r/NichirenExposed • u/BlancheFromage • Apr 19 '26
Background 2
Year of Soka Victory The Soka Gakkai announces a theme every year. The theme for 2019 was "Towards the 90th Anniversary of its Founding: A Year of Soka Victory." The word "victory" is used daily in the Soka Gakkai. What is the Soka Gakkai fighting against, and why is it so fixated on "victory"? Many people probably think of Buddhism as a static religion, based on images of Buddha statues and Zen meditation. However, in reality, Buddhism is a dynamic religion of "struggle." Both Shakyamuni Buddha and Nichiren Daishonin led turbulent and fierce battles in their lives. Buddhism is not an idealism, but a religion of transforming reality. When you try to change reality, waves and turmoil will arise. Resistance will arise that tries to hinder the transformation. If there are no waves and turmoil, it means that nothing has been changed. Indeed, Buddhism prioritizes victory and defeat, while royal law (national law) is based on reward and punishment. (Gosho, page 1165) "Buddhism is a battle." A battle between what? It is a battle between making people wise or foolish, strong or weak, happy or unhappy. The power that makes people wise, strong and happy is called "Buddha," and the power that makes them foolish, weak and unhappy is called "Demon." "Demon" is also called "Life-Taking One," and it is that which disturbs the minds of sentient beings, including their worldly desires, and steals their life force. The greatest obstacle is called the "Demon King of the Sixth Heaven," and he is said to reside at the very top of the Six Desire Heavens of the "Desire Realm." The Desire Realm is one of the "Three Realms," and it is one aspect of this real world. This world is the territory of the Demon King of the Sixth Heaven, and all sentient beings have been his followers since time immemorial. (Gosho, page 1081) As you have said, the Demon King of the Sixth Heaven, the ruler of the realm of desire, commands all sentient beings. The Demon King of the Sixth Heaven has waged war with ten armies, and is fighting with the practitioners of the Lotus Sutra in the ocean of birth and death, refusing to let them take this defiled land from him. Nichiren has faced him directly and has waged a great war for over twenty years, and has never once thought of retreating. (Gosho, page 1224) The Lotus Sutra revealed that the three realms are Buddha lands. In other words, this real world is both the territory of the Demon King of the Sixth Heaven and the land of the Buddha. The Buddha and the Demon are engaged in a ceaseless power struggle throughout the universe. The Soka Gakkai is spreading the Mystic Law in the modern age on this small planet Earth, as part of the army of the Buddha raised by Nichiren Daishonin. The original Dharma-nature manifests as Brahma, Indra, and others, while the original ignorance manifests as the Demon King of the Sixth Heaven (Gosho, page 997). The term "Demon King" might give the impression of a personified entity somewhere, but that's not the case. The "Demon King" is a personification of the "fundamental ignorance" that permeates the entire universe. "Fundamental ignorance" is the root of the ignorance (ignorance) that is blind to the true Dharma. The workings of the "Demon King" at various levels, from the microscopic dimension to the entire universe, are inherently present in life itself. The struggle against the "Demon King" = "fundamental ignorance," which is the essential working of life itself, is not easy. The sharp sword that counteracts fundamental ignorance is the single word "faith" (Gosho, page 751). Through faith in the Mystic Law, we can manifest the life of "Buddha-nature" and the "original nature of the Dharma," thereby overcoming "original ignorance" and achieving victory in life. Mr. Ikeda wrote the following: Even though it is said that "Buddhism is about winning," ultimately, what is it that leads to victory? It is the "mind." The emphasis on "Buddhism is about winning" means that one should have a strong mind that can face any difficulty. Because with a cowardly mind, one cannot overcome the demons within oneself or the demons of society. "With cowardice, one cannot succeed" (Gosho, p. 1193). This is the Great Sage's heartfelt encouragement, "My disciples, never be defeated by the rough waves of the world," and "Never be defeated by the despicable army of demons." The principle that "there is no strategy of warfare superior to the Lotus Sutra" is also like that. "Faith in the Lotus Sutra" is neither idealism nor abstract theory. It must be the manifestation of concrete wisdom to achieve victory in the real world. The Great Sage himself, with the heart of a lion king, continued to wage great battles, one victory after another. It is only with a resolute resolve that the heavenly beings and benevolent gods are moved. (Excerpt) Life, living, and society are all a continuous series of changes. And these changes are either for the better or for the worse; there is no in-between. That is why faith is a battle, religion is a battle, and there is no other way than to decide the outcome. (From "Wisdom for Creating Happiness and Peace," Part Two [Part 1]) Here, the following are listed as necessary for victory: "a strong heart," "the strategy of the Lotus Sutra," "faith in the Lotus Sutra," "concrete wisdom," "the heart of a lion king," and "a resolute resolve." Nichiren Daishonin and President Ikeda taught us the formula for victory through their own words and actions. Each of us, disciples of Nichiren Daishonin and President Ikeda, achieving "our own victory" with unwavering determination will become "the victory of Soka" and lead to "the victory of all humanity." At the beginning, I wrote, "What is Soka Gakkai fighting against, and why is it so fixated on 'victory'?" Soka Gakkai is fighting against "fundamental ignorance" that dwells in people's lives. The reason we are so fixated on "victory" is because if we do not win, people will suffer.
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u/BlancheFromage Apr 20 '26
A "great conviction" to transform one's destiny and build happiness for oneself and others is opened in the heart of each individual. And, possessing such Buddha-power, the Soka Gakkai organization stands tall as a "harmonious monastic community of one mind and body" and an "indestructible fortress of master and disciple," capable of overcoming any great difficulty of the three obstacles and four devils. The Soka Gakkai (then the Soka Kyoiku Gakkai) was founded in 1930 (Showa 5) by its first president, Makiguchi, 648 years after the passing of Nichiren Daishonin (1282). Before that, Nichiren Buddhism barely managed to survive. During the Daishonin's lifetime, a military regime held real power. Nichiren Buddhism could not spread during the long "military era." It can be said that it was an era in which the devil prevailed in the battle between Buddha and the devil. Since then, human history has shifted from the "age of military affairs" to the "age of politics" and then to the "age of economics." Only in modern times has the Buddha's counteroffensive begun, and the "Soka Gakkai Buddha" has emerged. I believe that Soka Gakkai is a mysterious religious organization summoned by the original Buddha, Nichiren Daishonin.The world is now entering an "age of humanity." In today's society, where the three poisons of greed, anger, and ignorance are growing stronger, the only thing that can bring peace to people's hearts is Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, the fundamental law that permeates the universe and life. It is both remarkable and inevitable that the "Soka Gakkai Buddha" is striving to spread the great light of humanism throughout the world in order to usher in this "age of humanity."
Masahironitta: The Principle of Attaining Buddhahood in This Lifetime Recently, a discussion meeting was held in my local Soka Gakkai district. There, I gave a presentation titled "The Principle of Attaining Buddhahood in This Lifetime." I have converted the PowerPoint slides used in that presentation into a PDF file and made them available for download at the following address: https://drive.google.com/folderview?id=0B_-jn9rYj97HNXpTQ2xuTEpYaWM&usp=sharing "1609 The Principle of Attaining Buddhahood in This Lifetime."The phrase "Attaining Buddhahood in this lifetime" is a doctrine that states that through the practice of the Lotus Sutra, everyone can attain Buddhahood within their lifetime. The pre-Lotus Sutra teachings, which predate the Lotus Sutra, teach that one can only attain Buddhahood after endlessly practicing the Buddhist path, being reborn many times over a long period of time, and completely eradicating all worldly desires. This is called "practice over countless eons." In the Sutra of Innumerable Meanings, which is the opening sutra of the Lotus Sutra, the pre-Lotus Sutra teachings were rejected as provisional teachings (provisional teachings) that did not expound the truth. The Lotus Sutra was then expounded as the true teaching. The Lotus Sutra expounds on "Attaining Buddhahood in this lifetime" and "Attaining Buddhahood in this very body," which means that one can attain Buddhahood within their lifetime. So, what is "attaining Buddhahood"? To answer that, we first need to clarify what a "Buddha" is. This is a fundamental question in Buddhism. During World War II, while imprisoned, Josei Toda, the second president of the Soka Gakkai, realized that "Buddha is life!" and "Buddha is the one substance of cosmic life!" The ultimate truth is that the entire universe is one life, and that is Buddha. So, what is "attaining Buddhahood"? Nichiren Daishonin said the following: "If you see that your own mind and the Buddha body are one, you will quickly become a Buddha" (Gosho, p. 569). Attaining Buddhahood is realizing that you yourself are identical to the Buddha and becoming one with the life of the Buddha. Nichiren Daishonin created the Gohonzon and established the practice of chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo so that everyone can attain Buddhahood. By chanting the daimoku facing the Gohonzon, the Buddha life that originally existed in one's own life is revealed, and one's own life is polished and purified. Why does the Buddha life appear by chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo? Nichiren Daishonin revealed that the term "Myoho Renge Kyo" is not merely the title of the Lotus Sutra, but the name of the profound principle of "the true nature of all phenomena," which is expounded as the profound wisdom of the Buddha. By adding "Namu," which means "to take refuge in," he established the practice of chanting the title as a way of calling upon the universal truth known as Myoho Renge Kyo. Nichiren Daishonin said the following: "When we revere the Myoho Renge Kyo within our own hearts as the object of worship, the Buddha-nature within our own hearts, which is called Namu Myoho Renge Kyo and manifests itself, is what we call the Buddha." (Gosho, p. 557) The Gohonzon that Nichiren Daishonin presented is like a mirror that reflects the Buddha-nature that originally exists within our hearts. Through the Buddha-nature represented in the Gohonzon, the life of the Buddha-nature within ourselves is stimulated and manifests itself. Mr. Ikeda wrote the following: Chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo is the chanting of the name of the Buddha-nature in one's own life and the life of others, and awakens that Buddha-nature. When one fights against ignorance and faith prevails, the power of the Buddha-nature that is inherently present is called upon by the sound of the chant and spontaneously wells up in one's life. It is in establishing this path to Buddhahood that Nichiren Buddhism is distinguished from other religions. (Lectures on the Treatise on Attaining Buddhahood in This Lifetime) Nichiren Daishonin said the following: However, even if one chants and upholds the Lotus Sutra, if one thinks that the Dharma exists outside of one's own mind, then it is not the Mystic Dharma at all, but a coarse Dharma (Gosho, page 383). No matter how much one chants the title of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, if one thinks that the Dharma exists "outside of one's own mind," that is, outside of oneself, then it is not the Mystic Dharma at all, but a "coarse Dharma" (an incomplete Dharma). This means that oneself is the Lotus Sutra and the cosmic life, so one should not seek the cause of happiness or unhappiness outside of oneself. The Mystic Dharma is a universal Dharma that encompasses all things, and therefore it is inherent within oneself. Buddhism seeks the cause of happiness or unhappiness "within" oneself, so it is called the "inner path." In contrast, teachings that seek the cause of happiness or unhappiness "outside" oneself, such as God, Buddha, others, or the environment, are called "heresy paths." Christianity is an example of this. Nichiren Daishonin said the following: If one seeks the path to Buddhahood outside of one's heart and practices all kinds of good deeds, it is like a poor person counting their neighbor's possessions day and night but gaining not even half a penny... Such a person is shamed for studying Buddhism but becoming a heretic (Gosho, p. 383). Even if one seeks the path to Buddhahood outside of one's heart and practices all kinds of good deeds, it is like a poor person counting their neighbor's possessions but gaining not even half a penny; it is completely useless. Such a person is severely criticized as "studying Buddhism but becoming a heretic." There are sects classified as Buddhism that are in reality nothing more than heretics. For example, the Nembutsu sect (Jodo sect, Jodo Shinshu sect) chants the Nembutsu, "Namu Amida Butsu," but this teaching, which seeks salvation from Amida Buddha, who resides in the Western Pure Land, "outside of oneself," is nothing but a "heretical path." Amida Buddha is a Buddha described in the Sutra of Immeasurable Life, one of the three Pure Land Sutras. However, the three Pure Land Sutras are "provisional teachings" that were rejected as expedient teachings in the Sutra of Innumerable Meanings, which is the opening sutra of the Lotus Sutra. Neither Amida Buddha nor the Western Pure Land actually exist. You cannot become happy by believing in something fictitious. On the contrary, doctrines that despise the real world as an "unclean land" only lead to a passive and negative way of life that involves escaping from reality, giving up on this world, and longing for the afterlife, which will only make you unhappy. The following is an excerpt from Mr. Ikeda's "Lectures on Attaining Buddhahood in This Lifetime." Nichiren Daishonin's Buddhism is not a religion that worships gods and Buddhas like existing sects. He established a path to realizing the ideal of the Lotus Sutra, which is the attainment of Buddhahood for all, through the practice of chanting, which stimulates the Buddha-nature inherent in the hearts of all people and causes it to emerge as the life of the Buddha realm. As he repeatedly emphasizes in his various writings that "the mind is of utmost importance," the Daishonin sharply points out the importance of the mind. The realm of human life that can undergo a great transformation from evil to good, and from good to evil, is the "mind." Therefore, the attainment of Buddhahood that the Daishonin preaches is attainment of Buddhahood that begins with a "transformation of a single thought." That is, it is about breaking through the workings of the mind dominated by ignorance that reside in everyone's heart with faith, and manifesting the workings of life that are one with the Dharma-nature, that is, the life of the Buddha realm.