Why are the prayers of practitioners of the Lotus Sutra always answered? The Daishonin writes that the heavenly deities owe a great debt of gratitude to the Lotus Sutra, and thus, if they failed to protect those who practice the Sutra's teachings, they would be guilty of ingratitude towards Shakyamuni. In order to repay their profound indebtedness to him, the heavenly deities faithfully protect all who propagate the Lotus Sutra in the Latter Day of the Law. Not doing so would be a sign of disrespect to the Buddha.
[In 'On Prayer', Nichiren Daishonin writes: "How could these heavenly beings (Shakra and Brahma) have forgotten the vow that they took in the presence of the Buddha (to protect the practitioners of the Lotus Sutra), or the debt of gratitude they owe to the sutra that allowed them to attain Buddhahood, and thus abandon the practitioners of the Lotus Sutra? (There is no way they could have done so.)" (WND-1, 340). And: "If the boddisatvas, the human beings and heavenly beings, in the eight kinds of non-human beings, the two sages, the two heavenly deities and the ten demon daughters would by some unlikely chance fail to appear and protect the practitioner of the Lotus Sutra, then above them they would be showing disdain for Shakyamuni and the other Buddhas, and below they would be guilty of deceiving the beings of the nine realms." (WND-1, 345).]
The Mystic Law is the fundamental law or principle of the universe. The prayers of those who chant, practise and champion this incomparably profound Mystic Law are directly in tune with the fundamental rhythm of the universe.
As such, their prayers will definitely be answered. And they themselves will be safeguarded and protected without fail by the heavenly deities and all the Buddhas and bodhisattvas throughout the universe.
Nichiren Daishonin makes us this firm promise: "Misfortune will change into fortune. Muster your faith, and pray to this Gohonzon. Then what is there that cannot be achieved?" (WND-1, 412). The prayers of the practitioners of Lotus Sutra will always be answered. Whatever the situation, a person who chants strong daimoku can change poison into medicine and has nothing to fear.
The Daishonin further states:
There is nowhere throughout the worlds of the ten directions that the sound of our voices chanting daimoku [Nam Myoho Renge Kyo] do not reach. Our voices may be small, but when we intone the powerful sound of daimoku, there is no place in the universe that they do not penetrate. To illustrate, even though our voices are small, when we blow into a conch shell the sound resounds far and wide. And while the sound of a hand clap is slight, when we us our hands to beat a drum the sound carries a great distance. This is the crucial doctrine of a single moment of life comprising three thousand realms. (GZ, 808).
Such is the immense power of daimoku. It is the supreme power that moves the universe. The sound of daimoku rouses the Buddha nature within us and resonates out into the universe. Those who vigorously chant daimoku come to brim with energy and vitality, and are able to positively impact or change the lives of their friends and lead their communities, their societies and the world towards peace and prosperity.
Source: Newsletter - July 2008, Page 20-24.
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