"It is a thousand ri across the sea and mountains from Sado Province to this province. You, as a woman, have held fast to your faith in the Lotus Sutra; and over the years you have repeatedly sent your husband here to visit me in your place. Surely the Lotus Sutra, Shakyamuni, Many Treasures, and the Buddhas of the ten directions know of your devotion. For example, though the moon is forty thousand yojanas high in the heavens, its reflection appears instantly in a pond on earth; and the sound of the drum at the Gate of Thunder is immediately heard a thousand, ten thousand ri in the distance. Though you remain in Sado, your heart has come to this province."
"The way of attaining Buddhahood is just like this. Though we live in the impure land, our hearts reside in the pure land of Eagle Peak. Merely seeing each other’s face would in itself be insignificant. It is the heart that is important. Someday let us meet at Eagle Peak, where Shakyamuni Buddha dwells. Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, Nam-myoho-renge-kyo."
I discovered this gosho in 2004 after looking for anything to encourage me, and what a treasure I found! The whole year before I had begun chanting not only why I needed a mentor in life, but why it should be President Ikeda. He didn't know me, so how could he understand my struggles and pains? After studying this quote and chanting daimoku, I realized that meeting President Ikeda, "would in itself be insignificant" and "It is the heart that is important." So, instead of basing this relationship on whether I can see or meet President Ikeda, I could develop this relationship in my heart. I then determined, the relationship that the lay nun Sennichi had with Nichiren, I wanted with President Ikeda. Since then I have been doing my best to develop this relationship to not only become a better human being, but work on behalf of others becoming happy. How fortunate I am to have such a wonderful mentor!
Shawn Boyd, Pacific Northwest Zone Young Women's Leader
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