Kyochi Myogo The oneness of the person and the law

KYO = environment
CHI = wisdom
MYO GO = fusion

Kyochi Myogo is the concept which explains how daily practice to the Gohonzon enables one to attain absolute happiness. The fusion (myogo) of the individual (chi) and the object (kyo) is the basic explanation of man’s relationship to his environment.

In the Gosho, Reply to Lord Soya, Nichiren Daishonin states that when a person accomplishes Kyochi Myogo with the Gohonzon, he can attain enlightenment. The Gohonzon itself is the manifestation of Kyochi Myogo. In other words, the Gohonzon reveals that the deep wisdom of the Buddha and the vast universe are one. In his enlightenment, Nichiren Daishonin realized that his life and the universal law, or Nam-myohorenge-kyo, are one.

It is easy to confuse Kyochi Myogo with Esho Funi. The latter term defines a passive, mutual influence always going on between a person and his environment. Kyochi Myogo is the act of creating value in the environment by virtue of the strength of one’s life. A violin is a dead piece of wood until a great musician picks it up and brings it to life. Give the same violin to a two-year-old, and, as you would expect, nothing happens.

From the viewpoint of the believer though, what does Kyochi Myogo mean?
Kyo is equal to the Dai-Gohonzon, which was inscribed by the Daishonin and bestowed by him for the eternal happiness of mankind. The Dai-Gohonzon is then the object of the believer’s faith, this faith being chi or seeking mind to attain happiness by practicing to the Gohonzon.

Therefore, Kyochi Myogo clarifies the importance of “faith first.” No matter what obstacles confront a person or how impossible it may appear to realize his dreams, anything can be accomplished with a great ichinen to practice the Daishonin’s Buddhism. For this reason a person needs to have his own target and fight his own lazy nature to attain it. When his spirits are up, he can chant abundant daimoku and fuse his life with the Gohonzon. Life force and the wisdom with which to achieve any target come forth.

According to one’s intensity and will to win in practicing true Buddhism, he can understand the Gohonzon quite clearly. Though people live according to their own personal desires, or, in terms of Buddhist philosophy, in the nine worlds, they also have the condition of Buddhahood in life. The headaches and sufferings which may cause people to doubt the reason for their living are actually inseparable from the true reason they live – to attain happiness. Just as a believer may fuse his life to the Gohonzon, his own condition of enlightenment is not apart from the nine worlds experienced in daily life. Once again, it is up to an individual’s ichinen to bring out this life-condition and have it dominate.

Bringing out the condition of enlightenment first of all necessitates the proper object of worship. The nine worlds, from hell to aspiration for enlightenment, are brought out by objects in our environment. True victory in life means that the condition of enlightenment leads these other life conditions. When one’s nine worlds are fused with the Buddhahood innate in his life, he experiences Kyochi Myogo within his own life. One is then in harmony with himself. Life cannot find true happiness when led by the nine worlds, but chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo to the Gohonzon, the true object of worship, the life of the nine worlds gains integrity.

Putting it another way, Kyochi Myogo is the process of a person creating value and gaining true freedom. One experiences a dynamic life-condition to the extent that he deepens his faith by winning over any obstacles and showing actual proof. Just as one can enjoy good food when in good health, the life of each day can be enjoyed. The most important thing is to further develop a dynamic life-condition each day. Continual practice enables one to establish great value over a period of time.

As President Ikeda writes about Kyochi Myogo, “As long as you chant daimoku, you are qualified to be in Buddhahood. However, you cannot attain Buddhahood unless you practice Buddhism as the Daishonin taught. You can realize Buddhahood momentarily the instant you chant daimoku once, but for establishing an absolute happiness which lasts for eternity, you need to practice true Buddhism throughout your life.”

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