom.7ealth is wisdom. 6Bot begrudging one+s life6 does not mean

pushing oneself unreasonably. )e cannot continue if we runourselves into the ground. uddhism is reason; and unless welive wisely based on reason and in accord with the principle offaith manifesting itself in daily life, our eorts will produceonly 6anti1value.6 5ur organiJation could not then be called asociety for 6value1creation.6ased on reason, we need to be able to maintain, develop andcontrol our own life force in accord with our age andcircumstances. )e have to become a physician of our own life,a -edicine Ging.To think that no harm can come to you 4ust because you are

practicing or because you are a leader in the organiJation isarrogance.In general, it could be said that the period of life through theforties is a time of 6training,6 and that from the forties on weenter a period of 6preservation.6 It is important, therefore,that we e:ercise wisdom and are careful not to overe:tendourselves.Suda( Eetting enough sleep is probably the best way toprevent e:haustion.Ikeda( That+s right. Sleep is a kind of 6minor death.6 It is anactivity in which our body and mind temporarily merge with

the sea of the universal life. Through this rest, our life force isrecharged and we gain power to take action the ne:t day.In the same way, death also serves the purpose of helping usrecharge our life force. <or someone whose body is old andsick, to return to the 6sea of revitaliJation of the universal life6and then be reborn with a body full of new vitality may be thebest thing. So much of course depends on the individual+skarma and the condition of their faith.)hat can be said with certainty, however, is that a person whomaintains the 6faith of odhisattva -edicine Ging6 will en4oystill more good fortune in their ne:t e:istence and be reborn in

e:actly the circumstances that they desire.Saito( In the sutra+s account of the previous e:istences ofodhisattva -edicine Ging, odhisattva 'oyfully Seen by 3lliving eings is reborn in the house of a king.Ikeda( The key point is which of the Ten )orlds in the universeour life melts into at the moment of death. Someone whose lifemerges with the world of uddhahood can be said to haveattained 6eternal life6 regardless of their age at the time of

18



death. This is a person who has read the 6ife Span6 chapterwith his or her life and has developed the state of lifedescribed by the line 6he will know neither old age or death6!S"#, "$$&.5n the other hand, even if someone lives to a ripe old age, if in

the end they enter the three evil paths or the four evil paths,then his or her life will ultimately have been vain and fruitless.<rom the standpoint of the eternity of life, the dierencebetween fty years and seventy years hardly amounts to aninstant.Shakyamuni says, 6etter than a hundred years not seeingone+s own immortality is one single day of life if one sees one+sown immortality.6 Taking into account the concept of lifee:isting over the three e:istences of past, present and future,everything depends on the e:tent to which we are able toestablish the 6state of immortality,6 that is to say, the world of

uddhahood and faith, in our lives in this e:istence. I think wecan say that this is the true measure of 6longevity.6Ando( That makes sense to me. <or even if someone shouldhave a short life, as long as they have faith, they willimmediately be reborn.

The #+olden outh# of Spain.s /irst oun Women.s &ivision Chief

Ikeda( Spain+s rst young women+s division chief was a woman

by the name of 'unko Gobayashi. She lived a fresh and vibrantyouth and passed away as though galloping ahead to the ne:tlife. ut her golden achievements still shine brilliantly.

?-s. Gobayashi was born in Tokyo+sShibuya )ard in /202. She 4oined theSoka Eakkai in /2%%, three months afterboth her parents took faith. 3t the timeshe was si:teen, and a freshman at 7ibiya7igh School.@

>herishing the dream of contributing to worldwide Gosen Lufuas a member of the high school division, -s. Gobayashi appliedherself to studying foreign languages. She was an outstandingstudent, and set her sights on entering the prestigiousHniversity of Tokyo.)hen she was twenty, she met an une:pected ordeal. 7ermother died of cancer, and her father, as though following her,fell ill and also passed away shortly thereafter. In an instant,

19



-s. Gobayashi found herself completely alone in the world. 3tthat point, she was no longer in a position to think of pursuingher studies.I met -s. Gobayashi one year later. It was during a summertraining course. 3fter hearing her talk about the death of her

parents, I told her( 6<or someone your age, the death of aparent is something that you would e:pect to e:perience twicein the future. So really all that has happened is you havee:perienced this somewhat earlier than others. ut becauseyou have the EohonJon, everything will be all right86She may have been hoping for words of consolation. ut Iwanted to talk to her candidly about the true essence of life,about the 6eternally unchanging entity of life.6 Death isinevitable. To try to avoid this reality is not uddhism.The Daishonin goes so far as to declare incomplete thepassage of the 6-edicine Ging6 chapter that says of the otus

Sutra, 6It can cause living beings to cast o all distress, allsickness and pain. It can unloose all the bonds of birth anddeath6 !S"#, "$%&.Saito( The Daishonin is saying that the terms 6cast o6 and6unloose6 go against the spirit of the otus Sutra+s teaching of6earthly desires are enlightenment6 and 6the suerings ofbirth and death are nirvana.6 Therefore, he says, 6we shouldinterpret the words +cast o+ as meaning +become enlightenedto.+ )hen we see with eyes of wisdom opened by the essentialteaching of the +ife Span+ chapter, we realiJe that sickness,pain and distress are, and have always been, an innate part of

life6 !Eosho Fenshu, p. MM#&. 63re6 means 6are clearlyperceived to be.6 7e is imploring us to clearly recogniJe thatlife and death are 6innate suerings,6 that they are part of theeternal cycle of birth and death.Ikeda( That+s right. irth and death are aspects of change ofthe universal life. They are e:pressions of the life of theuddha. Therefore, to loathe birth and death is to loathe thelife of the uddha. 3lso, someone who is drowning in thesuerings of birth and death cannot be said to en4oy a state offreedom at one with the great life of the uddha. )e need touse the suerings of life and death as nutrition to help us

strengthen our faith. 5nly then do they become nirvana.Aven so, 'unko, given her young age, must have been deeplypained by the loss of her parents. I freCuently oered herencouragement. I fondly recall 4oining members of the-iyahara group, a young women+s division+s training group towhich she belonged, on a trip to a farm where we en4oyedwatermelon and corn1on1the1cob.

20



In her 4ob and in young women+s division activities sheproduced striking results with her inherent cheerfulness andtenacity. 3nd precisely ten years after she 4oined the SokaEakkai, she was able to realiJe the dream she had cherishedsince her high school days of studying abroad in Spain.

?Two weeks after she arrived in Spain,when she had 4ust completed chantingten million daimoku, the rst chapter ofSpain was organiJed and she wasappointed the leader of the newly formedSpain young women+s division.@

-s. Gobayashi struggled hard. In the pioneering days of themovement in Spain, she continuously chanted daimoku withthe determination to 6imbue this land of >atholicism with

daimoku.6 She would often travel ten hours by car to attend adiscussion meeting. 3nd when she returned from a meeting,she would stay up till dawn translating passages of the Eoshoor materials from the Daibyakurenge.She once said( 6)hat I+m doing cannot be called trying work.-y eorts turn to 4oy whenever I see one person stand up.Lather than it being an ordeal, having known only the solidSoka Eakkai in 'apan, I am elated to be able to e:perience thestruggles of a pioneer.63fter e:erting herself selessly in this way for two years, shewas again beset by a ma4or obstacle. She developed a node in

her left knee. )hen she returned to 'apan to have it e:amined,it turned out to be a malignant tumor. She was told that tosave her life she would have to have her left leg amputated atthe hip. In her state of shock at hearing this, she felt as thoughtime had stopped.3t that moment, the image of her mother+s face came beforeher eyes. She could hear her mother, who looked so lovely inher state of uddhahood when she died that neighbors whosaw her were all moved, say( 6Don+t you have the EohonJon,

'unko* I have prayed to the EohonJon for everything for you,so you don+t have anything at all to worry about.6

6That+s right,6 she thought. 6It was for 4ust thesecircumstances that my mother gave her all in order to teachme about faith86She made up her mind to have surgery in 'apan. )hile she wasable to avoid having her leg amputated, she had to have ama4or operation that involved fty stitches. 3nd her principalphysician told her she would never walk again.

21



ut she determined, 6I will denitely walk again for the sake of my fellow members in Spain86 )ith that spirit, she fought thedevil of illness.

?3lthough her left leg was completely

sti, several weeks after surgery her bigtoe twitched, and the muscle at the kneethat was removed in the operation littleby little began to grow back. She workedhard at her regimen of physical therapy,and seven months after the operation shewalked out of the hospital. The doctorswere astounded by her recovery.@

It was a terric struggle. Aconomically, too, she was drivenright to the brink. Still, she continued to burn with passion for

Gosen Lufu. 3nd she again stood up in Spain on her own twofeet. This was in 3pril /2M2, the month that I announced myintention to step down as third Soka Eakkai president. Shefought with the determination to win in her struggle and toprove my 4ustice. I will never forget her spirit.Due to physical inrmity and poor nances, she had to returnto 'apan. )henever she heard of people doing shakubukusomewhere, she would y there and relate her e:perience. Ifshe heard about a member who was suering, she would go tothe person and oer encouragement.She also e:erted herself as a member of the translation group

of the international division. She personally brought more thanten people to 4oin the Soka Eakkai. She also encouraged ayoung girl who was suering from a leg tumor similar to herown. The girl was deeply impressed, and went on to attendSoka Hniversity.Suda( Nour account has reminded me once again that we mustnever practice faith halfheartedly.

#What a Lovely /ace(#

Ikeda( 'unko continued working tirelessly with thedetermination( 6I don+t know when I will die, so I will continueto ght so that no matter when I go I will have no regrets.6I saw her again at the Ganagawa >ulture >enter !on December/0, /2$O&, where she sang 69rayer of the -oon6 with othermembers of the translation group.?3s soon as the song was nished, 'unko presented 9residentIkeda with a poem she had composed( 6Defeating the devil of

22



illness = I will e:ert myself for Gosen Lufu, = engraving in myheart = today+s gathering = together with my mentor.6 3t thattime, 9resident Ikeda encouraged her to become healthy andlive a long life.@She was also at the 9aris >ommunity >enter when I visited

there. )e all took a commemorative photo together !on 'une/0, /2$/&.She passed away one year later !on 'une "%, /2$"&. The cancerhad metastasiJed to her lungs. 3s a side eect of themedications she was taking, she became visibly wasted away.Aven so, 'unko continued chanting daimoku, praying for herfellow members in 'apan and in Spain.

?Aven in the terminal stages of theillness, she continued chanting daimoku,though she could only manage a single

syllable with each labored breath. It tookher ve years from the time she rst wentto Spain to realiJe her goal of a secondten million daimoku.@

Aven the nurses were moved by her ardent spirit, her passionto live. 9eople who came to encourage her in the hospital leftfeeling like they were the ones who had been encouraged. Sheturned herself into a ame and shed light on others. 3fter aneight1month battle in the hospital, she went on to her ne:te:istence. She was thirty1two at the time.

9eople who saw her countenance after she had died wereamaJed. 6She was incredibly beautiful,6 one person remarked.6I never saw 'unko looking that beautiful when she was alive.6Someone else commented that she looked so lovely that shedid not even need any make1up, and that she found herselfeven feeling envious. Someone else commented that her handswere soft and warm, and her face puy.)ith a gentle smile on her face and her eyes and mouth partlyopened, she was the very image of the description ofuddhahood found in the Eosho. 7er funeral was attended byseveral hundred people from throughout the country, causing

those in the neighborhood to wonder 4ust who had died.The Daishonin says that when a person has attaineduddhahood 6a thousand uddhas will e:tend their hands tofree him from all fear and keep him from falling into the evilpaths6 !-)1/, ""&. I think that her having so many peoplemourn her death and chant daimoku for her repose is onemanifestation of this. To the e:tent that we sincerely look after

23



many others, we ourselves will be eternally protected over thethree e:istences.-oreover, 'unko+s friends were condent that she was trulyhappy. 5ne commented( 6Aven though she had been orphanedand she died from illness, no one who knew 'unko thought of

her as someone to be pitied. Lather, they thought of her as anoutstanding person, as someone who had won in everyrespect. Therefore, we+re not the least saddened by her death.I think that 'unko is probably already back in Spain. I think shewas probably reborn there to continue the ght for GosenLufu.6Saito( This is the meaning of the 6odhisattva -edicine Ging6chapter. )hile we may speak of e:periencing 6neither old ageor death,6 this does not refer simply to the length of one+s life.

Pursuin a "ission Transcendin Life and&eath

Ikeda( 3lthough -s. Gobayashi+s body was ailing, her heartshone bright as the sun. 7er 6life6 was her 6health6 itself.)hen I visited Spain the following year !in /2$#&, I praised hervaliant eorts and awarded her the posthumous title ofhonorary Auropean young women+s division leader.)hat is health* In conclusion, it is the life of the bodhisattva. Ithink that true health is the spirit to continue struggling forthe sake of others. To 4ust eat 6health food6 and think only

about oneself, aiming to lead a peaceful and secure e:istence1this is not the image of health. odhisattva -edicine Ging, whosymboliJes health, gave his life for his convictions. 3 life ofstruggle is a healthy life.Dr. Lene Dubos !/2O/1$"&, a world renowned physician whom Ihad the privilege of meeting, remarked, 6)hile it may becomforting to imagine a life free of stresses and strains in acarefree world, this will remain an idle dream.6

?7e continued( 6The earth is not a restingplace. -an has elected to ght, not

necessarily for himself, but for a processof emotional, intellectual, and ethicalgrowth that goes on forever. To grow inthe midst of dangers is the fate of thehuman race, because it is the law of thespirit.6@

24



Turning stress and worries into life force1this is the principle of changing poison into medicine. )e need to realiJe the state oflife to 6live with great 4oy.6 Toward that end, struggle isreCuired.uddhism urges us, 65ver life and death, accomplish what you

must accomplish86 )ith such a sense of mission, there isneither birth nor death. In the face of such commitment, eventhe pain of death turns into strength to advance.The Daishonin teaches that the transmission section of thelatter half of the sutra, or the essential teaching, e:plains themethod of practicing the 6ife Span6 and 6A:pedient -eans6chapters !cf. -)1M, 0&. I think that the 6-edicine Ging6 chaptertruly calls out( 6>hampions of Gosen Lufu in the atter Day ofthe aw8 -ake your life burn like odhisattva -edicine Ging86)hen many youth possessing such spirit appear, the SEI willtruly become eternal. It will become a body that 6will know

neither old age or death,6 sending out the 6healing light6 to allhumankind over the eternal future.

25

the wisdom of the lotus sutra-chapter twenty-three

Documents