The Three Kinds of Treasure Background

1
The Three Kinds of TreasureBackground

• Presented by Aisha Williams
• Pacific Zone Vice YWD Leader

2

• Hello and Happy New Year!!!
• Thank you for joining this SGI-USA Nationwide
  videoconference for the January February Study
  Meetings.
• My name is Aisha Williams. I am a Pacific Zone
  Vice YWD leader supporting Northern California.
• The material for the January and February study
  meetings is the letter, The Three Kinds of
  Treasure.

3

• I will present three topics related to the
  background of this letter.
• First, Tips for doing presentations.
• Second, Background on Shijo Kingo
• Lastly, My personal experience related to
  creating value at work.

4
How do I Prepare for a Study Presentation?

• I chant a lot so that I can fight the negative
  influences in my life.
• I take into consideration that many people
  present may be suffering with various challenges.
• I chant to compassion for every person present.
• I chant that everyone listening can have a
  breakthrough.

5

• Please ask and encourage youth to do
  presentations.
• Often, youth will not participate if they are not
  asked to be involved.
• When asked to give or help with a presentation, I
  am spurred to prepare and study more.
• The more presentations I do, the more comfortable
  I feel to do it again.
• The future of the organization will require many
  youth to feel comfortable explaining Buddhist
  concepts.

6

• In terms of the background for this letter, some
  questions come to mind.
• Who was Shijo Kingo?
• What was Shijo Kingos relationship with
  Nichiren?

7

• What were Shijo Kingos struggles?
• What are some of the words Nichiren shared to
  encourage Shijo Kingo?

8

• The Three Kinds of Treasure Gosho was written to
  Shijo Kingo in September 1277 from Mount Minobu.
• This letter is one of around 40 written to him.
• When Nichiren wrote this letter, Shijo Kingos
  circumstances were still critical but starting to
  improve.
• The letters written to him are very encouraging
  and personal favorites to many members.

9
I would like to share some quotes from some of
the letters written to Shijo Kingo
Kyoos misfortune will change into fortune.
Muster your faith and pray to this Gohonzon.
Then what is there that can not be
achieved. Reply to Kyoo WND volume 1 pg. 412
10

• To accept is easy, to continue is difficult. But
  Buddhahood lies in continuing faith.
• The Difficulty of Sustaining Faith
• WND volume 1 pg.471

11

• Shijo Kingo was one of Nichirens followers with
  resolute faith.
• He was introduced to this practice when he was 26
  years old.
• He accompanied Nichiren to be beheaded at the
  Tatsunokuchi persecution.

12

• Shijo Kingo was willing to give his life with
  Nichiren but due to a meteor appearance, they
  both lived.
• When Shijo Kingo was first introduced to the
  practice, it was probably unimaginable that he
  would choose to accompany Nichiren to
  Tatsunokuchi.
• His example shows the significance of sharing
  Buddhism with youth and the great purpose many
  youth members in our organization will fulfill.

13

• Shijo Kingo wrote to Nichiren often
• He traveled long distances to visit Nichiren in
  various locations
• Shijo Kingo sent messengers with supplies for
  Nichiren and others under his tutelage.
• The relationship that they shared shows the great
  bonds between Mentor and Disciple.

14
What were Shijo Kingos struggles?

• He was concerned about his parents afterlife
• His daughters illness
• He had problems with his brothers
• Jealousy and rumors were spread about him by his
  coworkers
• Due to these rumors his boss mistrusted him
• Often, his boss threatened to confiscate his land
  if he did not denounce his faith

15

• Shijo Kingo perservered in his service to his
  lord.
• He distinguished himself as crucial.
• His treatment of his lords illness lead to his
  lords recovery.
• Later, Lord Ema granted him an estate three times
  larger than his former one.

16

• Worthy persons deserve to be called so because
  they are not carried away by the eight winds
  prosperity, decline, disgrace, honor, praise,
  censure, suffering and pleasure. They are
  neither elated by prosperity nor grieved by
  decline. The heavenly gods will surely protect
  one who is unbending before the eight winds. But
  if you nurse an unreasonable grudge against your
  lord, they will not protect you, not for all your
  prayers.
• The Eight Winds
• WND volume 1 pg. 794

17

• Even a bad reputation will spread far and wide.
  A good reputation will spread even farther,
  particularly if it is a reputation for devotion
  to the Lotus Sutra.
• Earthly Desires Are Enlightenment
• WND volume 1 pg.319
• Another quote reads

18

• If you continue living as you are now, there can
  be no doubt that you will be practicing the Lotus
  Sutra twenty-four hours a day. Regard your
  service to your lord as the practice of the Lotus
  Sutra. This is what is meant by No worldly
  affairs of life or work are ever contrary to the
  true reality. I hope that you will deeply
  consider the meaning of this passage.
• Reply to a Believer
• WND volume 1pg.905

19
I would like to share a personal experience
related to my job.

• Over 6 years ago, I started working at a new
  company. I was really excited and I worked very
  hard.
• Eventually, the job turned out to not meet my
  expectations. I thought about leaving.
• Instead due to my Buddhist practice, I decided to
  stay. I knew that I needed to do my best where I
  was.

20
The following guidance from President Ikeda
illustrates this point.

• President Toda said that the most important thing
  is to become indispensable wherever you are.
  Instead of moaning that a job differs from what
  you would like to be doing, he said, become a
  first class individual at that job. This will
  open the path leading to your next phase in life,
  during which you should continue doing your best.

21

• Such continuous efforts are guaranteed to land
  you a job that you like, that supports your life,
  and that allows you to contribute to society.
• Then, when you look back later, you will see how
  all of your past efforts, have become precious
  assets in your ideal field. You will realize
  that none of your efforts and hardships have been
  wasted. Mr. Toda taught that this is the great
  benefit of the Mystic Law.
• Discussions on Youth Volume 1, pg.147

22

• I decided to stay and apply my faith.
• At this time, the United Prayer had just started
  and I decided I would not leave the house without
  chanting an hour every day.
• Six months later during a performance review, my
  boss mentioned that I had changed and I seemed
  more optimistic. She was curious what I had
  done.
• A year after that, I got a job on a new team
  doing work that is closer to my long term goals.

23

• I encourage you to read the background in the
  January February 2007 Living Buddhism for more
  information.
• Thank you for listening.
• I would like to introduce Greg Martin who will be
  presenting the lecture on this Gosho.