What It Means to ‘Become the Master of Your Mind’

A passage in the Six Paramitas Sutra says to become the master of your mind rather than let your mind master you.

“Letter to the Brothers,” The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, vol. 1, p. 502

The Ikegami brothers, Munenaka and Munenaga, received this letter from Nichiren Daishonin in 1276 at a critical juncture in their lives.

Their father, Ikegami Yasumitsu, was an official in the Kamakura government and a loyal follower of Ryokan of Gokuraku-ji temple, a True Word Precepts priest who was hostile toward the Daishonin. Yasumitsu vehemently opposed his sons’ faith and disowned Munenaka, the eldest. In feudal Japanese society, being disowned was tantamount to destroying Munenaka’s financial and social standing.

The father, instigated by Ryokan, tried to stoke rivalry between the brothers, tempting the younger Munenaga to forsake his faith to gain the full inheritance of the family estate. This predicament prompted Nichiren to write “Letter to the Brothers.”

In the letter, he outlines how to overcome hardship through Buddhist practice, urging the brothers and their wives to unite and maintain faith, to “master their minds” and secure victory.

Following the Daishonin’s guidance, the Ikegami brothers won at this critical juncture and converted their father to Nichiren’s teachings in 1278.

Today, “Letter to the Brothers” serves as a blueprint for victory, teaching us how to unite and persevere in faith to overcome any hardship.