As I wrote 'Honkunji Temple and Transpersonal as a modern science' on this web site, the rise of the new science 'Transpersonal' based on our mind now provides us with more fundamental point of view. This is very similar to the viewpoint of religion, and as a result a religionist now has a good opportunity to more easily talk his religion in context of the science.
Carl Gustav Jung (1875-1961) asserted 'Synchronicity' as a phenomenon in the nature and argued the independence of the realm of unconsciousness in our mind, which is called 'a projection of the spirit'. From the more basic viewpoint, he argued that even a phenomenon which seems to happen by accident should naturally occur and there is to be a certain reason for every phenomenon to occur and that everything has an inter-relation with each other behind.
However, in addition to natural phenomena of Synchronicity, I would like to point up that there certainly exists mighty works of Buddha's World even in the natural world, where we can find a wonderful phenomenon caused by the change of the phase of the phenomenal world. It is what we call 'the Favor of the Law', which is to verify the existence of the Buddha's World and also the Bodhisattva (Bosatsu) World.
Therefore, we Honkunji Temple propagates the Supreme Law by primarily showing the Favors of the Law. However, Hommon Butsuryu Shu, to which we ever belonged, has been thinking little of the Favor of the Law as a kind of cultism. Their way of consolation by words only for suffering people without actually relieving them from their torments is apparently dishonest with the doctrines of both Shakamuni Buddha and Saint Nichiren.
The Favor of the Law must be a mean for the salvation of the people to be guided to the Law, and definitely not for satisfying their desire for any profit nor any power. It must not be a kind of a charm. The Favor of the Law must be a real evidence to prove that we are able to enter the Buddha's World still living in this world; in other word, to enhance our humanity up to the highest spiritual value - the character of Buddha.
As one of the evidences, I want to introduce a personal experience of Favor of the Law, which was mailed from one of the lay followers at the end of last year.
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My mother, now seventy five years old, has been suffered from diabetes for long years. Last year she was finally getting worse and showing a very serious symptom. She had a pain at her legs and could hardly even walk. At the beginning of 1995, her pain got far worse, so I took her to the hospital. Then the surgeon said that her both legs were already affected by necroses. She tentatively entered Tagawa Municipal Hospital for a operation of injecting the contrast media into her blood vessel and the operation took four hours.
The doctor said to me that the blood was hardened in the vessel at the part of her crotch and could not be moved even by sticking it from any side. The operation gave her nothing but pain and fatigue.
At that time, I had not inhabited with my mother. Occasionally I had an usual Jyogyou with our group head at my house, which was to pray with reciting "Odaimoku" ("Nam-Mu-Myo-Ho-Ren-Ge-Kyou") and enhancing my faith far right and genuine. Mr. Ono, group head, happened to ask me how my mother was doing.
I had never told anybody about my mother's disease but then told him my mother's painful status of necroses in detail, the result of the last operation and the doctor's advice of a possible risk of cutting off her legs within two weeks, so she had no other choice and was prepared for it. Mr. Ono immediately suggested that we should start praying for her. I really appreciated his kindness for my mother.
March 18, 1995:
Mr. & Mrs. Ono and I began to pray together for my mother's recovery from necroses, reciting "Odaimoku" in unison with our whole heart. Both of her legs under her knees were badly discolored and wholly brownish with large round purple spots on her feet, and her toes were all dark purple affected by necroses at that time.
March 19, 1995:
She again entered the hospital. Surprisingly enough I found some normal flesh parts floated and scattered among the deep purple spots on her toes skin on that day. So I reported this fact to Mr. and Mrs. Ono in the evening. With a great joy, we still more eagerly prayed and recited 'Odaimoku' in unison, because we certainly convinced that we could see a wonderful sign of the Favor of the Law.
March 20, 1995:
In the afternoon, when I went to the hospital with "Okouzui" (holy water), to my great surprise again I found the deep purple spots all disappeared on her feet. In the evening my sister lived in Nishikawa joined the prayer for the first time.
After praying, Mr. Ono told us his experience of their devotion for taking care of his father, who had died the previous year, and he used to visit with his wife to his father by car everyday when his father's condition was getting worse. He also seriously stressed that it is very important for us to have sincere respect and kindness to parents by referring to the disciple's preach that our faith must not exist without proper and sincere behavior as a human being.
My sister answered with tears that she realized it and promised to correct her behavior to our mother by swearing with all her heart.
Then my sister also said that serious pains which she suffered for years had disappeared in that instant at the same time. She have entirely changed herself for a sincere faith by exactly receiving the Favor of the Law. Mr. Ono said to us that our mother would be getting better the next day because my sister's faith was reformed excellently and also asked my sister to tell her feeling, as it was, to another sister lived in Fukuoka.
March 21, 1995:
After I prayed with Mr. & Mrs. Ono and some other followers for my mother's recovery, I went to the hospital with Mr. & Mrs. Ono and reported to my mother about improvement of my sister's faith. She deeply appreciated their kindness with full of tears for her daughter's reformed mind, for which she had tried but failed so far and had been longing for years.
Then the condition of her disease had begun to improve drastically. She went to bathroom by herself amazingly enough, since she was unable to walk by herself till that time because of her pain on her legs. The skin of her toes and legs turned blood color and remained purple only at the top of her toes. My mother showed her legs to Mr. & Mrs. Ono and was heartily thankful for still having legs and shared great joy with them.
March 22, 1995:
I prayed with sincere thanks to the Law, together with Mr. & Mrs. Ono and other followers. I was reciting "Odaimoku" in more earnest heart and voice.@
March 23, 1995:
I went to the hospital and then was surprised again to find her skin of left leg completely changed into normal flesh. The other leg was also recovered well except her third and little toes. I think that the recovery of the remains must depend on all of our sisters' faith.
In a little while, she left the hospital and the remains of her right toe also turned normal before we knew it. We three sisters all were really sorry that we had not been kind to our mother so far and talked and promised with each other to be sincerely kind to her.
August 16, 1995:
My mother's disease was completely cured. My mother, Mr. & Mrs. Ono and our three sisters visited Honkunji located in Kagoshima over the great distance from Fukuoka in order to express our sincere appreciation. My mother was most heartily appreciating a merciful guidance of Chief of Priest Ueda, saying with tears in her eyes, "It is entirely thanks to the Favor of the Law that I could get over the serious disease, which will unavoidably cut off my legs. Moreover, it is the happiest for me that my daughter's have been blessed with the Favor of the Law in their mind."
October 20, 1995:
I took my mother to the hospital for the periodical inspection. The surgeon checked and just said, "Marvelous!"
The current status of her diabetes is improving more and her blood sugar level is completely normal. She now does not have to get a injection of insulin any more and only takes a pill, which she sometimes even forgets to do.
Concerning my mother's recovery from the fatal disease of necroses by praying devoutly and reciting "Odaimoku" with Mr. & Mrs. Ono and other followers, I could saw the marvelous Favor of the Law and now I cannot not forget it and will devote myself to serving the Law all my life. Through those prayers, I have been told by Mr. Ono that we should always take other people's pain and suffering for our own and pray for them by eagerly reciting "Odaimoku" with merciful heart of Bodhisattva (Bosatsu).
"Arigatou Gozaimashita" (Thank you very much).
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