When HBS members meet, we greet each other with “Arigatōgozaimasu” (ありがとうございます). This may sound unusual to others, as the typical Japanese greetings are “Ohayō” (おはよう) in the morning, “Konnichiwa” (こんにちは) in the afternoon, and “Konbanwa” (こんばんは) in the evening. “Arigatō” or the more polite “Arigatō gozaimasu” is traditionally used to express gratitude. The word “Arigatō” originates from “Arigatai” (有難い), meaning “rare” or “precious,” and “Gozaimasu” is a polite term for “there is.” Thus, “Arigatō gozaimasu” conveys deep gratitude for something rare and precious.
Nichiren Shōnin, in his treatise “Shugo Kokka-ron” (Treatise on Protecting the Nation), stated:
The chances of our being born in the three evil realms [*] are more numerous than particles of dust on earth, while chances of our being born in the human realm are as scarce as the specks of dirt on a fingernail. (…) The chances of our encountering provisional sutras preached in the forty odd years before the Lotus Sutra are more numerous than the particles of dust on earth, while chances of our encountering the Lotus and Nirvana Sutras are as scarce as specks of dirt on a fingernail.
This teaches us how rare and wonderful it is to be born as a human and to encounter Odaimoku (the Buddha’s true teaching).
In Honmon Happon (chapters 15 to 22 in the Honmon part of the Lotus Sutra), the Primordial Buddha revealed that he had joyfully chanted Odaimoku, “Namu Myōhō Renge Kyō,” with unshaken belief in its power when he first attained Buddhahood in the remote past. In other words, the Buddha taught us that we can attain Buddhahood through the same joyful practice of chanting and spreading the teaching of Odaimoku.
Therefore, the faith in Odaimoku (HBS faith) is a feeling of joy and gratitude for encountering the true teachings of the Buddha. Understanding this profound sense of appreciation, HBS members naturally adopted the greeting “Arigatōgozaimasu.”
*The three evil realms refer to the worlds of hell, hungry spirits, and animals, where beings are tormented for their evil deeds. These are the lowest of the ten realms.
