Nichiren defined mandala as the content/image of the Dharma(law).
　This was the original meaning for Nichiren, and in Nichiren's writings, with a few exceptions, mandala almost always refers to the content/image of the Dharma(law).
　However, later generations came to venerate the 'objects' on which the contents and images were written as objects. This is the same animism as the worship of Buddhist statues.
　Henceforth, in order to avoid misunderstandings, this paper will use the following distinction between mandalas as Dharma(law) content and mandalas as objects.
Mandala曼荼羅" described in Chinese characters or simply "mandala" is used to mean the content and images of the Dharma(law), while "mandalaマンダラ" described in katakana or "object mandala" is used to mean the object on which the images are written.

On p.82, Nichiren showed that in Nichiren Buddhism, everything is the life of all things, from elementary particles to the outer space.
Furthermore, Nichiren states in "The Oral Tradition:Plants and Trees Reaching Buddha(草木成仏口決)" that all these all things will become Buddhas. What does this mean?

Gosho P1338-1399 of "The Oral Tradition:Plants and Trees Reaching Buddha(草木成仏口決)" says as follows.
"Ask and say. Which type of Buddhahood does the attainment of Buddhahood of plants and trees refer to: sentient beings (note: things with mental activity) or non-feelings (note: substances without mental activity)?
Answer and say. The Buddhahood of plants and trees is the Buddhahood of non-feelings (note: matter without mental activity).
That's what I'm asking. Can both things with mental activity and substances without mental activity attain Buddhahood in this Lotus Sutra?
Answer and say. That's right, both can attain Buddhahood.
That's what I'm asking. What is the evidence in the literature?
Answer and say. These are the five characters of Myoho-renge-kyo.
"The Mystic Law(妙法)" is the attainment of Buddhahood in something that has mental activity, and "the lotus(蓮華)" is the attainment of Buddhahood in matter that has no mental activity.
Also, things with mental activity attain Buddhahood in life, and substances without mental activity attain Buddhahood in death.
The attainment of Buddhahood in life and death refers to the attainment of Buddhahood in things that have mental activity and in matter that does not exist."

The equivalent English translation in "The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin" is as follows.
"Question: Does the enlightenment of plants pertain to sentient beings or to insentient beings?
Answer: The enlightenment of plants pertains to insentient beings.
Question: Are both sentient and insentient beings assured of attaining enlightenment in the Lotus Sutra?
Answer: That is correct.
Question: What proof of this can be cited?
Answer: The proof is in the words Myoho-renge-kyo. The word myōhō represents the attainment of enlightenment by sentient beings; the word renge represents the attainment of enlightenment by insentient beings. Sentient beings attain enlightenment in life, insentient beings attain enlightenment in death. The attainment of enlightenment in life and death refers to the attainment of enlightenment by sentient and insentient beings. "
(The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin Volume I, 223 The Oral Tradition regarding the Enlightenment of Plants, P.429)

Here, Nichiren preaches that all things can attain Buddhahood.
He defines the attainment of Buddhahood through mental activity as the Myoho(妙法,The Mystic Law).
The attainment of Buddhahood in plants and trees is the attainment of Buddhahood in things without mental activity or in mere matter, and since these can also attain Buddhahood, it is defined as a lotus flower(Renge,蓮華).
Things with mental activity attain Buddhahood in life, and substances without mental activity attain Buddhahood in death.
For example, hair and nails don't hurt when they are cut. This is considered to be the attainment of Buddhahood after death.

However, this is a definition that is difficult to understand either by common sense or by science.
In the first place, it is impossible for a being who does not or cannot strive for Buddhahood to become a Buddha.

However, if we take Nichiren's historical background into account, we can understand the reason why he made this definition, its purpose and significance.
　At the time of the Kamakura period, wooden or carved statues were set as the object of prayer and the principal object of worship. In fact, this is still the case today.
Essentially, Buddhahood is a state of being attained through worthy practice.
　However, in almost all religions, the principal image of Honzon(Object of Devotion) that is believed to have trained and attained Buddhahood is made of materials such as plants. and trees.
　As long as they are made of material, these images themselves cannot be trained to become Buddhas, nor do they perform such training in the first place.
　However, if we define them as not having attained Buddhahood or not being able to do so, then they have no significance as objects of return (entrusting our lives to them), do they?
　The same applies to the explanation that these are forms that have already attained Buddhahood as a result of past practice, so they do not need to be practised now, which has no persuasive power.
　These are not the result of past practice, but rather the result of someone creating them from wood, paper or other materials.

There is a saying: 'A Buddha is made, but his soul is not put into it'. This proverb means that the most important thing is missing, and it can be said that the most important thing, both now and in the past, is the Buddha nature.
　For example, in esoteric Buddhism (especially the Shingon sect and esoteric sects in Japan), it was considered important to put the soul into a Buddha statue. Buddha statues were considered to embody 'Buddhahood,', and it was believed that the presence of the Buddha would be realised by inserting a soul.
　However, from the perspective of modern science, the logic that any created Buddha statue or object mandala can become a Buddha if a person puts his or her soul into it is nonsense.
　Even if a soul exists, and even if the person who inserts the soul is a living Buddha, the soul is the soul of the individual who has become his own Buddha, and to worship it is animism, a cult, and leads to individual worship.

The only way to resolve this conundrum is to consider the following.
　These teachings of Nichiren were preached just only to lead sentient beings to Buddhahood as a expedient, based on the common sense of the time. In other words, this set of teachings can be regarded as a expedient to guarantee and justify the attainment of Buddhahood for the living (sentient beings).
　The reason why Nichiren taught about the attainment of Buddhahood in death, or the attainment of Buddhahood in matter, was to clearly explain the attainment of Buddhahood in life.
In other words, this teaching can be seen as a expedient for those who practise Buddhism.

In reality, in order for all to be happy, one must become a Buddha.
　You cannot know how matter is becoming Buddha without asking matter.
　You cannot know whether a dead person has attained Buddhahood unless you ask the dead person.
　However, once one is dead, it is impossible to emit information from the mind, and one does not even have the feeling of being dead in the first place.
　This is the reason why I stated on p.06 of this Paper that life after death is an instantaneous reincarnation into the next life.
　For those who have no sense of the five senses, no consciousness, and no sense of time, life after death is a state that cannot be defined in the first place.

Why, then, have there been various teachings and considerations about life after death in Buddhism and other religions?
Some of these are mentioned above, but they are all expedients that are actually being preached for the salvation of all living beings.
Nichiren similarly used this method.
It can be seen that "The Oral Tradition:Plants and Trees Reaching Buddha(草木成仏口決)" also include this.

Of course, according to the principle of ”oneness of life and its environment", the subject and the object are one.
If we as the subject, take refuge in Nam-myoho-renge-kyo (the law) chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo to the object mandala as the object and we reach the Buddhahood, the object, the object mandala, has also reach the Buddhahood.

According to the logic of the "three thousand realms containd in one mind" mentioned on the previous page, since objects also have the ten realms, they also have the Buddhahood.
　In this case, the Buddhahood of the object mandala, which is an object, cannot exist as a subject. However, as the object (environment) to which the subject entrust one's life, it is possible.

Here, the principle of ”oneness of life and its environment” is scientifically correct. This is because it would not be possible to deny this completely scientifically.
Then, it becomes clear that modern science needs to update the logic of the "three thousand realms containd in one mind" used by Tendai and Nichiren.
It means that in the logic of the three thousand realms containd in one mind, it should be added as an explanation that although non-emotions things such as matter or object also have the Ten Realms, which do not manifest themselves as subjects but objects.
This would be obvious if we think about it. This is because the non-emotions do not have life activities.
In particular, the Buddhahood, even if it is sentient, is a fictitious concept and is not to be explained as something fixed.
　It means that the concept of the Buddha Realm itself(the Buddhahood) is the 'unfinished condition of life renouncing and boundlessly moving towards perfection' that I mentioned earlier in this Paper P05. In other words, the manifestation of that boundary is included in one of the other nine realms.
The difference between the Buddhahood and the other realms is that the Buddhahood is one in which one does not spare one's life. i.e. there is no purpose or will to gain worldly benefits, or in other words, there is no attachment to this life.
For this to happen, one must be awakened to the eternal view of life in the three lifetimes (past, present and next) and the theory of karma of cause and effect.
The phenomenon of the 'nine realms being equal to the Buddhahood' and the 'Buddhahood being equal to the nine realms' is also based on the premise that one has awakened to this.
To add to this, the phrase 'vexation immediately bodhi(煩悩即菩提)', which is used to mean the same thing, also contains a certain dialectic(expedients). The vexations here do not refer to various desires such as worldly benefits(earthly desires), but to the vexation of one's own human perfection.
　It is a means of transforming one's own vexations(earthly desires) and detaching oneself from worldly gain as one deepens one's practice.
The Nikko-Mon school and the Soka Gakkai, as has been mentioned earlier in this paper, have made up a patchwork of convenient interpretations of this important Nichiren teaching as cut-and-paste sentences(the cutting-and-pasting), and have understood it wrongly.
　As a result, they fell into the path (animism) that Nichiren had denied and broken at the time, and spread throughout the world with various worldly interests and greed, clinging to power and interests, mistakenly believing that this was Nichiren Buddhism.
These are the state of affairs of hell, hungry ghosts, animals and asuras in the Buddhist Law.
　So, naturally, they are on the way to a history of cause and effect and the inevitable decline and fall of the prosperous.
　It is like a modern version of the Tale of the Heike.
　This is in the exact opposite to the teachings and attitude of Nichiren, who devoted his life to the Dharma and lived a life of poverty and purity.
　This is extremely unfortunate. Moreover, this has already spread all over the world.

　The argument returns to grass and trees becoming Buddha.
　
An object without mental activity (being unemotional) cannot attain Buddhahood as a subject, but only as an object (the environment of the subject).
This is the theory that we, who have mental activity (being sentient), are taught as a expedient to attain Buddhahood as a subject.
This is based on the principle of "oneness of life and its environment", whichi is the theory that life and its environment are one and the same while instantly influencing each other, i.e. life as a subject and objects and environments as objects are one and the same.

At first glance, this logic makes it difficult to understand what it is talking about, so let me explain this using the example of me chanting the mantras to attain the state of Buddhahood.
　I sit down in front of the Gohonzon (object mandala) to begin the practice of becoming a Buddha.
　At this time, because the mandala Gohonzon is originally an object, it is not a Buddha world and has not attained Buddhahood, because it is not possible to practise the practice of attaining Buddhahood.
　Therefore, at this point, the Gohonzon cannot make me become a Buddha, and it does not have such unscientific spiritual power.

However, according to the principle of "oneness of life and its environment", I as the subject and the Gohonzon (object mandala) as the object in my environment are originally one.
　Therefore, when analysed strictly, if I am in the human world, the Gohonzon is also in the human world.
　If I am in the world of the hell,the hungry demon,the animal,or the ashuras, the Gohonzon is also in the world of the hell,the hungry demon,the animal, or the ashuras respectively.

Therefore, aiming for the Buddha realm, I meditate by continuously chanting Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo to the mandala or Buddha statue in order to believe in the Dharma(law) and to entrust my life to the Dharma(law). (I mentioned the mechanism of this meditation earlier on page 78 of this Paper.)
　Then the level of my practice (meditation) deepens and I finally reach the state of the Buddhahood while I am still an ordinary person. (Incidentally, this is true regardless of whether or not there is a mandala or a statue of Buddha, as long as I have entrusted my life to the Dharma(law), I will be in the Buddha Realm.)

Then, from the principle of "oneness of life and its environment" (I as the subject and the Gohonzon, object mandala, as the object in my environment are one and the same), at the same time that I (the subject) have become the Buddhahood , the Gohonzon(mandala) has also become the Buddhahood .

Without my attainment of Buddhahood, the object mandala (the Gohonzon) would not have attained Buddhahood in the first place.
　It is only when I become a Buddha that the object mandala (the Gohonzon) can become a Buddha.
　This is what Nichiren actually means when he defines the term "Plants and Trees Reaching Buddha".

　Even without using a special term such as “fusion of environment and wisdom”or“integration of perception and insight”(境地冥合) , it is possible to explain that Buddhahood can be attained in this way based on the principle of "oneness of life and its environment"

　By the way, the reason why I called this a expedient is because it is easier for me to enter into the act of returning and entrusting my life to the Dharma(law) if I am led to believe that the object mandala has first attained Buddhahood. This is what faith is all about.
　The Gohonzon (object mandala = object, plant) has attained Buddhahood, is in the realm of Buddha, has the appearance (appearance) of the realm of Buddha, and to make people think and believe that way is truely a wonderful expedient. I conclude It was so.

Of course, if the object to whom one entrusts one's life is not the law of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, but the Gohonzon, a object mandala written with Nam-myoho-renge-kyo(for example, the board mandala of Taisekiji Temple), then this is animism and object worship, and the state of life that one reaches is not the Buddhahood, but merely a sense of oneness in a state of ecstasy.
Furthermore, if the object to whom one entrusts one's life is Nichiren in the flesh, or if it is the head priest or Daisaku Ikeda, it is animism and personality worship, and the state of life that is reached is not the realm of Buddha, but also merely a sense of oneness in a state of ecstasy.

　As I mentioned many times earlier in this Paper, these are the realms of hell, hungry ghost, animal and ashuras that will be reached by Nichiren's later generations who have fallen into the wrong theories of the mistaken Nichiren Buddhism, Hosshu Buddhism, Daisaku Ikeda Buddhism,, etc., and are not the realm of Buddhahood that can be achieved through true Nichiren Buddhism.

■About the factual condition of the state of being when one is chanting

At this juncture, I would like to analyse one's state of life of the ten realms when one is sitting in front of the Gohonzon and chanting Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo, but when one is filled with miscellaneous thoughts.
When miscellaneous thoughts arise, it cannot be said that one is returning to the Dharma (Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo). Therefore, the state of being attainable is not the Buddhist world.

For example, in the Soka Gakkai's election canvassing activities, members are told that "Buddhism is a Win or　Lose" and pray only for victory in the election (only for the election of their candidate, pushing aside other candidates), which in this case is the asuras realm.
If we analyze it accurately using the logic of the ten worlds and the theory "The ten realms of beings found in one another(the Mutual possession of the Ten Worlds)" , it is the state of ecstasy of the heaven world in the asuras Realm.

　This is because many of the members of Soka Gakkai are not well versed in political science and do not have the foresight or vision to discuss electoral policies, constituencies or the country as a whole.
They simply follow orders from within their own organisations and work like a spring-loaded machine to get votes for a particular candidate.
Moreover, they are ordered to collect votes for candidates beyond their constituencies, almost all over Japan, regardless of whether they are in parliamentary or local elections, in order to expand the profits and prosperity of the Soka Gakkai and the Komei Party organisations.
Within each organisation, the main purpose is not only to collect votes in elections, but also to obtain donations (donations of 10,000 yen or more per unit) and to sell the Soka Gakkai's official magazine, Seikyo Shimbun, and related books, all for the purpose of expanding the profits and prosperity of the Soka Gakkai.
Although the Gosho is claimed to be fundamental, almost no executives or members carry the Gosho with them.
This attitude is the exact opposite of Nichiren's attitude throughout his life.
(Incidentally, I have always carried the Gosho, as well as Soka Gakkai's official magazine, Seikyo Shimbun, e.t.c. in my Soka Gakkai organisational activities since I was a schoolchild. I have been unraveled the Gosho at every meeting whenever I have the opportunity. This is why I am therefore an extremely rare case in the Soka Gakkai organisation.)

Also, regarding the meditation practice mentioned earlier, even if one is to sit before the Gohonzon and chant Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo, if one have miscellaneous thoughts and try to escape harassment such as debt distress, loan hell and bullying, the boundary you would reach would be ecstasy in the hell realm.
(In the Mutual possession of the Ten Realms, it is the ecstasy of the heaven realm in the hell realm.)

※Below, the state of life in the Mutual possesion of the Ten worlds is shown in parentheses.

This was concealed in the process of creating the myth of Daisaku Ikeda's initiation into Buddhism, but his "Please let the Gohonzon-sama, escape this suffering only..." (as pointed out on p. 62 of this Paper), the state he reaches in his prayer is the ecstasy in the world of hell . (heaven Realm in the hell Realm).

Even if you are sitting in front of the Gohonzon and chanting Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo with an ardent desire to attain Buddhahood, if one is praying for stocks and investments to increase one's wealth, or for the prosperity of an entrepreneurial company, it is ecstasy in the world of hungry ghosts.(heaven Realm in the Realm of hungry spirits)
　If one is praying for quotas within an organisation or immersed in sadomasochism on spirit of wrong oneness of mentor and dicsiple (see p.57, p.66-68 of this Paper) , the state of being reached is the ecstasy in the world of animal. (heaven Realm in the animal Realm).
　These abominations and failures depend on what one prays for and aims for in one's personal life, which is not a meditation on the Gohonzon aiming for the peace of mankind and society or one's own perfection, but on one's own personal life which is caught up only in worldly gain and loss, e.t.c.
As an ordinary person myself, I, too, often fall into these abominations and failures. I am truly ashamed.

If one is really praying to attain Buddhahood, for example, if one is meditating for elections, one should make peace and tranquillity in the constituency the content of one's prayers, away from attachment to the candidate who will be elected.
In this case, the state to be attained is the Dharma pleasure and ecstasy of the Bodhisattva Realm. (The Buddhahood in the Bodhisattva Realm)
　If one prays for the clarification of one's own research and various mysteries, the state to be attained is the Dharma pleasure and ecstasy of the world of Voice- heaters, Cause-awakened ones. (The Buddhahood in the realm of Voice- heaters(Learning), Cause-awakened ones (pratyekabuddhas (Realization)).
　If one prays for the concrete well-being of others and society, the state to be attained is the Dharma pleasure and ecstasy of the Bodhisattva Realm (The Buddhahood in the Bodhisattva Realm).

In the first place, the Buddhahood itself cannot be defined as one static state, so the principle of the Mutual possession of the Ten Worlds(Realms) should be renewed.
It is the Buddhahood in the human world that is attained through meditation by holding hands with the Gohonzon in a calm state of mind and meditating on Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo.
In the first place, the Buddhahood manifests itself as a form of the other nine realms, as the ultimate state of happiness.
This is called the Buddhahood equals the nine realms or the nine realms equals the Buddha realm.
This was mentioned in Nichiren's view of the principal image and the Buddha (p.04 - p.05 of this Paper).

Also, to go a little off-topic, but briefly about ecstasy outside of meditation, the ecstasy of bullying and sadomasochism is the animal realm, the runner's high in the presence of competitors is mainly the ecstasy of the Shura realm, the climber's high in mountain climbing is the ecstasy of the Heaven realm, the nursing high in the medical field is the ecstasy of the bodhisattva realm, and the The nursing high in medical practice is the ecstasy of the bodhisattva realm.

In addictions to drugs, alcohol, tobacco and food, it is the ecstasy of the hungry demon realm or the temporary satisfaction of the heaven realm.
The inspiration of scholars and the serendipity of ordinary people is the ecstasy of the pratyekabuddhas realm(realm of Cause-awakened ones)
As for sex, if it is filled with love and service to each other, the orgasm is the ecstasy of the bodhisattva realm. However, if it is just a one-night stand, or sex in an aid society or orgy, it is the ecstasy of the hungry demon realm or the animal realm. A victim who is attacked and raped is in the hell realm, but in this case, and in general, ecstasy can also be attained in the hell realm.
In this regard, it has been scientifically proven that even in hellish suffering in the face of death, ecstasy can be achieved by the secretion of morphine in the brain.
In addition, the ecstatic state of an elderly person with dementia can be described as ecstasy in the animal realm if it is not accompanied by human cognition. In this case, the degree of human to animal realm would be determined by the degree of cognition as a human being.

I use narcotic drugs in pain relief medicine, and the patient's ecstasy resulting from this would be the ecstasy of the hell realm.
The ecstasy that can be reached differs depending on the state of being.

■Prayers for the purpose of earthly gain do not correspond to taking refuge in the Dharma(law).

　Now, the commonality of such prayers and meditations, other than prayers in the bodhisattva realm, is of course that they are not entrusted one's life to the Dharma (Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo) per se, but seek their resolution outside of one's own mind. This is not true Nichiren Buddhism.
　Attempting to entrust one's life to the Dharma is an effort to attain Buddhahood and to devote oneself to the perfection of one's own human nature.
　In Buddhism, praying for worldly gain (to satisfy one's own desires) in the first place is itself impure in purpose and motivation.
　To use a simple analogy, this kind of prayer is like a man seducing a woman for one night's pleasure. His ulterior motive is impure.
　We do not need to ask King Emma about such a lowly thing. Needless to say, the result is the same.
　The origin and root of this mistake into which Nichiren's followers have fallen dates back to the time of Taiseki-ji　Nichikan, according to the clear literature. I have already mentioned it earlier in this Paper.

　　Incidentally, Nichiren states in Issho Jyobutsu Sho (一生成仏抄, Gosho p384-384).
"However, even if you chant and embrace Myoho-Renge-Kyo, if you think that there is a law outside of your own mind, then it is not Myoho-Renge-Kyo, at all, but a defective law.
The defective law is not the Lotus Sutra(Myoho-Renge-Kyo).
If it is not the Lotus Sutra, it is a convenient teaching, a provisional teaching. If it is a convenient and provisional teaching, it is not the direct path to Buddhahood. If it is not the direct path to Buddhahood, then even if you are reborn countless times and spend your whole life practising, you will not be able to attain Buddhahood. Therefore, it is not possible to attain Buddhahood in this lifetime.
Therefore, when chanting Myoho-Renge-Kyo, we should invoke the deep conviction that we are naming our own single mind as Myoho-renge-kyo."

Note, in 'The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin' published by Soka Gakkai, the English translation of this sentence is as follows.
"Nevertheless, even though you chant and believe in Myoho-renge-kyo, if you think the Law is outside yourself, you are embracing not the Mystic Law but an inferior teaching. “Inferior teaching” means those other than this [Lotus] sutra, which are all expedient and provisional. No expedient or provisional teaching leads directly to enlightenment, and without the direct path to enlightenment you cannot attain Buddhahood, even if you practice lifetime after lifetime for countless kalpas. Attaining Buddhahood in this lifetime is then impossible. Therefore, when you chant myōhō and recite renge, you must summon up deep faith that Myoho-renge-kyo is your life itself."(On Attaining Buddhahood in This Lifetime, The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin,P3)

Nichiren explains that, as stated above, if one thinks that there is a Dharma outside one's own mind, even though one chants Myōhō Renge-kyo and accepts it, this is not a Myōhō Renge-kyō at all, but a defective Dharma.
The fact that one's mind does not really aim for Buddhahood but instead seeks worldly benefits is equivalent to thinking that there is a method other than one's mind that wants to become a Buddha = the direct path to Buddhahood (Myōhō Renge Kyo). This is not the Myōhō Renge Kyo, but a defective Dharma.
　Therefore, it is obvious that one must not hold worldly benefits "when chanting the Myoho-renge-kyo, one must invoke a deep faith that one's own single mind is named the Myoho-renge-kyo".

"The 80,000 sacred teachings of the Buddha's first generation, the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas in the ten quarters in the past, present, and future, must never be thought of as being outside of one's own mind.
　　Therefore, even if one is learning Buddhism, if one does not observe one's own mind, it is not possible to leave the suffering of life and death.
If one seeks the path to Buddhahood outside the mind and tries to practise all actions and all goodness, it would be like a person in poverty who counts his neighbour's possessions all day long, but without any benefit at all.
　Therefore, in the Tendai school of Buddhism, Myōraku Daishi's Shikan-sukugyoden Guketsu Vol. 4, it is stated that 'if one does not contemplate the true nature of one's mind, one cannot destroy serious sins', which is interpreted as meaning that if one does not contemplate the true nature of one's mind, one will suffer immeasurably.
　Therefore, such people are interpreted as 'despite studying Buddhism, they return to being the same as outsiders.'
Therefore, we should develop a deep faith that everything we do, including chanting the name of the Buddha, reciting sutra scrolls, scattering flowers and burning incense, is a good deed and good root that is contained in our own single mind."(Gosho P383～384)

Note, in 'The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin'published by Soka Gakkai, the English translation of this sentence is as follows.
"You must never think that any of the eighty thousand sacred teachings of Shakyamuni Buddha’s lifetime or any of the Buddhas and bodhisattvas of the ten directions and three existences are outside yourself. Your practice of the Buddhist teachings will not relieve you of the sufferings of birth and death in the least unless you perceive the true nature of your life. If you seek enlightenment outside yourself, then your performing even ten thousand practices and ten thousand good deeds will be in vain. It is like the case of a poor man who spends night and day counting his neighbor’s wealth but gains not even half a coin. That is why the T’ien-t’ai school’s commentary states, “Unless p.4 one perceives the nature of one’s life, one cannot eradicate one’s grave offenses.” This passage implies that, unless one perceives the nature of one’s life, one’s practice will become an endless, painful austerity. Therefore, such students of Buddhism are condemned as non-Buddhist. Great Concentration and Insight states that, although they study Buddhism, their views are no different from those of non-Buddhists.
Whether you chant the Buddha’s name, recite the sutra, or merely offer flowers and incense, all your virtuous acts will implant benefits and roots of goodness in your life.
With this conviction you should strive in faith."(P3-4)

This is an important point to be aware of in daily practice.
The important thing to bear in mind is that chanting accompanied by miscellaneous thoughts is not only meaningless, but also ends up with empty results.
Because, in this sentence, if we simply replace "seek the path to Buddhahood outside the mind'' with "seek worldly gain,'' which is a substantial fact when accompanied by distractions, we can see how ephemeral it is. It will become clear.
In other words, as a result, " it would be like a person in poverty who counts his neighbour's possessions all day long, but without any benefit at all.''

"This is explained in the Jomyo Sutra as follows: 'If the liberation of the Buddhas is sought in the mind and actions of sentient beings, then sentient beings are equal to Bodhi, and birth and death are equal to Nirvana'.
　In the Jomei Sutra, it is taught that "if the minds of sentient beings are defiled, the land they live in is also defiled, and if the minds of sentient beings are pure, the land is also pure".
They are both the Pure Land and the Unholy Land, depending on the goodness or badness of our minds.
　The same applies to sentient beings and Buddhas. When we are lost, we are called sentient beings, and when we are enlightened, we are called Buddhas. For example, a cloudy mirror can be seen as a bright mirror like a jewel if it is polished.
Our single-minded, unclear, lost mind is a mirror that cannot be polished. If we polish it, it will surely become a mirror of the true nature of Dharma. Therefore, we should exercise deep faith and polish it day and night, morning and night, without omitting to do so.
　How can this be done? Just simply chanting Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo only with the sole aim of attaining Buddhahood is the way to polish it."(Gosho P384)

Note, in 'The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin'published by Soka Gakkai, the English translation of this sentence is as follows.
"The Vimalakīrti Sutra states that, when one seeks the Buddhas’ emancipation in the minds of ordinary beings, one finds that ordinary beings are the entities of enlightenment, and that the sufferings of birth and death are nirvana. It also states that, if the minds of living beings are impure, their land is also impure, but if their minds are pure, so is their land. There are not two lands, pure or impure in themselves. The difference lies solely in the good or evil of our minds.
It is the same with a Buddha and an ordinary being. When deluded, one is called an ordinary being, but when enlightened, one is called a Buddha. This is similar to a tarnished mirror that will shine like a jewel when polished. A mind now clouded by the illusions of the innate darkness of life is like a tarnished mirror, but when polished, it is sure to become like a clear mirror, reflecting the essential nature of phenomena and the true aspect of reality. Arouse deep faith, and diligently polish your mirror day and night. How should you polish it? Only by chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo."(P4)

In fact, this last sentence is the most important.
Although I have translated the text correctly, the Soka Gakkai's version of the English translation of the Gosho, as well as many other translations of the Gosho, lacks the phrase "with the sole aim of attaining Buddhahood". The impact of this is discussed below.

Here, the part that says, "They are both the Pure Land and the Unholy Land, depending on the goodness or badness of our minds", expresses the principle of "oneness of life and its environment 依正不二" (the theory that subject and environment are one).

He also said, "The same applies to sentient beings and Buddhas. When we are lost, we are called sentient beings, and when we are enlightened, we are called Buddhas", this means that we ordinary people are originally the Buddha. (The Buddha's theory of ordinary people)
Here,
The clear mirror of the Dharma nature, "a mirror of the true nature of Dharma" is a mirror that reflects the true and real world as it is. And when we, ordinary people, are compared to a cloudy mirror, it refers to the state of Buddhahood, which is the goal to be attained.

And here, he states,
" Just simply chanting Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo only with the sole aim of attaining Buddhahood is the way to polish it."
The "Just simply" means that there should be no distractions, no other purpose other than to attain Buddhahood. This is clear from the context, and is extremely important.
This does not mean that as long as you chant Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo only in form, the Gohonzon will fulfil all your prayers for worldly benefits and the like, like the proverb "pennies from heaven" or "magic mallet".
Unfortunately, however, many Nichiren followers misunderstand this meaning and believe that as long as they chant Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo, all their wishes, including those for benefits in this life, will be fulfilled.
Incidentally, even today, to the best of my knowledge, the correct explanation of this meaning of "Just simply" is lacking in the lectures of the Taisekiji and Soka Gakkai Gosho and in the Soka Gakkai version of the English translation of the Gosho,'The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin', as above.
You can check the actual text, for example, as above.
Thus, they fail to obtain Nichiren's true intention, which is clearly evident from the context.
As a result, the misunderstanding that all the benefits of this world will also be fulfilled has spread throughout all over the world..
This is extremely regrettable.

This is probably a cut-and-paste version of Nichiren's statement, "There is absolutely no way that the prayers of practitioners of the Lotus Sutra will not come true. Even if you aim for the ground and miss, even if there is someone who connects you to the sky, even if the tides change, even if the sun sometimes rises from the west." (Prayer Verses, Gosho p1351-1352) and simply replacing "practitioners of the Lotus Sutra" with "believer = one who chants Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo".
Although Nichiren said that it is the daimoku that cannot be chanted unless the Bodhisattva of the Earth appears, there is a world of difference between a "practitioner of the Lotus Sutra" and a mere believer.
Perhaps Nichiren's successors had the wrong idea.
What is clear about this is that this beginning was said by Nichikan of Taiseki-ji.
In the (Introduction) to the Kanshin Honzon Sho Mondan, written by Taisekji Nichikan in the Edo period , there is a famous sentence,
"If we believe in this Honzon and chant Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo, there is nothing that cannot be fulfilled as a prayer, nothing that cannot be annihilated as a sin, nothing that cannot come as a blessing, and nothing that cannot be manifested as law." (Nikkan Shonin Mondanshu, supervised by Nikken, 1980/3/1, Seikyo Shinbunsha, p443)
This is the basis for the worship of the Ita Mandala at Taiseki-ji.

The second president of the Soka Gakkai, Toda Josei, said that this ita-mandala is a 'happiness-making machine', and it is also quoted in the Shakubuku Sutra (1961/5/3, Revised 3rd edition, Soka Gakkai, p304-305), which he supervised. (already mentioned on p 20 of this Paper)

In other words, just those who only chant Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo assume that anything they pray for will be fulfilled, even their own selfishness and worldly interests, such as winning a game or gaining and maintaining their power, and as a result they are making a great mistake.
As I have mentioned many times before, Nichiren said, "Nichiren has had no desire for this life (note, for the worldly benefits of this life) since he was a little boy. He only wanted to become a Buddha." (Reply for Shijo Kingo, (Seo Gosho), Gosho P1169)
Nichiren said. Nichiren did not pray for honour or personal greed, but only for the fulfilment of the Way of the Buddha.
Practice for the fulfilment of the Buddha's Way specifically includes giving offerings and service to others and society.
Practice for the fulfilment of the Buddha's Way specifically includes giving offerings and service to others and society.
Prayer as a practitioner of the Lotus Sutra is prayer following the example of Nichiren, and is never prayer for one's own benefit or to line one's own pockets. It is not a prayer to escape from difficulties.
Prayer as a practitioner of the Lotus Sutra is prayer for the salvation of others with a heart of compassion, daring to face difficulties, enduring unjustifiable hardships and contributing to humanity.
In terms of the Ten Realms, it is prayer in the Bodhisattva Realm.
In terms of the Mutual possession of the Ten Realms, it is prayer in the Bodhisattva Realm, in each of the ten realms of the Bodhisattva Realm.
This prayer is just the true prayer of the practitioners of the Lotus Sutra, and only with this prayer can one realise bodhi (enlightenment) equal to vexation, nirvana equal to life and death, and the nine realms equal to the Buddha realms.

Naturally, it is this prayer and its practice in the bodhisattva world that results in the accumulation of good karma for the person. The results or rewards of this will appear as Dharma joy in the instant, and then later as the person's own specific virtues and happiness (not necessarily satisfaction), such as the transformation of reality and the resolution of difficulties. This is the law of cause and effect, which always appears in this liftime or the next life, even if there is a time lag. In other words, praying and acting in this bodhisattva world is the original realisation of the ego, and the trivial worldly benefits that you were confused about at that time, even if you don't pray for them every time, will surely return to you one day as the enormous merits of enlightenment. It will always come back to you someday as a huge merit.
Furthermore, off course, it goes without saying that prayers and actions that seek to gain trivial or unsignificantly benefits in other realms, especially in the states of hell, hungry ghosts, animals, and asuras, result in accumulating bad karma, which is the opposite of the above, and the historical fact is that since I have already pointed this out extensively, there is no need to go into detail again, so I will omit it.

Let us return again to the discussion of the Buddha's attainment of Buddhahood by plants and trees.
　In fact, despite these mistakes, both in the Kamakura period and even today, the act of joining hands with a object mandala or a statue of Buddha was considered a practice to attain Buddhahood, and therefore, the belief that the object mandala or statue of Buddha is already a Buddha makes the practice easier.
　Again, the truth is that the object mandala Gohonzon will become a Buddha only when I have attained Buddhahood first. Therefore, the power to believe in this expedient, the power of faith (shinryoku,信力), is of great importance.

Nichiren skillfully used the logic of "three thousand realms containd in one mind, ichinen sansen 一念三千" and the Gohonzon as a expedient to make sentient beings chant the title "Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo" and to lead them to enlightenment, Buddhahood.
This is what is meant by the phrase "juji soku kanshin 受持即観心, believing and having in these five characters is observing the mind" in the Kanshin-honzon-sho 観心本尊抄.
As evidence, even in the Kanshin-honzon-sho, Nichiren explained the Buddha nature of human beings in terms of literature, but he did not provide any objective explanation of specific phenomena, aspects, and their manifestations as a system, as modern science does.
　This will be discussed in more detail in the following pages of this Paper.