3. The Noble Vow of Bodhisattvas of the Earth is the Heart of SokaWhat is my purpose in life?
It is a question asked by many people as they ponder the reasons for their existence. When one takes the first breath of life, gradually grows up, receives the best possible education, steps into society, enters the parenthood and eventually probing unto death, there is no guarantee that one will find the real life purpose. There is a saying that no matter how much wealth and power one may accumulate or how high the status one may attain, still there will be no difference in size of the grave that lays the coffin. As a matter of fact, one’s true worth in life is not measured by their wealth, power or status. Indeed the nobility of life purpose is found in the legacy of how many lives one can reach out to give hope and inspiration when the sufferers are in the depth of despair. Without taking these steps, there is no way to ultimately guide them toward genuine happiness. The SGI members, noble Bodhisattvas of the Earth, are toiling day and night to engage the suffering people and guide them towards happiness via the practice of Nichiren’s Buddhism. The Daishonin goes on to state that “If you are of the same mind as Nichiren”—in other words, if one strives for kosen-rufu in the same spirit as he does—“you must be a Bodhisattva of the Earth” and “a disciple of Shakyamuni Buddha from the remote past” [WND-1, 385]. As disciples directly linked to the Daishonin through eternal ties that can never be severed, we of the SGI are comrades who have joined together in dedicating our lives to the vow of kosen-rufu. We have striven selflessly, in “the same mind as Nichiren,” to realize the Daishonin’s will and decree. [The Teachings for Victory – Our Mission as Bodhisattva of the Earth and the Dynamic Development of SGI toward a Humanistic Century of Peace, Nov 2013] Herein lies the great mission of the Bodhisattvas of the Earth to propagate the Mystic Law to enable all people to attain true happiness. The life purpose of SGI members is to fulfill this noble mission of the Bodhisattvas of the Earth. The “Emerging from the Earth” (15th) chapter of the Lotus Sutra heralds the beginning of the sutra’s essential teaching. It starts by clarifying who will spread the sutra after the Buddha’s passing. The countless bodhisattvas who have already gathered at the assembly, in the first 14 chapters of the Lotus Sutra, volunteer to undertake the task but Shakyamuni rejects their offer. Shakyamuni reveals that bodhisattvas who will carry out this grand mission already exist in this saha world and they will spread the Lotus Sutra after his death. In response to Shakyamuni’s words, a vast multitude of bodhisattvas equal in number to the sands of sixty thousand Ganges Rivers emerges from the earth. Each of them brought with them a retinue of followers. Their bodies are golden in hue and they possess the thirty-two features that characterize a Buddha. This is to mean that in practice, they are Bodhisattvas but in their inner state of life, they are Buddhas. Those who continually uphold the Mystic Law are Bodhisattvas of the Earth. Indeed the emergence of SGI serves the purpose of demonstrating the Daishonin’s principle of ‘emerging from the earth’. The Daishonin states, “At first only Nichiren chanted Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, but then two, three, and a hundred followed, chanting and teaching others. Propagation will unfold this way in the future as well. Does this not signify ‘emerging from the earth’?” (WND-1, 385). President Ikeda explained that the spread of Nichiren’s Buddhism began from a single individual in many localities and regions. From there, it spreads to another person and then another. SGI has created such powerful groundswell in propagation through these steady and persevering efforts of its members to share Buddhism with others. The vow, the destiny, and the cherished wish of Bodhisattvas of the Earth is always to be born among the people, to work for and with the people. [The Noble Vow of Bodhisattvas of the Earth Is the Heart of Soka, May 2010] The SGI members appear in this world, having vowed to dedicate their lives to this mission. It is by making this noble vow for kosen-rufu that one can transform one’s karma into one’s mission based on the principle of ‘voluntarily assuming the appropriate karma’. Falling back on pre-Lotus Sutra teachings, karma is often misconstrued as negativity in life and thereby brings about ceaseless chain of sufferings. In light of the Lotus Sutra, the concept of karma is predicated based on the conviction that the Bodhisattvas of the Earth have voluntarily chosen to be born into difficult and challenging circumstances, out of compassion, to lead others to enlightenment. It is a concept that represents the transformation from a passive life to an active, self-motivated life. Those who are awakened to their mission as Bodhisattvas of the Earth will gain a new sense of life. They will be able to ‘cast off the transient and reveal the true’ in their own life. As a consequence, it enables their real potential to shine forth and their strength to increases boundlessly. “Casting off the transient and revealing the true” means establishing such a firm self that we can overcome any painful hardship, banish darkness, and manifest the essential nature of all phenomena. The more great difficulties we face, the more the life of the world of Buddhahood shines forth. Establishing such a self is the way to attain Buddhahood in this lifetime. It is by manifesting the faith to overcome hardships that we can polish our humanity in a true sense. [The World of Nichiren Daishonin’s Writing Vol 2, Persecutions Encountered for the Sake of the Law - Part Two] On the organizational level, it also means that each member comes with the awareness that they have the mission as Bodhisattvas of the Earth to fulfill and strives for kosen-rufu with the same spirit as Nichiren Daishonin. They fear nothing and are undaunted by the inevitable hardships that will arise along the way. Such are the qualities of the Bodhisattvas of the Earth one can tap when they are awakened to this profound mission of the remote past. Standing up now with fresh determination and commitment as Bodhisattvas of the Earth constitutes our own personal challenge to “cast off the transient and reveal the true,” a truly fitting challenge as we prepare to enter a new era of worldwide kosen-rufu. [The Teachings for Victory – Our Mission as Bodhisattva of the Earth and the Dynamic Development of SGI toward a Humanistic Century of Peace, Nov 2013] As we enter the new era of worldwide kosen-rufu, SGI President Ikeda calls out to his youthful disciples, the noble Bodhisattvas of the Earth to take on the personal challenge of ‘casting off the transient and revealing the true’. It is because in the depth of all people’s lives, they are Bodhisattvas of the Earth. It takes the contact of one Bodhisattvas of the Earth to awaken another. Henceforth, the SGI members who are practising in accord with the same mind as the Daishonin and the founding presidents of SGI are living meaningful and vital lives, fulfilling every aspect of their life purpose. |
i. Awakening to the Profound mission of Bodhisattvas of the EarthPresident Ikeda brought the Daishonin’s Buddhism beyond Japan into the world arena. To many of President Toda’s disciple, Asia kosen-rufu was a far-fetched goal that can only be achieved in 200 to 300 years. However, President Ikeda blazed new trails for kosen-rufu by spreading the Daishonin’s Buddhism to 192 countries and territories just within a few decades.
more... ii. Hosshaku kempon, Regaining a new sense of SelfThe vow, the destiny, and the desire of Bodhisattvas of the Earth is always to be born among the people, to work for and with the people. When one is awakened to their mission from the remote past, they will gain a new sense of self. They will be able to “cast off the transient and reveal the true” in their own life, and enable their real potential to shine forth
more... iii. Voluntarily assuming appropriate karma, Transforming karma into missionAll hardship and persecution faced for the sake of accomplishing our mission are a source of great joy. Only by transforming karma into mission can we help the people who are suffering by actually sharing their trials and pains, and then showing them as a fellow human being how to overcome those sufferings and leading them to enlightenment.
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