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On December 8, the anniversary of Shakyamuni's becoming Buddha,one of the major annual events is to be held at Rissho Kosei-kai headquarters as well as at its churches throughout Japan and at many of those overseas. Several thousand members will participate in the Ceremony at Fumon Hall this year.

The ceremony begins with an offering of flowers and lighted candles before the image of the Eternal Buddha by young women wearing traditional Indiansaris. utra recitation is to be followed by a video presentation on the Buddha's awakening, which according to tradition took place at dawn on December 8th.

President Nichiko Niwano will then address the gathering on the anniversary's significance and how it should affect the outlook of Buddhists. 

Thinking about Shakyamuni's becoming Buddha, I recalled my first overseas trip accompanying Founder Niwano on a tour of sacred places in India related to Shakyamuni Buddha. It was forty one years ago, in the Autumn of 1964.

The tour consisted of 30 Japanese Buddhists from both traditional sects and new organizations, including nine members of RK, among them a young Nichiko Niwano who was then a university student and now is President of RK.

Among the four greatest sacred places, Bodh Gaya, where the Buddha became awakened, was a quietplace.Huge trees grew here and there.

We members of the group looked up at the great stupa with the autumn sunlight behind it. People prayed at the Diamond Seat, the place of the Buddha's awakening.

Founder Niwano said, "One can readily believe that Lord Shakyamuni became awakened in this place." Transcending a lapse of two thousand and several hundred years, the noble figure of Shakyamuni at the moment of awakening seemed to have come to Rev. Niwano's eyes. Touching the trunk of the large bodhi tree near the Diamond Seat, he submitted for a while to the deep emotion.

At Gaya near Bodh Gaya all of the delegation took breakfast and dinner at a rest house and stayed at night in a railroad sleeping car parked at the station.

After the evening meal and their return to the station, the Rissho Kosei-kai members went to Founder Niwano's compartment.

"Now, let's hold a hoza session for the Rissho Kosei-kai family," he said.

Following the bright voice of Rev. Niwano, an instant hoza counseling session was formed and for some time there was joyous conversation in the family-like atmosphere.

Rev. Niwano spoke in the small, box-like compartment, filled with the nine people sitting knee to knee, about his impressions of the sacred places, his sentiments after many years of practice of the Lotus Sutra, and his dreams and hopes for the future.

As is well known, Shakyamnui is said to have undertaken rigorous ascetic practices for six years before attaining awakening. One of the most severe practice was that of living on a single grain of rice and a single grain of hemp a day. Other ascetic practices common in India in the Buddha's time included burning parts of the body, immersion in freezing water, standing on one foot for hours at a time, and lying on a bed of nails.

When the Buddha realized that such tortures were not the way to awakening, he promptly abondoned them and went to bathe in the Nairanjana River. It was then that the village maiden Sujata offered him a bowl of milk gruel.

Refreshed by it, Shakyamuni made his way to the bodhi tree outside the city of Gaya, under which he sat in meditation and became awakened.

What is noteworthy for us at RK is the fact that in 1932 Founder Niwano also underwent some harsh training during his days of pilgrimage seeking after truth.

He writes in his autobiography, Lifetime Beginner:

"Wearing nothing but a thin white kimono, I went into the garden; knelt by the well; drew water; and repeating the Esoteric Buddhist formulas I had been taught, poured the water over my head. The cold nearly made me jump.

I trembled all over, but I drew more water and continued pouring.

Losing myself in the operation, I continued until at last I had emptied thirty-five buckets.

"By that time, my back was as numb as if it had been frozen. But when the ordeal was over, I realized that I had been very serious and spiritually calm and unified. If this training is repeated daily, it becomes easier to enter the state of spiritual unification because conditioned reflexes, or autosuggestion, lead one into a realm that I think is the first step on the road to the state of concentration referred to as samadhi in Buddhist terminology.

"While I was undergoing this training, the deity ordered that I abstain from the five cereals--including, of course, rice, the staple of the Japanese diet.

I was allowed buckwheat flour, toasted and then kneaded with hot water, salt, and sugar. Though I had to remain on this fare for a week or even three weeks, it was easy for a person like me, raised on simple country food.

"Giving up all things that have come into contact with fire was a little more difficult. Once again, the staple of my diet was buckwheat flour; but it was now mixed with cold, not hot, water. Further, since heat is used in their preparation, I could have neither salt nor sugar. Everything that I ate was raw.

Still, I usually go through with something once I have made up my mind, and I went through with this.

"Shakyamuni, the historical Buddha, was awakened to the futility of ascetic rigors. But it must be remembered that before his awakening he subjected himself to superhuman hardships for six years, eating no more than one grain of rice and one sesame seed a day.

"I feel that the religious disciplines I underwent before I came into contact with the true Buddhism had meaning for me. For the sake of the truth, the Law, and the happiness of others, a person must abandon himself, cut himself off from his desires, and bring life to its limit--that is, to the edge of death--at least once in his lifetime.

"I do not recommend that everyone make the attempt to do this. People who are born to a mission of this kind will find the chance and the motivation sooner or later."

President Nichiko Niwano also fasted in his younger days. He gave a sermon on December 8, 1992, a year after his inheritance of the Lamp of the Dharma.

I quote it in part:

"Though I have never attempted any austerities as rigorous as Shakyamuni's, I have tried fasting, an experience I shall never forget. In May 1965 I was a virtual recluse, shut tightly in my shell. People close to me suggested that I should go to Rissho Kosei-kai headquarters and join in the religious activities, but something held me back.

"Around that time I came across a book on fasting techniques. I thought fasting would be a good way to prepare myself for an active role in RK and signed up for a twenty day program.

"The first three days were devoted to a gradual cutting back on food.

The real fasting began on the fourth day and continued for eight days.

This was followed by more than a week of gradual return to a normal diet, beginning with small amount of gruel and working up to full meals. During the period of fasting we were allowed nothing but water or persimmon tea.

We were required to participate in a regime of morning and evening exercises, hot and cold baths, so-called "air" baths in our rooms, and daily walks.

The rest of the time we were free to do whatever we wanted. I spent most of my free time reading.

"The hunger pangs were nearly unbearable at first. Every one at the center was on a different schedule, and some had already finished fasting and were on their regime of gruel. It smelled awfully good to those of us who were just starting.

I was sorry I had decided to attempt such an extreme undertaking.

Fortunately, there were others attempting the same thing and we worked hard to keep our spirits up.

"Our food intake after the fasting was over began with clear soup and gradually worked up to a thin rice gruel. After a few days, we were allowed a thicker gruel and one pickled apricot. I was amazed at the strength that seemed to flow through my body with just this frugal fare.Each grain of rice seemed a source of burning energy. And the food tasted good, too.

"Never before had I felt so healthy in body and mind. I awoke refreshed after only three hours of sleep. The books I read impressed themselves upon me with a clarity I never before experienced. I was glad I had decided to fast.

"By the time I left the center I knew for a fact that a humann being can survive without eating for a week to ten days. I was full of confidence. After undergoing this particular trial, I felt ready for anything.

"As the Buddha realized, extreme asceticism does not lead directly to awakening. It is by no means a waste, however, to face some difficult trials on the path to spiritual awakening. There are a great many things in this world which we cannot truly understand until we have experienced them ourselves.

My experience of fasting revealed to me an important facet of the Buddha's life.

"It has been my family's custom over the past several yeas to eat milk gruel on the morning of December 8, since milk gruel was offered to Shakyamuni by the maiden Sujata before his awakening." 

Now let us think about awakening. When many ordinary people think of awakening, they may think of a goal which can never be attained. But, while it may be true that we can never reach perfect awakening, we can still walk the path toward that goal.

Though ascetic practices themselves are not the way to awakening and not recommended for everybody, what Founder Niwano and President Niwano underwent was good as experience leading toward true Buddhism.

After encountering the Lotus Sutra, Founder Niwano began listening to lectures on it by Sukenobu Arai, his revered teacher in Reiyukai. He realized that he had found what he had been looking for.

The Lotus Sutra was the perfect net with which to save everyone in the world.

Physically and spiritually it could help both the individual and all of society.

He was profoundly shaken by what he had learned.

The impression made on him was of astonishing, vibrant freshness.

With the great joy of knowing the Lotus Sutra, he began disseminating it in various ways.

The number of people he met and taught in his lifetime is countless.

No one in RK can be compared with him in this respect.

The founder deepened his understanding of the Lotus Sutra and learned the minds of people.

One can easily imagine that the accumlation of preaching experience led him to a higher stage of recognizing individual people in their respective situations.

In this way he could talk most appropriately with people, according to their needs.

For many years, the Ven. Etai Yamada, the 253rd head priest of the Tendai Buddhist denomination, made joint efforts for world peace with Founder Niwano.

He also thought highly of how Rev. Niwano rendered difficult Buddhist teachings in a quite readily comprehensible way and applied them to people's daily lives.

He once said, "Religion should not be mere 'doctrine'; it is to be practiced. Shakyamuni Buddha highly valued gyochi, 'wisdom acquired through practice.'

'Nothing other than this,' he even said, 'can be wisdom.' Wisdom obtained through practice is quite precious."

Later, he added, "That is the essence of hoza."

Faith itself can be inherited from generation to generation, but no one can inherit experience gained by others.

Unless we practice the teaching ourselves, and try to disseminate it, no one can gain genuine wisdom about how human life ought to be.

Through the practice of being good to others, we can gradually help people experience the joy of helping others. This is the Bodhisattva way.

The path to awakening will be life-long path of continuous effort for practicing the Dharma.

Practicing michibiki, giving attention and care to guiding others, joining in hoza, delivering religious testimony and dharma talks--all of our dharma practices will lead us on the path toward the goal of Buddhist awakening.