Day 25 covers all of Chapter 20, Never-Despising Bodhisattva, and opens Chapter 21, The Supernatural Powers of the Tathāgatas.
Having put off discussing Never Despising Bodhisattva last month and the month before, I begin here:
There lived arrogant bhiksu in the age of the counterfeit of the right teachings of the first Powerful-Voice-King Tathagata, that is, after the end of the age of his right teachings which had come immediately after his extinction. [Those arrogant bhiksus] were powerful. At that time there lived a Bodhisattva called NeverDespising. He took the form of a bhiksu.
A Bodhisattva who took the form of a bhiksu. That’s an important fact that underscores the Bodhisattva vow: Sentient beings are innumerable; I vow to save them all. In this case, by choosing to be a bhiksu and suffering the abuse of powerful foes.
Great-Power-Obtainer! Why was this bhiksu called Never-Despising? lt was because, every time he saw bhiksus, bhiksunis, upasakas or upasikas, he bowed to them and praised them, saying, ‘I respect you deeply. I do not despise you. Why is that? It is because you will be able to practice the Way of Bodhisattvas and become Buddhas.’
He did not read or recite sutras. He only bowed to the four kinds of devotees. When he saw them in the distance, he went to them on purpose, bowed to them, and praised them, saying, ‘I do not despise you because you can become Buddhas.’
The headquarters of Nichiren Shu in Japan is preparing for the 800th anniversary of his birth in 2022 and recently unveiled a very Never-Despising greeting for visitors to their website.
Here’s my adaptation of the greeting: