Sunday, April 04, 2021.

"On the Proper Way to Preach the Doctrine" (https://www.nichirenlibrary.org/en/wnd-2/Content/208) was the teaching of Nichiren soaked into me in my student hood.

In particular, "You say in your letter that you were invited to preach the doctrine in a private hall dedicated to the Buddha and that you conducted yourself fittingly. However I consider it, this remark of yours strikes me as very peculiar." this phrase impacts on me even now.

Why did Nichiren think of strangely what disciple said and did? The following "The reason is this." indicated clearly the reason. Therefore, "You are not only a priest, but one who preaches the finest doctrine in the entire continent of Jambudvīpa. Even if you were in the presence of a bodhisattva who had attained near-perfect enlightenment, you would have no reason to be concerned whether you conducted yourself “fittingly” or not." and "It would seem that Nichiren’s disciples, after journeying to the capital, at first were careful not to forget their purpose, but later, led astray by the heavenly devil, they lost their senses completely. That is the way Shō-bō was acting. You had better beware that you do not act the same way and incur the anger of heaven." these are an admonition for disciples, as you know.