Glossary of Buddhist words/Glossary of devotional words

Sandai Hiho means the three great laws; the Primordial Sacred Object (Honmon Honzon), the Primordial Altar (Honmon no Kaidan) and chanting the Odaimoku, NamuMyohoRengeKyo as the primordial practice. ‘Dai’ of Sandai means ‘completeness’ and ‘Hi’ means ‘treasured’ or ‘important’. The Primordial Altar does not mean a mere altar, but a place where the Gohonzon is enshrined and practitioners chant the Odaimoku. Nissen Shonin stated that these three laws, Sandai Hiho, are embraced in the Odaimoku which we chant. This is called Ichidai Hiho, the One Great Law or the One Great Dharma. Nissen Shonin stated, “The Three Great Laws are the Primordial Sacred Object, the Primordial Altar and the Primordial Odaimoku revealed in the Primordial Portion of the Lotus Sutra (Honmon Happon). These three laws are embraced in the Odaimoku which we chant. Thus when we, practitioners in the Mappo period, chant the Odaimoku Gohonzon, our wishes for our present lives and future lives are granted by the power of the great Dharma.” (Butsuryu Seiten p.829)

The phrase ‘Shaba soku Jakko’ means Shaba is identical to Jakko. Shaba means the land of endurance (Saha) where people must endure afflictions and sufferings. Jakko means the Pure Buddha Land where Buddha lives in a peaceful atmosphere. The world we live in is not a place where we can live in peace. On the contrary, it is a place full of suffering, with no place to escape no matter how desperately we try to leave. This is the Saha world (Kudo – painful land, Nindo – endurance land). If there is no place to run to, we have no choice but to remain in the world. As far as we remain we should endure our suffering and accept the challenge of the hardships in our lives. However, when we engage in the religious practice of chanting the Odaimoku, we gain the eyes of the faith that the Saha world full of suffering will become a pure land of pleasure (Sahba soku Jakko). It depends on our outlook and way of life whether this world is replete with suffering or filled with pleasure. Nichiren Shonin taught us that this Shaba world (Shaba Sekai) where we live is identical to the Pure Buddha World in essence. When we chant the Odaimoku faithfully in front of the Gohonzon our faith communicates with the soul of the Buddha and bodhisattvas in the Gohonzon. At such a moment, our souls are invited to the Pure Buddha Land in the Gohonzon. At this point, we come to realize that the Saha world where we live is not merely the Saha world but the Pure Buddha Land itself. Even though this world is full of pain and suffering, it is also a place for us to realize the bodhisattva path (Bosatsu Do). How fortunate we are! Nissen Shonin stated in his Gokyoka Shinjin no manako hirakeba kono Shaba ga Soku Jakko to mie wataru kana When you open the eyes of pure faith in your mind, you will realize that this Saha world where you live is identical in essence with the Pure Buddha Land of Tranquil Light.

There are four kinds of Goriyaku which appear in response to prayers based on the teaching of Nichiren Shonin. (Letter to Domyozenmon, The HBS edition 3 – 464) A definite prayer and definite response (Kenki – Kenno) A definite prayer and indefinite response (Kenki – Myono) An indefinite prayer and a definite response (Myoki – Kenno) An indefinite prayer and an indefinite response (Myoki – Myono) ‘ken’ of Kenki means definite or distinct, and ‘ki’ means offering prayer. ‘o’ (--no) means receptiveness or responsiveness as a formal reward made by the Gohonzon (Buddha, and holy existences). Accordingly, ‘Kenki-Kenno’ means that one has prayed definitely or clearly and the prayer is fulfilled and appears as Goriyaku or protection in the form that can be seen or recognized. ‘Myo’ of Myono mean invisible or dark, so Kenki-Myono means that one’s definite or clear prayer is fulfilled without one’s realizing it. For example, a practitioner who had poor health devotedly engaged in daily practices had his or her health gradually improve without him or her noticing it. Or, while one engaged in daily chanting of the Odaimoku, it works as good fortune when one encounters an unforeseen difficulty or as protection from an accident. Nissen Shonin stated in his Gokyoka Myoho wo tamotsu mi nareba Shaka Shobutsu Bosatsu Shoten no tsuneni shugo ari As long as we uphold the Fine Dharma, Shakamuni Buddha, the other buddhas, the bodhisattvas and gods in heaven will always protect us. Yomo hirumo omamori aruwo utagauna Warera bonbu no me niwa mienedo Do not doubt that we, faithful believers of the Lotus Sutra, have the protection of the Gohonzon through day and night, even though we cannot see it. Jyogan wo Goriyaku to nomi omounaya Buji ni shingyo kore mo Goriyaku You should not think that only the definite response is Goriyaku. While you engage in daily Buddhist practices and live a peaceful life, this is also Goriyaku (invisible, divine protection).

Sotoba is a stupa which was phonetically translated into Chinese characters as Sotoba. Originally, it meant the pagoda in which the sacred relics of the Buddha were enshrined. Later, it came to refer to a tower set up as a grave post for the deceased. A sotoba is made of various materials, such as wood or stone. In HBS, NamuMyohoRengeKyo or Myoho are written in the upper part of a sotoba, then below the Odaimoku, the posthumous Buddhist name or the deceased person’s name is written, being followed by the charcters ‘Tsuifuku sazen shodaibodai’ or its abbreviation ‘Tsuizenbodai’ which means doing meritorious acts to send holy merits to the soul of the deceased. On both sides of these characters, the mourner’s name (choshu) and the death date of the deceased (meinichi) are written.