The holiday season is upon us with lots of activities around gift giving and holiday parties. This past Sunday, our Chief Priest reminded us that the one gift we should always remember to give is the Buddhism of Nichiren Daishonin.
Nichiren Daishonin, the founder of Nichiren Shoshu Buddhism, wrote to a believer named Shijo Kingo in the Gosho, The Three Kinds of Treasure:
More valuable than treasures in a storehouse are the treasures of the body, and the treasures of the heart are the most valuable of all.” (M.W., Vol. 2, p. 279; Shinpen, p. 1173)
“Treasures of the storehouse” are money and material wealth; things like land, buildings and jewelry. “Treasures of the body” mean attributes one possess as a person; things like physical health, education, personal abilities, knowledge, skills, talents, etc. Although “Treasures of the storehouse and body” are necessary conditions for happiness, they are not the condition for attaining complete satisfaction. “Treasures of the heart” refers to the desire for Buddhahood in one’s present form through this practice of chanting Nam Myoho Renge Kyo (Daimoku).
Practice Buddhism for yourself and for others. Share your Treasures of the Heart this season!
Excerpts from The Treasures of the Heart are the Most Valuable of All
