January 20, 2025
LOTUS JEWELS（Nichiren Shu News NO253）
Though his government is unjust, and I fully expected to be treated unfairly, I have determined not to hold a grudge against others no matter what persecution befalls me. Perhaps due to this determined mindset, which might have become a prayer, I was able to escape many ordeals.
—Shijo Kingo Shakabutsu Kuyo-ji, Opening the Eyes Service of Shijo Kingo’s Statue of Shakyamuni Buddha (ST 220)
When we believe we are treated badly by others, it is easy to develop hard feelings against them. Despite the strong language Nichiren often used towards those who slandered the Wonderful Dharma of the Lotus Sutra, which created unimaginable difficulties in his life, he never lost respect for them. He lived within the protection of the Buddhas and protective deities and remains an example for our lives today.
—Rev. Shinkyo Warner