by Masuo Nezu

These are personal reminiscences about the late founder Rev. Nikkyo Niwano from his former chief secretary, Masuo Nezu, now in retirement. During his years of service, the writer accompanied Rev. Niwano on dissemination tours, interreligious cooperation activities, and peace promotion work, both in Japan and overseas. This series recalls not only heartwarming episodes from the founder's everyday life, but also the spiritual insights derived from his words and deeds.

7

Unable to Refrain from Teaching

It is said that in the course of his occasional encounters with various religions, Founder Niwano did not respond very positively to the words addressed to him by the heads of religious groups: "You have the talent; why don't you become an expert?" However, his attitude changed markedly after he encountered the Lotus Sutra as a young man. He later said regarding this time, "Filled with joyous gratitude at learning the Lotus Sutra, I could not refrain from teaching about the Dharma."

Happy Learning from Joyful Teaching

Rev. Niwano delivers religious guidance to Rissho Kosei-kai members at the Great Sacred Hall on the 50th anniversary of the organization's founding on March 5, 1988.

Rev. Niwano once said, "Human beings suffer in various ways. One of their sufferings is having no one and nothing to look up to. In fact, lacking anything to respect from the bottom of one's heart may be the greatest agony of all. However, we Buddhists have both the Buddha Shakyamuni and his Dharma to revere. Encountering our objects to venerate and show devotion to in this life, we are in the state of ultimate happiness, that is, we are fully appreciating what he conveyed to us through his teachings."

Rev. Niwano demonstrated to us the mental attitude for how to teach the Dharma to others. Two of his comments follow: "I advise others and try myself to teach the Dharma so clearly that anyone can thoroughly understand it." "I gaze at the faces in my audience and speak directly in response to their reactions."

Founder Niwano put his whole heart into teaching the Dharma so sincerely that this attitude showed in both his behavior and demeanor. The following comments by him are typical.

"It is often said among Japanese traditional comic storytellers, 'Making people cry is easy; it is making them laugh from their bellies that is hard.' Some say, 'Even if you are speaking ill of someone, try to express yourself so that the subject of your comments can hear you with a smile.' Thus, while teaching the Dharma, if you speak to your listeners so that they really understand, then they will go home happy. It is the duty of a leader to teach the Dharma so that the hearers cannot only understand it, but also realize its truth in their own hearts. Then they leave with smiles on their faces."

"When the teacher feels joy, then the listeners will do so also. If they leave filled with gratitude--even humming a song--then they can perform their Dharma duties without upsetting those who are always around them, like family members," the founder said.

"There are those who say, 'I don't have enough religious experience myself to be telling others what the Dharma means for their lives.' Or others say, 'I am lucky to be free of my own suffering. However, I'm sure I can't teach the Dharma with any confidence to anyone else from my own experience of salvation.' These are gross mistakes. It is like saying, 'I can't teach the Dharma because I didn't learn it directly from the Buddha Shakyamuni.' If that were the case, then no one could teach the Dharma. If you study Shakyamuni's teachings earnestly, then any of you can indeed teach his Dharma," he once said to a group of members of Rissho Kosei-kai.