RISSHO ANKOKU RON

You should promptly convert your wrong faith to the belief in the true and one vehicle faith at once. Then the triple world of the unenlightened will all become the land of the Buddha. Will the land of the Buddha decay? All the lands in ten directions will become the “treasure land.” Will the “treasure land” be destroyed? When the land does not decay and is not destroyed, your body is safe and your heart tranquil. Believe these words and revere them.

(Background : July 1260, 38 years old, at Kamakura, Showa Teihon, p.226)

(Explanatory note)
Presented to the ex-Regent of the Kamakura Shogunate, Hojo Tokiyori, the “Rissho Ankoku Ron” consists of questions and answers between a master of a house and his guest. The following is the master’s last advice to the guest to have the true faith:

“You must change your faith as soon as possible and convert yourself to the Lotus Sutra which is the supreme teaching of the Buddha. Then the Triple World * will all become the land of the Buddha. How can the land of the Buddha decay? Also the ten directions — all the lands will become the ‘treasure land.’ How can the ‘treasure land’ be destroyed?” ( * The Triple World is the world of unenlightened beings. It is divided into three: the world of desire, form, and formlessness.)

“If there is no decay or destruction of the land, the life of the inhabitants will be peaceful and their hearts will be tranquil and happy. This is not my arbitrary opinion, but it is based on Buddhist scriptures. It is as I explained it before, and you should have no objection. You should believe in my words open-mindedly and respect them from your heart. It is the road to the right religion and peace of society.”

The most important teaching in the Lotus Sutra is “This world is identical with the Buddha Land of Tranquil Light.” (The Buddha Land is the place where there is no birth and death, no disturbance by evil passion and delusion, but is shone by the rays of wisdom.) We are surely wandering in this puzzled world, but we are also able to become Buddhas. It is our duty to devote ourselves to this ideal stage. Thus, Nichiren insisted that we should believe in the teaching of the Lotus Sutra and do our best for peace and salvation of all mankind.

Rev. Hori