The View of Humanity and the World in the Lotus Sutra

The scripture that we Rissho Kosei-kai members rely upon and place our faith in is, needless to say, The Threefold Lotus Sutra (The Sutra of Innumerable Meanings, The Sutra of the Lotus Flower of the Wondrous Dharma, and The Sutra of the Method for Contemplating the Bodhisattva Universal Sage). In particular, we value the truths about humanity and the world that are revealed in The Sutra of the Lotus Flower of the Wondrous Dharma (the Lotus Sutra).

The Lotus Sutra’s view of humanity is that people start with the mind of compassion, then aspire and take action to increase the happiness and reduce the suffering of the people around them—in other words, human beings become bodhisattvas. Next, the worldview of the Lotus Sutra is the teaching that if all people realize they are bodhisattvas, and each person awakens to and manifests their inherent buddha nature, then this saha world—the real world of human beings—will instantly be transformed into a land of tranquil light.

Furthermore, I believe the Lotus Sutra teaches us that nothing will be resolved—from the large global problems we hear about these days to smaller issues closer to home—unless we stop expecting something or someone else to solve these problems for us and each and every one of us pursues, without straying, the way of humanity, just as if we are [bodhisattvas] springing up out of the earth.

This might seem like a rather simplistic interpretation, but the Lotus Sutra conveys the message that it is precisely anonymous, ordinary individuals like us who have the ability and responsibility to solve the problems of life and the world, thereby encouraging us to awaken to the fact that we are bodhisattvas. This message is supported by core principles of the Lotus Sutra: “All life is part of and sustained by one great life” and “everything is one.”

The Universe Is One, the World Is One

“There was only one goal for me when I founded Rissho Kosei-kai, and that was to liberate people from suffering.” These words were spoken by Founder Nikkyo Niwano. This month’s message may sound like another Lotus Sutra interpretation because the Lotus Sutra forms the basis for reflecting on the founding spirit of this organization and reinforces the important concept that “everything is one,” which is the dynamic force for liberating people.

“Everything is one.” This idea is, of course, based on the One Vehicle teaching of the Lotus Sutra. Leaving out the complicated details, this simply means that “the universe is one, the Earth is one, and the world is one.”

The Earth was born in a universe that continues to evolve as one entity, like a single life form, and everything existing on this Earth exists in a mutual state of interdependence. That is, everything sustains and is sustained by everything else. This fact means that the entire universe can be considered one great life and shows us that each and every one of our individual lives is united as one. It is also the case, in the world of religion, that many different faiths have in common the principle of the oneness of all things and teachings about the mind of compassion and love. And above all, different faiths are one in their feelings of respect and reverence for God and the Buddha. Therefore, if all people—not just people of faith—stop dwelling on minor differences, turn their eyes toward what they have in common, and recognize that they are really “one,” a deeper sense of compassion and tolerance will emerge in their minds and that, in turn, will enlarge the world of liberation that brings with it peace and hope for life. That said, human beings are unable to do this.

Regarding this matter, Founder Niwano advised, “Other people have their own individuality, their own position, and their own circumstances. When you understand that, a generous feeling to accept and embrace those people naturally arises within you.” Around the same time, at the Third World Assembly of Religions for Peace (1979), he issued a warning that seemed to foresee the current state of the world and the planet: “We must rise above narrow-minded nationalism. We must achieve a broader regionalism, and eventually an all-embracing globalism.” Even now, nearly half a century after the Third World Assembly, I feel a deep sense of regret that the founding spirit of our organization—the goal of “liberating people”—has not been fully realized, and I think that we should again reflect on our mission to build together a world in which everyone supports one another and we are all united as one.