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    A Religion of Human Revolution
    A Religion of Human Revolution
    A Religion of Human Revolution
    Ebook256 pages3 hours

    A Religion of Human Revolution

    By Daisaku Ikeda

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    Human revolution--the inner transformation of the individual that produces actual change in their lives--is a defining concept of Nichiren Buddhism, practiced by millions worldwide. In this series of lectures, Daisaku Ikeda breaks down twelve key aspects of human revolution and provides inspiration and guidance for people to find peace and happiness for themselves and others.“Changing our heart is not a matter of doing something that will only temporarily lift our mood or make us feel better, without changing our reality,” he writes. “A true change in our heart is more profound; genuine inner change produces actual change in our lives. Deepening our 'heart'—our life state—is the true value of our religion of human revolution. When we speak of obtaining benefit through our Buddhist practice, we are ultimately referring to our inner transformation at the deepest level.”
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherIndependent Publishers Group
    Release dateOct 1, 2021
    ISBN9781946635662
    A Religion of Human Revolution

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      A Religion of Human Revolution - Daisaku Ikeda

      Chapter

      1

      The Heart of a Lion King—

      Creating a Current of Victory for All People

      The Greek philosopher Heraclitus (c. 540–480 BCE) famously declared, The sun is new every day.¹

      At the dawn of worldwide kosen-rufu, let’s set forth with hope and optimism, with a new day’s sun shining in our hearts.

      Now in the latter half of the second decade of the twenty-first century, the world appears increasingly troubled, with dark clouds looming on the horizon.

      On the one hand, globalization is moving forward on multiple fronts, including business, finance, transportation, and communications. On the other hand, economic disparities are growing, conflict and civil strife continue unabated in many places, and there seems to be a resurgence of divisiveness and hostility in people’s hearts. Such developments have created large numbers of refugees, whose precious lives are being disrespected and threatened.

      Environmental degradation is also a serious issue.

      The problems confronting human society cannot be solved solely by external changes such as political and economic reforms or institutional and organizational innovation. Reform efforts that fail to consider people’s well-being, or that lack respect for the dignity of life, will only create more problems and eventually run aground.

      Therefore, we must remember that the fundamental goal is people’s happiness.

      Stay connected to the people! Awaken to the dignity and preciousness of life! Change must start with people themselves! Now is the time for humanity to return to these basic points.

      Given all of this, what should be the central guiding principles of religion in the twenty-first century? I assert that they are humanism and human revolution.

      Self-Transformation Is the Starting Point of the Soka Gakkai

      Looking back, a few years after he founded the Soka Kyoiku Gakkai (Value-Creating Education Society; forerunner of the Soka Gakkai) in 1930, first president Tsunesaburo Makiguchi discussed the subject of social change: In the final analysis, unless the human spirit is fundamentally transformed through a religious revolution, the chaos in human affairs will never be remedied. The fundamental transformation of the human spirit of which he speaks here is none other than human revolution.

      Second Soka Gakkai president Josei Toda, who carried on Mr. Makiguchi’s vision, was imprisoned with his mentor as a result of religious oppression by the wartime militarist government. While in detention, Mr. Toda awakened to the realization that the Buddha is life itself and that he was a Bodhisattva of the Earth. After his release (in July 1945), he sought to teach people how to transform their lives through faith in the Mystic Law. With the aim of elevating the life state of all humanity to Buddhahood, to their highest level of character, he set out to achieve kosen-rufu. His wish was to free people from suffering, including that caused by war, hunger, and sickness.

      Mr. Toda agreed so heartily with University of Tokyo president Shigeru Nambara when the latter stressed, shortly after the end of World War II, the need for a human revolution. Such a revolution, Nambara said, was vital if the people’s welfare was truly to be served by the political and social reforms and the so-called second industrial revolution taking place amid the turbulent changes of the postwar era.²

      Mr. Toda clearly saw that a fundamental transformation in the depths of people’s lives was necessary if they were to realize happiness, social prosperity, and world peace. He showed how we could make this possible on a fundamental level through practicing Nichiren Buddhism and achieving human revolution within the reality of our lives and society.

      Religious Revolution Is Itself Human Revolution

      When I was twenty, I attended a lecture by Mr. Toda on the Lotus Sutra and was deeply moved by his great vision. I was inspired to write down in my notebook: Religious revolution is itself human revolution. It in turn leads to educational revolution and economic revolution, and will also become true political revolution.

      Later, as Mr. Toda’s disciple, completely united with him in spirit, I wrote the novel The Human Revolution as a record of his noble life. I summarized its theme in these words: A great human revolution in just a single individual will help achieve a change in the destiny of a nation and, further, will enable a change in the destiny of all humankind.

      This has also been the guiding vision of the mentors and disciples of Soka dedicated to realizing the great vow for kosen-rufu, for world peace.

      Nichiren Buddhism is a beacon of human revolution, shining ever more brightly to impart the light of courage and hope to people in today’s troubled world.

      Human revolution is the transformation of one’s life and one’s karma. It is the achievement of true happiness and fulfillment. It is the key to actualizing Nichiren’s ideal of establishing the correct teaching for the peace of the land. It is the foundation for peace.

      A Transformative Buddhism for All People

      As the [Lotus Sutra] says, hoping to make all persons equal to me, without any distinction between us, you can readily become as noble a Buddha as Shakyamuni. (WND-1, 1030)

      ³

      Mr. Toda took the liberty to expand upon and develop the idea of human revolution in accord with the essential principles of Nichiren Buddhism. His first important step was to explain the aim of Buddhist practice—attaining Buddhahood—as the process of inner transformation, or human revolution, thereby bringing the teaching to life in contemporary society.

      Let us examine the above passage from Letter to Niike. In it, the Daishonin states that ordinary people can attain Buddhahood, stressing that everyone can readily become a Buddha like Shakyamuni.

      Just before this passage, the Daishonin encourages Niike to have faith in and diligently practice the Lotus Sutra with the aim of attaining Buddhahood. He states: Becoming a Buddha is nothing extraordinary. If you chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo with your whole heart, you will naturally become [a Buddha] (WND-1, 1030).

      The words hoping to make all persons equal to me, without any distinction between us express Shakyamuni’s vow from a past existence. They appear in the Lotus Sutra’s second chapter, Expedient Means, which teaches the replacement of the three vehicles with the one vehicle.⁴

      Shakyamuni states, Shariputra, you should know that at the start I took a vow, hoping to make all persons equal to me, without any distinction between us (LSOC, 70). All persons means everyone, without exception. Not a single individual is excluded from this promise. He then says equal to me—words that powerfully convey his wish to encourage and guide his disciples with the hope that they will all attain the same life state of Buddhahood as he.

      At the same time, from the perspective of Shariputra and other disciples to whom Shakyamuni addresses these words, it is their teacher’s call to break through their self-imposed limitations.

      This is a key passage, which Mr. Makiguchi also underlined in his copy of Nichiren Daishonin’s writings.

      We take our mentor’s great vow as our own and, while courageously breaking out of our small, confined state of life, also encourage others as we advance together on the path to attaining Buddhahood. This is the way of human revolution as practiced by disciples united with their mentor. Striving to carry on the mentor’s spirit, cherishing the same vow, is the Buddhist path of mentor and disciple.

      We take our mentor’s great vow as our own and, while courageously breaking out of our small, confined state of life, also encourage others as we advance together on the path to attaining Buddhahood.

      Readily—in the phrase you can readily become as noble a Buddha as Shakyamuni—suggests the ease of this achievement. It stands in contrast to the pre– Lotus Sutra teachings, which held that countless kalpas of practice were necessary to attain enlightenment. The Daishonin is saying that we can unfailingly attain Buddhahood in the course of our lives as ordinary people living in this strife-filled saha world. This expresses the principles of attaining Buddhahood in this lifetime and attaining Buddhahood in one’s present form.

      Starting With the Person Right in Front of Us

      The Lotus Sutra offers a secret means for leading all living beings to Buddhahood. It leads one person in the realm of hell, one person in the realm of hungry spirits, and thus one person in each of the nine realms of existence to Buddhahood, and thereby the way is opened for all living beings to attain Buddhahood. The situation is like the joints in a piece of bamboo: if one joint is ruptured, then all the joints will split. (WND-1, 512)

      ⁵

      This is a passage from Letter to Horen, addressed to Soya Kyoshin, a disciple [on whom the Daishonin bestowed the Buddhist name Horen] who lived in Shimosa Province ⁶ and also had links to the Hokuriku region. ⁷ The Daishonin explains that the Lotus Sutra is the scripture representing the highest form of filial piety—of repaying one’s debts of gratitude to one’s parents—because it teaches that all people can attain enlightenment.

      Though the Daishonin describes the Lotus Sutra as a secret means for leading all living beings to Buddhahood (WND-1, 512), everything starts with one person, a single individual. Only if we can enable the person right in front of us to attain Buddhahood will it be possible to enable all people to do so. That is why the Daishonin asserts that it starts by helping one person attain enlightenment.

      The teachings of the mutual possession of the Ten Worlds and three thousand realms in a single moment of life establish that all of the nine worlds—from hell through Bodhisattva—contain the world of Buddhahood, which is why all living beings of the nine worlds can attain Buddhahood. Here, the Daishonin is clear: since living beings in the worlds of hell and hunger—the two worlds most filled with suffering—can attain Buddhahood, it naturally follows that the living beings of all the remaining nine worlds can do so. The case of one person in the realm of hell is represented in the Lotus Sutra by the prediction that Devadatta will attain Buddhahood, opening the way for the attainment of enlightenment by evil persons.⁸

      The attainment of Buddhahood by a single individual opens the way for the attainment of Buddhahood by all living beings—just as splitting one joint in a bamboo stalk leads the way to easily splitting all the other joints. As the Daishonin says, Devadatta is cited as one example [of a person who will in the future attain Buddhahood] to represent all the countless others; he is the chief offender, and it is assumed that all lesser offenders will fare as he does (WND-1, 268).

      This is the principle of one example standing for all the rest⁹ (WND-1, 269) taught by the Great Teacher Miao-lo.

      The Daishonin writes, When the dragon king’s daughter attained Buddhahood, it opened up the way to attaining Buddhahood for all women of later ages (WND-1, 269). In other words, the drama of a single individual changing his or her karma or destiny demonstrates the truth of Buddhism. It opens the way to victory in life for all others burdened with the same suffering.

      Young women’s division members in Japan, who are following this great path to happiness the dragon king’s daughter opened, are playing active roles everywhere in the world, blossoming with flowers. My wife and I, together with all the women’s division members who are always supporting them, are praying that each one of our young women, who are leading a youth of joy and good fortune, will bring flowers of human revolution into full bloom.

      All Living Beings of the Ten Worlds Can Attain Buddhahood

      The Daishonin asserted that the principle of attaining Buddhahood in one’s present form is based on the doctrine of three thousand realms in a single moment of life. Whatever our circumstances, we can all attain Buddhahood in our present form as ordinary people in the nine worlds. This fundamentally differs from the view of Buddhahood articulated in the pre– Lotus Sutra teachings, which held that attaining Buddhahood required a physical transformation.

      Whichever of the Ten Worlds we may be in, once we decide to live based on the Mystic Law, which enables us to believe in and tap the infinite potential that resides within us, we can discover a bright future ahead. We are filled with the courage to challenge ourselves. We can bring forth an intrepid fighting spirit, unflagging hope, steadfast determination, and perseverance. We awaken to our personal mission, the purpose for which we were born into this world. Our view of life changes and our way of living, too, fundamentally changes. Through our own actions, we can change our reality.

      That’s why each person is important. Our basic spirit must always be to value each individual.

      This, to me, is the essence of a religion of human revolution.

      When we speak of all living beings or all humankind, we are not treating them as abstract concepts or ideals. Our focus is on the real, living person before our eyes—on how we can help individuals become happy, transform their karma, and dispel the darkness of suffering shrouding their life. A religion that cannot help the individual is empty of true meaning. Being concerned with the well-being of each person is the very purpose and reason for a religion’s existence.

      Mr. Toda’s Wish for His Disciples’ Victory

      Mr. Toda offered personal guidance based on this sense of responsibility to help each suffering individual. An endless succession of members came to see him. He gave wholehearted attention to the challenges they were facing, and he sincerely encouraged and guided them. He greeted this torrent of problems with unshakable confidence and conviction, the teachings of Nichiren Buddhism serving as his sole anchor.

      Whenever Mr. Toda heard reports of members overcoming years of suffering and despair through practicing Nichiren Buddhism, he was overjoyed. And whenever he saw the downcast faces of members who reported that their situations weren’t improving, he was heartbroken.

      Mr. Toda dedicated his life to realizing the great vow for kosen-rufu. What occupied his mind most each day was that all of his beloved disciples carry out their human revolution and transform their karma.

      If we cannot help the person right in front of us achieve human revolution, we cannot open the way to kosen-rufu, to changing the karma of all humankind. Inheriting Mr. Toda’s spirit, our members around the world today are actively reaching out to one person after another and spreading the hope and joy of human revolution.

      When We Change, the World Changes

      Fifty years ago, the renowned French author André Maurois (1885–1967) wrote in a book titled Au commencement était l’action (In the beginning was action): The most profound revolutions are spiritual. They transform people who, in turn, transform the world. ¹⁰

      He continued: The real revolution is the revolution of the individual…. More precisely, a single individual, whether hero or saint, can set an example for the multitudes, the emulation of which can dramatically change the world.¹¹

      This is true. Everything begins with the human revolution of one person. The example of a single individual rising into action inspires others, setting everything in motion. Maurois’s thoughts resonate with the Daishonin’s words Here a single individual has been used as an example, but the same thing applies equally to all living beings (WND-2, 844).

      The point is that human revolution unfolds from the heart of a single individual, and it is not limited only to the inner life of that individual.

      Since attaining Buddhahood in Nichiren Buddhism is based on the principle of three thousand realms in a single moment of life, a change taking place in a moment of life as one individual produces a ripple effect throughout the hundred worlds and the thousand factors and, ultimately, the three thousand realms of existence. It further affects our relationships with others and with our environment. When we change, our environment changes. When the environment changes, the world changes. It is the human revolution of a single individual that is the starting point of this enormous, dynamic transformation.

      While human revolution is a revolution in the life of an individual, it is also connected to the entire world. It enables us to win powerfully in our own lives and to enrich the lives of all those around us. It is a revolution that allows us to create happiness for both ourselves and others, cultivating a rich basis for harmonious human relations.

      The practice of Bodhisattva Never Disparaging, described in the Lotus Sutra, sets a clear direction for realizing such harmony amid the realities of society.

      The Tireless Practice of Bodhisattva Never Disparaging

      Bodhisattva Never Disparaging of old said that all people have the Buddha nature and that, if they embrace the Lotus Sutra, they will never fail to attain Buddhahood. He further stated that to slight a person is to slight the Buddha himself. Thus, his practice was to revere all people. He revered even those
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