the wisdom of the lotus sutra-chapter twenty-six

7/24/2019 The Wisdom of the Lotus Sutra-Chapter Twenty-Six

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The Wisdom Of The Lotus Sutra

Chapter Twenty-Six

Kosen-Rufu Is the Ultimate Path in Life

At that time the bodhisattvaInexhaustible Intent immediately rosefrom his seat, bared his right shoulder,pressed his palms together and, facingthe Buddha, spoke these words: "World!onored ne, this Bodhisattva #erceiverof the World$s %oundswhy is he called#erceiver of the World$s %ounds&" 'he

Buddha said to Bodhisattva InexhaustibleIntent: "(ood man, suppose there areimmeasurable hundreds, thousands, tenthousands, millions of living beings whoare undergoing various trials andsu)ering* If they hear of this bodhisattva#erceiver of the World$s %ounds andsinglemindedly call his name, then atonce he will perceive the sound of theirvoices and they will all gain deliverancefrom their trials* +%-., -/0//1 234

Ikeda: Incidentally, do you suppose Bodhisattva #erceiver ofthe World$s %ounds is a woman or a man&%uda: utwardly, there is every indication that thisbodhisattva is a woman* 'here are even statues of thebodhisattva holding a baby*5ndo: But there aren$t many references to Buddhas orbodhisattvas who are women in the sutras* 'hey are usuallymale* 'hat$s because ancient India was a maledominatedsociety*Also, if you closely examine an image of Bodhisattva #erceiver

of the World$s %ounds, you will 6nd that it has hair around themouth, which is a masculine characteristic* 7urthermore, thebodhisattva$s name in %anskrit +Avalokitesvara1 is a malename*%uda: 'here are some who argue that, in exhibiting bothfemale and male 8ualities, the bodhisattva transcendssexuality*

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%aito: According to the Buddhologist 9r* utaka Iwamoto, whotaught at %oka ;niversity in 'okyo, while #erceiver of theWorld$s %ounds was originally a goddess in Indian mythology,the bodhisattva took on a male form when inducted intoBuddhism*

Ikeda: 'hat seems to be the case* I guess that settled it< 'heoriginal Indian goddess was probably associated with the socalled (reat =other or 5arth (oddess*%aito: %o it appears*Ikeda: >ust as the "mother earth" sustains, nourishes andfosters all living beings, #erceiver of the World$s %oundsrepresents the compassion to lead all people to happiness*%aito: 'hat$s right* %cholars tracing the bodhisattva$s originssuggest connections with the #ersian goddess Anahita, andwith fertility and water deities*%uda: 'he origins of life can certainly be traced to water as

well as to the earth*5ndo: ?ome to think of it, there are statues of #erceiver of theWorld$s %ounds that depict the bodhisattva holding a water @ar*Ikeda: 'his bodhisattva is said to freely manifest "thirtythreebodies +forms1" or states of existence* 'his is analogous to theway that water naturally assumes the shape of any vessel intowhich it is poured* Waterlifeis not static it is essentially"nonsubstantial*"2-4

elief in Per!ei"er of the World#s Sounds and

the Cult of $ary Ikeda: %o Bodhisattva #erceiver of the World$s %ounds can takethe form of either a man or a woman* =oreover, the secret ofthe bodhisattva$s popularity lies in the fact that it has retainedthe original characteristics of a goddess*In the conclusion of 7aust, (oethe says: "Woman, eternally, shows us the way*" 2C4 'his points to a common humanityshared by 5ast and West*%uda: It seems to me that worship of the Dirgin =ary in?hristianity has much in common with faith in #erceiver of the

World$s %ounds*Ikeda: 'hat$s right* #eople tend to pray to =ary about theirimmediate hopes and aspirations*%uda: es, they pray for such things as recovery from illness,easy childbirth and a peaceful death*5ndo: While belief in >esus is the main pillar of ?hristianity, itmight be that many ?hristians 6nd =ary more approachable*

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%uda: %ome say that =ary is like a bridge between theabsolute world of divinity and the world of human beings* Itseems that it is believed that no matter how great the sinsomeone has committed, if he or she o)ers sincere prayer,then =ary will @oin the person in praying to (od without

passing @udgment*%aito: %he is like a gentle mother who stands by her delin8uentchild as the child apologiEes to its father for misbehaving*Ikeda: =others are great* ?hildren feel absolutely secure whenembraced by their mother* 7athers, on the other hand, are nomatch for mothers, as their embrace sometimes leads to moretears*%cholars of religion suggest that faith in =ary reFects belief inthe 5arth (oddess* !owever, according to >ungian research inthe area of depth psychology, in addition to the positiveaspects of giving birth, nourishing and embracing, the (reat

=other also tends to hold her children too tightly, andsometimes devours them* 'his latter aspect might becomparable to the function of the demon goddess Gishimo@in+=other of 9emon ?hildren1 in Buddhism who killed the babiesof others to feed her own children* It$s interesting to note thatthis idea of the "eternal feminine," as indicated by (oethe,manifests in dramatically di)erent ways depending on whetherthe aspect of #erceiver of the World$s %ound or that ofGishimo@in is revealed*%uda: When believers grow dependent on a comfortable way of faith, it can be called nothing more than infantile regression*

ne researcher on the cult of =ary has pointed out that pastimages of =ary as a fragile girl have in more recent times beenreplaced by images of an adult woman exuding selfcon6denceand dignity* At the same time, the scholar notes, believershave regressed to a childlike state* %he writes: "'hey gathertogether within the mantle of the holy mother like baby chicks,and simply intone prayers with their rosaries and await amiracle, creating a relationship based solely onsentimentality*" 2H4Ikeda: 'he compound proper name "=ary #erceiver of theWorld$s %ounds" +=aria Gannon1 dramatically shows the

similarity of belief in #erceiver of the World$s %ounds to thecult of =ary*When ?hristians in >apan were forced to practice their faith insecret 2during much of the 3th, 30th and 3/th centuries4, it issaid that they would conceal their faith in =ary by praying to#erceiver of the World$s %ounds as a kind of surrogate*In any event, history seems to show that faith in both#erceiver of the World$s %ounds and =ary developed and

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spread not because they were promoted by clergy, but as aresult of the people$s own desire*%aito: I think that one reason Bodhisattva #erceiver of theWorld$s %ounds was included in the otus %utra is becausethere was already an Indian goddess who corresponded to the

original form of #erceiver of the World$s %ounds, and who wasbroadly popular at the time*Ikeda: It$s interesting that a goddess which people at the timebelieved in and treasured was actively inducted into andbrought to life in the otus %utra* 'hat itself is an expressionof the compassion to "perceive the world$s sounds*" Buddhismdoes not exist divorced from the realities of the age and thepeople*%aito: I think that the clear promise of bene6t in the presentlife in the "#erceiver of the World$s %ounds" chapter conveysthis same spirit*

Ikeda: Jeality is reality, and theory is theory* ife is reality* 'hefocus of Buddhism is on the here and now we practice faith inorder to win now*'he %aha world is itself the and of 5ternally 'ran8uil ight* 'oescape from reality is not the spirit of the otus %utra* 'heotus %utra is a teaching of how to make our reality ideal* AsKichiren 9aishonin says, Buddhism "primarily concerns itselfwith victory or defeat" +=WC, --/1* %ome might think itshallow to speak of attaining "bene6t in the present life," but Ibelieve a religion, which does not enable people to transformtheir lives, is powerless* 'he =ystic aw exists so that we may

en@oy "peace and security in the present existence" and "goodcircumstances in future existences*" +cf* %., //1 ?reatingvalue in daily life is the heart of the otus %utra*

% World Reli&ion $ust 'na(le People to )ainenefit in the Present

5ndo: ou once mentioned this in a speech, #resident Ikeda,but #rof* >an Dan Bragt of KanEan ;niversity in >apan, arguesthat a true world religion must serve society$s needs, have the

ability to inFuence society and contribute to world peace, bethoroughly humanistic, and respond to people$s expectationsfor attaining bene6t in this lifetime*Ikeda: Jeality is what matters* =ahatma (andhi proclaimed:"Jeligion which takes no count of practical a)airs and does nothelp to solve them, is no religion*" 2.4 A religion that cannotrespond to the problems and worries that people are facingright now, he cried, is a religion only in name*

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It is simply a fact that many religions, taking advantage ofpeople$s religious ignorance, have managed to endure bycraftily promising bene6t in the present life as thoughtempting children with candy* 7rom the early days, the %oka(akkai has been criticiEed as preaching bene6t in the present

in much the same way as these other schools* But the otus%utra, the supreme spiritual legacy of humankind, solemnlyexpounds the attainment of bene6t in the present life* 'hat$sbecause the most important function of religion is enablingpeople to become truly happy*'he %oka (akkai has fought against all manner of humansu)ering, giving hope to those struggling with illness,economic hardship, domestic discord and so forth* 'his itself isthe spirit of the otus %utra* We have been the greatest ally ofthe su)ering and the poor* I take great pride in this* Jeligionhas no meaning if it avoids the serious 8uestion of how to

encourage those who are su)ering and how to help them outof it* I discussed this point from various angles with 9r* BryanWilson of the ;niversity of xford*

29r* Wilson was the 6rst president of theInternational Jeligious %ocietyAssociation* !is discussions with#resident Ikeda are collected in thevolume !uman Dalues in a ?hangingWorld*4

Prayer Is Su(lime Proof of *umanity

%aito: %uppose one$s child becomes so ill that it appears hemight die* In addition to looking to physicians for assistance,the parents would surely pray wholeheartedly for their child torecover* I$m certain that even if they didn$t practice aparticular religion, they would still pray to something* #rayer isnot meaningless* It is an instinctual human response*%uda: I think it is cold and inhumane to re@ect such a naturalact*Ikeda: #rayer is something that is uni8ue to human beings*Animals do not have the same ability* #rayer is sublime proofof our humanity* In ancient times, people stood in awe of theimmensity and boundlessness of nature* It may be that theydeeply revered the great presence that was beyond theirhuman intelligence to fathom, and that from this the spirit ofprayer naturally emerged*

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When we face crisis, such as any of the seven disasters 2L4

described in the "#erceiver of the World$s %ounds" chapter, wedesperately wish to somehow be protected* #rayer is thedistillation of those earnest feelings* Jeligion was born fromsuch prayer*

5ndo: Jeligion did not come before prayer prayer in fact came6rst*Ikeda: !ow do we have our prayers answered& Buddhismclari6es this in terms of the law of life* It expounds the =ysticaw, the secret art that causes the gears of the microcosm ofthe self to mesh perfectly with the macrocosm*

Worries on %!!ount of Children

%aito: Along those lines, the "#erceiver of the World$s %ounds"chapter says:

If a woman wishes to give birth to a malechild, she should o)er obeisance andalms to Bodhisattva #erceiver of theWorld$s %ounds and then she will bear ason blessed with merit, virtue, andwisdom* And if she wishes to bear adaughter, she will bear one with all themarks of comeliness, one who in the pastplanted the roots of virtue and is lovedand respected by many persons* +%-.,CMM1

Ikeda: 'his is saying that the prayers of parents de6nitelya)ect their child$s birth* And that, through the faith of parents,children will develop such outstanding attributes*It would surely be impossible to calculate the number ofparents who worry over their children* Kichiren 9aishonin infact teaches that children may be either a blessing or a bane,saying: "'here is a passage in one of the sutras that says thatchildren are one$s enemies" +=WL, CMM1 and "'here is also asutra passage that says that children are a treasure" +=WL,CM31* While people without children may long to have them, Ihope they will remember that we only su)er if our children arerotten* I would also like to stress the importance of treatingour fellow members with the same concern we would our ownchildren, for more noble than the connection of blood is theconnection between people brought together by lofty idealsand the fostering of spiritual heirs*

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#eople who are su)ering because of their children can use thatobstacle to strengthen their faith* It could even be argued thatthis is the reason that children cause their parents to worry*?hildren will become happy without fail when their parentattains Buddhahood*

%uda: I see*Ikeda: While the "#erceiver of the World$s %ounds" chapterspeaks of the bene6t of "o)ering obeisance and alms toBodhisattva #erceiver of the World$s %ounds," this of coursemeans praying and making o)erings to the (ohonEon* Asevidence of this, #erceiver of the World$s %ounds presents theo)erings made to him to the Buddhas %hakyamuni and =any'reasures*5ndo: Bodhisattva Inexhaustible Intent makes an o)ering of anecklace adorned with numerous precious gems to #erceiver of the World$s %ounds* But #erceiver of the World$s %ounds

declines to accept it*After %hakyamuni entreats #erceiver of the World$s %ounds toaccept the gift, the bodhisattva complies* !e then divides thenecklace into two parts, which he presents to %hakyamuni andthe tower of the Buddha =any 'reasures* +cf* %-., CMC1%uda: In terms of the implicit meaning of the sutra,"%hakyamuni and the tower of the Buddha =any 'reasures"represent the =ystic aw, the (ohonEon* In other words, thisteaches that we should make the =ystic aw, not #erceiver ofthe World$s %ounds, our foundation*5ndo: I would really like for the many people who place their

faith in #erceiver of the World$s %ounds to pay attention to thispassage*%aito: In the (osho "Jepaying 9ebts of (ratitude," the9aishonin says:

If one chants Kam=yohoJengeGyo,then the power of the words Kamu AmidaButsu, the power of the mantras invoking9ainichi, the power of BodhisattvaGannon, and the power of all theBuddhas, all the sutras and all the

bodhisattvas will without exceptionvanish before the power of =yohorengekyo*

;nless these other sutras manage toborrow the power of =yohorengekyo,they will all become worthless things*+=WH, -L.1

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The enefi!ial Power Of Per!ei"er Of The World#s Sounds Is %!tually The Power Of

+am-$yoho-Ren&e-Kyo

Ikeda: 'o embrace the (ohonEon is to embrace the entireuniverse* It is to tap the source of the power of the universe*ne who does so is worthy of utmost respect* %uch a person ishundreds, thousands, tens or hundreds of thousands of timesmore noble than the founders of the various religious schoolswho are revered as gods and Buddhas* #eople don$t realiEethis*It is vital that we treat our fellow members who are exertingthemselves for Gosen Jufu with the highest respect and honor*'his is the fundamental spirit of the %(I* As long as we upholdthis spirit, we will never become deadlocked*

Ina(ility to Con!entrate While Chantin&

5ndo: With regard to prayer, people fre8uently bring up theproblem of extraneous thoughts occurring to them while theyare chanting*Ikeda: 'here is nothing wrong with having an active mind whilechanting* As human beings, this is only natural* 'he importantthing is to face the (ohonEon @ust as we are, withouta)ectation*

!aving extraneous thoughts is an inherent part of our lives asentities of the principle of three thousand realms in a singlelife moment* 'herefore, through daimoku we can turn eventhose thoughts into bene6t* 'here are no rules governing howwe should pray* 'here$s no need to be something we aren$t*#rayer that is forced and rigid will not produce any real e)ect*As we deepen our faith, our ability to concentrate is alsosolidi6ed*Actually, since the thoughts or ideas that come to mind as weare chanting are issues of concern to us, rather than thinkingof them as extraneous, we should pray about each one

sincerely, whatever it may be* We shouldn$t chant only aboutlarge issues we should chant about every issue we face,winning over each one and strengthening our faith as we go*'here is of course no need to be tense or nervous whenpraying* What matters is that we are completely ourselves*5ndo: #eople also wonder whether it is okay to chant for manythings at the same time, or if they should concentrate on oneissue at a time*

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Ikeda: 'here$s no limit to how many things we can pray about*It @ust means that the more desires we have, the more sincereand abundant our prayer will be* It$s @ust like how if you wantto do a lot of shopping, you need a lot of money* Buddhism isreason*

%aito: It occurs to me that 8uestions such as this one mightarise from the misconception that the (ohonEon "hears" ourprayers and then solves them supernaturally*Ikeda: Who answers our prayers& We dothrough faith ande)ort* Ko one else does it for us*Jeturning to the shopping analogy, it is the same as using ourown money when we go shopping* !aving our own money is aprere8uisite* 'he "currency" of prayer is none other than ourpractice of faith*

Unanswered Prayers

%uda: %ome people have expressed concern because some oftheir prayers have not been answered*Ikeda: We are practicing a faith in which "no prayer goesunanswered*" We must 6rst and foremost be convinced of this*'here will be times, however, when our prayers seem to beanswered and times when they do not* But as long as wecontinue to chant daimoku, in the end everything will go in thebest possible direction* 'his is clear when we look back later*'he most important thing is that the struggle we go through tohave our prayers answered makes us stronger* If we were toimmediately get everything that we prayed for, we would growspoiled and decadent, and wind up leading an indolentexistence devoid of any e)ort or hard work* We would becomeshallow* What, then, would be the point of faith&ife is a series of events* We face all manner of hardships* 'hisis the way life goes* It is because of this variety that we canlead a ful6lled and @oyful existence* It enables us to grow, andto develop an expansive and strong state of life*5ndo: ?ertainly, if all %(I members were to pray to win thelottery, it would be impossible for each one to have theirprayer answered<Ikeda: If everything that we prayed for came true instantly, itwould be no di)erent than magic* 'his goes against reason*

ou can$t make steamed rice by simply turning on the ricecooker if you haven$t put in any rice*Buddhism is common sense* It teaches the correct path of faithmanifesting itself in daily life* 'here is no such thing as faith

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that ignores reality* ur desires will not be realiEed withoutmaking any real e)ort*

% Reli&ion That Cannot Reply to People#s

Prayers Is Useless5ndo: Jeligions that promise immediate bene6t are oftencriticiEed as inferior* Along those lines, I certainly feel thatreligions that make people dependent ought to be refuted*%uda: %uch faith, in which adherents seek to realiEe sel6shgain by invoking some kind of mystical power, could well bedescribed as "magical*"%aito: n one side, there are religions that preach only innerful6llment, and on the other, there are those that promisemysterious bene6t in the present life* But both of these depart

from the reality of human life, the reality of the oneness ofbody and mind* It is on that level that they agree*5ndo: ne is abstract the other is preposterous*%uda: I think we could also say that one lacks compassion, andthe other lacks wisdom*Ikeda: 'rue religion is found in neither way of thought* 'ruereligion reveals the fundamental law based on which peoplecan improve their lives in reality* 7irst %oka (akkai president'sunesaburo =akiguchi termed this "value creation*" Inrefuting a view on religion articulated by an eminent scientist24 of the day, =r* =akiguchi declared: "A religion that does

not produce value in response to prayer is useless*" 204'his scholar had argued that while people "sense the divine inwondrous natural providence," things which cannot beunderstood through the natural sciences ought to be leftunknown* And he asserted that it therefore "de6es goodreason to pray to the gods for personal gain*"%uda: 'hat$s a typical criticism*Ikeda: By contrast, #resident =akiguchi asserted that areligion that is not concerned with creating value in human lifeis useless* 'o ignore the reality of life is to ignore the humanbeing*

Wondrous phenomena are not limited to the realm of nature*=r* =akiguchi believed that human life itself and daytodayoccurrences are also wondrous, and that the fantastic power of life force that enables people to create value and realiEevictory in any situation ought to be sought out* !e stated thatthe natural sciences alone cannot lead people to happiness,and that what is needed is a "science of value*" !is insightpenetrates the basic Faw of modern civiliEation*

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%aito: #resident =akiguchi also opposed the popular assertionthat the "value of holiness" is exclusive to religion* !e arguedthat there is no meaning to religion that exists merely for thesake of religion* 7rom the standpoint of the individual, the"sacred" or a "state of spiritual peace and enlightenment" is

the "value of bene6t" to expand one$s life* 7rom the standpointof society, it is the "value of good*" =r* =akiguchi said: "Whatis the signi6cance of a religion if not to help people becomehappy and improve the world& Isn$t helping people becomehappy the value of bene6t& Isn$t improving the world the valueof good&" 2/4Ikeda: In short, to avoid the actual struggle to help peoplebecome happy and improve the world, and instead preachsomething "sacred" as though it were a lofty value on anotherdimension is hypocrisy*!elping people become happy and improving the worldthis is

Gosen Jufu* 'his great struggle of grappling with reality isitself value creation and true religion* 'he "sacred" only existsin the very midst of such struggle* And what is peace if notbene6t in the present life&'here is profound meaning in the term "world" of "Bodhisattva#erceiver of the World$s %ounds*" We cannot separateourselves from reality* 'he "world" is society* We are engagedin a struggle to create a happy society*"%ounds," on the other hand, means the cries of individualliving beings, their personal desire for happiness* It isBodhisattva #erceiver of the World$s %ounds, the otus %utra,

that uni6es these two goals of social prosperity and individualhappiness*5ndo: ?ertainly, someone who cares only about their ownhappiness becomes egotistic* By contrast, an exclusivepreoccupation with the demands of society at the expense ofthe individual readily lends itself to totalitarianism andnationalism* 'he balancing of these two is most diNcult*

alan!in& the Indi"idual and So!iety,reedom and '.uality

%uda: When Dice?hancellor Dra@endra =ehta of the ;niversityof 9elhi visited >apan 2in >anuary 3///4 to present you with anhonorary doctorate in literature, #resident Ikeda, I recall thatin his remarks the Indian educator emphasiEed the =iddle Way*Ikeda: 'hat$s right* !e is a great philosopher and adistinguished political scientist* !e remarked:

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'he traditional way of thinking in the modern West has swungto the extremes of individualism and collectivism* 'his hasunfortunately resulted in loss of the self*In contrast to these two "isms," (andhi and other Indianthinkers have tried to respond by returning to traditions that

have existed from ancient times* 'his is the thought of the9harma, which views all things as mutually related, and thethought of nirvana, which is the ultimate transcendent ideal*%imilarly, =r* =akiguchi and =r* 'oda emphasiEed thatindividuals create value through their relationship with society*7rom the standpoint of the philosophy of value creation,individual happiness and the prosperity of society arede6nitely not opposed* 'he two are in fact closely related, likethe rotation and revolution of the earth* It is through exertingoneself for the wellbeing of society that one becomes happy*And society must strive to bring happiness to each person*

%uda: It$s a case of "one for all, and all for one*"Ikeda: 9r* =ehta also said:

'he universe is held together by organicrelations* By this I mean the relationsbetween man and nature, man and man,and man and the cosmos* 'his is not therelation between "part" and "whole*" =anand nature and the universeeach ofthese is itself a "totality*" It is somethingirreplaceable that has a purpose*

What a profound view of life< 'o live based on the aw or9harma, the correct path in life, means advancing along the=iddle Way*5ndo: 'his does not mean taking the path of least resistance,does it&Ikeda: It means to "hit the path," to hit the mark or target* 'onever stray from the correct path as human being, to live in amanner that always hits the mark and accords with awthat$swhat is meant by the =iddle Way* It is humanism*9r* =ehta characteriEed the nineteenth century as a "century

in pursuit of freedom," and the twentieth century as a "centuryin pursuit of e8uality*" And he said that the twenty6rstcentury must be a "century, which pursues @ustice*"7reedom and e8uality, individualism and collectivismit is

@ustice that balances these opposing forces* It is the aw* It isthe =iddle Way* 'his is how we must usher in the "thirdciviliEation*"5ndo: 'his is a clear manifesto for the twenty6rst century*

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Ikeda: Jeturning to the earlier topic of prayer, following the=iddle Way is to steadfastly advance along the correct path of"daily life e8uals faith" and "faith manifests itself in daily life*"It is neither abstract "placebo faith" nor e)ortless "magicalfaith*"

%aito: We need to continue chanting and taking action until ourprayers are realiEed* 'hen, in the end, we will attain a state ofultimate ful6llment* ife is about such struggle*Ikeda: Whether our prayers are answered depends on ourfaith* 'he result of our prayer is also a)ected by the depth ofour karma, and sometimes it @ust takes time* Whether andwhen our prayers are answered can have a variety ofmeanings* But there is no doubt about the fact that our lifebegins to change in a favorable direction from the verymoment we begin to pray*%uda: Is this true even of selfcentered prayer&

Ikeda: It is human nature to think of oneself* 'he importantthing is that we go to the (ohonEon @ust as we are* If we goout of our way to put on lofty airs we are presenting a "falseself*" 'he (ohonEon does not respond to lies*When we chant daimoku about our greatest worries and ourgreatest wishes, our state of life naturally opens up, and wegradually develop the mind to pray not @ust for ourselves, butfor the happiness of our friends and for Gosen Jufu* Also, Ithink it is vital to challenge ourselves to have grand prayers*'he bottom line, though, is that we are entirely at liberty topray about anything we wish*

'nemies on '"ery Side

Ikeda: 5ach day, I pray only for Gosen Jufu and for the health,longevity, prosperity and happiness of all %(I members* Ibelieve that this is my fundamental responsibility and mission*'o be the one bearing all the responsibility is no simple matter*I will never forget the words of =adame 9eng ingchao +wifeof the late ?hinese premier Ohou 5nlai1: "We had enemies onevery side* 'hat was the situation every single day* It was likethat for years, for decades* We really fought hard*"It is the same with the %oka (akkai* We have been surroundedby enemies* #oliticians, priests, the media, traitorous formermembersall have formed a united force with the aim ofstamping out the people$s advance and attacking mepersonally* 'hey have resorted to all kinds of base ploys*Alone, I have fought and surmounted these attacks, andprotected all the members* I have not let down my guard for a

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single moment* I could not a)ord to* As a result, the %oka(akkai has developed into a digni6ed internationalorganiEation* I have prayed singlemindedly to the (ohonEonthat a boundless hope6lled path of Gosen Jufu would openforth* It is my wish that all leaders will have this same spirit*

Without this spirit, our organiEation will succumb tobureaucratism*eaders must wholeheartedly exert themselves with the prayerand determination to help each and every member in theirarea become happy without fail* A true struggle cannot bewaged if we do not abandon our ego* 'o win or lose, to live ordie* 'his is everything* 'errible accidents happen when leaderstake their responsibility lightly*ne month before the death of #rof* udo 'akada, the founderof my alma mater, 7u@i ?ollege +formerly 'aisei (akuin1, hesaid: "5ducation means imparting life to students*" What noble

words< !e 6rmly believed that education meant devotingoneself completely to one$s students* 'he ability to treasure,love and work hard on behalf of one$s students, as though theywere one$s own childrenno, more than one$s own childrenthisis what distinguishes a truly humanistic educator*'he same applies to leaders of Gosen Jufu* In this world, onlythe %(I is working to achieve Gosen Jufu* 'he %(I is the solegroup dedicated to ful6lling the Buddha$s will and decree* !owsublime<'he path of the %(I in advancing Gosen Jufu is in a sense itself the 9harma* ?arrying out our human revolution and attaining

Buddhahood lies in our development based on this 9harma*'he relation between our individual enlightenment and GosenJufu is like that of the rotation and revolution of a planet*%omeone who has a selfcentered practice is like a planet thatonly rotates on its axis and does not revolve around the sun*While such people might appear to en@oy good circumstances,they actually wind up falling out of rhythm and becominglonely and isolated* We have to base ourselves on the aw, noton ourselves* 'his is the principle, "depend on the aw, not onthe person*"

Our Life lossoms When We Ta/e %!tion forKosen-Rufu

Ikeda: ur life is like a Fower* It is an entity of =yohorengekyo* nly by taking action for Gosen Jufu can we cause thislotus Fower to blossom* 'o @ust pray without taking action forGosen Jufu is like trying to raise a Fower on water without

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sunlight* ;nder such circumstances, there is no trueblossoming of the self*When we exert ourselves for Gosen Jufu, we are protectedwithout fail* We must not separate ourselves from our friendsand comrades in the %(I* 'he %(I itself is a "castle of peace

and tran8uility," a "storehouse of treasures*" >ust how muchhave we all been protected<%econd %oka (akkai president >osei 'oda used to say, "'he%oka (akkai organiEation is more precious to me than my ownlife*" 'o treat the organiEation dedicated to Gosen Jufu lightlyonly invites the same treatment by Ging Brahma +Bonten1,ord %hakra +'aishaku1 and all the Buddhist gods* 'hey haveno time for such people*At any rate, it is the ordinary members painstakingly carryingout activities for Gosen Jufu who are treasures more preciousthan any famous person*

5ndo: #resident Ikeda, I recall the episode involving GingAshoka +-L0-C- B*?*5*1 that you brought up in your discussionwith the party of visiting scholars from the ;niversity of 9elhi*Ashoka at one time placed o)erings before stupas payingtribute to the Buddha$s disciples* !e made o)erings to thestupas of %hariputra, =audgalyayana, =ahakashyapa, Pnandaand others and prayed* But before the stupa to Bakkula heonly made a small o)ering* 'hinking this peculiar, an attendantin8uired about it, saying: "'his person is e8ually a disciple ofthe Buddha* Why do you make such a distinction&"'he king replied: "It is because while it seems that he

wholeheartedly exerted himself in his practice, he did notexpound the aw to others and did not contribute to society*"Whether we exert ourselves for the widespread propagation of Buddhism and on behalf of societythis is the standard*%uda: When #rof* %eba %ingh Jana, a leading authority on GingAshoka, heard you relate this story, he remarked: "If peoplesimply keep knowledge to themselves, not sharing it or puttingit to use for the bene6t of others, it turns into $poison*$" !iswords left a deep impression on me*5ndo: 'here have recently been numerous news reports ofpoisoning incidents in >apan* I think this is indicative of a

society that lacks compassion*Ikeda: #oison symboliEes a cold and hellish heart* #eoplewhose lives are dominated by the worlds of !ell and !ungerresent and envy the happiness of others, and are consumed bythe desire to cause others to fall into the state of !ell*By contrast, those who dwell in the worlds of Bodhisattva andBuddhahood are overwhelmed by the desire to help othersbecome happy* 'he %(I is a compassionate group whose

15



members are dedicated to becoming happy themselves andhelping others do the same* GosenJufu is a movement toexpand this "life current of compassion"the very thing thatsociety needs mostand with it nourish the world*5ven if it seems that our individual presence is very small, by

moving we can create waves* 'he continuous Fow of one waveafter another is itself Gosen Jufu*5ndo: I think that this is the means for "detoxifying" a societythat is poisoned with brutality*

Seein& throu&h the 0Poison0 of +ationalism

%aito: 'his conversation calls to mind the words of a scholarwho had investigated the history of persecution of the >ewishpeople* !ow was it possible that a person such as Adolph!itler could become the supreme leader of a country of suchrich cultural heritage as (ermany& !ow was it possible thatpeople could be so totally taken in by the ridiculous idea that

>ews were the fundamental source of all evil and misery, andthat it was only natural that they be persecuted& 'he scholarwrites:=any answers have been given and perhaps many are needed,for no single theory can satisfactorily explain !itler$sphenomenal success with the (erman people* 'hey weremesmeriEed by his voice, and they responded to his message*Was it because their moral sense, at lease with regard to the

>ews, had become atrophied under the e)ect of generations ofvirulent anti%emitism& !ad the (erman people alreadybecome mithridatiEed by anti%emitic poison, so that they hadbecome immune even to !itler$s deadly brand& 23M4!is remarks drive home @ust how dangerous and frightening itis if people "become immune to poison*"Ikeda: It$s the same in >apan* #eople are losing their sense ofhuman rights* 'here is a nationalism growing that has no8ualms about making the people victims of the state* It is adangerous situation* We therefore have no alternative but tostand up*5ndo: Although >apan$s constitution is founded upon the idealof creating peace through soft power, this ideal is now beingtrampled upon*%uda: >usti6cations for >apan$s war of aggression in Asia in the6rst part of this century are being advanced with tremendousvigor* =ost alarming is the prominence of such propaganda inmedia that appeals to members of the younger generation*

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%aito: At the same time, the spirit of resistance has all butdisappeared, resulting in an atmosphere where people think itis best to simply leave everything up to those in power* 'hiscertainly goes for the media* And the ab@ect tendency of thepublic to follow the prevailing current without 8uestion is

really pathetic*

1apanese Reli&ion Is a Sla"e to Power

7ive important points on the ";niversal(ateway of the Bodhisattva #erceiver ofthe World$s %ounds" chapter:

#oint 7ive, concerning the thirtythreebodies that Bodhisattva #erceiver of theWorld$s %ounds manifests in order tobene6t living beings*

'he Jecord of rally 'ransmitted'eachings says: "'he number thirtystands for the doctrine of three thousandrealms* 'he three bodies stand for thedoctrine of the three truths*

Again, we may say regarding the thirtythree bodies that if one is endowed withthe three bodies in each of the 'enWorlds, this constitutes thirty bodies, andif the original three bodies are thenadded in, we have a total of thirtythreebodies*

(enerally speaking, the number threestands for the three categories of action,namely, the actions of body, mouth andmind while the number ten stands for the'en Worlds* 'he number three may alsostand for the three poisons of greed,anger and stupidity* 'he word "body"represents the bodies of all living beings*

Kow when Kichiren and his followerschant Kam=yohoJengeGyo, they arereceiving the bene6ts of the thirtythreebodies* +(osho Oenshu, p* 1

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Ikeda: 'he fundamental reason the spirit of the >apanese tooppose authority is so weak is that religion in the country haslong been spineless* 'his is what the leading thinker andeducator ukichi 7ukuEawa +30C.3/M31 argued in his work, Anutline of a 'heory of ?iviliEation* =r* 5ndo, didn$t you attend

Geio ;niversity 2which 7ukuEawa founded4&5ndo: es* I recall that in this work he harshly denouncedpriests as "slaves of the government*"Ikeda: !e writes:

Jeligion works within the hearts of men*It is something absolutely free andindependent, not controlled in any way byothers or dependent upon their powers*But while this is the way religion ought tobe, such has not been the case here in

>apan* * *

* * * Buddhism, too, has belonged to theruling class, and has depended upon thepatronage of the ruling class, ever sinceits introduction* * *'he worst of them2Buddhist monks4 even felt proud whenthe government made them peers* * *

Buddhism has Fourished, true* But itsteaching has been entirely absorbed by

political authority* What shinesthroughout the world is not the radianceof Buddha$s teachings but the glory ofBuddhism$s political authority* * *'hus wecan say that the Buddhist monks wereslaves of the government* =ore recently,the government has passed a law, whichpermits Buddhist priests throughout thecountry to eat meat and get married* 'hefact that prior to this law these priestswere unable to eat meat or get married

was not because they were keeping somekind of religious precept* Jather, theyrefrained from these things because theydid not have the government$spermission* 7rom this, then, we canconclude that the monks have beenslaves of the government indeed, we can

18



even conclude that at present there is noreal religion in >apan* 2334

%aito: Jeligion, which ought to become a mainstay supportingpeople$s spiritual independence, has long been in such a

deplorable state that it is 8uite natural the >apanese people$sspirit to 6ght authority remains weak*Ikeda: 7or precisely this reason, the %(I movement in >apan isa cultural, human and spiritual revolution on the mostfundamental level* Kichiren 9aishonin, while under a barrageof attacks from priests who had become "slaves to power,"calmly viewed the rulers of >apan as "rulers of this little islandcountry" +=W3, 3L1* %ociety is a realm where everything isrelative* Buddhism is the unsurpassed way* 'he 9aishoninknew that even the most powerful person was no match for the=ystic aw, and that the powerful therefore ought to humbly

seek the true teaching*A little earlier we talked about #resident =akiguchi$s theory ofvalue* =r* =akiguchi$s cry, "Jeligion is worthy of the name onlyif it can lead people to happiness and improve society," isdirectly connected with Kichiren 9aishonin* urs is amovement that is continually sending a spiritual current intosociety from the wellspring of religion* It is ever engaged withsociety* 'his is also the spirit of Bodhisattva #erceiver of theWorld$s %ounds, who has the ability to manifest any form hechooses*

2'he sutra describes him as assumingthirtythree bodies to preach the aw andlead people to happiness* 'hese includethe forms of a Buddha, a#ratyekabuddha, a voicehearer, GingBrahma, ord %hakra, the heavenly being7reedom, the heavenly being (reat7reedom, a great general of heaven,Daishravana, a petty king, a rich man, ahouseholder, a chief minister, a Brahman,a monk, a nun, a layman believer, a

laywoman believer, the wife of a rich man,of a householder, of a chief minister or ofa Brahman, a young boy or a young girl, aheavenly being, a dragon, a yaksha, agandharva, an asura, a garuda, akimnara, a mahoraga, a human or anonhuman being and a va@rabearing god+cf* %-., CM3CM-1*4

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%aito: !e can manifest all forms, including even those that arenot mentioned in the sutra*Ikeda: 'his means that we need to respect each person,whatever their station* 7or they are most likely themanifestation of a Buddha or bodhisattva* We must never

@udge people based on their status, line of work orappearance*

0Politi!s 2e"oid of Reli&ion Is 2ead0

%uda: 'he otus %utra is a teaching that is directed towardsociety*Ikeda: It is indeed* 7rom the fundamental level of religion, theotus %utra constantly puri6es, refreshes and revitaliEessociety* With regard to the relationship of religion and politics,9r* K* Jadhakrishnan 23-4 related to me 2in 3//H4 that (andhionce said: "#olitics that is bereft of religion is dead andlifeless<" (andhi also said: "It is a noose that will hang thenation*"23C4%aito: I completely agree*Ikeda: While ukichi 7ukuEawa said that >apanese religion is a"slave of the government," (andhi, by contrast, called for thetransformation of politics by means of spirituality intosomething 6lled with moral compassion*In >apan, too, the %eventeen Article ?onstitution of #rince%hotoku +.-L--1 includes the exhortation to "devoutlyrevere the three treasures*"23H4 'here was thus the idea thatthe political authorities, too, should behave in accord withuniversal truth*'here are some religions that collaborate with power andbecome its slave* 'here are also those that isolate themselvesfrom society, turning a blind eye to politics* But this onlypassively supports the growth of pernicious power, ultimatelyallowing it to thrive* 'here is also a third path which neitherbecomes one with power and aids authority, nor abets powerthrough a handso) approach* 'his is the path of establishingthe correct teaching for the peace of the land, which Kichiren9aishonin espoused* 'o continually direct oneself toward,engage in and seek to revolutioniEe reality from the standpointof the "eternal truth" of the awthis is the sole path wherebyreligion does not become the slave of power* et, for preciselythis reason, this path is occasioned by persecution anddiNculties, which means it is the genuine article*

'sta(lishin& 'thi!s in '!onomi!s

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%aito: We have already discussed the principle in the"#erceiver of the World$s %ounds" chapter of attaining bene6tin the present* An abstract religious view that re@ects creationof value in daily life will not become a vibrant force in society*?onversely, an easygoing teaching of immediate gain will

neither be able to help people open up their inner lives norgive them the ability to transform society even at greatpersonal sacri6ce* 'hese are opposite extremes, and I thinkthat both would be very convenient for those in power*Ikeda: In >apan, not only have priests become "slaves topower," but so have most intellectuals, leading members of thebusiness world and ordinary citiEens* By rights, the powerfuland society$s leaders should serve as the "hands and feet" ofthe people* 'hey are the people$s "means" they are publicservants* But this concept has been turned on its head*5ndo: While such people may call themselves public servants,

"public" here does not mean the people, but the state or thepresent system* 'he idea that public servants are supposed toserve not the people but the system is frightening*%uda: I guess that nothing will change in >apan unless thebasic tenet of democracy that "the state is a means which hasthe people$s happiness as its end" is really driven home to the

>apanese people*Ikeda: #eople who are without the invisible authority of thespiritual realm +i*e*, religion1 readily adhere to visibleauthority +i*e*, the 5stablishment1*'he Buddhism of valuecreation that seeks to breathe life into

society is not limited to the realm of active citiEeninvolvement* >ust as #erceiver of the World$s %ounds canmanifest all manner of di)erent forms, the stage of ourBuddhist activities encompasses all spheres of society,including, for example, economics*(andhi espoused an "economics of @ustice," saying:

An economics that inculcates mammonworship and enables the strong to amasswealth at the expense of the weak is afalse and dismal science* It spells death*

'rue economics, on the other hand,stands for social @ustice it promotes thegood of all e8ually, including the weakest*23.4

'he worship of wealth makes the strong arrogant and the weak servile, corrupting the spirit of both* 'he essence of economicslies in fostering the wisdom to be able to bring happiness to all

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people, particularly the destitute* 'his is what is meant by"economics of @ustice*" And it accords with the true meaning of "economics," which +in >apanese1 is a contraction of a phraseliterally meaning to "govern society and save the people*"%aito: #rof* Amartya %en of ?ambridge ;niversity$s 'rinity

?ollege in 5ngland, who received an honorary doctorate fromthe ;niversity of 9elhi at the same time as you, #residentIkeda, is also an advocate of "welfare economics*"Ikeda: #rof* %en was the 6rst Asian to win the Kobel #riEe for5conomics* !e was born in the village where the great Indianpoet Jabindranath 'agore +30L33/H31 ran an academy, and hewas in fact given his name by 'agore*%aito: When he was nine, #rof* %en experienced the (reatBengal 7amine 2of 3/HC4, in which approximately three millionpeople died of starvation* !e explains that this experienceinspired him to study economics so he could help the poor* !e

has consistently advocated ethical standards in economics*Ikeda: !ow noble<In his theory of value, #resident =akiguchi included bene6tamong the three ma@or values of beauty, bene6t and good* !eclearly stated that gain, which does not serve to bene6t publicinterest, is evil and antivalue* Without a system of values toguide economic activity, economics becomes devoted tonothing more than "moneymaking for the sake of makingmoney" and "economic growth for the sake of economicgrowth*" 'here is the danger that such a situation will spin outof control*

5ndo: >apan$s bubble economy 2in the late 3/0Ms4 would be aclassic example of this*Ikeda: #resident =akiguchi$s theory of value could thereforebe said to aspire toward an "economics of @ustice*"%uda: 'hese days in >apan all one hears people talking about is"restoring prosperity*" It$s as though people think thatreturning to economic expansion will solve all the country$sproblems*While economic growth is of course very important, nothingwould be more wasteful than for >apanese society to simplypursue past dreams of economic prosperity without changing

its underlying values*%aito: It would mean that the country had not learned anythingfrom the bursting of the economic bubble, which resulted insuch turmoil that it has been dubbed "the second defeat inwar*"

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The 2aishonin#s uddhism Is ased on$a/in& a 3ow

#art ne: 'he 5ssential #assage in 5ach

of the 'wentyeight ?hapters of the otus%utra*

?hapter 'wenty6ve: "'he ;niversal(ateway of the Bodhisattva #erceiver ofthe World$s %ounds*"

'ext: "!e views living beings withcompassionate eyes* 'he sea of hisaccumulated blessings is immeasurable"+%-., CML1*

%ummary: 'his passage is saying thatbecause both the ob@ective and sub@ectiveaspects of the 9harmarealm are part ofthe Wonderful aw, the Buddha looks onevery living being e8ually, as though heor she were his only child* 'he blessingsand wisdom of both the ob@ective andsub@ective worlds are immeasurable*Kam=yohoJengeGyo has these twoaspects of blessings and wisdom* +(osho

Oenshu, p* /-1

Ikeda: 'he Gosen Jufu movement in >apan is an e)ort totransform this land devoid of philosophy and culture into acountry of rich humanism* If the struggle for Gosen Jufu isforgotten, then even the 9aishonin$s Buddhism will become nobetter than the sel6sh religions, which have heretoforeprevailed*%uda: 'he Kichiren %hoshu priesthood is a case in point*Ikeda: It is when we take action for Gosen Jufu with a trulyselFess spirit that the microcosm of our life fuses with the

macrocosm of the universe and our prayers are answered* 'he9aishonin says, "It could never come about that the prayers ofthe practitioner of the otus %utra would go unanswered" +=W, HL1* %o the issue becomes whether one is a "practitioner" ofthe otus %utra*Kichiren 9aishonin$s teaching is about making a vow* In ourpresent situation we need to pledge to the (ohonEon: "I will

23



advance Gosen Jufu to the best of my ability< I will realiEevictory without fail<" 5verything starts from this vow*In explaining the origins of Bodhisattva #erceiver of theWorld$s %ounds, the sutra says, "!is vast oath is deep as theocean" +%-., CMC1, meaning his pledge to accomplish Gosen

Jufu* It further states that, as a result of this oath, "'he sea of his accumulated blessings is immeasurable" +%-., CML1*Kichiren 9aishonin says regarding this passage, "'he blessingsand wisdom of both the ob@ective and sub@ective worlds areimmeasurable*Kam=yohoJengeGyo has these two aspects of blessings andwisdom" +(osho Oenshu, p* /-1* In other words, both ourimmediate environment and we ourselves gain tremendousgood fortune and wisdom*Among human beings, some tend to be wise, while otherspossess good fortune* While everyone is of course uni8ue, if

we have wisdom but lack good fortune, then our e)orts willcome to nothing and we will not be able to build a life ofhappiness* If, on the other hand, we have good fortune but nowisdom, then we will 6nd it diNcult to earn the trust of othersand will not be able to help those around us become happy* Asupreme life is one that encompasses both good fortune andwisdom*When we live out our lives traversing the essential path ofhumanism that is Gosen Jufu, we can lead such anunsurpassed existence* 'herefore, we need to forge aheadalong this path without retreating a single step* 'here is no

need to hold back*All leaders should take their places in the vanguard of ourmovement, working with the persistence of beavers andcarrying out dialogue with the fortitude of lion kings, whileputting their whole lives into creating a history of the victoryof Gosen Jufu* 'o the extent that we do so, our own eternal

@ourney over the three existences will come to shine brilliantly*

ootnotes4

3* 5ditor$s note: All 8uotations from the otus %utra are from:'he otus %utra, trans* Burton Watson +Kew ork: ?olumbia;niversity #ress, 3//C1* 7or purposes of convenience, allcitations from this work will be given in the text andabbreviated as follows: % followed by the chapter number,and then the page number*-* Konsubstantiality: Along with the truth of temporaryexistence and the truth of the =iddle Way, one of the three

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truths formulated by the (reat 'eacher '$ient$ai of ?hina toclarify the essential nature of phenomena* 'he truth of nonsubstantiality is that phenomena have no absolute or 6xedexistence of their own*C* (oethe$s ?ollected Works, vol* -, 7aust I Q II, ed* and trans*

%tuart Atkins +?ambridge, =A: %uhrkampInsel #ublishersBoston, Inc*, 3/0C1, p* CM.*H* %etsuko 'akeshita, %eibo =aria +!oly =other =ary1 +'okyo:Godansha, 3//01, p* 33C*.* 'he ?ollected Works of =ahatma (andhi, vol* -L +Kew 9elhi:'he #ublications 9ivision, =inistry of Information andBroadcasting, (overnment of India, 3/L1, p* ..*L* 'he seven disasters: 6re, Food, rakshasa demons, attack byswords and staves, attack by yaksha and other demons,imprisonment and attack by bandits** 9r* >un Ishihara +30033/H1: A professor of physics who

taught at 'ohoku ;niversity, >apan*0* =akiguchi 'sunesaburo Oenshu +?ollected Works of'sunesaburo =akiguchi1 +'okyo: 9aisan Bummeisha, 3/001, vol*/, p* 00*/* =akiguchi 'sunesaburo Oenshu, vol* ., p* C.L*3M* ucy %* 9awidowicE, 'he War Against the >ews 3/CC3/H.+Kew ork: !olt, Jinehart and Winston, 3/.1, p* --*33* ukichi 7ukuEawa, An utline of a 'heory of ?iviliEation,trans* 9avid A* 9ilworth Q (* ?ameron !urst +'okyo: %ophia;niversity, 3/C1, pp* 3HLH0*3-* 9r* K* Jadhakrishnan: 9irector of the (andhi %mriti and

9arshan %amiti*3C* !aribhau ;padhaya, Bapu =onogatari +'he %tory of Bapu1,translated from !indi by !akobu Ikeda +'okyo: Godansha%huppan %abisu %enta, 3//01, p* --*3H* 'he three treasures: 'he Buddha, the 9harma +i*e*, his awand teaching1 and the samgha +the Buddhist order orcommunity1*3.* 'he ?ollected Works of =ahatma (andhi, vol* LL +Kew9elhi: 'he #ublications 9ivision, =inistry of Information andBroadcasting, (overnment of India, 3/L1, p* 3L0*

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the wisdom of the lotus sutra-chapter twenty-six

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