This Month's Nichiren Shonin's Words

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      法華経      は     女人     の      成仏      を  さき  と する

Houkekyou wa Nyonin no Joubutsu wo saki to suru

"Women can attain Buddhahood first in the Lotus Sutra"

(Because men’s work depends on the power of women)

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= Women's Power =

   In recent years, the improvement of the status of women has been greatly advanced, but in fact, the Buddha had already declared gender equality through the Lotus Sutra 2,500 years ago.

   A few decades ago, male-dominated thinking was commonplace regardless of being east or west side of the ocean. However, a man is not born without a mother.

   It is self-evident that the world will not exist if either is missing. 

   Please go back to the root and think again. A man and a woman are both a person.

 

“Sennichi Ama Gozen Gohenji "

   One of the most noteworthy points of Nichiren Shonin's Words are that there are many letters addressed to women. This month’s Words is a letter entrusted to Abutsu-bo, a great believer from Sado Island, who visited Nichiren at Mt. Minobu, for his wife, Sennichi Ama, on his return home.

   It is admirable that the husband visited Mt. Minobu three times because of his wife's efforts. This is a testament that Nichiren has always appreciated the abilities of women, not just in this letter. (Travel was very difficult from Sado Island to Mt. Minobu. This was not an easy trek.)

   Nichiren Shonin already had the now-popular gender-free ideology. This all originated from the Lotus Sutra.

 

First Year of Koan (1278)

Age: 57