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The Imagery of Nichiren's Lotus Sutra - Other Characters of Interest to Buddhists
Tamashii in Chinese
"I, Nichiren, have
inscribed my life in sumi, so believe in the Gohonzon with your whole heart."
— from
"Reply to Kyo-o"
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The word that
the NSIC translates as "life" in the above quote is the word Tamashii
in Japanese and Ling in Chinese.
The Chinese character used in Tamashii is Ling (Ling is the character used in Ryo of Ryojusen on page 30 of the English Gongyo Book). |
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Ling is composed of a contraction of U. This is the same U that is in U mandara ke (page 33 in the English Gongyo Book). U is rain. The top of U is a single line indicating the heavens. Under this line are two box shapes indicating clouds. Inside the clouds are the drops of rain. Usually four drops, two in each cloud. |
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Under U in Tamashii there are three larger droplets of rain, represented by three boxes. |
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Under these three boxes is Kung. Kung looks like an "H" that is on its side. Kung is the Chinese Square. In Chinese thinking the Square is the building block of all things. |
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On either side of the squares are images of persons. |
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These people are shamans, or witches representing spiritual power. |
The rain falling above them is the rain that their spiritual power produces. It is the manifestation, evidence, and visual reality of invisible spiritual power operating at the most fundamental level (Kung) of existence. This is the Tamashii that Nichiren indelibly transferred to the Gohonzon using sumi ink.
His words perfectly describe his actions.
Our challenge is to open that fundamental level of our lives with the spiritual power gained from faith ("The Gohonzon is found in faith alone." —Major Writings, Vol. 1, p. 213) and become rainmakers.
Cause hope to rain — Justice to rain — In the present moment — Thereby causing joy to rain forever.
U Mandara Ke
U Mandara Ke
U Mandara Ke(Heavenly flowers fall like rain)
Let it rain.