Happy New Year

Today is the first day, of the first month, in the beginning of a new year. No matter how bad you thought the last year, decade, or century has been, you have a wonderful opportunity to set your life back to zero; with a new focus, a new determination, a new attitude.
The following except is from a gosho, special writings, which was written by Nichiren, a Buddhist monk who lived in 13th-century Japan. Nichiren was the son of a fisherman, born in 1222, a time rife with social unrest and natural disasters. The ordinary people, especially, suffered enormously. Nichiren wondered why the teachings of Buddhism had lost their power to enable people to lead happy, empowered lives. His intensive study of the Buddhist sutras convinced him that the Lotus Sutra contained the essence of the Buddha’s enlightenment and that it held the key to transforming people’s suffering and enabling society to flourish.
The Lotus Sutra affirms that all people, regardless of gender, capacity, or social standing, inherently possess the qualities of a Buddha, and are therefore equally worthy of the utmost respect.
Based on this study of the sutra, Nichiren established the invocation (chant) of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo as a universal practice to enable people to manifest the Buddha nature inherent in their own lives and gain the strength and wisdom to challenge and overcome any adverse circumstances. Nichiren saw the Lotus Sutra as a vehicle for people’s empowerment–stressing that everyone can attain enlightenment and enjoy happiness in this world.
New Year’s Gosho
“I HAVE received a hundred slabs of steamed rice cake and a basket of fruit. New Year’s Day marks the first day, the first month, the beginning of the year, and the start of spring.1 A person who celebrates this day will accumulate virtue and be loved by all, just as the moon becomes full gradually, moving from west to east, 2 and as the sun shines more brightly, traveling from east to west.”
As we struggle with our day-to-day existence we may often wonder if we are already in hell, what if this is as good as it gets. According to Nichiren when asked the question of where exactly is hell and where we can find our true inner Buddha, or even if either exists, the gosho goes on to say, “…one sutra states that hell exists underground, and another sutra says that the Buddha is in the west. Closer examination, however, reveals that both exist in our five-foot body. This must be true because hell is in the heart of a person who inwardly despises his father, and disregards his mother. It is like the lotus seed, which contains both blossom and fruit. In the same way, the Buddha dwells within our hearts. For example, flint has the potential to produce fire, and gems have intrinsic value. We ordinary people can see neither our own eyelashes, which are so close, nor the heavens in the distance. Likewise, we do not see that the Buddha exists in our own hearts.
The pure lotus flower blooms out of the muddy pond, the fragrant sandalwood grows from the soil, the graceful cherry blossoms come forth from trees…, and the moon rises from behind the mountains to shed light on them. Misfortune comes from one’s mouth and ruins one, but fortune comes from one’s heart and makes one worthy of respect.”
Regardless of how bad life seems to be around us, it begins and ends in our hearts. We carry success in our hearts and failure in our mouths. We carry our Buddhahood within; however, like a tarnished mirror we can only see our reflection after much polishing. You polish that mirror with some type of spiritual practice, which can be chanting, meditating, or just going into the quiet daily.
So for this first day, of the first month, of the year 2012, I challenge you to look inward, find your inner Buddha, determine that each day is lived within your hearts and be blessed.
Note: For more information about Nichiren Daishonin or Soka Gakkai International (the lay Buddhist organization) check out their website @ sgi-tampabay.com or sgi-usa.org. There are chapters in Brandon and Clearwater creating the Tampa Bay Area.

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