For those of us practising the Buddhism of Nichiren Daishonin, our 'derstination' is to reveal our Buddhahood on a daily basis.
A Buddha is defined as someone who is living his or her life to the fullest potential, bringing happiness both to themselves and the people around them. Each person has a unique way of doing this.

The Gohonzon could be described as a map of a human being manifesting Buddhahood. The Gohonzon that people have in their own homes is a small copy, in the form of a paper scroll, of a transcription of the Dai-Gohonzon, which was inscribed by Nichiren Daishonin on 12 October 1279. In a letter written to one of his followers, he wrote:
"I, Nichiren, have inscribed my life in sumi (ink), so believe in the Gohonzon with your whole heart" (MW1, p. 120).

Nichiren Daishonin achieved enlightenment by himself. While he was alive, he had an impact on the people he met, and his followers were able to draw out their Buddhahood through their relationship with him. However, he was aware that when he died, this would be no longer possible.
So, in a similar way to a surveyor making a map of a landscape, using symbols for physical characteristics, Nichiren Daishonin used a set of symbols to capture the special qualities of his enlightened life. In another letter he described the Gohonzon as 'the object of worship for the observation of one's mind', as it is the means for all human beings to draw out their innate enlightenment. The most significant feature on the Gohonzon are the words 'Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, Nichiren' written in large characters down the centre, indicating the fact that Nichiren Daishonin, an ordinary human being, himself embodied the ultimate truth of life, or Buddhahood. On either side are characters representing all aspects of life, both positive and negative, within us and in our environment.

The crucial point that Nichiren Daishonin was showing us is that Buddhahood exists within the reality of ordinary life. We don't have to be pure and perfect beings in order to reveal our Buddhahood. We find the qualities of the Buddha - wisdom, compassion, courage and life-force - through the challenges of our daily lives.

Looking more closely at the characters on the Gohonzon, one gets a clearer picture of the qualities we can bring out of our lives. The Four Heavenly Kings, who occupy the four corners, represent the protective forces of the universe which guard those who strive to live in a creative and harmonious way. Shakyamuni Buddha and Taho Buddha, and the four leaders of the Bodhisattvas of the Earth (Jogyo, Muhengyo, Jyogyo and Anryugyo) are positioned along the top. Shakyamuni represents the wisdom that arises within us when we practise, which enables us to realize the eternal, unchanging truth of the universe, represented by Taho. The leaders of the Bodhisattvas of the Earth represent true self, eternity, purity and happiness. These qualities naturally grow in our lives as we continue to practise.

In the centre, on the right and the left side of the Gohonzon, are the Sanskrit characters, Fudo and Aizen. These represent the fact that through our practice, we can overcome the four sufferings of birth, sickness, old age and death; and that we can transform the negative urges and impulses associated with our desires into a greater understanding of what we really need for our happiness.

The other characters on the Gohonzon include representations of the Ten Worlds. For example: the state of Rapture is symbolized by the Devil of the Sixth Heaven, an extremely evil demon in Japanese mythology, representing the destructive forces inherent in our lives and environment.

Hunger is represented by Kishimojin, the female demon, who had five hundred or more children, and thought nothing of killing other people's babies to feed her own.

We have become so used to the ways of our society, that we don't actually realize the degree to which selfishness and destructiveness can rule both our own lives and those around us. However, through revealing Buddhahood, we can transform any of the Ten Worlds, even Hell, into a stimulus for happiness and creativity. For example, when Kishimojin was challenged by the Buddha, she realized her selfishness, and from then on dedicated her life to protecting the children of the Buddha.

On its own a map has no use - it is merely a piece of paper. Its value is only proven when someone uses it to navigate a piece of land. In the same way, the power of the Gohonzon is activated through our sincere chanting. The physical act of chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo activates our Buddhahood, allowing our wisdom, courage, compassion and energy to emerge in response to the Gohonzon. This is something that our minds cannot understand, because our Buddhahood exists at a deeper level than our consciousness.
It is our Buddhahood which 'understands' the Gohonzon; and as we chant, it is as if our Buddhahood is 'reading' the Gohonzon, in order to realign aspects of our lives, converting negative energy into positive. In this way, we begin to understand our lives more clearly, and gain the power to take a creative approach to situations, rather than continually being dragged down by the same old negative feelings and problems.
In the same way that a traveler, after looking at a map, has to make a physical move to reach his destination, after we have chanted to the Gohonzon, we then need to take concrete action, based on the renewed energy and wisdom that we are empowered with. The Gohonzon isn't a God which will magically change our lives - just as a map won't carry someone up a mountain!

By regularly chanting to the Gohonzon, we can keep adjusting the course of our life's journey, safely navigating obstacles as they arise. With this confidence, we can actually enjoy the view as we go, not getting too downhearted when faced with a particularly tricky situation, as we know that by using a good map, we have the power to fight on and find greener pastures ahead.

This page was last modified on Sunday, August 20, 2006.