Winter Always Turns to Spring — Living in the Latter Day of the Law

This is the English edition of Part 9 of “Winter Always Turns to Spring — Living in the Latter Day of the Law.”

🌸“The Sufferings of Hell Will Vanish in an Instant” — What Is Tenjū Kyōju?

There are times in life when we face suffering so heavy that we feel unable to endure it alone.

Illness, accidents, natural disasters, financial hardship, painful relationships, and the loss of someone precious to us can suddenly change the life we once took for granted.

Even when we try to live sincerely and practice our faith, we may wonder:

“Why must I suffer like this?”

“Why has my prayer not yet been answered, even though I believe in the Gohonzon?”

Such questions may arise when we are in the midst of great hardship.

However, encountering hardship does not mean that our faith is mistaken.

In Tenjū Kyōju Hōmon—The Doctrine of Transforming Heavy Karma and Receiving It Lightly—Nichiren Daishonin teaches us the profound meaning of overcoming hardship through faith.

「涅槃経に転重軽受と申す法門あり。先業の重き今生につきずして、未来に地獄の苦を受くべきが、今生にかゝる重苦に値ひ候へば、地獄の苦しみぱっときへて、死に候へば人・天・三乗・一乗の益をうる事の候」

A rendering of its meaning is:

“The Nirvana Sutra teaches the doctrine called ‘transforming heavy karma and receiving it lightly.’ Because one’s past karma is so heavy that it cannot be exhausted in this lifetime, one would otherwise have to undergo the sufferings of hell in a future existence. However, by encountering severe hardship in this lifetime, the sufferings of hell will vanish in an instant, and after death one will receive the benefits of the worlds of humanity and heaven, the three vehicles, and the one vehicle.”

The words,

“The sufferings of hell will vanish in an instant,”

contain tremendous hope for those who are suffering.

🌸Transforming Heavy Karma and Receiving It Lightly

Tenjū kyōju literally means to transform something heavy and receive it in a lighter form.

According to Buddhism, our lives carry various causes, karma, and negative effects accumulated not only in this lifetime but also throughout the past.

Because of this karma, we might otherwise have to experience severe suffering extending into future existences.

However, by embracing the True Law, maintaining faith in the Gohonzon, and persevering in Buddhist practice, we can transform that heavy karma, experience its effects more lightly in this lifetime, and ultimately extinguish it.

When we look only at the hardship before us, we may cry out:

“Why did this have to happen?”

Yet, when viewed through the eyes of faith, the hardship may become an opportunity to transform karma that would otherwise have caused suffering far into the future—and to open the way to a truly happy state of life.

Our lives do not end because hardship has appeared.

By believing in the Gohonzon, chanting Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo, and facing the situation with faith, we can transform the meaning of our suffering.

🌸What Does “Vanish in an Instant” Mean?

When people hear the words “the sufferings of hell will vanish in an instant,” they may assume that every illness and problem will immediately disappear as soon as they pray to the Gohonzon.

However, this passage does not mean that every visible problem will magically disappear without effort.

Some hardships take time to resolve.

When we are ill, we should receive appropriate medical care. When facing practical problems, we may need to take action and seek help from others.

Faith does not mean rejecting these necessary steps.

As we earnestly chant to the Gohonzon, however, courage and wisdom gradually emerge from within our lives.

Even if the circumstances have not yet changed, we begin to change.

We no longer remain completely controlled by fear and despair. We may recognize a path forward, encounter supportive people, or find the strength to take the actions needed to improve our situation.

Through persevering in faith, the heavy karma that could have caused suffering into the future is extinguished, and our state of life is profoundly transformed.

Sometimes the benefit appears as the resolution of the problem itself.

At other times, the benefit appears as our becoming strong enough not to be defeated by that problem.

Both are precious benefits received through the power of the Gohonzon.

🌸Suffering Is Not a Reason to Blame Someone

There is an important point that we must never misunderstand.

We should never look at someone who is suffering and casually declare:

“You are suffering because your karma is heavy.”

“Your prayer has not been answered because your faith is weak.”

As ordinary human beings, we cannot see another person’s karma in its entirety.

Someone experiencing profound grief does not need cold judgment. That person needs compassion—someone willing to listen, pray together, and offer support until they can stand again.

The doctrine of tenjū kyōju was not taught so that we could blame people for their suffering.

It was taught so that the person facing hardship could find hope and say:

“My life will not end because of this suffering.”

“If I believe in the Gohonzon and continue moving forward, I can transform this hardship into a step toward happiness.”

🌸Faith Does Not Mean a Life Without Hardship

Beginning a religious practice does not mean that every hardship will disappear from our lives.

Each of us was born carrying different karma.

Moreover, when we protect and propagate the True Law, other people may misunderstand or oppose us.

When we practice shakubuku—compassionately sharing the True Buddhism of Nichiren Daishonin with others—some people may refuse to listen.

We may be disliked, criticized, or confronted with harsh words.

At such times, it is especially important not to abandon our faith in the Gohonzon, but to deepen our chanting.

We should not hate those who reject us. Instead, we pray for their happiness, reflect upon our own words and conduct, and continue sharing the True Law with compassion and wisdom.

Through this practice for both ourselves and others, we can extinguish negative karma and transform our destiny.

However, faith does not require us to remain in a situation involving abuse, intimidation, or physical danger.

When we feel that our mind or body is in danger, we should leave the situation and seek appropriate help.

Protecting ourselves does not contradict maintaining our faith.

Suffering itself is not the purpose of Buddhist practice. What matters is that, whatever happens, we remain grounded in the Gohonzon, make wise decisions, and refuse to be defeated.

🌸Sometimes We Understand the Meaning Later

While we are in the midst of suffering, we may be unable to understand why it has happened.

We may wonder:

“Can anything meaningful truly come from this pain?”

Yet, if we continue our morning and evening prayers and chant Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo without abandoning our faith, there may come a day when we can look back and say:

“That hardship changed my life.”

“Because I continued chanting at that time, a new path opened before me.”

“Because I experienced suffering, I became able to understand the pain of others.”

A person who once had no room to think about anyone else may become capable of supporting others who face the same hardship.

A person who once lived in despair may become someone who brings hope to another.

Our painful experiences may enable us to offer encouragement and share Buddhism in a way that only we can.

At that moment, our suffering has been transformed into a mission.

🌸The Gohonzon Sees Everything

Even when no one else understands our suffering, the Gohonzon sees the entirety of our lives and hearts.

The tears we cannot show to others, every sincere recitation of Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo, and every small step taken while struggling are never wasted.

The fact that we cannot yet see a result does not mean that our prayers have not been heard.

The answer may not always appear in the exact form we expected. Nevertheless, through sincere faith and practice, the way most necessary for our true happiness will open before us.

For this reason, when we are suffering, we must not decide that everything is hopeless and abandon our faith.

We can honestly place all our pain before the Gohonzon and chant Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo.

It is all right to chant while crying.

It is all right if our thoughts are unsettled or if we cannot immediately feel confident.

We can begin by sitting before the Gohonzon and chanting even one sincere Daimoku.

From that single step, a heart that had stopped moving can slowly begin to move again.

🌸Winter Always Turns to Spring

Nichiren Daishonin teaches:

「法華経を信ずる人は冬のごとし、冬は必ず春となる」

“Those who believe in the Lotus Sutra are as if in winter, but winter always turns to spring.”

A winter of severe hardship will not continue forever.

When we believe in the Gohonzon and persevere in our morning and evening prayers, chanting, and shakubuku—practicing for both ourselves and others—we can transform heavy karma and open the way to a life of genuine happiness.

This is the hope revealed in Nichiren Daishonin’s teaching of tenjū kyōju.

To anyone now facing overwhelming suffering:

Your pain is not meaningless.

Even if you cannot yet see the way forward, your life does not end here.

Please believe in the Gohonzon and continue chanting today’s Daimoku, one recitation at a time.

The sufferings of hell that might otherwise have continued into the future can be transformed and extinguished in this lifetime.

Then, one day, you may be able to say:

“Because I endured that winter, I can now welcome this spring.”

Let us entrust everything to the Gohonzon today, refuse to abandon hope, and continue walking the path of faith.

Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo

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A Question for Today

What suffering are you now facing that makes you feel, “I cannot overcome this”?

Rather than carrying that pain alone, why not place it honestly before the Gohonzon and begin once again—with even one sincere recitation of Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo?

🌸 Important Notice

This blog does not present the official views or teachings of Nichiren Shoshu. It is written from my personal perspective, based on my own experiences and reflections as a lay believer.

Therefore, please understand that the views expressed here do not represent Nichiren Shoshu as an organization.

If anything in this blog has sparked your interest, I sincerely encourage you to contact your nearest Nichiren Shoshu temple and speak directly with its chief priest. He will be able to provide you with accurate guidance concerning the teachings and practice of Nichiren Shoshu.

If you would simply like to learn a little more about the faith or ask a question regarding the content of this blog, please feel free to contact me at the email address below.

📩 mayumin.gosodan@gmail.com

Please understand that it may take some time for me to reply. I may not respond to messages containing abusive or defamatory language, or to emails sent for advertising, solicitation, or other commercial purposes.

Thank you sincerely for taking the time to read this article to the end.