SGI Newsletter Published by Soka Gakkai Friday, January 19, 2018 No. 9798 SGI President Ikeda s Study Lecture Series THE BUDDHISM OF THE SUN ILLUMINATING THE WORLD [26] A Religion of Human Revolution Part 6 Hope Changing Karma into Mission Is the Way of Buddhist Practice in the Soka Gakkai Lecture June is the month when the Soka Gakkai s founding president Tsunesaburo Makiguchi was born. Mr. Makiguchi once warmly encouraged a person who had experienced many bitter hardships, telling him: There is only one thing that can keep you from giving up on life and that is practicing Nichiren Buddhism. There is no adversity that we cannot overcome through faith in the Mystic Law, which is a source of limitless hope and the power to keep moving forward. Dramas of renewal and revitalization abound in the Soka Gakkai. Members all over the world are showing actual proof of carrying out their human revolution and changing their karma, demonstrating how they have triumphed over various problems and challenges and become happy. This attests to the fact that Nichiren Buddhism is truly a religion capable of freeing all people from suffering. A Teaching for Daily Life Mr. Makiguchi, who experienced firsthand the tremendous power of Nichiren Buddhism, placed special emphasis on discussion meetings. Describing them as meetings offering experimental proof of a life of great good, he took the lead in personally encouraging each individual who attended. Insisting that Buddhism was a teaching for daily life, he helped people put this humanistic religion, which exists for the benefit of all people, to work in their lives. In 1942, in the middle of World War II, he expressed his delight at the benefit The Soka Gakkai. All rights reserved. For the exclusive use of SGI-related organizational newspapers and periodicals. 15-3, Samon-cho, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 160-0017, Japan Phone: 03-5360-9841 Fax: 03-5360-9887
Soka Gakkai members were receiving through their Buddhist practice, saying: The experiences members relate are the result of their all-out efforts. They are like diamonds. 1 At the same time, he sternly criticized teachings that did not produce such experimental proof as empty theory. A Religious Revolution to Restore the Focus on Humanity Mr. Makiguchi s actions marked a turning point in the history of religion, in which its very starting point and purpose, the needs of human beings, had been forgotten. He strove to return to the original intent of Shakyamuni and to Nichiren Daishonin s fundamental spirit of helping all people attain happiness. He demonstrated with his own life that this religious revolution is the eternal mission of the Soka Gakkai. Members experiences of benefit in faith have proven the correctness of this unprecedented revolution. Their dynamic dramas of transforming despair into hope bring the nobility and strength of the individual into sharp relief. With hope as the theme of this installment, let us study the Buddhist way of life for changing karma into mission. *** If one s heavy karma from the past is not expiated within this lifetime, one must undergo the sufferings of hell in the future, but if one experiences extreme hardship in this life [because of one s faith in the Lotus Sutra], the sufferings of hell will vanish instantly. And when one dies, one will obtain the blessings of the human and heavenly worlds, as well as those of the three vehicles [the worlds of Learning, Realization, and Bodhisattva] and the one vehicle [the world of Buddhahood]. (WND-1, 199; Lessening One s Karmic Retribution ) 2 1 Translated from Japanese. Tsunesaburo Makiguchi, Makiguchi Tsunesaburo Zenshu (Collected Writings of Tsunesaburo Makiguchi), (Tokyo: Daisanbunmei-sha, 1987), vol. 10, p. 144. 2 Nichiren Daishonin wrote this letter in October 1271, only three weeks after his near beheading at Tatsunokuchi. It was sent to three of his leading disciples: Ota Saemon-no-jo, a government official, the lay priest Soya Kyoshin, and the Dharma Bridge Kimbara (also known as Kanabara). One of them may have visited the Daishonin while he was being detained at the Echi Province residence of Homma Rokuro Saemon, the deputy constable of Sado Province, where the Daishonin was subsequently exiled. In this letter, the Daishonin discusses the principle of lessening one s karmic retribution and stresses the importance of maintaining strong faith. 2
An Instant Transformation The principle of lessening one s karmic retribution literally, transforming the heavy and receiving it lightly 3 appears in the Nirvana Sutra. 4 This means that through undergoing hardships for the sake of the Lotus Sutra, the negative effect of heavy karma destined to continue into one s future existences can be expiated by receiving it in a lighter form in this life. As the Daishonin states in this letter, that such karmic suffering will vanish instantly (WND-1, 199) in other words, that it can be extinguished immediately, right now. Usually, the terms karma or destiny are associated with a fatalism and pessimism that border on resignation. But Nichiren Buddhism is a great teaching of hope, assuring us that we can transform any karma or destiny immediately, just as we are. My mentor, second Soka Gakkai president Josei Toda, confidently declared: If you practice the Daishonin s Buddhism, you will not fail to become happy. Advance with the heart of a champion! Live out your life proudly as an honorable member of the Soka Gakkai! With a smile, he also said: You have all forgotten just how great you are! It may be true that when you go home, no grand banquet awaits you, and your home isn t as spacious as a palace. So you put yourselves down. But that s wrong. Human beings themselves are great. Moreover, as Soka Gakkai members working for kosen-rufu, you are noble Buddhas. You are outstanding human beings! As Soka Gakkai members, we possess the Gohonzon faith in which assures that no prayer will go unanswered. 5 We have the mentor-disciple relationship as our foundation for dedicating our lives to kosen-rufu. We have comrades in faith with whom we share bonds that endure throughout the past, present, and future. This is a source of the greatest hope. 3 Heavy indicates negative karma accumulated over countless lifetimes in the past. As a benefit of protecting the correct teaching of Buddhism, we can experience relatively light karmic retribution in this lifetime, thereby expiating heavy karma that ordinarily would adversely affect us not only in this lifetime, but over many lifetimes to come. 4 Nirvana Sutra: A compilation of the teachings expounded by Shakyamuni immediately before his death. It teaches that the Dharma body of the Buddha is eternal, that all people possess the Buddha nature, and that even icchantikas, or those of incorrigible disbelief, can attain Buddhahood. 5 Nichiren Daishonin writes: It could never come about that the prayers of the practitioner of the Lotus Sutra would go unanswered (WND-1, 345). And Nichikan Shonin, who is known as a great restorer of Nichiren Daishonin s Buddhism, writes: If you have faith in this Gohonzon and chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo even for a short while, no prayer will go unanswered, no offense unexpiated, no good fortune unbestowed and no righteousness unproven. 3
As long as we continue exerting ourselves earnestly in faith together with the Soka Gakkai and united with our fellow members in the spirit of many in body, one in mind, there is no steep hill of difficulty we cannot surmount. No suffering will defeat us. We can overcome any problem. That is the benefit of lessening one s karmic retribution. Attaining Buddhahood through Lessening One s Karmic Retribution Why is it possible for us to instantly extinguish the effects of heavy karma? Because, in accordance with the principle of the mutual possession of the Ten Worlds, 6 when we chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, we are able to bring forth the state of Buddhahood originally inherent in our lives. Just as the light of the countless stars disappears when the sun rises, when we make the sun of Buddhahood rise within us, even the most painful karmic suffering vanish completely. Not only that, but the trajectory of our lives is also transformed from one in which we wander through the lowly, deluded realms of the three evil paths [the worlds of Hell, Hunger, and Animality] to one where we obtain various benefits, in particular that of the one Buddha vehicle, or enlightenment. As the Daishonin writes: One will obtain the blessings of the human and heavenly worlds, as well as those of the three vehicles [the worlds of Learning, Realization, and Bodhisattva] and the one vehicle [the world of Buddhahood] (WND-1, 199). Normally, the idea of transforming one s karma stresses how one can expiate the karma and offenses committed in past existences, but in this letter, the Daishonin, by speaking of the blessings, or benefit, of the one Buddha vehicle, reveals that the principle of lessening one s karmic retribution is really a teaching to enable us to expand our state of life in the present and future and attain Buddhahood. It transforms a path leading ever deeper into darkness into one that is forever imbued with the four noble virtues of eternity, joy, true self, and purity. And the crucial turning point is not set at some future time; it is right now. Right now, this very moment, is the turning point in which, through the benefit of the Mystic Law, we can transform extreme hardship in this life (WND-1, 199) into the blessings of... the one vehicle [the world of Buddhahood] (cf. WND-1, 199). 6 The principle taught in the Lotus Sutra that each of the Ten Worlds possesses the potential for all ten within itself. Mutual possession means that life is not fixed in one or another of the Ten Worlds, but can manifest any of the ten from the world of Hell to the world of Buddhahood at any given moment. The important point of this principle is that all beings in any of the nine worlds possess the Buddha nature. This means that every person has the potential to manifest Buddhahood, while a Buddha also possesses the nine worlds and, in this sense, is not separate or different from ordinary people. 4
By encountering difficulties because of faith in the Lotus Sutra, the karma that has held us in chains until now can be transformed into the cause for strengthening ourselves and attaining Buddhahood. In Letter to the Brothers, a passage from which we will study next, the Daishonin employs clear analogies to explain how we can achieve this great transformation. *** Both of you [the Ikegami brothers] have continued believing in the Lotus Sutra; thus you are now ridding yourselves of your grave offenses from the past. For example, the flaws in iron come to the surface when it is forged. Put into flames, a rock simply turns to ashes, but gold becomes pure gold. This trial [of disownment by your father], more than anything else, will prove your faith genuine, and the ten demon daughters [guardian deities of Buddhism] 7 of the Lotus Sutra will surely protect you. (WND-1, 497; Letter to the Brothers ) 8 The Wise Will Rejoice While the Foolish Will Retreat The Soka Gakkai has advanced kosen-rufu just as the Daishonin instructs in his writings, battling the three obstacles and four devils 9 and the three powerful enemies 10 in the process. 7 Ten demon daughters: The ten female protective deities who appear in the Dharani (26th) chapter of the Lotus Sutra as the daughters of rakshasa demons or the ten rakshasa daughters. They vow to the Buddha to guard and protect the sutra s practitioners. 8 In this lengthy letter, the Daishonin urges the Ikegami brothers and their wives to unite to overcome the obstacles they are facing. Various obstacles arise, he explains, because of the serious offense of slandering the Law in past existences. He further states that such hardships could also be viewed as the heavenly deities the protective functions of the universe testing the strength of practitioners faith, and thus represent an opportunity to strengthen one s life so that one can attain Buddhahood. At the time the letter was written, the Ikegami brothers father was a devout follower of the True Word Precepts priest Ryokan of Gokuraku-ji temple. He opposed his sons faith in the Daishonin s teachings and disowned his elder son, Munenaka, who faced the prospect of severe social and economic sanctions. 9 Three obstacles and four devils: Various obstacles and hindrances to the practice of Buddhism. The three obstacles are (1) the obstacle of earthly desires, (2) the obstacle of karma, and (3) the obstacle of retribution. The four devils are (1) the hindrance of the five components, (2) the hindrance of earthly desires, (3) the hindrance of death, and (4) the hindrance of the devil king. 10 Three powerful enemies: Three types of arrogant people who persecute those who propagate the Lotus Sutra in the evil age after Shakyamuni Buddha s death, described in the concluding verse section of the Encouraging Devotion (13th) chapter of the Lotus Sutra. The Great Teacher Miao-lo of China summarizes them as arrogant lay people, arrogant priests, and arrogant false sages. 5
Difficulties arise because our practice is correct. As the Daishonin s words The wise will rejoice while the foolish will retreat (WND-1, 637) indicate, the important thing is whether we courageously stand up to the challenges that arise in our path or shrink back in fear and run away from them. What matters is our attitude in faith at a crucial moment. As we practice this Buddhism, things may happen that make us question or doubt the power of faith. But events that we cannot understand merely on an intellectual level can reveal important truths about our lives when viewed with the eye of the Buddha. From that perspective, life s various difficulties always have a profound significance. The Profound Significance of Hardships Encountered for the Sake of Buddhism The Daishonin tells the embattled Ikegami brothers that, because of their strong faith, they are now ridding themselves of effects of heavy karma caused by their offense of slandering Buddhism in past existences. As the Daishonin explains in one analogy, when iron is repeatedly heated and forged, impurities that might have weakened it come to the surface. Forging iron makes it stronger. The forging of iron here represents our encountering hardships as practitioners of the Mystic Law. The Daishonin then goes on to say that, when stones are heated, they are reduced to ashes, but when gold is heated it becomes pure gold, adding: This trial, more than anything else, will prove your faith genuine (WND-1, 497) that is, it will reveal their true worth as genuine disciples. The key message here is for each of us to act based on genuine faith. When we do so, the positive functions of the universe will protect us. As these functions work to support our lives, we cannot fail to win in our struggle with our own karma. The Daishonin is saying that the obstacles the Ikegami brothers faced arose precisely because their faith was strong. When true disciples stand up and strive with genuine faith, the protective functions move into action. Encountering difficulties in the course of those efforts is an indispensable path for strengthening our lives and building a state of eternal happiness. The difficulties we encounter as we strive in our Buddhist practice and engage in Soka Gakkai activities all have a meaning. Those who work tirelessly for kosen-rufu make their lives shine forever like fine swords of diamond-like brilliance and strength. The Proof of the Remarkable Victory of a Disciple During World War II, at the age of 70, Mr. Makiguchi visited Fukuoka to attend the first Kyushu general meeting. This took place in 1941. 6
Immediately before the meeting began, a member rushed to Mr. Makiguchi with the news that three agents of the Special Higher Police the so-called wartime thought police were present. Mr. Makiguchi assured the member that everything would be all right and calmly entered the venue. Even when discussion meetings were held under the surveillance of the Special Higher Police, Mr. Makiguchi continued to speak out for what he believed was right. My wife, Kaneko, personally witnessed this as a child. Refusing to be intimidated by the authorities, he was fully committed to widely spreading the correct teaching in the Latter Day of the Law. His struggle embodies the very essence of the Soka Gakkai spirit. What matters is pressing forward with unflinching faith. That is because if you give up along the way, you will veer off the path of true happiness. The Ikegami brothers engraved the Daishonin s strict but compassionate guidance in their hearts and overcame the hardship of the elder brother, Munenaka, being disowned by their father twice. In the end, they achieved proof of a brilliant victory, even leading their father to practice the Daishonin s Buddhism. The Daishonin was delighted at his disciples wonderful success. Adversity Is What Enables Us to Attain Buddhahood The Daishonin writes [in A Ship to Cross the Sea of Suffering ]: In the Latter Day of the Law, the votary of the Lotus Sutra will appear without fail. The greater the hardships befalling him, the greater the delight he feels, because of his strong faith. Doesn t a fire burn more briskly when logs are added? (WND-1, 33). In perfect accord with these words, the Soka Gakkai has advanced with a passionate resolve to never be defeated. The courageous fighting spirit that regards adversity as a badge of honor is the heart of the Daishonin s Buddhism. In The Record of the Orally Transmitted Teachings, the Daishonin states: Difficulties will arise, and these are to be looked on as [peace and comfort] (cf. OTT, 115). Mr. Makiguchi declared: The greater our obstacles, the greater our assurance of attaining Buddhahood. Mr. Toda said: In short, problems allow us to grow and develop; dishonest people enable us to expand and elevate our life conditions. When we take this positive view, we can live strongly and confidently. All people and all societies must deal with problems and difficulties. A complete absence of difficulties is an impossibility. But such challenges are what make us genuinely strong. We need to fight and win based on faith, feeling ever-greater delight the tougher the going gets, just like the Daishonin. 7
*** I have been condemned to exile, but it is a small suffering to undergo in this present life and not one worth lamenting. In future lives I will enjoy immense happiness, a thought that gives me great joy. (WND-1, 287; The Opening of the Eyes ) 11 Absolute Happiness That Will Endure for Eternity The final passage we will study is the conclusion of the Daishonin s treatise The Opening of the Eyes, which ends with the words a thought that gives me great joy (WND-1, 287), conveying the incredible joy the Daishonin feels amid adversity to his disciples, who are also battling serious obstacles. In this writing composed during his exile on Sado Island, he states that this persecution has befallen him because he propagated the Lotus Sutra in a way that accorded with the times. When he considers the great happiness of attaining Buddhahood that awaits him as a result, he says, his present sufferings are inconsequential. His exile on Sado is a small suffering to undergo in this present life (WND-1, 287), he asserts. He is teaching us that if we maintain our fighting spirit when we encounter difficulties, we can establish a state of absolute happiness that is indestructible throughout the three existences of past, present, and future. By sharing his calm and serene life state as the Buddha of the Latter Day of the Law, the Daishonin offers powerful encouragement to his disciples. It is a call for them to follow his example and be aware that this is precisely the time to gain immense benefit that will endure for all time. The Transformative Principle of Voluntarily Assuming the Appropriate Karma The Lotus Sutra teaches the principle of voluntarily assuming the appropriate karma. 12 11 The Opening of the Eyes : Completed at Tsukahara on Sado Island in February 1272 and addressed to all the Daishonin s disciples. It reveals that the Daishonin possesses the three virtues of sovereign, teacher, and parent in the Latter Day of the Law. 12 Voluntarily assuming the appropriate karma: This refers to bodhisattvas who, though qualified to receive the pure rewards of Buddhist practice, relinquish them and make a vow to be reborn in an impure world in order to save living beings. They spread the Mystic Law, while undergoing the same sufferings as those born in the evil world due to karma. This term derives from Miao-lo s interpretation of relevant passages in The Teacher of the Law (10th) chapter of the Lotus Sutra. 8
This describes the action of bodhisattvas depicted in the Lotus Sutra who choose to be born in a corrupt and evil time, voluntarily making their appearance in the troubled age of the Latter Day of the Law. They willingly shoulder the suffering this entails and set an example of struggling with and triumphing over that suffering to teach people the power of Buddhism. Embracing this principle of voluntarily assuming the appropriate karma, countless Soka Gakkai members have won over adversity and achieved lives filled with hope. Their example is the pride and honor of the Soka Gakkai. Instead of simply regarding their sufferings as the result of their negative karma, they choose to see them as problems they have voluntarily taken on to fulfill their mission, as challenges they have vowed to overcome through their Buddhist practice. The teaching of voluntarily assuming the appropriate karma points to such a major transformation of our state of mind, our deep-seated attitude toward life. To live with the resolve to change karma into mission is the essence of transforming one s karma or destiny. The indisputable experiences of Soka Gakkai members who have risen to such challenges and revitalized their lives are human dramas celebrating the tremendous potential and dignity of life. Each is a wonderful story that will endure for all time (cf. WND-1, 499) and be passed on to future generations as a source of hope for humanity. Creating Hope Former Czech president Václav Havel (1936 2011), whom I had the opportunity to meet, once remarked: Hope is definitely not the same thing as optimism. It is not the conviction that something will turn out well, but the certainty that something makes sense, regardless of how it turns out. 13 Hope is the power to believe in the future; it is the wellspring of courage for taking on challenges. As long as we have hope, we can move forward, undeterred by any obstacles. The hope exhibited by Soka Gakkai members reflects a strong determination to achieve what they set out to accomplish. They know they have the inner resources and life force to create hope, no matter what the circumstances. We all inherently embody hope. Our practice of chanting Nam-myoho-rengekyo, the heart of the Lotus Sutra, is the driving force that allows us to create hope. That is because the power of daimoku is limitless. 13 Václav Havel, Disturbing the Peace: A Conversation with Karel Hvizdala, translated by Paul Wilson (New York: Alfred Knoff, 1990), p. 181. 9
From the moment we start chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, we can transform our state of mind and open the way to a new, hopeful tomorrow. Hope Is Contagious In a letter to a steadfast disciple, the lay nun Myoho, the Daishonin explains the great power of the Mystic Law to enable all living beings to attain Buddhahood in their present form. He says: [This is an incomparably greater wonder than] fire being produced by a stone taken from the bottom of a river, or a lantern lighting up a place that has been dark for a hundred, a thousand, or ten thousand years (WND-1, 923; The One Essential Phrase ). Chanting resonant daimoku as we advance, we never succumb to despair, nihilism, or negative, arrogant cynicism. With the sun of the Mystic Law, the Daishonin illuminates humanity, which has been shrouded in the darkness of ignorance and trapped in endless cycles of unhappiness. This is just as a single flame can illuminate a cave that has been dark for billions of years (cf. WND-1, 923). The mentors and disciples of Soka, who have inherited and carried on the Daishonin s spirit in modern times, have now spread this Buddhism of the sun to 192 countries and territories. The seeds of hope of the Mystic Law have been sown around the world and glorious flowers of happiness are blooming. Our precious members everywhere continue to impart the light of hope to those around them. The existence of the SGI has been widely acclaimed as a beacon of hope for society. Dr. Cho Moon Boo, former president of Jeju National University, has closely followed the activities of SGI-South Korea over many years and expressed deep appreciation for them. He voiced his belief that the challenge of a religious organization is to bring its ideals to life in the real world a challenge he is confident the SGI will achieve. 14 Our Buddhist teaching of human revolution has the power to transform despair into hope. It is a solid philosophy that allows us to transform our life state and that of those around us, as well as to transform the land in which we live and even the karma of humankind as a whole. Changing karma and doing human revolution are one and the same thing. People in every field are praising the victorious, hope-filled dramas of human revolution we are engaged in day after day in every corner of the world. They are like 14 Translated from Japanese. Article in Seikyo Shimbun, May 4, 2014. 10
those whose hearts were filled with great joy (LSOC12, 228) 15 when they saw the dragon king s daughter attain enlightenment in the Lotus Sutra. In any country and society, the presence of even a single Soka Gakkai member is the starting point for creating an age of the victory of the people. Expanding Courageous Dialogues to Build a Future of Hope In closing, let us deeply engrave in our hearts these words of Mr. Toda: Banish your doubts about faith! With the power of the correct teaching, we can free our country and the people from suffering. Let s carry out the struggle for kosen-rufu with that great conviction. Our efforts are the challenge to realize the Daishonin s ideal of establishing the correct teaching for the peace of the land by transforming human suffering and misery into hope and joy. Solidly uniting together and striving with vibrant energy and richness of heart, let us expand our courageous dialogues with to build a future of hope! (Translated from the June 2017 issue of the Daibyakurenge, the Soka Gakkai monthly study journal) 15 This phrase is used in the Lotus Sutra to describe the bodhisattvas and voice hearers who witness the dragon king s daughter attain enlightenment and proceed to guide innumerable living beings to attain the Buddha way. 11