Five Components

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

ichinen sanzen

Ichinin Sanzen – three thousand realms in a single life moment refers to the doctrine expounded in the Lotus Sutra that each single moment of life encompasses all three thousand possible realms of existence.

Okay, not the easiest thing to grasp, but it's one of the most important things you will ever read in this lifetime, I assure you. 

Literally, ichinen sanzen can be translated as “moment of existence” and “three thousand aspects.” This is to say that each moment of existence of all living beings (ichinen) is endowed with all three thousand realms of phenomena (sanzen). Ichinen means a moment of life. Ichi means “one” and signifies the one ultimate truth or the Middle Way of the Dharma nature. A single moment of existence encompasses all the elements that form a common mortal’s life, such as body and mind, and cause and effect. The term refers to all forms of existence. Sanzen includes every single phenomenon in the entire universe. This doctrine teaches that even the smallest bit of life possessed by any single entity is actually endowed with all phenomena of the three thousand different realms.

Nichiren Daishonin says in the Gosho, “The True Object of Worship”:

When he finally revealed in the “Great Concentration and Insight” (Maka Shikan) the way to perceive the true nature of life, he at the same time used the “three thousand realms” as a way to understand it. This is the ultimate truth of his teachings.
(Gosho, p. 645)

Thus, ichinen sanzen is the ultimate principle of Buddhism and the ultimate truth of the Lotus Sutra.

The Doctrine of Ichinen Sanzen

This doctrine was systematized by T’ien-t’ai using concepts such as the Ten Factors of Life revealed in the Theoretical Teaching of the Lotus Sutra (Shakumon), and the Mutual Possession of the Ten Worlds and the Three Realms of Existence, which were revealed in the Essential Teaching (Honmon). The doctrine of ichinen sanzen was expounded for the first time in Volume Five, Chapter Seven of T’ien-t’ai’s “Great Concentration and Insight” (Maka Shikan).  In developing the theory of ichinen sanzen, T’ien-t’ai placed primary focus on the Ten Factors of Life which were preached in the Hoben (“Expedient Means”—2nd) Chapter of the Theoretical Teaching. He borrowed the doctrine of the Essential Teaching of the Lotus Sutra to clarify that a single entity of life possesses three thousand realms. Volume Five of the “Great Concentration and Insight” states:

 At each moment, life is endowed with the Ten Worlds. Concurrently, each of the Ten Worlds is endowed with all the others. Therefore, an entity of life actually possesses one hundred worlds. Each of these worlds possesses, in turn, thirty realms. This means that in the one hundred worlds there are three thousand realms. “Three thousand realms” might also be read as “three thousand factors.” But the number is the same. The only difference lies in the method of expansion. The three thousand realms of existence are all possessed by a single entity of life. If there is no life, that is the end of the matter. If however, there is even the slightest bit of life, it contains all the three thousand realms…. This is what we mean when we speak of the “region of the unfathomable.”
(Quoted in “The True Object of Worship”; Gosho, p.644)

Each moment of a common mortal’s life contains all Ten Worlds. Each of these worlds, itself, possesses within it the Ten Worlds, making one hundred worlds. Each of these one hundred worlds possesses the ten factors of life, making one thousand factors of life. Each of these factors of life possesses the three realms of existence, which makes a total of three thousand realms of existence.

The relationship between ichinen (a single moment of existence) and sanzen (three thousand realms) is not temporal. In other words, a single moment of existence does not precede the appearance of the three thousand realms, nor do the three thousand realms precede a single moment of existence. Neither preconditions the other. Additionally, they are not two separate principles existing simultaneously. They are intrinsically one. “Endowed with,” in the above Gosho quote, is used to show this principle of oneness.

The Mutual Possession of the Ten Worlds, the Ten Factors of Life, and the Three Realms of Existence

T’ien-t’ai categorized the life conditions that could be manifested in a single moment of life into ten states. We call them the Ten Worlds. They are Hell, Hunger, Animality, Anger, Humanity, Rapture, Learning, Realization, Bodhisattva, and Buddhahood. Each of these worlds, from Hell to Buddhahood, is endowed with all the others. This is called the mutual possession of the Ten Worlds. The Daishonin tells us in the Gosho, “The Opening of the Eyes”:

 The principle of Ichinen sanzen begins with an understanding of the mutual possession of the Ten Worlds or states of existence.
(Gosho, p.526)

Thus, the concept of ichinen sanzen was developed based on the Mutual Possession of the Ten Worlds. The doctrine of the Mutual Possession of the Ten Worlds was not expounded in the pre-Lotus Sutra teachings. This explains why the people of the two vehicles (Learning and Realization) were said to be unable to attain enlightenment.

The Ten Factors of Life is a doctrine that divides the true entity of all phenomena into ten aspects. The word “factors” (nyoze) indicates that all forms of phenomena, just as they are, express the true aspect of the Middle Way. The Hoben Chapter of the Lotus Sutra states:

The true entity of all phenomena can only be understood and shared between Buddhas. (Yui butsu yo butsu. Nai no ku-jin. Sho-ho jis-so.) This reality consists of the appearance, nature, entity, power, influence, inherent cause, relation, latent effect, manifest effect, and their consistency from beginning to end. (Sho-i sho-ho. Nyoze so. Nyoze sho. Nyoze tai. Nyoze riki. Nyoze sa. Nyoze in. Nyoze en. Nyoze ka. Nyoze ho. Nyoze hon-mak-ku-kyo to.)
(Kaiketsu,  p. 24)

Nyoze so is form, appearance or behavior that we can see. Nyoze sho is original nature or character. Nyoze tai is entity or substance. Nyoze riki is potential power or capacity. Nyoze sa is action influenced by potential power. Nyoze in is inherent cause or a direct cause that brings effect. Nyoze en is a relational or subordinate cause that supports an inherent cause. Nyoze ka is latent effect that results from inherent cause. Nyoze ho is a manifest effect that appears when a latent effect becomes manifest. Nyoze hon-mak-ku-kyo to illustrates that Nyoze so and Nyoze ho are ultimately equal.

The three factors of appearance, nature, and entity are the substance of all phenomena. The six factors of power, influence, inherent cause, relation, latent effect, and manifest effect are the functions of all phenomena. All things in this universe exist and occur in these ten ways.

Next, 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.

Bodhisattva Vows

The Bohisattva vows are:  

(1) to save innumerable living beings, 

(2) to eradicate countless earthly desires, 

(3) to master immeasurable Buddhist teachings, and 

(4) to attain the supreme enlightenment.

Seems hard, right?  Wrong, just chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo and you'll discover your personal mission in this life and bring forth your buddha nature.  

If I can do it, anyone can. 

~~ Terry Van, Bodhisatvva 2nd Class. 

Mystic Law

 

Mystic Law ［妙法］ (Chin miao-fa; Jpn myōhō ) : Also, wonderful Law. The ultimate Law, principle, or truth of life and the universe in Nichiren’s teachings; the Law of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. This term derives from Kumārajīva’s Chinese translation of the Sanskrit word saddharma, from the title of the Saddharma-pundarīka-sūtra, or the Lotus Sutra of the Wonderful Law. It has been translated into English also as Wonderful Dharma, Fine Dharma, etc. 

Also see Nam-myoho-renge-kyo.

 

Nam-myoho-renge-kyo

The essence of Buddhism is the conviction that we have within us at each moment the ability to overcome any problem or difficulty that we may encounter in life; a capacity to transform any suffering. Our lives possess this power because they are inseparable from the fundamental law that underlies the workings of all life and the universe.

Nichiren, the 13th-century Buddhist monk upon whose teachings the Soka Gakkai is based, awakened to this law, or principle, and named it “Nam-myoho-renge-kyo.” Through the Buddhist practice he developed, he provided a way for all people to activate it within their own lives and experience the joy that comes from being able to liberate oneself from suffering at the most fundamental level.

Shakyamuni, first awoke to this law out of a compassionate yearning to find the means to enable all people to be free of the inevitable pains of life. It is because of this that he is known as Buddha, or “Awakened One.” Discovering that the capacity to transform suffering was innate within his own life, he saw too that it is innate within all beings.

The record of Shakyamuni’s teachings to awaken others was captured for posterity in numerous Buddhist sutras. The culmination of these teachings is the Lotus Sutra. In Japanese, “Lotus Sutra” is rendered as Myoho-renge-kyo.

Over a thousand years after Shakyamuni, amidst the turbulence of 13th-century Japan, Nichiren similarly began a quest to recover the essence of Buddhism for the sake of the suffering masses. Awakening to the law of life himself, Nichiren was able to discern that this fundamental law is contained within Shakyamuni’s Lotus Sutra and that it is encapsulated and concisely expressed in the sutra’s title—Myoho-renge-kyo. Nichiren designated the title of the sutra as the name of the law and established the practice of reciting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo as a practical way for all people to focus their hearts and minds upon this law and manifest its transformative power in reality. Nam comes from the Sanskrit namas, meaning to devote or dedicate oneself.

Nam-myoho-renge-kyo is thus a vow, an expression of determination, to embrace and manifest our Buddha nature. It is a pledge to oneself to never yield to difficulties and to win over one’s suffering. At the same time, it is a vow to help others reveal this law in their own lives and achieve happiness.

The individual characters that make up Myoho-renge-kyo express key characteristics of this law. Myo can be translated as mystic or wonderful, and ho means law. This law is called mystic because it is difficult to comprehend. What exactly is it that is difficult to comprehend? It is the wonder of ordinary people, beset by delusion and suffering, awakening to the fundamental law in their own lives, bringing forth wisdom and compassion and realizing that they are inherently Buddhas able to solve their own problems and those of others. The Mystic Law transforms the life of anyone—even the unhappiest person, at any time and in any circumstances—into a life of supreme happiness.

Renge, meaning lotus blossom, is a metaphor that offers further insight into the qualities of this Mystic Law. The lotus flower is pure and fragrant, unsullied by the muddy water in which it grows. Similarly, the beauty and dignity of our humanity is brought forth amidst the sufferings of daily reality.

Further, unlike other plants, the lotus puts forth flowers and fruit at the same time. In most plants, the fruit develops after the flower has bloomed and the petals of the flower have fallen away. The fruit of the lotus plant, however, develops simultaneously with the flower, and when the flower opens, the fruit is there within it. This illustrates the principle of the simultaneity of cause and effect; we do not have to wait to become someone perfect in the future, we can bring forth the power of the Mystic Law from within our lives at any time.

The principle of the simultaneity of cause and effect clarifies that our lives are fundamentally equipped with the great life state of the Buddha and that the attainment of Buddhahood is possible by simply opening up and bringing forth this state. Sutras other than the Lotus Sutra taught that people could attain Buddhahood only by carrying out Buddhist practice over several lifetimes, acquiring the traits of the Buddha one by one. The Lotus Sutra overturns this idea, teaching that all the traits of the Buddha are present within our lives from the beginning.

Kyo literally means sutra and here indicates the Mystic Law likened to a lotus flower, the fundamental law that permeates life and the universe, the eternal truth. The Chinese character kyo also implies the idea of a “thread.” When a fabric is woven, first, the vertical threads are put in place. These represent the basic reality of life. They are the stable framework through which the horizontal threads are woven. These horizontal threads, representing the varied activities of our daily lives, make up the pattern of the fabric, imparting color and variation. The fabric of our lives is comprised of both a fundamental and enduring truth as well as the busy reality of our daily existence with its uniqueness and variety. A life that is only horizontal threads quickly unravels.

These are some of the ways in which the name “Myoho-renge-kyo” describes the Mystic Law, of which our lives are an expression. To chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo is an act of faith in the Mystic Law and in the magnitude of life’s inherent possibilities. Throughout his writings, Nichiren emphasizes the primacy of faith. He writes, for instance: “The Lotus Sutra . . . says that one can ‘gain entrance through faith alone.’ . . . Thus faith is the basic requirement for entering the way of the Buddha.” The Mystic Law is the unlimited strength inherent in one’s life. To believe in the Mystic Law and chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo is to have faith in one’s unlimited potential. It is not a mystical phrase that brings forth supernatural power, nor is Nam-myoho-renge-kyo an entity transcending ourselves that we rely upon. It is the principle that those who live normal lives and make consistent efforts will duly triumph.

To chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo is to bring forth the pure and fundamental energy of life, honoring the dignity and possibility of our ordinary lives.

Ten Worlds

In Nichiren Buddhism there are ten worlds we can be in.  Some people live in hell for long periods of time, think of a drug addict, or a financial scammer stuck in a circle of credit fraud.  This is Hell, the lowest of the ten worlds.  The highest state is Buddhahood, this is a person living in perfect harmony with one's life.  Some of us achieve this state on a regular bases by chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo twice a day to elevate our lives.  Most of us go through these ten worlds a lot throughout the day.  A driver cuts you off the road and angers you to swear at him.  You are in a state of hell.  Your girlfriend gives you a surprise kiss out of nowhere, you are in a state of Buddhahood, then she tells you it's your last kiss, she's leaving you.  Hell.  

The secret is to chant for happiness.  

Here is a breakdown of all the worlds we can go through in any moment of time. 

1. Hell (jigoku)

Hell indicates a condition in which one is dominated by the impulse of rage to destroy oneself and everything else. In this state one is utterly devoid of freedom and undergoes extreme and indescribable suffering.

2. Hunger (gaki)

Hunger is a condition characterized by insatiable desire for food, clothes, wealth, pleasure, fame, power and so forth.  One in this state is tormented by relentless craving and by his inability to assuage it.

3. Animality (chikusho)

Animality is a condition governed by instinct, in which one has no sense of reason or morality.  One in this state stands in fear of the strong but despises and preys upon those weaker than himself. 

4. Anger (shura)

Anger is a condition dominated by a selfish ego.  One in this stage is compelled by the need to be superior to others in all things, despising them and valuing one’s self alone.  Nichiren Daishonin wrote: "He who is in the world of Anger, motivated by the warped desire to be better than everyone else, is forever belittling others and exalting himself.  He is like a hawk sweeping the sky in search of pray.  He may outwardly display benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom and good faith, and even possess a rudimentary moral sense, but his heart remains in hell.”

5. Humanity or Tranquility (nin)

In this state, one can judge fairly, control his/hers instinctive desires with reason and act in harmony with the environment.

6. Heaven or Rapture (ten)

This state indicates the sense of pleasure which one experiences when his/hers desire is fulfilled.  However, the joy in the state of Heaven is temporary, and disappears with the passage of time or with even a slight change in circumstances.  The six states from Hell through Heaven are called the six paths (rokudo).  The majority of people spend most of their time transmigrating, or moving back and forth among the six paths.  In these states one is governed totally by his reactions to external influences and is therefore extremely vulnerable to changing circumstances.

Those states in which one transcends the uncertainty of the six paths are called the four noble worlds.

7. Learning  (shomon)

A condition in which one awakens to the impermanence of all things and the instability of the six paths, and seeks some lasting truth and aims at self-reformation through the teachings of others.  Men of Learning (Skt shravaka) originally meant those who listen to the Buddha preach the four noble truths and practice the eightfold path in order to acquire emancipation from earthly desires.

8. Realization (engaku)

This is a condition in which one perceives the impermanence of all phenomena and strives to free one’s self from the sufferings of the six paths, by seeking some lasting truth through one’s own observations and effort.  Men of Realizatoin (Skt. pratyekabuddha) originally meant those who attain a form of emancipation by perceiving the twelve-linked chain of causation or by observing natural phenomena.  Learning and Realization are called the two vehicles (Jap nijo).  The defect of the two vehicles lies in the fact the persons in these states seek only their own salvation.

9. Bodhissatva (bosatsu)

In this state, one not only aspires for enlightenment himself but also devotes one’s self to compassionate actions.  The characteristic of Bodhisattva lies in this dedication to altruism.  The “Causality within the Ten States of Life” (“Jippokai Myoinga Sho”) states, “Those in the state of Bodhisattva dwell among the common mortals of the six paths and humble themselves while respecting others.  They draw evil to themselves and give benefit to others.”

10. Buddhahood (butsu)

This is a condition of perfect and absolute freedom, in which one enjoys boundless wisdom and compassion, and is filled with the courage and power to surmount all hardships.  A Buddha understands all phenomena and realizes the Middle Way.  The ten honorable titles of the Buddha represent the great power, wisdom and virtue of the Buddha.

Bodhisattva

A Bodhisattva (菩薩) is one who aspires to enlightenment, or Buddhahood. Bodhi means enlightenment, and sattva, a living being. In Hinayana Buddhism, the term is used almost exclusively to indicate Shakyamuni Buddha in his previous lifetimes. The Jātaka, or “birth stories” (which recount his past existences), often refer to him as “the bodhisattva.” After the rise of Mahayana, bodhisattva came to mean anyone who aspires to enlightenment and carries out altruistic practice. Mahayana practitioners used it to refer to themselves, thus expressing the conviction that they would one day attain Buddhahood. In contrast with the Hinayana ideal embodied by the voice-hearers and cause-awakened ones who direct their efforts solely toward personal salvation, Mahayana sets forth the ideal of the bodhisattva who seeks enlightenment both for self and others, even postponing one’s entry into nirvana in order to lead others to that goal. The predominant characteristic of a bodhisattva is therefore compassion.   

According to Mahayana tradition, upon embarking on their practice of the six pāramitās, bodhisattvas make four universal vows: (1) to save innumerable living beings, (2) to eradicate countless earthly desires, (3) to master immeasurable Buddhist teachings, and (4) to attain the supreme enlightenment. The six pāramitās are (1) almsgiving, (2) keeping the precepts, (3) forbearance, (4) assiduousness, (5) meditation, and (6) the obtaining of wisdom. Some sutras divide bodhisattva practice into fifty-two stages, ranging from initial resolution to the attainment of enlightenment. Bodhisattva practice was generally thought to require successive lifetimes spanning many kalpas to complete. From the standpoint of the Lotus Sutra, which recognizes that one can attain Buddhahood in one’s present form, the bodhisattva practice can be completed in a single lifetime. In Japan, the title bodhisattva was occasionally given to eminent priests by the imperial court, or by their followers as an epithet of respect. It also was applied to deities. When Buddhism was introduced to Japan, deities of the Japanese pantheon were regarded as afflicted with an assortment of flaws, delusions, and vices. Later, their status was raised when they were identified with bodhisattvas due to the syncretism of Buddhism and Shintoism. Great Bodhisattva Hachiman is an example of this.

In terms of the concept of the Ten Worlds, the world of bodhisattvas constitutes the ninth of the Ten Worlds, describing a state characterized by compassion in which one seeks enlightenment both for oneself and others. In this state, one finds satisfaction in devoting oneself to relieving the suffering of others and leading them to happiness, even if it costs one one’s life. 

Terry Van: Bodhisattva 2nd Class

Mahayana Buddhism

Mahayana Buddhism ［大乗仏教］ ( Daijō-bukkyō): Buddhism of the Great Vehicle. The Sanskrit mahā means great, and yāna, vehicle. One of the two major divisions of the Buddhist teachings, Mahayana and Hinayana. Mahayana emphasizes altruistic practice—called the bodhisattva practice—as a means to attain enlightenment for oneself and help others attain it as well. In contrast, Hinayana Buddhism (Buddhism of the Lesser Vehicle, hīna meaning lower or lesser), as viewed by Mahayanists, aims primarily at personal awakening, or attaining the state of arhat through personal discipline and practice. 

After Shakyamuni’s death, the Buddhist Order experienced several schisms, and eventually eighteen or twenty schools formed, each of which developed its own doctrinal interpretation of the sutras. As time passed, the monks of these schools tended toward monastic lifestyles that were increasingly reclusive, devoting themselves to the practice of precepts and the writing of doctrinal exegeses. This tendency was criticized by those who felt the monks were too conservative, rigid, and elitist, believing they had lost the Buddha’s original spirit of working among the people for their salvation. Around the end of the first century b.c.e. and the beginning of the first century c.e., a new Buddhist movement arose. Its adherents called it Mahayana, indicating a teaching that can serve as a vehicle to carry a great number of people to a level of enlightenment equal to that of the Buddha. They criticized the older conservative schools for seeking only personal enlightenment, derisively calling them Hinayana (Lesser Vehicle) indicating a teaching capable of carrying only a select few to the lesser objective of arhat. According to one opinion, the Mahayana movement may have originated with the popular practice of stupa worship—revering the relics of the Buddha—that spread throughout India during the reign of King Ashoka. In any event, it seems to have arisen at least in part as a popular reform movement involving laypersons as well as clergy. 

Shakyamuni

Shakyamuni Buddha is the historical founder of Buddhism who lived approximately 3,000 years ago. Chinese and Japanese tradition set the date of his birth on April 8, 1029 BCE and his death on February 15, 949 BCE. He was born in what is present day Nepal as a prince, the son of King Shuddhodana of the Shakya tribe. According to Buddhist tradition, at the age of 19 he renounced his princely life, and started his journey as a religious ascetic seeking the truth. At the age of 30, having realized that the severe austerities of ascetic life in India did not lead to an awakening to the ultimate truth, he sat under a pipal tree (also known as the “Bodhi Tree”) and meditated. He attained enlightenment and embarked on a lifelong career of traveling through India, preaching to many disciples and believers to lead them to the same enlightenment.

During the last eight years of his life he expounded the teachings of the “Lotus-Nirvana Period,” in which he taught the principles of the Lotus Sutra, his highest teaching, and instructions for its transmission. Shakyamuni’s teachings in the Lotus Sutra ultimately reveal in the depths of the passages that his status was provisional, and that the True Buddha of kuon-ganjo would appear in the Latter Day of the Law (mappo) to reveal the Buddhism of the true cause that would lead all humankind to enlightenment.

The Lotus Sutra

The Lotus Sutra is one of the most important sutras in Mahayana Buddhism and was likely written down between 100 B.C. and 200 A.D. Already well known in India, the sutra became more famous and influential when it was translated into Chinese by Kumarajiva in the year 406. After Chih-i founded the T’ien-T’ai School in China, based on the teaching expounded by this sutra in the sixth century, it was considered one of the canonical sutras of Chinese Buddhism. After the T’ien-T’ai School of China was introduced to Japan by Saicho and became the Tendai Sect, the Lotus Sutra became loved as literature among the people.

The sutra is named the Lotus Sutra because the lotus symbolized the oneness of cause and effect, specifically the cause of aspiring to enlightenment (Buddhahood) and the effect of attaining it, since the lotus is a flower that blooms and seeds at the same time. It also symbolizes the purity of Buddhahood, blooming in the midst of our ordinary lives just as the lotus blossoms in muddy pond water.

The Wonderful Dharma of the Lotus Sutra is that all living beings, whether they realize it or not, have the capacity to become enlightened. Everyone, without exception, can unlock the perfect wisdom and great compassion that reside in the depths of life. The Lotus Sutra also teaches that the life of a Buddha transcends our ordinary way of thinking and is beyond birth and death.

Shakyamuni Buddha himself is in actuality the Eternal Buddha who is always present in our lives, leading us to the realization of our own innate Buddhahood.

Kosen-Rufu

Kōsen-rufu (広宣流布), a phrase found in the Japanese translation of the Buddhist scripture Lotus Sutra, is informally defined to as "world peace through individual happiness." It refers to the future widespread dissemination of the Lotus Sutra.

The term derives from Lotus Sutra's 22nd chapter: "Propagate this chapter widely throughout the Jambudvīpa in the last 500-year period after my death." Nichiren (1222–1282), the founder of Nichiren Buddhism, took this statement to indicate that the Lotus Sutra is the Law to be declared and widely spread during the Latter Age.

Kōsen means to "widely declare." "Widely" implies speaking out to the world, to an ever-greater number and ever-broader spectrum of people. "Declare" means to proclaim one's ideals, principles and philosophy. The ru (flow) of rufu means "a current like that of a great river," and fu (cloth) means "to spread out like a bolt of cloth." This requires an active and engaged approach of shakubuku, propagation of the Dharma, rather than peaceful retreat or meditative solitude.

Kosen-rufu as peacemaking

Literally, kōsen-rufu means to declare and spread widely the teachings of the Buddha; however, the term "kosen rufu" has come to connote "world peace" based on the Lotus Sutra and Nichiren teachings. The Soka Gakkai is a Nichiren-inspired religious movement headquartered in Japan that has incorporated peace activities its religious practice. 

According to the Soka Gakkai, Nichiren stressed the ideal of achieving kōsen-rufu in Buddhist practice because he felt that the quests for personal enlightenment and the peace and well-being of the entire society were inseparable.