Myoho (妙法) Meaning to Me.

                             妙法 Myoho

I read this passage today from my desktop Daily Wisdom From The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin:

“And yet there is one river called the Sahara that follows a course as straight as a taut rope, flowing directly into the western sea. A woman who has faith in the Lotus Sutra will be like this river, proceeding directly to the Pure Land in the west. Such is the virtue inherent in the single character myo. (WND, 149).”

Wow, there is a lot to unpack there. First, please notice that it says “…faith in the Lotus Sutra…” and not faith in anything else. It doesn't say faith in the Daishonin, a priest, an organization, a spiritual leader, etc., It says faith in the Lotus Sutra. So, brothers and sisters, don't be led astray, and when in doubt, chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo (NMRK), which is the title of the Lotus Sutra, and one of the things Nichiren Daishonin left us which incompasses all of the Lotus Sutra. Still, I request we read the Lotus Sutra out alloud beside a campfire one day, but I doubt I'll stay awake -- it's not a Nancy Drew novel. So, thank you Nichiren for showing us a way to bypass that 😁. Let's move on.

The thing that stuck out most to me about the above passage is where Nichiren writes: "Such is the virtue inherent in the single character myo." I have herd people say "myo" is the thing, and I always wondered why. And so I researched the topic and here is why:

First, according to Google AI, we read: In Nichiren Buddhism, myo (妙) is the first character of Myoho-renge-kyo (the Mystic Law) and translates to "mystic," "wonderful," or "beyond comprehension." It represents the Buddha nature inherent in all people, the Middle Way of life that transcends existence/nonexistence, and the power to activate enlightenment, revive hope, and transform "poison into medicine".

According to the WorldTribue.org:

“Myo means to open” (WND-1, 145). The Mystic Law brings out the inherent value of all things. In other words, no matter our state of life, when we chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, we can open and reveal the world of Buddhahood.

In other writings of Nichiren we read:

The character myo has the power to “cure the dead as well as the living” (WND-1, 149). Here, the “the dead” refers to the people of those three groups previously excluded from attaining enlightenment. Because chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo is powerful enough to reactivate their Buddha nature, it has the power to awaken the Buddha nature in all people.

Ikeda Sensei states: “...just as the morning sun dispels the darkness, the lives of those who consistently chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo will never be deadlocked. Chanting is the foundation of Nichiren Buddhism. When we vigorously chant daimoku, the sun rises brightly in our hearts. Energy surges, compassion wells forth, joy radiates and wisdom shines. All the Buddhas and heavenly deities—the positive forces of the universe—spring into action. Life becomes enjoyable. Nothing is more powerful than chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo” (May 2015 Living Buddhism, p. 35).

Myoho (妙法), translating to "Wonderful Law" or "Mystic Law," is a core concept in Nichiren Buddhism representing the fundamental truth of life and the universe. It merges "Myo" (mystic/wonderful), denoting the invisible, latent aspect of life, with "Ho" (law/phenomena), representing visible, manifest existence, indicating that ordinary people can unveil their inherent Buddha-nature.

                                     

~~ Eso Terry 

Kosen-Rufu Gongyo Karaoke

This is the chant we do for the Soka Gakkai, Nichiren Buddhist practice. The power is in the words, mixed with faith, and a little thing we call "The Mystic" Law. Chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo and find out for yourself. Put down those magic sticks boys and girls, this is the real elevated divine shit. Go for it. Change your karma today, this lifetime, not the next. 

~~ Eso Terry Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo is the answer, no matter the question

 

Global Citizen is the bases of Nichirin Buddhism.

This morning I posted my live thoughts on "Morning Buddhist Thoughts" on being a global citizen. The definition of a global citizen is:

Global citizenship is a form of transnationality, specifically the idea that one's identity transcends geography or political borders and that responsibilities or rights are derived from membership in a broader global class of "humanity". This does not mean that such a person denounces or waives their nationality or other, more local identities, but that such identities are given "second place" to their membership in a global community. Extended, the idea leads to questions about the state of global society in the age of globalization.

There you have it in a nutshell what I believe being a Nichiren Buddhist stands for, epesecially the line "a broader global class of 'humanity'".  No national politics can justify the starvation of one human being for power.  We see this everywhere today.  Let's fix this brothers and sisters.  Let's chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo together and fight for a better world where the value of life is the number one goal of the world. 

Here is the Nichiren Writing I quoted this morning: 

People have varied tastes. Some prefer good and some prefer evil. 

There are many kinds of people. But thought they differ from one another in such ways, once they enter into the Lotus Sutra, they all become like a single person in body and a single person in mind. This is just like the myriad different rivers that, when they flow into the ocean, all take on a uniformly salty flavor, or like the many kinds of birds that, whey they approach Mount Sumeru, all assume the same (golden) hue.

(WND 1042) 

Click For My Morning Buddhist Thoughts

 

three bodies

 

three bodies: Three kinds of body a Buddha may possess. A concept set forth in Mahayana Buddhism to organize different views of the Buddha appearing in the sutras. The three bodies are as follows: (1) The Dharma body, or body of the Law. This is the fundamental truth, or Law, to which a Buddha is enlightened. (2) The reward body (sambhoga-kāya), obtained as the reward of completing bodhisattva practices and acquiring the Buddha wisdom. Unlike the Dharma body, which is immaterial, the reward body is thought of as an actual body, although one that is transcendent and imperceptible to ordinary people. (3) The manifested body (nirmāna-kāya), or the physical form that a Buddha assumes in this world in order to save the people. Generally, a Buddha was held to possess one of the three bodies. In other words, the three bodies represented three different types of Buddhas—the Buddha of the Dharma body, the Buddha of the reward body, and the Buddha of the manifested body.

On the basis of the Lotus Sutra and the principle of three thousand realms in a single moment of life derived from it, T’ien-t’ai (538–597) maintained that the three bodies are not separate entities but three integral aspects of a single Buddha. From this point of view, the Dharma body indicates the essential property of a Buddha, which is the truth or Law to which the Buddha is enlightened. The reward body indicates the wisdom, or the spiritual property of a Buddha, which enables the Buddha to perceive the truth. It is called reward body because a Buddha’s wisdom is considered the reward derived from ceaseless effort and discipline. The manifested body indicates compassionate actions, or the physical property of a Buddha. It is the body with which a Buddha carries out compassionate actions to lead people to enlightenment, or those actions themselves. In discussing the passage in the “Life Span” (sixteenth) chapter of the Lotus Sutra that reads, “You must listen carefully and hear of the Thus Come One’s secret and his transcendental powers,” T’ien-t’ai, in The Words and Phrases of the Lotus Sutra, interpreted “secret” to mean that a single Buddha possesses all three bodies and that all three bodies are found within a single Buddha.

Bodhisattva Never Disparaging

 

In the twentieth chapter of the Lotus Sutra, Shakyamuni illustrates the story of Bodhisattva Never Disparaging. The chapter describes this bodhisattva as having lived in the Middle Day of the Law after the death of a Buddha named Awesome Sound King, at a time when arrogant monks held great authority and power. Never Disparaging venerated all people, repeating the phrase “I have profound reverence for you, I would never dare treat you with disparagement or arrogance. Why? Because you will all practice the bodhisattva way and will then be able to attain buddhahood.”
  Monks, nuns, laymen, and laywomen mocked him and attacked him with staves and stones. Bodhisattva Never Disparaging, however, persevered in his practice and achieved purification of his six senses through the benefit of the Lotus Sutra. When the arrogant clerics and laypersons who had treated Never Disparaging with ridicule and contempt heard his preaching and saw that he had purified his senses, they all took faith in him and became his followers. But due to their past offenses of treating him with animosity, they did not encounter a Buddha, hear of the Law, or see the community of monks for two hundred million kalpas. For a thousand kalpas, they underwent great suffering in the Avīchi hell. After they had finished paying for their offenses, they again encountered Bodhisattva Never Disparaging and received instruction from him in attaining supreme perfect enlightenment.
  This story illustrates the principle of attaining enlightenment through a reverse relationship, or the connection established with the correct teaching through rejecting or slandering it. It illustrates the great power of the Lotus Sutra to save even those who oppose or slander it. Shakyamuni identifies Bodhisattva Never Disparaging as himself in a past existence and reveals that those who disparaged him are present in the assembly of the Lotus Sutra on Eagle Peak. Shakyamuni further states that these people are now at the stage of practice where they will never regress in their pursuit of supreme perfect enlightenment. He then urges that the Lotus Sutra be single-mindedly embraced and propagated after his death.

Medicine King

Medicine King ［薬王菩薩］ ( Bhaishajyarāja;  Yakuō-bosatsu): A bodhisattva said to possess the power to cure physical and mental diseases. The Sanskrit bhaishajya means curativeness, medicine, or remedy; rāja means king. According to the Meditation on the Two Bodhisattvas Medicine King and Medicine Superior Sutra, in the remote past, in the Middle Day of the Law of a Buddha named Lapis Lazuli Brightness, Bodhisattva Medicine King was a rich man named Constellation Light. He heard the teaching of the Buddha wisdom from the monk Sun Repository. Rejoicing, he presented beneficial medicines as an offering to Sun Repository and his fellow monks, and vowed that when he attained Buddhahood all those who heard his name would be cured of illness. Constellation Light had a younger brother Lightning Glow, who also offered beneficial medicines to Sun Repository and others, vowing to attain Buddhahood. The people praised the two brothers, calling the elder brother Medicine King and the younger brother Medicine Superior. Constellation Light and Lightning Glow, the sutra says, were reborn respectively as Bodhisattva Medicine King and Bodhisattva Medicine Superior and will in the future attain enlightenment as the Buddhas Pure Eye and Pure Storehouse.
  Bodhisattva Medicine King also figures prominently in the Lotus Sutra. The “Teacher of the Law” (tenth) chapter is addressed to Bodhisattva Medicine King. In the “Encouraging Devotion” (thirteenth) chapter, he and Bodhisattva Great Joy of Preaching lead the host of bodhisattvas in vowing to propagate the sutra in the evil age after Shakyamuni’s death. The “Medicine King” (twenty-third) chapter describes the austerities he performed in a previous lifetime as a bodhisattva named Gladly Seen by All Living Beings, or simply Gladly Seen. In the remote past, Bodhisattva Gladly Seen heard the Lotus Sutra from the Buddha Sun Moon Pure Bright Virtue. As a result, he mastered a form of meditation that enabled him to manifest any physical form. In gratitude, Gladly Seen entered this meditation and caused flowers and incense to rain down from the heavens as an offering to the Buddha Sun Moon Pure Bright Virtue and the Lotus Sutra, but he felt dissatisfied with this offering and decided that it would be more meaningful to offer his own body. After steeping himself in scents and fragrances for twelve hundred years, he anointed his body with fragrant oil and set himself ablaze in the presence of the Buddha.
  The blaze illuminated worlds equal in number to the sands of eighty million Ganges Rivers, and the Buddhas within them praised his act as the supreme offering. His body burned for twelve hundred years, and after it was consumed, he was reborn in the land of Sun Moon Pure Bright Virtue Buddha, whom he found at the point of entering nirvana. The Buddha transferred his teachings to Bodhisattva Gladly Seen and then died. Gladly Seen cremated the Buddha’s body and built eighty-four thousand stupas to enshrine his ashes, to which he then made offerings. Not satisfied, he proceeded to burn his arms as a further offering for seventy-two thousand years. All the bodhisattvas, gods, people, and other beings he had converted grieved to see him without arms, but he declared to them that having offered his own flesh, he would surely attain Buddhahood, whereupon his arms were restored. Later he was reborn as Bodhisattva Medicine King. The “King Wonderful Adornment” (twentyseventh) chapter says that the bodhisattvas Medicine King and Medicine Superior are reincarnations of Pure Storehouse and Pure Eye who converted their father, King Wonderful Adornment, to the correct teaching.
  The Biography of the Great Teacher T’ien-t’ai Chih-che of the Sui Dynasty by Chang-an states that T’ien-t’ai (538–597) was a reincarnation of Bodhisattva Medicine King because he had attained a great awakening through the “Medicine King” chapter of the Lotus Sutra.

Three Obstacles and Four Devils (Sansho-Shima)

 

three obstacles and four devils ［三障四魔］ ( sanshō-shima): Various obstacles and hindrances to the practice of Buddhism. They are listed in the Nirvana Sutra and The Treatise on the Great Perfection of Wisdom. The three obstacles are (1) the obstacle of earthly desires, or obstacles arising from the three poisons of greed, anger, and foolishness; (2) the obstacle of karma, obstacles due to bad karma created by committing any of the five cardinal sins or ten evil acts; and (3) the obstacle of retribution, obstacles caused by the negative karmic effects of actions in the three evil paths. In a letter he addressed to the Ikegami brothers in 1275, Nichiren states, “The obstacle of earthly desires is the impediments to one’s practice that arise from greed, anger, foolishness, and the like; the obstacle of karma is the hindrances presented by one’s wife or children; and the obstacle of retribution is the hindrances caused by one’s sovereign or parents”
  

The four devils are (1) the hindrance of the five components, obstructions caused by one’s physical and mental functions; (2) the hindrance of earthly desires, obstructions arising from the three poisons; (3) the hindrance of death, meaning one’s own untimely death obstructing one’s practice of Buddhism, or the premature death of another practitioner causing one to doubt; and (4) the hindrance of the devil king, who is said to assume various forms or take possession of others in order to cause one to discard one’s Buddhist practice. This hindrance is regarded as the most difficult to overcome. T’ien-t’ai (538–597) states in Great Concentration and Insight: “As practice progresses and understanding grows, the three obstacles and four devils emerge in confusing form, vying with one another to interfere. . . . One should be neither influenced nor frightened by them. If one falls under their influence, one will be led into the paths of evil. If one is frightened by them, one will be prevented from practicing the correct teaching.” 

Note: devil king of the sixth heaven ［第六天の魔王］ ( dairokuten-no-maō): Also, devil king or heavenly devil. The king of devils, who dwells in the highest or the sixth heaven of the world of desire. He is also named Freely Enjoying Things Conjured by Others, the king who makes free use of the fruits of others’ efforts for his own pleasure. Served by innumerable minions, he obstructs Buddhist practice and delights in sapping the life force of other beings. 

Dengyo

 

Dengyō ［伝教］ (767–822): Also known as Saichō. The founder of the Tendai school in Japan. His posthumous honorific name and title are the Great Teacher Dengyō. At age twelve, he entered the Buddhist priesthood and studied under Gyōhyō at a provincial temple in Ōmi Province. In 785 he attended the ceremony for receiving the entire set of Hinayana precepts at Tōdai-ji temple in Nara, and in the seventh month of the same year he went to Mount Hiei where he built a small retreat. There he studied Buddhist scriptures and treatises, especially those of the T’ien-t’ai school.
  In 788 he built a small temple on the mountain and named it Hieisan-ji (Temple of Mount Hiei). (After Dengyō’s death, Emperor Saga renamed it Enryaku-ji in 823.) In 802, at age thirty-six, Dengyō was invited to Kyoto by the brothers and court nobles Wake no Hiroyo and Wake no Matsuna to lecture at their family temple, Takao-dera. There he expounded T’ien-t’ai’s three major works to eminent priests representing the seven major temples of Nara. This event catapulted Dengyō to prominence, winning him the support of Emperor Kammu, and greatly enhanced the prestige of the T’ien-t’ai doctrine.
  In 804, accompanied by his disciple Gishin who acted as interpreter, Dengyō went to China. After making a pilgrimage to Mount T’ien-t’ai, the center of the T’ien-t’ai school, they stayed in the province of T’ai-chou, where the center was located. There Dengyō received the essentials of T’ien-t’ai Buddhism from Miao-lo’s disciple Tao-sui and then from Hsing-man, another disciple of Miao-lo. He also received the bodhisattva precepts, or those of perfect and immediate enlightenment, from Tao-sui, the Zen teachings from Hsiao-jan, and the anointment of Esoteric Buddhism from Shun-hsiao. In 805 he returned to Japan and the next year established the Tendai school. In those days, all Buddhist priests were ordained exclusively in the Hinayana precepts. Dengyō wished to ordain his disciples with Mahayana precepts and made continual efforts to obtain imperial permission for the building of a Mahayana ordination center on Mount Hiei in the face of determined opposition from the older schools of Nara. Permission was finally granted a week after Dengyō’s death in 822, and in 827 his successor Gishin completed the ordination center.
  After his return to Japan, in addition to this project, Dengyō concentrated his efforts on refuting the doctrines of the older Buddhist schools. In particular, his ongoing debate with Tokuitsu, a priest of the Dharma Characteristics (Hossō) school, is well known. That debate began in the early Kōnin era (810–824). Tokuitsu asserted that the one vehicle teaching of the Lotus Sutra was a provisional teaching that Shakyamuni Buddha expounded in accordance with the people’s capacity, while the three vehicle teachings were true teachings, and that there are some people who are without the potential to attain Buddhahood. In opposition to this assertion, Dengyō maintained that all people have the Buddha nature, and that the one vehicle of Buddhahood expounded in the Lotus Sutra is the true teaching.
  Among Dengyō’s major disciples were Gishin, Enchō, Kōjō, Jikaku, Chishō, and Ninchū. His works include The Outstanding Principles of the Lotus Sutra, A Clarification of the Precepts, An Essay on the Protection of the Nation, and The Regulations for Students of the Mountain School.

Tz-u-en

 

Tz’u-en, also known as K’uei-chi. The founder of the Dharma Characteristics (Fa-hsiang) school in China. Because he lived at Tz’u-en-ssu temple, he was given the title Great Teacher Tz’u-en. Born in Ch’ang-an, he became a student of Hsüan-tsang in 648 and later one of his most outstanding disciples. Tz’u-en collaborated with Hsüan-tsang in translating Buddhist texts, including The Treatise on the Establishment of the Consciousness-Only Doctrine. Based on the Consciousness-Only doctrine that Hsüan-tsang had brought from India, Tz’u-en established the Dharma Characteristics school. His works include The Commentary on “The Treatise on the Establishment of the Consciousness-Only Doctrine,” Praising the Profundity of the Lotus Sutra, The Forest of Meanings in the Mahayana Garden of the Law, and commentaries on the Consciousness-Only doctrine.

Ceremony in the Air

 

Ceremony in the Air ［虚空会］ ( kokū-e): The second of the three assemblies described in the Lotus Sutra, in which the entire gathering is suspended in space above the ground. The two other assemblies take place on Eagle Peak. The Ceremony in the Air is depicted from the latter half of the “Treasure Tower” (eleventh) chapter through the “Entrustment” (twenty-second) chapter of the sutra. In the “Treasure Tower” chapter, the treasure tower of the Buddha Many Treasures emerges from beneath the earth and is suspended in midair. Shakyamuni, after summoning the Buddhas who are his emanations from the ten directions, stations himself in midair, opens the treasure tower, and enters it, taking a seat beside the Buddha Many Treasures. Then, using his transcendental powers, he lifts the entire assembly into space so that they are at the same level. This begins the Ceremony in the Air. The “Treasure Tower” chapter ends with Shakyamuni urging the audience to propagate the sutra in the evil age after his death. In the “Encouraging Devotion” (thirteenth) chapter, the innumerable bodhisattvas attending vow to fulfill the Buddha’s will even if they must endure persecution by the so-called three powerful enemies.

In the “Emerging from the Earth” (fifteenth) chapter, the bodhisattvas of the other worlds make the same vow, but the Buddha refuses to entrust the mission to them. At that moment the Bodhisattvas of the Earth make their appearance; this marks the beginning of the essential teaching of the sutra. In the “Life Span” (sixteenth) chapter, Shakyamuni reveals his original enlightenment—the enlightenment that he attained numberless major world system dust particle kalpas in the past. In the “Supernatural Powers” (twenty-first) chapter, Shakyamuni transfers the essence of the sutra specifically to the Bodhisattvas of the Earth led by Bodhisattva Superior Practices, entrusting them with its propagation in the Latter Day of the Law. In the “Entrustment” chapter, he transfers the sutra to all the bodhisattvas present. Then Shakyamuni’s emanations return to their lands, the treasure tower reverts to its former position, and the Ceremony in the Air comes to an end. The heart of this ceremony consists of the revelation of Shakyamuni Buddha’s original enlightenment and the transfer of the essence of the sutra to the Bodhisattvas of the Earth.

Nichiren (1222–1282) states that the object of devotion he revealed as the Gohonzon is the perfect embodiment of the Law, which is the essence of the Lotus Sutra, and that it is also a representation of the Ceremony in the Air. The Real Aspect of the Gohonzon reads, “This Gohonzon was revealed . . . in eight chapters [of the Lotus Sutra], from the ‘Emerging from the Earth’ chapter through the ‘Entrustment’ chapter”. It also reads, “Without exception, all these Buddhas, bodhisattvas, great sages [attending the Ceremony in the Air] . . . dwell in this Gohonzon”. The fact that the ceremony takes place in the air signifies that it transcends the framework of time and space.

Many Treasures

 

Many Treasures ［多宝如来］ (Prabhūtaratna;  Tahō-nyorai): A Buddha depicted in the Lotus Sutra. Many Treasures appears, seated within his treasure tower, in order to lend credence to Shakyamuni’s teachings in the sutra. According to the “Treasure Tower” (eleventh) chapter of the Lotus Sutra, Many Treasures Buddha lives in the World of Treasure Purity in the east. While still engaged in bodhisattva practice, he pledges that, even after entering nirvana, he will appear with his treasure tower in order to attest to the validity of the Lotus Sutra, wherever it might be taught. 

In the “Treasure Tower” chapter, Shakyamuni assembles all the Buddhas from the ten directions. He then opens the treasure tower and, at the invitation of the Buddha Many Treasures, seats himself beside this Buddha. Shakyamuni then employs his supernatural powers to lift the assembly into the air, and the sequence of events known as the Ceremony in the Air begins. 

Treasure Tower

 

treasure tower ［宝塔］ ( hōtō): A tower or stupa adorned with treasures or jewels. Any of a variety of jeweled stupas depicted in Buddhist scriptures. The best known is the treasure tower of Many Treasures Buddha that appears in the “Treasure Tower” (eleventh) chapter of the Lotus Sutra. According to the sutra, this massive tower emerges from below the earth and measures 250 yojanas wide and 500 yojanas high. It is adorned with the seven kinds of treasures: gold, silver, lapis lazuli, seashell, agate, pearl, and carnelian, and seated inside the tower is Many Treasures Buddha. T’ien-t’ai (538–597) gives two reasons for the appearance of the treasure tower in the Lotus Sutra: (1) to substantiate the teaching of replacing the three vehicles with the one vehicle expounded in the theoretical teaching (first half) of the Lotus Sutra, and (2) to prepare for Shakyamuni’s revelation, in the “Life Span” (sixteenth) chapter of the essential teaching (the sutra’s latter half), of his original attainment of enlightenment numberless major world system dust particle kalpas in the past.

Nichiren viewed the treasure tower as an allegory for human life in its enlightened state achieved through the chanting of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. In a letter Nichiren wrote in 1272 known as On the Treasure Tower, he says: “In the Latter Day of the Law, no treasure tower exists other than the figures of the men and women who embrace the Lotus Sutra. It follows, therefore, that whether eminent or humble, high or low, those who chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo are themselves the treasure tower, and, likewise, are themselves the Thus Come One Many Treasures. No treasure tower exists other than Myoho-renge-kyo. The daimoku of the Lotus Sutra is the treasure tower, and the treasure tower is Nam-myoho-renge-kyo”. In the same letter, he also refers to the Gohonzon, the object of devotion in his teaching, as “the treasure tower.”

Ten Directions and Three Existence of Buddhism

 

ten directions ［十方］ ( jippō): The entire universe, all physical space. Specifically, the ten directions are the eight directions of the compass—north, south, east, west, northwest, northeast, southeast, and southwest—plus up and down. Buddhist scriptures refer to the existence of Buddha lands in all directions throughout the universe, each with its own Buddha. The expression “the Buddhas of the ten directions” in the sutras indicates these Buddhas. The phrase ten directions often appears with the phrase three existences, meaning past, present, and future existences. “The Buddhas of the ten directions and three existences” thus means all Buddhas throughout space and time.

Soka Gakkai

The Soka Gakkai began as an organization of reformist Japanese educators inspired by the philosophy of Nichiren Buddhism. Its founder and first president, Tsunesaburo Makiguchi (1871–1944), was driven by a passion to enable people to lead fulfilled and happy lives. During World War II, he was imprisoned with his protégé, Josei Toda (1900–58), by the Japanese militarist government for opposing its policies. Makiguchi died in prison from malnutrition and old age, while Toda emerged to rebuild the Soka Gakkai as a Buddhist movement to empower people suffering in the aftermath of the war. Daisaku Ikeda (1928–2023) inherited Toda’s vision, going on to develop the organization into a multifaceted movement for peace, culture and education with members around the world.

Based on the philosophy and practice of Nichiren’s teachings, the Soka Gakkai advocates an individual inner reformation it calls “human revolution,” the ultimate goal of which is a peaceful world and the happiness of humanity. It upholds the Lotus Sutra philosophy that all people inherently possess within them the Buddha nature, the potential for enlightenment, and can bring it forth through Buddhist practice. Based on this teaching, the Soka Gakkai has been endeavoring to establish the sanctity of life and the dignity of humanity as fundamental universal ideals. 

The Soka Gakkai does not view Buddhism as an exclusively spiritual or metaphysical pursuit, but as an applied philosophy of life. It encourages Buddhist practice as a means for people to develop the character, wisdom, and strength to improve themselves and their circumstances, to contribute to society, and to help bring about happiness and peace in the world.
   

In 2013 the Soka Gakkai opened the Hall of the Great Vow for Kōsen-rufu in Shinanomachi, Tokyo, as the central feature of its Headquarters complex. The central Gohonzon of the Soka Gakkai is enshrined there and members from around the world visit to pray for and renew their resolution to achieve world peace. It houses a conference room commemorating the achievements of the Soka Gakkai's founding presidents, Makiguchi, Toda, and Ikeda.

Superior Practices

 

Superior Practices ［上行菩薩］ (Vishishtachāritra;  Jōgyō-bosatsu): The first of the four leaders of the Bodhisattvas of the Earth who appear from beneath the earth in the “Emerging from the Earth” (fifteenth) chapter of the Lotus Sutra, where Shakyamuni transfers the essence of the sutra to those bodhisattvas, headed by Superior Practices, in the “Supernatural Powers” (twenty-first) chapter. 

In The Supplement to “The Words and Phrases of the Lotus Sutra,” Tao-hsien, a priest of the T’ien-t’ai school in China in the eighth century, states that the four bodhisattvas represent the four virtues of the Buddha’s life: true self, eternity, purity, and happiness. Among these, Superior Practices represents the virtue of true self. 

In his writings, Nichiren (1222–1282) associates himself with Bodhisattva Superior Practices, saying that he has fulfilled the mission entrusted to the bodhisattva by Shakyamuni, and he refers to his propagation efforts as the work of Bodhisattva Superior Practices. 

In his lecture "Kosen-rufu and World Peace Chapter 22: The Mission and Vow of the Bodhisattvas of the Earth [22.3]" Daisaku Ikeda discusses the virtues of the four leaders of the Bodhisattvas of the Earth as they relate to our own lives, asserting that Soka Gakkai members are the Bodhisattvas of the Earth of the present day.

Mr. Toda used to say that we, Soka Gakkai members who are striving to achieve kosen-rufu, are the Bodhisattvas of the Earth, and that being the case, we are certain to be able to lead the kind of life we desire.

The four bodhisattvas who appear in the Lotus Sutra as the leaders of the Bodhisattvas of the Earth are Superior Practices, Boundless Practices, Pure Practices, and Firmly Established Practices (cf. LSOC15, 254). What is the significance of these four bodhisattvas? While this can be discussed from various perspectives, in The Record of the Orally Transmitted Teachings, the Daishonin touches on one aspect in relation to the four elements of earth, water, fire, and wind. He explains that all the activities of the universe, which are symbolized by the four elements, are essentially the functions of the four bodhisattvas and the compassionate workings of Myoho-renge-kyo.

I would like to give a simple overview of these functions as they relate to leadership qualities, based on the Daishonin’s remarks in the Orally Transmitted Teachings.

First of all, Bodhisattva Superior Practices can be likened to fire. The Daishonin says: “Fire is that which burns things” (OTT, 118). Courageous practitioners of the Mystic Law “burn” their earthly desires to produce the light of wisdom, illuminating the world’s darkness. Just as a roaring fire sends flames leaping high into the air, they brim with irrepressible energy and inspire everyone with their passionate resolve. They stand in the vanguard and ignite a flame of courage and enthusiasm in others’ hearts. They light the way forward. They function as outstanding leaders in society and the world at large. This can be seen as an aspect of the virtues of Bodhisattva Superior Practices.

Leaders in the realm of Nichiren Buddhism need to constantly strive to improve themselves, to always take the lead and act with bracing courage. They must never be arrogant or high-handed, seeking the easy way out and making others do all the hard work.

Bodhisattva Boundless Practices can be likened to the wind. The Daishonin says: “Wind is that which blows away dust and grime” (OTT, 118). Just as the wind blows unhindered to clear away all dust and grime, practitioners of the Mystic Law can freely carry out their activities, sweeping away all obstacles as if they were “no more than dust before the wind” (cf. WND-1, 280). This is the virtue of Bodhisattva Boundless Practices. We possess within us wisdom and life force that can never be obstructed by anything.

Bodhisattva Pure Practices can be likened to water. The Daishonin says: “Water is that which purifies things” (OTT, 118). Like flowing water, practitioners of the Mystic Law always stay pure of heart, never sullied by the muck and mire of real life, and purify everything around them. Though they plunge into the midst of this polluted world, their vibrant, beautiful lives remain untainted. In fact, they spread their pure-heartedness to all around them. This is the virtue of Bodhisattva Pure Practices.

Bodhisattva Firmly Established Practices can be likened to the earth. The Daishonin says: “The great earth is that which nourishes plants and trees” (OTT, 118). Like the rich earth that nourishes the many different kinds of plants and trees, practitioners of the Mystic Law protect and care for everyone alike. They provide solid support for everyone and nourish them with their warm encouragement. Unshakable and dauntless, they impart a feeling of infinite security and assurance to those around them. This is the virtue of Bodhisattva Firmly Established Practices.

Nichiren Daishonin, the Buddha of the Latter Day of the Law, took on the role of the leader of the Bodhisattvas of the Earth [namely, Bodhisattva Superior Practices]. As long as we dedicate ourselves to realizing kosen-rufu, striving in our Buddhist practice with the “same mind as Nichiren” (WND-1, 385), the powerful functions of these four bodhisattvas will also appear in our lives. Surely nothing could be more wonderful.

There is profound significance in the fact that the word practices is part of the names of all four of these bodhisattvas. Without practice or action, one cannot be a bodhisattva. Without action, one cannot attain Buddhahood.

A self-centered life is empty and base. The Bodhisattvas of the Earth respect others and strive to benefit them.

I hope that you will all support and protect your noble fellow members—standing in the vanguard of kosen-rufu like Superior Practices, taking action freely like Boundless Practices, with a pure heart like Pure Practices, and with a resolute commitment like Firmly Established Practices.

Let’s cast aside selfishness, be unswayed by others’ approval or disapproval, and work tirelessly for people’s happiness and a brighter future. That is the way to bring forth inner strength and to attain Buddhahood.

From a speech at a nationwide representative conference, Tokyo, March 29, 1996.

Three Realms of Existence

Three Realms of Existence

The Three Realms of Existence are: the realm of the Five Components, the Realm of Living Beings and the Realm of the Environment. These realms are categories of phenomena arising from the unity of causes and conditions, and do not exist independently of each other. The Realm of the Five Components illustrates that the five components (form, perception, conception, volition, and consciousness) vary from person to person. The Realm of living beings refers to the truth that the lives of common mortals who are formed by the temporary union of the five components experience different worlds of the Ten Worlds. The Realm of the Environment illustrates that there are differences in the places where the common mortals of the Ten Worlds dwell.

The Realm of the Five Components

This is the place where there are differences among people in terms of material law and spiritual law. The five components are:

1. The Component of Form – indicates physical and material existence
2. The Component of Perception – the function to receive information
3. The Component of Conception – the function of forming an idea or concept about the information received.
4. The Component of Volition – the function of creating intention or desire
5. The Component of Consciousness – the function to understand all aspects of existence

The Realm of Living Beings

The indicates that living beings, each formed by the five components, can see the various distinctions of the ten worlds through their association with one another.

The Realm of the Environment

This is the place where living beings dwell in their respective, insentient environments.

Six Paramitas

The six pāramitās are (1) almsgiving, (2) keeping the precepts, (3) forbearance, (4) assiduousness, (5) meditation, and (6) the obtaining of wisdom. 

What's this mean?

In Mahayana Buddhism, the bodhisattva practices the six paramitas, or transcendent perfections. These are a path to enlightenment, the fruition of the bodhisattva way, and a means to benefit sentient beings. They are transcendent because the subject, object, and practice of the perfections are all free of self, which is known as the threefold purity.

1. Generosity (dana)

You give without expecting anything in return, the essence of nonattachment.

2. Discipline (sila)

You joyfully practice the dharma in everything you do.

3. Patience (ksanti)

You are free of aggression and maintain your equilibrium in the midst of worldly confusion.

4. Exertion (virya)

You work hard because you delight in the path and appreciate virtue. Overcoming laziness, you never give up.

5. Meditation (dhyana)

Body and mind synchronized, you cut distraction and tame your mind with one-pointed mindfulness.

6. Wisdom (prajna)

You develop the “superior know-ledge” of both ultimate reality (shunyata, emptiness) and relative phenomena. As prajna cuts through mistaken beliefs about reality, compassion naturally arises.

You don’t have to be perfect to practice the perfections. Because each of the paramitas is the antidote to a particular obstacle—generosity overcomes stinginess, etc.—you can practice them now as the step-by-step path to your own bodhisattvahood.