The Heart of the Great Vow for Kosen-rufu

“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.” (“The Opening of the Eyes,” The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, vol. 1, p. 280)

Background

When he wrote these lines, Nichiren Daishonin was facing the greatest difficulty in his life: He had recently survived an attempted execution and was now in exile under harsh conditions on Sado Island. As a result, many of his followers began to doubt him, and most had abandoned their faith. They wondered: Why did the heavenly gods not protect him? Wasn’t he the votary of the Lotus Sutra?

In “The Opening of the Eyes,” Nichiren answers these questions. He explains that “protection” is not about having no problems but about having an undefeatable life condition no matter the problems. He helps people see the true nature of his troubles and makes a bold declaration: “Let the gods forsake me. Let all persecutions assail me. Still I will give my life for the sake of the Law.”

Nichiren faced life-threatening struggles not just for his own happiness but to show all people the way to happiness. When we, too, live with such a determination, we’ll find that there is nothing we need fear. Nichiren wasn’t swayed by any obstacle, and he showed the way to genuine happiness for all people into the eternal future.