SGI-USA Study Curriculum
Lectures on the Hoben and Juryo Chapters of the Lotus Sutra
by SGI President Daisaku Ikeda
The Buddha's Great Vow To Lead All People to Happiness
Mai ji sa ze nen. I ga ryo shujo. Toku nyu
mu-jo do. Soku joju busshin.
At all times I think to myself:
How can I cause living beings
to gain entry into the unsurpassed way
and quickly acquire the body of a Buddha? (LS16, 232)
Concluding Words of the 'Life Span'
Chapter
This passage clarifies the Buddha's eternal determination,
his great wish from time without beginning. The Buddha yearns
for only one thing: to help people gain unsurpassed happiness.
This, Shakyamuni says, is his constant thought.
With crystal-clear clarity of thought and intent, the Buddha
envisions the path that people need to follow to attain
this happiness. And he points people in this direction,
saying, "Go forward along this path."
Reading this passage, we sense that the wondrous, direct
path to a state of boundlessly expanding happiness has at
last come into view, illuminated by the sunlight of the
Buddha's compassion.
These resounding, merciful words conclude the jigage, as
well as the entire "Life Span of the Thus Come One"
(16th) chapter of the Lotus Sutra. It is a soulful passage,
an appropriate conclusion to the epic poem for the salvation
of humankind that crystallizes the heart of the Lotus Sutra
and the spirit of Shakyamuni.
Nichiren Daishonin speaks of the "compassionate vow
of the Buddha, whose 'constant thought' is of our salvation"
(The Major Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, vol. 5, p. 33).
This "constant thought," this "vow,"
constitutes the essential entity of the eternal Buddha.
The eternity of the Buddha's life is inseparable from this
great vow.
The Buddha appears in this world because of this great
vow. In the "Expedient Means" (2nd) chapter, this
is referred to as the "one great reason [for which
the Buddhas appear in the world]" (LS2, 31). And the
Buddha enters extinction as an expedient means because of
this great vow. This is indicated by the line in the "Life
Span" chapter that reads, "as an expedient means
I appear to enter nirvana" (LS 16, 229).
Both the Buddha's appearance and extinction accord with
this great vow. Both the Buddha's birth and death are incorporated
in this "constant thought." Nichiren Daishonin
says, "The two phenomena of birth and death are both
the mystic workings of the single mind" (Gosho Zenshu,
p. 717). The concluding lines of the jigage clarify the
substance of this "single mind."
Regarding the Buddha's thought, as in the phrase "At
all times I think to myself," the Daishonin says, "It
is the single thought or ichinen that the Buddhas and all
other beings originally possess" (Gosho Zenshu, p.
1368).
"I want to become happy and for everyone else to become
happy, too." This is the original mind, the pure wish,
functioning in the depths of life since time without beginning.
Those who totally embrace this spirit are Buddhas. Because
it is the Buddha's all-encompassing wish, it is the great
vow.
Nichiren Daishonin, the Buddha of the Latter Day of the
Law, lived his life according to this vow. The people's
happiness was always the Daishonin's sole concern. In his
epochal treatise the "Rissho Ankoku Ron," the
Daishonin begins by depicting the miserable conditions of
the people, who were suffering from one calamity after another.
The Daishonin's gaze was always fixed on the people. In
this writing he called out to Hojo Tokiyori, the most powerful
person in the country, inviting him to join in considering
what could be done to alleviate the people's sufferings.
Whether warmly encouraging a hapless believer or strictly
admonishing the country's rulers, the Daishonin's spirit
was always focused on the happiness of the people. He writes
"From the time that I was born until today, I, Nichiren,
have never known a moment's ease; I have thought only of
propagating the daimoku of the Lotus Sutra" (MW-2,
257 [305]). His life was a succession of hardships he willingly
took on for the people's happiness. This is what the Daishonin
was "at all times thinking to himself" in the
depths of his. life. Living for the great vow of accomplishing
kosen-rufu means basing one's life on the Buddha's eternal
determination. "At all times" does not mean only
in this lifetime. The Daishonin says, "'At all times'
means eternally over the three existences" (Gosho Zenshu,
p. 840). Josei Toda, the second Soka Gakkai president, said:
"'At all times' means over past, present and future.
'At all times I think to myself' indicates Nichiren Daishonin's
constant prayer --- since the remote past of kuon ganjo
--- for the salvation of all of us. This is a very important
passage."
The pulse of the Buddha's constant thought can be found
only in the life-to-life bonds of mentor and disciple. That's
why the Daishonin called upon his disciples to cherish the
same great desire he did. "My disciples," he urges
them, "dedicate your lives to accomplishing the Buddha's
great vow. Maintain the spirit of oneness of mentor and
disciple."
He encourages us to dedicate our lives to the Lotus Sutra,
saying, "Think of this offering as a drop of dew rejoining
the ocean or a speck of dust returning to the earth"
(MW-1, 251). When we base ourselves on this great wish,
our own lives, which might seem as light and insubstantial
as a drop of dew or speck of dust, become in actuality one
with the eternal life of the Buddha, as immense and formidable
as the ocean or earth.
The path of oneness of mentor and disciple, which in practice
means basing ourselves on the same wish as the Buddha, is
the very essence of Buddhism.
May 3, 1951, the day Josei Toda became Soka Gakkai president,
was an unforgettable day for me --- it was then that the
eternal bond of mentor and disciple was formed. On that
day, a new structure for the Gakkai organization was announced.
The headline in the Seikyo Shimbun reported, "A New
Organization To Lead All People to Happiness." To work
for the happiness of all people --- this was President Toda's
spirit.
At the time, there was a membership of several thousand.
Society was still very confused in the aftermath of the
war, and the Soka Gakkai was by and large a gathering of
people who were hard-pressed financially. But Mr. Toda's
impassioned appeal upon becoming president, like the roar
of a lion, lit the flame in each person's heart of yearning
to lead all people to happiness.
And so, while practicing with the spirit of "faith
expresses itself in society" and "faith equals
daily life," we embarked on the journey to become a
religion for all humankind. In the brief span of several
decades, we have constructed an unprecedented foundation
for world kosen-rufu. We have sown the seeds of happiness
in the hearts of people the world over. Who could have foreseen
this? In the popular history of the era, this certainly
qualifies as the "miracle of the 20th century."
Everyone was in earnest, giving it their all. They fought
with the resolve that they would definitely accomplish the
Daishonin's will for kosen-rufu.
The Gosho says that the phrase "I think to myself,"
in "at all times I think to myself," "refers
specifically to Shakyamuni Buddha, and in a more general
way to the [beings of the] ten worlds" (Gosho Zenshu,
p. 758). In this latter sense, "I think to myself"
refers to us. The thoughts of those who at all times "think
to themselves'? of kosen-rufu, are at one with the immensely
compassionate thoughts of the Daishonin.
Advancing along the same "unsurpassed way" as
the Buddha means sharing the Buddha's "constant thought"
for all people to attain enlightenment. "Unsurpassed
way" is in contrast to "limited way." It
signifies a way of life based on supreme philosophy and
imbued with supreme happiness.
The "Record of the Orally Transmitted Teachings"
says:
The term "unsurpassed way" refers to the Buddha
eternally endowed with the three enlightened properties,
who is revealed in the "Life Span" chapter. Outside
of this, there is no other "body of the Buddha"
to be acquired.
Now Nichiren and his followers who chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo
will without doubt "acquire the body of a Buddha."
(Gosho Zenshu, p. 759)
The Daishonin thus declares that those who chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo
are certain to "quickly acquire the body of a Buddha."
That is, they will become Buddhas possessing the three enlightened
properties and acquire the body of a Buddha. "Quickly"
means that we will do so just as we are --- as ordinary
people. This is because the three enlightened properties
are inherent in our lives.
The Buddha, in other words, is telling people: "Become
happy ! " He promises the happiness of all humankind.
The gate to true happiness has been opened for all. And
it is through faith that one can enter this gate. Nothing
delighted President Toda more than hearing members' experiences
of benefit. Whenever he heard someone's happy experience,
he would call out to those nearby: "I hope you will
further solidify your faith so that we can hear many more
such delightful testimonials. That is my sole wish. I desire
nothing but for all of you to become truly happy."
"As president, I stand up together with you out of
the desire to help all people become happy. That is my sole
wish."
My spirit is the same. This is why it is the important
duty of the Buddha's children to stand up to those with
evil intentions who seek to obstruct the path to people's
happiness. Thirty-eight years have now passed since March
16, 1958, the historic youth division ceremony at which
President Toda passed on the responsibility for achieving
kosen-rufu to his young successors. President Toda's final
guidance was: "Fight resolutely against evil.... You
must never let up in your struggle against evil."
Needless to say, those who fight for the people's happiness
with the same spirit as the Buddha, who fight to crush the
forces seeking to obstruct their happiness, are certainly
emissaries of the Buddha and the Buddha's children.
Carrying out the practice of "At all times I think
to myself: / How can I cause living beings / to gain entry
into the unsurpassed way / and quickly acquire the body
of a Buddha?" is the vow of the Buddha and the determination
of the Buddha's disciples. If we always make the people's
happiness our goal, the SGI will continue to flourish eternally.
On the Silent Prayers
At the close of these lectures, I would like to touch upon
the silent prayers that we offer during gongyo.
Silent prayers are offered in the heart. Accordingly, even
though we may read their words, it is what we are actually
thinking --- the thoughts occurring to us --- that become
our prayers.
President Toda said: Since we are human, it is only natural
that various thoughts will occur to us while we are chanting
daimoku. But if we chant earnestly, then gradually we will
become able to focus entirely on the Gohonzon. If we chant
with an earnest frame of mind, our various worries about
our daily lives will be resolved. At that time, for example,
the complaints of a spouse will sound as soothing as a lullaby.
But let's be careful when offering silent prayers. The
thoughts in our heart are clearly expressed to the Gohonzon.
If during the silent prayers we think, "That fellow's
a real rascal," then even though we may be reading
the silent prayer's words, it is the thought in our heart,
"He's a real rascal, that becomes our prayer to the
Gohonzon.
Offering the silent prayers properly is a decisive struggle.
The prayers that someone offers reflect his or her life
state. Prayers have to be concrete, and they must be earnest
and made with determination.
Whether chanting daimoku or offering silent prayers, the
most important thing is to pray with a resolute mind. Prayers
should not be abstract. The Buddhas and Buddhist gods respond
to earnest strong prayers arising from the very depths of
one's life.
Toward the Jubilant Morning of the
'Soka Century'
For nearly a year, I have been lecturing on the "Expedient
Means" and "Life Span" chapters, which clarify
the very essence of the Lotus Sutra, the scripture of humankind.
In my heart, I see President Toda discussing the essence
of Buddhism while calmly taking in the storms of society.
Mentor and disciple are always together. "Today, once
again, I can fight! Today, once again, I can advance kosen-rufu!"
--- I start out each day with this sense of elation. In
my heart, I greet President Toda, and begin an all-out struggle.
For me, every day is like a jubilant morning.
The long march to the "century of life," the
"Soka century," now begins in earnest. Based on
my practice of gongyo and chanting daimoku, together with
friends and comrades throughout the world, I will continue
to fight vigorously still with the spirit of the rising
sun.
As we have learned thus far, we who recite the Mystic Law
dwell in the eternal dimension of the three existences,
the dimension of all humankind and the entire world. And
with a grand spirit, we advance surefootedly through the
realities of our lives. This is our path.
How fortunate we are to live embraced in the eternal song
of the Mystic Law that pervades the universe! I pray deeply
for the long lives, health, glory and happiness of all of
you noble friends who have "emerged from the Earth."
With this, I will conclude this series.
As champions of the Soka spirit, let us advance joyfully
and cheerfully toward May 3, 2005! Together, let us turn
our gaze toward the century about to dawn!
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