Buddha Nature Exists Even within Evils

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1) FROM THE WISDOM OF THE LOTUS SUTRA

This excerpt is from SGI President Ikeda's collection of dialogues with Katsuji Saito, Takanori Endo and Haruo Suda entitled, The Wisdom of the Lotus Sutra. The following excerpt is from volume 3, part 2, on the Devadatta chapter of the Lotus Sutra. Devadatta was a follower of Shakyamuni, thought to be his half-brother, who started his own order.

THE BUDDHA NATURE EXISTS EVEN WITHIN THE LIVES OF EVIL PEOPLE

Endo: Those who heard the Devadatta chapter the first time it was expounded must have been rather startled.

Suda: Even if he had made sincere penance for his evil deeds, the idea of the supremely evil Devadatta receiving a prophecy of enlightenment would have been utterly unthinkable in the pre-Lotus Sutra teachings.

Saito: Shakyamuni expounded the principle of the true entity of all phenomena in the Expedient Means chapter; so, theoretically, people must have had a sense of the doctrine of the mutual possession of the Ten Worlds. Still, it may be that even Shariputra, known as the foremost in wisdom, did not realize that this doctrine meant that evil people and women could attain enlightenment.

Ikeda: That's right. Later in the Devadatta chapter it is revealed that Shariputra has a streak of obstinacy that prevents him from believing that women can attain Buddhahood. It's often the case that even if we understand something theoretically, our lives are still dominated by darkness. Therefore, it is important to have a practice for polishing our lives.

Endo: Fundamentally, all people can equally attain Buddhahood. Since that is the spirit of the entire Lotus Sutra, it would be a contradiction if Devadatta were excluded. Rather, in terms of the spirit of the Lotus Sutra, it can be said that the prediction of enlightenment for Devadatta is necessary. Nichiren Daishonin explains that the prophecy of enlightenment for Devadatta indicates that the world of hell also contains Buddhahood (The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, p. 357).

Saito: It occurs to me that since everyone has in his or her life an evil nature as heinous as Devadatta's, if it were the case that those with evil in their lives could not attain Buddhahood, it would mean that no one could. In other words, whether evil people can attain Buddhahood is not only an issue of concern for evil people; it in fact concerns all people. This is analogous to the principle we earlier discussed in connection with the enlightenment of the people of the two vehicles, i.e., voice-hearers and cause-awakened ones.

Ikeda: The doctrine of the mutual possession of the Ten Worlds indicates that evil exists even within the life of the Buddha, and that the Buddha nature exists even within the lives of evil people. This is indicated directly by Devadatta's attainment of Buddhahood. It could be said, therefore, that if Devadatta's attainment of enlightenment had not been expounded, the Lotus Sutra would not be complete.

Endo: It's easy to understand the narrow view that the Buddha should be the polar opposite of evil, someone who has completely eradicated evil from his life. But real people have an evil nature, and it cannot be completely eradicated. Therefore, if a Buddha were entirely free of evil, then the Buddha would simply be an abstract being, a myth, making it impossible for any ordinary person to actually become a Buddha.

The Daishonin indicates this when he says, The fact is that before the Lotus Sutra there were only provisional Buddhas. There are no cases of real people becoming Buddhas (Gosho Zenshu, p. 403).

Ikeda: Because the doctrine of three thousand realms in a single moment of life had not yet been revealed, the pre-Lotus Sutra teachings, even where they talk about people attaining Buddhahood, are empty words; they are all talk and no substance. The Lotus Sutra, however, is not an abstract doctrine. It has the power to actually remove the blade of suffering from people's lives and lead them to happiness. The entity of the Law of the Lotus Sutra, which is the fundamental power to help people attain Buddhahood, is Nam-myoho-renge-kyo.

Eleven in a series.

2) THE LAW OF CAUSE AND EFFECT IS STRICT

This is an excerpt from a speech by SGI President Ikeda, given at the 25th Soka Gakkai Headquarters Leaders Meeting, held at the Tokyo Makiguchi Memorial Hall in Hachioji, Tokyo, on Aug. 27, 1998. It originally appeared in the Sept. 25, 1998, issue of the World Tribune.

THE FATE OF DESPOTS

In his well-known writing On the Buddha's Behavior, Nichiren Daishonin writes: The destiny of Japan depends solely upon me. A house without pillars collapses and a person without a soul is dead. Nichiren is the soul of the people of Japan (Gosho Zenshu, p. 919). Citing these words [in February 1957], Second Soka Gakkai President Josei Toda declared: Today the Soka Gakkai is propagating the Gohonzon of Nichiren Daishonin throughout Japan. Were the Soka Gakkai to be destroyed, it would mean the end to true prosperity for the country. The Soka Gakkai is pillar and the eyes of Japan. It is no exaggeration to say that the destiny of Japan quite clearly now depends on the Soka Gakkai.

There was a ruthless, powerful official who sought to ruin and eliminate the Daishonin, the pillar and soul of Japan. This was none other than Hei no Saemon. What was the fate of this despot? I have spoken about this subject many times, but I would like to touch on it again today to reaffirm some key points in order to provide a clear insight on the present situation in Japan and the future.

Hei no Saemon-no-jo Yoritsuna wielded staggering power. With military, police and administrative affairs under his complete command, he was the effective ruler of the Kamakura military government. He used terror to rule the land. But ultimately this tyrant came to an abrupt and pitiful end.

In April 1293, 14 years after the Atsuhara Persecution, Hei no Saemon was betrayed by, of all people, his own son Munetsuna, who accused him of plotting a revolt against the government. Family infighting seems to have been behind Munetsuna's actions. Within a short time of the accusation, government forces surrounded Hei no Saemon's residence -- the very same compound where the three martyrs of Atsuhara had been tortured and executed many years earlier. A little while later, Hei no Saemon and his younger son Sukemune died wretched deaths. Sukemune, who had at one time terrorized and harassed the peasants of Atsuhara by indiscriminately firing arrows on them, experienced hellish suffering in his final moments. Furthermore, all of Hei no Saemon's relatives and retainers -- his entire clan which had once boasted such prestige and prosperity -- were slaughtered at one stroke by the authorities as well. Munetsuna, meanwhile, who had betrayed his father, was exiled to Sado Island. Hei no Saemon's entire line was wiped out.

The causal law of life is uncompromising. Discussing the strictness of the Buddhist Law, the Daishonin's successor, Nikko Shonin, says of the destruction of Hei no Saemon's clan: This is not an ordinary occurrence. They have incurred the actual punishment of the Lotus Sutra [the Mystic Law].

These developments took place in the 12th year after the Daishonin's death. Nikko Shonin was 48, and his successor Nichimoku Shonin was 34 [according to the old traditional way of counting age]. This defeat of the enemies of the Buddha is surely the solemn fruit of the tenacious struggle for the Law by the second and third high priests Nikko Shonin and Nichimoku Shonin, loyal disciples of the Daishonin who fought with the same spirit as their mentor.

One in a series.