CONCEPT – November 2023 Discussion Meeting

GREAT VOW

1. What is great vow?

It is a personal pledge and praying to fulfilling it.
As practitioners of Nichiren Buddhism the great vow means spreading the lotus sutra that is
NMHRK and dedication our lives to kosen rufu. A teacher or mentor set forth and
demonstrates this noble way of life while genuine disciples emulate that example.
So, when we dedicate our lives to this vow, we can bring forth the supreme nobility, strength
and greatness of our lives. When we remain true to this vow the limitless courage
wisdom=m and compassion of the buddha flow forth from within us and when we whole
heartedly strive to relies this vow the poison of even the most difficult challenge can be
transformed into medicine and karma transform into mission.

President Ikeda writes “Dedicated to the mission of spreading the Mystic Law and realizing
kosen-rufu through compassionate propagation, Soka Gakkai members are all Bodhisattvas
of the Earth. They are emissaries of the Buddha. When they take action with that awareness,
they undergo a profound inner transformation, and the powerful life force to triumph over
any storm of karma flows within them.”

Making a great vow, therefore, is the beginning of bringing about a transformation in one’s
life. It is about making a shift from leading a self-centred life to a selfless one. A vow is
always made for the sake of others happiness.
A vow for kosen - rufu brims with the powerful life force of the Buddha, which can vanquish
all negative influences. That is why it is important to chant Nam - myoho - renge - kyo with
the vow for kosen - rufu.

The great vow refers to the propagation of the Lotus sutra. The Lotus Sutra teaches that the
lives of all people are endowed with the supremely noble buddha nature. The ultimate
purpose of Nichiren Buddhism is the happiness of all humanity. It is the vow of working for
the happiness of people by compassionately propagating the mystic law of cause and effect.
It is the vow to help those around us to become genuinely happy by enabling them to chant
Nam-myoho-renge- kyo.

2. Nichiren Daishonin wrote in one of his letters, “My wish is that all my disciples make
a great vow”.(‘The Dragon Gate’, WND - 1, 1003).

In another he said, “I will make a great vow” ("The Opening of the Eyes (II) ', WND - 1, 280).
The "great vow" he spoke of is the great vow to spread the Lotus Sutra, that is, Nam -
myoho - renge kyo, for the happiness of all humanity.

Our three mentors; makiguchi sensei, toda sensei and ikeda sensei have been through so
many struggles and exiles and also criticism during their journey to propagate the law. Still
they refused to give up their great vow for kosen rufu.
The true spirit of a vow is clearly demonstrated by Daishonin in the following Gosho
passage:

This I will state. Let the gods forsake me. Let all persecutions assail me. Still I will give my life
for the sake of the Law… I will be the pillar of Japan. I will be the eyes of Japan. I will be the
great ship of Japan. This is my vow, and I will never forsake it! [WND, 280-281]

Explaining the meaning of making a vow, Ikeda Sensei says,

“By a vow I mean making a personal pledge and praying to fulfil it. Some people just pray
that everything they want will fall into their laps without any effort on their own part. But a
religion that encourages that kind of prayer disempowers people. Prayer in Nichiren
Buddhism means chanting Nam-myoho-renge- kyo based on a vow.
The essence of this vow is the happiness of others"

3. Who are we? Why should we propagate the law?

Each Soka Gakkai member is the Bodhisattva of the earth, who have taken birth in this world
with the purpose to fulfil this vow.
They are people who live to fulfil the mission of transmitting the fundamental law for
attaining Buddhahood in the midst of the troubled times and social circumstances, allowing
those burdened with the greatest misery and hardship to tap the power to build genuine
happiness. In Sensei’s words “They, Boddhisatva’s of the Earth, are ambassadors of the
buddha. When they take action with the awareness, they undergo a profound inner
transformation, and the powerful life force to triumph over any storm of Karma flows within
them.”

4. How to propagate the law?

Everyday as we recite the gongyo, we are constantly reminded of this great desire of a
Buddha. The concluding passage of the “Life Span” (16th) chapter of the Lotus Sutra that we
chant every day reads:

Mai ji sa ze nen
I ga ryo shujo
Toku nyu mu-jo do
Soku joju busshin

At all times I think to myself:

How can I cause living beings
To gain entry into the unsurpassed way
And quickly acquire the body of a Buddha?

This passage clarifies that Buddha’s eternal determination, his great wish from time without
beginning. The Buddha wishes for only one thing: to help people gain unsurpassed
happiness. This, Shakyamuni says, is his constant thought.

Hence, when we offer this silent prayer “that the great desire of kosen-rufu be fulfilled”, it is
not only a passive prayer to activate the functions of the universe for the progress and
realization of kosen-rufu, but a pledge to dedicate our lives to embrace this great desire for
kosen-rufu and to walk on this path of attaining Buddhahood.

It is imperative that one takes action to fulfil this vow by working for the happiness of the
people, which means:
a. Praying for the person right infront of us
b. Standing by the side of people facing challenges in their life. Helping them to
achieve victor based on their faith and awakening them to their mission.
c. Making our mentors vow for kosen rufu our own and nurturing capable disciples