The "Former Affairs of King Wonderful Adornment"
(twenty-seventh) chapter of the Lotus Sutra
The Wisdom of the Lotus Sutra--A Discussion on Religion in the Twenty-first Century
Wisdom of the Lotus Sutra 51
This is the fifty-first installment of an ongoing discussion on the Lotus Sutra between SGI President Ikeda and Soka Gakkai Study Department Chief Katsuji Saito and Vice Chiefs Takanori Endo and Haruo Suda. It appeared in the April 1999 issue of the Daibyakurenge, the Soka Gakkai study journal.
Creating
a harmonious family through faith
is the eternal guideline of the SGI.
The "Former Affairs of King Wonderful Adornment" (twenty-seventh) chapter of the Lotus Sutra describes how a king is led to the Law through the efforts of his wife and two children.
This chapter outlines ,
1. the principles for carrying out a "family revolution"
2. a guideline for realizing kosen-rufu in any given country
also, through its description of a woman and youth causing a person of power to change his authoritarian ways, it is
In this installment, the participants discuss
The Victory of a "Family Revolution"
Ikeda: Just this past February, a number of SGI representatives from Asia visited Okinawa. Regarding one couple who were there, I commented: "Their daughter is now a senior in high school. In the future, when she falls in love and marries, her father will be the one who misses her most. Fathers love their daughters. Mothers know that one day their daughter will get married, and so take it in stride. But fathers lie awake at night, hot tears streaming down their faces!
"The Lotus Sutra explains the enlightenment of the dragon king's daughter. Her name is written [in Chinese] with two characters; the first (dragon) corresponds to 'father,' and the second (woman) corresponds to 'daughter.' The father-daughter relationship is extremely profound.
"Therefore, even after a daughter falls in love and gets married, nothing will make a father happier than for his daughter to tell him that she loves him best of all. And for a daughter there is no conduct more filial. A family where the daughter cherishes her father to the very end is most happy."
Saito: This may seem simple, but I think it is a fundamental principle of humanity.
Ikeda:
Nichiren Daishonin taught the wisdom that: "Women support others and thereby cause
others to support them"
Endo: The same would go when dealing with a father who does not practice.
Ikeda: Yes, it is the same principle-actually, one should treat a father who does not practice with even greater care and sincerity, always asking after his health and encouraging him to live long. Becoming a good child, a good spouse-that is proof of our faith. If we instead let down the people in our family on account of our practice, then what is the point of faith at all?
It is foolish to quarrel over matters of faith. Besides, often when non-practicing family members are opposed to a person's faith, it is not so much because they have a problem with the practice itself but more with the behavior of the person. It is not uncommon for people to attribute their spousal problems to issues of faith.
Of course, such problems are fundamentally due to our own karma. And sometimes they are the workings of the three obstacles and four devils. That is why the Daishonin says, "You should have no regrets even if you are harmed because of your faith in this teaching" (cf. WND, 502 [MW-1, 146]). He also states, "Whether tempted by good or threatened by evil, if one casts aside the Lotus Sutra, one destines oneself for hell" (WND, 280 [MW-2, 175]). The important thing is to maintain steadfast faith. This is the foundation of happiness.
We need to deepen and strengthen our faith. This is the basis for everything. We can then lead our entire family onto the path of happiness. Steadfast faith does not mean putting on an heroic front. It means possessing the state of life to show genuine concern and consideration for the situation of others. Even within the smallest act of consideration shines a brilliant light.
"Treasure Your Wife and Children"
Ikeda: In question-and-answer sessions, second Soka Gakkai president Josei Toda was frequently asked about family members opposed to the practice.
To someone whose children were against their practice, he said, "You need to pay the utmost attention to your children. . . . If parents devotedly treasure their children, there is no way the children will turn against them. Nothing can match a parent's compassion. It's because your children aren't getting enough affection that your family is in discord. It's not the children's fault, it's the fault of you, the parent. If you try to blame your misfortune on the Gohonzon, you will only make matters worse."2
To someone whose wife opposed his faith, President Toda said: "You must fulfill your duties as the head of the house. You are not earning enough money. A husband should adore his wife and be able to buy her a new dress on occasion.
"You need to resolve this problem yourself. Your wife is not the problem. You are. First, you must change. You must become an admirable human being. Since your wife is against your practice, you have in a sense become her retainer. It's up to you to develop a state of life of complete freedom. . . .
"As long as you are complaining to your wife, you are not practicing correct faith. When you can show your wife the appreciation you would show the Buddha, she will have nothing to object to.
"There is usually no reason for a husband to complain about his wife. She's not receiving a paycheck from you, after all! And I bet you don't even buy her new clothes! So, rather than grumbling all the time, you should cherish her dearly. That is where faith begins. I can't stand to hear men complain about their wives not practicing or blame their wives for their problems when they themselves aren't showing results from their faith."3
This was usually the kind of guidance President Toda gave to people in such situations.
Endo: It's very clear, isn't it?
Suda: The guidance of the Soka Gakkai remains consistent.
Saito: It seems as if we've already reached our conclusion before even beginning our discussion of the "Former Affairs of King Wonderful Adornment"(twenty-seventh) chapter!
Ikeda: No, no. We still need to provide ample evidence for our conclusions based on the sutra. Let's pursue our study this time with the aim of cultivating truly wonderful faith that can create a harmonious family. This chapter is laden with a number of important principles.
Endo: In the title, "Former Affairs of King Wonderful Adornment," "former affairs" indicates origins or history. This chapter therefore describes the kind of person this king named Wonderful Adornment was, as well as his experiences and some episodes involving him.
Ikeda: Indeed, it's a well-known story.
Suda: Yes. The king was the only one in his family who didn't embrace faith, while his wife and two children did. It is a tale of how they enabled the king to take faith.
The Age-old Conflict between Custom and Progress
Endo: A long, long time ago there was a king named Wonderful Adornment. The king's consort was named Pure Virtue; and the two princes were called Pure Storehouse and Pure Eye. As you can see, the names of the three all include the word "pure."
The queen and two princes took faith in the Law expounded by a Buddha named Cloud Thunder Sound Constellation King Flower Wisdom. But the king alone remained erroneous in his deep attachment to Brahmanism.
Saito: We can surmise that already at that time Brahmanism was an "old teaching" that had become part and parcel of the social establishment. By contrast, Buddhism was a "new teaching" that had only just been introduced with the appearance of the Buddha.
Ikeda: Fathers are conservative creatures. Youth, on the other hand, possess adventurous spirits. They earnestly seek the truth, believing that what is right is right. But father's are likely to say, "Right or wrong, this is the way it's been done for years!" This is also a problem that comes from the gap between generations.
Suda: The king grows obstinate, feeling that it is beneath him to listen to the advice of his children and wife.
Endo: He is surprisingly faint-hearted. Yet, as a man, I can empathize!
Ikeda: In the SGI, too, it is often the woman and/or her children who begin to practice first, with the husband/father joining last of all. It is just as the Lotus Sutra describes. How uncanny!
Saito: A patriarchal system deriving from Brahmanism was the foundation of Indian society at the time when Buddhism was spreading. This meant that the father had absolute control over all members of the family. In this context, young people and women were drawn more and more to the new teaching of Buddhism. It seems that this led to conflict in many families. In fact, there are Buddhist texts that describe just such circumstances. This is probably the reason the "King Wonderful Adornment" chapter was preached.
Ikeda: What we are looking at is a clash between new and old ideas. We can probably even say that the fact that the faith taken up by the king's family caused such an uproar is testimony to the validity of those new thoughts. Generational conflict does not usually arise in the home when youth get caught up in their own abstract ideas or foolish, temporary fads.
Endo: I can imagine that no one would be particularly upset with a family member who says, "I'm off to make a wish in front of a roadside bodhisattva"!
Suda: Actually, they might be praised as a rare youth with deep faith!
Saito: But a living, revolutionary religion that enables people to change reality on a fundamental level will invariably be opposed by old traditions. This is proof that it is the genuine article.
Ikeda: It goes without saying that movements that go against common sense or are anti-social in nature will be countered. But even people who take action based on reason for the sake of the happiness of their family and the well-being of society are met with opposition. That is the fate of one striving to create a new age.
Overcoming the small waves of conflict that arise in the home one by one and establishing a harmonious family is itself the way to secure the transformation of society. The social reformation that is kosen-rufu can only be constructed atop the solid foundation set in place by the collective transformation of individual families.
Saito: The "King Wonderful Adornment" chapter tells the story of a "son who instructs his father." I imagine that for the people of ancient India this must have been a landmark event. As the Japanese Buddhist scholar Dr. Hajime Nakamura points out, "The 'arbitrary and absolute obedience to the head of the household' of traditional Brahmanism has no place in the Buddhist sutras."4
Ikeda: In Buddhism, all members of a family are equally respected as individuals. This is extremely progressive. Buddhism is therefore essentially incompatible with the traditional Japanese concept of religion as family-centric, that is, that one must adhere to the religion of one's ancestors.
Suda: Buddhist thought has much in common with the modern concept of human rights. And the Japanese constitution, which is the crystallization of humanist philosophy, thoroughly guarantees the individual's freedom of religion.
Ikeda: From that standpoint, we are really talking about a conflict between humanism and old customs that fail to recognize individual rights, as opposed to between Buddhism and such religions as those practiced by one's ancestors.
Endo: The bottom line is that staying true to one's beliefs is a struggle to protect human rights.
Changing the "Erroneous Views" of the Powerful
"World-Honored One, these two sons of mine have carried out the Buddha's work, employing transcendental powers and transformations to turn my mind away from heresies, enabling me to abide safely in the Buddha's Law, and permitting me to see the World-Honored One. These two sons have been good friends to me. They wished to awaken the good roots from my past existences and to enrich and benefit me, and for that reason they were born into my household." (LS27, 316-17)5
Ikeda: The "King Wonderful Adornment" chapter is not only the story of a family. In telling the story of a royal family, a family that has power, it is describing how a country may be saved by enabling the powerful to embrace faith. If the rulers of the land do not change, people's suffering will continue. It is said, in fact, that seventy to eighty percent of the world's problems exist because of the way governments are run.
Saito: I agree. In the "King Wonderful Adornment" chapter, it is the Buddha himself who first determines to guide the king to Buddhism.
Suda: It says, "At that time that Buddha, wishing to attract and guide King Wonderful Adornment, and because he thought with compassion of living beings, preached the Lotus Sutra" (LS27, 313). The Buddha aspires to lead a "country of erroneous views" to happiness through the supreme teaching of Buddhism.
Endo: Learning of the Buddha's spirit, the two sons Pure Storehouse and Pure Eye decide to introduce their parents to the teaching of the Lotus Sutra.
Ikeda: They take resolute action in order to reply to their mentor's will.
Endo: The two first speak with their mother Pure Virtue. Their mother responds, "You should go to your father, tell him about this, and persuade him to go with you [to hear the Buddha preach]." At this, the two cry, "We are sons of the Dharma King, and yet we have been born into this family of heretical views!" (LS27, 313).
Ikeda: But their mother is strong, saying in effect: "What good will it do to lament your situation!" "Stop complaining!" And she encourages them to change the situation.
Suda: Yes. She tells them to have compassion for their father.
Ikeda: This is an important point. A steadfast spirit of concern to pray for another person's happiness is the foundation of propagation efforts. Without such compassion, we will not be fulfilled and will be given to complaint. We will find ourselves pulled this way and that by reality and give in to our weakness.
The siblings probably couldn't understand why their father wouldn't embrace faith even though they were practicing so hard. But that's being sentimental. If we have a negative attitude, thinking: "Why am I not getting the results I want when I have done so much already?" then because of that very attitude, we won't see results. Faith is not sentimental. Faith is courage. To become happy, we must have courage.
The queen Pure Virtue possesses wisdom stemming from compassion. Therefore, she knows that coming out abruptly and telling the king about Buddhism won't work. So she advises her children on how to go about it.
Saito: She tells them: "You should manifest some supernatural wonder for him. When he sees that, his mind will surely be cleansed and purified and he will permit us to go to where the Buddha is" (LS27, 313).
Ikeda: She really knows the way her husband's mind works! It is said that at the root of every great occurrence there is a woman. True to these words, it is thanks to the boys' mother that their father changes and the entire land is transformed.
In other words, she understands that just asking their father to change would have no effect. So she instructs them instead to show through their actions how they themselves had changed.
Suda: The two sons then go straight to their father to demonstrate their supernatural abilities. They leap high into the air and there freely walk around and lie down; they produce water and fire from their bodies; they make themselves so huge that their bodies cover the sky and then they return to normal size.
Endo: They disappear in thin air and then suddenly reappear on the ground; they dive into the ground as if it were water, and walk on water as if it were land.
Saito: The sutra says that they manifest these various supernatural wonders out of genuine love and compassion for their father (cf. LS27, 313-14).
In the Sanskrit text, the mother tells her sons to the effect: "If you treat your father with compassion, then he will respond with compassion and understand your intent."
Ikeda: In fact, King Wonderful Adornment is thrilled to see the supernatural talents of his sons. There is not a parent around who does not delight at seeing the splendid growth of his or her children.
Endo: The king presses his palms together and says to his sons, "Who is your teacher? Whose disciples are you?" (LS27, 314). The two proudly respond, "the Buddha expounding the Lotus Sutra is our teacher and we are his disciples" (cf. LS27, 314).
Suda: At this, the king says, "I would like to go now and see your teacher. You can go with me" (LS27, 314).
Endo: At this point he's on the verge of taking faith himself.
Saito: I think we can say that in his heart he has already accepted Buddhism.
Suda: The sons' strategy works like a charm, and they succeed in bringing down the ramparts that had encased the king's heart.
Faith of Making the Impossible Possible
Ikeda: Such is the power of actual proof. Nothing is stronger. The king's sons show striking actual proof of their human revolution. The Daishonin says, "Nothing is more certain than actual proof" (WND, 478 [MW-4, 121]); and, "even more valuable than reason and documentary proof is the proof of actual fact" (WND, 599 [MW-6, 111]).
Family members in particular need to see actual proof, for they know us best of all. No matter how great we may present ourselves outside the home, our family can clearly see the reality of our situation. Of course, there are most likely also sides of us that our family is the last to know.
At any rate, parents can see the growth of their children, and a wife can tell when her husband has changed for the better. It is this human revolution that amounts to "supernatural abilities."
The fact that the Ikegami brothers of the Daishonin's time were able to guide their father, who had been adamantly opposed to their practice, to the Daishonin's teaching is surely a demonstration of their noble humanity to remain undaunted even in the face of their father's attacks.
Saito: "Supernatural ability," as you mentioned, does not mean simply superhuman power; it refers to a human revolution. The Daishonin says, "Outside of the attainment of Buddhahood, there is no 'secret' and no 'transcendental power'" (Gosho Zenshu, p. 753).
Suda: So in saying that Pure Storehouse and Pure Eye display supernatural abilities, the sutra is speaking to the capacity of the people of the time.
Ikeda: That's probably a fair statement to make. The Great Teacher T'ien-t'ai of China calls this is a "method of preaching the Law that accords with the capacity of the people in society." On that premise, it could also be said that the concept of supernatural abilities teaches the principle of faith for "making the impossible possible."
We may toss off the words "actual proof" and "human revolution," but in reality these are no simple matters. There may be many people who have taken faith, but those who are practicing genuine faith are really only few.
We cannot attain Buddhahood by practicing halfheartedly out of sheer force of habit. There's no such thing as a self-centered, egotistical Buddhist practice. That wouldn't be "practicing the Buddha's teaching," but practicing one's own teaching. Only by carrying out faith single-mindedly dedicated to the achievement of kosen-rufu can we change our karma.
The only way to cause a transformation in those running a given country is to demonstrate the true power of the people through the dauntless prayer and struggle to "make the impossible possible."
To try to take on such a struggle with an easygoing attitude will only result in accidents. The seriousness of this matter is something we need to be keenly aware of.
A Husband Staunchly Opposed to Faith
Suda: I heard a wonderful experience by someone who succeeded in changing the karma of her family. Her name is Chieko Yamashita of Chiba Prefecture, and her story was also introduced in the Seikyo Shimbun. [Mrs. Yamashita is the women's division vice chief of Kamagaya Yuko Zone.]
Although she is president of a company that operates a bicycle parking lot of approximately 3,300 square meters (4,000 square yards), when asked what she does she simply smiles and says, "I'm just the bicycle lot grandma."
Ikeda: I recall that she also has a private community center.
Suda: That's right. She achieved her dream of building a private community center. And you gave the center the name Yamashita Eiko (Glory) Community Center. When she received the calligraphy of these words written by your hand, President Ikeda, she at first read the characters for "community center" as "house of treasure." She was so moved by your consideration that she trembled with emotion.
Endo: Was her husband opposed to her practice?
Suda: Yes. And it was no ordinary opposition either.
They had gotten married in the tumultuous period following the end of the Second World War. Her husband failed in business, and he became obsessed with drinking and gambling.
She explains that her family of four had no place to live, but were given shelter in the corner of the kitchen of an acquaintance. During the day, they would stay in a small park nearby, her infant child crawling around on the ground.
Thanks to the help of a kind friend, they were able to get a tiny one-room apartment. But still they remained destitute.
To make dinner, she would go out with two ten-yen coins and buy a helping of sardines and some spinach for ten yen each. As she did her shopping, the child she carried on her back would cry for some sweets. Wishing that she had just ten more yen to buy some, she would search the crowded streets of the outdoor market for dropped coins. She says that she will never forget the bitter pain of not even having ten yen to spare.
Ikeda: I recall that Mrs. Yamashita was from a well-known family.
Suda: That's right. She was born in Kagoshima, Kyushu, and apparently lacked for nothing while growing up. However, there was constant discord between her father and mother, and so, not wanting to end up the same way, she approached marriage with extreme caution. Nonetheless, as Mrs. Yamashita puts it, "I wound up having to suffer the same destiny as my mother had."
She wound up leaving her husband and children. She would not have been able to watch the children and work at the same time, and, as her parents had died in succession shortly after the war, she couldn't ask for their assistance. In the end, however, she couldn't rely on the help of her husband's family either, and her children, a boy and a girl, were placed in childcare facilities. But they were placed in separate institutions. Overcome with anguish at the thought of this, she decided to gather her children and return to her husband. Then began her days of living in fear of physical abuse more than ever before.
Endo: I hope that nowadays someone in the same situation would have more options available.
Saito: At that point she had not yet taken faith.
Suda: Mrs. Yamashita joined the Soka Gakkai in 1965. At the time her husband was unemployed and she was supporting him by selling insurance from door-to-door. Her husband joined the Soka Gakkai as well, but only in name, and instead went to extraordinary lengths to keep his wife from practicing.
Every night he would beat her with whatever objects might be handy, demanding that she quit the Soka Gakkai. And when he was intoxicated, he would rail on and on against her faith.
On one occasion, he destroyed her altar with an ax, doused the wood with kerosene and set it on fire. She ran out of the house barefoot, clutching the Gohonzon to her chest. Locked out, she spent the night outdoors chanting daimoku until dawn.
When she went to tearfully explain her situation to a senior member, she was given warm but strict guidance: "You should rejoice knowing that each opposition to your practice you face equals a portion of your negative karma eradicated. And from tomorrow you should continue to do shakubuku!"
Eventually her husband found work as a subcontractor for a major glass company. But he was reckless with his income and they continued to live in poverty.
Throughout this time, Mrs. Yamashita scrimped and saved with the dream of one day having a house. But when she had finally saved four million yen and gleefully showed her savings passbook to her husband, he snatched it away from her. When she located the passbook in the apartment two days later, her account had a balance of zero. He had thrown all the money away at the racetrack.
Mrs. Yamashita remarks: "I hated my husband, and all I could think about was getting divorced. But my senior in faith told me, 'You are blaming your unhappiness on your husband. Unless you yourself change, you will not be able to accumulate good fortune.' When I heard this, I made up my mind.
"The Gosho says, 'Buddhism is like the body, and society like the shadow. When the body bends, so does the shadow' (WND, 1039 [MW-3, 308]). I determined to stop swinging between joy and sorrow because of the chaos in my life and to stop complaining about what my husband was or wasn't doing. I decided that since this was my karma, I would take responsibility for overcoming it myself. I would accumulate good fortune. I realized that it was not about anyone else; everything depended on my life condition. I gained profound conviction in the principle of the oneness of life and the environment."
Ikeda: That's the determination we need to have! Once we understand that everything that happens to us is to enable us to attain Buddhahood in this lifetime, all of our problems will be resolved.
On the other hand, the more we tend to complain and put the blame on others, the longer we are delaying the transformation of our karma.
If we pray to the Gohonzon through all our sufferings and sorrows, firmly resolved that: "This is my destiny. This is my life. I will do my human revolution first and foremost," then a path forward will open without fail.
Appreciation for Those Who Oppose Our Faith
Suda: I think that's really true.
Realizing that feeling sorry for herself wouldn't do anything to bring her good fortune, Mrs. Yamashita exerted herself wholeheartedly in Soka Gakkai activities. In the process, she was unexpectedly approached about managing some land in front of the train station. And in 1972, her seventh year of practice, she was able to open her bicycle parking lot.
More than anything else, Mrs. Yamashita's attitude, her frame of mind, began to change. She came to have sympathy for her husband because he did not understand the joy of faith, and began praying every day that he would change his ways. She came to view her husband as a truly "good friend" for having enabled her to deepen her faith.
She remarks: "It's amazing. As soon as my resentful feelings toward my husband turned into a sense of appreciation he suddenly lost his infatuation with gambling. And he began to pray to the Gohonzon."
In 1976, Mrs. Yamashita's husband was diagnosed with cancer of the esophagus. Her prayer to the Gohonzon was: "Please take half of my life and give it to my husband. Let us fight for kosen-rufu together." Of that time, she says: "I wept at the love and appreciation I now felt for the man it seemed I had cared nothing for. I realized in the depths of my life for the first time that until then I had lacked compassion."
When she went to see him at the hospital, her husband, who had not moved from the bed until then, sat right up. Soon he was able to get out of bed on his own, and, as Mrs. Yamashita describes, "For the first time we became a true married couple, able to talk openly and honestly about anything, even about kosen-rufu and the Soka Gakkai."
Her husband began to study Buddhism insatiably. The following year, as though he had completed his mission, he passed away. Seeing his beautiful countenance in death, two close friends decided to take faith, too.
"Through his experience of all kinds of benefit and punishment, I believe my husband taught me about faith. He was truly a 'good friend.' I have now grown into a person who can feel incredible appreciation, knowing that I owe everything to the terrible hardship I experienced."
In addition, in transforming her state of life, Mrs. Yamashita has transformed her financial fortune. As she puts it, "Money just keeps coming my way." As was already mentioned, she has been able to realize her long-standing wish of building a private community center. And the friend who had once loaned the Yamashitas the small one-room apartment they lived in has marveled in all sincerity at how happy Mrs. Yamashita has become since joining the Soka Gakkai.
Ikeda: What a wonderful experience! I have heard much about her family. And I have met Mrs. Yamashita at Soka University.
Nothing brings me more joy than seeing how happy members have become through faith. It is what I live for. Everything else is secondary.
Ideally, I would like to meet with each and every sincerely practicing member and thank and encourage them. That is how I truly feel. However, as I am but one person, that is simply not possible. But I live each day, praying with my entire being to the Gohonzon with that wish in my heart.
I hope therefore that each and every leader will kindly and warmly care for the members in my stead. For they are all children of the Buddha.
"Uncrowned Heroes" Who Serve the People
Ikeda: Leaders have no right to scold members. They should only serve and treasure them completely.
If you must be arrogant, then be arrogant toward the powerful. If you must scold someone, then scold the devilish forces. Leaders who cause their members to suffer are despicable. Leaders who lack compassion and consideration toward their fellow members cannot attain Buddhahood. Leaders who treat the Buddha's children with malice and spite will receive negative effects from their causes.
Each day, from morning to night, I am completely at the service of the people. That's the way it should be. I believe that this is the way of a true "king," a true champion of life.
We are discussing King Wonderful Adornment. He is a king adorned with the wonderful benefit of the Mystic Law.
[The "Ongi Kuden"(Record of the Orally Transmitted Teachings) says: "The benefits of the Mystic Law are used to adorn the six sense organs" (Gosho Zenshu, 779).]
This is not implying that we should dress ourselves up in the trappings of power. Those who decorate themselves with authority, wealth, honor or fame, are examples of the evil "King Wonderful Adornment" before he took faith in the Mystic Law. But when we throw all of these adornments away and thoroughly dedicate ourselves to faith in the knowledge that there is no greater treasure than the Mystic Law, we become a good "King Wonderful Adornment." An uncrowned king is the most noble of all.
There are those who become leaders and then, after gaining fame or recognition in society thanks to the SGI, grow arrogant, making something other than faith the most important thing in their lives. Such a person is acting as a devilish function.
Saito: I really think that vanity is the enemy of faith.
Having Problems Is Part of Life
Endo: For example, there are some leaders who are ashamed that they have problems, and so avoid seeking guidance.
Suda: There are indeed some who look disparagingly at such a leader and think, "And he calls himself a leader!"
Ikeda: Everyone has problems. We are all ordinary people, and it is because we have sufferings that we practice faith. Such problems as having a child who refuses to go to school, or a husband who doesn't work hard, or a family member who has fallen ill, all exist so that we may advance in our lives. This is the Buddhist principle of "earthly desires are themselves enlightenment."
No one is perfect, and leaders are no exception. To try to be something one is not in order to make oneself look good only results in suffering for oneself and does nothing for others.
It's important for us to be ourselves, and to be able to say in all humility: "I have this problem. But I will absolutely overcome it. I will exert myself in SGI activities and show proof of my human revolution. This is my situation, but I hope we can work together for kosen-rufu." The important thing is that we become happy in the end. It is only a matter of course that we will be beset with various obstacles along the way.
Suppose there is something wrong with your child. You will not have peace of mind. But you can't die and escape the situation either. That's why we have to do our best. That's what is meant by transforming earthly desires into enlightenment.
If there are those who want to make snide comments about your having problems even though you are practicing or even though you are a leader, then let them. They are the ones who will receive retribution, whereas your negative karma will be erased in like measure.
The important thing is that our lives glow and that we live freely in a manner true to ourselves. This is what is meant by "revealing one's true and highest potential." We need to cause our life itself to shine. Those who put on airs are as if walking around wearing a neon sign. However, they are so out of touch that they don't even realize what they are doing.
To live in envy of others is the way of life of the pre-Lotus Sutra teachings. The Lotus Sutra teaches that we should live determined to follow our own path. Faith means to achieve victory in life based on who we truly are, not a made-up image of ourselves. This is the teaching of the "King Wonderful Adornment" chapter.
Appreciation Leads to Great Benefit
The two sons then addressed their father and mother, saying: "Excellent, father and mother! And we beg you in due time to go to the place where the Buddha Cloud Thunder Sound Constellation King Flower Wisdom is, attend him in person and offer alms. Why? Because encountering the Buddha is as difficult as encountering the udumbara flower. Or as difficult as it is for a one-eyed turtle to encounter a floating log with a hole in it. We have been blessed with great good fortune from past existences and so have been born in an age where we can encounter the Buddha's Law." (LS27, 315)
Saito: To continue on with the story in this chapter, when the sons hear their father King Wonderful Adornment resolve to go hear the Buddha, they announce their resolve to renounce their royal status and devote themselves to Buddhist practice. They do this because "the Buddha is difficult to encounter" (LS27, 315).
Suda: There is the famous passage here which says that encountering the Buddha is "as difficult as it is for a one-eyed turtle to encounter a floating log with a hole in it" (LS27, 315).
[The Daishonin explains this analogy as follows: There is a turtle that lives at the bottom of the ocean. Once in a thousand years he can rise to the ocean's surface in hopes of finding a floating sandalwood log on which to float. But the log has to have a hollow that is just the right size to hold him. Also, because the turtle has only one eye, he cannot judge distances, making it difficult for him to reach a log that he happens to see. This analogy is used to describe the difficulty of encountering the Mystic Law. (cf. WND, 957 [MW4, 295-96]).]
Ikeda: There are infinite life forms in the universe. The earth, and even the smallest garden, is home to countless living entities. Among all of these, we possess the good fortune to have been born as human beings. What's more, we are able to pray to the Gohonzon, an opportunity so rare that it might only be encountered once in a thousand, ten thousand or a million years.
Moreover, we have been given life right in the midst of world kosen-rufu. How deep are our karmic bonds! What an immense mission we possess! There are no coincidences in Buddhism. Truly, as the sutra says, "We have been blessed with great good fortune from past existences and so have been born in an age where we can encounter the Buddha's Law" (LS27, 315). To live aware of this solemn fact is the greatest pleasure. It is to overflow with joy.
We should carry out faith single-mindedly, regarding each day as a treasure. When we practice with such a sense of excitement and enthusiasm, we receive benefit at once. The two brothers in the "King Wonderful Adornment" chapter express the determination to practice "single-minded faith."
To spend one's life idling away time, without ever awakening to one's mission, is to be like a living corpse. The Daishonin admonishes us, "You must not spend your lives in vain and regret it for ten thousand years to come" (WND, 622 [MW-5, 173]).
Kosen-rufu Is Achieved through the Power of Women and Youth
Endo: King Wonderful Adornment goes to see the Buddha, taking along with him his ranks of ministers and attendants. He is joined by Queen Pure Virtue and the two princes, along with all of their respective attendants.
The entire palace converts to Buddhism. Hearing the Buddha's preaching, the king is "exceedingly delighted" (LS27, 316), and he makes sincere offerings to the Buddha. The Buddha predicts the king's future enlightenment, telling him he will become a Buddha named Sal Tree King.
The king then turns over his kingdom to his younger brother and, together with his entire family, dedicates himself wholeheartedly to practicing the Way.
Saito: With this, it could be said, the entire country changes from a "land of erroneous views" to a "land of justice."
Suda: This is kosen-rufu.
Ikeda: In this story, the mother and children enable the father, who is in a position of authority, to mend his ways. In other words, a woman and youth stand up and accomplish kosen-rufu. A leader with political and financial power who upholds erroneous views that oppose the True Law represents the negative aspect of King Wonderful Adornment. By contrast, the members of the SGI, who are without such political and financial clout, can be likened to the queen Pure Virtue and her children Pure Storehouse and Pure Eye.
The Soka Gakkai began with absolutely nothing amid fierce storms of opposition. Solely through the power of the Mystic Law, we have shown actual proof, demonstrated the power of the people and the strength of unity, and succeeded in reforming the "erroneous views" of society.
Endo: That is what I call miraculous.
Suda: It is an example of "supernatural ability."
Ikeda: If this were something that anyone could do, there would be no need for faith. Faith in the Mystic Law is what enables us to achieve the impossible.
Endo: The sutra says that the king went on to practice the Lotus Sutra for 84,000 years. This could also mean overcoming the so-called 84,000 earthly desires. I think it indicates that he thoroughly adorns his life with the benefit of the Mystic Law, which teaches the principle of transforming earthly desires into enlightenment.
The king addresses the Buddha, saying, "These two sons have been good friends to me. They wished to awaken the good roots from my past existences and to enrich and benefit me, and for that reason they were born into my household" (LS27, 316-17).
Ikeda: He has grown into a person who can truly appreciate his children.
Our Family Members Are All "Good Friends"
Saito: Isn't the gist of the Lotus Sutra's teaching on the family that one's family members are "good friends"? They are good friends who help us deepen our faith and advance as human beings. In early Buddhist texts, too, we find such statements as, "Your wife is your foremost friend"6 and "The mother is the friend of your home."7
Ikeda: Being members of the same family implies a deep karmic relationship. Speaking of his own family, the Daishonin says, "It is no doubt because of karmic forces that they became my parents, and I, their child" (WND, 993 [MW-1, 235]). And with regard to marriage, he says, "This is not a matter of this life alone" (WND, 501 [MW-1, 146]).
Since we became a family because of a profound connection, we should help one another become happy as good friends. A family whose members share the lofty goal of kosen-rufu and who support one another, help each other out and enable each other to grow, is a "creative family" and a "developing family." I am not talking about a home that is uninviting and closed off from the outside world like a castle, but an "open home" that contributes to the community and society aiming to achieve lofty ideals. It's not a fortified castle, but more like an airplane flying high.
Endo: Speaking of karmic relationships, there is an interesting account about the members of King Wonderful Adornment's family. This is from T'ien-t'ai's Words and Phrases of the Lotus Sutra.8
In the past, there were four Buddhists practicing austerities in the latter day of a particular Buddha. But they had nothing to eat and became deadlocked. At that time, one of the four said, "This will not work. The three of you can single-mindedly carry out your Buddhist practice, and I will take care of providing us with food." And that is what they did.
Thanks to the efforts of the one, the other three were able to attain Buddhahood, accumulating benefit that endured for countless lifetimes. The benefit of the one whose efforts made it possible for the other three to devote themselves to their practice was that in every lifetime he became a king; but his benefit did not continue indefinitely. Eventually he was bound to fall into a state of suffering.
Seeing this, the three got together to discuss the situation: "Since we have been able to attain enlightenment thanks to him, we must help him. But now he has become attached to desires and holds erroneous views. The only way to help him will be to persuade him through the 'hook' of family love." They decided that one of them would become his beautiful wife, and the other two would become his wise sons. In this way they became the royal family and led the king to happiness.
Ikeda: That's very interesting.
At the end of the story, T'ien-t'ai reveals that Pure Virtue is in fact the bodhisattva Wonderful Sound, who is present in the assembly where Shakyamuni expounds the Lotus Sutra; and that the king's sons are the bodhisattvas Medicine King and Medicine Superior. The king is Bodhisattva Flower Virtue. This is a family bound together over the three existences of past, present and future; a solidarity of good friends.
Life is wondrous. From where have human beings come and to where do we go? These questions cannot be answered by science, politics or economics. Only Buddhism can solve them.
Take someone who has a wonderful family or a wonderful partner. Yes, the person seems happy. But, there is no escaping the four sufferings of birth, old age, sickness and death. At some point they will have to say good-bye. This is the "suffering of having to part from those whom one loves."
But if we believe in the Mystic Law, then we can be together with our loved ones in lifetime after lifetime. Sometimes we may be related as parent and child, other times as husband and wife, other times as siblings or close friends. While the relationships may take various forms, we can be confident that we will be born near each other again and again. As the sutra says, this is "so that together [we] may reach the place where the treasure is" (LS7, 141). The Mystic Law is truly amazing. This principle is taught to us by King Wonderful Adornment's family.
If, on the other hand, we never want to see the person again, then of course we will not have to be born together with them! We are completely free in this regard.
On Divorce
Suda: To dislike someone so much that one never wants to meet that person is to experience the "suffering of having to meet with those whom one hates." It happens sometimes that people who fall in love and get married reach a point where they can't stand the sight of the other person's face! Such conflict may result in divorce, but in some situations it might be best to look at the problem as one's karma, and then work hard at changing that karma fundamentally.
Ikeda: This is something that only the people involved can decide. No one else has the right to say that anyone either should or should not get divorced. Nor can anyone say a person has no faith because they are divorced. Divorce is a matter of free will.
Whether people get divorced or not, the important thing is that they become happy, that they do their human revolution. Whether someone is married or not, has children or not, of utmost importance is happiness. This is what faith is about. For happiness exists within our own life.
We are born alone and we die alone. This lifetime is so that we may transform ourselves. That's why we need to regard those around us as "good friends" who lead us to faith and do our absolute best, viewing everything as part of our Buddhist practice.
Someone once asked President Toda the following question: "Things are not going very well between my husband and me. Should I try to stick it out? Or do you think I ought to consider getting separated?" He replied, "I can't tell you what to do about your marriage. I can neither tell you not to get divorced, nor to get divorced. The only thing I can say is that unless you break through your karma to have such a husband, then, even if you do separate, you are bound to experience the same kind of suffering in the future. And if you're going to have to go through the same suffering anyway, then perhaps it's not too late to do something about it in your present marriage."9
Endo: Personally, I think that where children are concerned, parents should carefully consider their options if their decision could cause the children suffering.
Saito: President Ikeda, you once told someone in answer to a question: "Whether people stay married or get divorced is a private issue, and it is up to them to decide. But it is important to remember that building one's happiness on the misfortune of others is not the way of Buddhism. This should be the basis for consideration."
Ikeda: It's ideal if the parents of a child get along well. But if they don't and end up in divorce, that doesn't necessarily mean that the child will turn out badly. There are many cases where children grow into fine, upstanding people precisely because of such hardships.
Suda: There are also people who get remarried and become happy beyond recognition.
Ikeda: The bottom line is that we must look at ourselves closely and do our human revolution in the place we are now. From that standpoint, we must make our own decisions.
As long as we have rock-solid faith, we will become happy without fail. No matter what happens, as long as we have the faith to continue advancing toward the achievement of kosen-rufu without giving up our practice, we will be victorious in the end. This is what we need to understand.
Suda: I see.
Ikeda: But if someone does get divorced, then, rather than brooding over the past, it would be wonderful if they could look at the experience as a valuable lesson and work for kosen-rufu even harder than before. And I would hope that those around the person would provide warm support. I also hope that those who are in single-parent families will not feel lonely, but will instead open their hearts and expand their circle of friends that much more.
The fact is that most marriages are not 100 percent successful. Some have gone so far as to say that 99 percent of all marriages are unsuccessful!
In reality, many families which appear from the outside to have everything going for them actually have many problems. I think it was the French essayist Montaigne who said "There is scarcely less vexation in the government of a family than of an entire state."10
Endo: Isn't it healthy for couples to quarrel?
Ikeda: Having the spunk to be able to argue is a sign of good health! When the two people in a relationship have similar life conditions, it is only natural that they will lock horns from time to time. On the other hand, if one party begins to think of the other as a child who doesn't know any better, then the two will probably not have serious confrontation because their states of life are so different.
It would be great if we could live cheerfully, enjoying life to the extent that we regard our partner's nagging as a sign of his or her good health and proof that he or she is still alive and kicking. When we develop a broad state of life, then even a cacophony of criticism sounds like the sweet song of a bird.
Patience Is the Key to Happiness
Ikeda: At any rate, the important thing is love. Compassion. From that understanding all we can do is chant daimoku together with our sights set on a lofty goal and strive for true happiness.
Even married people were once strangers. Therefore, without patience and the effort to understand one another, things are likely not to go well. Creating a life together requires protecting one's home, working and educating one's children. Patience and endurance are necessary.
We need patience in order to become happy. There are many who dream about experiencing happiness without the patience. But that is a dream. And a dream is just that-a dream, a fairy tale. It is to wish for a childish, easy life. This illusion breaks up many marriages. The pursuit of such happiness can only make one miserable.
It is important to make the effort to calmly construct something together. From there, real love develops. Real love means wanting to be with the other person throughout eternity. Real marriage is when you have been married for twenty-five years and feel an even deeper love than you did when you first met. Love deepens. Love that does not is merely on the level of simple likes and dislikes.
Suda: Patience is necessary for happiness. This point is key.
Ikeda: Daily life is reality. Therefore, it is necessary that we earn an income to support our families, and it is important that men in particular listen to what women have to say. It is also important that we compliment and praise each other whenever we can inside the home. It doesn't matter what for, praising one another is what matters. Nothing comes of only pointing out the other person's faults. That's just foolishness.
All It Takes Is One "Sun"
Ikeda: Women brighten the home. A woman just has to decide, "As long as I'm around, any situation will be a bright one." If we ourselves become a "sun," there will be no darkness in the world. If there is one person in the home who is like a sun, the entire family will be illuminated.
All we need to do is become a person overflowing with good fortune who shares their boundless fortune with his or her family. If that is our conviction, then our family will surely embrace faith as well.
In the event that only one person in a family practices, he or she will be protected on all sides by the four leaders of the Bodhisattvas of the Earth-Superior Practices (Jogyo), Boundless Practices (Muhengyo), Pure Practices (Jyogyo) and Firmly Established Practices (Anryugyo). In addition, the Buddhas and bodhisattvas in the ten directions as well as all protective functions in the universe will join forces and protect the person and the person's entire family. There is therefore no need to feel lonely. The important thing is to not grow impatient, but be extremely considerate of the feelings of others and continue sharing Buddhism with them.
We must not be judgmental. If we give up on the person we are trying to share faith with because it is difficult, we will only inhibit the person's growth. It will thwart our own growth as well. Rather, we should pray wholeheartedly, convinced that, "This person will change"; "Since he possesses the world of Buddhahood inside, it is sure to blossom in time. I will bring it to bloom."
If one's parents do not practice, then rather than getting frustrated, it is more valuable to decide, for example, "If Dad won't chant, I'll chant enough for the both of us."
The Daishonin says regarding parents, "I will transfer the great blessings deriving from my practice to my parents who gave me life" (WND, 402 [MW-1, 117]). There are many interpretations, but I think the Daishonin is saying that we should have the spirit to want to enable our parents to take faith while they are still alive.
Endo: And if they should die without taking faith?
Ikeda: Since we are reborn quickly after we die, there's nothing to worry about! Life is eternal, and daimoku will reach them without fail.
Anyway, we will be better off if we look at everything that happens as moving in a positive direction.
Raising Children Who Love the SGI
Suda: How do we enable our children to take faith?
Ikeda: The most important thing is to help them learn to respect and like the SGI without pressuring them. Since faith is a lifetime issue, it's enough that they develop their understanding over time. It's probably not wise to be inflexible and try to force them to practice.
We need to teach our children the spirit to cherish and protect the SGI. I hope parents will raise their children to really love the SGI. If children have that spirit, they will absolutely become fine people. To boast about one's children without teaching them this spirit is the attitude of the Mother of Devil Children (Kishimojin).
Saito: Unfortunately, in some cases, the children of senior leaders or of members who are celebrities do not participate in Gakkai activities. If parents are making it appear as though they are working for kosen-rufu, while at home they speak ill of and criticize their fellow members, and especially if they belittle the SGI in arrogance, it will be acutely reflected in their children.
Suda: One high school student remarked, "After my mom gets a phone call about activities, she always lets out a sigh. It doesn't seem like she is enjoying her practice. Is it okay to have that kind of faith?" In this case, the child knew that there was once a time when the mother practiced enthusiastically, so the child may still be able to practice.
Ikeda: Of course, the failure of children to practice cannot necessarily be attributed to a problem with the faith of the parents. We have to view children in the long term. It is not uncommon for those considered to be "problem children" to turn out level-headed and thoughtful.
However, the bottom line is that everything is ultimately decided by the parents' faith. In particular-and I say this based on the experiences of hundreds of thousands of people-the faith of the mother is crucial. This is what is meant by "consistency from beginning to end." "Beginning," means the faith of the parents. And "end" means the faith of the children. There is essentially no separation between the two.
It is up to us to demonstrate with our life the spirit of treasuring the Gohonzon and the SGI, which is dedicated to the widespread propagation of the Gohonzon. As long as we have such a spirit, everything will work out in the end.
If parents practice joyfully, consequently receiving great benefit as they advance, their children will naturally understand. No matter how we might treasure, pamper and dote on our children, it will all count for nothing if we do not succeed in teaching them this spirit. Decent human beings are not raised by coddling them.
If a person ridicules the SGI inside their heart, the organization dedicated to realizing the Buddha's will and decree, he himself will come to be ridiculed by his family and those around him.
Earlier we talked about "good friends." It is important to associate with good people. If we wish to seek the correct Law, we need to seek the right person. If we get involved with the wrong people, then no matter how hard we practice, we will not gain benefit. Herein lies the profound significance of the SGI's appearance.
At any rate, when it comes to faith it is important that parents wisely guide their children. It is also helpful to ask for the support of the youth division leaders responsible for future division activities.
When it comes to matters other than faith, too, I hope that parents will be friends to their children and listen to what they have to say. In particular, while it may be okay for a mother to keep on her children, it's probably not a good idea for a father to shout at his children unreasonably. It's also important to note that if both parents scold a child at the same time, that leaves the child with nowhere to turn.
Endo: It's really crucial to listen to children. Reflecting on my own situation, I can see that there have been times when I have allowed my busy schedule to keep me from listening to my own children.
Ikeda: I recall the case of a woman who was the only person practicing in her family. Her husband was always condemning the Soka Gakkai to her. But she took it all and held it inside, absolutely never complaining to her children. She felt that grumbling to her children would only make them think that their parents were fighting about faith.
She quietly took all of her sufferings to the Gohonzon, praying by herself each day. Her children eventually grew up and awakened to faith. They realized that they were able to take faith because of the diligent prayers of their mother. This is a true story.
Capturing the Heart of Another Person
Endo: What about in the case of children who are lonely because their parents are always off doing activities?
Ikeda: The issue is whether or not the parents have the children's respect. I hope parents can help their children be proud of them, by explaining to their children that they are striving every day for the benefit of others and society.
It is also vital that children know their parents love them, so that they realize the reason their parents are working so hard is precisely because of that love. I hope parents will be considerate of their children.
When there is no time, we should be diligent in leaving memos or communicating by phone. We should also use our wisdom and create the time once in awhile to spend a day together with our children. It's about letting our children know we care. Even just making a point to look in their eyes each morning and exchange kind words can make a difference.
Endo: Having the time doesn't necessarily mean that things will go well, does it? There are some cases where a gulf exists between parent and child even though they spend time together.
Ikeda: Sometimes not having that much time together can keep the relationship fresh and exciting.
Suda: I have also heard some men complaining about being lonely because their wives are always out doing activities.
Saito: I'm sure that husbands who do not themselves practice probably feel that the SGI has taken their family from them. I imagine they would like to be paid more attention to.
Endo: That's why treasuring those family members who don't practice is important.
Respect and Appreciation toward Family Members Who Are Not Practicing
Ikeda: Even a little consideration goes a long way. When visiting or calling a member on the phone, we should be courteous and attentive to even the smallest concerns of their family members, particularly if they are not practicing.
Suda: And it's important to always be pleasant when calling members at home.
Ikeda: Whether practicing or not, a person's family is a person's family. We mustn't judge people based on what we think we see, deciding that they are good because they are practicing or bad because they aren't. Such divisions should be completely done away with, and we should use common sense in our encounters with people, treating everyone with sincerity and respect.
Even if someone is the only one in the family practicing, it is because of the non-practicing members of his or her family that the person is able to do activities. Thanks to the support of one's spouse, parents or in-laws, for example, one can go out and participate in activities with peace of mind. We should respect and have appreciation toward those people who make it possible for SGI members to practice.
Looking at the ancient example of the family of King Wonderful Adornment, whose activities were made possible because there were people taking care of the family's finances and taking care of the home in the family's absence, one cannot help but have respect and appreciation for those people.
Of course, great benefit accrues to the non-practicing members of one's family as well. The world of Buddhism is vast.
Saito: President Ikeda, I recall your having once honored the non-practicing fathers of youth division members with titles of "honorary chapter chief" and "honorary headquarters chief." At first, I was surprised at this.
But you said to the leaders in charge, "Please present them with the title after clearly explaining the immense responsibilities of a chapter or headquarters leader, and how many people such a leader has to look after."
This left a deep impression on one of the youth division members. I heard him say, "President Ikeda taught me about respecting my father and about possessing a spirit of appreciation as a human being for the man who has raised me."
Ikeda: Family is family. We must not divide people into categories of "member" and "non-member." Also, it is ridiculous to bring organizational positions into the home. If a public prosecutor went home with the attitude of a public prosecutor, the family would suffocate.
Suda: The other day, President Ikeda, you discussed Britain's Queen Victoria in a speech. On one occasion the queen and her husband had a fight, and her husband shut himself up in his room. Intending to apologize, the queen knocked on the door and said, "This is the Queen. Please open up." But he would not comply. Each time she came to the door, he asked, "Who's there?" To which she replied, "The Queen." And he would not open the door. But when in response to "Who's there," she replied, "Your wife," he opened the door right away. I think that this episode gets at the subtleties of human nature.
Ikeda: When visiting a member at home, I think it's probably wise to greet the other family members with extra sincerity and respect. Small things are important.
Earlier we talked about a husband feeling marooned or left out. Let us say that the wife of this man receives a call from a fellow women's division member while she is in the process of preparing dinner. Unless it's something urgent, she could ask the woman if she can call her back shortly, and then do so after dinner. I don't think her husband would have a problem with this.
But if she were to drop everything and give priority to the phone call and treat her husband as secondary to her activities, then it would probably not be unreasonable for him to feel somewhat bitter. If this kind of thing were to happen repeatedly, a wedge would naturally be driven between them. A little consideration actually goes a long way.
Suda: There are some people who think only of themselves, forgetting about the feelings of the members of their family who have taken care of things around the house while they were out doing activities. Some people, on returning home from a meeting, simply say, "I'm tired" or "I still have some calls to make," or they ramble on about their exciting day, without asking about anyone else.
Thinking "Things Will Work Out Somehow" Is Not Faith
Ikeda: It's really important to take into account people's individual circumstances, such as their surroundings and their living situation.
For example, Japan is presently in a recession. In many families, the husband has to concentrate solely on his work to make ends meet for his family. Under such circumstances, there are some cases when the wife needs to encourage her husband to chant sincere daimoku and then focus on doing his best at work. There are also some instances when she may need to encourage him to exert himself fully in activities and thereby accumulate good fortune. We need to judge these situations wisely.
Reality is strict. The worst thing is to avoid one's responsibilities. To think that things will somehow work out just because we are practicing amounts to taking advantage of faith. After we pray for something, we need to struggle with all our might, giving ourselves completely to actualizing it. This is true faith.
To win in society by showing actual proof is the way to achieve victory in the family and the path to kosen-rufu. Upholding faith of making possible the impossible, we need to pray and pray "as earnestly as though to produce fire from damp wood or to obtain water from parched ground" (WND, 444 [MW-6, 74]); and we need to win. This is what is meant by "supernatural ability." Through this effort, we can win the trust of people in society.
At the end of the "King Wonderful Adornment" chapter, the king makes the following pledge to the Buddha, "From this day on I will no longer follow the whims of my own mind, nor will I give way to heretical views or to arrogance, anger, or other evil states of mind" (LS27, 317). This shows how this person of power has changed.
Although he had been unable to recognize the true teaching on account of his own selfishness, egoism, arrogance and feelings of jealousy, through the struggles of his wife and sons he awakens to the true teaching. He is transformed from a person who lives only for himself into to a person who lives for the people.
The Twenty-first Century Will Be an "Age of Philosophy"
Ikeda: The "king" represents the political arena. In a broader sense, he represents economics and other workings of society. But the "King Wonderful Adornment" chapter teaches that these things alone do not bring happiness; that a true philosophy is necessary.
Politics and economics are "means." The "end" is human happiness. To achieve this end, what is needed most is a philosophy which can answer the questions: "What is life?" and "What is happiness, and how can it be achieved?"
In my opinion, there is no choice but for the twenty-first century to become a more profound "age of life," an "age of philosophy," going beyond the exigencies of politics and economics. We are pioneers of this transition. We are changing the "evil king" that is Japan into a good "King Wonderful Adornment." And we are now forging a path in that direction for which the world to follow.
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Notes:
1. Editor's Note: All Gosho quotations are from the newly published translation The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin (abbreviated as WND) (Tokyo: Soka Gakkai, 1999), unless otherwise stated. The number indicates the relevant page number. The corresponding volume and page number for the quote in the most recent editions of The Major Writings of Nichiren Daishonin are indicated in brackets.
2. Toda Josei Zenshu (Collected Writings of Josei Toda) (Tokyo: Seikyo Shimbunsha, 1982), vol. 2, p. 300-301.
3. Ibid., p. 294.
4. Hajime Nakamura, Genshi Bukkyo no Seikatsu Rinri (Life Ethics of Early Buddhism), Nakamura Hajime Senshu (Selected Writings of Hajime Nakamura), vol. 17 (Tokyo: Shunjusha, 1995), p. 254.
5. Editor's note: All quotations from the Lotus Sutra are from: The Lotus Sutra, trans. Burton Watson (New York: Columbia University Press, 1993). For purposes of convenience, all citations from this work will be given in the text and abbreviated as follows: LS followed by the chapter number, and then the page number.
6. Nakamura Hajime Senshu, Ibid., p. 197.
7. Ibid., p. 292.
8. Words and Phrases of the Lotus Sutra (Hokke Mongu) by the Great Teacher T'ien-t'ai of China, vol. 10.
9. Toda Josei Zenshu vol. 2, p. 283-84.
10. The Macmillan Book of Proverbs, Maxims, and Famous Phrases, ed. Burton Stevenson (New York: Macmillan Publishing Company, 1948), p. 757.
Creating
a harmonious family through faith
the three obstacles and four devils "family revolution"
relations between couples and between parents and children
"Women support others and thereby cause others to support them"
roadside bodhisattva social establishment
the gap between generations. conservative creatures. generational conflict
roadside bodhisattva the genuine article common sense
anti-social the well-being of society
the fate of one striving to create a new age the solid foundation a landmark event
the transformation of society transformation of individual families
the social reformation humanist philosophy human rights
World-Honored One transcendental powers and transformations
past existences to enrich and benefit to embrace faith
country of erroneous views family of heretical views
