On Repaying Debts of Gratitude
Background
Written To
Jōken-bō and Gijō-bō, senior priests at Seichō-ji temple who had become Nichiren's followers and helped him escape persecution in 1253
When
July 21, 1276, written at Mount Minobu about two years after Nichiren began living there in exile
Why It Was Written
Written upon hearing of the death of Dōzen-bō, Nichiren's childhood teacher at Seichō-ji temple who had taught him from age 12. Though Dōzen-bō remained a Pure Land practitioner and couldn't openly support Nichiren, he had protected him and showed some openness to the Lotus Sutra teachings
Significance
One of Nichiren's five major writings where he first clearly identifies the Three Great Secret Laws and declares himself the Buddha of the Latter Day of the Law. It establishes the doctrinal foundation for his Buddhism while expressing profound gratitude to his teacher
Key Passages
"If one intends to repay these great debts of gratitude, one can hope to do so only if one learns and masters Buddhism, becoming a person of wisdom. If one does not, one will be like a man who attempts to lead a company of the blind over bridges and across rivers when he himself has sightless eyes."
Nichiren is saying that good intentions alone aren't enough to truly help others. To genuinely repay our debts to parents, teachers, and society, we must first gain real wisdom and understanding ourselves. Without this, our efforts to help others are like a blind person trying to guide other blind people - we'll all end up lost or hurt.
"I decided that I would not heed the claims of these eight or ten schools, but would do as the Great Teacher T'ien-t'ai did and let the sutras themselves be my sole teacher, in this way determining which of the various teachings of the Buddha's lifetime are superior and which are inferior."
Rather than simply accepting what religious authorities told him, Nichiren chose to study the original Buddhist scriptures directly. He wanted to discover the truth for himself by examining the actual words of the Buddha, not just rely on interpretations passed down through different schools of thought.
"Among the sutras I have preached, now preach, and will preach, this Lotus Sutra is the most difficult to believe and the most difficult to understand."
This is the Buddha's own declaration that the Lotus Sutra represents his highest teaching - not just among the sutras he had already taught, but including all teachings he would ever give. Nichiren uses this as proof that the Lotus Sutra contains the ultimate truth of Buddhism.
"Since hatred and jealousy toward this sutra abound even when the Thus Come One is in the world, how much more will this be so after his passing?"
The Lotus Sutra itself predicts that its teachings will face fierce opposition. Even when the Buddha was alive to explain and defend it, people had trouble accepting it. After his death, the resistance would be even stronger, which Nichiren sees as validation of his own persecution.
How This Applies to Your Life Today
In our daily lives, this teaching challenges us to think deeply about what it means to be truly grateful. When someone helps us - whether it's parents, teachers, mentors, or friends - our natural response might be to send a thank-you card or return a favor. But Nichiren suggests that real gratitude means becoming the best version of ourselves and using that strength to help others. If your parents sacrificed to give you an education, the deepest gratitude isn't just taking care of them in old age, but using your education to contribute something meaningful to society.
The writing also speaks to our responsibility to seek truth rather than just accept what we're told. In an age of information overload and competing claims about everything from health to politics to relationships, Nichiren's approach of studying original sources and thinking for ourselves is more relevant than ever. Whether you're choosing a career path, making medical decisions, or forming political opinions, this writing encourages us to dig deeper than headlines and popular trends to find what's actually true and beneficial. Sometimes this means standing alone or facing criticism, but Nichiren's example shows that living with integrity and wisdom - even when it's difficult - is how we create real value in the world.
Read the Full Writing
This is a simplified explanation. For the complete text, visit the Nichiren Library.
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