PRESIDENT IKEDA'S STUDY LECTURE SERIES ON PRACTICING THE BUDDHA'S TEACHINGS

PRESIDENT IKEDA'S STUDY LECTURE SERIES

ON PRACTICING THE BUDDHA'S TEACHINGS Striving for Kosen-rufu in the Spirit of Oneness of Mentor and Disciple Is the Key to True "Peace and Security in This Existence"

On examination [of the Lotus Sutra], we find that those who are born in this land and believe in [and practice] this sutra when it is propagated in the Latter Day of the Law will be subjected to hatred and jealousy even greater than that which arose in the lifetime of the Thus Come One ....

[O]nce you become a disciple or lay supporter of the votary who practices the true Lotus Sutra in accord with the Buddha's teachings, you are bound to face the three types of enemies. Therefore, from the very day you listen to [and take faith in] this sutra, you should be fully prepared to face the great persecutions of the three types of enemies that are certain to be more horrible now after the Buddha's passing. Although my disciples had already heard this, when both great and small persecutions confronted us, some were so astounded and terrified that they even forsook their faith. Did I not warn you in advance? I have been teaching you day and night directly from the sutra, which says, "Since hatred and jealousy toward this sutra abound even when the Thus Come One is in the world, how much more will this be so after his passing?" ...

This is indeed an accursed time to live in this land! However, the Buddha has commanded me to be born in this age, and it is impossible for me to go against the decree of the Dharma King. And so, as the sutra dictates, I have launched the battle between the provisional and the true teachings. Donning the armor of endurance and girding myself with the sword of the wonderful teaching, I have raised the banner of the five characters of Myoho-renge-kyo, the heart of the entire eight volumes of the Lotus Sutra. Then, drawing the bow of the Buddha's declaration, "I have not yet revealed the truth", and notching the arrow of "honestly discarding the provisional teachings", I have mounted the carriage drawn by the great white ox and battered down the gates of the provisional teachings. Attacking first one and then another, I have refuted opponents from the eight or ten schools, such as the Nembutsu, True Word, Zen, and Precepts. Some have fled headlong while others have retreated, and still others have been captured to become my disciples. I continue to repulse their attacks and to defeat them, but legions of enemies exist who oppose the single Dharma King and the handful who follow him. So the battle goes on even today.

[The Great Teacher T'ien-t'ai states:] "The Lotus Sutra is the teaching of shakubuku, the refutation of the provisional doctrines." True to the letter of this golden saying, in the end, every last one of the believers of the provisional teachings and schools will be defeated and join the retinue of the Dharma King. The time will come when all people will abandon the various kinds of vehicles and take up the single vehicle of Buddhahood, and the Mystic Law alone will flourish throughout the land. When the people all chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, the wind will no longer buffet the branches, and the rain will no longer break the clods of soil. The world will become as it was in the ages of Fu Hsi and Shen Nung. In their present existence the people will be freed from misfortune and disasters and learn the art of living long. Realize that the time will come when the truth will be revealed that both the person and the Law are unaging and eternal. There cannot be the slightest doubt about the sutra's promise of "peace and security in their present existence".

The Chinese character myo of myoho, or Mystic Law, has the meaning of 'to open'.

Open the way with prayer based on the shared commitment of mentor and disciple!

Open the way with the courage to forge ahead bravely and vigorously!

Open the way with the wisdom to perceive the essential truth amid changing circumstances!

Open the way with self-assured and confident action!

Since the time of its first president Tsunesaburo Makiguchi, the Soka Gakkai has grown and developed by pioneering new frontiers for kosen-rufu, always maintaining a direct connection to Nichiren Daishonin and basing everything on his writings, the Gosho. This will remain the Soka Gakkai's prime point for all time. This fundamental spirit, which is also the key to faith for absolute victory, is highlighted in the Daishonin's writing 'On Practicing the Buddha's Teachings'.

The title of this letter literally translates as 'On Practicing as the Buddha Teaches'. Here, 'as the Buddha expounds' can also be interpreted to mean 'as the teacher expounds'. The Daishonin personally set an example for his disciples in reading the correct teaching of the Lotus Sutra with his life and practicing as the Buddha teaches. He waged a struggle of words to 'refute the erroneous and reveal the true', holding high the banner of universal enlightenment. And he did so in the Latter Day of the Law, an 'age of conflict', when people lose sight of the Buddha's correct teaching and grow confused in their thinking and direction, which results in an environment of incessant strife. The Daishonin's great struggle of refutation, or shakubuku, provoked attacks by the three powerful enemies, just as the sutra predicts. However, by boldly confronting and triumphing over these devilish functions, he proved the veracity of the Lotus Sutra. For us of modern times, practicing as the Buddha teaches means to practice in accord with the teachings of Nichiren Daishonin.

The final chapter of Mr Makiguchi's Kachi Ron (Theory of Value) in the revised edition by Mr Toda, the second president of the Soka Gakkai, concludes with the following words, including some famous lines from 'On Practicing the Buddha's Teachings':

Only when the correct teaching of Buddhism that elucidates the very essence of human existence comes to be widely disseminated will it be possible to truly create a Land of Tranquil Light that brings unsurpassed happiness to all people. As the Daishonin writes: "[The Great Teacher T'ien-t'ai states:] 'The Lotus Sutra is the teaching of shakubuku, the refutation of the provisional doctrines.' ... There cannot be the slightest doubt about the sutra's promise of 'peace and security in their present existence'."

Creating a Land of Tranquil Light that actualizes the sutra's promise of true 'peace and security in this existence' was the ardent wish of Mr Makiguchi and Mr Toda, and the conclusion of Mr Makiguchi's treatise on value. Mr Makiguchi gave his life to the struggle to realize this ideal, refusing to submit to the unjust persecution of Japan's wartime militarist authorities. He practiced in exact accord with the Daishonin's teachings.

Mr Toda made a large double circle in red, next to the title 'On Practicing the Buddha's Teachings' in his copy of the Gosho, to indicate the special importance of this writing. As his loyal and devoted disciple, I also read this letter countless times, engraving in my heart the Daishonin's spirit to refute error in the realm of Buddhism.

Dated May twelve hundred seventy-three, 'On Practicing the Buddha's Teachings' was composed at Ichinosawa on Sado Island, during the Daishonin's exile. As the letter's postscript indicates, it is addressed "To all my followers", along with the instruction, "Keep this letter with you at all times and read it over and over". In this writing, the Daishonin encourages his disciples to emulate his example of practicing the Lotus Sutra as the Buddha teaches and diligently uphold their faith.

In the Daishonin's day, exile to Sado was tantamount to a death sentence; most of those condemned to this remote isle never returned alive. During his time there, the Daishonin's life was in constant danger. In 'On the Buddha's Prophecy', dated one month later (intercalary May twelve hundred seventy-three), he writes: "The chances are one in ten thousand that I will survive the year or even the month".

Undaunted by the indescribable hardships and privations he faced, the Daishonin proclaimed his struggle as the Buddha of the Latter Day of the Law to illuminate the darkness shrouding humankind with the light of universal enlightenment. The previous year, in February twelve hundred seventy-two, he had composed 'The Opening of the Eyes', which reveals the object of devotion in terms of the Person. This was followed in April twelve hundred seventy-three, just one month earlier, with 'The Object of Devotion for Observing the Mind', which reveals the object of devotion in terms of the Law. With the completion of these two important treatises, the Daishonin established the doctrinal framework for his teaching for the enlightenment of all people into the eternal future.

The rest was now up to his disciples. He knew that everything would hinge on individuals who were genuinely committed to the correct teaching; if such dedicated disciples rose to action, kosen-rufu could be achieved without fail. This conviction of the Daishonin is vividly conveyed in 'On Practicing the Buddha's Teachings' and 'On the Buddha's Prophecy'. These two writings could be viewed as constituting the Daishonin's enduring words of guidance for all his disciples.

'On Practicing the Buddha's Teachings' represents an impassioned call to his disciples who devote themselves selflessly to the Law. He urges them that now is the time to stand up and undertake the practice of shakubuku - that is, undertake efforts to refute the erroneous teachings rampant in the realm of Buddhism. 'On the Buddha's Prophecy', by contrast, is about actualizing the ideal of the westward transmission of the correct teaching of Buddhism and its widespread propagation throughout the world in the distant future.

In other words, the grand vision of the Daishonin's Buddhism of the people, a teaching for the enlightenment of all humanity, can only be realized when there are genuine disciples advancing, uniting their hearts with their mentor - disciples who strive for kosen-rufu "like Nichiren" or "with the same mind as Nichiren". That is why the Daishonin calls on his disciples to take on the noble task of advancing kosen-rufu in the Latter Day with the spirit of not begrudging their lives.

At the beginning of this writing, the Daishonin states: "[T]hose who are born in this land and believe in this sutra when it is propagated in the Latter Day of the Law will be subjected to hatred and jealousy even greater than that which arose in the lifetime of the Thus Come One". This is based on the Lotus Sutra passage: "Since hatred and jealousy toward this sutra abound even when the Thus Come One is in the world, how much more will this be so after his passing?".

The Daishonin's purpose in making this statement is to deepen his followers' awareness of their mission to propagate the Mystic Law in this latter age and to prepare them for the opposition they are bound to incur along the way. Those who are fainthearted and afraid of hardship cannot realize the momentous undertaking of kosen-rufu. True disciples are those who stand up with the same ardent commitment as the Daishonin to guide people to enlightenment and who have the dauntless strength to face obstacles head-on with selfless dedication. The joy of struggling together with one's mentor, sharing the same purpose, is also a source of boundless strength that helps one rise above all manner of hardships.

In the next passage, the Daishonin explains why practitioners of the Lotus Sutra are destined to encounter far more intense opposition in the evil age of the Latter Day than during Shakyamuni's time. There are significant differences between the two ages. First of all, the person expounding the Law in Shakyamuni's day was the Buddha, whereas the person expounding the Law in the Latter Day is "an ordinary practitioner". Also, the disciples in Shakyamuni's time were "great bodhisattvas and arhats", while the disciples in the Latter Day "come from among evil people defiled by the three poisons". Even during the time when the Buddha preached the Law and his teachings were practiced by outstanding disciples, there were many who regarded him and his community of believers with hatred and jealousy. The Daishonin notes that it is only natural, therefore, that even greater hostility and resentment should arise in the Latter Day when the Law is being expounded by a teacher who is ostensibly an ordinary practitioner and his disciples are people whose lives are steeped in the three poisons of greed, anger, and foolishness.

He therefore notes: "People shun the good teacher and associate with evil teachers". Even though people may have the fortune to encounter the good teacher Nichiren

Daishonin, their inability to properly distinguish between good and evil, true and false, causes them to distance themselves from him and instead draw close to erroneous teachers. That is the sad reality of the Latter Day.

What is more, once you become a disciple or lay supporter of the votary who practices the true Lotus Sutra in accord with the Buddha's teachings, you are bound to face the three types of powerful enemies. Therefore, from the very day you listen to and take faith in this sutra, you should be fully prepared to face the great persecutions of the three types of enemies that are certain to be more horrible now after the Buddha's passing. Although my disciples had already heard this, when both great and small persecutions confronted us, some were so astounded and terrified that they even forsook their faith. Did I not warn you in advance? I have been teaching you day and night directly from the sutra, which says, "Since hatred and jealousy toward this sutra abound even when the Thus Come One is in the world, how much more will this be so after his passing?"

"No matter what happens, be fearless!"

This next passage from 'On Practicing the Buddha's Teachings' has become an unforgettable point of reference for me. Shortly after having my fateful encounter with Mr. Toda and embarking on the path of faith as a Soka Gakkai member, I took these golden words to heart and engraved them in my life.

The Daishonin clearly states that those who practice as the Buddha teaches are bound to be assailed by the three powerful enemies and meet with persecutions even more severe than those during Shakyamuni's lifetime. In my youth, I accepted this and resolved to dedicate myself to kosen-rufu with the spirit of a revolutionary who was ready to give his life for the cause if need be. I was the disciple of Mr. Toda, a great leader of kosen-rufu who had gone to prison for his beliefs and had waged a heroic spiritual struggle. I knew that casting my lot with such a mentor would most certainly mean facing great persecutions on the path ahead. And I fervently vowed that I would remain utterly fearless at such times.

In this passage, the Daishonin rebukes the inner weakness of those disciples who foolishly allow themselves to be defeated by fear and cowardice and abandon their faith when persecutions of various kinds - some large, some small - begin to appear.

Mr. Toda was incredibly strict when he lectured on this passage. I recall one such instance at a study session he led in a small room at his company offices in Tokyo's Ichigaya area. He spoke with great passion, determined to impress upon his true-hearted disciples the rigorous path of practicing Nichiren Daishonin's Buddhism. "No matter what happens, be fearless! Never retreat even a single step!" he said. His guidance was so strict because he had faithfully inherited the Daishonin's spirit.

I remember being intensely struck and inspired by his words, learning for the first time the rigor and commitment of genuine faith and how the true purpose of Gakkai activities perfectly accords with the Daishonin's teachings.

At the end of this passage in 'On Practicing the Buddha's Teachings', the Daishonin says that he has been telling his followers day and night about the sutra's warning: "Since hatred and jealousy toward this sutra abound even when the Thus Come One is in the world, how much more will this be so after his passing?" It is solely out of the wish for his disciples to remain fearless in the face of persecution that he has repeatedly done so.

As for the three powerful enemies, these are manifestations of the workings of the heavenly devil, which is the most fearful of the three obstacles and four devils. From his standpoint as the teacher who was waging an unremitting battle against the onslaughts of these three types of enemies, the Daishonin constantly warned his followers that they were certain to encounter obstacles far worse than those experienced during Shakyamuni's time. Nevertheless, some of his followers grew fainthearted and stopped practicing. It got to the point, writes the Daishonin, where "nine hundred ninety-nine out of one thousand people ... gave up their faith".

Whether disciples triumph over devilish functions or are defeated by them will have a decisive impact on the spread of the Mystic Law in the Latter Day. Nothing is more painful for the teacher than to see disciples readily defeated by such obstacles.

In 'The Opening of the Eyes', the Daishonin also writes:

Although I and my disciples may encounter various difficulties, if we do not harbor doubts in our hearts, we will as a matter of course attain Buddhahood. Do not have doubts simply because heaven does not lend you protection. Do not be discouraged because you do not enjoy an easy and secure existence in this life. This is what I have taught my disciples morning and evening, and yet they begin to harbor doubts and abandon their faith. Foolish men are likely to forget the promises they have made when the crucial moment comes.

This passage describes how easy it is for people to grow faint-hearted when actually faced with hardship or persecution. When such difficulties arise, that is the crucial moment - the time when our faith is put to the test.

This is indeed an accursed time to live in this land! However, the Buddha has commanded me to be born in this age, and it is impossible for me to go against the decree of the Dharma King, the Buddha. And so, as the Lotus sutra dictates, I have launched the battle between the provisional and the true teachings. Donning the armor of endurance and girding myself with the sword of the wonderful teaching of the Mystic Law, I have raised the banner of the five characters of Myoho-renge-kyo, the heart of the entire eight volumes of the Lotus Sutra. Then, drawing the bow of the Buddha's declaration, "I have not yet revealed the truth", and notching the arrow of "honestly discarding the provisional teachings", I have mounted the carriage drawn by the great white ox and battered down the gates of the provisional teachings. Attacking first one and then another, I have refuted opponents from the eight or ten schools, such as the Nembutsu Pure Land, True Word, Zen, and Precepts. Some have fled headlong while others have retreated, and still others have been captured to become my disciples. I continue to repulse their attacks and to defeat them, but legions of enemies exist who oppose the single Dharma King and the handful who follow him. So the battle goes on even today.

The true nature of the battle between the provisional and the true teachings

In this passage, the Daishonin declares that he has set in motion the battle between the provisional teachings and the true teaching. He also offers an answer to the question held by many people in society at the time as well as some of his followers - namely, why those who practice the Lotus Sutra as the Buddha teaches should face fierce opposition from the three powerful enemies, even though the sutra assures them of peace and security in this existence. In this writing, the Daishonin responds to this question from the following three perspectives.

First, he cites the examples of Buddhist practitioners of the past such as Shakyamuni, Bodhisattva Never Disparaging (who represents Shakyamuni in a previous lifetime), the Chinese priest Chu Tao-sheng, the Tripitaka Master Fa-tao, the Venerable Aryasimha, the Great Teacher T'ien-t'ai of China, the Great Teacher Dengyo of Japan and others. Though all of them were votaries of the Lotus Sutra who practiced according to the Buddha's teachings, he notes, they encountered harsh persecution.

Second, the Daishonin explains that one who is a true votary of the Lotus Sutra in the Latter Day undertakes the "battle between the provisional and the true teachings" in accord with the Buddha's decree and carries out extensive activities to propagate the Mystic Law. This is in the passage that we are presently discussing.

Third, the Daishonin declares that a genuine votary of the Lotus Sutra in the Latter Day aspires for the realization of a truly ideal society embodying "the principle that both the person and the Law are unaging and eternal". He further clarifies that this ideal society will be one that perfectly matches the Lotus Sutra's description of "peace and security in this existence".

The passage we are currently considering, which presents the second perspective, elucidates the essence of the Daishonin's own struggles as the sutra's votary. He indicates that, far from simply waiting to be subjected to hardships, he has actively embarked on the "battle between the provisional and the true teachings".

The Latter Day is summed up by the line: "This is the age of conflict in which the pure Law has been lost". In other words, the Latter Day is a time when Buddhism falls into serious decline and all but perishes. Confusion reigns as to what constitutes the Buddha's correct teaching, with rival schools engaging in incessant quarrels and disputes over the validity of the different teachings they advocate. In addition to this confusion and disorder in the realm of Buddhism, people also become confused and disordered and the land is imperiled as a result.

In such an age when the Law is on the brink of disappearing from society, votaries of the Lotus Sutra uphold the correct Law and clarify the correct teaching in order to prevent it from being lost forever. They also uphold the ideal of establishing the correct teaching for the peace of the land in order to free people from suffering and put a halt to the country's ruin.

This is what it means to "practice as the Buddha teaches". In the Lotus Sutra, Shakyamuni addresses his bodhisattva disciples and urges them to undertake this struggle after his passing. Hence, the Daishonin's reference above to the "command of the Buddha" and the "decree of the Dharma King".

In the Lotus Sutra, Shakyamuni states that among his teachings there are those that he expounded as expedient means (the provisional teachings, or the three vehicles) and one that contains his true intent (the true teaching, or the one vehicle). He then instructs that, after his passing, his disciples should honestly discard the expedient teachings and spread the one vehicle of the Lotus Sutra. It is, therefore, the duty of votaries of the Lotus Sutra who appear in the Latter Day, when the Law is in danger of disappearing, to carry on the "battle between the provisional and true teachings", so as to make a clear distinction between the two. The purpose of waging this battle is solely to prevent the correct teaching of Buddhism from perishing.

Those who clarify the differences between the provisional teachings and the true teaching in the Latter Day, when the Buddha's teachings are in complete disarray, are certain to incur resentment and hostility from the established schools of Buddhism, whose religious authority is based on the claimed supremacy of various provisional sutras. It is sure to unleash a storm of criticism, misunderstanding, and persecution. Consequently, those who wage this "battle" must do so with the recognition that this is "an accursed time", and don the "armor of endurance" so that they can withstand the fierce onslaughts that will inevitably befall them.

The most powerful weapon in this "battle" is the Lotus Sutra itself, in which the Buddha made a clear distinction between the provisional teachings and the true teaching. Hence, the Daishonin uses the expression, the "sword of the wonderful teaching". Nothing can cut through or refute error as incisively as the

Buddha's own words. The practice of shakubuku, or refuting erroneous teachings in the realm of Buddhism, is ultimately a struggle of compassion fought with the force of reason. If this struggle were to be waged with anything other than reason - if it relied, for example, on authority or power, or on brute force - then it would not be the battle of ideas commanded by the Buddha. Resorting to such means would amount to a negation of Buddhism itself and would be indicative of the most deplorable decline of the Law in the Latter Day.

The "banner of the five characters of Myoho-renge-kyo, the heart of the entire eight volumes of the Lotus Sutra" refers to the daimoku of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, which is the essence of the Lotus Sutra. It is the banner of the forces who champion the correct teaching. It is the "banner of propagation of the Lotus Sutra", carried by the practitioners who widely proclaim the Mystic Law, a teaching of universal enlightenment, and refute error that plunges people into suffering.

The "five characters of Myoho-renge-kyo" constitute the name of the Buddha nature of all living beings, and chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo is the practice that makes it possible for both ourselves and others to manifest this Buddha nature from within. This means that each of us has the power to unfurl the banner of victory in our life. Ultimately, the "battle between the provisional and the true teachings" is a struggle for human victory, one in which we aim - through earnestly chanting daimoku based on strong faith in the Mystic Law - to overcome all suffering and misfortune and open the way to happiness for everyone.

The votary who holds aloft the "banner of the five characters of Myoho-renge-kyo" can shoot down the workings of devilish functions by employing the "bow and arrow" of the Buddha's words, "I have not yet revealed the truth" and "honestly discarding the provisional teachings".

Also, the "great white ox cart" signifies the one vehicle of the Lotus Sutra that can carry all people to the destination of enlightenment. It is a vehicle magnificent in size and grandeur, imparting boundless peace of mind to all who ride in it. It can travel freely anywhere, without being bound, in order to free people from suffering.

The Daishonin says: "I have mounted the carriage drawn by the great white ox and battered down the gates of the provisional teachings. Attacking first one and then another, I have refuted all opponents .... So the battle goes on even today". This passage conveys the Daishonin's dynamism and boundless vigor. It brims with his unrestrained passion and energy to fight tirelessly for kosen-rufu. The Daishonin's words are meant to sweep away all doubt as to why those who practice the Lotus Sutra as the Buddha teaches don't enjoy a "peaceful and secure existence in this existence" because earnestly working for the cause of kosen-rufu is what constitutes leading a peaceful and secure existence. The activities of SGI members since the pioneering days of our movement reflect the same vigor and strength as conveyed here by the Daishonin.

Discussing this passage, Mr. Toda said: "We mustn't let harmful errors go unchallenged. We must stay on the offensive against them, continuing to press forward and thoroughly refuting them." Mr. Toda was a leader dedicated to guiding all people to true and lasting happiness. He was also a great warrior who was firmly determined to refute the erroneous and reveal the true in the realm of Buddhism. He always brimmed with this spirit, the spirit of refutation, to do battle against error and wrongdoing.

In this passage, the Daishonin also speaks of repulsing the attacks of enemies and defeating them. I would especially like our youth division members to emulate this spirit and have the unflagging determination to keep fighting until all roots of evil that cause people suffering and misery are eradicated. To achieve kosen-rufu, we need to defeat the devilish nature or negativity that resides and proliferates in the human heart.

At the end of this passage, the Daishonin says: "Legions of enemies exist who oppose the single Dharma King and the handful who follow him. So the battle goes on even today". The first three Soka Gakkai presidents, connected by the bonds of mentor and disciple, have always taken action with the unwavering resolve to keep fighting for kosen-rufu. Amid the rising tide of Japanese militarism, Mr. Makiguchi boldly stood up alone to revive the Daishonin's Buddhism in modern times. Mr. Toda also stood up alone amid the devastation of postwar Japan to rebuild the Soka Gakkai and achieve the goal of a membership of seven hundred fifty thousand households. And I, the third president, stood up alone as Mr. Toda's disciple and embarked on a momentous journey for worldwide kosen-rufu.

Kosen-rufu is a continuous struggle between the forces of the Buddha and devilish functions. It is indeed the case that "the battle goes on even today". The true brilliance of the life state of Buddhahood shines in this spirit of unceasing challenge. This is something that is clearly illustrated by those who practice in accord with the Buddha's teachings.

The Great Teacher Tien-tai states: "The Lotus Sutra is the teaching of shakubuku, the refutation of the provisional doctrines." True to the letter of this golden saying, in the end, every last one of the believers of the provisional teachings and schools will be defeated and join the retinue of the Dharma King. The time will come when all people will abandon the various kinds of vehicles the three vehicles and take up the single vehicle of Buddhahood, and the Mystic Law alone will flourish throughout the land. When the people all chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, the wind will no longer buffet the branches, and the rain will no longer break the clods of soil. The world will become as it was in the ages of Fu Hsi and Shen Nung. In their present existence the people will be freed from misfortune and disasters and learn the art of living long. Realize that the time will come when the truth will be revealed that both the person and the Law are unaging and eternal. There cannot be the slightest doubt about the sutra's promise of "peace and security in their present existence".