Grade 2 Study Course material 2008

Section D:   Oneness of Master and Disciple

The New Human Revolution: Volume 17, Chapter 1: Main Bastion

By Ho Goku

 Main Bastion 1

Everything shone with the light of a new beginning, and the clear skies of hope stretched on endlessly. It was the start of 1973, designated by the Soka Gakkai as the Year of Study. It was also the first New Year since the actualisation of the grand goal of the Sho-Hondo’s construction and the start of the second chapter of kosen-rufu.

            When he finished morning gongyo with his family on New Year’s Day, Shin’ichi Yamamoto renewed his determination, recalling a poem that his mentor Josei Toda had composed at the outset of the final year of his life:

             At his inauguration as second Soka Gakkai president on 3 May 1951, Josei Toda proclaimed that he would achieve 750,000 member households in his lifetime. It was a dramatic declaration and everyone who heard it immediately thought it was an impossible and unrealistic goal. But Shin’ichi made a firm vow in his heart at that moment: “This is no doubt the true purpose of Mr Toda’s appearance in this world. As his disciple, it is my duty and mission to ensure that his vision is realized. Now the path of my youth is set.”

            The flame of fighting spirit burned brightly in the hearts of mentor and disciple. A tremendous struggle thus began, to which both men devoted their entire beings day after day. Their passionate determination eventually spread to the hearts of all members, inspiring people across the entire Japanese archipelago. 

            Finally, almost seven years later, in December 1957, this unprecedented goal had been reached – 750,000 households, comprising some 2 million members, united under the banner of Soka. It was truly a splendid achievement. In his New Year’s poem, Toda highlighted the key to their success – that is, to start each year with fresh resolve. The pioneer members never complacently assumed that they always had the following year or the year after that to achieve their goals. They took action with the strong determination that this year was decisive, that this year was all they had. Each day was an earnest struggle in which they fought with all their might. That was how the solid foundation of kosen-rufu was built.

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 The “second chapter of kosen-rufu” referred to the full-fledged start of an age in which society would come to accord with the principles of Buddhism. Blazing a new trail is always a fresh challenge; it involves traversing a thorny path that can only be opened through intense struggle. If we only take action in the same manner we always have, we cannot achieve anything new. It’s a sign that we are living by force of habit, and that we’ve lost before even starting to fight.

            In any endeavour, the beginning is crucial. The initial steps we take can determine the results 10 or even 50 years hence. That is why, on this New Year’s Day in 1973, Shin’ichi, returning to Toda’s spirit of starting each year with fresh resolve, vowed once again to initiate a bold and courageous effort.

            At the New Year’s gongyo meeting held at the Soka Gakkai Headquarters that morning, Shin’ichi said: “We have designated this first year in the second chapter of kosen-rufu as the Year of Study. Why is this? It is because this next phase of kosen-rufu will be a period of creating a society that upholds such Buddhist principles as compassion and reverence for life.

            “In other words, this means the arrival of an age when the Buddhist wisdom that resonates within the Soka Gakkai permeates society and becomes the shared heritage of all humanity. To do that, we must return to the starting point of faith, delving into and reaffirming the ideals of Buddhism, which will serve as the inspiration for building a new society and culture. That’s why we have made this the Year of Study.

            “Nichiren Daishonin writes: ‘Exert yourself in the two ways of practice and study. Without practice and study, there can be no Buddhism. You must not only persevere yourself; you must also teach others’ (WND-1, p. 386). ‘Practice’ here refers to the work of advancing kosen-rufu. ‘Study’ is studying the teachings of Buddhism and deepening our understanding. These two are like the two wheels of a bicycle.

            “Making an effort to study Buddhism and fully grasp Buddhist teachings and principles is indispensable for fresh development. This year marks the starting point of our great movement to spread this wonderful life philosophy. Practice without study cannot resonate with or persuade the general public; it is nothing but a practice of self-gratification. Similarly, study without practice remains a mere intellectual game that lacks the power to change the world.”

 Main Bastion 3

 The Soka Gakkai has been successful in expanding kosen-rufu across the globe because it has never strayed from the correct path, upholding firm ideals based soundly on Nichiren Daishonin’s writings. Aiming to make Buddhist philosophy the spirit of the age, Shin’ichi was determined to take the lead in promoting a deeper understanding of Buddhism and in spreading those ideals throughout society.

            In the October 1972 issue of the Daibyakurenge, the Soka Gakkai study journal, Shin’ichi had already begun a dialogue with leaders of the study department on the subject of life. This topic had been chosen based on the understanding that a proper grasp of life is the key to dispelling the darkness shrouding contemporary society – manifested in such problems as environmental pollution, government that is detached from the people, and the sorry state of education – and establishing a society that respects human life.

            Furthermore, at the November 1972 Headquarters General Meeting, Shin’ichi had announced the start of a lecture series on Buddhism. In light of the various threats to the survival of the human race – foremost among them nuclear weapons – he keenly felt the need for a movement of spiritual regeneration to realize lasting peace.

            At the New Year’s gongyo meeting, Shin’ichi clearly stated that the ultimate purpose of Buddhist study was kosen-rufu and each individual’s human revolution, and he called on members to triumph in the coming year. He then said: “Victory is almost wholly determined at the start of any endeavour. I am determined to once again build a firm foundation for the Soka Gakkai with a fresh spirit, for the sake of the eternal prosperity of our movement. I will give my all in this regard. I hope that each of you, in your own way, will also make this a year of progress and development.”

            Shin’ichi’s words communicated a deep commitment.

            Then, looking at the boys and girls sitting nearby, he said: “Since it’s New Year’s Day, why don’t you sing something for us?” The other members applauded. About 20 children came to the front of the room and sang “Haru ga Kita” (Spring Has Come). However, perhaps because they were nervous, their voices were rather weak. “I can hardly hear you!” Shin’ichi said jokingly. “Why don’t you try it again, a bit louder?”

            This time the children all sang vigorously – some actually getting carried away and singing too loudly.

            “Thank you,” Shin’ichi said. “You see, you can do it if you try.”

            One of the boys spoke up: “We were nervous the first time.”

            The room erupted in laughter.

Main Bastion 4

Shin’ichi was happy to see the children who would be the future leaders of the Soka Gakkai growing up so splendidly. Addressing a man in the front row who had applauded their song enthusiastically, he said: “Thank you for your support. I’d like to present you with a photograph I took of the moon.”

            One of the children then spoke up: “I wish I could have one!”

            “You want one, too?” Shin’ichi asked.

            “Of course!” the child replied, and several others began calling out, “Me, too!”

            The members all laughed.

            “All right,” Shin’ichi said. “I’ll give one to everyone.”

            His offer was greeted with genuine cries of delight.

            The New Year’s gongyo meeting was a friendly gathering permeated by human warmth. It was a true picture of the Soka Gakkai, quite different from a ceremony characterised by intimidating religious authoritarianism.

            The American philosopher Ralph Waldo Emerson declared: “The faith that stands on authority is not faith. The reliance on authority measures the de­cline of religion, the withdrawal of the soul.”[1]

            After the gongyo meeting, Shin’ichi attended the New Year’s Day Festival at the Soka Culture Centre adjacent to the Gakkai Headquarters in Shinanomachi, Tokyo, followed by a divisional leaders meeting that evening. His focus that day was on the activities of the young men’s division and other youth division groups. While 1973 was designated the Year of Study, it was also considered the Year of Youth. This was in line with a proposal Shin’ichi had made and that had been accepted by the other top Gakkai leaders to make 1973 a year of a fresh departure for the youth division, given that the second chapter of kosen-rufu would be shouldered by young people.

            At the leaders meeting, Young Men’s Division Leader Isamu Nomura asked Shin’ichi: “With the beginning of the second chapter of kosen-rufu, the Gakkai will initiate a multifaceted movement that reaches out to society. What should we bear in mind as we head in that direction?”

            Nomura was a graduate of Kyoto University who had attended the lectures Shin’ichi had given on the Daishonin’s writing “Hyaku Rokka Sho” (The One Hundred and Six Comparisons) for members who were Kyoto University students. After graduating, he became a Headquarters staff member, and he had been appointed to a young men’s division leadership position in December of the previous year.

            Shin’ichi answered unhesitatingly: “Following the path of mentor and disciple.”

 *                                   *                                   *

 Main Bastion 5

 Shin’ichi’s reply – “Follow the path of mentor and disciple” – was not the sort of answer Nomura had been expecting. The young man had thought that, since the Soka Gakkai’s aim was to become a movement that touched all aspects of society, its first task was to foster talented individuals in various fields.

            Noticing the look of puzzlement that crossed Nomura’s face, Shin’ichi said: “You’re wondering what mentor and disciple has to do with it, aren’t you? It’s like the relationship between centrifugal and centripetal force.”

            Shin’ichi’s voice was gentle yet firm.

            He continued: “Developing a movement that widely spreads the ideals of Buddhism in society is like centrifugal force. The stronger that centrifugal force becomes, the more important it is to have a powerful centripetal force focused on Buddhism. And the core of this centripetal force is the mentor-disciple relationship.

            “Recently, youth division members have been expressing their resolve to demonstrate their abilities in society, and they are becoming more aware of the importance of social contribution. That’s a wonderful thing. But if you forget the fundamental goal of kosen-rufu and become obsessed with achieving renown and success, you are likely to end up making light of the realm of faith. And, if you start to judge people solely based on their social status and position and look down on ordinary people, you’ll have defeated the entire purpose.

            “The path of mentor and disciple is crucial to walking the true path of humanity and Buddhism. But people today tend to think of this relationship as somehow feudal and old-fashioned.”

            Nomura nodded in understanding.

            “In fact, that is the source of people’s unhappiness in today’s world,” Shin’ichi added. “Whether in academics, the martial arts, or any other art, when you study something and seek to master it, you need a mentor, a guide. A mentor is particularly indispensable to learning about Buddhism, which teaches the true value of life and the proper way to live. To lack a mentor in this area is to lack a concrete model of how to live as a human being.”

            The mentor-disciple relationship in Buddhism starts with the compassion of Shakyamuni Buddha to teach his followers the path to enlightenment on the one hand, and the seeking spirit of his followers to grasp the Law on the other. In short, it is a unity of spirit that is only possible through the disciple’s voluntary act of will. This is also made clear from examining the relationship between Nichiren Daishonin and his disciple and direct successor Nikko Shonin.

 Main Bastion 6

 Shin’ichi went on to discuss the differences between the mentor-disciple relationship in Buddhism and the master-servant or master-apprentice relationship in the secular realm. “The relationship between a feudal lord and his vassal or a master and apprentice is, socially speaking, a relationship between a superior and a subordinate. The vassal or apprentice is expected to serve his superior and demonstrate total loyalty. But in the true mentor-disciple relationship in Buddhism, there is no social hierarchy. The term ‘Buddhist practitioner’ in Shakyamuni’s day meant a person who renounced the secular world and rose above such things as social status and position.”

            Shin’ichi next explained the reasoning behind sincerely following a teacher in Buddhism, saying: “If you don’t have a correct grasp of the Law, you cannot successfully carry out your Buddhist practice. For example, when you learn to drive a car, you have to follow the guidance of your instructor and master the rules of the road and the methods for operating the car properly. If you just drive according to your own whims, you are likely to cause an accident.

            “Buddhism is even more serious, since your attainment of Buddhahood – or rather, the happiness of all humanity – is at stake. If you have a shallow or erroneous understanding of Buddhism, you will close the road to happiness for both yourself and others. That’s why a Buddhist mentor is strict – out of consideration for his disciple. Occasionally, the mentor’s guidance comes from strict compassion. But it is very important to earnestly follow what the mentor teaches. Of course, mentor and disciple are equal as human beings, with the mentor striving to embrace the disciple with compassion. In the Daishonin’s letters to his loyal follower Shijo Kingo, it is clear just how deep and sincere his feelings are for his disciple.”

            Shin’ichi then read from the Gosho: “‘Over and over I recall the moment, unforgettable even now, when I was about to be beheaded and you accompanied me, holding the reins of my horse and weeping tears of grief. Nor could I ever forget it in any lifetime to come’ (WND-1, p. 850). At the time the Daishonin composed this letter, Shijo Kingo was struggling to overcome a daunting challenge. The Daishonin says that he will never forget how six years earlier, on the night of 12 September 1271, Shijo Kingo had accompanied him to the execution grounds at Tatsunokuchi, clinging to the reigns of his horse and weeping. The Daishonin is praising his disciple’s devotion at a crucial moment and encouraging him wholeheartedly.”

 Main Bastion 7

 The youth division leaders listened intently as Shin’ichi spoke. He continued: “The Daishonin further tells Shijo Kingo: ‘If you should fall into hell for some grave offence, no matter how Shakyamuni Buddha might urge me to become a Buddha, I would refuse; I would rather go to hell with you. For if you and I should fall into hell together, we would find Shakyamuni Buddha and the Lotus Sutra there’ (WND-1, p. 850). What warm words of encouragement! They convey the great compassion of a mentor who is utterly devoted to his disciple and determined to do everything possible to protect him. This bond between two sincere hearts, this melding of two spirits dedicated to kosen-rufu, is the mentor-disciple relationship of Nichiren Buddhism.”

            As Shin’ichi spoke, his voice grew more passionate: “In his writing ‘Flowering and Bearing Grain,’ the Daishonin states: ‘It is said that, if a teacher has a good disciple, both will gain the fruit of Buddhahood, but if a teacher fosters a bad disciple, both will fall into hell. If teacher and disciple are of different minds, they will never accomplish anything’ (WND-1, p. 909). If mentor and disciple are of different minds, nothing can be accomplished. In the end, everything is decided by the disciple. The Soka Gakkai’s tremendous growth to date has been achieved through the brilliant, indestructible unity of the oneness of mentor and disciple. If you are profoundly aware of the mission of mentor and disciple to live dedicated to kosen-rufu, you will never have anything to fear.”

            Shin’ichi hoped that the youth division members would stand up as true disciples, for he knew that the future of kosen-rufu, now entering its second phase, depended completely on them.

            Looking squarely at the young people before him, he said: “As the Daishonin indicates when he quotes the passage from Great Teacher T’ien-t’ai’s Words and Phrases of the Lotus Sutra, ‘The relationship between mentor and disciple [Shakyamuni and his disciples] revealed in the essential and theoretical teachings of the Lotus Sutra both originate in time without beginning’ (GZ, p. 689), the bond of mentor and disciple in Buddhism is infinitely deep and strong. Mr Toda taught me this. Choosing President Makiguchi to be his mentor, he followed him faithfully, and walked the path of the oneness of mentor and disciple. He was arrested and imprisoned together with Mr Makiguchi during the Second World War by the military government. Many other disciples of Mr Makiguchi were also arrested, but they cowardly recanted their faith. They turned their backs on and betrayed their mentor.”

 Main Bastion 8

The young people sat upright, taking in Shin’ichi’s every last word. Shin’ichi continued: “Some of those who were arrested during the war cursed Mr Makiguchi, blaming him for their hardships. Forgetting the debt of gratitude they owed him, they harboured feelings of antipathy and resentment toward him and hurled abuse at him. The human heart is frightening indeed. Trembling with rage, Mr Toda often spoke to me of the disgust and bitterness he felt when he learned about the actions of those leaders after his release from prison.”

            As both a disciple and a human being Toda could not accept such cowardice and ingratitude. The German poet Goethe wrote: “Ingratitude is always a kind of weakness. I have never known competent people to be ungrateful.”[2]

            For the sake of the future, Shin’ichi was intent on deeply impressing the spirit of mentor and disciple on the hearts of these young people. He continued: “A year after the war’s end, at the third memorial (second anniversary) of Mr Makiguchi’s death, Mr Toda tearfully called out to his deceased mentor: ‘In your vast and boundless compassion, you let me accompany you even to prison.’ He felt deep appreciation for his mentor Mr Makiguchi.”

            On that occasion, Toda had also said: “As a result [of my imprisonment], I could read with my entire being the passage from the Lotus Sutra, ‘Those persons who had heard the Law / dwelled here and there in various Buddha lands, / constantly reborn in company with their teachers’ (LS7, p. 140). The benefit of this was coming to know the essential purpose of a Bodhisattva of the Earth, and to absorb with my very life even a small degree of the sutra’s meaning. Could there be any greater happiness than this?”

During his incarceration, as a result of chanting a tremendous amount of daimoku, Toda realized that the Buddha is life itself. At that moment, the difficult Buddhist teachings were reborn as a philosophy of life that leads all people to the path of human revolution. Furthermore, while chanting, Toda attained a wondrous and unfathomable life-state. He experienced himself sitting next to Mr Makiguchi, bowing reverently before a Gohonzon that shone in a brilliant golden hue at the Ceremony in the Air as Nichiren Daishonin, the leader of the Bodhisattvas of the Earth, was entrusted with the propagation of the Lotus Sutra in the Latter Day of the Law.

            Toda was filled with overwhelming joy and exultation, realizing that he was one of the Bodhisattvas of the Earth charged with the mission of spreading the Lotus Sutra in the Latter Day.

 *                                   *                                   *

 Main Bastion 9

 When he perceived in prison that he was a Bodhisattva of the Earth, Josei Toda was able to read with his very being the passage from The Record of the Orally Transmitted Teachings, “The assembly on Holy Eagle Peak which continues in solemn state and has not yet disbanded” (OTT, p. 135).[3] He also realized that his relationship with his mentor Tsunesaburo Makiguchi had existed from the beginningless past, as described in “The Parable of the Phantom City” (seventh) chapter of the Lotus Sutra, which says: “Those persons who had heard the Law / dwelled here and there in various Buddha lands, / constantly reborn in company with their teachers” (LS7, p. 140).

            The mission of the Bodhisattvas of the Earth is kosen-rufu. Having become deeply aware of that truth, Toda declared passionately in his prison cell, tears streaming from his eyes: “My future has been decided. I will never forget this day. I will devote the remainder of my life to spreading this great Law!” Looking back on his life until that moment, and looking ahead into the distant future, he recalled the words of the Chinese philosopher Confucius: “At forty, I had no doubts. At fifty, I knew the will of Heaven.”[4] Toda was 45, the mid-point between those two ages, and had experienced both simultaneously.

            He declared proudly to no one in particular: “Five years later than him I became free of doubt, and five years earlier than him I came to understand my mission.” At about that time, Toda’s mentor Makiguchi was breathing his last in the chill prison infirmary. The date was 18 November 1944.

            Toda emerged from prison on 3 July of the following year. Cherishing his mentor’s wishes in his heart, he stood up alone with a burning resolve amid the war-ravaged landscape of Tokyo. He vowed to avenge Mr Makiguchi, to deal a crushing blow to the devilish nature of authority that had brought about the death of his mentor and caused so many to suffer.

            Through the example of Makiguchi and Toda’s mentor-disciple relationship, Shin’ichi Yamamoto appealed to the leaders of the various youth division groups, saying: “The essence of the spirit of the Soka Gakkai, which is advancing kosen-rufu while revering Nichiren Daishonin as the Buddha of the Latter Day of the Law, is the eternal bond of mentor and disciple. The Soka Gakkai is an indestructible alliance of people linked by the supremely noble mission of kosen-rufu, utterly free from calculation or self-interest. As long as the spirit of mentor and disciple thrives, the Gakkai will continue to develop eternally.”

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 The path of mentor and disciple is strict and demanding; it is itself the great path of human revolution and attaining Buddhahood in this lifetime. Shin’ichi strongly urged the young people: “I also dedicated myself wholeheartedly to Mr Toda, protected him, and fulfilled my mission as his disciple. I actualised all of the goals he set. If I hadn’t, his plans would have come to nothing and I would, in effect, have been betraying my mentor.

            “In his final years, Mr Toda said to me: ‘Shin’ichi, you’ve achieved everything I asked. You even took seriously things I said half-jokingly and brought them to fruition. I don’t trust people who are all talk. What matters are the actions one takes. With you here, I know I have nothing to worry about.’

            “Those words are my greatest source of pride. They describe what it means to be a genuine disciple. I am always talking to Mr Toda in my heart. I am always asking myself what he would do in any given situation, what he would say to me if he saw what I was doing. A mentor is a role model for your entire life.

            “Tomorrow I will be 45, the age that Mr Toda was when he declared his realization of his own mission and stood up to achieve kosen-rufu. Because I am his disciple, I will also stand up and struggle my hardest. Please watch what I do!”

            The young people were deeply moved by Shin’ichi’s enthusiasm.

            He continued: “The important thing is for disciples, for the youth division, to stand up and take action. In the past, we had two years that were named the Year of Youth. The first was 1951, the year that Mr Toda became the second Soka Gakkai president. At that time, Mr Toda said it was a year when youth should stand up, and in July he established the young men’s and young women’s divisions. Then, in September of that year, he published the eternal guideline, ‘Precepts for Youth.’ That year, we young people vowed to ring in a new age by achieving Mr Toda’s goal of 750,000 member households through our own efforts. That was effectively the first ‘Year of Youth.’

            “The second was 1961, the year after I became the third Soka Gakkai president. The youth joined me in pioneering the construction of a new Gakkai. And in November of that year, the young men’s division held a gathering of 100,000 members, a goal that had been set by Mr Toda, while the young women’s division held a gathering of 85,000.” (SGI Newsletters Nos 6350 and 6352, 15 and 17 February 2005)