Discussion of the “Entrustment” Chapter (Chapter 22).
At that time Shakyamuni Buddha rose from his Dharma seat and, manifesting his great supernatural powers, with his right hand patted the heads of the immeasurable bodhisattvas and mahasattvas and spoke these words: “For immeasurable hun-dreds, thousands, ten thousands, millions of asamkhya kalpas I have practiced this hard-to-attain Law of anuttara-samyak-sambodhi. Now I entrust it to you. You must single-mindedly propagate this Law abroad, causing its benefits to spread far and wide.”
・・・
The multitude of bodhisattvas and mahasattvas repeated these words three times, raising their voices in unison and say-ing: “We will respectfully carry out all these things just as the World-Honored One has commanded. Therefore we beg the World-Honored One to have no concern on this account!”
IS22, 277-78)
Ikeda: The “Entrustment” chapter is a chapter of transmission.
“Transmission” here indicates succession: and succession defines the relationship of mentor and disciple. The “Entrustment” chapter could therefore also be termed the “Succession” chapter or the “Mentor and Disciple” chapter. It is the “Mentor and DisciPle of Kosen-rufu” chapter for accomplishing widespread propagation of the Law in the Latter Day. President Toda also felt this was a highly significant chapter.
Saito: The term entrustment in the chapter title comprises two Chinese characters. The first means “to commit or leave something to someone with confidence.”
The second means “something that is difficult or cumbersome.”
The Buddha is thus saying, in effect, “laborious though it may be, I leave the work of spreading the Law far and wide to you, my dis-ciples.”
Ikeda: From the standpoint of those who are entrusted, this is the chapter where disciples pledge to shoulder the hard work of propagating the Law. This defines the connection between mentor and disciple.
The mentor-disciple relationship is strict. Everything depends on how earnestly one can accept and act on even a single word of the mentor. A true disciple strives to actualize the mentors vision —not by mimicking the mentor but by putting into action what the mentor has taught.
This is something of a digression, but once, when we were staying at the Hanazono Inn in Osaka, President Toda abruptly said:
“I was just thinking, What if I were to die today?’ and ‘What if I were to become prime minister today?'” He was quite serious. I remember it was early in the morning.
At that time of day, people are usually thinking, “Is it time for breakfast yet?” or “T’d like to sleep just a little longer.” But Mr. Toda was engaged in earnest contemplation. From that time forward, I took everything President Toda said as food for serious thought.
Saito: To think, “What if I were to die today,” is to live with the spirit, “Now is the last moment of my life.”
Ikeda: The point is to have such faith that we can declare with utmost conviction, “Even if I were to die right now, I would attain Buddhahood.”
Of course, it is important that we live out our lives whole-heartedly, working for kosen-rufu and fulfilling our individual missions in this life. We should be confident that whenever we may die, even if at this very moment, we will have no regrets in our faith, we will know that we have really given it our best, and that our enlightenment is certain. Though we should not be arro-gant, such pride and conviction in faith are vital. This is how I took President Toda’s guidance.
Apart from faith, there is no way to attain Buddhahood in this present life; there is no way to experience the “greatest of all joys” (cz, 788). This is something we can savor only when we really exert ourselves for kosen-rufu — regardless of who may be watch-ing. It is important that we constantly keep watch over our own faith.
It is said that a person experiences 804,000 states of mind in a single day (cf. GZ, 471). The mind is constantly in a state of flux; 804,000 a day is a phenomenal rate of change! During that time, how much are we thinking about kosen-rufu? About the Gohon-zon? About the SGI or our fellow members? How much action did we take or not take?
The net balance of these determines our state of life. Faith is not a matter of formality. As Nichiren Daishonin writes, “The heart is most important.”
Endo: So our faith should not be lukewarm or formalistic but steadfast— informed by the awareness that “now is the last moment.”
keda: As for Mr. Toda’s other comment about becoming prime minister, as his disciple I believe he was talking about the importance of becoming trusted pillars in our own fields of endeavor and displaying freely our true strength and ability.
Buddhism is not a religion that exists for the sake of religion.
It exists for the sake of society and real life. Faith is the source of energy that enables us to guide society and our lives in the direc-
tion of hope.
For that reason, Mr. Toda was saying we must take action as leaders in all areas of society and show proof of our practice, causing people to say: “No wonder! That person practices Buddhism!” As leaders in the organization dedicated to kosen-rufu as well, we should become people appreciated for always lifting the spirits of others. In our broad struggle for kosen-rufu, it is important that we ask ourselves if we are becoming people who can say: “In this area, you can leave everything to me. Please rest assured.”
In effect, President Toda was saying: “Develop and perfect yourselves thoroughly in the realms of faith and your chosen field.” He was truly an insightful and wonderful teacher.
Saito: President Ikeda, I feel you have really lived these words of President Toda. The many meaningful dialogues with world leaders you have participated in as a private citizen are a source of inspiration to people of conscience everywhere.
Suda: The fact that you have received nearly sixty honorary doctorates and professorships from universities around the world is also remarkable.
Ikeda: My spirit is to always accept these honors on behalf of the first two Soka Gakkai presidents, Mr. Makiguchi and Mr. Toda.
They were both educators who died fighting for kosen-rufu.
Their good fortune flows to me and continues on; it passed from the first president to the second president and on to the third president. This is the oneness of mentor and disciple. This is humanity’s ultimate principle.
It is my fervent desire to share that fortune. President Toda’s spirit was the same.
THE GENERAL TRANSMISSION
Endo: To summarize the “Entrustment” chapter, after the “essen-tial transmission” to Bodhisattva Superior Practices in the preceding “Supernatural Powers” chapter, Shakyamuni rises and exhibits his great supernatural powers. He stands up and pats the heads of the countless bodhisattvas present, sayıng: “For immeas urable hundreds, thousands, ten thousands, millions of asamkhya kalpas I have practiced this hard-to-attain Law of anuttara-samyak-sambodhi. Now I entrust it to you. You must single-mind-edly propagate this Law abroad, causing its benefits to spread far and wide” (IS22, 277). This is repeated three times.
Saito: It’s interesting that he touches their heads.
Suda: As this chapter is about entrustment, it may be that in doing so he is urging them to do their best despite the difficulty of the task.
Ikeda: That may well be.
From his patting them on the head, we can also get a sense of someone encouraging a youngster, saying, “You’re a good child, so please do your best.”
Suda: Completely different from the transmission in the “Super-natural Powers” chapter, this is a gentle method of entrusting the teachings to the assembly, which now includes bodhisattvas of the theoretical teachings.
Endo: This is, after all, a general transmission to bodhisattvas of both the essential and theoretical teachings.
Saito: Shakyamuni must now accommodate the participants of even the lowest capacity.
Ikeda: Shakyamuni is strictest with the disciples whom he really trusts. He devotes himself wholeheartedly to their growth and leaves them everything.
President Toda said: “All those disciples with whom President Makiguchi was lenient gave up their faith and turned against him. Not once was I praised by Mr. Makiguchi. But I alone have remained and have carried on his teaching and succeeded him.”
I, likewise, received training from President Toda more strictly than anyone else. Day in and day out he made demands on me that could only be described as unreasonable. There were those disciples who felt that they enjoyed President Toda’s particular favor or received special treatment from him. That is all well and good, but the important thing is actualizing the mentor’s intent.
People who merely try to imitate their mentor in terms of appearance or manner tend to go astray. This was true in President Toda’s time, and it is true today. There is a unique path for each disciple, a path that lies solely in striving to actualize the mentor’s vision.
Going a little deeper, in patting his disciples on the head three times, Shakyamuni is exhorting them to put his thoughts, words and deeds-the three categories of action—into practice.
Saito: The “Record of the Orally Transmitted Teachings” says,
“The entrustment of the three pats symbolizes that the Buddha is entrusting to them the three categories of action, namely, actions of the body, mouth and mind; the three truths; and the three views or meditations made possible by the three truths” (GZ, 772).
Ikeda: The disciples perceive the three kinds of wisdom in their hearts by practicing the teaching of the mentor through their thoughts, words and deeds. In other words, they awaken to the infinite world of Buddhahood existing in their own lives.
Suda: So it comes down to action.
Ikeda: It’s a matter of propagation, of working for kosen-rufu.
When we exert ourselves for kosen-rufu in thought, word and deed, then everything turns into great benefit without fail. If we simply act like we are working for kosen-rufu, however, while harboring negativity in our hearts, we will erode our good fortune through our own attitude.
Endo: In the Sanskrit text of the sutra, instead of patting the bodhisattvas on the head with his right hand, Shakyamuni holds their right hands in his. In other words, he shakes their hands.
This is said to symbolize the idea that Shakyamuni, the mentor, does not have a closed fist; in other words, that he reveals all he knows without hiding anything.
Tkeda: Teachers of the Brahman caste derived their authority from
“secret transmissions” or “secret teachings.” I suppose that’s what is meant by having a “closed fist.” But Shakyamuni was different.
Declaring, “At the start I took a vow, / hoping to make all persons / equal to me, without any distinction between us” (LS2, 36), he taught his followers the highest secret teaching, the Mystic Law.
Saito: Buddhism is the first religion in human history to bring a universal message to all people. Before Buddhism, while religions might have communicated a secret teaching to a highly select group of people, there was never a teacher like Shakyamuni who sought to share his own enlightenment with all people.
Ikeda: Such teachings are indeed “closed-fisted.”
Suda: The Nichiren Shoshu priesthood, too, frequently refers to
“secret transmissions” and “lineage.” In that sense, they sound like the Brahmans!
Fundamentally there is no secret teaching more exalted than the Three Great Secret Laws. The transmision of the high priest ought to center on nothing other than the correct faith, practice and study of the Three Great Secret Laws.
Endo: To accomplish the widespread propagation of the Three Great Secret Laws 1s, after all, Nichiren Daishonin’s will and tes-tament. By rights, the high priest should take the lead in efforts for kosen-rutu, while bearing the brunt of attacks by the three powerful enemies. Nikko and Nichimoku, the second and third high priests, respectively, in fact did just that.
Just what kind of lineage is embodied by a high priest who not only fails to do this but who actively seeks to destroy the movement for kosen-rufu? Such a high priest is transmitting not a
“secret Law” but a “false Law.”
Saito: If he were to open his “clenched fist,” we would find him empty-handed!
Suda: Come to think of it, there’s a saying in India, “You cannot shake someone’s hand with a fist.” What it means is that peace can only be achieved through dialogue not brute force.
Ikeda: Shakyamuni did not conceal anything from his trusted dis-ciples. The “Entrustment” chapter demonstrates this yet again, for here he unbegrudgingly leaves them everything.
Saito: That’s true. It says: “The Thus Come One has great pity and compassion. He is in no way stingy or begrudging, nor has he any fear. He is able to bestow on living beings the wisdom of the Buddha, the wisdom of the Thus Come One, the wisdom that comes of itself. The Thus Come One is a great giver of gifts to all living beings” (IS22, 278).
Ikeda: He is a “great giver of gifts.” And he is generous. After all, there is no such thing as a stingy Buddha.
The Mystic Law is a cornucopia. It is the “wish-granting jewel” of the Buddha. It is the treasure of all treasures. And since the Buddha hands over this wonderful gift in its entirety, there is no greater generosity. Even so, he is hated, vilified and persecuted.
Suda: This is truly the evil age of the Latter Day.
Endo: I am reminded of the experience of Kiyomi Kumagai, who lived in the town of chinoseki, Iwate Prefecture. From the time she joined the Soka Gakkai in 1955, she enabled nearly 140 families to take faith in the Daishonin’s Buddhism. What motivated her to carry out such earnest propagation is quite interesting.
She began practicing when told by a physician that she had only three years left to live because of stomach ulcers and heart disease. In just six months, she regained splendid health and left her sickbed for good. She then reportedly told a fellow member,
“This faith is so wonderful, it’s too good to share with anyone!” The member then admonished her, saying: “What are you talking about? Do you mean to tell me that as long as you’re OK, it doesn’t matter what becomes of other people? Someone so lacking in compassion is no member of the Soka Gakkai!” Completely taken aback by these words, Ms. Kumagai determined to tell as many people about Nichiren Daishonin’s Buddhism as possible.
Because of her absolute confidence in the Gohonzon and the care with which she looked after others, the people she introduced to the practice did not abandon their faith, and many in fact became leaders. There was just one person of whom she lost track, and to the end of her life, Ms. Kumagai remained concerned about what had become of the person. What a remarkable achievement!
Her children followed in her footsteps. Among them, they have helped nearly fifty families begin practicing Buddhism.
She died peacefully surrounded by many friends and well-wishers.
Ikeda: Ms. Kumagai is well-known; she worked earnestly for kosen-rufu. There are many such uncrowned kings and queens in the SGI. There is no world more noble than this.
THE BUDDHA FULLY REVEALS HIS “SECRET”
Suda: Nichiren Daishonin says that if Shakyamuni had not expounded the Lotus Sutra, he would have been guilty of the “treasures of the storehouse”— the economy—will not improve the economic situation. Things may improve for a while, but this will ultimately not contribute to the welfare of society.
It is people, it is the heart, that matter most. The heart determines everything. Shakyamuni was the great giver of gifts, but propagation of the Mystic Law is to give people the ultimate treasures of the heart. When we possess treasures of the heart, when our lives overflow with good fortune and wisdom, we are naturally endowed with abundant treasures of the body and treasures of the storehouse.
Saito: I think this is the most important point to be aware of for the twenty-first century.
Ikeda: What is left when our lives end? It is the memories that we have engraved in our hearts and minds.
I met the Russian novelist Mikhail Sholokhov when I visited Moscow in 1974. He told me: “The longer we live, the more dit-ficult it becomes to remember the painful experiences. As time passes, the colors of the events in our lives fade and everything from the happiest times to the saddest starts to disappear from memory.”
After taking in a breath, with a big smile he continued: “When you turn seventy, Mr. Ikeda, you will know that what I am saying is the truth.” His words conveyed a wealth of feeling.
Everything passes. Both the soaring joys and crushing sorrows fade away like a dream. However, the memory of having lived one’s life to the fullest never disappears. The memories of having worked wholeheartedly for kosen-rufu in particular are eternal.
“In my lifetime, how many people have I helped become happy? How many people can say that it is because of me that they know true happiness?” In the end, is this not all that remains?
The Daishonin says, “Single-mindedly chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo and urge others to do the same; that will remain as the only memory of your present life in this human world” (WND, 64).
I think this could be taken as the conclusion to President Todas remark, “What if I were to die today?”