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    Soka Gakkai Embodying Spirit of True Cause

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    Soka Gakkai Embodying Spirit of True Cause

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    Soka Gakkai Document

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    Soka Gakkai Document

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    Download as pdf
    64 views14 pages

    Soka Gakkai Embodying Spirit of True Cause

    Uploaded by

    mehtaorgautam
    Soka Gakkai Document

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    © All Rights Reserved
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    of 14
    ‘SGI PRESIDENT IKEDA’S STUDY LECTURE SERIES ‘he golden sunrises on a new year, the days unfolding with vibrant freshness, one ater another. “Renew youself each day, and do so day after day. Let there be dally renewal" — these words from the Confucion classic The Great Leaming were cherished by founding Soka Gakkci president, Tsunesaburo also quoted them asl set forin together with my fellow members Info the new year ‘of my 70th birthday | anuary 2, 1998}, vowing to exert | myself bravely and vigorously again that year. Each day, each morning, we renew ‘oureelves and usher in our own new dawn. Buddhism Many people are filed with fresh resolve ot the beginning of a new yer. you brought the previous year to ahappy, successful close, determine to ‘achieve even more in the year ahead, H,on the other hand, youstit have lingering problems or regrets firmly resolve to make the coming year o success, no matter what. Making a fresh vow is the chiving force forstaring the new year This year (2019), cs we scale the mountain of victory towards ‘our 90th anniversary fon November 18, 2020}, el us begin to advance anew alongside our felow members throughout Japan ane! around the world wih a resh determination 10 “renew ourselves each day, ond do so day after day’ An unforgettable lecture by President Toda (On New Year's Day in 1958, my mentor, second Soka Gekkal president JoseiToda, gave an unforgettable lecture. His health had deteriorated in autumn the previous year, and he had spent the past months recuperating, On New Year's Day, he made his way to the Soka Gakkai Headquarters (in Shinanomachi, Tokyo}. ecompanied him from hishhome, and remember how delighted | was fo see him looking well again, Aller gongyo that day, President Tod tumed around ta face those in attenciance ond began to speak about one of he most profound teachings of Buddhism. The theme of hs lecture was the ‘integration of the twee mystic principles! The three mystic principles are the true cause, true effect and true land. The integration of hese tree ‘means that the couse of the Buddha's enlightenment in the remote past, the slate of exlightenment he achieved, and the land where he dwells ore all implicit in the character myo Uit. wonderful or mystic) of Myoho-renge-kyo. The doctrine of the ‘integration ofthe thre2 mystic principles’ derives trom the “Ue Span’ (16th) chapter cf the Lotus Sutra, Our struggle is always here in the real world ‘he basis for the mystic principle ofthe true effect is the following passage from the ‘ile Span’ chapter, “Thus, since | attained Budahahood, an extremely long period of time has assed" (\s0ci4 247). Itreveals that the true effect, the if state (of Buddhahood, attained by Shakyamuniis eternal The mystic principle ofthe true lands based on another ppastage ftom the 'ife Span’ chapter: “Ihave been constantly in this scha world? preaching the Low, teaching, and converting” (toi, 26), Referring to this passage, Mr Toda stressed, “The Buddha exists nowhere but in the real world. Indeed, @ genuine Buddha dwell only in this evil realm deed by the fve impurities 18 Valuecreation That he Buda esin 6 the scha word even ater aitcingenchionment wat ‘The essential mission Grevolonary deloraton, of the Soka Gakkai Lastly the aimportont alles in engaging in ve cause. The Lotus Sua Dodhisattva practice, 0%, Otiohally practiced the bodhisative way, and ‘Soka Gakkai members, 88 he fe spon that | acavired the Daishonin’s disciples, then has yet to come toon have opened the way for ond but will last twice the ae ee though tence renee’ et struggles in the real cause — the fundamental world practice — that enabled cistant post Practising the bodhisattva way is the true cause for attaining Buddhahood In his New Year's Day lecture, Mr Toda used this profound doctrine ofthe three mystic principles to ilustrate haw Nichiren Doishonin, the Buddha ofthe Later Day of the Low, struggled ‘os an ordinary person, in the real world and together with the people. He said: Nichiten Daishonia'sinner enlightenment wos that of the Budidha ofthe Lotter Day of the Law. However, he id not display any of the extraordinary characteristics ‘tributed fo the Buddha, He taught and practised the bodhisativa way as the true cause for enabling oxdinary people fo attain Buddhahood. that is why Nichiren Daishoninis called the "Budaha of the true cause". Nowhere in his writings does the Doishonin soy, "| ‘am dready a Buddha, | am going to save you al." Ifthe Daishonin had from birth manifested the characteristics Cf the Buddha of the Latter Day of the Law and carried ‘out his practice os such, then he would not have been ‘able fo pursue the bodhisativa way. The practice of the Bodhisattvas of the Earth is the heart of the Soka Gakkai \iny dia Mr Toda decide fo speck about tne “integration of he three mystic principles’ on that New Year's Day? Many who ‘were in attendance didnt grasp his rue purpose. But as listened to hs lecture, | contemplated the significance of Soka mentors and disciples, inked by profound karmic bonds, practising Nichen Daishonin’s Buchism of {tue cause, and Ihad c eciization. That is, this lecture was a declaration of my mentors determination to ight on. It was an ‘expression of his resolve fo forever take the lead in spreading the Mystic Law in the spi of rue couse, transcending the boundaries of life and decth: fo continue his struggle as @ Bodhisattva of the Earth en the path of oneness of mentar and disciple and transform thi saha wild info @ Buddha land —a realm of peace and prosperity for al. The Budd of the true cause engages in bodhisativa practice, the fundamenicl cause for attaining Buddhahood that is, the practice of sowing the seeds of enlightenment, the great Low of Nam-myaho-renge-kyo, in people's lives — ‘and fakes action eternally in this stife-lled saho world for the happiness ofall The essential mission of the Soka Gakkai aso les in engaging in bochisattva practice. Soka Gakkai members, as the DDaishonin’s disciples, have opened the way for the Mystic Law to spread through their ferce struggles in the real world. In ths instalment, together let's study the spit of rue cause that pulses vibrantly in the actions of Soka mentors and disciples, (of noble Bodhisattvas of the Earth, hisattva way" refers othe practice of Dis foot Nis vests "a place where the bow ie raf te aly Bodhisattva Never Disparaging's practice of respecting others is the fundamental cause of Shakyamuni's original enlightenment Tiss @ section from ‘Chapter Twenty: the Bodhisattva Never Disparaging: Thirty important points’ in The Record of the Orally Transmmitied Teachings. It explains the doctrinal foundation ‘of Bodhisativa Never Disparaging's practice of bowing with respect lo everyone he encountered. ‘AsInoted eater the passage, "Originally | procticed the bodthisatva way" {.s0C\4, 268, serves as the bass forthe mystic principle of the irue cause. The ‘Bodhisattva Never Disparaging! (20ih) chapter i the only chapter in the Lotus Sutra describing the practice that ‘enabled Shakyamuni to attain enlightenment in the remote ost, Bodhisotva Never Disporagina’s practice is therefore regarded as the fundamental cause for Shakyamuni’ attaining that original enlightenment. Behaviour expressing respect for others For that reason, we can infer rom the passage in The Record of the Orally Tansmitfed Teachings that the practice of the tue ‘cause that Shakyamuni carried out in the distant past was. in concrete terms identical fo Bodhisattva Never Disparaging’s ‘behaviour in showing respect fo everyone out of hs betief that ‘ll people possess the Buddha nature. This ison extremely signiicant point. ‘As noted in the previous instalment ofthis series showing respect for others is how we put into practice the Buddha's teaching to help all people attain Budchahood, candi the fundamental cause for enlightenment. In other words, for Us of the Soka Gakkai —in our practice ofthe Mystic Law, the teaching of the true cause for attaining Budchohood ———— of i } | ] | | — showing respect to others through our behaviour, just ike Bodhisattva Never Dispcraging, is of utmost importance. We can thus confimn the deep significance ofthe folowing | passage from the Daishonin's writing, ‘The Three Kinds of | Treasure’ "What does Bedhisativa Never Disparaging’s profound respect for people signifv? The purpose of the appearance in this world of Shakyamuni Buddha, the lord of teachings. lies in his behavior os @ human being” (WHO, 852) Nether the fundame ial cause for attaining Budchohood {the true cause, the cause for Buddhahood) nor the state (of Budahchood to be atained (the true effect, the fut of Budchchood) exists without the practice of showing respect for all people demonstrated by Bodhisatva Never Disporaging, based on the wish fo owaken theirinherent Buddha nature, The presentis the starting point for creating the future | The Daishonin quotes « passage from a sutra, “Ifyou wont foundesstand the causes that existed in the post, look at the resulls 0s they are manifested in the present, And if you want fo Lnderstand what results willbe manifested in the futur, look at the couses that exist inthe present® (The Opening of the Eyes’, | WN, 279) | TEREST 66 ‘he focus ofthis passage is the present. Ifthe presents the ‘The past should not be inevitable result of past followed after, the future — causes, then we can say that not desired... Swelter at _the present is defined by the the a ye a the cme time, however, he ‘opens the way to future presents the starting point of victory, to eternal victory the future, the active cause. enduring throughout ——_forcreating anew future. past, present and future thermic principe of he fue couse, in terms of the 99 text of the Lotus Sutra, refers to the fundamental cause for Shakyomuni's attainment of Budchahood in the rernote past. In Nichiren Budahism, however, ‘we are proctiing that same fundamental cause, the Mystic Law, now in the real world. Thus, n this Budchism of true cause, the remote past becomes the present fime ofthe Latter Day of the Law. In each moment, we begin anew our practice of the ternal bodhisative way. ‘Assuch, we are always standing at the fundamental starting point of everything. Drawing forth the boundless fe force of our Inherent Budchohood, we can dynamically transform ourselves, ‘and ourlives where we are right now. This the essence of faith bosed on the true cause — of always starting afresh from this ‘moment on. Treasuting the present moment The great Russian author Leo Tolstoy (1828-1910) who ls said fo have been deeply interested in Buddhism, wrote of how he believed lfe should be viewed, “The past does not exist. the future hos not begun.” He further observed, “Time does not exist. there ie only a small and infrite present, ondits only in this present that ourlife occurs. Therefore, a person should concentrate all hs soirtual force only on this present!® These are very profound insights. strongly agree with Tolstoy's assertion that we should devote our entire beings to this no 7 mn his Shakyamuni taught ts folowers fo value the present, to lreasure today: “The pas should not be followed after, he | future not desired... Sweter at the task this very day. ‘Winning in the present opens the way fo future victory, to ternal victory enduring “hroughout past, present and future, You should therefore sive in faith more than ever io receive the blessings cf the Lotus Sura, Listen with the ears ‘of Shih K'vang and observe with the eyes of LiLou:® Inthe Latter Day of he Law the votary ofthe Lotus Sutra will appear without fal The greater the hardships betaling him, the greater the defght he fee's, because of his song faith, (A hip to Cross the Sea of Suffering’, wo 33)" “Strive in faith more than ever” In this possoge, the Daishonin encourages us to strive in faith more than ever and tee! ever greater delight. ‘The Daishonin always stressed to his disciples the importance of strengthening thei faith and making ever greater etfortsin their Budchist practice. In this wating ‘A Ship te Cross the Sea of Suffering’ it appears that a disciple named shi shir! had reporied some very Important news to the Daihonin, though is precise nature isnot Clear. The Daishonin seerrs to have confirmed shijshiro’ report {and praises him for his occuracy. He urges him to make this @ ‘new staring point and strive harder in his Buddhist practice, so that he may receive even greater benef ‘Moving forward with the spirit of true cause ‘Asrevecied in such writings as ‘The Opening of the Eyes’ and "Letter from Sado, which tne Daishonin wrote during his exile fn Sado island, those who practise the Lotus Sutra and spread the Mystic Law are certain fo undergo great aifculties. But by struggling fearlessly ogains! those obstacles with the “heart of {ion king”, he stales [in ‘Latter from Sado’), they can eradicate all negative effects of pasl offenses and attain Buddnahood [cf ‘Letter from Sado’, wos, 302-3 In the face of severe hardships, we need to look chead with ‘postive attude and joyfuly take them on. Those with the heart of «lian king” possess the courage to create and spread ‘hope, no matter how adverse their circumstances. They can tap, the wiscom to overcome avery obstacle and sever the heavy chains of negative karma, They have an invincible power. This ‘absolute conviction is the spit of te couse, Indeed, whenever our members have encountered

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