June 2019

SACRED WORDS

The Lotus Sutra is called, “Zui-ji-I 随自意“namely it expounds the true mind of the Buddha. Since the Buddha’s minds is so great, even if one does not understand the profound meaning of the sutra, one can gain innumerable merits by just reading it. Just as a mug-wort among the hemp plants grows straight and a snake in a tube straighten itself, if one become friendly with good people, one’s mind, behavior and words become naturally gentle. Likewise, the Buddha thinks that those who believe in the Lotus Sutra become naturally virtuous.

“Zui-ji-i Gosho” by Nichiren Dai’Shonin

聖語

法華経と申すは「隋自意」と申して仏の御心を説かせ給う。仏の御心は良き心なるゆえに、たとい知らざる人もこの経を読みたてまつれば利益はかりなし。麻の中のよもぎ、筒の中の蛇、良き人に睦ぶ者、なにとなけれども心も振舞いも言葉も直しくなるなり。法華経もかくの如し。なにとなけれども、この経を信じる人をは仏の良きものとおぼすなり。日蓮大聖人「随自意御書」より

STUDY CLASS on THE LOTUS SUTRA

Bishop Shokai Kanai

The Study Class on the Lotus Sutra will start on Thursday, July 11th. It will be held at 7:00 p.m. every Thursday. The textbooks will include The Lotus Sutra for Children by Rev. Koge Matsumoto translated by Rev. Shokai Kanai, The Introduction to the Lotus Sutra by Shinjo Suguro, The Lotus Sutra for You by Rev. Shokai Kanai, and The Lotus Sutra, third edition by Senchu Murano. Please purchase only Introduction to the Lotus Sutra ($20), the rest of the materials will be provided in the class for free. The class is open to public.

I have started the Study Class on Nichiren Dai’Shonin on April 4th. The class ended on June 24th. We usually have six to eight adults attending the class every week. They appreciate gaining a better understanding of Buddhism, which leads to many great questions that spur on interesting discussions.

It is very important to know what the sutra teaches us. The Lotus Sutra is the most popular and best known amongst the 1,487 sutras that the Buddha revealed during his almost 50 years of propagation after His Enlightenment. Why are there so many sutras? It is because the Buddha revealed the teachings to the level of understanding of the listeners. He talked to all types of people at different levels of understanding at each place where He visited. Some of them had no education at all, some of them were children, women, merchants, farmers, peasants, and noble people like kings of big and small countries. Others were seekers of the truth, Buddha’s disciples (long term and short term), and monks in different faiths like ascetics, epicureans, and yogis.

Shakyamuni Buddha said that, during the forty or so years since He became the Buddha, He had expounded the Dharma in various ways but had never revealed the most precious Truth. Now, as He approached his final years, He was ready at last to reveal the Universal Truth, which is the Lotus Sutra.

By attending the study class, you will realize why you were born, why you become sick, how you can slow down becoming old, why you love a person while you hate someone else, and most importantly, how the universe and us are all related.

［法華経］の勉強会

金井勝海

　［法華経］の勉強会が７月１１日（木）から始まります。毎週木曜日午後7時に行います。教科書は松本光華著「民話風法華経童話」の英訳版・勝呂信静著「法華経講義」・金井勝海出版予定「The Lotus Sutra for You」そして村野宣忠英訳「The Lotus Sutra」第3版です。その内「法華経の紹介」は20ドルで購入して下さい。他の書物はクラスでその都度無料配布致します。勉強会は一般公開ですのでどなたでも参加できます。

　今年４月に開始した日蓮聖人伝は６月２４日で終了しました。毎週６名から８名の参加があり、各自から質問と答えが出て、さらにお互いの意見交換の場となりました。

　法華経を理解する事は大変重要です。何故なら法華経は釈尊が成道されてから涅槃に入られるまでの約50年間に説かれた１４８７巻の経典の内で一番ポピュラーで一般によく知られたお経だからです。何故そんなにたくさんの経典があるのでしょう。それは隋他意と言って、聞き手の理解度にあわせて多種多様にまたその土地風土に合わせて説かれたからです。聴衆の中には無学な人や子供・男性・女性・若者・老人・商人・農夫・大国や小国の高貴な王や妃・真実を求め歩く声聞・縁覚、更には禁欲主義や快楽主義やヨガの行者もいた事でしょう。

　釈尊は「４０余年の間まだ真実の教えを説いていない。これからは覚りの真髄を説く」と宣言され、説かれた経典が隋自意の「妙法蓮華経」なのです。

　法華経の勉強会を通して、人は何故この世に生まれてきたのか、何故病気になるのか、どうしたら高齢になっても元気でいられるか、ある人達には好意を示しても、ある人には憎しみをもつのは何故でしょうか。宇宙と私たちとはどんな結びつきがあるのでしょうか、等などの疑問を法華経で解き明かしてもらえます。

　是非勉強会に参加してみて下さい。また日本語の勉強会を希望の方は申し出て下されば、日の明るいうちに勉強会を開くこともできます。