Buddhahood Manifests in Those With Strong Faith

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. … 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.” 

—“The Real Aspect of the Gohonzon,”The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, vol. 1, p. 832

Ikeda Sensei’s Guidance

The Gohonzon Nichiren inscribed is the means by which we can awaken to and call forth the Gohonzon (Buddhahood) within us. The physical Gohonzon we chant to is the very same Gohonzon that is in our heart; and it is by chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo for the happiness of ourselves and others that we can clearly awaken to the Gohonzon within us. …

When we ordinary people of the Latter Day face the Gohonzon, the embodiment of the boundless life state of Buddhahood, and chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo with deep and strong faith, we can gain entrance to the shining realm of time without beginning manifested in the Gohonzon. Nichiren refers to the Gohonzon as the “object of devotion for observing the mind.” The purpose of the Gohonzon is to enable us to “observe our mind,” that is, to see and awaken to the Buddhahood within our own lives. But being able to see the true nature of our mind, or attain enlightenment, is not something achieved through conceptual thought or meditative practice; faith is the foundation. …