What You Should Know

The Three Great Secret Dharmas

Up to this point, we have covered the underlying ideas behind Nichiren Buddhism. The concept of the three thousand realms in a single thought-moment is the most important of all of these. Since all realms are contained in every single moment of awareness then every moment is potentially the one in which we awaken to the world of buddhahood. If any of this is to help us, however, there must be a way to make that potential a reality. It was Nichiren Shonin's conviction that there must be a way for all people to attain buddhahood. This idea led him to uncover the Three Great Secret Dharmas that allow anyone to express in actual practice the buddha-realm within their lives. The Three Great Secret Dharmas are the Gohonzon, the Focus of Devotion of the Original Gate; the Kaidan, the Precept Platform of the Original Gate; and the Odaimoku, the Sacred Title of the Original Gate.

A clear understanding of the Three Great Secret Dharmas will enable us to understand and put into practice the true spirit of all the Buddha’s teachings. This teaching unified all the preceding teachings and revealed the true intent of the Lotus Sutra in a simple and accessible way for all people. Nichiren Shonin wrote about these Three Great Secret Dharmas in his major work, the Ho-on jo:

Question: Are there any Dharmas that Tiantai and Dengyo have not yet propagated?

Answer: Yes, there are.

Question: What are those True Dharmas?

Answer: There are three. They are what the Buddha bequeathed to those who live in the Latter Age of the Degeneration, namely the True Dharmas which masters such as Kashyapa, Ananda, Ashvaghosha, Nagarjuna, Tiantai, and Dengyo did not yet spread.

Question: What do they consist of?

Answer: The first is the Focus of Devotion. All the people in Japan as well as the rest of the whole world should revere the Lord Buddha Shakyamuni revealed in the Original Gate of the Lotus Sutra as the Focus of Devotion. That is to say, the Focus of Devotion should be the Buddha Shakyamuni and Many Treasures Buddha in the Stupa of Treasures. Their attendants should be the other buddhas standing outside the stupa and the four bodhisattvas such as Superior Practice Bodhisattva.

The second is the Precept Platform based on the doctrine of the Original Gate of the Lotus Sutra.

The third is the Sacred Title (daimoku) of the Lotus Sutra. All the people in Japan, China, and everyone in the whole world, regardless of being wise or foolish, should chant Namu Myoho Renge Kyo, single-mindedly forgetting everything else.

This daimoku chanting has not yet been spread in the world. For 2,225 years after the extinction of the Buddha, no one has chanted this yet. I, Nichiren, alone have been chanting "Namu Myoho Renge Kyo, Namu Myoho Kenge Kyo” without saving my voice.

(On Repaying Debts of Gratitude, adapted)

Nichiren Shonin taught that these three principles would enable all people to realize the truth of the three thousand realms in a single thought-moment for themselves and become fully awakened. For this reason, Nichiren was convinced that he had surpassed previous forms of Buddhism by presenting a form of teaching and practice that was accessible and potent enough to enable all people to fully realize the truth of the Buddha's teachings for themselves. As Nichiren Shonin wrote in a letter:

There are two ways of observing the three thousand realms in a single thought-moment. One is in terms of principle, the second is in terms of the actual phenomena. At the time of Tiantai and Dengyo and so on, it was [observed in] principle. Now it is [observed in] actual phenomena. Since [the latter form of contemplation is superior, the great difficulties accompanying it] are also superior. The former is the three thousand realms in a single thought-moment of the provisional teaching [of the Lotus Sutra], and the latter is the three thousand realms in a single thought-moment of the original teaching [of the Lotus Sura]. They are as different as Heaven and Earth, and at the time of death, you should keep this in mind. (Toki Nyudo-dono Gohenji, Show Teihon, p. 1522)

Gohonzon: The Focus of Devotion

As Nichiren Shonin stated in the On Repaying Debts of Gratitude, the first of the Three Great Secret Dharmas is the Gohonzon, or the Focus of Devotion of the Original Gate, which is the all-encompassing life of the Eternal Shakyamuni Buddha. In the Lotus Sutra, prior to the sixteenth chapter, Shakyamuni Buddha is no more than a historical buddha whose birth, awakening, and imminent death all occur within the confines of northern India over the course of a normal human lifetime. In the sixteenth chapter, however, Shakyamuni Buddha clearly demonstrates the unity of the three bodies: the historical, the ideal, and the universal aspects of buddhahood. For this reason, the Shakyamuni Buddha of the sixteenth chapter is differentiated from the "merely" historical Shakyamuni Buddha of the prior teachings by adding the title "Eternal." If the three thousand realms in a single thought-moment is the theory of the interpenetration of the universal (the three thousand realms) and the particular (the single thought-moment), then the Eternal Shakyamuni Buddha is the concrete actualization of this theory. The Eternal Shakyamuni Buddha is not a transcendent, theistic savior, but the living proof that the Wonderful Dharma is the true nature of our lives and not just a cold abstraction or an unattainable ideal. With this in mind, Nichiren Shonin insisted that the Eternal Shakyamuni Buddha alone should be the true Focus of Devotion.

In order to clarify this, let's examine the Lotus Sutra, particularly those passages that reveal the identity of Shakyamuni Buddha as the Eternal Shakyamuni Buddha.

The sutra opens with Shakyamuni Buddha on Mount Grdhrakuta (Vulture Peak) in Rajagriha toward the end of his life. He is surrounded by a countless multitude of monks, nuns, male and female lay followers, gods, demons, dragons, various other supernatural beings, and bodhisattvas. After forty years of gradually leading his disciples to a deeper and fuller understanding of the Dharma, the Buddha finally begins to expound the Sutra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma following a spectacular display of various wonders. The Buddha teaches the assembly that - despite the seeming differences in goals and methods which the Buddha taught to different people at different times - the Buddha was teaching only the One Vehicle all along. It is called the "One Vehicle" because the various teachings of the Buddha directed to the voice-hearers, the privately-awakened ones, and the bodhisattvas have one aim: the attainment of buddhahood. The seeming differences in goals and methods were all simply tactful means that the Buddha used to lead people to discover their buddha-nature. Furthermore, the Buddha teaches that all beings can attain buddhahood, without exception. The buddha-nature is the true nature of all beings. There are no barriers due to race, class, sex, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, or even moral quality. The buddha-nature is always there waiting to be discovered. All of the previous teachings of the Buddha, which separated people into several subsidiary "vehicles," were skillful means for accomplishing this "One Vehicle."

Just as the Buddha finishes teaching the universality of the One Vehicle, a great jeweled stupa (a Buddhist tower containing sacred relics) emerges from the earth. From inside the stupa, a buddha named Many Treasures (Prabhutaratna in Sanskrit, Taho in Japanese) attests to the truth of Shakyamuni Buddha's preaching, saying, "Excellent, excellent! Everything that you have said is true." The assembly is astounded and asks the Buddha the meaning of this event. In answer to their questions, the Buddha explains that Many Treasures Tathagata is a buddha from the distant past who made a vow to appear whenever the Lotus Sutra is taught. The assembly then asks Shakyamuni Buddha to open up the jeweled stupa so they can see Many Treasures Tathagata for themselves. Before doing this, Shakyamuni transforms this world into the Pure Land of Tranquil Light. Then he recalls all the ideal buddhas in the pure lands throughout the universe and reveals that they are all his emanations. He opens the jeweled stupa and Many Treasures Tathagata moves over so Shakyamuni Buddha can join him on the seat within. The jeweled stupa then rises up into the air. Shakyamuni Buddha uses his supernatural powers to allow the whole assembly to rise into the air and join them. This is called the "Assembly in Space." This fantastic scene represents the timeless and placeless nature of the Wonderful Dharma.

The imagery is very exotic, potentially even confusing or off-putting to modern readers, but it is all to show us the truth about our lives from the viewpoint of the Buddha. The jeweled stupa arising from the earth represents the emergence of the buddha-nature in the daily lives of ordinary people. The transformation of this world into the Pure Land of Tranquil Light reveals that this very world is the real pure land where awakening is realized. The recall of the emanated buddhas from the pure lands throughout the universe reveals that these idealized buddhas are all personifications of the historical Shakyamuni Buddha's awakened qualities and inner life. The image of Many Treasures Tathagata and Shakyamuni Buddha symbolizes the unity of the true reality (Many Treasures Tathagata) and the wisdom of the person who awakens to it (Shakyamuni Buddha).

The Assembly in Space continues as Shakyamuni Buddha calls forth a vast multitude of bodhisattvas who emerge from beneath the earth. He reveals that these are his original disciples from the immeasurably ancient past. This astonishes the assembly because they cannot understand how he could have taught so many disciples for so long since he had only attained awakening forty years before. In response to their questions, Shakyamuni Buddha reveals that he had attained awakening in the beginningless past. Moreover, though from a provisional perspective, he was about to pass away, he would actually continue to teach and guide others into the endless future. The life of a buddha cannot be discussed in terms of a beginning or an end because the true reality of life has no beginning or end. This is in keeping with the threefold truth of emptiness, provisionality, and the middle. The Buddha has no birth or death because the Buddha is the selfless, dynamic, and interdependent true nature of life, which has no birth or death. However, as a part of the dynamic interplay of all things, the Buddha's awakening unfolds in terms of this world's concepts of birth and death, stiving and awakening. From the perspective of the middle way, the Budda’s awakened life is what it is and cannot be defined as either transcendent or mundane, though it displays both aspects.

One can also say that the teaching of the Eternal Shakyamuni Buddha during the Assembly in Space is not merely a mythological portrayal of the timeless and placeless qualities of buddhahood, but is also a symbol of the workings of the pure consciousness within the depths of our lives. This is likewise the dimension of our life that transcends space and time. Essentially, the sixteenth chapter of the Lotus Sutra teaches that the true nature of Shakyamuni Buddha's life is the true nature of all life, including our own. This means that the Buddha's life and all of his awakened qualities are just as present here and now as they were 2,500 years ago in India when he was teaching the Lotus Sutra. Therefore, we should no longer feel that we need to devote ourselves to any cold, abstract principles or any personifications of incomplete aspects of the life of the Buddha. Based upon his understanding of the Assembly in Space, Nichiren Shonin taught that we should take refuge in the Eternal Shakyamuni Buddha as the unity of the historical, ideal, and universal aspects of the buddha-nature. These are fully realized and manifested by Shakyamuni Buddha and are also the potential within all of us. The Eternal Shakyamuni Buddha, therefore, should be our Focus of Devotion if we want to fully realize the true nature of the Buddha's awakened life and our own.

In order to portray this insight, Nichiren Shonin inscribed the Assembly in Space as a mandala in Chinese calligraphy. This mandala is not some icon or external power that we ask to intercede for us. Instead, the Great Mandala concretely manifests the Focus of Devotion, enabling us to more easily identify with the Eternal Buddha and realize our own buddhahood. Of course, Nichiren Shonin was not against using statues or portraits to represent the Focus of Devotion - in most Nichiren Shu temples, the Focus of Devotion is represented by statues of Shakyamuni Buddha and Many Treasures Tathagata flanking a stupa with Namu Myoho Renge Kyo inscribed upon it. Other representations of the Focus of Devotion might feature a statue of Shakyamuni Buddha and the four great bodhisattvas who were the leaders of the bodhisattvas who appeared from underground, a simple statue of the Eternal Shakyamuni Buddha, a simple inscription of Namu Myoho Renge Kyo, or even an elaborate display of statues presenting all the beings portrayed on the calligraphic mandala. The calligraphic mandala, however, is the most popular form of the Focus of Devotion for enshrinement in one's home. No matter what form it takes, the point of the physical object or objects used to portray the Focus of Devotion is to help us become aware of, and participate fully in, the reality of the Eternal Shakyamuni Buddha at the Assembly in Space. Therefore, they have the potential to express buddhahood just like anything and anyone else. Because they are specifically depicting the Focus of Devotion, the life of the Buddha, we should treat them respectfully, though not idolatrously.

Such statues or mandala representations are only considered expressions of the Focus of Devotion after they have received an Eye-Opening Ceremony - traditionally a special prayer service performed by someone who understands its significance and has been taught the correct procedure. In most Nichiren schools, this person is an ordained priest who has devoted his or her life to the teaching and practice of the Dharma. After this ceremony has been performed, the object represents the living presence of the Buddha and helps us to perceive our own Buddhahood.

We must bear in mind that the objects are only expressions of the Focus of Devotion; the true Focus of Devotion is the life of the Buddha that encompasses our lives and is the true nature of reality. As such, the true Focus of Devotion is found nowhere but in the depths of our lives. In this regard, Nichiren Shonin constantly admonished his followers to never seek the Focus of Devotion outside themselves.

Kaidan: The Precept Platform

The second of the Three Great Secret Dharmas is the Kaidan, or Precept Platform of the Original Gate. The Precept Platform is considered any place where one chants the Odaimoku, Namu Myoho Renge Kyo, thereby basing one's life upon the true spirit of Shakyamuni Buddha's teachings. Traditionally, a precept platform was the place where one made formal vows to follow the precepts of Buddhism as a member of the clergy. Nichiren Shonin universalized the concept of the precept platform so that all people could uphold the essential teaching and practice of the Lotus Sutra at all times through chanting Namu Myoho Renge Kyo. In Nichiren Buddhism, there is no essential difference between the clergy and the laity. The buddha-nature is equally accessible to all. In addition, the practice of Nichiren Buddhism does not require one to live in a monastery or attend intensive retreats. It is a practice that can be done anytime and anywhere both by those with families and those who live alone. The most important thing is simply to practice so that wherever you find yourself becomes the Precept Platform of the Original Gate of the Lotus Sutra.

In Nichiren Shonin's day, it was understood that there were different sets of precepts for different types of people. For lay people, there were the five precepts: not to kill, not to steal, not to engage in sexual misconduct, not to lie, and not to indulge in intoxicants. These five precepts describe the minimum ethical requirements expected of a lay follower of the Buddha.

Those who wished to dedicate their lives to Buddhism would go to one of the officially sanctioned precept platforms in Japan and take the 250 precepts for monks or the 348 precepts for nuns. These precepts not only upheld the moral principles of the five lay precepts, but also described the etiquette required of monastic disciples, procedures for settling disputes, specific rules governing food, robes, medicinals, and shelter, and ordinances to help monastics avoid temptation. The precepts were not simply rules and regulations but a way of life that was very different from that of the unordained lay people.

To reflect his new understanding of Buddhist practice, Nichiren Shonin believed that the time had come to establish a new precept platform. Nichiren Shonin taught that it was impractical for the ordinary person in the present age to attempt to approach awakening by merely adhering to a code of conduct. People no longer felt capable of living up to these various sets of precepts. Many came to realize that morality and ethics alone do not bring anyone closer to awakening. Of course, there were also hypocrites who strictly adhered to the letter of the precepts while violating their spirit. To remedy this, Nichiren taught that the true spirit of all the various sets of precepts is expressed in the Lotus Sutra. Therefore, the most important thing is to simply strive to uphold the Lotus Sutra to transcend one's imperfections and attain awakening. This is the true fulfillment of all the precepts, whether lay or monastic.

In this regard, Nichiren Shonin wrote:

Afterwards, [explain that| the core realization of Myoho Renge Kyo, which is the main gate of the Lotus Sutra, contains all the merits of the practices and virtues of all the buddhas of the past, present, and future, that manifests as the five characters. How could these five characters not contain the merits of all precepts? Once the practitioner has this comprehensive Wonderful Precept, even if he wants to destroy it, he cannot. This has been called the "Diamond Chalice Precept". All the buddhas of the past, present, and future keep this precept. All the Dharma-bodies, reward-bodies, and accommodative-bodies become the buddhas of no beginning and no end. (Kyogyo-sho, Showa Teihon, p. 1488)

The practice of Nichiren Buddhism ensures that morality and ethics are not unthinking, rigid adherence to any specific code of conduct. Rather, the moral and ethical life is based directly upon the wisdom and compassion of the realm of buddhahood emerging from our lives through our practice of Namu Myoho Renge Kyo. There is no need to go to a specially sanctioned place to be a Buddhist. Just as the bodhisattvas who appeared from underground received the Wonderful Dharma from the Eternal Buddha during the Assembly in Space, we too receive the Wonderful Dharma from the Eternal Buddha whenever and wherever we chant Namu Myoho Renge Kyo.

Odaimoku: The Sacred Title

The third of the Three Great Secret Dharmas is the Odaimoku or Sacred Title of the Original Gate, which is Namu Myoho Renge Kyo. In Sino-Japanese, the title of the Lotus Sutra is "Myo Ho Ren Ge Kyo." These five characters are themselves an expression of the essential core of the teachings of Shakyamuni Buddha taught in the Lotus Sutra. Because the Odaimoku embodies the essence of the Lotus Sutra, the five characters "Myo Ho Ren Ge Kyo" are the key to unlocking the buddha-nature which resides within all life. When the word Namu, meaning "devotion," is added to the title, it becomes Namu Myoho Renge Kyo, or "Devotion to the Sutra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma." According to Nichiren, by simply chanting "Namu Myoho Renge Kyo" we are expressing our faith in the Eternal Buddha and opening our lives to all the qualities and merits of buddhahood.

For a clearer understanding of what Namu Myoho Renge Kyo is all about, let us take a closer look at each of the characters that compose it.

Namu comes from the Sanskrit word Namas, which means "1 devote myself to." This affirms that when all other self-oriented methods of attaining happiness have failed, we recognize that true happiness is only found in the True Dharma.

Myoho means "True Dharma" or "Wonderful Dharma." It refers to the dynamic and interdependent true nature of life, in which everything exists through mutual support and transformation. Buddha-nature is another name for life's inherent potential to recognize its true nature.

Renge means "Lotus Flower." This illustrates the workings of the Wonderful Dharma by symbolizing the unity of cause and effect - in this case, aspiration and realization- because the lotus produces flowers and seeds simultaneously. It also symbolizes the blossoming of the purity of buddhahood from out of the muddy water of ordinary life, just as the pure white lotus flower blooms from the depths of muddy swamps.

Kyo means "Sutra," which is what the Buddhist scriptures are called. Sutra means "a thread of discourse." In this context, it refers to all the teachings of the Buddha which culminate in the Lotus Sutra. In a larger sense, because all phenomena manifest the Buddha's teachings, all phenomena can be considered the Buddha's teachings and actual manifestations of the truth of the Lotus Sutra. Likewise, the Buddha's teaching reflects the true nature of all phenomena.

The recitation of Namu Myoho Renge Kyo is, therefore, the verbal expression of our heartfelt wish to attain buddhahood. It is also a statement of our firm faith that Buddhahood is the true nature of our lives which can be realized anew in every moment. In avowing these ideas, we plant the seed of awakening within our lives and the lives of others. The more we nourish this seed through our practice, the more our life will manifest the qualities of a buddha.

Myoho Renge Kyo, the Sutra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma, is not simply a scripture or a conceptual teaching. It represents the true nature of reality itself. While the title Myoho Renge Kyo is the name of the scripture, more importantly, it refers to the ultimate reality, which is what the scripture is teaching. Myoho Renge Kyo is the unity of the life of Shakyamuni Buddha and the Wonderful Dharma, and the union of the Buddha's awakening and our buddha-nature. By reciting the title, we call upon and bring to mind the profound teaching, or Wonderful Dharma, expressed in the Lotus Sutra. We recite the title because the buddha-nature within us responds to its meaning and significance. In turn, the Odaimoku acts as a catalyst, bringing about our awakening.

In his treatise On the Contemplation of the Mind and the Focus of Devotion, Nichiren Shonin wrote the following about the power of Myoho Renge Kyo:

However, the intention behind these passages is that the two dharmas of the causal practices and virtuous effects of Shakyamuni the World Honored One are perfectly contained in the five characters [in the title of the] Sutra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma. When we accept and uphold these five characters, the merits of these causes and effects are naturally transferred to us. (On the Contemplation of the Mind and the Focus of Devotion, 64)

Just as Myoho Renge Kyo expresses the actual awakening of the Buddha, the addition of Namu expresses our faith in the Wonderful Dharma and our determination to achieve buddhahood ourselves. Namu Myoho Renge Kyo is the unification of our practice to attain awakening and the awakening of the Eternal Shakyamuni Buddha. In some forms of Buddhism, awakening is attained through self-effort. In other forms of Buddhism, the saving power of the Buddha is emphasized. Ultimately, Buddhahood is not something to be earned through self-effort, bestowed upon us by a transcendent being, or inherently possessed. It is something that unfolds as soon as we can awaken to the selfless, interdependent process which is the true nature of all reality. As we have seen above, the true nature of reality is also known as the Eternal Shakyamuni Buddha. In Nichiren Buddhism, a middle way is chosen between the way of self-effort and the way of total reliance on the Buddha. This middle way is the practice of Namu Myoho Renge Kyo, which is the seed of awakening. This eventually bears fruit as the realization that the true nature of our lives is none other than the true Focus of Devotion of the Original Gate, the Eternal Shakyamuni Buddha.

In Nichiren Buddhism, our practice begins with our finite efforts and aspirations. These seemingly limited qualities are expressions of the Eternal Shakyamuni Buddha's real presence within our lives and thus can affect our transformation into a more awakened state. Due to this transformation, our practice naturally becomes beneficial to all sentient beings. Odaimoku is the practice that carries us through these stages and is itself the manifestation of these stages. Namu Myoho Renge Kyo is the aspiration for awakening, the awakening itself, and the sharing of that awakening.

There is another important point regarding Odaimoku: Namu Myoho Renge Kyo is not simply one of the Three Great Secret Dharmas but is itself all three. Namu Myoho Renge Kyo is the Wonderful Dharma, which is the true nature of reality - the Eternal Shakyamuni Buddha. When we chant Odaimoku, we abide in the presence of the Eternal Shakyamuni Buddha, the true Focus of Devotion of the Original Gate. Upholding Namu Myoho Renge Kyo is itself the most essential precept; thus, anywhere we chant is transformed into the Precept Platform of the Original Gate at that time. Wherever and whenever one chants Namu Myoho Renge Kyo, all Three Great Secret Dharmas are present.

The Three Great Secret Dharmas as the Key to Buddhism

Having examined the meaning of each of the Three Great Secret Dharmas in-depth, let's consider their relationship to the three thousand realms in a single thought-moment. To review: the three thousand realms in a single thought-moment, the theoretical expression of the interdependent nature of all reality, teaches that all states of life are constantly present in all phenomena and are subject to the law of cause and effect. Therefore, the state of buddhahood is an ever-present possibility that requires the right causes and conditions to make itself fully known. The Three Great Secret Dharmas provide those causes and conditions in that they are the signs of the buddha-nature within our life and the means for attaining buddhahood. For this reason, Nichiren Shonin regarded the Three Great Secret Dharmas as the actualization of the three thousand realms in a single thought-moment.

The Three Great Secret Dharmas also clarify both the Three Treasures and the threefold training. The Three Treasures, as mentioned earlier, are the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha - the common refuge of all Buddhists. The threefold training, practiced by all Buddhists, are morality, concentration, and wisdom. The Focus of Devotion of the Original Gate clarifies the true nature of the Buddha and provides the focus of meditation. The Precept Platform of the Original Gate defines the Sangha as those who fulfill the true spirit of the precepts by upholding the Wonderful Dharma. The Sacred Title of the Original Gate is the true Dharma of the One Buddha Vehicle of the Lotus Sutra, which is the expression of perfect wisdom. The Three Great Secret Dharmas are not meant to replace or change the traditional Three Treasures and threefold training. Rather, the Three Great Secret Dharmas are a way of clarifying and expressing their deepest meaning. Nichiren Buddhism is the Buddhism of Shakyamuni Buddha, but unlike other schools, it strives to practice according to the Buddha's true intentions as expressed in the Lotus Sutra and as clarified by Nichiren Shonin.

Nichiren Shonin's teaching for practicing the Buddhism of the Lotus Sutra allows us to awaken to the infinite awareness of the Buddha's awakening. By making the concepts, practices, and foundation of Buddhism accessible to all people without changing their essential meanings, Nichiren Buddhism has clarified that awakening is possible for all people, not just monks, nuns, and hermits. In this process, we not only make ourselves better people, we improve our society and the world as a whole. As Nichiren Shonin said in his Treatise on Spreading Peace Throughout the Country by Establishing the True Dharma (Rissho Ankoku-ron):

You should now reform the faith you hold in your heart and quickly return it to the one good of the true vehicle. Then the entire triple world will become the buddha-land! Will Buddha-lands ever decline? Then all lands in the ten directions will become treasure-lands. Will treasure-lands ever be destroyed? When the country does not decline and the land is not destroyed, our bodies will be safe, and our minds [will be tranquil] in meditative absorption. Can you have faith in and revere these words and statements? When our country does not decay and the world is not destroyed, our bodies will be safe and our hearts tranquil. Believe these words and revere them! (Showa Teihon, p. 1535)