The power of faith. But your faith alone will determine all these things. “To accept is easy; to continue is difficult. But Buddhahood lies in continuing faith”- Nichiren Daishonin
Those who uphold this sutra should be prepared to meet difficulties. Be resolved to summon forth the great power of faith, and chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo with the prayer that your faith will be steadfast and correct at the moment of death. Never seek any other way to inherit the ultimate Law of life and death, and manifest it in your life. Only then will you realize that earthly desires are enlightenment, and that the sufferings of birth and death are nirvana. Even embracing the Lotus Sutra would be useless without the heritage of faith.
A Single arrow, shot by a great archer, will unerringly hit the mark. Similarly, a strong and deep prayer offered with unwavering ichinen, or concentration of mind, will in accordance with the principle that a single life moment contains three thousand realms, move the entire universe. doubt, anxiety and regret and sincerely open and direct one’s heart toward something great. Faith might also be characterised as the power that enables the microcosm of the self to sense the universal macrocosm. Faith is inextinguishable hope. the basis of this practice is prayer.
Through prayer, hope turns to confidence. To offer prayers is to conduct a dialogue, an exchange with the universe. When we pray we embrace the universe with our lives, or ichinen. Prayer is not feeble consolation. It is powerful, unyielding conviction.
