Enlightenment for All People

The Justice Chronicle, provided by Soka Gakkai International-USA, is a free monthly e-mail in support of the Soka Spirit movement. Soka Spirit is the SGI's educational effort to create value and deepen our understanding of Nichiren Buddhism through increased awareness of issues surrounding the Nichiren Shoshu priesthood and the spiritual foundation of the SGI movement.

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.

ENLIGHTENMENT FOR ALL PEOPLE

Ikeda: Jose Figueres Ferrer, the father of President Jose Maria Figueres Olsen of Costa Rica, is well-known for having abolished Costa Rica's military. Reportedly Mr. Figueres Ferrer's motto is lucha sin fin (endless struggle). He has used this motto since the days of his youth, even naming his farm Lucha Sin Fin.

Such a spirit is quite relevant for us as Buddhists. Buddhism is a teaching of endless struggle. The true aspect of life and society can be found in the eternal struggle between good and evil, between the nature of enlightenment and the nature of darkness, happiness and misery, peace and war, creation and destruction, harmony and turmoil. This is the true aspect of the universe. Therefore, the only path is that of struggle. The only alternative is to win. Consequently, another name for the Buddha is Victorious One.

Saito: Shakyamuni spent his entire life engaged in unceasing and arduous struggle. But it seems that many people -- perhaps because of the impression they were left with from seeing certain images of the Buddha and other relics -- envision Buddhism as a teaching of tranquillity and repose. In reality, Shakyamuni's life was full of intense turmoil. It was a succession of fierce struggles.

Ikeda: That's right. It was because of his great struggles that the Buddha cultivated a state of life as tranquil as a calm sea. No matter how much commotion there was around him, no one could upset the inner world he had constructed. His serene, dignified state of life, as the Buddha enlightened since the remote past, shone brilliantly in his heart at all times.

Suda: Of Shakyamuni's many great struggles, the most famous concerns his betrayal by Devadatta. Unlike persecutions coming from without, this incident arose from within the Buddhist community. It was all the more serious because the traitor had conspired with the ruler of the land, King Ajatashatru, to do away with Shakyamuni.

Endo: Devadatta truly represents the villain. He is known as raitorous Devadatta, and it would be difficult to find a person of comparable villainy.

Devadatta, the 12th chapter of the Lotus Sutra, explains that even this great scoundrel will attain Buddhahood. On the face of it, this seems a most peculiar doctrine.

Saito: In addition to the enlightenment of evil people, the Devadatta chapter explains the principle of the enlightenment of women because it chronicles the attainment of Buddhahood by the dragon king's daughter. In the pre-Lotus Sutra teachings, evildoers and women were described as incapable of becoming Buddhas.

In other words, it was a teaching that overturned the prevailing social ethos. This chapter gives dramatic expression to the Lotus Sutra's revelation that all people can attain Buddhahood.

Ikeda: Regarding the fifth volume of the Lotus Sutra, Nichiren Daishonin says, The fifth volume presents what is the heart and core of the entire sutra, the doctrine of attaining Buddhahood in one's present form (The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, p. 930).There are, of course, many other important chapters, but the Daishonin says that the Devadatta chapter represents the very heart and core of the entire sutra, suggesting that this chapter is the key to the principle of attaining Buddhahood in one's present form.

The spirit of the Lotus Sutra is to enable all people to become Buddhas. For ordinary people, the simple fact that one can attain Buddhahood is a matter of far keener importance than any doctrine.

The Devadatta chapter certainly offers a straightforward reply to that question. (The Wisdom of the Lotus Sutra, volume 3, pp. 68-70)

One in a series.

2) FROM MY DEAR FRIENDS IN AMERICA

This series contains excerpts of speeches SGI President Ikeda made in the United Statesÿ which relate to Soka Spirit and are contained in the book My Dear Friends in America.

This excerpt is from a speech given on Sept. 16, 1993, in Malibu, Calif.

TO SHARE THE LAW WITH ALL PEOPLE

Nichiren Daishonin's purpose in revealing the Gohonzon was to share with all people the heritage of the Law for becoming a Buddha, in other words, to enable them to attain enlightenment.

The Daishonin wrote: Nichiren has been trying to awaken all the people of Japan to faith in the Lotus Sutra so that they too can share the heritage and attain Buddhahood. But instead they persecuted me in various ways and finally had me banished to this island (The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, p. 217).

Twenty-sixth Nichiren Shoshu High Priest Nichikan also declared that when common mortals embrace the Gohonzon, their lives are transformed, just as they are, into the Buddha of limitless joy from time without beginning. This refers to the principle of the oneness of mentor and disciple.

Nichikan wrote: Everyone who receives and embraces this object of worship enters the way of the Buddha of time without beginning.... And we common mortals who have entered the way of this Buddha are entirely one with this Buddha of limitless joy. The Buddha of limitless joy is entirely one with us common mortals. How could this not indicate the oneness of mentor and disciple? (The Commentaries of Nichikan, p. 488).

The mission of followers of the Daishonin is to uphold the Gohonzon and to teach others about the Gohonzon and lead them to embrace faith so that they may attain Buddhahood. Nikko Shonin, the Daishonin's immediate successor, wrote, Until kosen-rufu is achieved, propagate the Law to the full extent of your ability without begrudging your life (Gosho Zenshu, 1618). This instruction is primarily addressed to priests. But in fact it is none other than the members of the SGI who are practicing without begrudging their lives to propagate the Gohonzon throughout the world in accord with Nikko Shonin's admonition.

Where within Nichiren Shoshu have we seen anyone practice with the spirit of not begrudging one's life? High Priest Nikken Abe himself has schemed to destroy the SGI and disrupt the flow of kosen-rufu.

The previous high priest of Nichiren Shoshu, Nittatsu, told the priests: Always remember that our believers are believers of the Daishonin. Our duty is simply to look after the believers and make it easier for them to pray to the Daishonin (Jan. 15, 1972). High Priest Nikken tried to usurp the believers of the Daishonin and make them believers of Nikken. This is a revolt against the original Buddha.

Nichiu, the 9th high priest, declared that when someone strays from the faith of the Daishonin, the heritage of the Law for attaining Buddhahood in this lifetime is severed.

In his treatise On the Formalities of True Buddhism, Nichiu wrote: When we remain true to the faith of the Daishonin, our bodies and minds are the bodies and minds of Myoho-renge-kyo, but when we stray from that faith, our bodies and minds are those of mere mortals, and as mere mortals, we cannot receive the heritage of the Law, which ensures the attainment of Buddhahood in our present form.

About this statement, the 59th high priest, Nichiko, said that when we deviate even in the slightest from faith as it is taught by Nichiren Daishonin and Nikko Shonin, falling into false faith that deviates from the Buddha's intent, we lose our claim to receive the heritage of the Law.

Nichiko wrote: When we do not deviate in the least from the faith of Nichiren Daishonin, the founder of true Buddhism, and Nikko Shonin, the founder of Taiseki-ji, we, as their followers, though possessing lives that are vulgar, evil and impure, will exhibit the truth, goodness and purity of Myoho-renge-kyo in body and mind.... However, when our faith deteriorates into impurity and becomes mistaken and confused, thereby straying from the Buddha's intent, the path of the water of the Law will be clogged, and only our inherent baseness will be manifest in our body and mind, thus disqualifying us from receiving the heritage of the Law for attaining Buddhahood in our present form.

High Priest Nikken has excommunicated the SGI, an organization of believers that, in accordance with the Buddha's mandate and decree, is dedicated to the advancement of kosen-rufu. He is an aberrant priest who rebels against the Buddha's will. He has, as a result, disqualified himself from receiving the heritage of the Law for the attainment of Buddhahood in one's present form, just as Nichiko stated. It goes without saying that High Priest Nikken has lost all qualifications to transcribe the Gohonzon and confer it upon anyone. I want to make this fact perfectly clear. (My Dear Friends in America, pp. 300-02)

Twenty in a series.