True Compassion

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) VIEWPOINT

THE COMPASSION OF THE 'DEVADATTA' CHAPTER

By Emi Gwin, Los Angeles

The true compassion of Shakyamuni is revealed in the twelfth chapter of the Lotus Sutra, known as the Devadatta chapter. It describes how Devadatta, one of Shakyamuni's followers, turned against him, creating a serious obstacle to the spread of Buddhism. Yet because he was won over by good, he served to prove the potential enlightenment of all people.

Devadatta is thought to have been a half-brother or cousin of Shakyamuni and younger than he. He looked up to Shakyamuni and was one of his most devoted followers. Yet the attention he got for his devotion brought out his conceit, and he decided that he should be the head of Shakyamuni's order of believers, rather than Shakyamuni himself. Devadatta tried to convince Shakyamuni to pass the responsibility to him, but instead Shakyamuni rebuked him for his arrogance. Devadatta continued to plot, striving to win Shakyamuni's disciples over to his side, and even making several failed attempts on Shakyamuni's life. Through the struggles of Shakyamuni and his disciples to counteract Devadatta's scheming, Shakyamuni's good eventually prevailed over the evil of Devadatta. Devadatta was not allowed to stop the flow of the True Law, and Shakyamuni predicted his enlightenment. This was very significant, because previously, people of ill intent weren't thought to be capable of attaining Buddhahood. Because of this chapter, enlightenment was proven to be possible for everyone. I am particularly grateful for this chapter, because it also revealed for the first time that women could attain Buddhahood!

The Lotus Sutra states, The fact that I have attained impartial and correct enlightenment and can save living beings on a broad scale is all due to Devadatta who was a good friend (The Lotus Sutra, p. 184). A good friend? Devadatta doesn't seem like the kind of person I would normally think of as a good friend. Yet, without the evil role that Devadatta played, the Lotus Sutra would not be complete. In The Wisdom of the Lotus Sutra, vol. 3, SGI President Ikeda states: Buddhism is a contest, an endless struggle. Because Shakyamuni defeated Devadatta, Devadatta's evil helped prove Shakyamuni's good. On the other hand, had Shakyamuni been defeated by evil, then it certainly would not have been possible for him to call Devadatta a good friend (p. 82).


It is like the super hero and the villain in comic books. Look at Clark Kent, an ordinary guy who is a newspaper reporter. But when he sees injustice, or if evil is lurking in the shadows, his powers are revealed and he becomes Superman. Yet, without the opportunity to fight against evil, he would have no opportunity to fly or use his X-ray vision.

Only when defeated, Devadatta served as a function to prove that all people could attain enlightenment, even evil people. Yet, had he prevailed, Devadatta would have remained an evil friend, rather than a good one. President Ikeda goes on to say, If evil functions to reveal good, then evil in its entirety becomes good. This is truly the oneness of good and evil. But if evil is simply allowed to run its course, then it does not become good. Only when evil is thoroughly challenged and conquered does it become an entity of the oneness of good and evil. In that sense, the enlightenment of evil people presented in the 'Devadatta' chapter is great proof of the victory won by Shakyamuni (p. 83).

We can find this concept of the oneness of good and evil in our respective personal lives. When I was growing up, I used to speak with a stutter. I hated talking in front of people as many kids made fun of me, laughing and making jokes. This would always make me cry. All I wanted was to be accepted. As long as I stuttered, I knew the kids would tease me. This cruel behavior caused me to fight as hard as I could to get rid of my stutter. I spent hours each day working on my speech. I not only overcame my stutter, but because I experienced this great injustice early on in my life, I made the decision to devote my life to defending justice.

The experiences in life that show us injustice firsthand allow us to build a deep inner compassion. Nichiren Daishonin continuously faced grave injustice and evil. The more attacks that were made against him, the more enlightened he became. Because Nichiren Daishonin confronted these obstacles without retreating, he was able to deepen his compassion and inscribed the Dai-Gohonzon for all people. He wrote, There should be no discrimination among those who propagate the five characters of Myoho-renge-kyo in the Latter Day of the Law, be they men or women (The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, p. 385).

We can see the direct path from Shakyamuni, to Nichiren Daishonin and then to the SGI. This path has been built on the great desire to free those who are suffering. President Ikeda has been trying to illuminate for us what evil is, so that we can bring forth good. It is necessary to develop our own ability to discern good and evil. If we do not gain this capacity now, with President Ikeda's road map in front of us, then how will we be able to recognize it in the future? Only by recognizing negative functions will we be able to maintain the purity of Nichiren Daishonin's teachings and prevent them from being twisted to serve people with ill intent.

This article will be published in the June 14 issue of Seize the Day, the youth newspaper within the World Tribune.

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 excerpted speech was given on Feb. 2, 1993, in Miami.

RESPECT FOR THE CHILDREN OF THE BUDDHA

Nichiren Daishonin writes, These eight characters ['you should rise and greet him from afar, showing him the same respect you would a Buddha'] represent an essential theme of the entire Lotus Sutra (Gosho Zenshu, p. 781).

Respect the children of the Buddha; respect and cherish the practitioners who dedicate themselves to the widespread propagation of the Mystic Law as you would a Buddha! This basically sums up Shakyamuni's last words, or final testament. It is also the underlying spirit of the entire Lotus Sutra -- a spirit the Daishonin decreed to be he ultimate inheritance.

The true inheritors of the teaching are those who exert themselves to the utmost in its practice. Those who, more than anyone else, respect and treasure SGI members -- the present-day votaries of kosen-rufu -- may claim title to the ultimate inheritance.

On this point alone, it is obvious that High Priest Nikken Abe has not truly inherited the teaching from Nichiren Daishonin. The behavior of the Nichiren Shoshu priesthood is diametrically opposed to the Lotus Sutra and the Daishonin¡s writings.

In the 700 years since the founding of Nichiren Buddhism -- and indeed in Buddhism's entire history -- it is only with the appearance of the SGI that the Buddha's mandate of worldwide kosen-rufu is now becoming a reality. Far from treasuring us SGI members, the Nichiren Shoshu priests cruelly exploited us to the hilt, allowing their greed to run rampant; they tormented and bullied us and then callously disposed of us. It is all too clear that the current priesthood has inherited nothing from the Daishonin.

Details of their profligate ways have recently been featured in the Soka Gakkai youth paper, Soka Shimpo, confirming the priests of the Nichiren Shoshu priesthood to be animal[s] dressed in priestly robes (The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, p. 760).

They take the sincere offerings made by the children of the Buddha to the Mystic Law and the Daishonin and squander them on idle, pleasure-seeking pursuits. In light of the Gosho, it is evident that they are destroyers of Nichiren Buddhism, enemies of the Buddha and anything but its legitimate heirs.

The priests of Nichiren Shoshu despise the children of the Buddha; they hold human beings in contempt. The Daishonin, in contrast, teaches respect for the children of the Buddha and for all people. He espouses reverence and respect for the inherent Buddha nature of all human beings.

When this spirit of the Lotus Sutra -- that is, to respect others -- finally spreads and prevails, there is no doubt that true world peace will be achieved. Humankind will then be united, not by authoritarian power, military force or economic might but by the Law of life. Since the Law is eternal, the bonds that are formed on this basis will also be everlasting.

Consequently, in urging us to respect all people, the Daishonin also teaches us the secret, or key, to attaining world peace. We of the SGI are the only ones putting this ultimate inheritance into action. [My Dear Friends in America, pp. 237-38]

Fourteen in a series.


SOKA SPIRIT IN THE PUBLICATIONS

This section highlights articles published in the World Tribune and Living Buddhism related to the Soka Spirit movement.

June 7 World Tribuneÿ page 3: In his article Navigation Points for Our Eternal Journey, Greg Martin elaborates on the new Soka Gakkai bylaws, revised for the first time since Nichiren Shoshu's excommunication of the SGI and the Soka Gakkai. The preamble and first articles of the bylaws accompany the article.

June 7 World Tribuneÿ page 10: In this installment of Soka Spirit Q & A, Kryssi Staikidis explains why going on a Nichiren Shoshu pilgrimage to see the Dai-Gohonzon run counter to Nichiren Daishonin's intent.

June Living Buddhism, page 31: Shin Yatomi, SGI-USA study department vice leader, writes about what religious pilgrimage is and is not in the realm of Nichiren Buddhism, in his article A Journey of Faith Within: The Search for Happiness Outside Is The Cause of Unhappiness Inside.