One’s attitude in front of the Gohonzon
Guidance from Dr. Yamazaki

One’s attitude in front of the Gohonzon is like being on a holiday. It is necessary to cut oneself off from work, from daily life. This is important in order to regenerate, be free of tension and relaxed. If the practice is prolongation of one’s social life, this is not effective.

In the ceremony in the air (Gongyo), one cuts oneself off from the earth rising above. If you are dominated by your problems in front of the Gohonzon, nothing good appears. It is necessary to rise above, to make it a special moment… relaxing. This is a ceremony of “Ku”. You are the Buddha in front of the Gohonzon!

The Gohonzon is like a mirror, so it is not necessary to be either imprisoned, nor attached, nor dominated, nor guilty, nor worthless, nor have arrogance in order to enter the world of the Gohonzon. It is necessary for one to be indifferent to one’s own thoughts. One does not fight in front of the Gohonzon. One is relaxed, as though being in the air without limit. With this kind of ichinen for fifteen minutes… this is enough.

From the first daimoku, change the world, feel the universe, realize “Ku”, “Ke” and “Chu”! (‘Ku’ is the world of the Buddha; ‘Ke’ is oneself; ‘Chu’ is all the strength and wisdom of the universe.)

One can then recuperate all the forces of the universe. The wisdom to listen, to believe, to meditate, and to decide. Reject your own arrogance in order to allow your own wisdom to appear, going beyond time and space to detoxify yourself in front of the Gohonzon. Nothing is too far away in the morning and in the evening – this is when we are Buddha. We must have confidence to find a sense of “The Ceremony in the Air” and declare our conviction that we are the Buddha of eternal life, the Buddha of ichinen sanzen, and the Buddha of confidence and joy!