UKE March 1997 by Catherine Cinnnamon
The three obstacles and four devils is a literal translation of the
Japanese
term sansho shima. This is a traditional classification of the types
of difficulties
and obstacles we encounter when we practise Buddhism.
Obstacles usually refers to external problems we may meet, whereas
devils refers
not to scary demonic spirits, which do not really exist, but rather to
our own
innermost negative tendencies, or the workings of life's innate
deluded nature.
We could say that obstacles are anything that functions to obstruct
our practice
of faith, whereas devils are self-destructive and destroy the quality
of life
itself.
The two best-known letters in which Nichiren Daishonin explains these
obstacles
and devils were both written to the Ikegami brothers, whose father
threatening
to disinherit them because of their refusal to give up their faith.
This was
a serious matter in those days. In the first of these, 'Letter to the
Brothers',
Nichiren Daishonin warns:
As practice progresses and understanding grows, the three obstacles
and four
devils emerge, vying with one another to interfere (MW-V1 p.145, WND
p.501)
Once we start practicing we soon realize that constant effort is
necessary
to maintain a consistent practice; the same is true of attaining the
supreme
life-condition of Buddhahood. Even the difficulty of believing we can
manifest
this condition, or that everyone has it, can in itself be an obstacle.
In 'Letter to Misawa', Nichiren Daishonin writes, "Even if you should
manage
to overcome the first six (of the three obstacles and four devils), if
you are
defeated by the seventh, you will not be able to become a Buddha".
(MW-V3 p.252, WND p.894)
It is important, therefore, to recognize sansho shima and overcome it.
The support
of people who are more experienced in practicing Buddhism is often
very helpful
in enabling us to identify and overcome this negativity, as President
Ikeda
points out:
The human mind wavers and changes from moment to moment. Over time,
one experiences
confusion even regarding things that one has previously decided on.
This is
an unchanging aspect of life. For precisely this reason, guidance and
encouragement
in the correct practice of faith are very important.
(Buddhism in Action, Vol.6, p.8)
He also says:
During the past forty years, I have been the target of unjustifiable
criticism
and faced raging waves of persecution again and again. However I have
never
been defeated in my struggles for kosen rufu… Time and again, I have
transcended
the raging waves of the three powerful enemies and the three obstacles
and four
devils. Each time, I did my utmost to carry out my faith exactly as
the Daishonin
taught. (ibid., Vol.6, p.360-1)
Nichiren Daishonin wrote: "Where it not for these (obstacles), there
would
be no way of knowing that this is the true teaching" (MW-V1, p.145,
WND
p.501).
It is precisely because the Mystic Law is a great positive force that
the negativity
inherent within us and our environment resists our attempts to
strengthen it
through our practice. If chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo had no power to
change
karma or draw out our Buddha nature, no one would experience any
difficulty
in practising it!
It is at a crucial time that obstacles or devils are most likely to
appear.
That is why the Daishonin emphasizes that we should neither fear them
nor give
in to them. In the second of his letters to the Ikegami brothers, 'The
Three
Obstacles and Four Devils', he says:
There is definitely something extraordinary in the ebb and flow of
the tide,
the rising and setting of the moon, and the way in which summer,
autumn, winter
and spring give way to each other. Something uncommon also occurs when
an ordinary
person attains Buddhahood. At such times, the three obstacles and four
devils
will invariably appear, and the wise will rejoice while the foolish
will retreat.
(MW-V2 p.288, WND p.637)
The important thing is to realize that when difficulties appear, they
present
an opportunity to make renewed efforts in our practice so that we are
able to
grow further and show proof of the power of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo.
Obstacles and
devils are a natural function of our practice and we should not be
afraid of
them - as our practice and faith deepens, we come to recognize the
form our
own particular demons take, tailor-made for each of us, so that we can
continue
to challenge ourselves in our quest to become really great human
beings.
The three obstacles are:
1. Earthly desires (bonno-sho), or obstacles arising from the three
poisons
of greed, anger and stupidity.
2. Karma (go-sho), or obstacles due to karma created by committing any
of the
five cardinal sins or ten evil acts (this category is also interpreted
as opposition
from one's partner or children).
3. Retribution (ho-sho), or obstacles due to painful retribution for
actions
in the three evil paths (Hell, Hunger and Animality). This category
also indicates
obstacles caused by one's sovereign, parents or other persons who
carry some
sort of secular authority.
The four devils are the hindrance of:
1. The five components (on-ma), that is, those hindrances caused by
one's physical
and mental functions.
2. Earthly desires (bonno-ma), or illusions arising from the three
poisons.
3. Death (shima), because the fear and suffering that death entails,
whether
our own or someone else's can shake our faith and obstruct our
practice of Buddhism,
especially if death seems untimely.
4. The Devil of the Sixth Heaven (tenji-ma). This is regarded as the
most serious
hindrance; in Indian cosmology this king of devils represents the
fundamental
darkness inherent in life itself. This can assume any number of forms
to obstruct
believers and is often said to take the form of persecution by those
in power.
It is the most powerful of all the negative forces, and takes the form
most
likely to trouble us or cause us to suffer from doubt or illusion.
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