To merely repeat the four dictums simply because they came from the Daishonin, while ignoring people’s feelings and the changing times, is to overlook the Daishonin’s spirit. The four dictums are then nothing but dogma. That is what gives rise to the devilish aspects of religion. It is people and the heart that count. The four dictums are the manifestation of the Daishonin’s firm conviction to resolutely battle the devilish functions that serve to confuse people.
This guidance is an abstract from 'The World of Nichiren Daishonin Writings' with universal value and application
From this perspective, it is clear that the Daishonin absolutely did not aim to attack the followers of specific Buddhist schools or to simply expand his own school. The essence of the Daishonin’s practice lay in the struggle against the devilish nature of power and authority that treats the people with contempt. Fundamentally, it is a struggle against the forces that seek to keep people from entering the path to enlightenment. In that respect, Nichiren Buddhism is really a “human” religion, a world religion in the truest sense of the word. I believe that the declaration of the establishment of the Daishonin’s teaching was the initiation of a great struggle against the source of evil hidden in the depths of human life, against the devilish nature within life, and against all fundamental darkness. The Daishonin states that he reached his decision through his investigation of the Lotus Sutra. It wasn’t a superficial question of securing social standing or protecting himself. It was an issue he dealt with at the depths of his life—whether to fall into the cruel hell of incessant suffering, or to take the difficult road of enveloping all people in the warm embrace of compassion while willingly facing persecution. Naturally, the latter course was correct in light of the sutras. |
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