Friday, May 22, 2026

Gosho Passage - May 22, 2026

"The more the government authorities rage against me, the greater is my joy. For instance, there are certain Hinayana bodhisattvas, not yet freed from delusion, who draw evil karma to themselves by their own compassionate vow. If they see that their father and mother have fallen into hell and are suffering greatly, they will deliberately create the appropriate karma in hopes that they too may fall into hell and share in and take their suffering upon themselves. Thus suffering is a joy to them. It is the same with me [in fulfilling the prophecies]. Though at present I must face trials that I can scarcely endure, I rejoice when I think that in the future I will escape being born into the evil paths."

From Gosho "The Opening of the Eyes" (The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin Volume I, page 243)

Thursday, May 21, 2026

Gosho Passage - May 21, 2026

"The fourth volume of the Lotus Sutra states, “If there were a person who spoke only one word to curse the lay persons or monks or nuns who uphold and preach the Lotus Sutra, then his offense would be even graver than that of cursing Shakyamuni Buddha to his face for the space of a kalpa.”[...] Take these teachings to heart, and always remember that believers in the Lotus Sutra should absolutely be the last to abuse one another. All those who keep faith in the Lotus Sutra are most certainly Buddhas, and one who slanders a Buddha commits a grave offense."

From Gosho "The Fourteen Slanders" (The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin Volume I, page 756)

Wednesday, May 20, 2026

Gosho Passage - May 20, 2026

"The blessings that you, the Honorable Joren, acquire through your faith in the Lotus Sutra will lend strength to your kind father. Though Devadatta fell into the Avichi hell, the Buddha predicted that he would in the future become a Buddha named Heavenly King Thus Come One. This was because he belonged to the same extended family as the Buddha. In your case, the relationship is one of father and son. How could the fact that you embrace the Lotus Sutra fail to bring blessing to the departed spirit of your late father?"

From Gosho "Letter to Joren-bo" (The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin Volume II, page 572)

Tuesday, May 19, 2026

Gosho Passage - May 19, 2026

"Life flashes by in but a moment. No matter how many terrible enemies you may encounter, banish all fears and never think of backsliding. Even if someone were to cut off our heads with a saw, impale our bodies with lances, or shackle our feet and bore them through with a gimlet, as long as we are alive, we must keep chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. Then, if we chant until the very moment of death, Shakyamuni, Many Treasures, and the Buddhas of the ten directions will come to us instantly, exactly as they promised during the ceremony at Eagle Peak."

From Gosho "On Practicing the Buddha's Teachings" (The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, page 395)

Monday, May 18, 2026

Gosho Passage - May 18, 2026

"The Lotus Sutra is both the teaching of the Buddha and the embodiment of the Buddha wisdom. If one puts sincere faith in each character and brushstroke in it, then one will become a Buddha in one’s present form. For example, a piece of white paper becomes black when dipped in black ink, and black lacquer turns white when white liquid is poured into it. Just as poison turns into medicine, so do ordinary individuals change into Buddhas. Accordingly we call it the wonderful Law."

From Gosho "The Teaching That Accords with the Buddha’s Mind" (The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin Volume I, page 969)

Sunday, May 17, 2026

Gosho Passage - May 17, 2026

"Life is the foremost of all treasures. It is expounded that even the treasures of the entire major world system cannot equal the value of one’s body and life. Even the treasures that fill the major world system are no substitute for life. [...] In accordance with their status, some have wives and children, relatives, fiefs, and gold and silver, while others have no treasure. Whether one has wealth or not, no treasure exceeds the one called life. This is why those known as the sages and worthies of ancient times offered their lives to the Buddha and then became Buddhas."

From Gosho "The Gift of Rice" (The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin Volume I, page 1125)

Saturday, May 16, 2026

Gosho Passage - May 16, 2026

"The Lotus Sutra is the king of sutras, true and correct in both word and principle. Its words are the ultimate reality, and this reality is the Mystic Law (myōhō). It is called the Mystic Law because it reveals the principle of the mutually inclusive relationship of a single moment of life and all phenomena. That is why this sutra is the wisdom of all Buddhas."

From Gosho "On Attaining Buddhahood in This Lifetime" (The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin Volume I, page 3)

Friday, May 15, 2026

Gosho Passage - May 15, 2026

"Concerning prayer, there are conspicuous prayer and conspicuous response, conspicuous prayer and inconspicuous response, inconspicuous prayer and inconspicuous response, and inconspicuous prayer and conspicuous response. But the only essential point is that, if you believe in this sutra, all your desires will be fulfilled in both the present and the future."

From Gosho "Letter to the Lay Priest Domyo" (The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin Volume I, page 750)

Thursday, May 14, 2026

Gosho Passage - May 14, 2026

"You should not have the slightest fear in your heart. It is lack of courage that prevents one from attaining Buddhahood, although one may have professed faith in the Lotus Sutra many times since innumerable kalpas ago."

From Gosho "The Three Obstacles and Four Devils" (The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin Volume I, page 637)

Wednesday, May 13, 2026

Gosho Passage - May 13, 2026

"One may ask why the results of these vows should be so long in appearing. And yet, though one might point at the earth and miss it, though one might bind up the sky, though the tides might cease to ebb and flow and the sun rise in the west, it could never come about that the prayers of the practitioner of the Lotus Sutra would go unanswered."

From Gosho "On Prayer" (The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin Volume I, page 345)

Tuesday, May 12, 2026

Gosho Passage - May 12, 2026

"There are two ways of perceiving the three thousand realms in a single moment of life. One is theoretical, and the other, actual. What T’ien-t’ai and Dengyo- practiced was theoretical, but what I practice now is actual. Because what I practice is superior, the difficulties attending it are that much greater. The doctrine of T’ien-t’ai and Dengyo- was the three thousand realms in a single moment of life of the theoretical teaching, while mine is that of the essential teaching. These two are as different as heaven is from earth."

From Gosho "The Treatment of Illness" (The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin Volume I, page 1115)

Monday, May 11, 2026

Gosho Passage - May 11, 2026

"Worthy persons deserve to be called so because they are not carried away by the eight winds: prosperity, decline, disgrace, honor, praise, censure, suffering, and pleasure. They are neither elated by prosperity nor grieved by decline. The heavenly gods will surely protect one who is unbending before the eight winds. But if you nurse an unreasonable grudge against your lord, they will not protect you, not for all your prayers."

From Gosho "The Eight Winds" (The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin Volume I, page 794)

Sunday, May 10, 2026

Gosho Passage - May 10, 2026

"Never seek this Gohonzon outside yourself. The Gohonzon exists only within the mortal flesh of us ordinary people who embrace the Lotus Sutra and chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. The body is the palace of the ninth consciousness, the unchanging reality that reigns over all of life’s functions. To be endowed with the Ten Worlds means that all ten, without a single exception, exist in one world. Because of this it is called a mandala. Mandala is a Sanskrit word that is translated as “perfectly endowed” or “a cluster of blessings.” This Gohonzon also is found only in the two characters for faith. This is what the sutra means when it states that one can “gain entrance through faith alone.”"

From Gosho "The Real Aspect of the Gohonzon" (The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin Volume I, page 832)

Saturday, May 09, 2026

Gosho Passage - May 9, 2026

"The Great Teacher Miao-lo says: “You should understand that one’s life and its environment at a single moment encompass the three thousand realms. Therefore, when one attains the Buddha way, one puts oneself in accord with this fundamental principle, and one’s body and mind at a single moment pervade the entire realm of phenomena.”"

From Gosho "The Object of Devotion for Observing the Mind" (The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin Volume I, page 366)

Friday, May 08, 2026

Gosho Passage - May 8, 2026

"With regard to the debt of gratitude owed to our parents, our father may be likened to heaven and our mother to the earth, and it would be difficult to say to which parent we are the more indebted. But it is particularly difficult to repay the great kindness of our mother. [...] Since I have realized that only the Lotus Sutra teaches the attainment of Buddhahood by women, and that only the Lotus is the sutra of true requital for repaying the kindness of our mother, in order to repay my debt to my mother, I have vowed to enable all women to chant the daimoku of this sutra."

From Gosho "The Sutra of True Requital" (The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin Volume I, pages 930-931)

Thursday, May 07, 2026

Gosho Passage - May 7, 2026

"The sutra states, “The wisdom of the Buddhas is infinitely profound and immeasurable.” [...] What is meant by this “wisdom”? It is the entity of the true aspect of all phenomena, and of the ten factors of life that lead all beings to Buddhahood. What then is that entity? It is Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. A commentary states that the profound principle of the true aspect is the originally inherent Myoho-renge-kyo. We learn that that true aspect of all phenomena is also the two Buddhas Shakyamuni and Many Treasures [seated together in the treasure tower]. “All phenomena” corresponds to Many Treasures, and “the true aspect” corresponds to Shakyamuni. These are also the two elements of reality and wisdom. Many Treasures is reality; Shakyamuni is wisdom. It is the enlightenment that reality and wisdom are two, and yet they are not two. These are teachings of prime importance. These are also what is called “earthly desires are enlightenment,” and “the sufferings of birth and death are nirvana.”"

From Gosho "Earthly Desires Are Enlightenment" (The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin Volume I, page 317-318)

Wednesday, May 06, 2026

Gosho Passage - May 6, 2026

"Question: If that is so, then why do you not take Shakyamuni as your object of devotion, but instead make the daimoku of the Lotus Sutra the object of devotion? Answer: [...] This is not a matter that I have decided for myself. Shakyamuni Buddha and T’ien-t’ai are the ones who have declared that the Lotus Sutra should be the object of devotion. And now, in this latter age, I, Nichiren, too, following the example of the Buddha and T’ien-t’ai, take the Lotus Sutra as the object of devotion. I do so because the Lotus Sutra is the father and mother of Shakyamuni Buddha, the eye of the Buddhas. Shakyamuni, Maha-vairochana, and all the other Buddhas of the tendirections were born from the Lotus Sutra. Therefore, as the object of devotion I now take that which is capable of bringing forth such life force."

From Gosho "Questions and Answers on the Object of Devotion" (The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin Volume II, pages 788-789)

Tuesday, May 05, 2026

Gosho Passage - May 5, 2026

"The “Expedient Means” chapter in volume one of the Lotus Sutra states, “The Buddhas wish to open the door of Buddha wisdom to all living beings.” This refers to the world of Buddhahood inherent in the nine worlds. The “Life Span” chapter states: “Thus, since I attained Buddhahood, an extremely long period of time has passed. My life span is an immeasurable number of asamkhya kalpas, and during that time I have constantly abided here without ever entering extinction. Good men, originally I practiced the bodhisattva way, and the life span that I acquired then has yet to come to an end but will last twice the number of years that have already passed.” Here the sutra refers to the nine worlds inherent in Buddhahood. The sutra states, “Devadatta will be called the Thus Come One Heavenly King.” This indicates that the world of hell also contains Buddhahood"

From Gosho "The Object of Devotion for Observing the Mind" (The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin Volume I, page 357)

Monday, May 04, 2026

Gosho Passage - May 4, 2026

"There is no true happiness other than upholding faith in the Lotus Sutra. This is what is meant by “peace and security in their present existence and good circumstances in future existences.” Though worldly troubles may arise, never let them disturb you. No one can avoid problems, not even sages or worthies. Drink sake only at home with your wife, and chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. 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. How could this be anything other than the boundless joy of the Law? Strengthen your power of faith more than ever."

From Gosho "Happiness in This World" (The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin Volume I, page 681)

Sunday, May 03, 2026

Gosho Passage - May 3, 2026

"Though numerous, the Japanese will find it difficult to accomplish anything, because they are divided in spirit. In contrast, although Nichiren and his followers are few, because they are different in body, but united in mind, they will definitely accomplish their great mission of widely propagating the Lotus Sutra. Though evils may be numerous, they cannot prevail over a single great truth, just as many raging fires are quenched by a single shower of rain."

From Gosho "Many in Body, One in Mind" (The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, page 618)

Saturday, May 02, 2026

Gosho Passage - May 2, 2026

"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. They despise a wise man without power, but fear evil rulers. They are no more than fawning retainers. Only by defeating a powerful enemy can one prove one’s real strength. When an evil ruler in consort with priests of erroneous teachings tries to destroy the correct teaching and do away with a man of wisdom, those with the heart of a lion king are sure to attain Buddhahood. Like Nichiren, for example. I say this not out of arrogance, but because I am deeply committed to the correct teaching."

From Gosho "Letter from Sado" (The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin Volume I, page 302)

Friday, May 01, 2026

Gosho Passage - May 1, 2026

"Kyo’o’s misfortune will change into fortune. Muster your faith, and pray to this Gohonzon. Then what is there that cannot be achieved? There can be no doubt about the sutra passages that say, “This sutra can fulfill their desires, as a clear cool pond can satisfy all those who are thirsty,” and “They will enjoy peace and security in their present existence and good circumstances in future existences."

From Gosho "Reply to Kyo’o" (The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, page 412)

Thursday, April 30, 2026

Gosho Passage - April 30, 2026

"Just as flowers open up and bear fruit, just as the moon appears and invariably grows full, just as a lamp becomes brighter when oil is added, and just as plants and trees flourish with rain, so will human beings never fail to prosper when they make good causes."

From Gosho "The Third Day of the New Year" (The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, page 1013)

Wednesday, April 29, 2026

Gosho Passage - April 29, 2026

"Neither the pure land nor hell exists outside oneself; both lie only within one’s own heart. Awakened to this, one is called a Buddha; deluded about it, one is called an ordinary person. The Lotus Sutra reveals this truth, and one who embraces the Lotus Sutra will realize that hell is itself the Land of Tranquil Light."

From Gosho "Hell Is the Land of Tranquil Light" (The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, page 456)

Tuesday, April 28, 2026

Gosho Passage - April 28, 2026

"An arrogant person will always be overcome with fear when meeting a strong enemy, as was the haughty asura who shrank in size and hid himself in a lotus blossom in Heat-Free Lake when re proached by Shakra. Even a word or a phrase of the correct teaching will enable one to gain the way, if it suits the time and the capacity of the people. But though one studies a thousand sutras and ten thousand treatises, one will not attain Buddhahood if these teachings are unsuitable for the time and the people's capacity."

From Gosho "Letter from Sado" (The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, page 302)

Monday, April 27, 2026

Gosho Passage - April 27, 2026

"Since the remotest past up until now, you have merely suffered in vain the pains of countless existences. Why do you not, if only this once, try planting the wonderful seeds that lead to eternal and unchanging Buddhahood? Though at present you may taste only a tiny fraction of the everlasting joys that await you in the future, surely you should not spend your time thoughtlessly coveting worldly fame and profit, which are as fleeting as a bolt of lightning or the morning dew. [...] Single-mindedly chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo and urge others to do the same; that will remain as the only memory of your present life in this human world."

From Gosho "Embracing the Lotus Sutra" (The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin Volume I, page 64)

Sunday, April 26, 2026

Gosho Passage - April 26, 2026

"for the matter of becoming a Buddha, ordinary people keep in mind the words “earnest resolve” and thereby become Buddhas. When we carefully consider what exactly earnest resolve refers to, it is the doctrine of observing the mind. When we inquire into what exactly the doctrine of observing the mind refers to, it means that offering one’s only robe to the Lotus Sutra is equivalent to peeling off one’s skin; and that in a time of famine, offering the food that is the only means for sustaining one’s life that day to the Buddha is offering one’s life to the Buddha."

From Gosho "The Gift of Rice" (The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin Volume I, page 1125)

Saturday, April 25, 2026

Gosho Passage - April 25, 2026

"Famine occurs as a result of greed, pestilence as a result of foolishness, and warfare as a result of anger."

From Gosho "King Rinda" (The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin Volume I, page 989)

Friday, April 24, 2026

Gosho Passage - April 24, 2026

"[...] we know that the prayers offered by a practitioner of the Lotus Sutra will be answered just as an echo answers a sound, as a shadow follows a form, as the reflection of the moon appears in clear water, as a mirror collects dewdrops, as a magnet attracts iron, as amber attracts particles of dust, or as a clear mirror reflects the color of an object."

From Gosho "On Prayer" (The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin Volume I, page 340)

Thursday, April 23, 2026

Gosho Passage - April 23, 2026

"We ordinary beings are fettered by evil karma, earthly desires, and the sufferings of birth and death. But due to the three inherent potentials of the Buddha nature—innate Buddhahood, the wisdom to perceive it, and the actions to manifest it—we can without doubt reveal the Buddha’s three bodies—the Dharma body, the reward body, and the manifested body. The Great Teacher Dengyō states, “Through the power of the Lotus Sutra of the Wonderful Law they can do so in their present form.” He is referring to the example of the dragon king’s daughter, who achieved Buddhahood in her reptilian form through the power of the Lotus Sutra. Do not doubt this in the least."

From Gosho "The One Essential Phrase" (The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, page 923)
Gosho passage - April 22, $year$
"I am entrusting you with a Gohonzon for the protection of your young child. [...] When we have this mandala with us, it is a rule that all the Buddhas and gods will gather round and watch over us, protecting us like a shadow day and night, just as warriors guard their ruler, as parents love their children, as fish rely on water, as trees and grasses crave rain, and as birds depend on trees. You must trust in it with all your heart."

From Gosho "On Upholding Faith in the Gohonzon" (The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin Volume I, page 624)

Tuesday, April 21, 2026

Gosho Passage - April 21, 2026

"Carry through with your faith in the Lotus Sutra. You cannot strike fire from flint if you stop halfway. Bring forth the great power of faith, and be spoken of by all the people of Kamakura, both high and low, or by all the people of Japan, as “Shijō Kingo, Shijō Kingo of the Lotus school!” Even a bad reputation will spread far and wide. A good reputation will spread even farther, particularly if it is a reputation for devotion to the Lotus Sutra."

From Gosho "Earthly Desires Are Enlightenment" (The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, page 319)

Monday, April 20, 2026

Gosho Passage - April 20, 2026

"The function of fire is to burn and give light. The function of water is to wash away filth. The winds blow away dust and breathe life into plants, animals, and human beings. The earth produces the grasses and trees, and heaven provides nourishing moisture. The five characters of Myoho-renge-kyo are also like that. They are the cluster of blessings brought by the Bodhisattvas of the Earth, disciples of the Buddha in his true identity."

From Gosho "The Heritage of the Ultimate Law of Life" (The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, page 218)

Sunday, April 19, 2026

Gosho Passage - April 19, 2026

"Shakyamuni Buddha, who has attained perfect enlightenment, is our own flesh and blood. His practices and the resulting virtues are our bones and marrow. [...] Shakyamuni, Many Treasures, and the Buddhas of the ten directions represent the world of Buddhahood within ourselves. By searching them out within us, we can receive the benefits of all these Buddhas."

From Gosho "The Object of Devotion for Observing the Mind " (The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, page 365)

Saturday, April 18, 2026

Gosho Passage - April 18, 2026

"The heart of the Buddha’s lifetime of teachings is the Lotus Sutra, and the heart of the practice of the Lotus Sutra is found in the “Never Disparaging” chapter. What does Bodhisattva Never Disparaging’s profound respect for people signify? The purpose of the appearance in this world of Shakyamuni Buddha, the lord of teachings, lies in his behavior as a human being."

Dal Gosho "The Three Kinds of Treasure" (Raccolta degli scritti di Nichiren Daishonin, volume I, pag. 852)

Friday, April 17, 2026

Gosho Passage - April 17, 2026

"Buddhism teaches that, when the Buddha nature manifests itself from within, it will receive protection from without. This is one of its fundamental principles. The Lotus Sutra says, “I have profound reverence for you.” The Nirvana Sutra states, “All living beings alike possess the Buddha nature.” Bodhisattva Ashvaghosha’s Awakening of Faith in the Mahayana says, “Because the true abiding Law invariably permeates one’s life and exerts its influence, illusions are instantly extinguished, and the Dharma body manifests itself.” Bodhisattva Maitreya’s Treatise on the Stages of Yoga Practice contains a similar statement. What is hidden turns into manifest virtue."

From Gosho "The Three Kinds of Treasure" (The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin Volume I, page 848)
Gosho passage - April 16, $year$
"A Buddha is a child, and the Lotus Sutra, its parents. If the parents of a thousand children are praised, those thousand children will rejoice. If one makes offerings to the parents, one makes offerings to their thousand children as well. 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, because all the Buddhas of the ten directions originate from the single character myo. "

From Gosho "The Drum at the Gate of Thunder" (The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin Volume I, page 949)

Wednesday, April 15, 2026

Gosho Passage - April 15, 2026

"Regarding the word myo of Myoho-renge-kyo, Bodhisattva Nagarjuna comments in The Treatise on the Great Perfection of Wisdom that it “can change poison into medicine.” And the Great Teacher T’ien-t’ai says, “But when the Lotus Sutra predicts that these people [of the two vehicles] will eventually attain Buddhahood, the poison is changed into medicine.” Though calamities may come, they can be changed into good fortune."

From Gosho "How the Gods Protect the Place of Practice" (The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin Volume II, page 669)

Tuesday, April 14, 2026

Gosho Passage - April 14, 2026

"Question: The “Expedient Means” chapter in the first volume of the Lotus Sutra states, “The true aspect of all phenomena [can only be understood and shared between Buddhas. This reality consists of the appearance, nature . . . and] their consistency from beginning to end.” What does this passage mean? Answer: It means that all beings and environments in the Ten Worlds, from hell, the lowest, to Buddhahood, the highest, are without exception manifestations of Myoho-renge-kyo."

From Gosho "The True Aspect of All Phenomena" (The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin Volume I, page 383)

Monday, April 13, 2026

Gosho Passage - April 13, 2026

"The fifth scroll contains the very heart of the Lotus Sutra, for it reveals that the dragon king’s daughter attained Buddhahood in her present form. Devadatta represents the spiritual aspect of enlightenment, and the dragon king’s daughter, the physical aspect. The principle of attaining Buddhahood in one’s present form can be found nowhere else in the Buddha’s entire lifetime of teachings. "

From Gosho "Persecution by Sword and Staff" (The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin Volume I, page 963)

Sunday, April 12, 2026

Gosho Passage - April 12, 2026

"When we revere Myoho-renge-kyo inherent in our own life as the object of devotion, the Buddha nature within us is summoned forth and manifested by our chanting of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. This is what is meant by “Buddha.” To illustrate, when a caged bird sings, birds who are flying in the sky are thereby summoned and gather around, and when the birds flying in the sky gather around, the bird in the cage strives to get out. When with our mouths we chant the Mystic Law, our Buddha nature, being summoned, will invariably emerge. The Buddha nature of Brahma and Shakra, being called, will protect us, and the Buddha nature of the Buddhas and bodhisattvas, being summoned, will rejoice. This is what the Buddha meant when he said, “If one can uphold it [the Mystic Law] even for a short while I will surely rejoice and so will the other Buddhas."

From Gosho "How Those Initially Aspiring to the Way..." (The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, page 887)

Saturday, April 11, 2026

Gosho Passage - April 11, 2026

"The Lotus Sutra states, “[The doctrines that they preach . . .] will never be contrary to the true reality.” T’ien-t’ai commented on this, saying that “no worldly affairs of life or work are ever contrary to the true reality.” A person of wisdom is not one who practices Buddhism apart from worldly affairs but, rather, one who thoroughly understands the principles by which the world is governed."

From Gosho "The Kalpa of Decrease" (The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin Volume I, page 1121)

Friday, April 10, 2026

Gosho Passage - April 10, 2026

"At present the entire body of the Honorable Abutsu is composed of the five elements of earth, water, fire, wind, and space. These five elements are also the five characters of the daimoku. Abutsu-bo is therefore the treasure tower itself, and the treasure tower is Abutsu-bo himself. No other knowledge is purposeful. It is the treasure tower adorned with the seven kinds of treasures hearing the correct teaching, believing it, keeping the precepts, engaging in meditation, practicing assiduously, renouncing one’s attachments, and reflecting on oneself. You may think you offered gifts to the treasure tower of the Thus Come One Many Treasures, but that is not so. You offered them to yourself. You, yourself, are a Thus Come One who is originally enlightened and endowed with the three bodies. "

From Gosho "On the Treasure Tower" (The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin Volume I, pages 299-300)

Thursday, April 09, 2026

Gosho Passage - April 9, 2026

"If you continue living as you are now, there can be no doubt that you will be practicing the Lotus Sutra twenty-four hours a day. Regard your service to your lord as the practice of the Lotus Sutra. This is what is meant by “No worldly affairs of life or work are ever contrary to the true reality.” I hope you will deeply consider the meaning of this passage."

From Gosho "Reply to a Believer" (The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin Volume I, page 905)

Wednesday, April 08, 2026

Gosho Passage - April 8, 2026

"Bodhisattva Never Disparaging of old said that all people have the Buddha nature and that, if they embrace the Lotus Sutra, they will never fail to attain Buddhahood. He further stated that to slight a person is to slight the Buddha himself. Thus, his practice was to revere all people. He revered even those who did not embrace the Lotus Sutra because they too had the Buddha nature and might someday believe in the sutra. Therefore, it is all the more natural to revere those priests and lay people who do embrace the sutra."

From Gosho "The Fourteen Slanders" (The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin Volume I, page 756)

Tuesday, April 07, 2026

Gosho Passage - April 7, 2026

"One may ask why the results of these vows should be so long in appearing. And yet, though one might point at the earth and miss it, though one might bind up the sky, though the tides might cease to ebb and flow and the sun rise in the west, it could never come about that the prayers of the practitioner of the Lotus Sutra would go unanswered. If the bodhisattvas, the human and heavenly beings, the eight kinds of nonhuman beings, the two sages, the two heavenly deities, and the ten demon daughters would by some unlikely chance fail to appear and protect the practitioner of the Lotus Sutra, then above them they would be showing disdain for Shakyamuni and the other Buddhas [...] It makes no difference if the practitioner himself is lacking in worth, defective in wisdom, impure in his person, and lacking in virtue derived from observing the precepts. So long as he chants Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, they will invariably protect him. One does not throw away gold because the bag that holds it is dirty"

From Gosho "On Prayer" (The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin Volume I, page 345)

Monday, April 06, 2026

Gosho Passage - April 6, 2026

"Great events never have minor omens. When great evil occurs, great good follows. Since great slander already exists in our land, the great correct Law will spread without fail. What could any of you have to lament? Even if you are not the Venerable Mahakashyapa, you should all perform a dance. Even if you are not Shariputra, you should leap up and dance. When Bodhisattva Superior Practices emerged from the earth, did he not emerge dancing?"

From Gosho "Great Evil and Great Good" (The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin Volume I, page 1119)

Sunday, April 05, 2026

Gosho Passage - April 5, 2026

"In the eighth volume of Great Concentration and Insight and in the eighth volume of The Annotations on “Great Concentration and Insight” it says, “The stronger one’s faith, the greater the protection of the gods.” This means that the protection of the gods depends on the strength of one’s faith. The Lotus Sutra is a fine sword, but its might depends on the one who wields it."

From Gosho "General Stone Tiger" (The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin Volume I, page 953)

Saturday, April 04, 2026

Gosho Passage - April 4, 2026

"The Lotus Sutra is the master of Medicine Master Buddha in the east, as well as the master of all Buddhas in the south, west, north, and the worlds above and below. Shakyamuni Buddha and the other Buddhas revere the characters of the Lotus Sutra in the same way that people fear their sovereign and the stars venerate the moon. We ordinary people, however, have long been under the reign of the devil king of the sixth heaven. We have been forced into confinement in the realms of hell, hungry spirits, and animals, and, without a moment of relief, day and night we are tortured by the wardens of hell. Even so, if we could somehow place ourselves under the protection of the Lotus Sutra, then Shakyamuni Buddha and the Buddhas of the ten directions would treat us as their children, and thus even the heavenly kings Brahma and Shakra would refrain from approaching us out of fear. How much more, then, would the devil king of the sixth heaven fear us! Even though the devil king had formerly been our master, he would now stand in reverential awe of us. And, terribly fearful that should he cause trouble for us, his situation would worsen when he presented himself to the Lotus Sutra and the Buddhas of the ten directions, he would make us offerings. For this reason, he spares no effort whatsoever to prevent all the living beings in the six paths from accepting the Lotus Sutra."

From Gosho "The Sons Pure Storehouse and Pure Eye" (The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin Volume I, page 1049)

Friday, April 03, 2026

Gosho Passage - April 3, 2026

"Strengthen your resolve more than ever. Ice is made of water, but it is colder than water. Blue dye comes from indigo, but when something is repeatedly dyed in it, the color is better than that of the indigo plant. The Lotus Sutra remains the same, but if you repeatedly strengthen your resolve, your color will be better than that of others, and you will receive more blessings than they do."

From Gosho "The Supremacy of the Law" (The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin Volume I, page 615)