If a teacher has a good disciple, both will gain the fruit of Buddhahood,
but if a teacher fosters a bad disciple, both will fall
into hell.
If teacher and disciple are of different minds, they will
never accomplish anything. (The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin,
p.909)
2nd week
Believe in this mandala with all your heart. Nam-myoho-renge-kyo
is like the roar of a lion.
What sickness can therefore be an obstacle? (The
Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, p.412)
3rd week As for the votaries of the Lotus Sutra in the Latter Day of the
Law,
the heavenly beings will surely guard and protect them.
(The Record of the Orally Transmitted Teachings p.117)
4th week
Employ the strategy of the Lotus Sutra before any other.
"All others who bear you enmity or malice will likewise be
wiped out."
(The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin p 1001)
5th week How long does a lifetime last? If one stops to consider, it is like a single
night's lodging at a wayside inn.
Should one forget that fact and seek some measure of worldly
fame and profit?
Though you may gain them, they will be mere prosperity in a dream, a delight scarcely to be prized.
(The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin p. 63)
February 2007
1st week No matter how poor these estates might be, avoid complaining
of it, either to others or to your lord.
If you say, "They are excellent, excellent lands,"
your lord may add to your fiefs again.
(The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, p. 945)
2nd week
Misfortune comes from one’s mouth and ruins one, but fortune
comes from one’s heart and makes one worthy of respect.
(The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin p.1137)
3rd week
I, Nichiren, do not cry, but my tears flow ceaselessly.
I shed my tears not for worldly affairs but solely for the
sake of the Lotus Sutra. (The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin p.386)
4th week
This I will state. Let the gods forsake me. Let all persecutions
assail me. Still I will give my life for the sake of the Law. (WND p280)
March 2007
1st week If even a good monk sees someone destroying the teaching and disregards him, failing to reproach him, to oust him,
or to punish him for his offense, then you should realize
that that monk is betraying the Buddha's teaching.
(The Writings of Nichiren
Daishonin p.747)
2nd week
The votary who practices the Lotus Sutra exactly as the Buddha
teaches will without fail be attacked
by the three powerful enemies.
(The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin
p.395)
3rd week It is not certain that, because one is ill, one will die.
And could not this illness of your husband's be the Buddha's
design,because the Vimalakirti and Nirvana sutras both
teach that sick people will surely attain Buddhahood? Illness
gives rise to the resolve to attain the way.
(The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin p.937)
4th week
Even those who lack understanding, so long as they chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo,
can avoid the evil paths.
This is like lotus flowers, which turn as the sun does,though the lotus has no mind to direct it.
(The Writings
of Nichiren Daishonin p.142)
April 2007
1st week
Because you are a votary of the Lotus Sutra, you will
not meet an untimely death.
Your illness is surely not due to karma, but even if
it were, you could rely on the power of the Lotus Sutra to cure it.
(The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin p.656)
2nd week
Myo means to revive, that is, to return to life. (The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin p.149)
3rd week
To be praised by fools —that is the greatest shame.
(The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin p.287)
4th week
Since you now appear certain to attain Buddhahood,
perhaps the heavenly devil and evil spirits are using illness
to try to intimidate you.
Life in this world is limited. Never be even the least bit
afraid! (The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin p.1109)
May 2007
1st week
One day of life is more valuable than all the treasures of the major world system. (The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin p.955)
2nd week
When one comes to the end of one's good fortune, no
strategy whatsoever avails. (The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin p.1000)
3rd week
One who upholds this Lotus Sutra should uphold it with
the understanding that one will encounter difficulties.
(The
Record of the Orally Transmitted Teachings p.97) 4th week
If a commanding general is fainthearted, his soldiers
will become cowards. (The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin p.464)
5th week
How humble a person may be, if his wisdom is the least
bit greater than yours,
you should ask him about the meaning of the sutra.
(The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, p.757)
June 2007
1st week Karma also may be divided into two categories: fixed and unfixed.
Sincere repentance will eradicate even fixed
karma, to say nothing of karma that is unfixed.
(The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, p.954)
2nd week When praised highly by others, one feels that there is no hardship one
cannot bear.
Such is the courage that springs from words
of praise.
(The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, p.385)
3rd week
It is the nature of beasts to threaten the weak and
fear the strong.
Our contemporary scholars of the various schools are
just like them. (The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, p.302)
4th week
All rivers flow into the sea, but does the sea turn
back their waters? (The Writings of Nichiren Daishoninp.33)
July 2007
1st week If he were to go rightnow to Eagle Peak, he would be as delighted
as if the sun had come out and he were
able to see in all ten directions.
He would rejoice, wondering how an early death could be so happy a thing.
(The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, p.938)
2nd week Even if one is sincere, if the person to whom one makes offerings is evil, those offerings will fail to produce benefit;
rather, they will cause one to fall into
the evil paths. (The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, p.1103)
3rd week
Your illness is surely not due to karma,
but even if it were, you could rely on the power of the Lotus Sutra to
cure it.
(The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, p.656)
August 2007
1st week None of you who declare yourselves to be my disciples should
ever give way to cowardice.
Neither should you allow concern for
your parents, wife, or children to hold you back, or be worried about your
property.
(The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, p.764)
2nd week
The greater the hardships befalling
him, the greater the delight he [the votary of the Lotus Sutra] feels,
because of his strong faith.
(The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, p.33)
3rd week
Those who believe in the Lotus Sutra are as if
in winter, but winter always turns to spring.
(The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, p.536)
4th week
Something uncommon also occurs when
an ordinary person attains Buddhahood.
At such a time, the three obstacles
and four devils will invariably appear, and the wise will rejoice
while the follish will retreat.
(The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, p.637)
September 2007
1st week Even embracing the Lotus Sutra would be useless without the
heritage of faith.
(The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, p.218)
2nd week
Those who give alms [to the practitioners of the Lotus Sutra] will enjoy good fortune surpassing the ten honorables titles,
while those who vex or trouble them
will have their heads split into seven pieces.
(The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, p.913)
3rd week
My being slandered and abused perfectly
fits the description in the 'Encouraging Devotion' chapter of what will
befall
a practitioner of the sutra. Why
is that you aren't facing such attack?
(The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, p.209)
4th week
Even a feeble person will not stumble
if those supporting him are strong, but a person of considerable strength,
when alone, may fall down on an uneven
path.
(The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, p.598)
October 2007
1st week A woman who embraces the lion king of the Lotus Sutra never
fears any of the beasts of hell or of the realms of hungry spirits and
animals.
(The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, p.949)
2nd week I, Nichiren, inscribed my life in sumi ink, so believe in the Gohonzon
with your whole heart. The Buddha's will is the Lotus Sutra,
but the soul of Nichiren is nothing
other than Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. (The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, p.412)
3rd week To accept is easy; to continue is difficult.
But Buddhahood lies in continuing faith. (The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, p.471)
4th week
Suffer what there is to suffer, enjoy
what there is to enjoy. Regard both suffering and joy as facts of life,
and continue chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo,
no matter what happens. (The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, p.681)
5th week
What is most important is that, by
chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo alone, you can attain Buddhahood. It will
no doubt depend on the strength of
your faith. To have faith is the basis of Buddhism. (The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, p.832)
November 2007
1st week
Now, no matter what, strive in faith and be known as a votary of the Lotus Sutra, and remain my disciple
for the rest of your life.
(Writings
of Nichiren Daishonin, p.385)
2nd week
I entrust you with the propagation
of Buddhism in your province. It is stated that "the seeds
of Buddhahood sprout
as a result of conditions, and for this reason they preach the single vehicle." (Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, p.1117)
3rd week
Muster your faith, and pray to
the Gohonzon. Then what is there that cannot be achieved? (Writings
of Nichiren Daishonin, p.412) 4th week
All disciples and lay supporters of Nichiren Daishonin should chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo
with the spirit of
many in body but one in mind,
transcending all differences among themselves to become as inseparable
as
fish and the water in which they
swim. (Writings
of Nichiren Daishonin, p.217)
December 2007
1st week
Those who make offerings to the
Lotus Sutra will receive the same benefit as they would by making offerings
to
all the Buddhas and bodhisattvas
in the ten directions. (Writings
of Nichiren Daishonin, p.949)
2nd week
Each and every one of you should
be certain deep in your heart that sacrificing your life for the Lotus
Sutra is like exchanging. rocks
for gold or dung for rice. (Writings
of Nichiren Daishonin, p.764)
3rd week
Whatever trouble occurs, regard
it as no more than a dream, and think only of the Lotus Sutra. (Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, p.502) 4th week
Though evils may be numerous,
they cannot prevail over a single truth, just as many raging fires are
quenched by a single
shower of rain. This principle
also holds true with Nichiren and his followers. (Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, p.618)
