The Meaning of Faith

What we call faith is nothing extraordinary. As a woman cherishes her husband, as a man will give his life for his wife, as parents will not abandon their children, or as a child refuses to leave his mother, so should we put our trust in the Lotus Sutra, Shakyamuni, Taho, and all the Buddhas and bodhisattvas of the ten directions, as well as the heavenly gods and benevolent deities, and chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. This is what is meant by faith. Moreover, you should ponder the sutra passages, "Honestly discarding the provisional teachings" and "Not accepting even a single verse from any of the other sutras" and never be of a mind to abandon them, just as a woman will not throw away her mirror or as a man always wears his sword.

Respectfully,

Nichiren

The eighteenth day of the fifth month