protect your mind from infection

As you may know, our founder Nichiren Shōnin underwent many attacks and suffered many persecutions throughout his life as a result of his efforts to propagate the Lotus Sūtra. He was criticised, insulted, ridiculed, threatened, physically attacked, exiled, attempts were made on his life, and false accusations were made against him to the government. He described some of these persecutions in one of his letters, Shōnin Gonan Ji, written in 1279:

“In the past 27 years, I, Nichiren, encountered many persecutions. I was exiled to the Province of Izu on the twelfth day of the fifth month in the first year of Kōchō (1261), injured on the forehead and my left hand was broken on the eleventh day of the eleventh month in the first year of Bun’ei (1264), placed on the execution mat on the twelfth day of the ninth month in the eighth year of Bun’ei (1271), and exiled to Sado Province in the end. Moreover, numbers disciples of mine were killed,  wounded, expelled, or fined. I do not know whether or not my difficulties may equal  or surpass those of the buddha, but those of Nāgārjuna, Vasubandhu, T’ien-t’ai, and Dengyō cannot compare to mine.” 

(WNS-5, p.118)

When I think of the various persecutions Nichiren Shōnin experienced, I often wonder, “Did he feel angry?…He was a human being after all.” Remarkably, despite all of the actions taken against him, he always instructed his disciples to show respect, and uphold proper behaviour and composure at all times.

When we compare ourselves to Nichiren Shōnin, we might think, “Nichiren Shōnin was a monk, and a great Buddhist master. He must have never become angry. I, on the other hand, often get frustrated, irritated and sometimes lose my temper.” Maybe you sometimes raise your voice at people when you’re angry, snap at love ones, or have even got into a physical fight with someone in the past.

Actually, this is not unusual - getting angry is a natural part of being a human being. When we are faced with difficult situations and feel threatened, vulnerable, attacked or unappreciated, we often react instinctively with anger as a defence mechanism, in order to protect ourselves. This might be because we have evolved this way. There is a certain power or energy in anger. In the state of anger we have more energy to change situations which are less than ideal which we would otherwise simply resign ourselves to. Most people know this, and justify their anger saying that if we don't respond with anger in certain situations it will allow people to walk all over us. However, we should be careful about our anger, because when we’re angry there is a big potential to do and say things we will later regret.

Being able to control our anger is important, because one problem with anger is that when we’re under its influence we can’t think clearly, rationally or logically. Haven’t you ever noticed that it can even be difficult to get your words out when you’re really angry? Therefore when anger is given free reign, it is all too easy to lose control, speak cruelly, and maybe even physically harm those we love. Thanks to modern science we know that when we’re angry a part of the brain called the "amygdala" takes charge, and the part of our brain where reasoned processing takes place is completely bypassed. This is known as "amygdala hijacking”.

Because of this characteristic of anger, the Buddha described it as a poison of the mind - something which has a destructive or corrupting influence. Only when our minds are calm can we respond wisely to any injustice or misdeed which others (or ourselves) may or may not have caused. Buddhism therefore warns us about the dangers of anger, and one of the reasons we practise Buddhism is to be able to control it.

In a letter he wrote to the two Ikegami brothers called Kyōdai-shō, Nichiren Shōnin quotes the Six Pāramitā Sūtra which says:

““Be the master of your mind; do not make your mind your master.”” (WNS-6, p.84)

The Buddha said there are three main mental states which have a destructive influence on our minds: the Three Poisons. They are the poison of anger, the poison of greed and the poison of delusion. When these states arise they cause mental anguish and misery, and lead to unwholesome action. Looking at the world today, we can see people carrying out acts based on these states of mind regularly. We should be particularly aware of other people’s anger or hatred, because as the Buddha said, hatred breeds hatred. In other words, it is easy to become angry or hateful in response to someone else’s anger because we have the same anger-mind as others. Therefore we should be very careful not to meet their angry mind with the angry part of our own minds. If we do that we will then receive their anger as an unwanted gift. We will become infected.

The only way to counteract and defend our minds from incoming anger, is to employ it’s antidote or opposite: compassion. Therefore as Buddhists we should always try to cultivate our compassion. We should intentionally pray for others, wish people happiness, and joy. If we do this, we are sure to improve our characters gradually, however it is said that with the help of the Lotus Sūtra, we will naturally become compassionate more easily, because it is one of the many attributes of the Buddha which we inherit through our practice.

Nichiren Shōnin said in Kanjin Honzon-shō that, 

“For those who are incapable of understanding the truth of the ‘3,000 existences contained in one thought,’ Lord Śākyamuni Buddha, with his great compassion, wraps this jewel with the five characters of Myō, Hō, Ren, Ge and Kyō and hangs it around the neck of the ignorant in the Latter Age of Degeneration.” 

(WNS-2, p.164)

That means that even though it may be very difficult for us to understand the Buddha’s enlightenment, we can attain Buddhahood because we have the good medicine of Odaimoku, hanging around our necks.

By upholding the Lotus Sūtra using the Odaimoku, we keep its essence, the essence of all the Buddha’s teachings in our mind. By chanting Namu Myōhō Renge Kyō and focusing our minds with faith on the Honmon section (second half) of the Lotus Sūtra, which reveals that the Buddha exists in everything and everyone and always will, we can come to observe the world of Buddha within the mind. This focus on the universality of the world of Buddhahood which is what is taught in the Lotus Sūtra can lead us to be able to observe our own minds, and specifically observe within it the world of Buddhahood. From there, we can see the Buddha world in the minds of others. 

Rather than analysing our thoughts, we place our faith in the Lotus Sūtra through our practice of the Odaimoku. Analysing our own thoughts, if we are very skilled meditators, we may or may not arrive at the same enlightenment of the Buddha. However, by expressing our faith in the Lotus Sūtra through practice, or effort (self-power), we can connect with the Buddha’s power and enlightenment through Namu Myōhō Renge Kyō. With this anchor for the mind, the Buddha’s mind, which is revealed in the Lotus Sūtra, becomes a reference point and yardstick to measure our spiritual progress against.

Also, although it may be difficult to understand, our faith connects us with the Buddha’s mind. This is very mysterious and wonderful. It can be said to be like a young child who has faith or trust in her mother. Because of the child’s trust, the mother’s words and actions have a huge impact and effect on her. For example, if the mother was to steal something and get arrested, the impact would be huge for the child! In the same way, our faith and trust in the Buddha connects us to him, and with that faith the power of the Buddha’s teaching manifests and acts upon us.

Please chant “single-mindedly yearning to see the Buddha” (Chapter XVI). The Buddha is in everything. That is the essence of the Lotus Sūtra. When we can feel or taste this, we will naturally reduce our anger, increase compassion, patience, generosity, wisdom and all of the other virtues of enlightenment.

The words “ze kō rō yaku 是好良藥” appear in Chapter XVI of the Lotus Sūtra (Murano, p.244). This means that the Sūtra is a good medicine. Just like a medicine, when we take it, we don’t need to know the details of the chemical compounds inside for it to be effective, or exactly how it reacts with our bodies and works; it will still cure us. That is the nature of the Lotus Sūtra.

When you go to the doctor, depending on your illness you might be given medicine as capsules, tablets, as powder to dissolve in water to drink, as an injection or in the form of a cream to be applied to the skin.

The Buddha is like a doctor for us, and our illness comes from taking three poisons - greed, anger and delusion. The Buddha prescribed us the medicine of the Lotus Sūtra, and Nichiren Shōnin advised that we take it in the form of the Odaimoku, Namu Myōhō Renge Kyō, which transmits the essence of the Sūtra to us.

When we get sick we go to the Doctor and they prescribe us some medicine, it is always accompanied with instructions about when to take it, and maybe also recommendations about our diet and exercise. This seems perfectly straight forward and easy enough, yet often many people don’t take the medicine, stop taking it too soon, or they don’t follow the advice on lifestyle change such as changing their diet, and so the treatment isn’t so effective. Doing simple things is extremely difficult sometimes. It is the same with the Lotus Sūtra. Try to chant the Odaimoku regularly, every day, and grow your compassionate lifestyle. 

If we do that our anger-mind will change to a strong antibody of compassion, and we will not be infected by other people’s anger. The natural immunity of our Buddha nature will spring up from within our mind.