Download The Kalpa of Decrease

The Kalpa of Decrease
Gosho and Lecture
February 2003
Rick Heybroek and Kim Barden
Gosho (MW version)
The Kalpa of Decrease has its origin in the human mind. As the poisons of greed, anger and
stupidity gradually intensify, the life span of human beings accordingly decreases and their
stature diminishes.
In the lands of China and Japan, before the introduction of Buddhism, the outer classics of the
Three Rulers, the Five Emperors and the Three Sages were used to order the minds of the
people and govern the world. However, as the people's minds gradually diminished in good
and grew accomplished in evil, the wisdom of the outer classics, being shallow, could no longer
restrain the people's offenses, for their evil was deep. Because it became impossible to govern
the world by means of the outer classics, the Buddhist sutras were gradually introduced, and
when they were used in governing, the world was restored to tranquility. This was solely
because the wisdom of Buddhism fully elucidates the nature of the people's minds.
What are called "outer writings" in the present day differ essentially from the original outer
classics. When Buddhism was introduced, the outer classics and the Buddhist scriptures vied
with one another. But because in time the outer classics were defeated and the ruler and the
people ceased to employ them, adherents of the outer classics became followers of the inner
scriptures, and their former confrontation came to an end. In the meantime, however, the
adherents of the outer classics extracted the heart of the inner scriptures, thus increasing their
wisdom and incorporated it into the outer classics. Foolish rulers suppose [that such wisdom
derives from] the excellence of these outer writings.
Furthermore, as good wisdom gradually diminished and evil wisdom came to dominate
people's minds, though men tried to govern society by means of the Buddhist scriptures, when
they employed the wisdom of the Hinayana sutras, the world was not at peace. At such times,
the Mahayana sutras were spread and used in governing, the world was somewhat restored to
order. After this, because the wisdom of the Mahayana teachings in turn became inadequate,
the wisdom of the sutra of the one vehicle was brought forth and used to govern the world, and
for a brief period, the world was at peace.
The present age is such that neither the outer classics, the Hinayana sutras, the Mahayana
sutras, nor the one vehicle of the Lotus Sutra has any effect. The reason for this is that the
intensity of the greed, anger and stupidity in people's minds rivals the Greatly Enlightened
World-Honored One's superiority in great good. To illustrate, a dog, in the keenness of its
sense of smell, is superior to a man; in picking up the scent of birds and beasts, its nose is not
inferior to a great saint's supernatural power of smell. The owl's keenness of hearing, the kite's
sharpness of eye, the sparrow's lightness of tongue, and the dragon's magnificence of body--all
of these surpass even the faculties of a wise man. In this way, the extremity of greed, anger
and stupidity in people's minds in the impure world of the latter age is beyond the power of any
sage or worthy man to control.
This is because, although the Buddha cured greed with the medicine of the meditation on the
vileness of the body, healed anger with the meditation on compassion for all, and treated
stupidity with the meditation on the twelve-linked chain of dependent origination, to teach these
doctrines now merely makes people worse and compounds their greed, anger and stupidity. To
illustrate, fire is extinguished by water, and evil is defeated by good. However, if water is cast
on fire that has emerged from water, it will on the contrary have an effect like that of oil,
producing an even greater conflagration.
Now in this latter, evil age, great evil arises less from secular wrongdoing than with respect to
the doctrines of the religious world. Because people today are unaware of this and endeavor to
cultivate roots of merit, the world declines all the more. To give support to the priests of the
Tendai, Shingon and other sects of today may outwardly appear to be an act of merit, but in
reality it is a great evil surpassing even the five cardinal sins and the ten evil acts.
For this reason, if there should be a wise man in the world with wisdom like that of the Greatly
Enlightened World-Honored One, who, so as to restore the world to order, meets with a wise
ruler like King Sen'yo; and if together they put an end altogether to these acts of "goodness"
and commit the great "evil" of censuring, banishing, cutting off alms to or even beheading those
people of the eight sects who are thought to be men of wisdom, then the world will surely be
pacified to some extent.
This is explained in the first volume of the Lotus Sutra where it says: "The true aspect of all
phenomena can only be understood and shared between Buddhas." In the phrase "consistency
from beginning to end," "beginning" indicates the root of evil and the root of good, while "end"
indicates the out-come of evil and the outcome of good. One who is thoroughly awakened to
the nature of good and evil from their roots to their branches and leaves is called a Buddha.
T'ien-t'ai states, "Life at each moment is endowed with the Ten Worlds." Chang-an states: "The
Buddha regarded his doctrine as the ultimate reason [for his advent]. How could it ever be easy
to understand?" Miao-lo adds that "this is the ultimate revelation of the final and supreme truth."
The Lotus Sutra states: "[And whatever he preaches according to his understanding] will never
contradict the truth." And T'ien-t'ai interprets this to mean that "no affairs of life or work are in
any way different from the ultimate reality." A person of wisdom is not one who practices
Buddhism apart from worldly affairs but, rather, one who thoroughly understands the principles
by which the world may be governed.
When the Yin dynasty became corrupt and the people were suffering, T'ai-kung Wang
appeared in the world and beheaded King Chou of the Yin, bringing an end to the people's
anguish. When the second ruler [of the Ch'in dynasty] caused the people to taste bitterness,
Chang Liang appeared and restored order to the world, enabling them to know sweetness.
Though these men lived before the introduction of Buddhism, they helped the people as
emissaries of Lord Shakyamuni. And though the adherents of the outer classics were unaware
of it, the wisdom of such men incorporated in its essence the wisdom of Buddhism.
In the world today, at the time of the great earthquake of the Shoka era or at the time of the
great comet of the Bun'ei era, had there been a ruler of outstanding wisdom, he would surely
have heeded me, Nichiren. Or, even if he did not do so then, when strife broke out within the
ruling clan in the ninth year of Bun'ei (1272) or when the Mongols attacked in the eleventh year
of the same era (1274), he ought to have welcomed me as King Wen of the Chou dynasty
welcomed T'ai-kung Wang, or sought me out as King Kao-ting of the Yin dynasty sought out Fu
Yueh from seven ri afar. Thus it is said that the sun and moon are not treasures to one who is
blind, and that a worthy man will be hated by a foolish ruler. Rather than go on at length, I will
stop here. The heart of the Lotus Sutra is just as I have explained. You should not think of it as
otherwise. Great evil portends the arrival of great good. If all of Jambudvipa should be thrown
into chaos, there can be no doubt that [this sutra] will "spread widely throughout the continent
of Jambudvipa."
<<SNIP>>
Major Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, Vol. 6, page 139.
Background
Both the date and addressee of this Gosho are unknown, though it is thought to have been written
at Mount Minobu sometime after 1276. Judging from the concluding paragraph, Nichiren Daishonin
may have sent it via his disciple Daishin Ajari to someone in the clan of the late Takahashi Rokuro
Hyoe Nyudo, a believer who had lived in Kajima in Fuji District of Suruga Province. The original of
this Gosho is preserved at Taiseki-ji.
Beginning from the opening statement, "The Kalpa of decrease has its origin in the human mind,"
Nichiren Daishonin explains that the world declines as a result of human delusion. As the greed,
anger and stupidity in people's minds intensify, progressively higher teachings become necessary
to hold them in check. In the present, the Latter Day of the Law, these three poisons are so
pervasive that the provisional teachings not only fail to restrain them but in fact aggravate them all
the more. In this age, the Daishonin explains, the worst evils in fact arise, not from secular
misdeeds, but from attachment to provisional forms of Buddhism, whose practice no longer serves
to accumulate merit leading to salvation.
Citing the passage form the Hoben (second) chapter of the Lotus Sutra, "The true aspect of all
phenomena can only be understood and shared between Buddhas," the Daishonin explains that
only the Buddha's wisdom can discern the supreme truth that will bring peace to the world. He also
explains that a person of true wisdom is not someone who carries out Buddhist discipline in
isolation from the world, but who thoroughly comprehends the principles by which the world may
be governed. This is in keeping with the Lotus Sutra's teaching that the ultimate reality is manifest
in all phenomena. In this sense, even the wise ministers of the past who helped bring peace to
their dynasties in the ages before the introduction of Buddhism may be said to have grasped a
portion of the Buddhist Law.
Though the ruler of Japan did not heed the Daishonin's admonition that only faith in the Mystic Law
could restore the country to peace, the Daishonin nevertheless remained convinced that his
teaching would one day flourish. As suggested by the title of this Gosho, "The Kalpa of Decrease,"
the disasters troubling society in his time, such as the great earthquake of the Shoka era (1257)
and the comet of the Bun'ei era (1264), were viewed by the Daishonin in one sense as stemming
from human delusion and attachment to inferior teachings. However, in another sense, as
indicated by the Gosho's word's "Great evil portends the arrival of great good," the Daishonin also
interpreted them as heralding the rise and spread of the supreme Law.
The Gosho concludes with expressions of concern for the welfare of the Daishonin's devoted
follower, the late Rokuro Nyudo.
[Explanation of Kalpa and Three Poisons – Kim Barden]
[Discussion of rest of Gosho – Rick Heybroek]
The Kalpa of Decrease
Whenever I do a Chapter Study I try to find out what’s personally relevant about it. After all, you
don’t want to come to a lecture just to take notes. There’s no final exam – so what are we all doing
here?
World Peace
For me, each Gosho answers a question. Sometimes the questions are cosmic – for example,
how do I cope with death? But today, our ambitions are more modest:


How can I tell Good from Evil?
How can I create world peace?
It’s a topical issue, isn’t it? People say “why doesn’t SGI sponsor monster peace rallies?” or “how
can I make a difference just by chanting?”
This evening I hope we can find some convincing answers. In fact, my determination is not that
everyone should go home saying “my, I certainly learned a lot” but that everyone should go home
saying “I’m going to take action!”.
“In the lands of China and Japan, before the introduction of Buddhism, the outer classics of the
Three Rulers, the Five Emperors and the Three Sages were used to order the minds of the
people and govern the world. However, as the people's minds gradually diminished in good
and grew accomplished in evil, the wisdom of the outer classics, being shallow, could no longer
restrain the people's offenses, for their evil was deep. Because it became impossible to govern
the world by means of the outer classics, the Buddhist sutras were gradually introduced, and
when they were used in governing, the world was restored to tranquility. This was solely
because the wisdom of Buddhism fully elucidates the nature of the people's minds.”
“What are called "outer writings" in the present day differ essentially from the original outer
classics. When Buddhism was introduced, the outer classics and the Buddhist scriptures vied
with one another. But because in time the outer classics were defeated and the ruler and the
people ceased to employ them, adherents of the outer classics became followers of the inner
scriptures, and their former confrontation came to an end. In the meantime, however, the
adherents of the outer classics extracted the heart of the inner scriptures, thus increasing their
wisdom and incorporated it into the outer classics. Foolish rulers suppose [that such wisdom
derives from] the excellence of these outer writings.”
These two paragraphs make a point about the adequacy of historic teachings in different historical
contexts. Basically, as the Three Poisons grow stronger the effective teaching must be more
profound. Nichiren says that rulers incorporated Buddhist teachings, and when the teaching they
adopted was adequate for the time, peace and happiness reigned. But when the Three Poisons
grew more potent, the earlier teaching was worse than inadequate. We are in a Kalpa of Decrease
so the Stature and Life Span, i.e. collective life state and wisdom of society, is inevitably being
swamped by the Three Poisons.
This is an important passage because it relates social values to peace and tells us how to proceed
to achieve peace: we have to embed the Mystic Law in society and government not as a "Name
Brand" item but as shared wisdom. “Foolish rulers” thought that this was actually the wisdom of
the non-Buddhist writings, says Nichiren. He makes it clear that it is not the public acceptance of
Buddhism as such that led to peace, but the incorporation of essential Buddhist wisdom into
secular policy.
Furthermore, as good wisdom gradually diminished and evil wisdom came to dominate
people's minds, though men tried to govern society by means of the Buddhist scriptures, when
they employed the wisdom of the Hinayana sutras, the world was not at peace. At such times,
the Mahayana sutras were spread and used in governing, the world was somewhat restored to
order. After this, because the wisdom of the Mahayana teachings in turn became inadequate,
the wisdom of the sutra of the one vehicle was brought forth and used to govern the world, and
for a brief period, the world was at peace.
For a brief period! Then the life states of the people diminish and the poisons of greed, anger and
foolishness run rampant. Even the medicine of the Lotus Sutra, the One Vehicle, is no longer
sufficient. (This One Vehicle is the Lotus Sutra as announced by Shakyamuni, not the Mystic Law
it contains which was identified and preached by Nichiren.) Worse, says Nichiren, when the
effectiveness of these teachings is spent, their continued use becomes destructive.
This is because, although the Buddha cured greed with the medicine of the meditation on the
vileness of the body, healed anger with the meditation on compassion for all, and treated
stupidity with the meditation on the twelve-linked chain of dependent origination, to teach these
doctrines now merely makes people worse and compounds their greed, anger and stupidity. To
illustrate, fire is extinguished by water, and evil is defeated by good. However, if water is cast
on fire that has emerged from water, it will on the contrary have an effect like that of oil,
producing an even greater conflagration.
Hinayana, Mahayana and One Vehicle Teachings
This sounds quite radical but it makes sense if you think about it. These were not easy teachings
accessible to ordinary people at the time – hence the emphasis on monastic discipline and quiet
study. The 1000 precepts of monastic life were intended to focus the minds of scholars, not
enlighten the masses. For example, Nichiren mentions the “twelve-linked chain of dependant
origination”, which Shakyamuni announced in the first sutra, the “Setting the Wheel of Dharma in
Motion” sutra preached at the Deer Park in Benares about 528 BC:
1. Because of ignorance we suffer.
2. Because of ignorance, there arises will to action.
3. Because of will to action, arises consciousness.
4. Because of consciousness arise mind and body
5. Because of mind and body, the six organs of sense arise.
6. Because of the six sense organs, arises contact.
7. Because of contact, sensation, or feeling arise.
8. Because of sensation, craving arises.
9. Because of craving, attachment or grasping arises.
10. Because of attachment, arises becoming or worldly existence.
11. Because of becoming, birth.
12. Because of birth, decay, grief, lamentation, (physical ) suffering, dejection, and despair
But if today, in our society, you presented this wonderful concept to Homer Simpson what result
would you get? Back to Mo’s Tavern!
Note that Nichiren does not say these teachings are incorrect – ignorance or foolishness is indeed
the fundamental cause for suffering – but rather that they are ineffective in our circumstance.
People who are familiar with Theravada or Tibetan schools would probably point out that the Deer
Park sutras are foundations of Buddhism, written by Shakyamuni himself. Who is Nichiren to
dispute their value?
Nichiren would, I’m sure, say that it was Shakyamuni himself who explained this in the Hoben
chapter of the Lotus Sutra. “All of them are true, and none of them are false.” In fact, the entire
sutra is an explanation of how the Buddha teaches, the use of Expedient Means. It is the capacity
of the hearer that changes, and the teaching must be able to relate to us – to “fully elucidate the
hearts of the people.”
When we hear people talk about “provisional teachings” it’s tempting to assume that these are
incorrect or can be discarded. This is not how Buddhism works. In fact, all teachings are in a
sense provisional, because the Buddha dharma is incomparably profound:
“It is the ultimate truth and cannot be fully described in words. In the Expedient Means
chapter, Shakyamuni Buddha cries: ‘Stop, stop, no need to speak! My Law is wonderful
and difficult to ponder.’ To try to teach this indescribable and inconceivable truth in words,
to give it some form of expression – this can only be called an expedient means.”
(Conversations and Lectures vol. I p.130)
Expedient teachings can be functional, for example a correction required for an individual or
group (such as the criticism of the people of the two vehicles as icchantika or incorrigible
disbelievers). Or they can be “truth gateway” experiences, which will produce a realisation such
as the one Kondana experienced in the Deer Park1. Or they can be “secret and mystic” which is
the state of Buddhahood in life itself.
“When Shakyamuni declares in the Expedient Means chapter that he will now preach the
Law, ‘honestly discarding expedient means’, he is discarding the two types of expedient
means we have discussed so far [functional and truth gateway]… the secret and mystic
expedient is another thing altogether… it represents the Truth itself.” (Conversations and
Lectures vol. I p.129)
So Nichiren says in our Gosho that the Hinayana, Mahayana and One Vehicle scriptures were no
longer effective. The expedients of functional teaching and truth gateway don’t work because the
Three Poisons have caused us to loose our ‘True Minds’ – that is, our awareness of our own
Buddha Nature. What is left is the secret and mystic expedient, the Mystic Law itself. Pres. Ikeda
said:
“Mr. Toda, too, racked his brains how to best explain the doctrine of the secret and mystic
expedient to everyone in a way that could be easily understood… He once said ‘You and I
are all ordinary people. But at the same time, each of us is theoretically a Buddha. To
attain Buddhahood means to know that one is a Buddha. This wondrous fact is secret and
hidden. Hence, the term “secret and mystic.” ‘ (Conversations and Lectures vol. I p.131)
When hidden in our lives, the Buddha state is secret – we are ignorant of it and do not manifest it.
But under the right external conditions, the right dependant origination, our Buddhahood manifests
itself in the 9 worlds. This is “mystic”.
It follows that any Buddhist school which loses sight of the essential Buddha nature of ordinary
people is misleading and foolish. And a teaching, however virtuous, is foolish if it attempts to
reveal our Buddha nature from “outside”, i.e. using the provisional scriptures from earlier
authorities, instead of from within, by reflecting back to us our own Buddha nature.
Other Buddhist Schools and Religions
For me, this helps to explain how we view other Buddhist schools. We do not need to be
disrespectful of individual monks or teachers of other sects. The provisional teachings are not
The story is that Kondana listened to the sutra and suddenly grasped it. Shakyamuni pointed to him, saying “Look –
Kondana understands! Kondana understands!” Kondana was from then on known as “He who understands.”
1
wrong and as I understand it they may even still be helpful in the short term – for example, a
decision to go on a meditation retreat may be useful if the alternative is going to the pub to get
legless every evening. But for most people they are as much use as a marzipan diet. Without the
effective teaching for our age, i.e. the expedient means of the Hoben chapter2, religious practice is
basically a painful austerity because it is not based on our own Buddha nature but on external
authority. As Nichiren says:
Now in this latter, evil age, great evil arises less from secular wrongdoing than with respect to
the doctrines of the religious world. Because people today are unaware of this and endeavor to
cultivate roots of merit, the world declines all the more. To give support to the priests of the
Tendai, Shingon and other sects of today may outwardly appear to be an act of merit, but in
reality it is a great evil surpassing even the five cardinal sins and the ten evil acts.
For this reason, if there should be a wise man in the world with wisdom like that of the Greatly
Enlightened World-Honored One, who, so as to restore the world to order, meets with a wise
ruler like King Sen'yo; and if together they put an end altogether to these acts of "goodness"
and commit the great "evil" of censuring, banishing, cutting off alms to or even beheading those
people of the eight sects who are thought to be men of wisdom, then the world will surely be
pacified to some extent.
I recently went to a funeral service for the mother of a member in Gatwick chapter. She died a
practicing Sri Lankan Buddhist (which is somewhere between Theravada and Mahayana.3) The
funeral was held according to the old rites, with three monks in attendance. I found it interesting –
the ceremony was a “Transfer of Benefit” in which the Sangha facilitates the passing of benefit
from this life to the next. In exchange, you pay the Sangha. Funeral Buddhism. But how different
from our practice, in which we are all responsible, in which we send the deceased off with a
thumping good gongyo and enough daimoku to power a jumbo jet. I have no doubt that the monks
involved were well-intentioned and sought the happiness of the lay worshippers but I was left with
a feeling of irrelevance, of support for an aged institution rather than Buddhism supporting people.
How does this agree with the Gosho? Shouldn’t we as Nichiren says “behead those people of the
eight sects”?
Nichiren is not advocating beheading as a solution. He’s saying that even if someone committed
an egregiously evil act such as killing a Tendai priest, if it replaced a misguided teaching with a
correct teaching it would produce some positive effects.
Nichiren is talking about a hypothetical case in the context of the sects of his day – notably Tendai.
His real concern is not about dogma, it’s about compassion. As Robert Samuels puts it in the
Study Notes, dogma that is not based in respect for human life can lead to violence, destruction
and misery. That fundamental compassion is why the Buddha agonises over the expedient means
to bring all people to enlightenment. (c.f. Conversations and Lectures I, p.126). Nichiren refers to
both T’ien-T’ai and Dengyo, the founder of Tendai School, as “Great Teacher”. So why does he
revile Tendai school priests in his time?
The answer is, because they no longer have compassion, they no longer care about the happiness
of the people. They have deviated from the correct teaching of T’ien T’ai and Dengyo for their own
personal gain:
“Great Teacher Dengyo likewise established that the Dainichi Sutra and the other sutras of
the Shingon sect, which are among the new translations, are all servants and retainers of
2
This is called himyo hoben, the profound truth hidden in a provisional teaching. This is part of the reason why
Nichiren specifically directed a group of disciples that the Hoben must be recited with the Juryo, although it was a
“theoretical” teaching. (Establishing the Four Bodhisattvas as the Object of Worship)
3
For the interested, Sri Lanka follows Mahasangika which is often termed Hinayana. This isn’t entirely correct because
they teach the Middle Way.
the Lotus Sutra. Kobo, Jikaku, Chisho and others, however, put forth opinions that were as
different from this teaching as fire is from water. (White Horses and White Swans)
So Tendai has perverted T’ien T’ai’s and Dengyo’s teachings. But worse is to come. Nichiren
quotes the Dainehan Sutra:
"Icchantika, persons of incorrigible disbelief, pretend to be arhats, living in deserted places
and speaking slanderously of the Mahayana sutras. When ordinary people see them, they
suppose that they are all true arhats and speak of them as great bodhisattvas." It also says:
"After the Former Day of the Law has ended and the Middle Day of the Law has begun,
there will be monks who will give the appearance of abiding by the rules of monastic
discipline. But they will scarcely ever read or recite the sutras, and instead will crave all
kinds of food and drink to nourish their bodies. ...Though they wear the robes of a monk,
they will go about searching for alms like so many huntsmen who narrow their eyes,
stalking softly. They will be like a cat on the prowl for mice." (Reply to Lord Sakiri Naburo)
Nichiren says:
“Deluded by evil people, they eventually abandoned the Lotus Sutra.” – Letter to the
Brothers
“Although one studies Buddhism, it is difficult to practice it correctly because of the
foolishness of his mind, or because, even though one may be wise, he follows an evil
teacher and fails to realize that he is being misled.” – Letter to Misawa
Monks or priests who have lost their compassion and become self-centred have a catastrophic
effect on society by misleading those with sincere belief. Robert Samuels says on this point that
supporting a religion which can no longer fight evil is itself evil. We can see how ordinary people
try to "cultivate roots of good" by becoming more fervent in religious practice and belief, joining
‘fundamentalist’ sects of whatever religion etc. but in the end, far from bringing peace and
happiness, they sow chaos and misery. The harder they try the more disasterous the result.
So how can we know what is good or what is evil? It is not a matter of dogma. In Buddhism, the
terms “good” and “evil” are used rarely. The fact is, Buddhism does not recognise “good” or “evil”
in a dualistic Western sense. It is fundamentally concerned with relieving Suffering, what “affirms
life and unites against what destroys life and separates.” (Study Notes) As Saint Augustine put it,
“evil is …division, absence or falling away.” 4
In the phrase "consistency from beginning to end," "beginning" indicates the root of evil and
the root of good, while "end" indicates the out-come of evil and the outcome of good. One
who is thoroughly awakened to the nature of good and evil from their roots to their
branches and leaves is called a Buddha.
To the extent that we lose sight of our own Buddha nature, we disrespect our own and other’s lives
and become dominated by the Three Poisons. We can’t see the consequences of our actions so
we act blindly. And in society, when a state or religion becomes blindly concerned with its own
success to the detriment of the people, it condones evil and falls away from good.
Personal Digression
I’ve been much exercised recently by the question of child abuse. (I wasn’t abused but we all
know people who were.) First, the problems the Catholic Church now has because they failed to
recognise and fight this evil when told of it. Basically, they subordinated the suffering of the
An interesting exercise is to look up “Evil” in the index of a few texts on Mahayana Buddhism. There’s usually little
or nothing. Then look up “Suffering” – usually dozens of entries.
4
weakest and most defenceless people in society to the status of the church. The damage was
horrendous, not only in financial terms but in terms of families torn apart by secrecy and fear, the
legacy of pain, humiliation and distrust. Now the State tries to address the problem of child abuse
by making it illegal to see images of it. Well-intentioned, but they forgot that people who have been
victimised by abuse want to understand it. We are now arresting thousands of people who have
no criminal or abusive record - including formerly-abused rock musicians.
The State justifies this by saying that abusers are beyond the pale, in a class by themselves,
incorrigible, bestial, unspeakable, so anyone who even touches the area is contaminated and
guilty. Where is “the wisdom to recognise the dignity of life in all people”? What does our Buddha
wisdom say? Somehow I doubt the answer to child abuse is a fear-inspired witch-hunt which
creates more barriers and distrust. What we need now as in the past is compassion, willingness to
hear, to be concerned, to act to relieve suffering. Even now, the Catholic Church is struggling with
the need to be open and forthcoming. But isn’t the real enabler of abuse not pornography, but
secrecy? The point I’m making is that we can create a new category of secular wrongdoing, but
the real Evil was and is any religion which tolerates such utter disrespect for human life and dignity.
I’ve also been concerned by our increasingly harsh treatment of refugees. The popular view is that
we are “soft” on refugees and they will “swamp” our society. We hear about terrorists who have
“slipped through the immigration net”. But let’s look at individual cases - we should always look at
individual human beings.
A very young woman was arrested in Sierra Leone because her family had Rwandan connections.
Her brother was killed. She was held for several months and continually raped by soldiers, having
children in captivity as a result. Eventually she escaped to England and sought asylum. The
Home Office Adjudicator rejected it on the grounds that it wasn’t accepted that rape was torture, or
that it was Leonean state policy, just randy soldiers. Fortunately she won on appeal. But how
could anyone have considered it reasonable to deport her?
This is far from an isolated case and most are deported. Under the new Home Office policy, these
decisions can be made by immigration duty officers with no real knowledge of third-world
conditions, at points of entry. If the application is denied, they are immediately scheduled for
removal. If the refugee knows she has a right to appeal, and can find someone to represent her,
and understands English, she may be able to appeal. The deportee can of course argue the case
by reapplying for asylum from the country they wish to flee. Assuming, that is, they remain alive to
do so. Rape by soldiers or police is not a recognised form of torture in the UK, although the UN
defines it as a “Crime Against Humanity”.
This is our government acting on our behalf. Is that what we want our representatives to say for
us? They can’t keep terrorists out but they’re good at turning away victims of military rape and
torture. It infuriates me because it’s such a total failing of compassion, based on xenophobia and
shortsightedness – back to the Three Poisons.
These are my views, not SGI-UK’s. You might ask why SGI-UK isn’t taking a stand? Essentially,
because it’s up to us:
The Lotus Sutra states: "[And whatever he preaches according to his understanding] will
never contradict the truth." And T'ien-t'ai interprets this to mean that "no affairs of life or
work are in any way different from the ultimate reality." A person of wisdom is not one who
practices Buddhism apart from worldly affairs but, rather, one who thoroughly understands
the principles by which the world may be governed.
Robert Samuels says that Buddha Wisdom goes beyond worldly affairs to using that knowledge for
the benefit of the people. Quoting the Gosho The Mongol Envoys, a person of wisdom is “One
who can, in accordance with the time, discern without the slightest error what is important both for
oneself and for the country.” As we practice gongyo, daimoku and action in society based on
humanism and compassion, we can expect to become calmer, more confident, less anxious about
problems, more outgoing and better able to deal with difficult situations. These are the effects of
removing delusions caused by the poisons of greed, anger and foolishness. I state as fact that
this is what we as individuals must expect from our Practice and Human Revolution.
Nothing less. To expect less is to deny our own Buddha nature.
Collectively, SGI does indeed support peace, education and culture – and Robert Samuels makes
the point that this mission continues actively despite or together with our current focus on practice
in the District. SGI organisations take action around the world, every year, and this is absolutely
our mission in SGI-UK - we must not forget it.
But we look first to our own Buddha wisdom. Sometimes even within SGI we get it wrong. What if
you see something within SGI-UK which is divisive, or causes suffering? If we build an
organisation which tells its members everything they need to do, then where is the room for them
to develop their own wisdom? We would be no better than Tendai sect in Nichiren’s age.
Though these men lived before the introduction of Buddhism, they helped the people as
emissaries of Lord Shakyamuni. And though the adherents of the outer classics were
unaware of it, the wisdom of such men incorporated in its essence the wisdom of
Buddhism.
This is fascinating because it’s a template for our own actions in society. Nichiren says that
Buddhas use their wisdom to actively increase the adoption of Buddhist principles in Society. Even
non-Buddhists who act in accord with Buddhist principle are “emissaries of Shakyamuni Buddha”.
What a remarkable statement! Working for the happiness of the people is to share the spirit of
Buddhism. Not “us vs. them” – Robert has a lovely quote from President Akiya saying that the
district has no barriers between itself and society, it is an integral part of local community and
society.” We share a mission with all people who work for the happiness of the people. Simple,
really.
Great evil portends the arrival of great good. If all of Jambudvipa should be thrown into
chaos, there can be no doubt that [this sutra] will "spread widely throughout the continent of
Jambudvipa."
The Kalpa of Decrease is a desperate time, full of chaos and strife. But we have to overcome our
own feelings of powerlessness to change society, to make new causes. We have to accept and
act on our mission to change our own sufferings, to expand our lives to comprehend our work, our
families, our society. We don’t need to badge society with Buddhism like a brandname – there’s
enough of that going around already! We simply need to get people to adopt the spirit of
Buddhism into their policy and practice: respect for the dignity of all life; the absolute value of life;
the happiness of all people. As we do this, our compassion and desire to share what we have will
inevitably lead to discussions about Buddhist practice.
I want to tell you that this works. Not only for me, but for others, the changes are consistent and
observable. If you’re really doing human revolution, then you can confidently expect to stop being
afraid of things; to feel a growing sense of inner peace and confidence; to be protected from
economic disaster; and to be able to intuitively handle situations which used to baffle you. This is
happening right now, but often it’s only apparent in hindsight.
[Rick’s experience with the Crawley Mela]
That’s how we became actively involved with other cultures and society generally in Dragon
District. There are bound to be things that Guildford or Farnham or Surrey District can do which
will become apparent to your Buddha Wisdom.
The events of the past weeks and months should make it clear that if peace does not start where
we live, then war will. We need urgently to trust our own Buddhahood, and to take action. Where
we go, others will follow. When Ghandi started the Salt March, he was only one man. I look
forward to seeing what not one but a hundred wise people can do in Guildford Chapter. That
should be 99 more people than the minimum needed to change the world!
I’ll close with a reading from Daisaku Ikeda’s chapter in a book called Buddhist Peacework (which I
warmly recommend) from the Boston Research Center founded by Sensei. In this remarkable
book Sensei contributes his wisdom together with Tich Nhat Han, the Dalai Lama and a host of
other Buddhist scholars.
[First page of Pres. Ikeda’s chapter]
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Notes and related materials
Great Evil and Great Good
Great events do not have small omens. When great evil occurs, great good will follow. Since the worst
slander already prevails throughout the country, the supreme True Law will spread without fail. What
have any of you to regret? Although you are not the Venerable Mahakashyapa, you should leap for joy!
Although you are not Shariputra, you should rise and dance! When Bodhisattva Jogyo emerged from the
earth, he leapt forth joyfully, and when Bodhisattva Fugen arrived, the ground trembled in six directions.
There are many things I wish to tell you, but as they are too numerous, I shall stop here. I will write to
you again.
Major Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, Vol. 5, page 161.
“Deluded by evil people, they eventually abandoned the Lotus Sutra.” – Letter to the Brothers
“Although one studies Buddhism, it is difficult to practice it correctly because of the foolishness of his
mind, or because, even though one may be wise, he follows an evil teacher and fails to realize that he is
being misled.” – Letter to Misawa
“Because they wear robes and surplices, they look like ordinary priests and nuns. But in their hearts, they
wield a sword of evil, hastening here and there among their patrons and filling them full of countless lies
so as to keep them away from other priests or nuns.” – 14 Slanders
“When one chants the daimoku bearing in mind that there are no distinctions among those who embrace
the Lotus Sutra, then the blessings he gains will be equal to those of Shakyamuni Buddha.” – 14
Slanders
“In the Ninno Sutra we read, "The evil monks, seeking for all the fame and gain they can get, will appear
in the presence of the ruler, the heir apparent, and the princes and expound doctrines that lead to the
destruction of Buddhism and the destruction of the state.” – On the Buddha’s Behaviour
“The evil monks there will be those who practice meditation and, instead of relying on the sutras and
treatises, heed only their own view of things, declaring wrong to be right.” – Conversations between a
Sage and an Unenlightened Man 2.
“If a practitioner of Buddhism should fail to chastise evil persons who slander the Law but give himself up
entirely to meditation and contemplation, not attempting to distinguish between correct or incorrect
doctrines, provisional or true teachings, but rather pretending to be a model of compassion, then such a
person will fall into the evil paths along with the other doers of evil.” – Conversations between a Sage
and an Unenlightened Man 2.
“Even less do they distinguish between truth and error in Buddhism, or between good and evil teachers.
But I will say no more of this.” – Aspiration for the Buddha Land
“Now in the Latter Day of the Law, even though the teaching, the people's capacity and the time for
propagation are in accord, we must expect all the more hostility. For this is the age of conflict in which
the Pure Law has been lost. Moreover, the teacher is but a common person, and his disciples come from
among impious men defiled by the three poisons. For this reason, people reject the virtuous teacher and
seek out evil priests instead.” – On Practicing the Buddhas Teachings
“King Ajatashatru was the ruler of Magadha. He murdered his father, King Bimbisara, a powerful patron
of Shakyamuni, and became an enemy of the Buddha. In consequence, the heavens forsook him, the sun
and the moon rose out of rhythm, and the earth shook violently as if to cast him off. All his subjects
came to oppose Buddhism, and the neighboring kingdoms started to attack Magadha. All this happened
because King Ajatashatru took the wicked Devadatta for his teacher.” -- Winter Always Turns to Spring
“Volume Five of the Maka Shikan says: "A land of this world also has the ten factors. Thus an
evil land has appearance, nature, entity, power and so on." -- The True Object of Worship
“In contrast, the heart of the Hokke sect21 is the principle of ichinen sanzen, which reveals that both good
and evil are inherent even in those at the highest stage, that of myogaku or enlightenment. The
fundamental nature of enlightenment manifests itself as Bonten and Taishaku, whereas the fundamental
darkness manifests itself as the Devil of the Sixth Heaven. The gods hate evildoers, and demons hate
good people. Because we have entered the Latter Day of the Law, it is natural that demons should be
everywhere in the country, just like tiles, stones, trees and grasses. Benevolent spirits are few because
sages and worthies are rare in this world.” – On the Treatment of Illnesses
Study Notes from Robert Samuels
The truth of our life is that we are Buddha. An enlightened Buddha knows that we are all Buddhas and
respects life accordingly.
An unenlightened mortal has forgotten, been deluded by the Three Poisons into being unaware that we
are all Buddha – and therefore they disrespect human life.
Delusions diminish life force. “Stature” means “inner empowerment/powerlessness” We can see even in
the last 100 years a growth in people’s feelings of powerlessness, loss of stature.
Powerful person do not feel small in stature.
On the level of society, the Three Poisions are associated with the three Calamities.
We need to discuss the three poisons. Greed – never feel satisfied, never enjoy what we possess. The
insecure self tries to validate itself by possession of external objects. Isn’t that endemic in our society?
It is an evil which is trying to destroy our planet, environmental destruction.
Nothing wrong with desires – but they must not rule us.
Foolishness – people avoid responsibility, they blame other people for their suffering and cannot
understand that the problem is their own delusion.