SGI-USA Study Curriculum
Lectures on the Hoben and Juryo Chapters of the Lotus Sutra
by SGI President Daisaku Ikeda
A True Leader Brings People Joy
Shari-hotsu. Nyorai no. Shuju fun-betsu Gyo ses sho
ho. Gon-ji nyunan. Ekka shushin. Shari-hotsu. Shu yo gon
shi. Muryo muhen. Mi-zo-u-ho. Bus shitsu joju.
Shariputra, the Thus Come One knows how to make various
kinds of distinctions and to expound the teachings skillfully.
His words are soft and gentle and can delight the hearts
of the assembly.
Shariputra, to sum it up: the Buddha has fully realized
the Law that is limitless, boundless, never attained before.
(LS-2, 24)1
A leader is one who causes people to feel joy. The mission
of a leader is to encourage people and elevate their spirits.
A leader absolutely must not scold others. Nothing qualifies
a leader to castigate a friend.
The phrase "delight the hearts of the assembly"
indicates that Shakyamuni delights people and wins their
heartfelt understanding by means of "soft and gentle"
words.
Based on firm conviction and with true "soft and gentle"
words, a leader shows appreciation to everyone for their
efforts, makes them feel refreshed, puts their hearts at
ease, dispels their doubts and arouses their hopes and aspirations.
This is a leader's struggle. Those who pressure others or
drive them into a corner are disqualified as leaders and
are turning their backs on this passage.
In terms of its literal meaning, this passage of the "Expedient
Means" chapter describes Shakyamuni's preaching of
the pre-Lotus Sutra teachings. In other words, it refers
to how Shakyamuni expounded various teachings for people
of different capacities and with different worries and sufferings
in order to cause them to feel delight and guide them to
happiness.
For example, for those preoccupied with others' opinions
of them and who had lost sight of themselves, he taught
to "advance on your own like the horn of a rhinoceros."
On the other hand, he taught those caught up in their own
narrow way of thinking that "even fools will become
wise if they associate with and become close to good friends."
Also, Shakyamuni encouraged those suffering on account
of desire and greed to extinguish desires, and he directed
those leading hedonistic existences toward ascetic practices.
On the other hand, he admonished those carrying out extended
fasting or other extreme austerities to cease such painful
practices and instead pursue the Middle Way.
On the surface, these different teachings might seem contradictory.
But in every case, he taught people in accordance with their
situations how they could improve their lives; while "delighting
their hearts," he helped them advance. Shakyamuni's
spirit in every instance was the same. The pre-Lotus Sutra
teachings consist of the many teachings he expounded in
this manner.
On the foundation of these earlier teachings, in the Lotus
Sutra --irrespective of whether his listeners could readily
understand-- he expounds the Mystic Law, the teaching that
enables people fundamentally to become happy.
Because the Buddha expounded the Lotus Sutra "according
with his own mind," those hearing it could not readily
comprehend it. In fact, Shariputra was so incredulous when
he first heard the "Expedient Means" teaching
that all people can become Buddhas that he thought, "Is
this not a devil pretending to be the Buddha, trying to
vex and confuse my mind?" (LS-3, 50).
We cannot laugh at Shariputra. Hardly anyone, upon first
hearing of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, understands the greatness
of this Buddhism or feels genuine delight. In time, however,
all people can gain unsurpassed joy through this teaching.
They can attain the "greatest of all joys." In
that sense, the Mystic Law is the teaching that can truly
"delight the hearts of the assembly." From the
standpoint of Nichiren Daishonin's Buddhism this passage
means that through the benefit of the Gohonzon our lives
become filled with joy.
Even though we have faith, we cannot avoid painful, sad
or unpleasant things in the course of our life. Yet through
the principle "earthly desires are enlightenment,"
we can definitely manifest a state of "delight"
in our lives; this is the greatness of Nichiren Daishonin's
Buddhism. By advancing based on faith, we can definitely
change a life of suffering into a life of great joy.
Regarding the phrase, "delight the hearts of the assembly,"
Jose Toda, the second Soka Gakkai president, said:
When we practice faith in earnest for 10 years, our lives
become truly pure. Our skin, the look of our eyes, our actions
all become soft and pure, and yet come to possess a certain
dignity. This is the benefit of the Gohonzon. When this
happens we feel delight in our hearts; this is the meaning
of "delight the hearts of the assembly."
Since those who attain this state of life are always bright,
they cannot help but feel joy. Such people are happy and,
therefore, always smiling and cheerful; if they should go
into business, they are sure to prosper. That's because
others think, "If I'm going to buy the same item anyway,
then I might as well go and buy it from that person."
This is what "delight the hearts of the assembly"
means.
Pure joy abundantly wells forth from lives polished by
daimoku. People like those whom Mr. Toda describes are experts
at life who make friends even with suffering. While skillfully
keeping company with life's hardships, they can find cause
for delight in any situation whatsoever. They enjoy a truly
elevated state of life.
Nichiren Daishonin says, "Regard both suffering and
joy as facts of life and continue chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo"
(The Major Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, vol. 1, p. 161).
The central meaning is that we should regard suffering and
joy as inescapable facts of our existence.
Without hardships, life would be bland and colorless. People
learn from hard work; hard work provides nutrients needed
to cause the flower of joy to blossom. Suffering and joy
are like two sides of a coin. When we recognize this truth,
we manifest the true strength of the human being and the
true profundity of life.
The great Russian author Leo Tolstoy continually fought
against suffering. Even when he was excommunicated by the
ecclesiastical authorities, he contemplated events with
composure and poise. He retained his blazing single-minded
spirit of struggle. He reached the conclusion that he would
retain his creed of "rejoicing no matter what":
"Rejoice! Rejoice! One's life's work, one's mission
is a joy. Toward the sky, toward the sun, toward the stars,
toward the grasses, toward the trees, toward animals, toward
human beings- you may as well rejoice."2
We are training ourselves through faith to develop the
state of life in which we can change everything into joy.
The Strong Create Value Even from Obstacles
The Daishonin says: "The greater the hardships befalling
him [the votary of the Lotus Sutra in the Latter Day of
the Law], the greater the delight he feels, because of his
strong faith" (MW-1, 9); and "[When the three
obstacles and four devils appear] the wise will rejoice
while the foolish will retreat" (MW-2, 244 [288] ).3
Making up our minds that the greater our worries, the greater
our opportunity to develop our state of life, we should
advance with increasing joy and high spirits. While giving
friends peace of mind, let us endure all with bright smiles
on our faces and continue struggling. This is the conduct
of Buddhists. Such people lead lives that "delight
the hearts of the assembly" Let us live robustly.
There is a saying that "while a block of marble is
an obstacle to the weak, it becomes a steppingstone to the
strong."
Strong people make the most of obstacles. The stronger
we are, the more joyful our lives. It all comes down to
life force, spiritual energy. And these fundamentally derive
from the powers of faith and practice.
Commenting on the parable of the gem in the robe from the
standpoint of his Buddhism, Nichiren Daishonin explains
that the joy of the poor man when he discovers that he possesses
the priceless gem is "the great joy we experience when
we understand for the first time that our lives have from
the beginning been the Buddha. Nam-myoho-renge-kyo is the
greatest of all joys" (Gosho Zenshu, p. 788).
True happiness is inner happiness. We need to establish
an inner state of life that is not swayed by external conditions.
People these days tend to pursue momentary pleasures and
to regard outward display of wealth as equivalent to happiness.
Therefore, it is all the more important that we teach others
the wonder of life's inner happiness by manifesting in our
lives "the greatest of all joys."
Joy is contagious. Those who "delight the hearts of
the assembly" can change those around them into people
who also "delight the hearts of the assembly."
And those who make efforts to "delight the hearts of
the assembly" experience delight in their own hearts.
The SGI has the true capacity to "delight the hearts
of the assembly." It has the joy of life and the joy
of action; and because its activities are fundamentally
joyful, people gather. That the SGI is joyful is great proof
that Buddhism pulses vigorously in the SGI.
Shi shari-hotsu. Fu shu bu setsu. Sho-i sha ga. Bus
sho joju. Dai ichi ke-u. Nange shi ho.
But stop, Shariputra, I will say no more. Why? Because
what the Buddha has achieved is the rarest and most difficult-to-understand
Law. (LS-2, 24)
Become Preeminent by Practicing the Preeminent
Teaching
As I have already said, the "Expedient Means"
chapter is termed the "unsolicited and spontaneous
teaching." This is because the Buddha began expounding
on his own initiative, saying, "The wisdom of the Buddhas
is infinitely profound and immeasurable" (LS-2, 23),
and not in response to a question from someone else.
Up to this point, he has emphasized that the Buddha's wisdom
is beyond the ability of Shariputra and the other people
of the two vehicles to comprehend. Here, however, in order
to arouse a still stronger seeking mind, Shakyamuni tells
Shariputra, "I will say no more."
Live True to Yourself
Shakyamuni explains that he will preach no more, "Because
what the Buddha has achieved is the rarest and most difficult-to-understand
Law."
President Toda, smiling, commented on this passage as follows:
The Buddha began preaching the "Expedient Means"
chapter without any question having first been put to him.
Until this point, he has praised the Buddha's state of life
up and down; but now he says, "I'm not going to let
you hear any more." His listeners were no doubt taken
aback.
Out of the desire to enable his beloved disciples to attain
the supreme state of life, Shakyamuni utters the words of
strict compassion, "But stop, Shariputra."
As I have noted already, the mentor's wish is to enable
the disciples to attain the same state of life as he or
she has. That is the true way of the mentor. There is no
true mentor who goes out of his or her way to confuse and
obstruct the growth of disciples.
Shariputra, regarded as the foremost in wisdom among Shakyamuni's
disciples, listens to the preaching that follows and comes
to realize that the sole purpose of Buddhist practice is
to open up the world of Buddhahood in one's own life. Because
he received the strictness of the mentor, Shakyamuni, with
his whole being, Shariputra, the disciple, could develop
his state of life.
Further, from Shakyamuni's standpoint, it was because he
trusted Shariputra and his other disciples that he ventured
to begin preaching the true Law, the teaching that is difficult
to comprehend. If the mentor believed his disciples could
not grasp his true intention, he would not have begun expounding
it. With such feeble disciples, he could not even have scolded
their immature state of life. Under those circumstances,
he would have no choice but to expound teachings "according
with others' minds" that matched his disciples' state
of life.
On one level, the Lotus Sutra, and this scene in particular,
might be thought of as a spiritual drama that unfolds between
the mentor who begins to expound the truth and the disciples
who receive his teaching with their entire being.
From the standpoint of the Daishonin's Buddhism, this passage
indicates that the great Law of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo that
Nichiren Daishonin possesses is the "rarest" teaching,
and that it is beyond people's ability to comprehend with
their ordinary state of life .
The vast and boundless power of the Gohonzon cannot be
fathomed with a shallow state of life. It is foolish to
try to estimate or determine the power of the Gohonzon with
our minds. Such thinking betrays conceit When we practice,
summoning forth great power of faith, we can definitely
produce results in the form of inconspicuous and conspicuous
benefit. To the extent we are convinced of this, we can
expand our inner state of life.
The Mystic Law is the "rarest and most difficult-to-understand
Law."
Nichiren Daishonin says, "If the Law that one embraces
is supreme, then the person who embraces it must accordingly
be foremost among all others" (MW-5, 32). The lives
of those who embrace the supreme Law are supremely happy.
I want all of you to shine as the "foremost"
people on your respective stages of activity. Please lead
lives of brilliant proof of the supreme Law. This is what
it means to practice the "rarest and most difficult-to-understand
Law."
The SGI is a gathering of such foremost people. We should
not demean ourselves, saying such things as, "My capability
is so limited." Everyone has a mission that only he
or she can fulfill. President Toda said: "I want the
rear guard of the Soka Gakkai to be a rear guard that does
things beyond the ability of members of other societies.
I would like to develop an organization such that even the
weakest person in the Soka Gakkai is the strongest on the
outside."
Determining to shine as foremost people in our respective
fields of activity and to live in a manner true to ourselves,
let us fulfill our missions with dignity.
Notes:
- Ed. note: All quotations from the Lotus sutra are from:
The
Lotus Sutra, trans.. Burton Watson (New York: Columbia
university Press, 1993). For purposes of convenience,
all citations from this work will be given in the text
and abbreviated as follows: LS followed by the chapter
number, and then the page number.
- Translated from the Japanese: Leo Tolstoy, Torusutoi
no kotoba (Words of Tolstoy), trans. Fumihiko Konuma,
(Tokyo: Yoyoi Shobo 1970), p. 94.
- Ed. note: Quotes from volume 2 of the Major Writings
are from the second edition; the page number for the first
edition is given in brackets.
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