B. Human Revolution
‘Human
revolution’ is the term coined by Josei Toda, the second president of the Soka
Gakkai, to describe the process by which each individual attains Buddhahood
through the practice of Nichiren Daishonin’s Buddhism. Moreover, the human
revolution of one person will set in motion that of another so that, in time,
society as a whole will experience a human revolution, as described in this
famous passage from Daisaku Ikeda’s novel of the same name:
A great revolution of character in
just a single person will help achieve a change in the destiny of a nation and,
further, will cause a change in the destiny of all humankind.
The concepts and principles discussed in
the following sections all relate in one way or another to this central theme.
1.
Relative
and absolute happiness
The Soka
Gakkai teaches the concept of relative and absolute happiness as a means to
clarify the fundamental purpose of our Buddhist practice.
Relative
happiness depends on circumstances; more precisely, on our relationships – to
the people around us, to our physical and social environment, and to our
possessions and talents. All of these things can bring us a certain degree of
happiness and are not to be denigrated. The problem, however, is that when our
circumstances change our happiness can quickly disappear, to be replaced with
misery. Our partner might leave us, or even die; our bank balance can decline;
our health worsen – and as a result suddenly life can seem less worthwhile, even
totally empty. Or we ourselves might change – human desire is both fickle and
theoretically limitless, so what made us happy yesterday might not make us happy
today. And ultimately, of course, all aspects of relative happiness are ended
by death – all our relationships, however happy; all our achievements, our
wealth and possessions, and so on.
By contrast, absolute happiness is a state
of life that is not dependent on our changing circumstances. Rather, it is the
state where our life itself is happy. This is achieved through the steady
practice of chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, based on the solid foundation of faith
in the eternity of life. Absolute happiness does not mean that we will live in
perpetual bliss, free of problems or any suffering. Rather, it is a condition
dominated by the confidence that, whatever problems or suffering we might
encounter, by chanting to the Gohonzon we can win through, using any troubles to
achieve an even greater life. For example, climbing a mountain when we are
unfit can be an agonising experience; if we are fit the same climb can be a
source of joy, and leave us feeling even fitter than before. In other words, in
the state of absolute happiness everything can be used to create benefit, even
suffering. In this sense, absolute happiness is another way of describing the
life state of Buddhahood. In the words of Daisaku Ikeda:
A strong person is happy. At the same time, strength is relative;
it depends on the relationship between one's life force and the environment. If
your life force is weak and frail, then even minor problems will cause you to
fret and become overwhelmed, ending you in deadlock. This will only make you
miserable…
The Lotus Sutra enables us to tap into the life force of the
universe, so that no matter what happens, we are never bound by our
difficulties. The Daishonin's Buddhism is the teaching that gives all people the
power to experience incredible energy welling forth in their lives. A person who
has solid faith in the Mystic Law, therefore, is the strongest and happiest of
all.
Attaining
Buddhahood in this (or a single) lifetime means to reveal the world of
Buddhahood from within our lives by chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo to the Gohonzon.
It means to reveal Buddhahood here and now as we are, ordinary human beings.
This is
in contrast to other Buddhist teachings that view Buddhahood as a state of life
– often known as nirvana - that is above, beyond or somehow cut off from
the mundane realities of everyday existence, and is attained only as a reward
for lifetime after lifetime of spiritual effort.
Shakyamuni overturned this view of Buddhahood when he preached his ultimate
teaching, the Lotus Sutra. The ‘Life Span’ (sixteenth) chapter in particular
teaches that Buddhahood exists eternally as a potential within all of us:
enlightenment therefore means becoming aware of this potential and turning it
into reality. But Shakyamuni did not reveal exactly how ordinary people could
do this. Moreover, despite the doctrines taught by the Lotus Sutra, over the
centuries Shakyamuni himself became increasingly elevated by his followers, so
that eventually he came to represent a virtual god, whose life condition is
totally out of the reach of ordinary people.
It was
Nichiren Daishonin who brought Buddhism back to the people. In the Gosho
‘Letter to Niike’, for example, he states:
Becoming a Buddha is nothing
extraordinary. If you chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo with your whole heart, you will
naturally become endowed with the Buddha’s thirty-two features and eighty
characteristics.
As the sutra says, ‘hoping to make all persons equal to me, without any
distinction between us’,
you can readily become as noble a Buddha as Shakyamuni.
Elaborating on this sentiment from the viewpoint of our daily lives and
practice, President Ikeda says:
The world
of Buddhahood is found nowhere but in the strong mind of faith that seeks always
to advance from the state of suffering to the state of Buddhahood, and then to
proceed from that state of Buddhahood to transform reality. It is the strength
and determination of faith to keep on fighting.
It
follows from this that attaining Buddhahood in this lifetime is not a condition
that we simply reach and then stop. Rather, it lies in continuing to take
action to spread the Law – in chanting and struggling for the happiness of
ourselves and others - until the last moment of our lives.
We
practise Nichiren Daishonin’s Buddhism in order to experience its beneficial
effect in our lives, and to extend that benefit to the lives of others.
Benefit in Japanese is called kudoku, which can be translated as
‘happiness’. More specifically, ku of kudoku means to eradicate
evil, while doku means to bring forth good. Essentially, therefore, this
indicates that the true benefit of chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo lies in the
fundamental reformation of our own lives: from misery to happiness; from evil to
good; and from delusion to enlightenment. As Nichiren Daishonin states:
Benefit
is happiness. It is the effect of eradicating evil and producing good. Benefit
is the attainment of Buddhahood in one’s present form. It is the purification
of the six sense organs (Gosho Zenshu, p. 762).
This fundamental
reformation of our lives is a gradual process that may go unnoticed from day to
day: as a result it is called inconspicuous benefit (myoyaku) With the passing
of time, however, we definitely notice that we have changed for the better. In
the same way, a tree grows a little each day but its accumulated growth is only
obvious after a number of years.
By contrast, conspicuous
benefit (kenyaku)
refers to the visible and obvious changes in our circumstances that occur as a
result of our practice – better relationships, financial security, improved
health, and so on. These conspicuous appear as a result of the inconspicuous
benefit accumulating in our lives. As President Ikeda explains:
…it must be stressed that in this time of the Latter Day of the
Law, while we certainly experience conspicuous benefit, it is ‘inconspicuous
benefit’ that is central to our faith. Just as a seed will grow into a great
tree with the passage of time, the branches of good fortune and benefit in our
lives will thicken and produce flowers and fruit as we continue to practise.
This is inconspicuous benefit. A ‘tree of good fortune and benefit’ that is thus
rooted in the earth of life will not fall over. It stands firm even when
buffeted by a fierce storm.
…[This] can be interpreted as the great benefit of attaining
Buddhahood. President Toda characterized the state of Buddhahood as ‘absolute
happiness’ and as ‘powerful life force’. To reiterate, when we practise
Buddhism, we absolutely experience conspicuous benefit of the kinds earlier
mentioned. We particularly gain wonderful benefit when we first embrace faith
and see our immediate sufferings resolved without fail. When we then advance
further in faith with confidence gained from this initial experience, we can
receive immense benefit, to which this earlier benefit pales by comparison. This
is the benefit of absolutely flourishing vitality.
ii) Purification
of the six senses
Another way to view inconspicuous benefit
is to say that practising Buddhism enables us to ‘purify’ our six senses – the
five commonly recognised senses of sight, hearing, smell, taste and touch, and
‘mind’, our ability to integrate the information received by our five senses
into coherent objects and patterns. ‘Purify’ in this context means to develop
the ability to perceive things as they really are, rather than as we would like
– or fear - them to be.
Buddhism teaches that our six senses are
purified by our efforts to spread the Law. As Daisaku Ikeda explains:
'Accepting and upholding' means practicing faith with selfless
dedication. It means wholeheartedly embracing the Gohonzon and thoroughly
striving for kosen-rufu. This is 'constant exertion'. It is to work for
kosen-rufu each day and over the course of one's life. Through such
faith, the six sense organs are purified.
Fundamentally, to purify the six senses
means to base our perception of the world on the condition of Buddhahood, rather
than the nine worlds, and then to act accordingly. In its complete sense, it
means to make Buddhahood the dominant condition of our lives, to always relate
to the world around us with wisdom, courage and compassion, and devote ourselves
to the spread of Nichiren Daishonin’s teachings (kosen-rufu).
Through our practice, we harmonize our life with the rhythm, the
wavelength, of the Mystic Law. We are then endowed with the power to advance
confidently and without any hindrance, and the freedom to live our lives in sync
with the universe. This is what it means to attain Buddhahood in one's present
form, to do one's human revolution, and to purify the six sense organs.
iii) Punishment (bachi)
The concepts of
‘benefit’ and ‘punishment’ both appear on the Gohonzon. Just inside the large
characters in the top left hand corner are characters that state, ‘One
who makes offerings
will attract good fortune surpassing the [Buddha’s] ten honourable titles.’ By
contrast, just inside the large characters in the top right hand corner
are characters that state, ‘Those who slander [the practitioners of the Law]
will have their heads broken into seven pieces.’ This admonition is based on a
passage in the Dharani (twenty-sixth) chapter of the Lotus Sutra, which
says of those who ‘trouble and disrupt the preachers of the Law’:
their
heads will split into seven pieces like
the branches of the arjaka tree.
This
alludes to the fundamentally confused and deluded state of mind that results
from opposing or disregarding the Law: the opposite of the purification of the
six senses.
Buddhism
teaches that the worst cause one can make, which will bring the greatest
punishment, is consciously to disrupt the flow of kosen-rufu, the spread
of Nichiren Daishonin’s teachings. This is because to act in this way is to
deny other people their fundamental human right to discover within themselves –
and actualise - the potential to attain the supreme happiness of eternal
enlightenment within this lifetime.
In short, neither
benefit nor punishment is visited upon us by some outside force or supreme
deity; rather, both are effects stemming of our own actions. In simple terms,
as Josei Toda explains, ‘Benefit and punishment are…gain and loss in daily
life.’
4. Faith
equals daily life (shinjin soku seikatsu)
[Top]
There is
a tendency in many religions to consider the ultimate reality of life to exist
somewhere above, beyond or behind the mundane facts of daily living. God or
gods, and the heaven they inhabit, are usually far off and unattainable in this
life, while religion is seen as a bridge between ordinary people and this
greater reality. The spiritual realm and the secular realm are fundamentally
separate; thus, however hard we pray and however close we may come to the
ultimate reality, we cannot become a god or attain heaven here on earth.
By
contrast, the ‘Expedient Means’ (second) chapter of the Lotus Sutra teaches the
concept of the true aspect of all phenomena. Briefly, this implies that all
aspects of life contain the potential to reveal Buddhahood and that there is no
fundamental difference between an ordinary person and a Buddha. In the words of
Nichiren Daishonin:
When
deluded one is called an ordinary being, but when enlightened, one is called a
Buddha. This is similar to a tarnished mirror that that will shine like a jewel
when polished. A mind now clouded by the illusions of the innate darkness of
life is like a tarnished mirror, but when polished, it is sure to become like a
clear mirror, reflecting the essential nature of all phenomena and the true
aspect of reality.
It follows from this
that there is no ‘heaven’ separate from the here and now.
Nichiren Daishonin’s
Buddhism teaches that the Buddha’s land – where the Buddha lives – is nowhere
other than the saha world; that is, contemporary society, where ordinary people
live and work and, sadly, often suffer. So unlike
in other forms of Buddhism, practising as Nichiren Daishonin taught does not
involve withdrawing from society to a life of quiet contemplation in a
monastery. Rather, it requires us to confront the negative realities of our
individual lives, and our society, head on, and to challenge and transform them.
The Daishonin states:
The true path lies in the
affairs of this world. The Golden Light Sutra states, ‘To have a profound
knowledge of this world is itself Buddhism.’ The Nirvana Sutra states, ‘All of
the non-Buddhist scriptures and writings are themselves Buddhist teachings, not
non-Buddhist teachings.’… [These sutras] relate secular matters in terms of
Buddhism, whereas the Lotus Sutra explains that in the end secular matters are
the entirety of Buddhism.
Accordingly, the principle that ‘faith equals daily life’ means that as
disciples of Nichiren Daishonin we reveal the wisdom, courage and compassion of
our Buddha nature as ordinary people, living alongside our neighbours,
colleagues and family members. Our struggle to create value is waged in the
real world, and the fruits of our victories - our benefits - are enjoyed in the
real world, by ourselves and others. As President Ikeda notes:
Buddhism exists nowhere but in
our daily existence, in the realities of life and society. In other words, only
through our actions in society and in our daily lives can we demonstrate proof
of the validity of Buddhism. This is Nichiren Daishonin’s teaching and the
traditional spirit of the Soka Gakkai.
5. Fundamental
darkness (Gampon no mumyo)
[Top]
Fundamental darkness, or primal ignorance,
is seen in Buddhism as innate in all life and the source of all illusions and
desires. Since we are unable to perceive life clearly as it truly is, our
tendency as human beings is to think, speak and act in ways that cause
unhappiness for ourselves and others. Fundamental darkness is thus the
fundamental source of all suffering. Nichiren Daishonin equates fundamental
darkness with the workings of the devil king of the sixth heaven, which he
describes as follows:
This world is
the domain of the devil king of the sixth heaven. All of its people have been
under the rule of this devil king since time without beginning. Not only has he
built the prison of the twenty-five realms of existence
within the six paths and confined all humankind within it, but also he has made
wives and children into shackles, and parents and sovereigns into nets that
block off the skies. To deceive the true mind of the Buddha nature, he causes
the people to drink the wine of greed, anger and foolishness, and feeds them
nothing but dishes of evil that leave them prostrate on the ground of the three
evil paths. When he happens on persons who have turned their hearts to
goodness, he acts to obstruct them.
The Lotus Sutra, however, also teaches the
innate enlightenment of life (gampon no hossho). On this basis, Nichiren
Daishonin further defined fundamental darkness as ignorance of one’s own Buddha
nature, which can be dispelled by chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. He says:
When deluded,
one is called an ordinary being, but when enlightened, one is called a Buddha.
This is similar to a tarnished mirror that will shine like a jewel when
polished. A mind now clouded by the illusions of the innate darkness of life is
like a tarnished mirror, but when polished, it is sure to become like a clear
mirror, reflecting the essential nature of all phenomena and the true aspect of
reality. Arose deep faith, and diligently polish your mirror night and day.
How should you polish it? Only by chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo.
In other words, through carrying out the
consistent and continual practice of Nichiren Daishonin’s Buddhism, we can
dispel the illusions that are the fundamental source of our suffering, and
transform our desires so that, more and more, they create value for ourselves
and others. Even so, the fundamental darkness remains in our lives, as Nichiren
Daishonin explains:
According to
the provisional teachings and the schools based on them, both good and evil
remain in one’s life through all the stages of the bodhisattva practice up to
the stage of near-perfect enlightenment. Hence people at the stage of
near-perfect enlightenment or below have faults of some kind, [but not those at
the highest stage]. In contrast, the heart of the Lotus school is the doctrine
of three thousand realms in a single moment of life, which reveals that both
good and evil are inherent even in those at the stage of perfect enlightenment.
The fundamental nature of enlightenment manifests itself as Brahma and Shakra,
whereas the fundamental darkness manifests itself as the devil king of the sixth
heaven.
It follows from this that by continually
struggling against the devil king of the sixth heaven without - as he
appears in society in the form of abusive power and opposition to the movement
for kosen-rufu - we also subdue the fundamental darkness within,
in our own lives. President Ikeda notes:
The Buddha …
is a person of supreme good. But this is not to say that there is no evil in
the life of the Buddha. It exists, of course, as a potential. But because the
Buddha aims for the ultimate good and relentlessly struggles against evil, good
is what manifests from his life.
6. The
Three Obstacles & Four Devils (sansho-shima)
[Top]
The
‘three obstacles and four devils’ is the name given by T’ien-t’ai to the various
hindrances in our lives, internal and external, that work to block our
attainment of enlightenment and the spread of Buddhist teachings throughout
society (kosen-rufu). Paradoxically, not only are these hindrances to be
expected, they are actually proof that we are on the correct path. Nichiren
Daishonin states:
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 a time, the three obstacles and four devils will
invariably appear, and the wise will rejoice while the foolish retreat.
In another passage he
states:
The doctrine of three thousand
realms in a single moment of life [ichinen sanzen] revealed in the fifth
volume of Great Concentration and Insight is especially profound. If you
propagate it, devils will arise without fail. If they did not, there would be
no way of knowing that this is the correct teaching. One passage from the same
volume reads: ‘As practice progresses and understanding grows, the three
obstacles and four devils emerge in confusing form, vying with one another to
interfere... One should be neither influenced nor frightened by them. If
one falls under their influence, one will be led into the paths of evil. If one
is frightened by them, one will be prevented from practicing the correct
teaching.” This statement not only applies to me, but also is a guide for my
followers. Reverently make this teaching your own, and transmit it as an axiom
of faith for future generations.
If we
think about it for a moment, it is perfectly natural to meet obstacles once we
set ourselves a worthwhile goal. If we want to become physically fit, for
example, we must exert ourselves against the physical resistance of weights and
our bodily limitations, as well as the mental resistance of our minds, which
often tell us that our goal is too difficult to reach or not worth the effort.
It is by challenging this physical and mental resistance that we can become
stronger and fitter.
It is the
same with our practice of Nichiren Daishonin’s Buddhism. It is the inherent
negativity in our lives, both within and around us, that is the fundamental bar
to becoming truly happy. As long as we do not challenge ourselves this
negativity can so dominate our lives that we may not even be aware of it. As
Nichiren Daishonin notes:
The
eighth volume of The Annotations on ‘Great Concentration and Insight’
states, ‘So long as a person does not try to depart from the sufferings of birth
and death and aspire to the Buddha vehicle, the devil will watch over him like a
parent.’
However,
once we do ‘aspire to the Buddha vehicle’ – that is, begin to practise - this
negativity is stirred up, appears in the form of resistance; and so the battle
begins. The Daishonin further states:
The fundamental nature of
enlightenment manifests itself as Brahma and Shakra, whereas the fundamental
darkness manifests itself as the devil king of the sixth heaven.
In short,
our practice activates both the positive and the negative aspects of life – here
characterised respectively as the protective gods Brahma and Shakra, and the
devil king of the sixth heaven. Fundamentally, this is in order that the
positive can be strengthened by the struggle against the negative, and so
eventually defeat it. The first president of the Soka Gakkai, Tsunesaburo
Makiguchi, explains:
Unafraid of the devils and
obstacles that will arise from within and without, we should urge them on and
conquer them, thereby deepening our faith. In this way we can teach and convert
others, and so receive benefit that surpasses our accumulated past debts [of
negative karma]. Just like changing poison into medicine, we can change our
misfortune into fortune, thus making our own the Law that afford access to
supreme happiness.
It
follows, then, that in one sense attaining enlightenment consists of persisting
in our practice ‘no matter what’, overcoming any negativity that we are
guaranteed to meet along the way. Specifically, the three obstacles are:
-
the
obstacle of earthly desires (bonno-sho) – the earthly desires of others
that stimulate one’s own earthly desires, especially the emotions of greed,
anger and foolishness
-
the
obstacle of karma (go-sho) – expressed as opposition from one’s spouse
or children
-
the obstacle of retribution (ho-sho) – expressed as opposition from
one’s superiors, including one’s parents
The four devils are:
-
the
devil arising from the three poisons (bonno-ma) – expressed as wrong
thinking, arising from shallow wisdom and delusion
-
the
devil arising from the five components (on-ma) – the obstacle of
sickness, which hinders one’s practice physically and through causing doubt
-
the
devil of death (shi-ma) – which brings an end to one’s own practice
and, through the untimely death of a fellow believer, again provokes doubts
-
the
devil king of the sixth heaven (tenji-ma) – expressed both as the
inherent negativity of life, and as oppression by those in power; the most
powerful of all the three obstacles and four devils.
Broadly
speaking, the three obstacles are external impediments to our practice, while
the four devils are internal hindrances that seek to weaken and destroy our
faith. The internal and external act in concert, however. For example,
opposition from one’s spouse is external, an example of go-sho, but it
arises from the karma within one’s own life; additionally, giving in to such
opposition out of fear or the desire to please is also internal, an example of
bonno-ma, the ‘devil’ arising from the three poisons of greed, anger and
foolishness.
In
general, ‘devils’ are more powerful than ‘obstacles’ because they arise within
and try to destroy the Buddha way or faith in the correct teaching. For
example, none of the three obstacles may destroy our practice completely, but
the devil of death always does. But however strong these ‘obstacles’ and
‘devils’ might appear, once we recognise them for what they are we can
definitely overcome them, and actually turn them into a springboard for our
growth. As Nichiren Daishonin warns, ‘If
you do not know your enemies, they will deceive you.’
In the final analysis, victory or defeat depends
on our seeking minds towards the Gohonzon, and our efforts to stop our practice
lapsing into mere habit. Nichiren Daishonin encourages us: ‘Strengthen your
faith day by day and month after month. Should you slacken in your resolve even
a bit, devils will take advantage.’
7. Earthly
desires are enlightenment
(bonno
soku bodai) and the sufferings of birth and death are nirvana (shoji
soku nehan)
[Top]
Many people associate Buddhism with calm
and self-control – statues of Shakyamuni Buddha tend to show him sitting or
lying at peace, often with his eyes closed in deep meditation. These ideas and
images are based on early Buddhist teachings that stressed the inevitable link
between suffering and desire, and taught that enlightenment lies in breaking
this link by eradicating desire – the word ‘nirvana’, which in many sutras is
equated with enlightenment, is literally translated as ‘blown out’, and refers
to the eradication by the Buddha of all thought, desire and illusion; indeed, of
the endless cycle of birth and death itself.
Eradicating desire is easier said than
done, however, since Buddhism also teaches that sufferings and desires are
linked to karma in a relentless circle called the ‘three evil paths’. Earthly
desires (bonno), arising from the fundamental darkness of life, inspire
actions based on greed, anger and ignorance that create evil karma. The effects
of this karma appear as suffering of various kinds, which aggravate one’s
earthly desires, which inspire actions that create more evil karma, and so on.
The three evil paths, for example, might lead us into a succession of unhappy
relationships: we might be miserable that we are without a partner (suffering)
and seek happiness in a relationship (desire). But through our ignorance we
choose the wrong person (karma) and end up unhappy (suffering). So we look for
someone else (desire) but still choose wrongly (karma). And so it goes on.
Since the three evil paths are so
difficult to break, early Buddhism teaches a wide variety of physical and mental
austerities aimed at controlling, subduing and eventually annihilating one’s
desires altogether. However, critics of this approach pointed out that pursuing
the goal of enlightenment was itself dependent on desire, as was the wish to
continue living long enough to attain that goal; in other words, there is an
inherent contradiction in this view of enlightenment, and logically it is
attainable only in death. Indeed, its critics derided it as the teaching of
‘annihilating one’s consciousness and reducing one’s body to ashes’.
By
contrast, Nichiren Daishonin’s Buddhism teaches that not only are desires and
sufferings intrinsic to life, they are actually the source of enlightenment.
This is the meaning of the phrases ‘earthly desires are enlightenment’ (bonno
soku bodai) and ‘the sufferings of birth and death are nirvana’ (shoji
soku nehan). This is not to say that desires and sufferings are
enlightenment in themselves, but that they are raw material, so to speak, from
which enlightenment arises.
To
explain, it is necessary to examine the word soku that appears in the
Japanese phrases bonno soku bodai and shoji soku nehan.
Literally, soku means ‘the same thing’, ‘as it is’, ‘equals’, but implies
the dynamic concept of transformation; that is, soku points to the fact
that theoretically enlightenment is inherent within both desire and suffering.
T’ien-t’ai famously clarified this by explaining how, when placed in sunlight, a
sour persimmon becomes a sweet persimmon: the sourness and sweetness are both
inherent in the fruit, just as it is; and, crucially, it also possesses the
inherent capacity to change.
Applying this concept to
human life, Nichiren Daishonin taught that there is no fundamental distinction
or duality between desires, suffering and enlightenment – all arise from life
itself. To become enlightened, therefore, one need not eradicate desire or fear
suffering, but simply transform them. How? He explains, ‘The single word
soku is Nam-myoho-renge-kyo.’
In other
words, it is our desires and sufferings that sustain and motivate our practice,
that encourage us to return continually to the Gohonzon; and it is through our
repeated and regular practice to the Gohonzon, chanting about our day-to-day
problems and what we desire, that we gradually grow and change. In the words of
Nichiren Daishonin:
Now Nichiren and his
followers who chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo…burn the firewood of earthly desires and
reveal the fire of enlightened wisdom.[29]
Through the spark of
Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, the logs of earthly desires (and sufferings)
are purified, transformed into the fire of enlightenment. Equally, without the
logs of earthly desires there could be no fire. It is thanks to Nichiren
Daishonin, who turned soku from a theoretical concept into a practical
reality, that human beings are at last able to break the mutually destructive
relationship of the three paths, and instead experience the joy of the Buddha of
absolute freedom. As he says in the Gosho ‘The One Essential Phrase’:
We
ordinary beings are fettered by evil karma, earthly desires and the sufferings
of birth and death. But due to the three inherent properties of the Buddha
nature – innate Buddhahood, the wisdom to perceive it and the actions to
manifest it – we can without doubt reveal the Buddha’s three bodies…
8. Changing
karma
[Top]
Karma is the name given to the accumulated effect in our lives of
causes we ourselves have made in the past. Good causes, especially those arising
from respect for the fundamental dignity of all life, give rise to good or
positive karma. Bad causes, especially those arising from disrespect for the
dignity of life, give rise to bad or negative karma. Nichiren Daishonin
explains:
One who
climbs a high mountain must eventually descend. One who slights another will in
turn be despised. One who deprecates those of handsome appearance will be born
ugly. One who robs another of food and clothing is sure to fall into the world
of hungry spirits. One who mocks a person who observes the precepts and is
worthy of respect will be born to an impoverished and lowly family. One who
slanders a family that embraces the correct teaching will be born to a family
that holds erroneous views. One who laughs at those who cherish the precepts
faithfully will be born a commoner and meet with persecution from one’s
sovereign. This is the general law of cause and effect.
This causal law operates not only in this
life; rather, we are born in circumstances appropriate to causes we have made in
previous existences, and our actions in this life will create the conditions for
our rebirth in the future. In other words, it is karma – the accumulation of
cause and effect – that accounts for the differences in fortune that we all
experience at birth. Some are born rich, others poor; some healthy, others
sickly; and so on.
The concept of karma is central to a
number of Eastern religions, but they differ on the key question of whether and
how karma can be changed. Some are totally fatalistic, teaching that our
fundamental destiny is determined by causes made in past lives, and that we can
do little to alter the basic direction of our lives in the present. These
religions therefore tend to teach a passive or stoical acceptance of one’s
circumstances in this life. Other religions – including the pre-Lotus Sutra
doctrines of Buddhism - teach that we can change our destiny, but only over many
lifetimes. Through adhering to a complex set of rules of daily living that help
us avoid making bad causes, or by following strict bodhisattva practices in
which we sacrifice our needs to the demands of others, we can gradually rise
through a hierarchy of life states until, finally, we attain enlightenment and
are freed from suffering.
By contrast, Nichiren Daishonin’s Buddhism
teaches that we can change our karma here and now, in a single lifetime,
whatever causes for good or evil we may have made in this or previous
lifetimes. Rather than viewing the present as the result of past causes, it
emphasises that through making the correct causes now, our present
reality can be transformed and our future happiness created.
In particular, this teaching focuses on
changing the inherent cause that gives rise to the actions that produce karma.
This inherent cause is our dominant life condition. A person dominated by the
life condition of Anger, for example, will tend to think angry thoughts, speak
angry words and take angry actions: these causes made in the world of Anger will
inevitably produce effects in the world of Anger. As a result the individual
will create the karma to live in conflict with the world around him. A person
dominated by the world of Tranquillity, however, will make causes appropriate to
that life condition and therefore enjoy (or suffer) the corresponding effects.
His life will be much more peaceful but, on the other hand, it might also be
dull and uneventful.
To change our karma, then, Nichiren
Daishonin teaches that we have to transform our dominant life condition by
chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, so that it reveals its inherently positive aspect.
Thus, our Anger will erupt at injustice, say, and not simply when we feel our
ego to be threatened; while our Tranquillity will enable us to stay calm at
times of stress, but not so laid back that we are completely detached from and
indifferent to the suffering of those around us.
What’s more, by chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo
all of the life states that we possess change to reveal their positive
qualities. As Nichiren Daishonin explains, ‘Illuminated by the light of the
five characters of the Mystic Law, they display the dignified attributes that
they inherently possess.’
Chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo therefore enables us to reveal the qualities of our
greater or higher self – Buddhahood – in all areas of our lives, and
increasingly to think, speak and act with the Buddha’s wisdom, courage and
compassion. As a result, our lives increasingly come to reflect the effects of
causes based on the world of Buddhahood, especially causes made to support
kosen-rufu and the movement to spread Nam-myoho-renge-kyo throughout our
respective societies.
In short, practising the teachings of
Nichiren Daishonin assiduously, throughout our lives, is the sure way to change
our karma for the better. As he says, ‘The wonderful means of truly putting an
end to the physical and spiritual obstacles of all living beings is none other
than Nam-myoho-renge-kyo.’
There is, however, an even more profound
level from which to view our karma – as a means of proving the power of the
Gohonzon to others. President Ikeda explains:
President Toda
often said: ‘Someone who is too exemplary from the outset cannot go among the
people. In order to spread Buddhism we intentionally chose to be born as people
who are poor or sick.’ ‘Life is like appearing in a play,’ he would say.
He also
said, ‘I lost my wife and my daughter died. My business failed. Because I have
known such suffering, I could become President of the Soka Gakkai. People who
have not experienced painful struggles or suffering cannot understand the hearts
of others. Only if one has tasted life’s bitterness can one lead people to
happiness.
To
simply view your sufferings as ‘karma’ is backward-looking. We should have the
attitude: ‘These are sufferings I took on for the sake of my mission. I vowed
to overcome these problems through faith.’
When we
understand the this principle of ‘deliberately creating the appropriate karma’,
our frame of mind is transformed; what we had previously viewed as destiny, we
come to see as mission. There is absolutely no way we cannot overcome
sufferings that are the result of a vow that we ourselves made.
9. Lessening
One's Karmic Retribution (tenju-kyoju)
[Top]
Karma, from the Sanskrit
word meaning ‘action’, is the concept that we create our own destiny through
each thought, word and deed, for lifetime after lifetime. As the Contemplation
of the Mind-Ground Sutra states, ‘If you want to understand the causes that
existed in the past, look at the results as they are manifested in the present.
And if you want to understand what results will be manifested in the future,
look at the causes that exist in the present.’
In other words, any good fortune we might presently enjoy, or any misfortune we
might suffer, is a result of causes we ourselves have made in this or previous
lives.
Buddhism
teaches that this law of cause and effect is simultaneous, strict and
inescapable. If we cause another person to suffer, for example, at that very
instant the effect of suffering is planted deep in our own lives, and will
definitely emerge in the future in response to the appropriate cause. Causes
made in the lower worlds, especially those dominated by greed, anger and
foolishness, will inevitably lodge negative effects in our lives that will at
some point become manifest as our suffering.
The principle of lessening one’s karmic
retribution states that while we cannot escape the consequences of bad causes we
have made, through the practice of Buddhism we can lessen their impact. As the
Parinirvana Sutra states, ‘It is due to the blessings obtained by protecting the
Law that one can diminish in this lifetime his suffering and retribution.’
In
practical terms, this might mean that although we might have made the cause to
have a road accident, say, thanks to the protection and good fortune resulting
from our practice of chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, we might escape without a
serious injury; or be injured but still alive.
Indeed,
the very fact that we are able to go to the Gohonzon and chant when we have a
problem in itself alleviates the suffering we might be facing. When a serious
illness appears in our lives, for example, we are able to generate wisdom,
courage, life force and hope through our practice. Without knowing about
chanting, the same illness might condemn us simply to a period of anxiety and
misery, one that drains our life force and contributes to a slower recovery – or
none at all.
Furthermore, through chanting this very experience of struggling to overcome our
suffering will contribute to our human revolution: we will deepen our faith in
the Gohonzon and emerge a stronger, more confident individual, who is more
capable of encouraging others.
10.
Turning poison into medicine (hendoku iyaku)
[Top]
The
phrase ‘turning poison into medicine’ comes from the Treatise on the Sutra of
the Perfection of Wisdom (Daichido Ron) by third century Indian
scholar Nagarjuna. In this work he likens the Lotus Sutra to ‘a great physician
who turns poison into medicine [or elixir]’ for the people of the two vehicles;
in other words, the voice-hearers (shomon) and pratyekabuddhas (engaku)
among the Buddha’s disciples suffer because they can never attain enlightenment
through his provisional teachings, but this suffering is turned to joy when he
preaches the Lotus Sutra, which predicts enlightenment for all.
Nichiren
Daishonin interprets changing poison into medicine in a broader and more
universal sense; namely, that through chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo to the
Gohonzon we can transform the three paths of earthly desires, karma and
suffering into the Buddha’s three virtues of the properties of the Law, of
wisdom and compassionate action.
In
practical terms, this means that whatever sufferings or problems we have in our
lives, we can use them to reveal and strengthen our inherent Buddha nature and
actually become happier. Furthermore, through this process we can also deepen
our faith in the power of Nichiren Daishonin’s teachings. In this sense, the
‘poison’ of our problems acts as a kind of inoculation against future suffering,
and enables us to encourage others in a similar position through our first-hand
experience.
11.
Good
friends and bad friends (zenchishiki & akuchishiki)
[Top]
In
Buddhism, ‘good friends’ are those people and influences that encourage our
practice of faith; ‘bad friends’ are those who discourage or tempt us away from
Buddhist practice. In other words, ‘good friends’ help us to attain
enlightenment and ‘bad friends’ hinder us, hence the advice of Nichiren
Daishonin to Lady Nichinyo:
Therefore, you should take care to
ward off slanderers of the Law in the same way that you would never wish a
courtesan even to come near your home. This is the meaning of ‘Thrust aside
evil friends and associate with good companions.’
Similarly, in the Gosho ‘On Establishing the Correct Teaching for the Peace of
the Land’, the turning-point in the dialogue, when the host (representing
Nichiren Daishonin) convinces the guest (representing the effective rule or
Japan, Hojo Tokiyori), is marked by these words:
The host exclaimed with delight:
‘The dove has changed into a hawk, the sparrow into a clam. How gratifying!
You have associated with a friend in the orchid room
and have become as straight as mugwort growing among hemp.
In this
sense, the SGI is an organisation of ‘good friends’, who constantly support and
encourage each other to keep challenging the difficulties of our daily lives
through faith, practice and study. The SGI is made up of millions of ordinary
men and women who have struggled to manifest actual proof of the power of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo
in the face of every imaginable adversity – ill health, relationship problems,
poverty, unemployment and so on – and who have won. By associating with such
‘good friends’ at regular discussion meetings and other SGI activities, we can
draw hope from their experiences and guidance, and be inspired to keep battling
until we, too, see a victory in our lives. Similarly, we can act as ‘good
friends’ to fellow members who may be struggling by freely sharing our own
experiences of faith.
Moreover,
through courageous and consistent practice even ‘bad friends’ can become ‘good
friends’; in other words, we can use adversities and opposition to expiate
negative karma, deepen our faith and become stronger individuals. As Nichiren
Daishonin notes:
Devadatta
was the foremost good friend to the Thus Come One Shakyamuni. In this age as
well, it is not one’s allies but one’s powerful enemies who assist one’s
progress. The Hojo clan in Kamakura could not have firmly established itself as
the ruler of Japan had it not been for the challenges posed by Yoshimori and the
Retired Emperor of Oki. In this sense these men were the best allies the ruling
clan could have. For me, Nichiren, my best allies in attaining Buddhahood are
Kagenobu, the priests Ryokan, Doryu and Doamidabutsu, and Hei no Saemon and the
lord of Sagami. I am grateful when I think that without them I could not have
proved myself to be the votary of the Lotus Sutra.
Ultimately, then, whether or not ‘bad friends’ exert a negative or a positive
influence depends on our fundamental attitude to faith; on whether or not we
have the determination to continue to practise Nichiren Daishonin’s Buddhism ‘no
matter what’ problems or obstacles we might encounter, and persevere until we
win.
12.
Fourteen slanders (14 hobo)
[Top]
In the Gosho, ‘The Fourteen Slanders’,
Nichiren Daishonin writes in answer to a question from one of his followers:
In your letter you write: ‘Since I
took faith in this sutra [the Lotus], I have continued to recite the ten factors
of life and chant the daimoku without the slightest neglect. But how great is
the difference between the blessings received when a sage chants the daimoku and
when we chant it?’ To reply, one is in no way superior to the other. The gold
that a fool possesses is in no way different from the gold that a wise man
possesses; a fire made by a fool is the same as a fire made by a wise man.
However, there is a
difference if one chants the daimoku while acting against the intent of this
sutra.
He then
goes on to list the fourteen slanders, which derive from a passage in the
‘Simile and Parable’ (third) chapter of the Lotus Sutra. In other words,
slander in Buddhism is any thought, word or deed that contradicts or denies ‘the
intent of this sutra’, or the ultimate law of life, Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. One may
slander through ignorance – before one has learnt of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, for
example – but especially serious is slander that is committed in conscious
knowledge of the Law.
This might sound somewhat intolerant until
one remembers that Nichiren Daishonin’s Buddhism teaches the importance of
paying the highest respect to life, particularly human life. To slander the Law
can therefore be interpreted as showing disrespect or disregard for life itself,
an attitude that inevitably leads to suffering in one form or another. At the
very least it negates the benefit one gains from practising; to slander
knowingly is to invite even more severe consequences. Specifically, the
fourteen slanders are:
1)
arrogance
2)
negligence
3)
wrong
views of the self
4)
shallow
understanding
5)
attachment to earthly desires
6)
not
understanding
7)
not
believing
8)
scowling
with knitted brows
9)
harbouring doubts
10)
slandering
11)
despising
12)
hating
13)
envying
14)
bearing
grudges
Generally
speaking, the first ten refer to one’s attitude and actions towards the Law
itself; that is, the Buddha’s teachings. But if we are trying to practise
sincerely, with belief in the Gohonzon, we will be protected from the
consequences of these ten slanders. For example, missing gongyo from time to
time – negligence – will have no serious effect; but if we make a habit of it,
in time our life condition will definitely weaken. Nichiren Daishonin
advises:
There are
many degrees of slander: shallow and profound, slight and heavy. Even among
those who embrace the Lotus Sutra, very few uphold it steadfastly in mind and
deed. Few are the practitioners who are able to uphold this sutra. But those
who do will not suffer serious retribution even if they have committed minor
offences against the sutra. Their strong faith expiates their offences as
surely as a flood extinguishes tiny fires.
The last
four of the fourteen slanders refer to one’s attitude and actions towards those
who believe in and uphold the Law; in other words, the Buddha’s disciples. As
Nichiren Daishonin urges:
…always
remember that believers in the Lotus Sutra should absolutely be the last to
abuse one another. All those who keep faith in the Lotus Sutra are most
certainly Buddhas, and one who slanders a Buddha commits a grave offence.
Rather,
one should practise with the spirit to embrace all one’s fellow members,
‘transcending all differences…to become as inseparable as fish and the water in
which they swim.’
He describes the consequences:
When one
chants the daimoku bearing in mind that there are no distinctions among those
who embrace the Lotus Sutra, then the blessings one gains will be equal to those
of Shakyamuni Buddha.
Moreover,
in the same writing, he refers to the story of Bodhisattva Never Disparaging to
stress that this attitude of respect should also extend to non-believers:
Bodhisattva Never Disparaging of old said that all people have the Buddha nature
and that, if they embrace the Lotus Sutra, they will never fail to attain
Buddhahood. He further stated that to slight a person is to slight the Buddha
himself. Thus, his practice was to revere all people. He revered even those
who did not embrace the Lotus Sutra because they too had the Buddha nature and
might someday believe in the sutra.
In short,
it is not enough, when we practise, simply to chant Nam-myhoho-renge-kyo, study
and teach others. We must also consciously challenge those aspects of
our thoughts, words and deeds that tend to denigrate life, whether it is the
life of another person or group of people, or indeed our own.
13.
Many
in body, one in mind (itai doshin)
[Top]
Itai doshin
is a Japanese phrase that literally means ‘many bodies, one mind’. It describes
the ideal form of unity between human beings – many different individuals
voluntarily joining together to work for a common goal, with each person making
his or her own unique contribution towards it. By contrast, dotai ishin
(one body, many minds) describes a distinct body of people who can’t agree among
themselves, or an indecisive or confused individual who literally can’t make up
his or her mind.
The unity of itai doshin actively
encourages the development of individuality, for it recognises that it is only
through liberating the potential of each individual that the common goal can be
achieved. But that is one reason, however, why the unity of itai doshin
is hard to sustain – as individuals grow and develop at different rates and in
different ways, so the bonds between them can become strained or even break.
Moreover, the unity of itai doshin
can be deep or shallow, depending on what has brought the individuals together
in the first place. For example, there is what is sometimes called ‘itai
doshin of the cake’ – a group of people might co-operate on dividing and
eating a cake, but as soon as the cake is gone, so is the unity. In a similar
way, people might co-operate to win political power, but once their objective
has been attained their unity will start to crumble.
As followers of Nichiren Daishonin,
members of Soka Gakkai International have as their unifying goal the concept of
kosen-rufu – the forging of a peaceful and creative world based on the
Daishonin’s profoundly humanistic teachings. It is a huge task, which demands
that one must develop and reveal one’s individual potential to the full in order
to achieve it – and help others do the same. In the words of Daisaku Ikeda:
While
continuing to deepen their own understanding, teachers of the Law lead others to
happiness; and through helping others become happy, they further deepen their
understanding. Seeking the Law is itself leading others to enlightenment; and
leading others to enlightenment is itself seeking the Law. Herein lies the
supreme path in life.
SGI members are sustained in this process
by the daily practice of faith – primarily chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo to the
Gohonzon – which also helps one learn to tolerate and even treasure the
differences in other people, especially one’s fellow SGI members. ‘Treasure
each person’, President Ikeda urges:
This is the
unchanging spirit that the Soka Gakkai has continuously maintained from its
earliest stages to the present time. We must always focus on the individual who
is suffering, talking with that individual with all our heart and soul, and
doing our utmost to encourage him or her. Leaders… must never forget this
tradition.
Ultimately, it is through struggling to
treasure each person that we can achieve and sustain the unity of ‘many
in body, one in mind’. In this sense, itai doshin is not simply the
means of achieving our goal: it is the goal itself. In the words of Nichiren
Daishonin:
All disciples
and lay supporters of Nichiren should chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo with the spirit
of many in body but one in mind, transcending all differences among themselves
to become as inseparable as fish and the water in which they swim. This
spiritual bond is the basis for the universal transmission of the ultimate Law
of life and death. Herein lies the true goal of Nichiren’s propagation. When
you are so united, even the great desire for widespread propagation can be
fulfilled.
14.
The
inseparability of good and evil (zenaku funi)
[Top]
The
inseparability of good and evil is a profound and important Buddhist concept.
It is based on the ‘Devadatta’ (twelfth) chapter of the Lotus Sutra, which
elucidates the enlightenment of evil people and women.
Devadatta was a
leading disciple of Shakyamuni – some accounts say they were also cousins – who
turned against the Buddha and became his enemy. He persuaded Ajatashatru, the
son of King Bimbisara of Magadha, to kill his father and take the throne, and
then conspired with him to persecute Shakyamuni and his followers in an attempt
to split the Buddhist order. He instigated various unsuccessful plots to kill
Shakyamuni, and was responsible for the deaths of a large number of his
disciples. In Buddhism, therefore, Devadatta is the embodiment of evil and
treachery. He represents the world of Hell and is said to have fallen into hell
alive.
In
the ‘Devadatta’ chapter, however, Shakyamuni not only predicts that Devadatta
will attain enlightenment in the future; he also explains that, in one of his
past lives, it was Devadatta who actually taught him the Lotus Sutra. As he
says:
The fact that I have attained
impartial and correct enlightenment and can save living beings on a broad scale
is all due to Devadatta, who was a good friend.
The underlying meaning of this statement has puzzled readers of
the Lotus Sutra down through the ages, and is still difficult for us to
understand today, living as we do in a culture that tends to draw an absolute
distinction between good and evil. But the Lotus Sutra teaches that both good
and evil arise from the same fundamental source, the Mystic Law or Nam-myoho-renge-kyo.
The true entity of life therefore embodies the inseparability of good and evil,
which can only be defined in relation to each other. SGI President Ikeda
explains:
Nichiren Daishonin says,
‘Opposing good is called evil, opposing evil is called good. Therefore, outside
of the heart there is neither good nor evil.’
Good and evil in themselves have no substance. In other words, they are not in
themselves absolute, but reflect relative distinctions.
Tsunesaburo Makiguchi, the first Soka Gakkai president, explained
the principle in this way:
Even a good person, if he opposes great good, immediately becomes
a person of great evil. Even an evil person, if he opposes great evil,
immediately becomes a person of great good… Had Confucius opposed Shakyamuni, he
would have immediately created effects of supreme evil.
Moreover, since good and evil are inseparable, even evil can come to reveal a
positive function. President Ikeda says:
Because
Shakyamuni defeated Devadatta, Devadatta's ‘evil’ helped prove Shakyamuni's
‘good’. On the other hand, had Shakyamuni been defeated by evil, then it
certainly would not have been possible for him to call Devadatta a good friend…
If evil functions to reveal good,
then evil in its entirety becomes good. This is truly the oneness of good and
evil. But if evil is simply allowed to run its course, then it does not become
good. Only when evil is thoroughly challenged and conquered, does it become an
entity of the oneness of good and evil.
In that sense, the enlightenment
of evil people presented in the ‘Devadatta’ chapter is great proof of the
victory won by Shakyamuni. It is his ‘victory declaration’. Only when he stands
in this lofty state of life as a winner, can he say that Devadatta had in a past
life been a good friend and mentor, and had in this life aided his efforts to
instruct people.
It is very important to understand that the principle of the
inseparability or oneness of good and evil does not mean that good and evil are
the same. To think in this way would, in effect, be simply to compromise with
evil, regardless of the suffering that it causes. Indeed, it is as the prime
cause of suffering that evil can be most easily characterised. President Ikeda
clarifies two further characteristics of good and evil:
…the point that life is the objective and the ‘end’, and must not
be turned into a ‘means’ is the key. To enrich this supremely noble life and
make it shine is good; whereas to turn life into a means and cause it to
contract is evil.
Also, unity is good while
fragmentation is evil. The highest good, therefore, is to help people to open
up the world of Buddhahood in their lives, and to forge a global solidarity of
goodwill.
From this it follows that Buddhahood lies in fighting the evil in
our lives, both within and without. As President Ikeda explains:
To attain Buddhahood, we have to
thoroughly conquer our own ‘inner evil’. The concrete means for doing so is
struggling against and defeating ‘external evil’. Struggling to defeat evil
enables us to polish and purify our lives, and attain Buddhahood. Because we
strive against the ultimate evil, we attain the ultimate good.
[Top]
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