Discussion of the “Supernatural Powers of the Thus Come One” Chapter (Chapter 21).
As the light of the sun and moon can banish all obscurity and gloom, so this person as he passes through the world can wipe out the darkness of living beings, causing immeasurable numbers of bodhisattvas in the end to dwell in the single vehicle.
Therefore a person of wisdom,
hearing how keen are the benefits to be gained, after I have passed into extinction should accept and uphold this sutra.
Such a person assuredly and without doubt will attain the Buddha way. (LS2I, 276)
Endo: I heard a woman from the Kansai area relate how, in 1957, a man was dozing off at a discussion meeting you were attending, President Ikeda. She said that her husband tried hard to rouse the
man.
But you kindly said: “This man has come here after having worked hard all day, so he must be very tired. There’s no need to wake him. Discussion of the Mystic Law cannot fail to enter a person’s life-even if it has to be through the pores of the skin!” When you said this, the atmosphere at the meeting became relaxed and friendly.
Saito: I think there is an important lesson here. Those who make their best effort to attend meetings despite their busy schedules ought to be praised. Often people have to rush just to get there before the meeting ends. Certainly, no one has the right to take someone to task for arriving late at a meeting.
Endo: The same woman also described how, on another occasion she reported something to you, President Ikeda, and was about to leave. To her surprise, you came over to see her off. Addressing her in the most courteous manner, you told her: Thank you so much for your efforts. Please return home safely.” She said that this gesture had really moved her, and she had thought to herself, “This is what it means to be a Soka Gakkai leader.”
Ikeda: I’m surprised you would hear of such an account from so
Long ago!
Endo: It seems to me that the concept that religion exists for the sake of human beings ultimately comes down to people’s con-duct. That’s all. The more I think about it, the more convinced I am of this.
Ikeda: How we behave as human beings is really the bottom line.
Buddhism ultimately boils down to character. The purpose of Buddhism is to produce people of fine character.
People of excellent character are humble. They are not jealous.
They are not self-absorbed but are concerned with everyone’s happiness. For us, this means caring about kosen-rufu. People who do so are fair and compassionate. And because they have com-passion, wisdom wells forth in their lives.
When any organization increases in size, it tends to become bureaucratic. But the SI must never become this way. The SGI is a world of humanism.
It is the leaders who set the tone of an organization. The larger an organization grows, the more its leaders need to develop humility. It is the function of leaders in the SGI to treasure their fellow members. Where leaders genuinely make such thorough efforts, there 1s growth. Again, such efforts are what our Buddhist practice consists of. This is the Lotus Sutra.
Endo: I heard about another woman from Kansai who once consulted you regardıng her recent appointment as a district women’s leader. She was uncertain as to how to direct her efforts in that capacity. That was in the summer of 1959. You replied:
There are no set guidelines dictating what you should do. It’s as though the short staff you have been wielding until now has been switched to a long one. Because it is longer, you are not sure how exactly to manage it.
But, the fact is, whether the staff you carry is short or long, the basic principle is the same; if you grab one end and swing it, the other end will move.
The important thing is to earnestly chant daimoku and treat those around you with the utmost respect, just as you have done up to now. It’s about really caring for one individual, about praying for the happiness of your friends and kindly and considerately encouraging them.
Such determination will spread through the entire dis-trict. This is the principle of “they are endowed with both material and spiritual aspects” (WND, 356).
It is a mistake to think that kosen-rufu will be accomplished it we fail to encourage people around us and share this practice with Her insecurity vanished at once upon hearing this, like a mist that suddenly clears, and she felt great confidence that she would
Suda: While we tend to think that a leader has to engage in special activities, the reality is that the higher one’s position in our organization, the more important it becomes to really focus on the basics of the practice.
WHERE DOES THE BUDDHA RESIDE?
Ikeda: At any rate, those who are working for kosen-rufu deserve the utmost respect. Ordinary people who honestly devote themselves to kosen-rufu are more noble —thousands, tens of thousands of times more noble-than any influential person.
It’s not a matter of appearance, position or education. The strength of mind in which one is determined to help the suffering become happy and to accomplish kosen-rufu is most respect-worthy. This is what it means to be at one with the Law.
The universe is also an entity of the Mystic Law; it is the great life of the Mystic Law itself. When we focus on the widespread propagation of the Mystic Law and devote our lives to realizing this goal, we become one with the Mystic Law in both body and mind. In a broad sense, we enter the path of “oneness of the Person and the Law.”
Saito: Concretely speaking, the path of the Mystic Law is the path of kosen-rufu.
Ikeda: And more precisely, since the SGI is the only group striving for kosen-rufu, the path of the Mystic Law is actually found in SGI activities. Those who really exert themselves in the organization for kosen-rufu embark on the path of the oneness of the Person and the Law.
As was mentioned at the beginning of this discussion, while working long and hard in society, such people push themselves and take selfless action for the sake of the Law, society and others.
They are truly noble. Though on the surface they may work at a company or take care of the home or what have you, their inner status is that of Bodhisattvas of the Earth. And a Bodhisattva of the Earth is a Buddha. While we may speak of the Buddha in various contexts, apart from people behaving in this way there simply aren’t any Buddhas. This is a point that people really have a difficult time grasping.
Saito: Your remarks really get at the superb features of the Lotus Sutra’s implicit teaching. One is that, as the Daishonin says in the
“Record of the Orally Transmitted Teachings,'”Thus Come One refers to all living beings, as has already been explained in the earlier Life Span’ chapter” (Gz, 770). This is the point that all living beings are Buddhas, which is nowhere explicitly stated in the text of the “Life Span” chapter. Another feature is that the implicit teaching, or the Buddhism of “from effect to cause,” enables one to directly address the reality of the nine worlds on the basis of inherent Buddhahood.
Suda: All Buddhist teachings expounded before the Lotus Sutra encourage single-mindedly striving to attain Buddhahood. That is, they proceed from the nine worlds, or cause, to the world of Buddhahood, or effect. Because practicing those teachings means concentrating on one’s own enlightenment first and foremost, they hardly bring forth the strength needed to change society.
Endo: I think that historically Buddhism on the whole has not been able to shake this static and passive tendency.
Ikeda: Simply put, viewing Buddhism as proceeding from the cause to the effect is like someone saying, “After I become wealthy, I will help others”; or “After I get my Ph.D., I will teach others what I know.” But we never know whether these things will be accomplished. The view that Buddhism proceeds from the effect to the cause, on the other hand, provides others with supreme fortune and supreme wisdom right away.
Endo: This principle is contained in Nam-myoho-renge-kyo.
Ikeda: Yes, it’s the “seed.” The Daishonin says, “The blessings and wisdom [of both the objective and subjective worlds] are immeas-urable. Nam-myoho-renge-kyo has these two aspects of blessings and wisdom” (GZ, 792).
Suda: The teaching implicit in the Lotus Sutra is then completely different from all other Buddhist teachings.
Ikeda: Yes. We can discuss the differences from a variety of other perspectives, but the two points cited by Mr. Saito are the most important. They are two sides of the same coin.
REVEALING THE TRUE IN ACTUALITY AND PRINCIPLE
Saito: Regarding the idea that all living beings are the Buddha, let’s first review the doctrine of “casting off the transient and revealing the true” that is written in the “Life Span” chapter. There, Shakyamuni refutes the view that he first attained enlightenment during his present lifetime and discloses that he has in fact been continuously expounding the Law in the saha world since the extremely remote time numberless major world system dust particle kalpas ago. This is sometimes called “revealing the true in actuality.”
Ikeda: This is in contrast to “revealing the true in principle.” This point is discussed in the “Record of the Orally Transmitted Teach-ings.”
Suda: Yes. Regarding the term “responding with joy” which appears in the “Benefits of Responding With Joy” chapter, the Daishonin says:
Respond means to respond to and comply with actuality and principle…. By actuality is meant responding to and complying with the actual fact of Shakyamuni manifesting [in the present life] his original state [of enlightenment attained numberless major world dust particle kalpas ago. By principle is meant responding to the principle of ordinary people being able to manifest their original state. In the end, then, responding means responding to and complying with the inner truth of the “Life Span” chapter. (cZ, 76I)
Endo: In the section of the “Record of the Orally Transmitted Teachings” on the “Benefits of the Teacher of the Law” chapter, the Daishonin also refers to the “the actuality and principle of revealing the true in the Life Span’ chapter” (GZ, 763).
Ikeda: Since long ago, various arguments concerning revealing the true in actuality and in principle have been put forward by the Tendai and other schools. What exactly do these refer to?
Saito: In general, “acuality” indicates something that manifests as a phenomenon, while “principle” indicates an invisible law or truth that exists behind the phenomenon.
In the present case, “revealing the true in actuality” means the preaching of the “Life Span” chapter. As the Daishonin says, it points to “Shakyamuni manifesting [in the present life] his original state [of enlightenment attained] numberless major world dust particle kalpas ago” (cZ, 761). By contrast, “revealing the true in principle” refers to something that, while not explicitly stated in the text, is implicitly contained in the ‘revealing the true in actu-ality: I think it could be said to refer to be revealing the true identity of the Buddha of absolute freedom since time without beginning.
Ikeda: That would probably be a fair conclusion. In the section of the “Record of the Orally Transmitted Teachings” that deals with the “Distinctions in Benefits” chapter, the Daishonin interprets
“believe and understand” in the phrase “to believe and understand it even for a moment” [LSI7, 237], as follows: “This one word believe means to believe in ‘revealing the true in principle’ in the
‘Life Span’ chapter. The word understand means to understand
‘revealing the true in practice” (GZ, 760). Since revealing the true in principle is not clearly articulated, it can only be grasped through belief. Therefore, this belief translates into an understanding of the core meaning of revealing the true in actuality.
Suda: In other words, when people heard the preaching of the
“Life Span” chapter, that is, revealing the true in actuality, they grasped revealing the true in principle.
Ikeda: The term revealing the true sounds somewhat complicated, but in simpler terms it means to show one’s full potential.
This principle is illustrated quite well by the popular Japanese historical drama of Mito Komon in which the former deputy shogun disguises himself as an ordinary citizen and travels throughout the country. At the end of each episode, Mito Komon discloses his real identity. In a way, this is an example of revealing the true.
Endo: Yes. Just when everyone thought him to be a retired grand-father, he turns out to be a very powerful man.
Suda: Then the villains shrink back in fear, and good people rejoice. This indicates the benefit that comes from revealing one’s true identity.
Ikeda: Of course, this is only an analogy. In world literature, we could compare it with Alexandre Dumas’ The Count of Monte Cristo. I am thinking of the scene where the true identity of the learned and wealthy count is revealed to be Edmond Dantès.
Although it’s a story about revenge, I think this is still a kind of revealing the true.
Saito: Ihose who had looked down on Mito Komon were certainly taken aback when they found out who he really was.
In the Lotus Sutra as well, great bodhisattvas like Manjushri are at first thought to be the disciples not of Shakyamuni but of other Buddhas. Therefore they view Shakyamuni as a new Buddha who has only just attained enlightenment. The revelation that Shakya-muni, in fact, has been the Buddha since the remote past refutes this illusion.
Endo: So, Mito Komon’s sidekicks, Suke and Kaku, are comparable to bodhisattvas who attend a Buddha.
Ikeda: That means that just seeing these attendants inspires awe in those who know the true identity of their boss!
Saito: The relation between revealing the true in actuality and revealing the true in principle is similar to this. That is, those who are quick to grasp the meaning of Shakyamuni’s “revealing the true in actuality” understand “revealing the true in principle.”
eda: On the Gohonzon, the Buddhas Shakyamuni and Many Treasures appear as attendants on either side of “Nam-myoho-renge-kyo Nichiren,” which is written in large characters down the center. And flanking these two Buddhas are the four leaders of the Bodhisattvas of the Earth.
Revealing the true in actuality corresponds specifically to the attendant “Shakyamuni Thus Come One,” who represents the true effect of the Buddha who attained enlightenment in the remote past. The benefit of this true effect is an extremely long life span and boundless wisdom and compassion to lead all beings to
happiness.
Those listening to the preaching wonder what true cause gave rise to this great true effect, and what is the source of benefit of this true effect? To understand this is to grasp “revealing the true
in principle?”
Endo: With regard to the cause of his enlightenment in the remote past, in the “Life Span” chapter Shakyamuni says only, “Originally I practiced the bodhisattva way” (LSI6, 227). But the true cause of his enlightenment is implicit in these words. This is what we mean when we say that it is implicit in the sutra.
Suda: While the Tendai school does not have terminology to refer specifically to these two levels of “explicit” and “implicit” mean-ing, the school’s interpretation of the sutra follows similar lines.
They speak of the “revealing the true in actuality and function” and the “revealing the true in principle and entity.” Also, there are other schools that call them “revealing the true in doctrine” and “reveal-ing the true through mind-obseving.” Despite differences in ter-minology, the basic thrust of the approach to the sutra is the same.
Saito: Namely, that there is a revealing of the true that is not literally expressed in the sutra text.
Ikeda: Let’s talk about that.
The preaching of the “Life Span” chapter is revealing the true pertaining to the individual person, Shakyamuni. It could be said that the person Shakyamuni revealed the essence of his own life.
Though he completely revealed his true identity as an individ-ual, revealing the true implicit in the sutra is another matter entirely; it is on a completely different level. It is a revelation of cosmic significance. It is revealing the true for all living beings of the Ten Worlds, from common mortals to the Buddha. The text of the sutra describes the eternal Buddha who has continued to expound the Law and instruct people from the remote past.
Suda: This is the idea of “Shakyamuni who attained enlightenment in the remote past.”
Ikeda: While this Buddha might be thought of as eternal, in an absolute sense, he is not eternal. Although it was an extremely long time ago, there is still a specific time at which he attained enlightenment. This Buddha consequently cannot be identified with the Mystic Law that is one with the universe and without beginning or end. There is a gap. Therefore, the Buddha in the text of the sutra is presented as inferior and the Law as superior.
The true intent of the “Life Span” chapter in revealing this eternal Buddha is to hint at the existence of the perfectly eternal Buddha (the Buddha of absolute freedom from time without beginning). This Buddha is one with the Mystic Law that is without beginning or end and is identified with the great life of the universe itself, embodying the oneness of the Person and the Law.
Endo: That is to say that all living beings in the universe are perfectly eternal Buddhas, just as they are.
Ikeda: All living things are originally Buddhas. This is the central thesis of the “Life Span” chapter. The Lotus Sutra calls on us to open our eyes to this truth.
Saito: To recapitulate, revealing the true in the text of the sutra is the revealing the true of the individual Shakyamuni. And the revealing the true that is implicit in the sutra is the revealing the true of all beings in the entire phenomenal world, that is, of the Ten Worlds.
Suda: In terms of both scale and profundity, they are completely
different.
Ikeda: Yes, they are.
Only when we understand the implicit revelation of true identity do we grasp the Daishonin’s real meaning when he says that the essential teaching of the Lotus Sutra is as different from the theoretical teaching “as fire is from water or heaven from earth”
(WND, III2).
Endo: When the Daishonin says, “Thus Come One refers to all living beings, as has already been explained in the earlier Life Span’ chapter” (cz, 770), he is speaking from the level of the implicit teaching.
THE IMPLICIT TEACHING COMPLETES BUDDHISM
Saito: Last time, we reviewed the history of Buddhism in terms of people’s efforts to seek the cause of enlightenment. The conclusion is that the ultimate cause lies in the depths of the “Life Span” chapter. If this were not the case, Shakyamuni’s desire to enable all living beings to become Buddhas would be incomplete.
Ikeda: Needless to say, the cause of Buddhahood implicit in the
“Life Span” chapter is the Mystic Law that is without beginning or end, or Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. At the same time as this is the cause of enlightenment, it is also the effect of enlightenment. It is the inscrutable Law of the simultaneity of cause and effect. Those who listened to the preaching of the “Life Span” chapter realized this and attained enlightenment.
It is a mistake to read the “Life Span” chapter as a fantastic tale of a resplendent Buddha endowed with the thirty-two features suspended aloft in the Ceremony in the Air. If the point of the teaching were simply a matter of revering this august Buddha, it would ultimately be a teaching of looking outwards. Through the teaching of the Buddha’s attaining enlightenment in the remote past, however, the participants at the Ceremony in the Air realize that they share the same origin as Shakyamuni.
It is as though by gazing upwards into the air they at last become aware of their feet on the ground. This is explained in Nichikan’s Commentary on the “Essence of the Lotus Sutra” as “those at the highest stage of bodhisattva practice, or the stage of near-perfect enlightenment, changing into persons at the stage of initial aspiration and instantaneously attaining enlightenment!”
Suda: After proceeding through the bodhisattva stages step by step toward Buddhahood, as though climbing a staircase, in the end they return to their point of departure. This means that they perceive the life of the universe itself that gives rise to and sustains their very lives.
Endo: The Great Teacher Miao-lo of China expressed the same thing, saying that the fundamental cause of enlightenment is contained in the depths of the “Life Span” chapter and that those at the assembly of the Lotus Sutra could attain Buddhahood by virtue of their having discerned this original cause.
Saito: This original cause is Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. That is what they realized.
Ikeda: They understood the implicit teaching just by hearing the literal teaching. For beings with such high capacity, that’s all it took.
But what about those unable to grasp this? This is why Shakya-muni entrusted Bodhisattva Superior Practices with propagating the teaching after his passing.
Superior Practices is a “bodhisattva-Buddha” — that is, a being whose life embodies the wonderful Law of simultaneity of cause and effect – who spreads that wonderful Law. Buddhism teaches in no uncertain terms that the Law and the person who expounds
it are one.
Satto: 1 he Daishonin explains this idea when he quotes Tao-hsien:
“The Law embodied therein is the Law that was realized countless kalpas in the past, and therefore it was entrusted to persons who expounds it are one.
Saito: The Daishonin explains this idea when he quotes Tao-hsien: “The Law embodied therein is the Law that was realized countless kalpas in the past, and therefore it was entrusted to persons who
had been the Buddha’s disciples trom countless kalpas in the past” (WND, 372)3
Meda: Nichiren Daishonin savs Bodhisattva Superior Practices of the true cause is brought together with Shakyamuni of the true effect solely for the benefit of those in the Latter Day of the Law after the Buddha’s passing” (Gz, 864).
To match the capacity of beings of the Latter Day, the Mystic Law of time without beginning, which is the original cause of Buddhahood, is expounded directly and clearly. That is the purpose of the transmission in the “Supernatural Powers of the Thus Come One” chapter.
Therefore, the meaning of “Thus Come One” in the chapter’s title refers not exclusively to Shakyamuni but to all living beings.
And “supernatural powers” means the power of life. The “Super-natural Powers” chapter reveals the true power of life of all living beings, and particularly of ordinary people. To indicate this, the Buddha’s ten supernatural powers are expounded on a cosmic scale.
Endo: In other words, the magnificent Buddha endowed with the thirty-two features is simply a provisional Buddha serving to help people understand the truth.
“BECOMING A BUDDHA
IS NOTHING EXTRAORDINARY”
Ikeda: The thirty-two features are a collection of ideal character-istics; perhaps these were qualities that the Indian people of that time revered. They were expounded initially to arouse in people a sense of respect and seeking toward the Buddha. The point is not whether Shakyamuni actually possessed these features. Their purpose is to lead ordinary people to the awareness that they themselves are Buddhas. Nichiren Daishonin refers to this principle in his writing “On the Ten Factors of Life.” The Daishonin says:
“These three factors of life (of appearance, nature and entity) of our own are the Buddha’s three enlightened properties. But we common mortals think the three enlightened properties have nothing to do with our lives. One who is thoroughly awakened to this is a person who truly understands the Lotus Sutra” (GZ, 41O).
The point is that after searching for happiness high and low, it turns out that it is found in your immediate surroundings, in your own home, as it were. Happiness does not lie way off in the dis-tance; happiness means that your life is afire with the life force of your inherent Buddhahood, and that it is being expressed in a manner true to yourself. It means advancing continuously, no matter what happens, determined to fulfill your mission in this life. To have such faith is Buddhahood itself; it is eternal happiness.
Such things as learning, fame and social standing could be called the modern equivalents of the thirty-two features. In some instances, possessing these adornments might be useful in teaching others about the greatness of the Mystic Law. That’s because there are people in whom those qualities inspire respect. But they are definitely not the goal.
As long as we cloak the self in such ornamentation, we cannot cultivate our true strength as human beings. We cannot understand the real meaning of faith, or of Buddhism. Such vanity is the spirit of Devadatta. In “Letter to Horen,” the Daishonin notes that Devadatta tried to adorn himself with the thirty-two features.
Suda: Yes. Devadatta is said to have possessed thirty of the thirty-two features, lacking only “the tuft of white hair” and “the markings ot the thousand-spoke wheel.” Thinking that this made him inferior to Shakyamuni and would cause people to look down on him, he contrived to collect the light of fireflies to smear in the middle of his forehead to achieve the effect of the tuft of white hair and to have a blacksmith brand the soles of his feet with the pattern of a chrysanthemum in place of the markings of the thou-sand-spoke wheel (cf. WND, SIO).
Ikeda: But instead, his feet were severely burned! It’s funny to think about, but it reveals Devadatta’s true nature-his jealousy toward Shakyamuni and his vanity in seeking to embellish himself.
Many who have abandoned faith and turned against the SGI have displayed the same tendencies. There are also many people who, as the Daishonin says, “if they have not given way in their practice, they have done so in their heart” (WND, 941).
Genuine practitioners of Buddhism do not put on airs; they act in a manner true to themselves. Things such as academic background have nothing to do with the world of faith; rather, to be obsessed with such extras is only an obstacle to one’s faith.
True faith is selfless. It is not about looking out for one’s own interests but actively challenging and seeking to overcome difficulties with a spirit of not begrudging one’s life. To carry out the pure practice of the Buddhism of the true cause, which explains that the ordinary person is a Buddha, is to advance the great popular movement of the SGI. The fundamental spirit of the Lotus Sutra is found in Nichiren Daishonin’s Buddhism of the people, which teaches struggling against the personal affectations of power and authority.
Saito: Yes. The thirty-two features are characteristics that match people’s worldly aspirations. They are taught “in accord with the understanding of others.” This is one reason why Shakyamuni, while a Buddha of absolute freedom, is said to be the “Buddha who struggled to advance to the state of limitless joy through accumulated practice.”4
Ikeda: Shakyamuni is a Buddha of absolute freedom, but on a scale completely different from that of the Buddha of absolute freedom of time without beginning. One is a Buddha who is enlightened as an individual, while the other is a Buddha embodying the entire universe.
Endo: 1 am reminded again of how wonderful is the teaching implicit in the sutra. If one were to compare various Buddhist teachings, this is truly the most advanced.
Ikeda: It is the great Buddhist teaching that can lead all people, whatever their capacity, to happiness. The Daishonin says, “A slight ailment can be treated with ordinary medicine, but for grave ill-nesses, an elixir should be used” (WND, 414). And:
Once the Latter Day of the Law has begun, however, with regard to the Hinayana sutras, the Mahayana sutras, and the Lotus Sutra that were entrusted to Mahakash-yapa, Ananda, and others; to the bodhisattvas Manjushri, Maitreya, and others; and to Medicine King, Perceiver of the World’s Sounds, and others, though the words of these sutras will remain, they will no longer serve as medicine for the illnesses of living beings. That is to say, the illnesses will be grave, and the medicine, weak. At that time, Bodhisattva Superior Practices will make his appearance in the world and bestow the five characters of Myoho-renge-kyo upon all the living beings of Jam-budvipa. (WND, 606)
This is the Mystic Law that is eternity itself. It is the original seed that has enabled all Buddhas throughout time and space to attain enlightenment. And the Daishonin says that if we embrace this original seed of enlightenment, “Becoming a Buddha is nothing extraordinary” (WND, IO3O). This is a statement of no small sig nificance.
When we truly have confidence in these words, we will never become deadlocked in life. We are Buddhas. We cannot possibly fail to be victorious. Buddhas never remain downcast. They are not defeated by hardship or hopelessness.
Whatever happens, it is vital that we muster our courage and continue advancing, reminding ourselves: “That’s right! I have the Mystic Law! There is no difficulty that I can’t overcome!” As long as we possess this fighting spirit, our lives will develop greatly in accord with the principle that earthly desires are enlightenment, in that our desires and sufferings work as fuel for our development.
A seed may be a tiny thing. But a single seed contains all the necessary elements to produce a towering tree more than a hundred feet tall. This is the mystery of the seed. When we plant the original seed of Buddhahood, Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, in our heart and cultivate it, we develop boundless good fortune and wisdom.
Giving a lecture on the Daishonin’s teachings, President Toda would often say, “If the benefit that each of you has received is the size of one’s little finger, then the benefit I have received is large enough to fill this entire hall.” My feelings are exactly the same.
THE HEART DETERMINES EVERYTHING
Saito: President Ikeda, you have received honorary doctorates and professorships from scores of universities around the world. In the ordinary course of affairs, for someone to receive so many accolades would be unimaginable.
Ikeda: I hope that people will view this as symbolizing the good fortune and benefit of all SI members throughout the world.
I did not go to college. Instead, I dedicated my youth to President Toda. Because of the failure of President Toda’s businesses, I changed my plans to attend college. I told him: “Please don’t worry about anything. I will work; I will fix everything. So please rest assured.” And I have done everything I said I would. I turned the Soka Gakkai, which had fallen upon the hardest of times, into a worldwide organization. I have made the greatness of President Toda and President Makiguchi known to the world.
I believed that to protect President Toda was to protect kosen-rufu and to protect Buddhism. There was no other way. I thoroughly devoted myself to the path of mentor and disciple.
I am confident that the cause I made to support President Toda rather than pursue my plans to attain an education has now come back to me in the form of these honorary degrees from universities across the globe. The law of cause and effect is unfailing.
Suda: This is truly a drama of actual proof of Buddhism that will be eternally remembered by generations to come.
Teda: The heart is key. Because of his spirit in making an offering of a mud pie to Shakyamuni, the boy Virtue Victorious was reborn as the great king Ashoka.
Endo: A little earlier we talked about not adorning the self. Everything depends on the state of one’s heart, on whether one has genuine strength as a human being.
Ikeda: We should carefully consider the significance of Nichiren Daishonin’s having been born into the lowest rung of the society of his day. If he were to have expounded a Buddhist teaching
“according to the minds of others,” he might have been better off born as a member of the nobility or of a powerful family.
But he was born as the “son of a commoner” (WND, 1006). The fact that he was not a member of a noble family helps explain why he encountered such a succession of incredible persecutions.
Endo: The Daishonin says of himself, “Nichiren… in this life was born poor and lowly to a chandala family” (WND, 303).
Ikeda: To help people form a connection with Buddhism even through a reverse relationship, he boldly took on and endured great persecution. Forgetting this immense compassion, some treated the Daishonin with contempt. He says: “There are also those who appeared to believe in me, but began doubting when they saw me persecuted. They not only have forsaken the Lotus Sutra, but actually think themselves wise enough to instruct me” (WND, 306). This is deplorable. Without the path of mentor and disciple, there is no Buddhism.
Saito: The Daishonin describes how these arrogant people will meet great hardship: “The pitiful thing is that these perverse people must suffer in the Avichi hell even longer than the Nembutsu believ-ers” (WND, 306). This is an unchanging principle, one that will apply as much in the future as it does today.
Ikeda: In any event, ordinary people understand the hearts of ordinary people. A citizen truly understands the feelings of other cit-izens. The Daishonin dared to be born as member of the most abused and reviled class, as the son of a chandala.
At the end of World War II, when the fighting moved to Oki-nawa, Japan’s southernmost island, I heard that the locals there experienced severe discrimination at the hands of many Japanese officers and soldiers [who had in large part been mobilized from other parts of Japan]. The only soldiers who did not abuse them were those who were aboriginal Ainu from northernmost Hokkaido.
Saito: I, too, have heard unbelievable, sickening accounts of how the people of Okinawa were treated by the Japanese army. There are reports of soldiers murdering local citizens on suspicion of their being spies, simply because they were heard speaking in the Okinawan language, which to the soldiers was unintelligible.
Ikeda: But the soldiers of Ainu descent treated the locals differ-ently. I think this was because they also had experienced discrimination as a minority. It seems that they were discriminated against and mistreated even by the army. That is probably why they treated the Okinawans kindly and saved the lives of many. They were truly noble.
Suda: That’s very moving. To stand eternally on the side of the people, eternally on the side of those being mistreated — I think that is true humanity.
ZHOU ENLAI: “I AM HERE THANKS TO EVERYONE ELSE”
Tkeda: This kind of humanity is true Buddhism.
When a delegation of the Buraku Liberation League of Japan visited China in 1962, Chinese premier Zhou Enlai met with them. The head of the delegation thanked him for taking time out of his busy schedule to meet with them, to which Zhou replied:
“What are you saying? A premier who would not receive the most mistreated people in Japan on their visit to this country, the people who are suffering the greatest hardship, is no premier of China””
At the time of the historic Long March, Zhou shared his personal rations with the troops. When his party advanced into the wetland region of Sichuan province, they had nothing to eat. For emergency rations, Zhou had a sack of beef that had been boiled and dried and a sack of barley flour. It was something that could be hydrated with cold or hot water and eaten anywhere.
The soldiers, who had no such provisions, at first resorted to eating rats, leaves and the roots of plants as they went along. As a result, they began to suffer from malnutrition. Seeing this, Zhou ordered that the beef be distributed to the soldiers and had his rations divided among everyone.
After a while, they again faced starvation. It was so bad that people who seemed healthy enough one evening would be found dead the following morning. Zhou immediately told his escort to distribute the barley flour. But the man did not ensure that everyone received a portion. When Zhou reproached him for failing to follow his directions, the man protested, “If I follow your orders, what will you have to eat, sir?”
Premier Zhou drew close and, gazing into the soldier’s face said: “I exist because you exist. The more of us who survive, even one more person, the more we can secure the justice of the rev-olution. I implore you to do it.” Having no alternative, the escort divided the remaining rations among all the soldiers. Luckily the company finally reached a village four or five days later.
This is what it means to be a leader. This is what it means to truly treasure one’s companions. The bonds of people united behind the same goal are more profound even than the bonds of parent and child or between siblings. These are bonds not of blood but of justice — of people fighting side by side for a common pur-pose. To cultivate and maintain such bonds is proof of one’s humanity.
Leaders exist solely because of the people they lead. Genuine leaders are those who take the initiative and selflessly devote themselves to achieving a goal. There are, however, far too many
“leaders” in the world who use the people to realize personal gain. The SGI exists to battle such evil tendencies. Without opposing the enemies of the people, one cannot attain Buddha-hood. Without battling the “one great evil,” without directly confronting the “enemy of Buddhism,” kosen-rufu cannot be achieved. As the Daishonin strictly states, “One must set aside all other affairs and devote one’s attention to rebuking slander of the correct teaching” (WND, 126).
Saito: Among the many types of slander, the offense of slandering the votary of the Lotus Sutra is particularly grave. The Lotus Sutra says that slandering the sutra’s votary in the age after Shakyamuni’s passing is an even greater offense than continuously slandering the Buddha for an entire kalpa.
Slandering an ordinary person who is dedicated to the practice of the sutra is an even greater offense than slandering the Buddha who preaches the Law. This may seem odd on the surface, for it is impossible to grasp without realizing that it is common people in the Latter Day who directly propagate the Mystic Law, the ultimate source of enlightenment for all people.
Ikeda: That’s it exactly. Of course, while the votary of the Lotus Sutra specifically refers to Nichiren Daishonin, we who follow the Daishonin are likewise votaries of the Lotus Sutra and are leading the most noble of lives.
President Toda said:
I declare that those great champions of propagation who carry on the Daishonin’s work will appear now without fail…. In time without beginning, these great champions of propagation are Buddhas of absolute freedom embodying the oneness of parent and child; in the intermediate term of the assembly at Eagle Peak, they stood beside Bodhisattva Superior Practices as his atten-dants; and in the near term, during the Daishonin’s life-time, they were without a doubt people who made a profound vow of mentor and disciple. I am firmly convinced that these people will put the Daishonin’s prophecy into practice with their lives, will solidly vow to see to it that the original Buddha endowed with the three virtues of sovereign, teacher and parent does not become a Buddha whose prophecies are not fulfilled; and they will surely exert themselves in their practice with the spirit of not begrudging their lives.
The fact that the Soka Gakkai has emerged at this time [seven hundred years after the time of the Dai-shonin] is cause for great joy!
As a human being, there is no more honorable way of life, no life of greater good.
THE AGE OF THE BODHISATTVAS OF THE EARTH HAS ARRIVED!
Endo: As SGI members, each of us has been born with a tremendous mission. The “Supernatural Powers” chapter describes the activities of Bodhisattva Superior Practices as follows:
As the light of the sun and moon can banish all obscurity and gloom, so this person as he passes through the world can wipe out the darkness of living beings, causing immeasurable numbers of bodhisattvas in the end to dwell in the single vehicle. (LS2I, 276)
Japan and the world are today cloaked in an impenetrable dark-ness. I think that for precisely this reason, our time has now arrived.
Ikeda: That’s right. The deeper the darkness, the more brightly shines the Buddhism of the sun.
This is our chance to help countless people become truly happy. Kosen-rufu means enabling people “in the end to dwell in the single vehicle” (LS2I, 276) and to take faith in the Mystic Law.
In “The Record of the Orally Transmitted Teachings,” the Dai-shonin says, “‘in the end’ means kosen-rufu” (GZ, 772). For this reason, we were born in this world according to our own wishes.
We need to live out our lives to the fullest as we work to fulfill our mission.
When our hearts blaze with the spirit to exert ourselves
“bravely and vigorously” (LS2, 23), ageless and immortal vitality wells forth. “Bravely and vigorously” means immense courage.
“Exert” has two meanings: pure, in the sense of unsullied; and incessant, in the sense of continuous activity and unswerving advancement. The Daishonin says, “Nam-myoho-renge-kyo is the practice of’exerting’ oneself” (cz, 790).
We must never stop challenging ourselves; the “supernatural powers of the Thus Come One” are manifested through such faith. The Daishonin says, “If you exert a hundred million aeons of effort in a single moment of life, the three enlightened properties of the Buddha will appear within you at each moment” (GZ, 790). It comes down to exerting “a hundred million aeons of effort in each moment” – not just one or two years’ effort. This means wracking our brains and exerting ourselves wholeheartedly for kosen-rufu. This is what is meant by “as he passes through the world” (LS2I, 270). Those who take action in society are the Bodhisattvas of the Earth who have received the transmission of the “Supernatural Powers” chapter. They are people who, without putting on airs or adorning themselves, work tirelessly in the organization for kosen-rufu, that is, directly connected to Nichiren Daishonin.
Such people are more respectworthy than any dignitary or celebrity. They are the “emissaries of the Buddha” in the Latter Day of the Law. And they themselves are Buddhas.