Tales from the Gosho  
Bodhisattva Fukyo

In this month's installment of "Tales from the Gosho," we will discuss 
Bodhisattva Fukyo who became a Buddha by carrying out Buddhist 
austerities called raihaigyo or "the austerity of bowing in reverence" 
in which he endured verbal abuse having stone thrown at him and 
being beaten by sticks. 
No doubt all have or will experience friends or acquaintances 
speaking ill of us. However, during such time, we should never lose 
our temper nor become saddened by these events. We should instead 
embrace faith in the Gohonzon and fervently strive to carry out our 
daily practice.
In ancient times, there was a Buddhist monk called Jofukyo, whose 
name signifies "never despising." He held his hands together in 
reverence equally towards all those he met, whether that person was 
a priest, nun, layman or laywoman, and said, "I will never despise or 
look down upon you, as you are all people who will [someday] 
become Buddhas."
Bodhisattva Fukyo said this because all people have the Buddha 
nature. This signifies that they inherently possess the nature to 
someday become a Buddha. Bodhisattva Fukyo therefore carried out 
his Buddhist austerity of holding his hands together in prayer as he 
bowed his head in reverence to the Buddha nature of each person he 
met. He would then say, "I will never despise or look down upon 
you."
The people, not understanding why he was doing this, were and at 
first, astonished. Then they felt that they were being ridiculed by 
Bodhisattva Fukyo and began gossiping or speaking ill of him, 
throwing stones and beating him with staves. Nonetheless, Jofukyo 
over a period of many years never ceased to bow in reverence to the 
people he met. 
When Bodhisattva Fukyo's time of death approached because of all 
the persecution he was forced to endure, his past offenses against the 
Law of Buddhism were dissipated. At that time, Bodhisattva Fukyo 
realized that he had embraced an entire prose section from the Lotus 
Sutra that Ionno Buddha1 had preached. Through his faith in this 
section of the Lotus Sutra, he was able to receive the benefit of the 
purification of the six sense-organs Ñ eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body 
and mind. This means that purification comes about through carrying 
out consistent faith and practice in True Buddhism.
Many people believe that the scenery they see with their eyes and 
the sounds they hear with their ears are the same scenery and 
sounds that all other people perceive. Yet, in truth each person sees 
and hears things slightly differently from the next. It is taught that 
people who are close to reaching enlightenment will see everything 
illuminated around them. 
A baseball player, for example, says he may see a ball stop in mid-
air as he attempts to catch it. There are also people who are deeply 
moved when they hear classical music while others find it irritating. 
In this way, one perceives the outside world differently from others 
according to one's own six sense organs. It takes a purified heart to 
fully see the world. 
It is said Bodhisattva Fukyo was able to extend his life and live to 
the extremely old age of two hundred trillion nayuta years, preach 
the Lotus Sutra and lead all people to happiness. Because of their 
offenses, all the people who had persecuted Bodhisattva Fukyo in the 
past fell into the sufferings of hell for a very long time. However 
these very people were all later saved by the Lotus Sutra preached 
by Jofukyo. Jofukyo represents Shakyamuni Buddha during the time 
of his observance of austerities.
You may ask, why was Bodhisattva Fukyo tormented by all these 
people even though he had maintained correct faith? The reason can 
be found in the Buddhist terms gozai hitchi meaning that one can 
expiate the offense of slander against the True Law of Buddhism that 
one has committed in the past. For example, when others speak 
badly about one's weak points or defects, the cause of that weak 
point or defect is erased and can be changed into strong points or 
assets. Therefore, we should feel great joy because we are able to 
grow and therefore become happy when others speak negatively of 
us. 
Secondly, it states within the Lotus Sutra that those who correctly 
carry out their practice of Buddhism will undergo various 
persecutions. Therefore, all practitioners of the Lotus Sutra strive to 
overcome any and all obstacles when faced with persecution. The 
benefits received from this are the purification of the mind (heart) 
and body, and being able to become truly happy.
Nichiren Daishonin was stuck on the forehead with the Fifth Volume 
of the Lotus Sutra during the time of the Tatsunokuchi Persecution. 
That particular fifth volume contains the Kanji chapter that states 
that the Votary of the Lotus Sutra will be struck by staves and will 
encounter the persecutions of the sword. Therefore, Nichiren 
Daishonin was overjoyed at carrying out his role as the Votary of the 
Lotus Sutra, proving his identity as the True Buddha of Kuon Ganjo. 
In our own daily practice and faith of the Daishonin's True Buddhism, 
we should take this as a role model to practice with great joy, no 
matter what obstacle we may encounter. 
Also there is another tale of a person who was struck with a bow. 
This tale appears in Nichiren Daishonin's Gosho, "Persecution by 
Sword and Staff" (Shinpen, p. 1360; M.W. Vol. 2, p. 304) This story 
takes place in Japan long before the Daishonin was born.  
A young acolyte priest who wasn't very good at his studies ran away 
from the head temple (Tendai sect of Buddhism) and returned to his 
parent's home. However, his father, worried about his son's future, 
would not allow the son to enter into the house and instead took a 
bow of boxwood and began striking the boy with all his might as he 
exclaimed, "Go back to the head temple and work harder at your 
studies!" The young acolyte then gave up trying to enter his parents 
home and returned to the head temple. Thereafter, he studied 
fervently and later became Ensho, the fifteenth chief priest and 
abbot of Mt. Hiei of the Tendai sect. 
As he grew older, he recalled the days of his youth and the pain of 
the beating with the bow and he had held bitter resentment towards 
his father. However, when he became an accomplished adult he 
realized that it was because of his father and as a result felt great 
feelings of appreciation. After his fathers death, he erected a stupa 
made of boxwood as an offering to the soul of his deceased father.
When others speak ill of us, to us, or when we are scolded, let's take 
these things as nourishment for our lives and the practice of 
Buddhism. Let us strive to become splendid human beings and 
members of Nichiren Shoshu in order to reply to the great 
expectations of Nichiren Daishonin and the High Priest.

1 Ionno Buddha: This Buddha is also referred to by the Sanskrit 
name, Bhishmagarjitasvararaja, or "King of Imposing Sound" Buddha, 
mentioned in the Fukyo (twentieth) chapter of the Lotus Sutra. 
According to this chapter of the Sutra, there were a total of two 
billion Buddhas with this name. Bodhisattva Fukyo appeared in the 
Middle Day of the Law of the first of these Ionno Buddhas. 

©1995 Nichiren Shoshu Monthly. All rights reserved