Discussion Meeting Gosho for June 2018
Key Points for Sharing
The Embankments of Faith
Strengthen your faith now more than ever. Anyone who teaches the principles of Buddhism to others is bound to incur hatred from men and women, priests and nuns. Let them say what they will. Entrust yourself to the golden teachings of the Lotus Sutra, Shakyamuni Buddha, T'ien-t'ai, Miao-lo, Dengyō, and Chang-an. This is what is signified by the expression, "practicing according to the Buddha's teachings."
(The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin Vol 1, p 626)
The following key points are to be shared upon understanding and explaining the "Background and Explanation" published in the June 2018 issue of Creative Life. (Included in handout)
Key Points
1. The courage to share Buddhism with others will lead to one's own growth
2. It is difficult to carry out the correct practice in the Latter Day of the Law
3. Actions based on compassion will help bring about positive changes to one's surroundings
1. The courage to share Buddhism with others will lead to one's own growth
The Lotus Sutra expounds that all living beings inherently possess the Buddha nature, the cause for attaining Buddhahood. And it is the Mystic Law that helps activate this Buddha nature in the lives of others. And the process of teaching others about this is the practice of "sowing the seeds (of enlightenment)".
In other words, the practice of propagation corresponds to sowing the seed of the Mystic Law in the lives of others.
However, we need courage to share Buddhism with others. Second Soka Gakkai president Josei Toda once said that courage gives rise to compassion. Summoning forth the courage to share Buddhism with others corresponds to actions based on the spirit of compassion.
And it is such actions based on the spirit of compassion that will help us grow as an individual. Such compassionate actions will also be transformed into energy to change one's karma. For this reason, our efforts in engaging ourselves in dialogues to share Buddhism with others is so important to us.
2. It is difficult to carry out the correct practice in the Latter Day of the Law
In this Gosho passage, Nichiren Daishonin says, "Anyone who teaches the principles of Buddhism to others is bound to incur hatred…." Why is this so?
One reason was because the Daishonin taught the people that we can all attain Buddhahood by chanting the daimoku of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. This angered the priests of his time and they started to spread malicious rumours about the Daishonin.
If one can attain Buddhahood just by chanting daimoku, the people will no longer need the priests and the temples. This is why the priests were furious with the Daishonin and persecuted him and his disciples.
In our context today, we need not be subjected to such persecutions and criticism towards the SGI movement may be much lesser as compared to the Daishonin's time as the world today is beginning to understand our movement better.
However, the Latter Day of the Law in which we are living today, is an age where negativities abound even in the lives of the people and there are individuals who are not able to correctly recognize actions and efforts made for correct purposes.
Furthermore, the people in the Latter Day have a strong life tendency in preferring to take the easy way out to become happy in life. As such, there are individuals who dislike the process of forging their lives through reciting the gongyo and chanting daimoku.
In addition, there are many people who are self-centered, thinking and working only for their own happiness and such individuals feel that it is rather "troublesome" to practice this faith that entails making efforts for the happiness of others.
The Soka Gakkai teaches that not only should we strive for our own personal happiness, we must also work for the happiness of others. This is the original wish and vow of Shakyamuni Buddha and Nichiren Daishonin and we, the members of the SGI, are carrying out this practice in accord in this spirit.
3. Actions based on compassion will help bring about positive changes to one's surroundings
The term, "practicing according to the Buddha's teachings", is a phrase from the Lotus Sutra. The Daishonin practiced "according to the Buddha's teachings" by propagating the teaching of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, the essence of the Lotus Sutra, while overcoming great persecutions.
Now, what is "the Buddha's teachings" then?
Shakyamuni Buddha taught that "one who is awakened to one's true self is a Buddha". "One's true self" refers to "one's boundless potential that resides within one's life".
However, we are not aware of such potential in our lives. As such, the Daishonin established a practice that can be carried out by anyone by giving the name, Myoho-renge-kyo" to our "boundless potential" (which refers to our Buddhahood).
And the Daishonin expounded that by chanting the daimoku of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, we are able to activate and manifest our inherent potential to the fullest.
Buddhism teaches that by manifesting one's potential, one can grow as an individual and thereby, bring positive changes to one's surroundings. This is the Buddhist principle of "oneness of life and its environment".
When more people can develop their lives and manifest their Buddhahood, greater positive changes will be brought about in our society at large. And this is the movement of kosen-rufu that we are promoting.
Let's always remember that by carrying out the practice of propagation, we can grow as an individual and bring about positive changes in our surroundings, and continue to put in greater efforts in sharing Buddhism with others.
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