SECTION B: Lectures on On Attaining Buddhahood in this Lifetime

Transcription

1 SECTION B: Lectures on On Attaining Buddhahood in this Lifetime SGI President Ikeda s Study Lecture Series (SGI Newsletter Nos. 6753, 1 March 2006 and 6820, 2 May 2006) This material also appears in the small bright green book: On Attaining Buddhahood in this Lifetime (World Tribune Press, 2001), pp and and the larger pale green book Lectures on On Attaining Buddhahood in this Lifetime (Soka Gakkai Malaysia, 2007), pp and Attaining Buddhahood in this lifetime the fundamental purpose of life and a source of hope for humankind (SGI Newsletter, No. 6753) If you wish to free yourself from the sufferings of birth and death you have endured since time without beginning and to attain without fail unsurpassed enlightenment in this lifetime, you must perceive the mystic truth that is originally inherent in all living beings. This truth is Myoho-renge-kyo. Chanting Myoho- renge-kyo will therefore enable you to grasp the mystic truth innate in all life. (WND-1, p. 3) Just what constitutes a deeply meaningful life? What is true happiness? Nichiren Daishonin s Buddhism is a teaching of hope that enables us to forge a state of unsurpassed and indestructible happiness and to lead a life of supreme value, while also helping others do the same. Everyone has the potential to attain Buddhahood; moreover, they can gain that lofty state just as they are, and in fact are assured of being able to do so in this lifetime. The Buddhism of Nichiren Daishonin clearly elucidates this wonderful path to enlightenment. The Daishonin s profound teaching of attaining Buddhahood in this lifetime was a revolutionary concept that turned prevailing Buddhist thought on its head. Indeed, it continues to shine today as a principle that can powerfully transform the age and open a bright future for our modern world in the twenty-first century. Therefore, I look forward to studying the Daishonin s writing On Attaining Buddhahood in This Lifetime together with you, as we embark in high spirits on a new journey of growth and development towards the Soka Gakkai s eightieth anniversary (in 2010). The profound meaning of chanting daimoku On Attaining Buddhahood in This Lifetime is an important writing that clarifies the basic theory and practice of Nichiren Daishonin s Buddhism. SGI members throughout the globe have deepened their understanding of the essence of the Daishonin s teachings by earnestly studying this writing as a guideline for practice and study. Although the original is no longer extant and the precise date and name of the recipient are unknown, this letter is traditionally held to have been written around 1255 and addressed to Toki Jonin. The 1 assertion that it was composed in 1255, shortly after the Daishonin publicly declared his teaching of Nammyoho-renge-kyo in 1253, is credible in view of the letter s content, explaining as it does the significance of chanting daimoku in terms of both theory and practice. The practice of chanting daimoku is the foundation of the Daishonin s lifetime teachings. The Buddhism of Nichiren Daishonin, unlike the established Buddhist schools of his day, was not dedicated to the worship of a specific god or Buddha. The Daishonin established the means for all people to achieve enlightenment, the ideal of the Lotus Sutra, by formulating the practice of chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, which enables us to activate our inherent Buddha nature and manifest it as the life-state of Buddhahood. There are two aspects of the daimoku in Nichiren Daishonin s Buddhism: the daimoku of faith and the daimoku of practice. The daimoku of faith refers to the spiritual aspect of our practice. This essentially consists of the struggle we wage in our hearts against our inner delusion or darkness; a battle against the negative and destructive forces within us. It means breaking through the darkness clouding our Buddha nature and bringing forth the life-state of Buddhahood through the power of faith. The daimoku of practice, meanwhile, refers to chanting Nam- myoho-renge-kyo ourselves and also teaching it to others. It means making efforts in word and deed for the happiness of ourselves and others as evidence of our spiritual struggle against inner negativity and illusion. When we chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, we are both chanting the name of, and calling forth, the Buddha nature in our own lives and the lives of others. When our faith wins out over inner doubt and delusion, the power of our inherent Buddha nature is called forth by the sound of our daimoku and spontaneously manifests in our lives. The key point that set the Daishonin s Buddhism apart from the other Buddhist schools of his day was the establishment of this concrete means for attaining Buddhahood. And from the time he first declared Nammyoho-renge-kyo until the moment of his death, the Daishonin ardently strove to teach this supreme path of enlightenment to people throughout the land. In the opening passage of On Attaining Buddhahood in This Lifetime, the Daishonin clearly and fully articulates the basic philosophy of salvation that lies at the heart of his teaching, which exists for the happiness of all humanity: If you wish to free yourself from the sufferings of birth

2 and death you have endured since time without beginning and to attain without fail unsurpassed enlightenment in this lifetime, you must perceive the mystic truth that is originally inherent in all living beings. This truth is Myoho-renge-kyo. Chanting Myoho-renge- kyo will therefore enable you to grasp the mystic truth innate in all life. (WND-1, p. 3) I would like to discuss the profound meaning of this passage in detail next time. But briefly, it says that by manifesting within us the mystic truth inherent in all living beings, we can free ourselves of the endless sufferings of birth and death. The name of that mystic truth is Myoho- renge-kyo, and the way to manifest it is through chanting Myoho-renge-kyo. The significance of our existence as human beings Nevertheless, even though you chant and believe in Myoho-renge-kyo, if you think the Law is outside yourself, you are embracing not the Mystic Law but an inferior teaching. (WND-1, p. 3) The concept of attaining Buddhahood in this lifetime refers to an ordinary person becoming enlightened during the course of their present existence. What this also means, by extension, is that they can achieve this just as they are. As such, attaining Buddhahood in this lifetime means the same thing as attaining Buddhahood in one s present form, which is the approach to Buddhahood found in the Lotus Sutra and illustrated by the example of the dragon king s daughter in the sutra s Devadatta (twelfth) chapter. This view contrasts sharply with the pre-lotus Sutra teachings, which expound that one can become enlightened only after practising austerities over countless lifetimes. Because the life-state of Buddhahood is at one with the eternal Mystic Law and abounds with infinite wisdom and compassion, it tended to be seen as something completely separate and removed from the lives of ordinary people steeped in illusion. Attaining enlightenment was thought to require overcoming the unfathomably deep chasm between the spiritual states of a Buddha and ordinary people, and this gave rise to the idea that it was necessary to carry out austere practices for innumerable kalpas. Nichiren Daishonin s Buddhism clarifies that it is specifically in this present existence, in which we have been born as human beings, that we can actualise the principle of attaining Buddhahood in one s present form that is revealed in the Lotus Sutra. This is what led him to elucidate his profound teaching of attaining Buddhahood in this lifetime. Drawing an analogy with rice crops [in his writing Ichinen Sanzen Homon ( The Doctrine of Three Thousand Realms in a Single Moment of Life )], the Daishonin notes that while some ripen early and some ripen late, they will all mature and be ready for harvest within the year. He explains that practitioners of the Lotus Sutra will likewise attain Buddhahood in this existence without fail. The Daishonin places importance on the present 2 lifetime of human beings. Of course, not only humans but all living beings possess the Buddha nature and have the potential to attain Buddhahood in their present form. But the reason the Daishonin stresses attaining Buddhahood in this lifetime is that his focus is always first and foremost on the happiness of human beings. The human heart is sensitive, multifaceted and rich, and has the capacity to achieve incredible feats. But for that very reason, it often also undergoes great suffering and torment. Likewise, the human heart can become trapped in an endless, negative downward spiral. Will our lives transmigrate forever in the paths of evil, or can we succeed in moving them into an orbit of good? As evidenced in many of his writings, the Daishonin repeatedly stresses the crucial importance of the heart or mind. It is in this inner realm of life that the potential resides for dramatic shifts from evil to good or from good to evil. That is why the Daishonin s teaching of enlightenment can be viewed as a process that begins with inner change. In other words, through the power of faith, we can defeat the negative functions inside us workings that are governed by the fundamental darkness that resides in all human hearts and manifest the positive functions of life that are one with the Dharma nature that is, our Buddhahood. This present lifetime, in which we have been born as human beings, represents a golden opportunity to ensure that our lives no longer transmigrate in the evil paths but instead traverse through the paths of good. Emphasis on inner change Therefore, when you chant myoho and recite renge, you must summon up deep faith that Myoho-rengekyo is your life itself. (WND-1, p. 3) * Arouse deep faith, and diligently polish your mirror day and night. How should you polish it? Only by chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. (WND-1, p. 4) In On Attaining Buddhahood in This Lifetime, the Daishonin thoroughly explains that we cannot achieve enlightenment without a profound change in our lives themselves that is, a change in our hearts and minds. First of all, he says that the mystic truth with which all living beings are endowed reveals the principle of the mutually inclusive relationship of a single moment of life and all phenomena. (WND-1, p. 3) What this means is that our lives or our minds at each moment both embody all phenomena and pervade all phenomena. This could be described as a state of life of oneness with the universe. Also, the Daishonin warns that if we seek the Mystic Law outside ourselves, then no matter how much daimoku we chant, we will not be able to attain enlightenment; on the contrary, our Buddhist practice will only become an endless, painful austerity. (WND- 1, p. 4) He clearly states, Even though you chant and believe in Myoho-renge-kyo, if you think the Law is

3 outside yourself, you are embracing not the Mystic Law but an inferior teaching. (WND-1, p. 3) The Daishonin explains that summoning up deep faith is the key to chanting daimoku, and declares that when we do so, we can polish our lives and attain enlightenment. He writes, Therefore, when you chant myoho and recite renge [ie, chant daimoku], you must summon up deep faith that Myoho-renge-kyo is your life itself [lit. your mind at each moment] (WND-1, p. 3) and Arouse deep faith, and diligently polish your mirror day and night. How should you polish it? Only by chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. (WND-1, p. 4) In addition, the Daishonin speaks of the mystic entity of the Middle Way that is the ultimate reality (WND-1, p. 4) in other words, the mystic, inscrutable nature of life, of our hearts and minds, that manifests as Buddhahood. In this way, he indicates that Myohorenge-kyo is the mystic law of life, of the inner realm of our beings. On that basis, he asserts that when we chant daimoku with deep faith in the Mystic Law, we can attain Buddhahood in this lifetime. The Lotus Sutra is the king of sutras, the direct path to enlightenment, for it explains that the entity of our life [lit. our mind or inner reality], which manifests either good or evil at each moment, is in fact the entity of the Mystic Law. If you chant Myoho-renge-kyo with deep faith in this principle, you are certain to attain Buddhahood in this lifetime. (WND-1, p. 4) A teaching of genuine humanism Next, I wish to touch on three aspects in which the Daishonin s teaching of attaining Buddhahood in this lifetime is significant. First, I would like to point out that by opening the way for all people to attain enlightenment in this lifetime through chanting daimoku, the Daishonin established for the first time a teaching of genuine humanism. Opening the way to enlightenment for all people could be called the prerequisite for a genuinely humanistic religion. This, I believe, is the religious or philosophical significance of the principle of attaining Buddhahood in this lifetime. Nichiren Daishonin had deep insight into the potential of human beings, discerning that they could free themselves from a cycle of negative transmigration and realise a positive one through profound inner change. And he set forth a practical way to enable them to achieve this. Consequently, there is no other teaching that can more deservedly be called humanistic than the Daishonin s Buddhism. In The True Aspect of All Phenomena, the Daishonin writes, Though it is thought that Shakyamuni Buddha possesses the three virtues of sovereign, teacher and parent for the sake of all of us living beings, that is not so. On the contrary, it is common mortals who endow him with the three virtues. (WND-1, p. 384) This passage describes a shift from an authoritarian religion to a humanistic, people-centred religion. The Buddhism of Nichiren Daishonin, who established the concrete means for achieving enlightenment in this lifetime, makes this shift possible. When the Soka Gakkai s first president Tsunesaburo Makiguchi formulated his theory of value, he did not include holiness or sacredness, which a number of other thinkers before him had considered to constitute a religious value. For Mr Makiguchi, great good was deemed the highest value that a religion should strive to realise. Great good here refers to the highest value that can be actualised by human beings and society. In Mr Makiguchi s theory of value, we find the view that a true religion is one that serves the welfare of human beings. The opening of the path to attaining Buddhahood in this lifetime by the Daishonin signifies the establishment of a religion that contributes to the happiness of human beings in the greatest possible way. The significance of attaining Buddhahood in this lifetime from the individual perspective Second, by opening the path to attaining Buddhahood in this lifetime, the Daishonin made it possible for us to lead lives based on the infinite power of the Mystic Law that is, to lead solid and secure lives that give us the courage and confidence to be self-reliant. This is the significance of the principle of attaining Buddhahood in this lifetime in terms of our individual lives. In the Daishonin s Buddhism, attaining enlightenment is not about embarking on some inconceivably long journey to become a resplendent godlike Buddha; it is about accomplishing a transformation in the depths of one s being. This revolutionary view of realising enlightenment fundamentally changed the whole meaning of Buddhist practice as it was traditionally viewed. In other words, it is not a matter of practising in order to scale the highest summit of enlightenment at some point in the distant future. Rather, it is a constant, moment-to- moment, inner struggle between the opposing courses of revealing our innate Dharma nature or allowing ourselves to be ruled by our fundamental darkness and delusion. This unceasing effort to polish our lives is the heart and essence of Buddhist practice. Only by winning over our inner darkness and negativity can we be victorious in life and reveal our full potential. The same is true if we wish to savour true fulfilment in our lives. In that sense, I want to emphasise that the practice set forth in Nichiren Daishonin s Buddhism in order to attain Buddhahood in this lifetime is the only means to conquer the darkness and delusion that are the fundamental source of human evil, and cultivate true independence, construct a solid self, and achieve a state of life of boundless happiness and peace of mind. Attaining Buddhahood in this lifetime thus becomes the fundamental purpose of an individual s life. The significance of attaining Buddhahood in this lifetime from the collective perspective The Lotus Sutra is the king of sutras, the direct path 3

4 to enlightenment, for it explains that the entity of our life, which manifests either good or evil at each moment, is in fact the entity of the Mystic Law. If you chant Myoho-renge-kyo with deep faith in this principle, you are certain to attain Buddhahood in this lifetime. That is why the sutra states, After I have passed into extinction, [one] should accept and uphold this sutra. Such a person assuredly and without doubt will attain the Buddha way. Never doubt in the slightest. (WND-1, p. 4) Third, I assert that the principle of attaining Buddhahood in this lifetime is significant in that it offers a source of hope to humanity and opens the way to transforming the destiny of all humankind. This is its collective or universal significance. Many leading thinkers and intellectuals share a recognition that modern civilisation has lost sight of the human being and become deadlocked on many fronts. There is no denying that the inner spiritual realm has been neglected and all too many people are obsessed with seeking comfort, ease and pleasure in external things things outside of themselves. Without surmounting the fundamental human delusions of greed, anger and foolishness, we will not be able to solve the many problems that the world faces today, including the preoccupation with economic growth, politics that are devoid of humanism, international conflicts, warfare, growing disparity between rich and poor, and rampant discrimination. One conclusion from my dialogues with leading thinkers is that the only real solution is for human beings themselves to change, that the sole key lies in human revolution. It could further be said that without establishing a correct view of life and death, it is impossible to conquer inner darkness and delusion at the most fundamental level. Without the view of life and death of the Middle Way a view that rejects the extremes of the doctrine of annihilation and the doctrine of eternity 1 true and lasting happiness cannot be achieved. The only way for human beings to change is for them to conquer their inner darkness and rediscover the eternal sanctity and dignity within their own lives. Cultivating the noble spirit with which all people are originally endowed will directly lead to a change in the destiny of humankind. With that conviction, we of the SGI have been working to build a network of good all around the globe. In the course of these lectures, I would like to comment further on the growing expectations and praise for this unprecedented endeavour we are undertaking. At the end of this writing, the Daishonin says, Never doubt in the slightest. (WND-1, p. 4) He is telling us that we should have complete confidence in our attainment of Buddhahood in this lifetime. His words also contain the warning that unless we maintain strong faith, we can easily lose sight of the fundamental goal of enlightenment and fall into the depths of darkness and delusion. All people at the core of their lives yearn to attain enlightenment. But there is no teaching more difficult to believe or understand than the teaching that we can definitely attain Buddhahood in our present existence. We of the SGI have taken on the challenge of practising this profound teaching and sharing it widely with others in Japan and throughout the globe. In today s world, we, the courageous Bodhisattvas of the Earth, are showing great actual proof of humankind s potential to transform its destiny. Proud of our noble mission, let us continue to joyously spread the Daishonin s Buddhism with its teaching of attaining Buddhahood in this lifetime that enables all people to achieve unsurpassed happiness and lead the most valuable and fulfilling lives possible. If you think the Law is outside yourself, you are not embracing the Mystic Law (SGI Newsletter, No. 6820) To chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo is to commune with the Mystic Law. It is a Buddhist practice for fusing our lives with the Mystic Law. At the same time, it is a battle to conquer the inner darkness that prevents this fusion from taking place. When we vanquish this darkness of illusion and ignorance through faith and become one with the Mystic Law, the infinite power of this great law unfolds in our lives. Such is the immeasurable benefit of chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. Chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo with a seeking spirit in faith is the essence of the practice of chanting established and propagated by Nichiren Daishonin. It is the heart that is important, (WND-1, p. 1000) the Daishonin asserts. When it comes to chanting, therefore, we should above all strive to summon forth courageous faith to overcome illusion without being defeated by the three obstacles and four devils. Making the cause and effect of attaining Buddhahood the core and inmost essence of our lives Myoho-renge-kyo is the name of the ultimate mystic truth, and Nam-myoho-renge-kyo is the name of the lifestate of Buddhas who embody and reveal this truth. Thus when we chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo with a seeking spirit in faith, the infinite benefit of Myohorenge-kyo unfolds in our lives. This is what it means to bring forth the world of Buddhahood. At work here is the principle of cause and effect in a single moment of life, in which faith is the cause and manifesting the life-state of Buddhahood is the effect. When we continue chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo through times of both suffering and joy while striving for the happiness of ourselves and others, we can make the cause and effect for attaining Buddhahood which are themselves contained within the practice of chanting the core and inmost essence of our lives. When we do so, the indomitable state of Buddhahood emerges within us. This is the meaning of attaining Buddhahood in this lifetime. In his treatise The Object of Devotion for Observing the Mind, the Daishonin states, Shakyamuni Buddha, 4

5 who has attained perfect enlightenment, is our own flesh and blood. His practices and the resulting virtues are our bones and marrow. (WND-1, p. 365) He explains that to embrace Myoho-renge-kyo is in itself attaining enlightenment.2 The power of chanting Nammyoho-renge- kyo enables us to actualise cause and effect in a single moment of life that is, faith (cause) leading to the manifestation of our Buddhahood (effect). Considered in this light, our voice chanting daimoku is the voice of unshakable faith and seeking spirit that demolishes the inner darkness of ignorance and illusion and sweeps away obstacles and devilish functions. It is also the courageous lion s roar that issues forth from the Buddhahood we have revealed as a result of our daimoku. The chanting of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo is not only the voice of faith of ordinary people; it is also the voice of Buddhahood. For that reason, we should always try to chant resonant daimoku with a vibrant and vigorous rhythm like that of a galloping horse. It can also be said that chanting daimoku is an action by which we affirm that we ourselves are inherently entities of Myoho-renge-kyo. It represents a struggle to return to our true, original selves and tap the innate life-force that we have possessed from time without beginning. The Daishonin declares, There is no true happiness for human beings other than chanting Nam-myohorenge- kyo. (WND-1, p. 681) This happiness, he says, is the boundless joy of the Law. Joy of the Law describes the unshakable happiness and peace of mind that is inherent in life and existence itself. To experience this joy means to fully savour and enjoy the infinite life-force that is one with the Mystic Law. The Daishonin states that the only way for us to taste the joy of the Mystic Law is through chanting Nam-myohorenge-kyo. The Mystic Law and incomplete teachings Even though you chant and believe in Myoho-rengekyo, if you think the Law is outside yourself, you are embracing not the Mystic Law but an inferior teaching. Inferior teaching means those [Buddhist teachings] other than this [Lotus] sutra, which are all expedient and provisional. No expedient or provisional teaching leads directly to enlightenment, and without the direct path to enlightenment you cannot attain Buddhahood, even if you practise lifetime after lifetime for countless kalpas. Attaining Buddhahood in this lifetime is then impossible. Therefore, when you chant myoho and recite renge, 3 you must summon up deep faith that Myoho-rengekyo is your life itself. (WND-1, p. 3) Given daimoku s profound meaning, we must always remember when we chant that Myoho-renge-kyo is our life itself. If we lose sight of this point, then no matter how much daimoku we may chant, we will have departed from the practice of chanting taught by Nichiren Daishonin. 5 Therefore, in On Attaining Buddhahood in This Lifetime, the Daishonin says in stern warning, Even though you chant and believe in Myoho-renge-kyo, if you think the Law is outside yourself, you are embracing not the Mystic Law but an inferior teaching. (WND-1, p. 3) Inferior here means incomplete. The Mystic Law is the ultimate truth that is perfect and complete; in contrast, an incomplete teaching sets forth only a partial truth. The above passage contains a profound philosophy that overcomes one of the serious pitfalls that religion tends to succumb to. It also embodies a crucial philosophy of faith for attaining genuine happiness. Religion is generally held to be a universal endeavour to connect the human being to the infinite, absolute and divine. While this is in a sense true, it seems that many religions from the outset postulate a separation between the secular and the divine, and between human beings and gods or Buddhas, and thus seek to bridge that gap. The Daishonin, however, regards teachings of this kind that view the absolute or divine as separate from human beings as incomplete, citing as an example the provisional, pre Lotus Sutra teachings expounded by Shakyamuni. These teachings do not set forth the principles or practice that enable ordinary people to attain Buddhahood in this lifetime. Rather, they espouse that one must first undergo innumerable kalpas of austere practice before enlightenment can be gained. In the provisional, pre Lotus Sutra teachings, a virtually insurmountable gulf exists between Buddhas and ordinary people. Only a very small handful of exceptional practitioners who, after having undergone austerities for countless kalpas, can even attempt to reach the goal of enlightenment. Moreover, according to these teachings, it is inconceivable for someone who has become a Buddha to go back to being an ordinary person. As a rule, the world where Buddhas dwell is not this strife-filled saha world where ordinary people reside. Buddhas and ordinary people are completely separate. Therefore, as long as such a divide exists between the world of Buddhahood and the nine worlds (the realm of ordinary beings), there is really no way for all people to attain enlightenment. In this worldview, ordinary people and the idealised Buddhas are poles apart, thus leaving ordinary people with no option but to aspire for salvation through the assistance or intervention of such Buddhas. This perceived separation between the nine worlds and the world of Buddhahood is demolished by the Lotus Sutra doctrine of three thousand realms in a single moment of life in other words, the teaching that the nine worlds have the potential for Buddhahood and that Buddhahood retains the nine worlds. (WND-1, p. 539) 4 Here we can see the immense importance of the Lotus Sutra principle of the mutual possession of the Ten Worlds. The Daishonin opened the way to actualising this latter principle, which is the key to attaining Buddhahood in this lifetime, by establishing the practice of chanting of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. This

6 constitutes in its fullest and most complete form the teaching of Buddhism that seeks enlightenment for all human beings. Summoning forth and manifesting the Buddha nature The Mystic Law is the fundamental Law of the universe. In that sense, it has a universality that transcends our individual selves. However, as indicated by its description as the mystic truth that is originally inherent in all living beings, (WND-1, p. 3) the Mystic Law also exists within our lives. It both resides within us and transcends us. Put another way, the Mystic Law is also inherent in our lives because it is the allembracing Law that pervades everything in the universe. In his writing How Those Initially Aspiring to the Way Can Attain Buddhahood through the Lotus Sutra, the Daishonin explains the essence of Myoho-renge-kyo as follows: As for the meaning of Myoho-renge-kyo: The Buddha nature inherent in us, ordinary people; the Buddha nature of Brahma, Shakra and the other deities; the Buddha nature of Shariputra, Maudgalyayana and the other voice-hearers; the Buddha nature of Manjushri, Maitreya, and the other bodhisattvas; and the Mystic Law that is the enlightenment of the Buddhas of the three existences, are one and identical. This principle is called Myoho-renge-kyo. (WND-1, p. 887) Not only is Myoho-renge-kyo our own Buddha nature, he says, but it is also the Buddha nature of all heavenly deities, voice-hearers, bodhisattvas and so on. Moreover, this Buddha nature is identical to the Mystic Law to which the Buddhas of the three existences are enlightened. The Daishonin then goes on to explain that chanting daimoku is a practice in which we summon forth and manifest the Buddha nature inherent in the lives of all beings of the Ten Worlds: Therefore, when once we chant Myoho-renge-kyo, with just that single sound we summon forth and manifest the Buddha nature of all Buddhas; all existences; all bodhisattvas; all voice-hearers; all the deities such as Brahma, Shakra, and King Yama; the sun and moon, and the myriad stars; the heavenly gods and earthly deities, on down to hell-dwellers, hungry spirits, animals, asuras, human and heavenly beings, and all other living beings. This blessing is immeasurable and boundless. (WND-1, p. 887) And he further states regarding the meaning of chanting daimoku: When we revere Myoho-renge-kyo inherent in our own life as the object of devotion, the Buddha nature within us is summoned forth and manifested by our chanting of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. This is what is meant by Buddha. (WND-1, p. 887) 6 The expression is summoned forth and manifested points to the profound significance of the Mystic Law. The Daishonin uses a wonderful metaphor to explain this principle of calling forth and revealing the inner Buddha nature: When a caged bird sings, birds who are flying in the sky are thereby summoned and gather around, and when the birds flying in the sky gather around, the bird in the cage strives to get out. (WND-1, p. 887) The singing of the caged bird refers to the daimoku chanted by ordinary people who, shackled in the chains of fundamental darkness and earthly desires, arouse faith in the Mystic Law. In other words, it is daimoku chanted with faith that is determined to win over all obstacles and become happy without fail through the power of the Mystic Law. The power of such strong, determined daimoku calls forth the Buddha nature in all living beings. Not only does the Buddha nature of Brahma and Shakra and of the Buddhas and bodhisattvas throughout the universe manifest, but those chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo are also able to sever the chains of fundamental darkness and illusion and reveal their own Buddha nature. In other words, it is the power of our voices chanting Nammyoho- renge-kyo that connects our lives with the Mystic Law pervading all phenomena of the three thousand realms. In his writing Letter to Niike, the Daishonin further explains the significance of chanting daimoku through the famous analogy of a mother bird and an egg. He says that the chanting of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo is like the warmth of the mother bird. (WND-1, p. 1030) At first there is nothing inside the egg but liquid, but as a result of being warmed by the mother bird, the beak, eyes and feathers are formed. Eventually, the baby bird breaks through the shell and hatches, and is soon flying into the sky like its mother. In this analogy, the substance within the egg represents the Buddha nature of living beings, while the mother bird represents the Buddha who leads others to enlightenment. The chanting of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo is at once the voice of faith of ordinary people and a function of the lifestate of Buddhahood. The most important admonition that the Daishonin makes with regard to attaining enlightenment through chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo is that we must not view the Law as something outside ourselves. If we think the Law exists externally, then we are reverting to the kind of divide between Buddhas and ordinary people found in the pre-lotus Sutra teachings. Perceiving that one s own life is Nam-myoho- rengekyo The daimoku of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo has immeasurable beneficial power. Josei Toda, the second Soka Gakkai president, described the infinite power of the Mystic Law as follows: It is like lying sprawled on your back in a wide- open space looking up at the sky. All that you wish for immediately appears. No matter how much you may give away, there is always more. It

7 is never exhausted. Try and see if you can attain this state of life. Indeed, Nam-myoho-renge-kyo can be likened to a wish-granting jewel. How can we develop the boundless state of life that enables us to bring forth the necessary strength when it s needed? President Toda often used to say, If you really want to achieve such a state of life, you have to fight with every ounce of your being for the Lotus Sutra, for kosen-rufu! It is the spirit to strive forever together with the Buddhas of the three existences and with Brahma and Shakra wherever one might find oneself in the universe to actualise a world of happiness and peace dedicated to value-creation, by helping people overcome misery and misfortune and the sufferings of birth, ageing, sickness and death. Such was the vast and untrammelled spirit of my mentor. Throughout everything, Mr Toda steadfastly continued to seek the Law that exists nowhere but within our own lives. And he stressed the importance of living true to oneself. His starting point was his profound realisation in prison that the Buddha is life itself and his awakening to his identity as a Bodhisattva of the Earth. He also often spoke of the spirit of faith we need in order to perceive the Mystic Law within us, saying, You have to be resolved that Nam-myoho-renge-kyo is your own life! or Propagating the Mystic Law in the Latter Day means firmly believing that your life is nothing apart from Nam-myoho-renge-kyo! This is the spirit that the Daishonin teaches when he says, When you chant myoho and recite renge, you must summon up deep faith that Myoho-renge-kyo is your life itself. (WND-1, p. 3) sided reliance on the individual s own power nor on external power. This perspective has resonated deeply with many scholars. According to the view of the Daishonin s Buddhism, it is only by praying to and fusing with the external power of the eternal, unchanging truth transcending our limited, finite selves, that we can wholly activate our own power. At the same time, however, this eternal, allencompassing, external power actually exists inherently in our lives. The Daishonin writes, people are certainly self-empowered, and yet they are not selfempowered people are certainly other-empowered, and yet they are not other- empowered. (WND-2, p. 62) What this means, I believe, is that by relying neither exclusively on external power nor on the power of the self, we can manifest the transcendent power that exists within us. It is chanting Nam-myoho- renge-kyo that enables us to do this. In this way, the Daishonin s Buddhism opens up a broad new vision of a universal religion for the happiness of all humankind one that transcends the approach of teachings that strictly divide external power and the individual s own power and that emphasise one over the other. A universal religion for the happiness of all humankind Generally speaking, religions expound some infinite and eternal entity that transcends both human beings and the impermanence of this world, using such terminology as god or law. This infinite and eternal entity may variously be regarded by different religions as a source of fear and awe, an object of adoration, a great void of emptiness, or a wellspring of allembracing love. The Daishonin saw the power of the Mystic Law that encompasses and sustains all things in the universe as existing within human beings, and he established a means for actually manifesting that Law in their lives. During my second lecture at Harvard University (in September 1993), I proposed three areas where Mahayana Buddhism could contribute to modern civilisation: 1. in fostering the creation of peace, 2. in paving the way towards the restoration and rejuvenation of humanity, and 3. in providing a philosophical basis for the symbiotic co- existence of all things. In connection with the second point, I stressed the important significance of the approach of Nichiren Daishonin s Buddhism, which teaches neither a one- 7

8 Footnotes for President Ikeda s lecture: 1. The doctrine of annihilation is the mistaken attachment to the notion that life begins with birth and ends with death. According to this view, there is only the present life, and death represents a complete cessation of existence both physical and spiritual. The doctrine of eternity is also the mistaken notion that what exists here in the present is permanent and unchanging. This view rejects causality, so that neither practising good nor practising evil produces any change in one s condition. 2. Embracing Myoho-renge-kyo is in itself enlightenment: The Mystic Law is the fundamental Law by which all Buddhas throughout the three existences attain enlightenment. Nichiren Daishonin perceived the Mystic Law in his own life and manifested it in the concrete form of the Gohonzon, the object of fundamental devotion. Chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo with faith in this Gohonzon constitutes the practice of observing one s mind in order to attain Buddhahood by perceiving the Mystic Law within one s own life. This is the principle of embracing the Gohonzon is initself attaining enlightenment. 3. Chant myoho and recite renge means to chant the daimoku of the Mystic Law, or Nam-myohorenge-kyo. 4. The nine worlds have the potential for Buddhahood and Buddhahood retains the nine worlds : This means that the lives of beings in the nine worlds the worlds from Hell through to Bodhisattva are endowed with the world of Buddhahood, and that the lives of Buddhas are also endowed with the nine worlds. In other words, ordinary people and Buddhas are essentially the same with no distinction between them. 8