i. The Great Desire for Widespread Propagation, the Life State of the Buddha
Everyday, SGI members around the globe perform morning and evening gongyo. The familiar phrase in the 3rd Silent Prayer, ‘I pray that the great desire for kosen-rufu be fulfilled...’ is no longer distant to them. Yet, the meaning of the term ‘great desire for the widespread propagation’ has always remained ambiguous. None has thoroughly expanded this term in the 700 years after the Daishonin’s passing, except SGI President Ikeda who unequivocally elucidates it in The World of Nichiren Daishonin’s Writings. As a matter of course, this phrase has always been of great interest to many SGI members in order to truly understand its significance and importance.
When it comes to desire, human beings are after all expert in this field. When they are young, they yearn to attain good grades in school. After stepping into the society, they desire to pursue big dreams such as high salary scheme career, huge house, big car, beautiful wife and healthy kids. There is completely nothing wrong to pursue such fleeting desires unless one’s happiness is secured to a firm philosophy and practice that will enable oneself to brave through any storm that may appear in the course of one’s life.
Be that as it may, common mortals are often capable of pursuing the desire of their own happiness and for some reason disregard others. While in the case of the Buddha, his desire takes on a different level. The Buddha’s desire was clearly exemplified in the passage, at the end of the ‘Life Span’ chapter of the Lotus Sutra, in which the SGI members recite daily:
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?
(LS16, 232)
This passage sums up the great desire of the Buddha. At every moment of his life, he is thinking of ways and means to enable all beings to be truly happy. It is the great desire for the happiness of all people. It is a humanistic manifestation of the life of the Buddha to enable all living beings to attain the same life-state as he attains.
In The World of Nichiren Daishonin’s Writings, SGI President Ikeda elucidates the profound meaning of ‘The great desire for widespread propagation’ as follows:
“Great desire” refers to the boundless wish arising from the Buddha’s enlightenment. It is the “original desire of life” expressed in the heart of the Buddha awakened to the truth that life itself is the entity of the Mystic Law, the one great law that encompasses all others. To “awaken” means to recollect this original desire.
[The World of Nichiren Daishonin’s Writing Vol 1, The Gosho is the Buddhist Scripture for the Latter Day of the Law]
Unlike the common mortal who strives for his own selfish goals, this boundless wish arises solely in the heart of those who manifested the life-state of the Buddha. Only those, who manifest this vast life-state of life as the Buddha, could yearn for everyone in this world to be genuinely happy. Therefore, this vast state of life is manifested in those who strive to actualize the widespread propagation.
Since the great desire for widespread propagation is manifested in the life-state of the Buddha, it can be determined that this life-state of the Buddha and the great desire for widespread propagation are one and the same. Needless to say, those who embrace this great desire for widespread propagation are walking the path of attaining enlightenment. This path is solely found in the struggle to spread the teachings and lead others to happiness and not in the case that simply because you are a SGI member. There is no such thing as self-centered Buddha who lives solely to fulfill his or her own happiness.
In line with this, the great desire for widespread propagation that surged in the life of Nichiren Daishonin is clearly revealed in the passage of ‘The Opening of the Eyes’:
“Let the gods forsake me. Let all persecutions assail me. Still I will give my life for the sake of the law.” [WND, 280]
It is this majestic life condition that the Daishonin called forth, which exemplifies his fighting spirit to spread the Law, without begrudging his life. It also means that nothing could stop him from dedicating his life to this great desire for widespread propagation, no matter what obstacles may arise.
This leads to an interesting question as to why Nichiren Daishonin was able to display this tenacious spirit of selfless dedication, even in the face of persecutions after persecutions that surrounded his life.
It is undoubtedly the great vow, which he made that sustained this spirit. This great vow is none other than a noble pledge to work towards a worthy goal and in this case the great desire for the widespread propagation. The Daishonin’s vow is to spread the great Law in order to accomplish this desire even in the face of the three powerful enemies. By doing so, the Daishonin aspired to enable all people of the evil age of the latter day of the law to attain enlightenment.
That’s because making a great vow creates a strong self. What’s more, the pledge to work toward a worthy goal enables us to overcome our weaknesses and becomes a solid support in helping us challenge any and all difficulties.
[The World of Nichiren Daishonin’s Writing Vol 1, The Gosho is the Buddhist Scripture for the Latter Day of the Law]
Hence, SGI President Ikeda further clarifies that the Daishonin urges everyone to dedicate his or her life to the great desire for kosen-rufu. It is because of those who make this desire their own and work earnestly towards realizing their pledge, without backsliding in faith, will gradually come to fuse with the life of the Buddha and manifest this vast life-state of the Buddha.
The Daishonin says, “My wish is that all my disciples make a great vow. . . . Since death is the same in either case, you should be willing to offer your life for the Lotus Sutra. Think of this offering as a drop of dew rejoining the ocean, or a speck of dust returning to the earth” (“The Dragon Gate,” WND, 1003).
Our life may be as fleeting as a drop of dew or as insignificant as a particle of dust. But by dedicating ourselves to the “great vow” [of the Buddha] in this lifetime, our lives will merge with the vast ocean of the Lotus Sutra and continue on eternally. They will become one with the earth of the Mystic Law, invincible and everlasting. We are promised the incredible life-state of the Buddha.
[The World of Nichiren Daishonin’s Writing Vol 1, The Gosho is the Buddhist Scripture for the Latter Day of the Law]
Unquestionably the founding presidents of Soka Gakkai, particularly SGI President Ikeda, are thinking at each moment of their lives on how to enable all people in this world to be truly happy. They are always pondering on how to make this world a better place. Their whole lives are dedicating towards realizing the great desire for the widespread propagation of Nichiren’s Buddhism. This is evidently recorded in the Human Revolution and the New Human Revolution novels.
The Eternal Mentors of SGI carry out the practice of devoting their lives to fulfilling the pledge of dedicating their lives to this great desire. In reality, it is absolutely necessary that, as disciples, the SGI members undertake the mission to live their lives with the noble vow to carry out this dedication of the great desire for widespread propagation. Only when SGI members who live based on the great vow of the Buddha, will their lives become one with the Mystic Law and manifest the incredible life-state of the Buddha.
It is a life of absolute freedom, bright and unfettered. It abounds with compassion toward all living beings and with sympathy for those who are suffering. It surges with inexhaustible wisdom and spiritual energy and overflows with infinite life force, good fortune and benefit. And it burns with the courage to battle the negative tendencies in oneself and others, afraid of nothing.
[The World of Nichiren Daishonin’s Writing Vol 1, The Gosho is the Buddhist Scripture for the Latter Day of the Law]
The life of the SGI members who dedicate their lives towards this vow will then be protected no matter what vicissitudes they may encounter. This is the reason why the life of many SGI members comes to shine with such splendid brilliance. Ultimately by walking this path with the mentors, it enables all people to lead their lives of true dignity in the evil age of the Latter Day that is polluted by the five impurities.
Until then, no matter how violent a storm may appear in one’s life, it will no longer defeat him. Even the most unfavorable challenges that manifest before him will be transformed into nutrients for his impetuous growth and development, enabling him to cultivate his highest potential as a human being. Whatever obstacles one confront will be likened to what the Daishonin teaches as ‘no more to me than dust before the wind’.
When it comes to desire, human beings are after all expert in this field. When they are young, they yearn to attain good grades in school. After stepping into the society, they desire to pursue big dreams such as high salary scheme career, huge house, big car, beautiful wife and healthy kids. There is completely nothing wrong to pursue such fleeting desires unless one’s happiness is secured to a firm philosophy and practice that will enable oneself to brave through any storm that may appear in the course of one’s life.
Be that as it may, common mortals are often capable of pursuing the desire of their own happiness and for some reason disregard others. While in the case of the Buddha, his desire takes on a different level. The Buddha’s desire was clearly exemplified in the passage, at the end of the ‘Life Span’ chapter of the Lotus Sutra, in which the SGI members recite daily:
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?
(LS16, 232)
This passage sums up the great desire of the Buddha. At every moment of his life, he is thinking of ways and means to enable all beings to be truly happy. It is the great desire for the happiness of all people. It is a humanistic manifestation of the life of the Buddha to enable all living beings to attain the same life-state as he attains.
In The World of Nichiren Daishonin’s Writings, SGI President Ikeda elucidates the profound meaning of ‘The great desire for widespread propagation’ as follows:
“Great desire” refers to the boundless wish arising from the Buddha’s enlightenment. It is the “original desire of life” expressed in the heart of the Buddha awakened to the truth that life itself is the entity of the Mystic Law, the one great law that encompasses all others. To “awaken” means to recollect this original desire.
[The World of Nichiren Daishonin’s Writing Vol 1, The Gosho is the Buddhist Scripture for the Latter Day of the Law]
Unlike the common mortal who strives for his own selfish goals, this boundless wish arises solely in the heart of those who manifested the life-state of the Buddha. Only those, who manifest this vast life-state of life as the Buddha, could yearn for everyone in this world to be genuinely happy. Therefore, this vast state of life is manifested in those who strive to actualize the widespread propagation.
Since the great desire for widespread propagation is manifested in the life-state of the Buddha, it can be determined that this life-state of the Buddha and the great desire for widespread propagation are one and the same. Needless to say, those who embrace this great desire for widespread propagation are walking the path of attaining enlightenment. This path is solely found in the struggle to spread the teachings and lead others to happiness and not in the case that simply because you are a SGI member. There is no such thing as self-centered Buddha who lives solely to fulfill his or her own happiness.
In line with this, the great desire for widespread propagation that surged in the life of Nichiren Daishonin is clearly revealed in the passage of ‘The Opening of the Eyes’:
“Let the gods forsake me. Let all persecutions assail me. Still I will give my life for the sake of the law.” [WND, 280]
It is this majestic life condition that the Daishonin called forth, which exemplifies his fighting spirit to spread the Law, without begrudging his life. It also means that nothing could stop him from dedicating his life to this great desire for widespread propagation, no matter what obstacles may arise.
This leads to an interesting question as to why Nichiren Daishonin was able to display this tenacious spirit of selfless dedication, even in the face of persecutions after persecutions that surrounded his life.
It is undoubtedly the great vow, which he made that sustained this spirit. This great vow is none other than a noble pledge to work towards a worthy goal and in this case the great desire for the widespread propagation. The Daishonin’s vow is to spread the great Law in order to accomplish this desire even in the face of the three powerful enemies. By doing so, the Daishonin aspired to enable all people of the evil age of the latter day of the law to attain enlightenment.
That’s because making a great vow creates a strong self. What’s more, the pledge to work toward a worthy goal enables us to overcome our weaknesses and becomes a solid support in helping us challenge any and all difficulties.
[The World of Nichiren Daishonin’s Writing Vol 1, The Gosho is the Buddhist Scripture for the Latter Day of the Law]
Hence, SGI President Ikeda further clarifies that the Daishonin urges everyone to dedicate his or her life to the great desire for kosen-rufu. It is because of those who make this desire their own and work earnestly towards realizing their pledge, without backsliding in faith, will gradually come to fuse with the life of the Buddha and manifest this vast life-state of the Buddha.
The Daishonin says, “My wish is that all my disciples make a great vow. . . . Since death is the same in either case, you should be willing to offer your life for the Lotus Sutra. Think of this offering as a drop of dew rejoining the ocean, or a speck of dust returning to the earth” (“The Dragon Gate,” WND, 1003).
Our life may be as fleeting as a drop of dew or as insignificant as a particle of dust. But by dedicating ourselves to the “great vow” [of the Buddha] in this lifetime, our lives will merge with the vast ocean of the Lotus Sutra and continue on eternally. They will become one with the earth of the Mystic Law, invincible and everlasting. We are promised the incredible life-state of the Buddha.
[The World of Nichiren Daishonin’s Writing Vol 1, The Gosho is the Buddhist Scripture for the Latter Day of the Law]
Unquestionably the founding presidents of Soka Gakkai, particularly SGI President Ikeda, are thinking at each moment of their lives on how to enable all people in this world to be truly happy. They are always pondering on how to make this world a better place. Their whole lives are dedicating towards realizing the great desire for the widespread propagation of Nichiren’s Buddhism. This is evidently recorded in the Human Revolution and the New Human Revolution novels.
The Eternal Mentors of SGI carry out the practice of devoting their lives to fulfilling the pledge of dedicating their lives to this great desire. In reality, it is absolutely necessary that, as disciples, the SGI members undertake the mission to live their lives with the noble vow to carry out this dedication of the great desire for widespread propagation. Only when SGI members who live based on the great vow of the Buddha, will their lives become one with the Mystic Law and manifest the incredible life-state of the Buddha.
It is a life of absolute freedom, bright and unfettered. It abounds with compassion toward all living beings and with sympathy for those who are suffering. It surges with inexhaustible wisdom and spiritual energy and overflows with infinite life force, good fortune and benefit. And it burns with the courage to battle the negative tendencies in oneself and others, afraid of nothing.
[The World of Nichiren Daishonin’s Writing Vol 1, The Gosho is the Buddhist Scripture for the Latter Day of the Law]
The life of the SGI members who dedicate their lives towards this vow will then be protected no matter what vicissitudes they may encounter. This is the reason why the life of many SGI members comes to shine with such splendid brilliance. Ultimately by walking this path with the mentors, it enables all people to lead their lives of true dignity in the evil age of the Latter Day that is polluted by the five impurities.
Until then, no matter how violent a storm may appear in one’s life, it will no longer defeat him. Even the most unfavorable challenges that manifest before him will be transformed into nutrients for his impetuous growth and development, enabling him to cultivate his highest potential as a human being. Whatever obstacles one confront will be likened to what the Daishonin teaches as ‘no more to me than dust before the wind’.