The Gosho and the Non-Duality of Mentor and Disciple. Nichiren explains multiple times in the Gosho that we can fully blossom our humanity only thanks to a mentor. Even in European culture, a well-known aphorism states that we are "dwarfs on the shoulders of giants," meaning that however limited we may be, we can always see a little further thanks to the achievements of those who lived before us. But in Nichiren Daishonin's Buddhism, the mentor-disciple relationship is much more than this: there is no mentor without a disciple, and vice versa. And this relationship, which is more precisely called the non-duality of mentor and disciple, aims to transform frightened cubs into lion kings; to bring forth from the disciple's life the life state of the Buddha, which is free from fear. Our mentor, Daisaku Ikeda, never tires of reminding us of the function and importance that Josei Toda had in his life and the equally important role of Makiguchi in Toda's life.
«I still remember when, about forty years ago, I met a famous Japanese critic and intellectual. He introduced himself rather pompously, boasting about his illustrious birth and the elite education he had received. When it was my turn, I simply said: “I am Josei Toda’s direct disciple, and I consider it my greatest pride and honor.” – Daisaku Ikeda
