This section features Ikeda Sensei’s seminal guidance to the members of the United States. The following is an excerpt of his speech given at the First SGI-USA Women’s Division Meeting, held at Soka University of Los Angeles, Calabasas, California, February 27, 1990. The full speech can be found in My Dear Friends in America, fourth edition, pp. 95–106.
In Buddhism, the mirror is used to explain various doctrines. In one place, Nichiren states, “There are various sayings associated with mirrors” (The Record of the Orally Transmitted Teachings, p. 51). In another of his writings, he states: “A bronze mirror will reflect the form of a person but it will not reflect that person’s mind. The Lotus Sutra, however, reveals not only the person’s form but that person’s mind as well. And it reveals not only the mind; it reflects, without the least concealment, that person’s past actions and future as well” (“Rulers of the Land of the Gods,” The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, vol. 2, p. 619).
Mirrors reflect our outward form. The mirror of Buddhism, however, reveals the intangible aspect of our lives. Mirrors, which function by virtue of the laws of light and reflection, are a product of human wisdom. On the other hand, the Gohonzon, based on the Law of the universe and life itself, is the culmination of the Buddha’s wisdom and makes it possible for us to attain Buddhahood by providing us with a means of perceiving the true aspect of our life. Just as a mirror is indispensable for putting your face and hair in order, you need a mirror that reveals the depths of your life if you are to lead a happier and more beautiful existence.
Polish the Mirror of Your Life
Bronze mirrors not only reflected poorly but also tarnished very quickly. Therefore, unless they were polished regularly, they became unusable. This kind of mirror was popular in the time when the Daishonin lived.
In “On Attaining Buddhahood in This Lifetime,” Nichiren Daishonin writes: “This is similar to a tarnished mirror that will shine like a jewel when polished. A mind now clouded by the illusions of the innate darkness of life is like a tarnished mirror, but when polished, it is sure to become like a clear mirror, reflecting the essential nature of phenomena and the true aspect of reality” (WND-1, 4). In this well-known passage, the Daishonin draws parallels between the tradition of mirror polishing and the process of attaining Buddhahood.
Originally, every person’s life is a brilliantly shining mirror. Differences arise depending on whether one polishes this mirror. A polished mirror is the Buddha’s life, whereas a tarnished mirror is that of a common mortal. Chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo is what polishes our life. Not only do we undertake this practice ourselves, we also endeavor to teach others about the Mystic Law so that the mirror of their lives shines brightly too. Thus it can be said that we are masters of the art of polishing the mirror of life.
Even though people may make up their faces, they tend to neglect to polish their lives. While they quickly wash off a stain from their faces, they remain unconcerned about stains in their lives.
One’s Mind of Faith Is Most Important
In a letter to his disciple Abutsu-bo on Sado Island, Nichiren writes: “You may think you offered gifts to the treasure tower of the Thus Come One Many Treasures, but that is not so. You offered them to yourself” (“On the Treasure Tower,” WND-1, 299). Chanting to the Gohonzon graces and glorifies the treasure tower of your own life.
When people chant to the Gohonzon, all Buddhas and bodhisattvas in the entire universe immediately respond to their prayers by lending their protection. If they slander the Gohonzon, the response will be exactly the opposite.
For this reason, one’s mind of faith is extremely important. The mind of faith has a subtle and far-reaching influence.
There may be times, for instance, when you feel reluctant to do gongyo or take part in activities. That state of mind is precisely reflected on the entire universe, as if on the surface of a clear mirror. The heavenly deities will then also feel reluctant to play their part, and they will naturally fail to exert their full power of protection.
On the other hand, when you joyfully do gongyo and carry out activities with the determination to accumulate more good fortune in your life, the heavenly deities will be delighted and will valiantly perform their duty. If you must take some action anyway, it is to your advantage that you do so spontaneously and with a feeling of joy. If you practice reluctantly with a sense that it’s a waste of time, disbelief and complaints will erode your good fortune. If you continue to practice in this way, you will not experience remarkable benefits, and this will only serve to further convince you that your practice is in vain. This is a vicious circle.
If you practice faith while doubting its effects, you will get results that are, at best, unsatisfactory. This is the reflection of your own weak faith on the mirror of the cosmos.
On the other hand, when you stand up with strong confidence, you will accrue limitless blessings. While controlling your mind, which is at once both extremely subtle and solemnly profound, you should strive to elevate your faith with freshness and vigor. When you do so, both your life and your surroundings will open wide before you, and every action you take will become a source of benefit. Understanding the subtle workings of one’s mind is the key to faith and to attaining Buddhahood in this lifetime.
There is a Russian proverb that says, “It is no use to blame the looking glass if your face is awry.” Likewise, your happiness or unhappiness is entirely the reflection of the balance of good and bad causes accumulated in your life. You cannot blame others for your misfortunes. In the world of faith, it is necessary to realize this all the more clearly.
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