Expanding Our Lives Through Hardships

In the Latter Day of the Law, the votary of the Lotus Sutra will appear without fail. The greater the hardships befalling him, the greater the delight he feels, because of his strong faith. Doesn’t a fire burn more briskly when logs are added? All rivers flow into the sea, but does the sea turn back their waters? The currents of hardship pour into the sea of the Lotus Sutra and rush against its votary. The river is not rejected by the ocean; nor does the votary reject suffering. Were it not for the flowing rivers, there would be no sea. Likewise, without tribulation there would be no votary of the Lotus Sutra. As T’ien-t’ai stated, “The various rivers flow into the sea, and logs make a fire burn more briskly.” 

—“A Ship to Cross the Sea of Suffering,” The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, vol. 1, p. 33

Ikeda Sensei’s Guidance

In this letter, Nichiren quotes a passage from T’ien-t’ai’s Great Concentration and Insight to elucidate two aspects of the votary’s state of life when facing various hardships. 

First, this life state is likened to a fire, and hardships, to logs. Placing logs on a fire makes it burn more briskly. In the same way, hardships make the flame of the votary’s faith burn all the more brightly, and they strengthen the votary’s awareness of and confidence in his mission. Second, the votary’s state of life is likened to the sea, and hardships, to rivers. Nichiren speaks of “rivers of hardship” pouring into the “sea of the Lotus Sutra” and rushing against its votary. Rivers flow into the sea, but the sea does not reject their waters; rather, it accepts the water pouring in, growing richer and more expansive.