Religions for Peace

Japan

First World Assembly in Kyoto,

Japan, 1970


 
   Sixth World Assembly in Rome
and Riva del Garda, Italy, 1994
Religions for Peace was established in 1970 as an international
nongovernmental organization. It obtained general consultative
status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council
in 1999. As an international network of religious communities
encompassing over ninety countries, the Religions for Peace
family engages in conflict resolution, humanitarian assistance,
and other peace-building activities through dialogue and coop-
eration across religions.
Second World Assembly in Religions for Peace Japan was established in 1972 as a commit- Seventh World Assembly in
Leuven, Belgium, 1974 tee for the international issues supported by Japanese Association Amman, Jordan, 1999
of Religious Organizations. Since then it has served as the national
chapter of Religions for Peace.

1. Calling on religious communities to deeply reflect on their
practices, address any that are exclusionary in nature, and
engage in dialogue with one another in the spirit of toler-
ance and understanding.
Third World Assembly in 2. Facilitating multireligious collaboration in making peace Eighth World Assembly in
Princeton, the United States, 1979 initiatives. Kyoto, Japan, 2006
3. Working with peace organizations in all sectors and coun-
tries to address global issues.
4. Implementing religiously based peace education and aware-
ness-raising activities.
!
Religions for Peace Japan promotes activities under the slogan:
“Caring for Our Common Future: Advancing Shared Well-Being,”
which include cooperating and collaborating with Religions for
Fourth World Assembly in Ninth World Assembly in
Nairobi, Kenya, 1984
Peace and Religions for Peace Asia; participating in the Non- Vienna, Austria, 2013
Proliferation Treaty (NPT) review conference; cooperating and
collaborating with both international and local faith-based organ-
izations; and building networks with various sectors (politics,
economics, academics, culture, media, and so forth). Religions
for Peace Japan also promotes various programs related to peace
education that include hosting peace research seminars and
peace university symposiums.

Fifth World Assembly in Tenth World Assembly in

Melbourne, Australia, 1989 Lindau, Germany, 2019

Religions for Peace Japan

Different Faith, Common Action
Fumon Media Center 3rd Floor, 2-7-1 Wada,
Suginami-ku, Tokyo 166-8531
E-mail: [email protected]
 SPRING 2023, VOL. 50

FEATURES: Religion’s Role in Peacebuilding

2 The Conciliatory Power of
Religion
Dharma World presents Buddhism by Kyoichi Sugino
as a practical living religion and
promotes interreligious dialogue 3 Peace and Reconciliation:
for world peace. It espouses views Value, Practice, and Finding
that emphasize the dignity of life, Meaning in Life
seeks to rediscover our inner nature by A. Elga Joan Sarapung
and bring our lives more in accord
with it, and investigates causes of 7 Religion and Peacebuilding:
human suffering. It tries to show Reflections of an Amateur
how religious principles help solve Peacebuilder
problems in daily life and how the
by Suphatmet Yunyasit
least application of such principles

Photo: Ekta Parishad

has wholesome effects on the world
around us. It seeks to demonstrate
11 The Role of Spirituality
truths that are fundamental to all and Faith in a Divided World
religions, truths on which all people by Harsha Navaratne
can act.
14 The Concept of Religion and
Publisher: Keiichi Akagawa the Challenges of World Peace
Director: Hidemitsu Suzuki by Michael Berman
Senior Editor: Kazumasa Osaka
Editor: Katsuyuki Kikuchi
Editorial Advisors:
Dominick Scarangello, Miriam 18 The Fortieth Niwano Peace Prize Awarded
Levering, Michio T. Shinozaki to Mr. Rajagopal P. V. of India
Copy Editors:
David Scott, Stephen Comee, 20 The Body and the Mind Are Deeply Connected
Catherine Szolga by Nichiko Niwano
Editorial Staff:
Kensuke Osada, Mariko Kawamoto, 21 What Is Esoteric Buddhism?
Yurie Endo by Michihiko Komine
Layout and Design: Abinitio Design
24 Is the Universe Compassionate?
by Dominick Scarangello
Cover:
Illustration: Shutterstock.com
Photoshop work by Abinitio Design THE THREEFOLD LOTUS SUTRA: A MODERN COMMENTARY
34 The Sutra of Meditation
on the Bodhisattva Universal Virtue (3)

Dharma World is published semiannually by Rissho Kosei-kai International, Fumon Media Center 3F, 2-7-1 Wada, Suginami-ku, Tokyo 166-8537. E-mail: [email protected].
Copyright © 2023 by Rissho Kosei-kai International. All rights reserved. Printed in Japan by Komiyama Printing Company. Change of Address: Please provide both old and new
addresses. Six weeks’ advance notice is requested. Requests for permission to reprint all or part of any article in this issue must be made in writing to the editor of Dharma World.
 FEATURES

The Conciliatory Power of Religion

by Kyoichi Sugino

As conflict continues to rage on in I have had the privilege of taking part Kyoichi Sugino is the president of
Ukraine, Syria, Yemen, Myanmar, and in multi-religious track II diplomacy in Gakurin Seminary of Rissho Kosei-kai,
elsewhere across the globe, the prospect conflict situations and directly working Tokyo. He served as deputy secretary
of world peace seems ever out of reach. with some of the contributors to this general of Religions for Peace
The buildup for military solutions to edition of Dharma World. These exam- International.
political problems, including nuclear ples offer insights and hints for possi-
brinkmanship, is becoming normal- ble multi-religious diplomacy to address Rev. Elga Sarapung, director of
ized and accelerating. How should the current hostilities around the world. In the Institute for Interfaith Dialogue in
world’s religions respond to this reality? Southern Thailand, the Interreligious Indonesia (Interfidei), and I partnered
As people of faith, we must begin with Council of Thailand offers a powerful with the world’s largest and second-larg-
ourselves. In his recent Dharma guid- case study. Responding to communal est Muslim organizations—Nahdlatul
ance, Rev. Nichiko Niwano, president distrust caused by protracted insurgen- Ulama (NU) and Muhammadiyah,
of Rissho Kosei-kai, stressed the need cies and historical wounds, Dr. Parichart respectively—as well as minority com-
for introspection and inner peace. The Suwanbubbha, a laywoman Buddhist munities such as Buddhist, Confucian,
seeds of war—greed, suspicion, arro- leader, the first secretary general of the Ahmadiyya, and indigenous commu-
gance, impatience, hatred, and anger— Interreligious Council of Thailand, who nities for interfaith action. I recall our
are not a function of some external passed away in 2016 and was succeeded working together in Ambon—a place
condition, but of our own mind. This by Dr. Suphatmet Yunyasit, served as a where Muslim and Christian communi-
understanding is the foundation of reli- bridge between affected communities. ties have long suffered from conflicts—
gious peacebuilding. Mr. Harsha Navaratne, chair of and Papua, where Christian-Muslim
In Ukraine and across neighboring the International Network of Engaged tensions continue to simmer. But global
countries, faith-based humanitarian Buddhists (INEB), and I worked together and regional multi-religious solidarity
NGOs were among the first to provide to form the International Forum on has produced a positive impact on local
emergency relief and care for displaced Buddhist-Muslim Relations (BMF), craft- interreligious relations.
families, sustaining their operations ing the Yogyakarta Statement on Shared Multi-religious engagement for
to the present. Pope Francis and the Values and Commitments, on themes rang- peacebuilding requires multi-layered,
Archbishop of Canterbury met online ing from peacebuilding and religious free- multi-dimensional approaches, skillfully
with Patriarch Kirill of the Russian dom to environmental protection, citing mobilizing religious leaders and commu-
Orthodox Church to call for an imme- both Buddhist and Islamic sacred scrip- nities at different levels, putting shared
diate end to the war. While the world’s tures. Meanwhile, the Sri Lanka Council concerns at the center of the table, and
religions and their associated organiza- of Religions for Peace brought together creating multi-stakeholder mechanisms
tions are indispensable agents of care Buddhist, Muslim, Christian, and Hindu for sustainable engagement. The experi-
and support for the people affected by leaders to reverse the forced cremation of ences and insights presented by my col-
war, religions can also play an impor- Muslim victims of COVID-19 and build a leagues in this edition of Dharma World
tant role in ratcheting down hostilities multi-ethnic school in Vavuniya, a war-af- remind us of the conciliatory power of
and negotiating pathways to peace. But fected region of Sri Lanka. While disagree- religion. As multi-religious leaders, we
in order for such religious diplomacy to ments and tensions may surface, existing must leverage the spiritual, moral, and
be initiated, faith leaders and their com- relationships, friendships, and the habit social assets of religion to carve out
munities must be mobilized and engaged of collaboration can create constructive pathways to peace, even where peace
in a skillful and coordinated way. solutions to common challenges. may seem impossible. T

2 Dharma World Spring 2023

 FEATURES

Peace and Reconciliation:

Value, Practice, and Finding Meaning in Life
by A. Elga Joan Sarapung

A. Elga Joan Sarapung is director

of the Institut Dialog Antar-Iman di
My optimistic hope is that all of God’s creation throughout the
Indonesia Inter¿dei , coordinator of
world can live in safety, prosperity, and peace.
the Indonesian Interfaith Network
JAII , a memEer of Religions
for Peace RfP Indonesia, and
Peace and reconciliation: two words themselves with thinking, prayer, chairperson for the Asia Paci¿c
that are beautiful to hear but difficult remembrance, education, work, prac- :omen of )aith Network AP:o)N .
to practice. Starting from the smallest tice, and fighting for how to create a
life circle, family, to the largest life cir- peaceful life. This is in their family envi-
cles, between groups, religions, ethnic- ronment, in their religious community, strategic action together, in a collabo-
ities, races, and nations, where are the and even more broadly, in their soci- rative environment—not alone.
people who profess themselves to be ety and nation at large, without regard It is an effort to send love to those
religious actively undergoing religious to ethnicity, race, or gender. who hate, harass, and consider oth-
rituals and traditions? My optimistic hope is that all human- ers as inferior—who mistreat others
Everywhere these same people are ity and all of God’s creation throughout and practice things that are inhumane,
full of ego, arrogance, and greed, allow- the world can live in safety, prosper- who violate others’ dignity and right
ing those darker impulses to control their ity, and peace. That is the relation- to a decent life—those who commit
minds and life practices without want- ship between self and other, between crimes for and against others: children
ing to learn to improve and become a man and nature, between man and the and youth, women, the elderly, as well
benefit to humankind. Creator, reflecting and radiating peace as different tribes and ethnicities, races
What have we done in the past, what and peacefulness. and religions, and those of other social
are we doing now, and what can we do One’s life can easily be affected by and economic classes.
in the future, to bring peace? Peace and things that trap, weaken one’s commit- Even in an increasingly modern
reconciliation are core values and prac- ment and integrity, and plunge one into world, with the evolution of media
tices—the very meaning of life. They also thoughts and life practices that are not technology and science, there are issues
encompass the environment in which for peace. A life that does not assign related to the majority who are more
all people live their lives. importance to togetherness and broth- powerful than the minority—the smaller
Why do people want to destroy erhood soon languishes. Peace and rec- and weaker ones. Everyone watches
nature and life just because of differ- onciliation do not merely represent an openly how egoism, arrogance, and
ences, with various forms of violence— actual situation that comes into being greed easily control people and quickly
wanting to kill many people through just like that, but rather an authentic weaken their ability to think healthily
conflict and war? Why? experience that must be thought about, with positive logic, human conscience,
grappled with, and put into practice in and good thoughts.
Between Optimism order to instantiate itself. There are many similar cases where,
Peace needs to not only be prayed if not careful, with and through social
and Reality for, preached in religious spaces, dis- media, humans become easily provoked
I am grateful that there are still many cussed in classrooms, and debated in the by unhealthy and discriminatory news.
people in this world who are never tired, political sphere, it needs to be fought for Generally, social media does not allow
bored, or hopeless, but rather occupy and practiced in the form of positive, humans to choose and make ethical

Dharma World Spring 2023 3

 In Indonesia, there have been two
major horizontal conflicts involving
two groups of people: in Poso, Central
Sulawesi (1998–2000), and Ambon,
Maluku (1999–2001). Both involved
two religious communities—namely
Muslims and Christians.
According to the analysis of sev-
Photo courtesy of the author

eral studies, there is conflict in these

two areas due to economic and politi-
cal jealousy among local communities
and immigrants from outside the area—
those who come from Java and Bugis
Makassar (South Sulawesi), who are
Participants in the Global Exchange on Religion in Society (GERIS) visit the Interfidei Center Muslim. This aspect of social jealousy has
in July 2022. been politicized and become a conflict
involving both religious communities.
decisions that are just, civilized, and with one another, both between political From the observations and experi-
in favor of a peaceful life. interests and between interests of dif- ences of Interfidei during conflict reso-
They are also surrounded by greedy ferent religions, ethnicities, races, and lution and peacebuilding in both areas,
people who don’t care about a healthy genders? What kind of politics needs there are two interesting things related
universe, protecting clean water and for- to be thought about and developed for to the meaning of the words peace and
ests that provide oxygen to humans— the welfare of a peaceful life? reconciliation, according to the partic-
forests that are also home to those who Why are justice, truth, and positive ipants of the activity: youth, leaders of
are faithfully able to care for and appre- civilization apparently moving away from community-based religions, and local
ciate it, especially communities that us? How can the concrete thoughts, atti- community leaders.
adhere to local religions or beliefs, as tudes, and actions of leaders and reli- First, both in Ambon and Poso, it is
is the case in Indonesia.1 gious figures in Indonesia, Asia-Pacific, automatic to say that peace and recon-
People around them choose unfair and the rest of the world address this ciliation suggest a state in which there is
and untrue ways within issues related challenge? The effect is not only con- no conflict. Without conflict, their lives
to politics, law, human rights, and eco- flict and war but also various socio-cul- would be peaceful. However, one must
nomics, wherein religions are utilized by tural and environmental issues, such as enquire: Why do conflicts occur? That
religious institutions (leaders, organiza- human trafficking, climate change, and means, if you don’t want an environment
tions, and people). Religious doctrines, a history of violence. of conflict, then the root or fundamen-
texts, and symbols are politicized for the tal cause of the conflict must be sought
benefit and political gain of their power What Are Peace and so that a way out—a solution—can be
and economy (personal and group). found and the situation gets better. So,
The current reality can be seen every-
Reconciliation, and one cannot just stop the conflict. One
where in the world—for example, with How Do We Get There? must fix the root cause of the conflict.
Ukraine and Russia, Israel and Palestine, Peace and reconciliation are tricky, Second, from the analysis of sev-
Nigeria, Somalia, the Middle East, India, especially when humans do not have eral similar studies, in both conflicts,
Myanmar, and Indonesia. the commitment and integrity to work questions related to the meaning of reli-
They are religious people (at least on them by practicing them in their gious life in each community were not a
they claim to be religious). The question own lives. That leads to reinterpreting causal factor. Why? Because they could
is, how could this happen? How does the religion they profess and reinter- not have conflict and kill each other due
the meaning of their religious life form preting the system of values in their to religious factors, even though it was
the basis of reality in society? How is everyday life, namely: shared ethics, clear that they consciously did it in the
their reflection and sense of religious justice, truth, humanity, brotherhood, name of their two religions: Islam and
life related to their social status? compassion, mutual respect, and sol- Christianity.
How do they interpret their religious idarity, rather than greed, arrogance, Therefore, Interfidei believes that in
values and beliefs to build relationships and selfishness. both conflicts, the economic and political

4 Dharma World Spring 2023

aspects were the trigger, though love and mutual respect, and dis-
indeed religion played a role— respect for the human dignity of
in this case, the understanding the Papuan people.
of religious life in the praxis In fact, in the context of Papua,
of everyday life amid the plu- issues related to the central gov-
ral society—that is, misunder- ernment’s policies toward Papua
standing the meaning of religion and its implementation are ques-
and religious life in a pluralistic tioned. Is the purpose of such

Photo courtesy of the author

society experiencing a crisis of policies to find a fair solution
common life, between natives for the people there, or what?
and immigrants. The misunder- This includes questions related
standing appears in the form of to Papua’s extraordinary natural
“religious identity” as a force that wealth, such as its minerals, gold,
encourages and legitimizes the The Joint Initiative for Strategic Religious Action (JISRA) uranium, unique marine life, and
conflict, with no hesitation to and Interreligious Council Kenya—friends from Kenya, forests with highly-quality trees.
use that identity to justify killing The Netherlands, and India—visit the Interfidei Center in To what extent do these natural
one another and destroying life November 2022. resources contribute to the lives
in each region where the enemy of Papuan children, and Papuans
group is located. of the Republic of Indonesia is still very in general, in a fair, humane, and civ-
Another indicator is that each group, complex. When Interfidei conducted ilized society?
“Religion A” and “Religion B,” con- various activities in several areas in the Concerning these issues, Interfidei
sciously took to the streets to kill one Papua region with teachers, leaders, and activities emphasize the following:
another, burning houses of worship religious figures—specifically churches (a) What should be done by religions
and people’s homes. Before doing so, and students from eight local faith-based and churches in the Land of Papua?
they prayed and used their religious universities—participants were asked: and (b) How can Papua be a land of
symbols and texts—meaning there was “What do you understand about peace peace? After all, Papua is an indica-
something that was not correct or true and reconciliation?” Their answers were tor of whether Indonesia is peaceful
in their understanding and interpre- interesting and varied. They answered based on Pancasila3—five foundational
tation of religious life, so religion was that peace and reconciliation are when: philosophies in the life of the people
used as an identity of power for con- and their nation.
flict, and religious symbols became (a) our children and families receive a
shields. Thus, peace and reconciliation proper education like others out- The Need to
are not limited to stopping conflicts. side Papua.
What is needed is non-discriminatory (b) our children and families receive
Collaborate and
circumstances and social, political, and proper health care. Network
economic justice in the community. (c) our fellow Indonesians do not stig-
Papua, which is the easternmost matize us. Two things have been the focus of
region in Indonesia, even now experi- (d) we are treated humanely and fairly. Interfidei’s activities so far: (a) Those
ences severe vertical conflict between (e) the Indonesian government val- related to questions of differences, and
the people of Papua and the Central ues our human rights. how to build bridges of peace for the
Government, as well as horizontal con- (f ) our women can give birth and common good. For example, issues
flict, especially with newcomers from breastfeed, and play a role in related to Freedom of Religions and
several regions in Indonesia, namely, society. Beliefs (FoRB), problems related to intol-
Java, Bugis, and Makassar (who are gen- erance and radicalism, and (b) Those
erally Muslims) and from areas such When examining these answers, related to questions on how to make
as Minahasa, Toraja, NTT, and North again, peace and reconciliation are differences become a common force to
Sumatra (who are generally Christians).2 not merely the state of being free from prevent, face, and overcome the social
The vertical conflict between the conflict, but also of being free from problems of humanity and the environ-
people of Papua and the Government the fundamental things that cause ment—for example, with climate change
in Jakarta (Central), TNI (Indonesian conflict to occur: injustice, untruth, and human trafficking, and Papua as a
National Armed Force), and the police greed, cruel practices, the absence of land of peace.

Dharma World Spring 2023 5

 In essence, differences can be a For those of us who are active in of the Asian Conference of Religions for
force with a shared spirit that values religious organizations, it’s necessary Peace (ACRP), whom I have known since
and respects life humanely for the com- to strive for collaboration and network- the Fourth General Assembly of the ACRP,
mon good of all. Strategically, meeting ing—intra-religious, inter-religious, and in Yogyakarta, in 2002.
and dialogue become the principles nec- extra-religious—with other stakehold- “Peace is not only an objective con-
essary for practices ensuring coopera- ers, namely the government, educa- dition but also an existential posture
tion between all stakeholders, including tional institutions, the media, cultural on the part of peacemakers . . . Peace
governments, education, civil society, institutions, and civil society. Religious in each individual has to be related to
the media, et al. institutions (religious leaders, figures, peace in society . . . Peace is an unend-
From thirty-two years of experience in people, and organizations) need to take ing process . . . Peace, in some religious
Interfidei under six presidencies (1991– concrete actions that are positive and traditions, is a promise, an eschatolog-
present), it is clear that people cannot collaborative. In addition, it’s necessary ical hope, to be realized as an ultimate
work alone in the face of various chal- to strive for meeting and dialogue, in telos (end) through divine providence.
lenges within their reality. Everyone must which the process of learning together, Thus, peace is the origin, process, and
work together. Therefore, for Interfidei, building a collaborative spirit, and joint telos—all of them together.” 4 T
the network is essential. Thus, since 2002, movement can occur.
it has established an Interfaith Network It is conceivable that the concrete Notes
in Indonesia. In addition to all religions actions in question can be carried out
and beliefs present, there are also the starting with facing problems and look- 1. In many areas of Indonesia, there
are still religious communities that live
government, religious institutions, edu- ing for a way out together. Therefore, for
very close to nature, in forests. They are
cational environment, the media, and all religions and beliefs, religious lead- the ones who respect, maintain, and care
civil-society organizations. ers should not only focus on questions for nature, cultivating clean water and
On the global scale, we see that related to routine religious activities but lush forests.
between government institutions (exec- also talk about things that happen in 2. In Papua there are many immi-
utive, legislative, and judicial, as well a society that people in real life expe- grant communities from several regions
in Indonesia: Batak (North Sumatra),
as security), civil society, and organi- rience. Peace and reconciliation exist
Minahasa (North Sulawesi), Maluku,
zations, conflicts—even all-out wars— where everyday life happens, not only Toraja, Bugis (South Sulawesi), Java, East
continue to occur everywhere. You can in the scriptures, prayers, and sermons Nusa Tenggara (NTT), and others. But it
imagine the technological sophistica- of the religious in worship spaces but in is interesting that those who have been
tion of today’s war equipment that not the actual arenas where life takes place. in Papua for twenty to fifty years already
feel like Papuans and live side by side
only destroys physical structures on a Leaders and religious people, who
with them. The problem is the migrants
vast scale but also sacrifices humanity may also be leaders in the community, who have been in Papua for less than
(and ultimately the rest of the world) such as investors, entrepreneurs, and ten or fifteen years, related not only to
with deadly chemicals. educators, are expected to have integ- the socio-economic and cultural differ-
On a smaller scale, there continues to rity—to not easily be swayed by the inter- ences but also political and religious ones,
be hostility and hatred between religious ests of political power and the economy, while the people of Papua feel a lot of
injustice and inhumane actions fall upon
and ethnic groups in some countries, and anything that harms others—that
themselves.
including Indonesia. For example, the sacrifices nature and life. Peace and rec- 3. Pancasila: (1) Oneness of God; (2)
power of social media is used unethically, onciliation without the intention of cre- Just and civilized humanity; (3) The unity
rather than positively as a medium that ating a mutually beneficial life together of Indonesia; (4) Democracy guided by
educates people to live peacefully in a plu- is pseudo-peace and pseudo-reconcili- the inner wisdom in the unanimity aris-
ing out of deliberations among represen-
ralistic society. Also, with the emergence ation. Therefore, true peace and recon-
tatives; (5) Social justice for the whole of
and development of intolerant groups in ciliation must always breathe possibility the people of Indonesia.
the name of religion, understanding the into others and the world around us. 4. “A Holistic Approach to Peace and
religious texts in a narrow and discrim- Disarmament,” in Religions for Human
inatory way, which build and reinforce In Closing Dignity and World Peace: Unabridged
Proceedings of the Fourth World
the jargon of hatred and hostility, espe-
Conference on Religion and Peace (WCRP
cially the narratives that are constructed I would like to end my writing by quoting IV), Nairobi, Kenya, August 23–31,
by both the majority and the minority, some passages from Dr. Yoshiaki Iisaka, 1984; in honor of Dana McLean Greeley,
and used as an excuse to develop atti- professor of Political Science at Gakushuin Geneva: World Conference on Religion
tudes and practices of intolerance. University, Tokyo, and the general secretary and Peace, 1986, p. 178.

6 Dharma World Spring 2023

 FEATURES

Religion and Peacebuilding:

ReÀections of an Amateur Peacebuilder
by Suphatmet Yunyasit

Dr. Suphatmet Yunyasit is a

lecturer at the Institute of Human
Religion can become a key driver for constructive change in
Rights and Peace Studies, Mahidol
the twenty¿rst century. University, Thailand. She also
serves as Secretary-General of
Religions for Peace Thailand (RfP
July 2, 2012, was the first day I started its distinctive ethnocultural identity and Thailand and as &o-&hair of the
working at the Institute of Human Rights to withstand a series of assimilation Asia-Paci¿c :omen of )aith Network
and Peace Studies (IHRP) at Mahidol policies launched by the Thai Buddhist (AP:o)N , Religions for Peace
University. It was also the first day this state since the reign of King Rama VI. Asia. Her work focuses on religion
greenhorn social anthropologist, whose They demand equal rights and inde- and human rights in the context of
knowledge was based mostly on books pendence to run their internal affairs. Southeast Asia and religion’s role
and a mere fourteen-month course of The Malays of the deep south have great in conÀict transformation, as well as
fieldwork for her Ph.D. studies, ven- pride in their origins and the history intra- and interreligious dialogue as
tured somewhat accidentally onto the of Patani Darussalam,1 the name of a tools for conÀict transformation and
peacebuilder’s path. At that time I was Malay Sultanate that was subsequently peaceEuilding.
interested in conflict more than I was in split into three southernmost provinces
peace, a concept that I negatively per- and four districts of Songkhla under the brothers and sisters. Their ancestors
ceived as too idealistic to be attained Siamese administration. They are also lived together peacefully with no prob-
in our messy world. But two reputable strongly attached to Islam, in a simi- lems. That was the story of the past, of
peacebuilder academicians at IHRP lar way that the Thais there are toward course. In the present-day southernmost
took this stubborn realist under their Buddhism. The people’s strong adher- region, inter-group tensions are clear
wing. They offered me the opportu- ence to their religion contributes to and present; even a first-time traveler
nity to join their team, whose major the charm and uniqueness of the deep to the region can easily sense that. I’ve
task was (and still is) to transform The south, which has never failed to mes- seen the people there increasingly pre-
Unrest—a nickname for the protected merize me. It’s hard to find anywhere fer engaging and interacting only with
conflict between the Thai Buddhist state else in Thailand where religion could those of their own group. Young people
and Malay-Muslim insurgent groups in paint the local people’s lives so beauti- in particular have very limited space to
the three southernmost provinces. The fully with its strong hue. interact across ethnoreligious boundar-
issue I was assigned to assist the team Despite adhering to different reli- ies, as the Malays prefer to enroll their
with was to promote religion’s role in gions, Thai Buddhist and Malay-Muslim children at private Islamic schools rather
peacebuilding and conflict transfor- horizontal relations, prior to the erup- than public, state-run schools that serve,
mation in the restive southern region. tion of violence in 2004, had been according to French sociologist Pierre
It is commonly understood that the quite cordial. Throughout the past five Bourdieu, as a “bureaucratic field” for
Unrest is not a religious conflict but an or six years when I traveled to remote the Thai state to transmit its ideology and
ethnic one. It has its roots in the Malay areas of Pattani, Yala, and Narathiwat, assimilate children of minority groups
nationalist resistance to Thai state rule. I was told time and again by both Thai into mainstream Thai-Buddhist society.
The Malay Muslim population—an eth- Buddhist and Malay Muslim villagers After a decade of working on the
nic minority group of about three mil- that there was no such divide between ground trying to transform conflict and
lion people—has long struggled to assert them . . . Thai and Melayu—they are build peace with my limited knowledge,

Dharma World Spring 2023 7

 use the social capital and resources found
in the area, even amid the rise of ethno-
religious nationalist movements that
have exacerbated the tension and hostil-
ity between the two groups. Local gov-
ernment agencies have put a lot of effort
into relationship-building in the deep
south. The Southern Border Provinces
Administrative Center (SBPAC) and
Internal Security Operation Commands,
Fourth Region (ISOC4) have imple-
mented myriad projects for this pur-
Photo courtesy of the author

pose. However, in the eyes of academics,

they may not be right for this task, as
they themselves still need to do much
more to gain the trust of the people.
Religious leaders and communities
seem to be a better choice for the task
Luang Phor Muk with Bae Seng, my most trusted Muslim driver for the past ten years. I make
in this complicated and sensitive sce-
frequent visits to Piyaram temple to see Luang Phor Muk, and Bae Seng is usually the one
driving me there. nario. They can definitely play a lead-
ing role while state and non-state actors
skills, and power, it has become even increasingly lost trust in their Malay and agencies—including non-religious
more clear to me that religion is abso- friends, noting the bystander’s role the civil society organizations and academi-
lutely not the primary basis of this vio- latter adopt when attacks on Buddhists cians like me—can provide assistance
lent conflict that has taken more than take place. They want the Malays to and collaborate with them for a better
7,200 lives since 2004. But a religious step up and do more to prevent vio- outcome. There are at least three areas
divide, once created, can exacerbate con- lence against Buddhist civilians and reli- that religion, especially its leaders, can
flict. The conflicting parties are able to gious leaders. Some have expressed to do to improve the situation: promot-
muster more support from their targeted me that it has become difficult to make ing a better understanding within and
population by utilizing the narrative the Malays understand their pain and between groups, encouraging intergroup
that their religion is under threat, while suffering. With those violent attacks, social interaction, and mending broken
action by opposing groups is orches- the Thai Buddhists also feel that they relationships for long-lasting, peaceful
trated. People of the south—Buddhist are being chased out of their homeland. coexistence. These are the mandates
and Muslim alike—are quite sensitive “Although Thailand is a Buddhist major- of a peacebuilder, and similar to most
to this narrative, as a religious way of ity country, here in the deep south we peacebuilding activities, they take time
life forms the cornerstone of their iden- (Buddhists) are the minority. Our num- to bear fruit and do not always proceed
tity, and religious community is their bers are attenuating each year, as many in a linear fashion.
key agent of socialization. The disap- of us feel unsafe and move away,” said During the past decade of my ama-
pearance of their religion from their Phi Danai,2 a fifty-six-year-old Buddhist teur peacebuilder’s life, I have known
homeland would represent an existen- villager of Pattani, whom I interviewed a number of religious leaders in the
tial threat. Insurgent and Malay radical in August 2022 for my research proj- south and beyond who dedicate their
groups know about this sentiment, and ect on the socio-cultural decline of the lives to executing the three aforemen-
that is why they increasingly campaign Buddhist community of the deep south tioned tasks.3 To me, they are the “critical
for the liberation of Islam from Buddhist as a result of seventeen-year violence. yeast” in John Paul Lederach’s peace-
domination, along with the liberation Although most of my 73 Buddhist infor- building theory: like yeast that we add
of the Patani Sultanate from one-time mants have nothing against Islam in to the dough to make the bread rise,
Siamese (later Thai) rule. principle, they express sincerely that these leaders are crucial catalysts for
On the Thai Buddhist side, after deteriorating Buddhist-Muslim rela- social change and peaceful coexistence.
more than a decade of being the target tions need to be fixed, and promptly. In the southern Thailand context, it is
of violent attacks by insurgent groups, How can we bridge the gaps between neither easy nor safe to pursue these
the majority of Buddhists there have these two communities? Clearly we must goals. From 2004 until the present, some

8 Dharma World Spring 2023

Photos courtesy of the author

Luang Phor Muk performing a merit-making ritual at a local community in Yaring and visiting the Kuan Ran Tai community in Songkhla.

monks and imams who have acted as community, precisely because of his respective communities to make sure
a bridge between the two communities dedication to the role of peacebuilder. the villagers understood the situation.
have been attacked by insurgents. The “It is important to remind them (villag-
unlucky ones got killed in those inci- Promoting Better ers) that those incidents are created by
dents. I lost some peacebuilder monks bad actors to serve a particular agenda,
and imams in my network before. Those
Understanding within and they should not undermine the good
who still live and work hard to pro- and between Groups relations our Piyamumang ancestors
mote Buddhist-Muslim relations serve Piyaram temple, where Luang Phor have forged for decades,” said Luang
as the source of my inspiration to do Muk has served as abbot since 1989, is Phor Muk when we were on a car trip,
more for peace in the south. Ven. Prakru located in the Piyamumang area. Since with Bae Seng as our driver, to visit a
Udomdhammathorn (Pramuk Panatho) violence erupted in the deep south in Buddhist community in Songkhla. He
or Phor Than Muk, the abbot of Piyaram 2004, there have been relatively few vio- also established Piyamumang’s Peace
temple, Piyamumang, Yaring, Pattani, is lent incidents in Piyamumang compared Council in 2004 to be a local platform
one of them. His life illustrates brilliantly to other sub-districts of Yaring, Pattani. where religious leaders and key actors
the role of religion in peacebuilding. Hence, it is considered one of the most of the community can come to inter-
I first met Phor Than Muk, whom peaceful communities there. Most peo- act and proactively reduce violence and
I later would affectionately call Luang ple are curious to know: Why is there keep the community safe.
Phor (my monk father) in March of 2015, still peace in Piyamumang? And what
when we both traveled from Thailand kind of strategy do the people there use Building Peace
to attend the Buddhist-Muslim Summit in curbing the level of violence? The
organized by the International Forum first peacebuilding task of Luang Phor
through Joint Living
on Buddhist-Muslim Relations (BMF) Muk back in 2004 was his attempt to Before COVID-19 hit the world, I was
in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. As Buddhist promote better understanding among working on a project with the goal to
representatives from Religions for Peace Buddhists, and between Buddhists and restore the socioeconomic and cultural
Thailand, we both shared our southern Muslims, in Piyamumang—an effort that life of some Buddhist communities badly
experiences. I got to know about his still continues today. Whenever violence affected by violence. With the humble
works in the sharing circles. Little did I took place near Piyamumang, he would budget I received from the Swiss govern-
know, what he chose to share at the event reach out to two Muslim figures in the ment and later from Mahidol University,
was just a small part of his peacebuild- area: Mr. Samae Dorloh, Piyamumang’s I managed to locate some Buddhist com-
ing life. This kind and humble seven- sub-district chief, and Imam Yusof Wae munities that were laboring under chal-
ty-five-year-old monk who had lived in Due Rae, the latter’s childhood friend. lenging conditions and connect them with
Yaring, Pattani his whole life was one of The three would sit down together to some better-off Buddhist communities.
the most respected monks of the prov- discuss the situation. After the discus- The idea was to have the latter serve as
ince, and the pillar of Pattani’s Buddhist sion, each of them would go to their mentors for the former. Piyamumang

Dharma World Spring 2023 9

 As I reflect on my brief amateur
peacebuilder’s journey, I am increas-
ingly convinced that religious leaders
such as Luang Phor Muk serve as living
proof that religion can be a great asset,
rather than a liability, when it comes to
peacebuilding and conflict transforma-
tion. Religion and its exponents can
play a positive role in making a more
just and peaceful world. This essay of
mine may draw your attention to just
one potential of religion in peacebuild-
ing, among endless possibilities. I do
hope that if we can identify more such
opportunities and work together to pro-
mote them, religion can become a key
driver for constructive change in the
twenty-first century.   T

Notes
1. This sultanate was known in the
Arab world as Fatoni. In the fifteenth cen-
tury it was one of the most prosperous
ports located in the Malay Peninsular and
Photos courtesy of the author

Sumatran region. The wealth of this inde-

pendent state drew traders and settlers
from all over Asia and beyond, creating
a tapestry of multicultural and religious
interaction and coexistence that has been
mentioned in various accounts by west-
ern merchants and missionaries.
Phor Than Muk in some of our intrareligious and interreligious dialogues organized in Pattani 2. This is not his real name, but
to promote peace and social cohesion in the past five years. rather a pseudonym I created for this key
informant.
community was identified as one of the there are economically better off with- 3. One of the most inspiring Japanese
mentor communities, due to its vibrant out having to desert their villages to seek figures I have met is Rev. Norio Sakai,
socioeconomic scene. In 2009 Luang jobs elsewhere. This joint live/work space the former chairman of Rissho Kosei-kai
Phor Muk, knowing that poverty is one is also very much needed in violence-af- and International Trustee of Religions
of the most common problems shared by fected areas like the deep south. It makes for Peace International. Rev. Sakai, who
passed away on Christmas of 2022, came
Buddhists and Muslims in Piyamumang, the people feel closer to one another and
to Thailand on various occasions to pro-
initiated an agricultural project on the increases opportunities for regular and
mote cross-cultural understanding. I was
land belonging to Piyaram temple. This meaningful group interactions. Once the fortunate that in those trips he would
project was designed to be a joint work- relationship is built and strengthened, ask me to organize activities for Japanese
ing and living space for people of both people are likely to become comfortable youth to exchange and interact with
groups. The people of Piyamumang, irre- enough to discuss other more serious, Thai youth. He had such a strong pas-
spective of their religious affiliation, came sensitive, and complicated issues like sion for peacebuilding that I regard him
to raise cattle, grow vegetables, and make insurgency and social injustice. Today one of my mentors. I still remember his
golden line: “If people around the world
a living together. The project started as more than 70 Buddhists and Muslims of
become friends, there will be more peace,
a modest one, and with support from the Piyamumang community are work- as friends treat one another with love,
local government agencies, it gradually ing on the project, and it has expanded respect, and understanding.” Rev. Sakai’s
became one of the most successful agri- to cover the adjacent area of Nong Rat, words continue to guide us in our peace
cultural projects in Pattani. The people Yaring, as well. works and mission.

10 Dharma World Spring 2023

 FEATURES

The Role of Spirituality

and Faith in a Divided World
by Harsha Navaratne

Harsha Navaratne is a former memEer

As engaged Buddhists, we have a greater responsibility to of the Niwano Peace Pri]e &ommittee
actively reach out, network, and mobilize people in every and currently serves as the High
community. &ommissioner-designate of Sri /anka
to &anada, and the chairperson
of the International Network of
“Today, we need to address the future This kind of challenge, however, is Engaged %uddhists (INE% Executive
not with prayers prompted by fear, but only one of the many that we are fac- &ommittee. His lifelong commitment
by taking realistic action founded on ing now. When we look at the world to Euilding peaceful societies initially
scientific understanding. The inhabi- today, we see crises on a scale that we Eegan in Sri /anka and expanded
tants of our planet are interdependent never could have imagined. The gene- through the years with regional and
as never before. Everything we do affects sis of most challenges that confront us, international efforts through the arts,
our human companions, as well as innu- however, can be found in community development, inter- and intrafaith
merable animal and plant species.” life. Poverty, armed conflict, oppres- dialogue, and more.
His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s sion, and so many other human-engi-
Message to COP26, neered threats are challenging human is adversely affecting our day-to-day
October 31, 2021. dignity. Internal conflicts among ethnic lives as the power dynamic continu-
groups and communities, wars fought ally shifts at the global level between
During my childhood, our whole vil- between nations, hunger, drought, cli- superpowers such as the United States
lage community used to live as one big mate change, ocean pollution, degrad- and China, and also at the regional
family. The village temple was the cen- ing natural resources, exploitation by level—for instance, between China
tral place—the heart of community. The multilateral companies, media domi- and regional superpowers like India.
village was full of life and thrived on the nation and manipulation, citizens’ dis- The greatest contemporary example
values of coexistence, shared resources, trust of democracy, tyrannical regimes of this is the ongoing Russia-Ukraine
and solidarity. Our homes surrounded taking dominion over nations, etc., are conflict. The year-long war between
the temple where we learned to live this all contributing to the current situation. the two nations, besides resulting in a
way, and the monks were our gurus. These conditions were more recently humanitarian crisis, has created inter-
When the temple bell rang, we would exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic national economic challenges that have
all come together at the preaching hall. that generated new public health con- deeply affected both the developed and
I never saw a police officer in the vil- cerns and greater inequality through the developing world.
lage. The first time I saw one was when accelerating poverty in many parts of In order to limit the consequences
I left my village and went to a board- the world. Add to that the divisive mis- and damage wreaked by human failing,
ing school in the city. Unfortunately, as information, smear campaigns, trolling, we all need to work together in greater
time passed, politics entered the tem- and hate speech, as a result of which it is cooperation and solidarity. We need to
ples and the community started to be almost impossible to tell the difference find a path toward personal awakening
more dependent on politicians. Some between truth and falsehood. Whom to so that we can come out of our present
of the Buddhist monks who were spiri- trust and not to trust is a question that suffering—to build a culture and society
tual masters also started to follow polit- haunts our minds all the time. that leads to a safer, more harmonious,
ical trends, rather than their faith and Meanwhile, the constant and unend- happier, and greener world. We need
value system. ing interplay between geopolitical forces to act and recognize the importance of

Dharma World Spring 2023 11

 social change lost their lives in the pro-
cess. Some of them were even labeled as
terrorists by the ruling regimes, though
considered heroes by the common peo-
ple. Ironically, heroism and politics in
my country, as in any other country, are
such that a person can be called either a
hero or a terrorist depending on where
your social and political sympathies lie.
This may not necessarily be based on
facts or justifiable reasoning. Under the
guise of democracy, political parties cre-
ate divisions and destroy the very fab-
ric of moral values and ethics. They are
responsible for pushing a country into
desperate conditions resulting in eco-
nomic crisis and continuous suffering.
Villages and local communities rep-

Photo: AFP / AFLO

resent the microcosm of what is taking
place in Sri Lanka and around the world.
Today, we live in a society in which many
of us are contradicting and violating its
Ukrainian servicemen fire with a 105mm howitzer toward Russian positions near the city of spiritual teachings and moral founda-
Bakhmut, on March 8, 2023, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
tion. The crisis has expanded from the
community to the national and regional
humanity’s sense of oneness, our inter- I’m sure that if values had been levels. This has created a huge challenge
connectedness that links everyone— retained at the local level and contin- for civil society activists and truly com-
indeed, every sentient being—as a part ually applied to changing contexts, then mitted social movements in countries
of the whole. But if we want to make all these problems would not have arisen, like ours. People are moving away from
this a reality and take ownership of our or at least would not have become so moral and ethical values in their search
common future, we will need to follow entrenched. This is where the role of the for quick fixes and easy answers. If we
the path of spirituality. Dharma comes in. Unfortunately, Lord had remained true to our values at the
Undoubtedly, we as human beings Buddha’s teachings, which promoted micro level and continued living that
are responsible for creating these issues. unity and oneness within one’s village, way, things would not have devolved
It is therefore also our responsibility to society, and country, have started to be to this degree.
confront and address them. It is time ignored. When society began to divide It is important to seek the best meth-
we come together at the global level to itself by ethnicity, religion, and political ods to practice what we preach and live
commit ourselves to understanding and beliefs, disaster after disaster followed. our values, which will stimulate social
addressing them, and then finding solu- The more humankind has moved away awakening. Do our politicians, spiritual
tions that will bring future benefits. This from the Dharma, the more these prob- leaders, and do-gooders always practice
journey must begin at the micro level, lems have increased. what they preach? It’s hard to answer
where we can individually find answers I have spent the last forty-five years “Yes” to that question. Sometimes those
to these problems and then relay these of my life as a development practitioner. who are regarded as gurus, preaching
answers to the greater society, thus cre- My journey began as a volunteer in a vil- to a large group, are also responsible
ating hope for the future. lage in Sri Lanka, bordering a jungle, far for breaking up society and contribut-
Many people ask me, “How is it pos- from the city. During my time as a devel- ing to ongoing negative trends through
sible for Sri Lanka, a predominantly opment worker in my country, I have their teachings. It is, in fact, a real chal-
Buddhist country, to go through such witnessed tragedy after tragedy, whether lenge these days to identify authentic,
violent upheavals, again and again?” I caused by humans or by natural forces. I sincere, and truthful leaders. So, what
have often asked myself that same dif- have experienced the loss of friends and should be the role of a true leader of
ficult question. colleagues, who while seeking to make the people?

12 Dharma World Spring 2023

 A true leader needs to be one hun-
dred percent committed to the com-
mon good and must advance slowly but
surely toward social and national goals,
based on his or her values. They need
to move forward with like-minded peo-
ple, with a shared understanding, with a
clear worldview, and with the right atti-
tude. Great importance must be given
to setting long-term goals and having
the readiness to face challenges, all the
while remembering that it will be a long
haul. In order to be an example and role
model to others, leaders must also be
prepared to practice what they preach.
As activists too, we need to under-
stand the challenges we face, discuss
Photo: REUTERS / AFLO

them, and continuously share our

findings with our peers. I come from a
country where bad planning, misman-
agement, corruption, and huge debt
brought the economy to its knees. This,
along with complicated social issues, Demonstrators representing four religions of Hinduism, Islam, Christianity, and Buddhism take
part in a protest against Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, outside the Presidential
has driven the country almost to bank-
Secretariat, amid the country's economic crisis, in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on April 18, 2022.
ruptcy, which has resulted in increased
human suffering. Today people are on These collaborations across religious our respective countries’ past, present,
the streets asking for systemic change— groups are also critical to the viability and future. This includes mainstream-
calling upon policymakers to plan and and sustainability of social movements. ing INEB’s values and putting those val-
implement comprehensive reform pro- The unique contribution made to soci- ues into practice to benefit society as
grams, including the democratization ety by religious and faith-based groups, a whole. The vibrancy and strength of
of unjust social structures. besides being a cultural resource, is a engaged Buddhists are based in essential
Many do not understand that the source of moral and ethical legitimacy relationships between kalayanamitta, or
last seventy-four years of party-based and clarity. Intra- and inter-religious spiritual friends. Such relationships have
politics are responsible for the present dialogue helps us find common ground the ability to transcend many obstacles
situation in Sri Lanka. Doing away with and lends credibility while address- and accomplish great things together.
the Democratic parliamentary system ing larger issues faced by communi- As engaged Buddhists, we have a
and adopting a centralized executive ties, which can then gain momentum greater responsibility to actively reach
presidency in which the majority leaned and inspire similar dialogue beyond out, network, and mobilize people in
toward nationalism—while ignoring the local context. every community. Let us join hands in
the needs and voices of minorities— So let us face these challenges friendship. As kalayanamitta, we can
has seriously damaged the country’s together by building communities that confront these divisive social issues
vibrant social fabric. As social activists, are resilient in all ways by developing together.
therefore, we demand the decentraliza- inclusive, participatory models for eco- As Thich Nhat Hanh said, “Even the
tion of executive presidential powers, as nomic growth, and by embracing equal- most painful and violent experiences of
well as essential constitutional changes ity for all. This will require bold political life demand our full attention. When we
based on legitimate governance for the leadership committed to real change, are attentive to our own suffering, we
common good. which can only be attained through will know that of others. That knowl-
Now is the time for inter-religious inclusive development and peace. edge can help break cycles of suffering
and intra-religious groups to collabo- A community such as ours—that is, and violence in the world around us.”
rate on preventing conflict and violence the International Network of Engaged In essence, he teaches us to live in peace
through joint peacebuilding initiatives. Buddhists (INEB)—needs to look at and mindfulness.   T

Dharma World Spring 2023 13

 FEATURES

The Concept of Religion and

the Challenges of World Peace
by Michael Berman

My point here is not to draw lines

of division between religions. Rather,
“Religion” and “world peace” [are often] put in the same
it is to demonstrate that the fact that
sentence, despite religions frequently contributing to warfare.
people work to find similarities or traits
that unify religions suggests that reli-
gion is not a simple category. The dif-
It is easy to find praise and encourage- different things to different people. The ference here is not between Eastern and
ment for the active role of religion in definitions that people give or live by Western religions, but rather between
the pursuit of world peace, as there is rely partially on their own experience, very different traditions that get grouped
much evidence that religion can have their intended audience, and what it is together under different-sized umbrellas.
a positive effect on people’s lives. The they hope to achieve. For example, a Of course, what falls under an umbrella
pages of this magazine provide count- religious professional such as a priest, is not the same as the umbrella itself. In
less examples of the ways in which reli- monk, or rabbi might define religion other words, “religion” is something dif-
gious cooperation and dialogue have differently from a politician, a profes- ferent from the traditions that we now
the potential to improve the world. In sor, or an activist (even though some- treat as religions. Additionally, more
the previous Autumn 2022 issue alone, times these roles overlap). than in the case of an umbrella, the cat-
there are multiple passionate, learned Moreover, what religion is has egory of religion changes that which
articles stating what religious leaders changed over time. The category of reli- falls under it. When someone acts as
should do to contribute to peace. gion—as opposed to the traditions that a “religious professional” in a public
However, it is questionable whether we now think of as religions—is quite space instead of as a “Buddhist priest,”
improvement is spurred by direct praise; new in many parts of the world. Only for example, they tend to be doing dif-
nor does it always come through calls to since World War II has it been possible ferent work that benefits people but
action. Sometimes, movements toward to talk about something called Buddhism might not help maintain their temples
some telos, such as peace or justice, come and something called Shinto as exam- (Berman 2018).
through critiques of that very telos. In ples of the same thing called religion.
this essay, I offer a critical account of Notably, even now, some nationalists So why does this matter? It matters
the relationship between religion and in Japan do not recognize Shinto as a because categories and concepts are not
world peace. I do so not to criticize in religion. Regardless, we could choose simply definitions written in books. As
a way aimed at stopping the pursuit of other traditions—even ones that are his- scholars such as Bertell Ollman (1976)
peace. Rather, I do so in hopes of bol- torically derived from each other—and and Derek Sayer (1987), following Marx,
stering those efforts by highlighting say the same thing: Surely, Judaism or have argued, categories arise from and
ways that ideas about “religion” and Islam have a different set of beliefs and affect what people do. Categories are
“peace” might ironically get in the way practices from Christianity, for exam- thus practical. For example, whether a
of accomplishing world peace. ple, sometimes to the point of making given tradition is categorized as a reli-
But first, perhaps it is necessary to them hardly recognizable as belonging gion can determine its legal freedoms,
ask, What is religion? The answer to to the same category (Abrahamic reli- prohibitions, and general constraints.
this question is not as simple as it may gions). After all, is prohibiting certain The definition of religion affects pub-
seem, and many conversations about foods, an important part of Jewish and lic ceremonies, tax codes, speech, and
religion never actually define their basic Muslim life, really similar to believing which organization can participate in
terms. In practice, “religion” can mean that Christ died for one’s sins? state functions.

14 Dharma World Spring 2023

 Michael %erman is Postdoctoral )ellow in International Humanities in /anguage
and Health in the Department of Anthropology and the &ogut Institute for the
Humanities at Brown University. His research focuses on how different forms
of care and listening constitute modes of governance. He has written several
articles on the relation of secularism, compassion, and alienation, and is
currently pursuing research on the state as listener, and the interaction Eetween
world peace and local welfare.

It affects individuals, too. The dif-

ference between how people feel when
they are being religious, working, or
following the law might seem obvi-
ous. Likewise, depending on where
we live, it may be easy to take dis-
tinctions between religion, the econ-
omy, and politics as a simple matter
of fact. However, throughout history,
certain religious activities have been
(and continue to be) identical to those
of daily life, the economy, and the
law. In a way, where there is no legal
Photo: REUTERS / AFLO

and/or conceptual separation between

those facets of life, the secular con-
cept of religion does not exist. That
is because, to some degree, in liberal
democracies, religion is popularly
and legally defined in contrast to the City officials and Buddhist monks pray together for the victims of the March 11 earthquake
economic and the political. and tsunami at a temporary mass grave site in Higashi Matsushima City, northeastern Japan
on March 22, 2011. The author writes, “The definition of religion affects public ceremonies, tax
This is important for several reasons.
codes, speech, and which organization can participate in state functions.”
For one, when religion is defined this
way, it tends not to be an integral part religion—as distinct from specific tra- colonialism—systems on which capi-
of governance or a truth backed by the ditions that we now call religions— talism has capitalized.
violence of the state. It becomes instead people’s orientation toward things like With the loss of certain types of gov-
a matter of individual belief. As men- suffering, discipline, history, and truth ernmental power, and with the rise in
tioned above, that in part is why nation- has changed (Asad 2009). People’s ways prominence of the category of religion,
alists in Japan do not consider Shinto of living and justifying what they do religious traditions in some parts of the
to be a religion. Historically, the gen- have changed. Importantly, these kinds world have also changed their focus. As
eral category of religion has also been of changes have been an important part Marx wrote in his “Contribution to the
based on Christian conceptualizations of the global distribution of suffering, Critique of Hegel’s Philosophy of Right,”
of what that means, so creating laws care, and neglect. For example, global religion became the “heart of a heartless
related to the “freedom of religion” in capitalism does not include consider- world.” There are several ways to inter-
places like Japan, for example, has been a ations for people’s souls, redemption, pret this, particularly when considering
part of efforts by some nations to spread or enlightenment when calculating that Marx also wrote that religion deals
Christianity (Thomas 2019). costs and profits. The considerations with suffering in a way that obscures
The effects of defining religion as for who is fully human, and the justi- the social and historical causes of that
separate from the state and the econ- fications for exploitation and mistreat- suffering. What I would suggest here,
omy go beyond legal frameworks. ment are thus partially different from however, is that the category of reli-
With the creation of something called what they were under imperialism and gion had come to be associated with

Dharma World Spring 2023 15

all that “capitalism” and “the govern- Organizational Even when religious organizations are
ment” were not associated with, includ- Sustainability and not acting at the behest of a national
ing care. To be clear, I am not saying that government and are not limited geo-
this is necessarily what religion is, let
Soft Power graphically to a single nation-state,
alone what any specific tradition is. In Culture is an important aspect of inter- the ways that the representatives of
actuality, religions are still involved in national politics. As the political sci- any religious organization conceptu-
governance, economics, etc. However, entist Joseph Nye (2004) has written, alize and strive for peace are neces-
a socially determined understanding of “Parents of teenagers know that if they sarily partial, in the sense that they
religion as something like the “heart of have structured their children’s beliefs are incomplete and politically situ-
a heartless world” is a part of the reason and preferences, their power will be ated. Moreover, just as religion has
that “religion” and “world peace” could greater . . . than if they had relied only been used to propagate the power of
be put in the same sentence, despite reli- on active control. Similarly, political the U.S. and of Christianity, the con-
gions frequently contributing to war- leaders and philosophers have long cepts that religious people use in the
fare now and in the past. understood the power that comes from pursuit of peace can partially enact
Being conceptually associated with setting the agenda and determining and spread governmental frameworks,
things like the heart, compassion, and the framework of a debate” (56). He even unintentionally.
peace in some ways makes members of calls this type of power “soft power.”
the category of religion ideal participants Unlike “hard power,” which is based The Relationship
in the pursuit of world peace. However, on military strength and is funded
might the ways in which religion and by nation-states, the sources of soft
between Peace and
world peace are thought about and pur- power are very diverse. Religions, as Violence
sued ironically impede religious tradi- well as NGOs affiliated with or funded The close relationship between soft and
tions from thriving and world peace by them, have been a significant com- hard power is related to a blurry line,
from being achieved? ponent of soft power. This presents reli- with long philosophical and religious
In the remainder of this essay, I gious organizations with two challenges. roots, about whether violence can ever
would like to propose three specific The first is organizational stability and be justified. Different religious tradi-
topics affected by the concept of reli- sustainability. In my research, I have tions have different stances on violence.
gion in ways that might obscure con- seen that religious organizations are For example, the principle of ahimsa,
tradictions in pursuits of world peace: often deeply invested in compassionate or doing no harm to living beings, is
organizational stability and “soft power”; projects and work toward world peace. common among Hinduism, Jainism,
the relationship between peace and vio- Sometimes this leads them to be less and Buddhism. In comparison, G-d’s
lence; and gender inequality within cor- concerned about the financial costs violence is foundational to the Bible,
porate structure. Again, my goal is not or ROI of such efforts. This is admi- shared by the Abrahamic traditions,
to discourage such work, but rather to rable. It is also related to the concep- which have also contributed much to
encourage consideration of the ways in tualization of religion as the heart of a “just war theory.” Moreover, while the
which people do such work, the types heartless world. However, when govern- secular concept of religion removes it
of issues they identify as problems, ments rely on religious organizations from the state, historically, different
and the location of those problems. and NGOs to provide social services relations between governments and
Moreover, what I point out will not and to spread soft power, the financial religions have had a significant effect
be equally applicable to all religious burdens of such work can take a toll on religious stances on violence. Thus,
groups working toward peace. After on smaller religious organizations— despite the principle of ahimsa, it is
all, as discussed above, the actuality of including individual churches, temples, well-known that Zen Buddhism in Japan
religion is that it is incredibly diverse, etc.—and religions without long his- was closely related to warfare, both in
including groups with very different tories of association with state power. the times of the samurai and in mod-
histories and relationships with power. The other challenge is dealing with ern Japan.
Moreover, peace, too, is a messy pro- the potential implications of exercis- In any case, the pursuit of peace
cess, and people living in war zones ing soft power. Peace is not always is not simply devoid of violence. In
might have a very different orientation accomplished in ways that are just. the most egregious cases, the main-
toward peace than people looking on Some interests are served more than tenance, creation, or spread of peace
from afar, even if they share the same others. That goes for religious organi- is used as a justification for real vio-
religious proclivities. zations as much as for anything else. lence. In many other cases, as we can

16 Dharma World Spring 2023

 The problem here is not simply that
there is a hierarchy, but that the hierar-
chy carries with it prejudices that lead to
injustices. Those injustices are not lim-
ited to the fact of inequality but can also
include violence. The prevalence of sex-
ual violence not only as a reprehensible
aspect of warfare but also of daily life
suggests that peace cannot be achieved
without transforming the organizational
structures that maintain gendered hier-
archies. Though this is just one example
Photo: AAP / AFLO

among many, it is nonetheless impor-

tant and, I hope, demonstrates the use-
fulness of thinking about religion and
world peace in ways that are not bound
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese participates in the forty-fifth annual Gay and by facile conceptual frameworks. T
Lesbian Mardi Gras parade on Oxford Street in Sydney, Saturday, February 25, 2023.
Works Cited:
see with increasing military budgets Gender Inequality and
in countries that are already heavily Corporate Structure Asad, Talal. 2009. Genealogies of Religion:
armed, the potential for violence is Discipline and Reasons of Power in
presented as a necessary condition An example of a messier understand- Christianity and Islam. Johns Hopkins
for peace. When concerns shift from ing could start with the conceptual University Press.
war to broader definitions of violence, division between religion, the state, Berman, Michael. 2018. “Religion
which might include social-structural and the economy. In some places and Overcoming Religions: Suffering,
Secularism, and the Training
injustices that slowly kill portions of in some situations, it might even be
of Interfaith Chaplains in
a population based on race, class, or possible to think about these things as Japan.”American Ethnologist, Volume
caste, then considerations about the antithetical to one another. However, 45, pages 228–240, https://doi
means of achieving peace also change. as Levi McLaughlin, Aike Rots, Jolyon .org/10.1111/amet.12634
Is maintaining the status quo, which Thomas, and Chika Watanabe (2020) McLaughlin, Levi, Aike P. Rots, Jolyon
in some parts of the world is taken as have recently argued, the corporate Baraka Thomas, and Chika Watanabe.
a state of peacefulness, itself neces- form—that is, the ways in which a col- 2020. “Why Scholars of Religion
Must Investigate the Corporate
sarily a violent endeavor? Conversely, lective is organized—can unify what
Form.” Journal of the American
do redistributions of power, which are are frequently thought of as different Academy of Religion, Volume 88,
necessary to maintain the dignity of aspects of life or society. It is not uncom- Issue 3, September 2020, pages 693–
all lives as equally important, entail mon for businesses to be structured in 725, https://doi.org/10.1093/jaarel
some sort of violence? Finally, from the same way as religions, or vice versa. /lfaa041
which vantage points do complex rela- The organization of those, in turn, can Nye Jr, Joseph S. 2004. Power in the
Global Information Age: From Realism
tionships between violence, peace, and resemble the state or the ideals of the
to Globalization. London: Taylor &
religion become visible? For example, state. Simple resemblance is not nec-
Francis Group.
if religious activities sometimes serve essarily a problem, but there are ways Ollman, Bertell. 1976. Alienation: Marx’s
as soft power, do they indirectly jus- that resemblance in form can create Conception of Man in Capitalist
tify the historical violence that gives and exacerbate inequalities and injus- Society. Cambridge University Press.
different populations varying levels of tices. One example of this that seems Sayer, Derek. 1987. The Violence of
social mobility? Such questions exceed quite prevalent among religious tradi- Abstraction: the Analytic Foundations
of Historical Materialism. Oxford,
the conceptualization of either peace tions is gender inequality. Sometimes,
UK: B. Blackwell.
or religion, and push toward messier gender inequality is partially written Thomas, Jolyon Baraka. 2019. Faking
understandings of the world that do into scripture, but even when it is not, Liberties: Religious Freedom in
not distinguish between things that it can appear in the structure of reli- American-Occupied Japan. The
might at first appear to be opposites. gious organizations. University of Chicago Press.

Dharma World Spring 2023 17

 NIWANO PEACE PRIZE

The Fortieth Niwano Peace Prize Awarded

to Mr. Rajagopal P. V. of India

The Niwano Peace Foundation announced the selection of Mr. Rajagopal P. V. of India as the
2023 recipient of the Niwano Peace Prize, in recognition of his lifelong work in the service of
justice and peace through nonviolent methods, and his commitment to care for the environment.
The reason for selection issued by Dr. Flaminia Giovanelli, chair of the Niwano Peace Prize
Committee, follows.

On behalf of the Niwano Peace Prize Rajagopal’s activities. Being a Gandhian himself stated, “it was a long journey,
Committee I am honored to announce in thinking and action, he strongly in terms of trying to find what I really
that the fortieth Niwano Peace Prize believes in a journey of social action wanted to do.”
will be awarded to Mr. Rajagopal P. V. that starts from an “inner transforma- What he wanted to do became clear
of India in recognition of his extraordi- tion” and expands to the outer world. at the beginning of the 1970s when he
nary work in the service of Justice and This spirituality is matched by Mr. moved to the Chambal district of Madhya
Peace. His actions in favor of the poor- Rajagopal’s very remarkable organiza- Pradesh. There he found endemic vio-
est and most marginalized of his coun- tional skills as evidenced by the tran- lence, the consequence of injustices
try, carried out through peaceful and sition from action carried out in small and wrongs suffered by the population
nonviolent methods, and his struggle groups and self-help organizations to which had resulted in the growth of
for the recognition of the equal human the creation of large movements such gangs (“dacoits”). Mr. Rajagopal along
dignity and equal rights of every man as Ekta Parishad, which has an active with other senior Gandhian leaders,
and woman, irrespective of caste or gen- membership of 250,000 landless poor became a peacemaker, obtaining the
der, inspires great admiration. His par- and is capable of mobilizing thousands surrender and even the rehabilitation
ticular accomplishments that garner of participants in national and interna- of the dacoits. This courageous initia-
the highest esteem include negotiat- tional marches to call attention to the tive paved the way for another of great
ing the surrender and facilitating the important problems of our time. Mr. significance that developed during the
rehabilitation of gangs, the education Rajagopal’s biography and curriculum 1980s: the organization of regional and
of young people in the service of the vitae is so rich that one can go over it national youth training programs to pro-
poor, and, well aware that the primary only in outlines. The child of a Gandhian mote the concept of non-violent action
needs of the poor are water, land, and family, he was born on June 6, 1948 in for social change.
forests, his commitment to care for the Kerala State, South India. He uses only Mr. Rajagopal’s commitment to jus-
environment. Mr. Rajagopal’s work for his first name in public to avoid being tice and peace in this twenty-year period
justice is also carried forward through associated with the phenomenon of culminated in the establishment of Ekta
dialogue with institutions with a view caste, which is a clear sign of his vision Parishad (Unity Forum) as an umbrella
to counteracting the phenomenon of of human equality. He first obtained mass-organization with the mission of
land grabbing, and obtaining, through diploma in traditional art and music non-violent activism for securing land
appropriate land reform, the redistri- from a reputed organization in Kerala, and livelihood rights for marginalized
bution of land and the assignment of and afterwards a diploma in Agricultural communities. Thanks to Ekta Parishad,
land ownership. Engineering in a Nai Talim system of Mr. Rajagopal’s social activism has taken
The means and meaning of spiri- education, the Gandhian method of on a greater national and international
tuality are deeply rooted in all of Mr. “education for life.” As Mr. Rajagopal visibility through successful land rights

18 Dharma World Spring 2023

 protest for their rights, without distinc-
tion of religion. The movement’s pro-
test demonstrations take place with the
side-by-side participation of peasants
of all religious beliefs.
The great movement originated by
Mr. Rajagopal’s efforts has for years tran-
scended the borders of his great coun-
try, India, as evidenced, for example,
by the influence of Ekta Parishad on
Photo: © Ekta Parishad

other continents such as Europe, and

the international resonance of the Jai
Jagat campaign. The United Nations
is also on Mr. Rajagopal’s horizon. He
Mr. Rajagopal P. V., founder of Ekta Parishad.
would like to have this leading interna-
tional body as an ally in his quest for
marches with the participation of thou- Mr. Rajagopal’s nonviolent social action what he calls “a nonviolent economy.”
sands of people. Overall, the movement has also led him to be a man of dialogue Finally, we think it is highly signifi-
with the collaboration of other groups, with institutions, holding official posi- cant to award Mr. Rajagopal the fortieth
secured land rights for nearly 500,000 tions such as Enquiry Commissioner of Niwano Peace Prize in 2023 in the after-
families, negotiated a “Forest Rights the Supreme Court on Bonded Labour, math of the COVID-19 pandemic that
Act” in 2006–2007, organized highly and a member of the National Council highlighted a downside of our intercon-
attended marches in 2007 and 2012, and for Land Reform. His goal is the creation nected world and forced us to rethink
a new land reform policy was agreed to of a ministry and budget for peace and globalization. His social activism, while
by the central government and the state nonviolence. “If you are spending so addressing the most salient issues of the
governments of Madhya Pradesh and much money on war, the military, and globalized world, utilizes a closeness to
Chhattisgarh. The last and more vision- police, why can’t you spend some money the land and the people, and recovers a
ary march through ten countries, from on peace and nonviolence?” he asks. place for ethics and justice in develop-
Delhi to the United Nations headquar- The inter-religious essence of Mr. ment. Mr. Rajagopal ultimately reclaims
ters in Geneva (Switzerland), planned Rajagopal’s activism is in bringing for the people a way of development that
to last a whole year (October 2019 to together the poor, united in nonviolent is sustainable and humane T
October 2020), couldn’t be completed
because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Ekta Parishad activists and volunteers,
more than 2,000 in number, reacted to
the challenge of COVID-19 by deliv-
ering home care and health interven-
tions in many Indian rural regions to
fight the pandemic.
Mr. Rajagopal’s roots in Gandhian
spirituality and philosophy made it
natural for him to serve within insti-
tutions that maintain the Mahatma’s
memory by applying his principles. In
Photo: © Ekta Parishad

1972 he was Secretary of the Mahatma

Gandhi Seva Ashram, in 2005 he was
elected Vice-Chairman of the Gandhi
Peace Foundation, and today he con-
tinues to be the Managing Trustee of Throughout the year of 2011, many members of Ekta Parishad continued to tour across India
the International Gandhian Initiative on foot or by car to invite people to join their “March for Justice,” which was scheduled to be
for Nonviolence and Peace (IGINP). held in October 2012.

Dharma World Spring 2023 19

 REFLECTIONS

The Body and the Mind

Are Deeply Connected
by Nichiko Niwano

In recent years, I think that many peo- of self-improvement but lose your men- Nichiko Niwano is president of
ple are staying home more often and not tal vitality, which will, in turn, affect Rissho Kosei-kai and an honorary
getting enough exercise. If you do not you physically. president of Religions for Peace.
walk regularly, the muscles in your legs What is important then for main- He also serves as an advisor to
weaken so that even a short walk might taining a stimulated, active mind that Shinshuren (Federation of New
make you tired, and then you become enjoys self-improvement, even when Religious 2rgani]ations of Japan .
even less willing to go out. we are preoccupied with trivial, mun-
Regarding muscles, it is reported that dane matters? Yasuoka offers the fol- considerate of the people you come in
people with greater muscle mass live lowing three principles. contact with in your daily life, as well as
longer. We could say this is due to the practicing putting other people first while
relationship between muscles, immu- “The Three Principles aiming to benefit them and bring them
nity, blood sugar level, and so forth. happiness. However, from our point of
However, I am also experiencing the
of Good Health” view, those who have cultivated these
decline of muscle strength that comes The first of these principles is to “always three things in their minds are called
with aging, so in order to stay healthy, I keep the god of happiness in your mind.” bodhisattvas, aren’t they?
continue to take an hour-long daily walk, The god of happiness is the most authen- Incidentally, I first became interested
unless it is a scorching summer’s day. tic mind. In other words, this means in health in 1960, when I found, in a used
Considering what else is indispensable always keeping happiness present in your bookstore in Kanda, a book titled Nishi
for maintaining good health though, I mind. And doesn’t that mean always shiki kenko ho (The Nishi Method of
think there is more to it than just train- accepting each and every event that Health) by Katsuzo Nishi (1884–1959).
ing the body’s muscles. unfolds before you with joy and the That was the year that Founder Niwano
The body and the mind are mutually feeling of receiving the teachings of the made me president-designate. Thinking
inseparable. Indeed, the functioning of the Buddha? Even when we are suffering, by back on it now, at age twenty-two I was
mind affects the body, so it is important positively accepting the reality before filled with anxiety, so perhaps it was my
that we give our “mental muscles” a daily us and asking ourselves “What is the instinctual reaction to try to keep my
workout with inspiration and stimulation, Buddha teaching me now?” we realize body and mind in harmony and main-
always keeping them active in order to that beyond suffering there is the light tain my physical health in order to sup-
build up a constitution that is resistant to of liberation, and our minds continue press that mental anxiety.
both mental and physical decline and ill- to evolve and refine themselves. Thanks to all of you, this month that
ness. That way, we can always enjoy good The second principle for preventing anxious young man will turn eighty-
health. Masahiro Yasuoka (1898–1983), the decline of your mental muscles is to five years old, and Rissho Kosei-kai
whose writings have influenced me for “constantly keep thoughts of gratitude will also mark its eighty-fifth anniver-
a long time, also says that the cause of in your mind.” It is certainly true that sary. Although we have not yet exited
poor health and senility is more in the every time we think of gratitude and the long tunnel of the COVID-19 pan-
mind than in the body. say the words “thank you” they bring demic, let’s definitely share with the
In particular, if you lose interest in us fresh inspiration. people close to us the blessings of the
things other than your private affairs The third is to “always aspire to be wondrous Dharma—which itself can be
and mundane daily routine, or become quietly virtuous.” In reality, this is not called a method of maintaining men-
obsessed with trivial things, you will no limited to doing good deeds unknown tal health—and together build healthy
longer experience the joy and stimulation to other people; it also includes being and dynamic families and societies. T

20 Dharma World Spring 2023

 ESSAY

What Is Esoteric Buddhism?

by Michihiko Komine

Michihiko Komine is elder of Kan]ǀ’in

Esoteric Buddhism undertakes religious practice to attain in Tokyo, a temple Eelonging to the
enlightenment, aiming at achieving buddhahood in this very &hisan Eranch of the Shingon sect of
lifetime. Japanese Buddhism. His special ¿elds
are early MahƗyƗna Buddhism and
the Shingon Buddhist doctrine. He
Esoteric Buddhism has sometimes been look at esoteric Buddhism from a per- is the author of numerous Eooks on
regarded with suspicion as an unscien- spective different from the conventional esoteric Buddhist paintings.
tific religion because of its strong mag- understanding of Buddhism.
ical and mystical aspects, such as the This does not mean that esoteric The Three Turnings of
goma fire ritual, and because its doctrine Buddhism is in any way heretical. It is the Dharma Wheel
is presented through mandalas, prefer- rather a continuation of the orthodox
ring the use of mantras and dharani over line of Buddhism—a development of new To this end, I believe it’s important
everyday language. These are just two of doctrines and practices that go beyond to look at the long historical devel-
the many lines of distinction between Mahāyāna Buddhism. To explain this opment of Buddhism in terms of the
esoteric Buddhism and Buddhism at point, in this essay I will re-examine three turnings of the Dharma wheel.
large. Therefore, although it belongs to the significance of esoteric Buddhism Needless to say, the first turning was
Buddhism as a whole, it is necessary to and describe it as clearly as possible. when Śākyamuni Buddha first taught
Buddhism in Deer Park near Varanasi,
India, and those teachings were suc-
ceeded by and developed as Abhidharma
Buddhism. The second turning, which
marked a major shift in Buddhism, was
the rise of Mahāyāna around the begin-
ning of the Common Era, its doctrinal
base being the Perfection of Wisdom
(Prajñāpāramitā) sutras. There is an
awareness in them that they represent
this second turning: Chapter 43 of the
Photo: A. Abbs / Magnum Photos / AFLO

Sutra of the Perfection of Wisdom in

18,000 Lines states, “We in Jambudvīpa
have seen the second turning of the
Dharma wheel.” Mahāyāna Buddhism
subsequently took center stage and
Buddhism developed widely, but in the
seventh century, esoteric Buddhism
emerged with the Mahāvairocana and
At dawn on January 1, 2010, a Buddhist monk performs a goma ceremony before the main Diamond Sutras. Although some see
altar of Sanbōin, a temple of the Kōyasan Shingon sect of Japanese Buddhism on Mount Kōya, this esoteric Buddhism as late Mahāyāna
Wakayama Prefecture. Buddhism, it is in fact qualitatively

Dharma World Spring 2023 21

different from Mahāyāna, considering
its content and distinctiveness. Therefore,
I position esoteric Buddhism as the third
turning of the Dharma wheel.
Of course, there is another view of
the third turning. This is based on the
statement in the fifth chapter of the
Sa˳dhinirmocana-sūtra: “Now, in the
course of the three periods, the World-

Photo: Nicolas Datiche / AFLO

Honored One has, for the sake of all
those rightly moving toward the One
Vehicle, turned the wheel of the true
Dharma, speaking of the emptiness
of the dharmas, their non-arising and
non-extinction, inherent tranquility,
innate nirvana, and non-substantiality.” A wooden box in which the food for Kūkai is put is carried by three Buddhist monks. At 6:00
This description of the wheel of the true and 10:30 AM every day, a team of three monks brings the meals to Kūkai, who is believed to
be still deep in meditation at the Okunoin, which means “temple at the end” and refers to his
Dharma is called the “ranking of the
mausoleum, on Mount Kōya.
teachings according to the three periods,”
and some commentators have postulated on Mahāvairocana, in contrast to the buddhahood, but take it upon them-
that the Sa˳dhinirmocana-sūtra was its profound perfection of wisdom set out selves to remain unenlightened.
third turning. For example, Paramārtha in the Perfection of Wisdom sutras. Just Esoteric Buddhism, on the other
(499–569) and Xuanzang (602–64) pro- as those sutras led to the Mahāyāna hand, undertakes religious practice to
posed based on that sutra that the first movement, the Mahāvairocana Sutra attain enlightenment, aiming at achiev-
period, taught by Śākyamuni, be called developed its own esoteric movement. ing buddhahood in this very lifetime.
the “turning of the Dharma wheel,” that Mahāyāna Buddhism holds that enlight-
the second period of the Perfection of Characteristics of enment is beyond language and intel-
Wisdom sutras be called “illuminating lection—that it’s beyond the reach of
the Dharma wheel,” and that the third
Esoteric Buddhism the mind and cannot be described in
period of the Sa˳dhinirmocana-sūtra be While the Mahāyāna doctrines of Tiantai words. Esoteric Buddhism, however, sug-
called “maintaining the Dharma wheel.” (Jpn., Tendai), Pure Land (Jpn., Jōdo), gests that enlightenment can be attained
However, this third turning should be Faxian (Jpn., Hossō), Huayan (Jpn., through the practice of the “three mys-
seen as an extension of Mahāyāna, and Kegon), and San-lun (Jpn., Sanron) teries”—three practices to unify the
not as a new development like esoteric were established by the eminent Chinese body, speech, and mind. Specifically,
Buddhism. priests Zhiyi, Shandao, Kuiji, Fazang, the practitioner forms mudras with the
There are several major reasons for and Jizang, esoteric Buddhist doctrine in hands, recites mantras with the mouth,
positioning esoteric Buddhism as the Japan, was systematized by the Japanese and contemplates the deity with the
third turning—one of which can be seen priest Kūkai (774–835). He regarded the mind. Esoteric Buddhism differs from
in the difference in how the Buddha distinctive feature of esoteric Buddhism Mahāyāna Buddhism in this way, by
is viewed. The Perfection of Wisdom as “buddhahood in this very body” emphasizing practices that lead to attain-
sutras present the profound perfection (sokushin jōbutsu), and described the ing enlightenment.
of wisdom (prajñāpāramitā) as the new doctrinal differences between Mahāyāna
Buddha—the fundamental buddha who and esoteric Buddhism based on the Revealed and Secret
also created Śākyamuni Buddha. Esoteric theory of the mandala. Mahāyāna
Buddhism, on the other hand, while fol- Buddhism is based on the practice of
Teachings
lowing this view of the Buddha in the the Way of the Bodhisattva, whose pri- Another thing to note is that while
Perfection of Wisdom sutras, created mary purpose is specifically to save liv- Mahāyāna Buddhism emphasizes sec-
a buddha with a new personality—the ing beings in the actual world. In other tarian differences, esoteric Buddhism
Dharmakāya Mahāvairocana. words, the significance of bodhisatt- has a comprehensive perspective that
In other words, esoteric Buddhism vas lies in their activities for the bene- encompasses all of Buddhism. This is
developed a Buddhist movement based fit of others; they do not aim to attain demonstrated in the fact that its doctrine

22 Dharma World Spring 2023

is expressed in mandalas that Buddhism. The remaining seven
incorporate what amounts to minds relate to the mind that
“everything.” For example, in has established a relationship
the Womb World Mandala, with the teachings of Buddhism:
the Buddha Mahāvairocana the fourth and fifth refer to the
is placed in the center, sur- mind that has awakened to
rounded by four buddhas and Buddhism, but that lacks the
four bodhisattvas. The man- compassion to benefit others.
dala also depicts Śākyamuni The four minds from the sixth to
Source: Wikimedia Commons File: Mandala 1 detail.jpg
and his disciples, the bodhi- the ninth belong to Mahāyāna;
sattvas of Mahāyāna, and even though they strive to benefit
includes the gods of India. All living beings, they do not lead
are regarded as the manifesta- to the attainment of enlighten-
tions of Mahāvairocana. ment. It is the tenth and final
Kūkai wrote the “Secret stage that represents the very
Mandala of the Ten Mind realm of esoteric Buddhist
Abodes” (Himitsu mandara enlightenment.
jūjūshinron) based on the Kūkai regards the first nine
Womb World Mandala. In it, minds as the revealed teach-
he divided esoteric Buddhism ings and the tenth as the secret,
and general Buddhism into two The center image of the Womb World Mandala, featuring the or esoteric, teaching. There is
categories—the revealed and the central figure of Mahāvairocana surrounded by four buddhas no suggestion that the latter is
and four attendant bodhisattvas.
secret—and discussed their dif- superior or inferior to the oth-
ferences by classifying the human mind 6. “ The mind that abides in ers; Kūkai simply points out the differ-
into ten categories, beginning with the the Mahāyāna, contemplating ence between the realm of enlightenment
deluded mind and ending with the world causes”: the mind of the Hossō and the world of phenomena. This makes
of enlightenment, describing them in school that teaches the idea of sense when we consider the thought
terms of the Buddhism that existed in consciousness-only. behind the mandala. The secret teach-
Japan at the time. The ten types of mind 7. “The mind that contemplates ing is of the realm of enlightenment,
are as follows: non-substantiality”: the mind of while the revealed teachings are of the
the Sanron school that teaches the phenomenal world. In the Womb World
1. “The mind of the unenlightened Middle Way of the eightfold negation. Mandala, Mahāvairocana sits in the cen-
person like the mind of a sheep”: 8. “The mind of one who walks the ter of the hall known as the Central Dais
that is, the deluded mind of a per- single path”: the mind in accord with Eight Petals (chūdai hachiyōin), sur-
son seeking only to satisfy desires. the Tendai school that teaches the rounded by four buddhas represent-
2. “The mind of the foolish child try- One Vehicle. ing the inner reality of enlightenment
ing to keep the precepts”: the mind 9. “The mind of mutual identity and four bodhisattvas representing the
awakened to morality and ethics. without hindrance”: the mind of idea of practice toward enlightenment.
3. “The bold mind of a child”: the the Kegon school that teaches that The various bodhisattvas and deities
mind in which faith in the deities all things are without own-nature. appearing in the three zones surround-
has sprouted. 10. “The mind of mystic adorn- ing the Central Dais depict the work-
4. “The mind that believes in the ment”: the mind of esoteric Buddhist ings of Mahāvairocana in the real world.
aggregates and that there is no per- enlightenment that has perfected Kūkai’s distinction between mani-
manent ego”: the mind that has faith the practice of the three mysteries. fest and esoteric Buddhism is based on
in the teachings of the śrāvaka-yāna the representation of two realms: that of
(a follower of Hīnayāna). The first three of these are associated the inner reality of enlightenment and
5. “The mind that seeks to pull out with this world. The mind has awak- that of its workings. Esoteric Buddhism
the seeds of karma”: the mind that ened from just satisfying desires to eth- is characterized by its attempt to view
has faith in the teachings of the ics and morality, and has sprouted a human existence from a comprehen-
pratyekabuddha-yāna (the way of belief in the deities, but is concerned sive perspective, with an eye toward
the self-enlightened buddha). only with oneself, with no connection to encompassing all that exists. T

Dharma World Spring 2023 23

 RISSHO KOSEI-KAI BUDDHISM

Is the Universe Compassionate?

by Dominick Scarangello

the “ultimate reality of all things” (see

Scarangello 2021).
I am sometimes asked how exactly a universal law can be Usually, we think of universal prin-
compassionate. Doesn’t Buddhism hold that, as we can see ciples or laws as functioning mechan-
in the world around us, good causes lead to good results, and ically in a disinterested, unbiased way.
bad causes lead to bad results? The assertion that universal Gravity, for instance, works the same way
law is somehow compassionate would seem to be illogical on matter, according to the matter’s mass.
and erroneous. This is the question we’ll explore this time. Whether it is a ball thrown by an athlete
or a jogger who has stumbled, gravity
will pull both toward the ground, irre-
spective of the serious consequences for
The Law of Causation cause (Skt., pratyaya; Chn., yuan; Jpn., the unfortunate jogger. Gravity doesn’t
and Compassion en 縁), producing a third phenome- give the jogger a pass because he or she
non as a result. The Buddhist princi- is a living being who can suffer. Even
In this series, I’ve examined what the ple of “dependent origination” theorizes socially, in democratic countries, we
Buddhist traditions of the Lotus Sutra call a chain of causation by which living insist that, in principle, all people are
the “original Buddha” (Chn., benfa; Jpn., beings are born and die, and describes equal before the law. That’s why it’s said
honbutsu 本仏), first from the standpoint their moment-to-moment experience. colloquially, “If you can’t do the time,
of the history of religions (Scarangello In most standard explanations, the chain don’t do the crime.” In Buddhism too,
2019) and again from the premise that contains twelve links (twelve causes and basic principles of causation hold that
engaging with myth, metaphor, and conditions) that, when conditioned by “good causes,” that is, actions and atti-
symbolism can help people intuitively ignorance, lead to suffering, or, when tudes that are in accord with reality,
grasp profound religious assertions about conditioned by wisdom, lead to liber- lead to the good result of the absence
truth and reality (Scarangello 2022). ation and awakening. For Buddhism, of suffering, and bad causes, which is
Readers who want to learn more about “suffering,” or GX˕NKD, is not necessarily to say actions and attitudes that are not
the original Buddha are urged to look physical pain but is better understood in accord with reality, lead to suffering.
at those pieces, but to summarize, the as the mental quality of unsatisfacto- But in some kinds of Buddhism,
“original Buddha” is a religious meta- riness or “dis-ease” that we experience including the Lotus Sutra tradition, uni-
phor and symbol of the ultimate truth when life doesn’t meet our expectations versal truth—reality itself—is said to be
that permeates the universe. In a nut- or desires—when things don’t go our compassionate. The original Buddha is
shell, the most basic understanding of way. Thus, it is often said that although omnipresent, always working to lead us
this truth is causation. pain and sickness are unavoidable, we to liberation and awakening, and the
For Buddhism, causation is a uni- don’t have to suffer—that is to say, there encounters we have in our lives with
versal law that governs how everything is no need to undergo the disappoint- things and people are all taken as mes-
arises, stabilizes, changes, and extin- ment with life or anger at existence that sages from the Buddha, teaching and
guishes, finally becoming something else. wells up within us when our expecta- transforming us. But, in discursive terms,
The most basic account of causation in tions and desires are out of touch with this is essentially saying that the universal
Buddhism is that a primary cause (Skt., reality. The Lotus Sutra also introduces a law of causation, whether we conceive
hetu, Chn., yin; Jpn., in 因) encounters unique principle of causation called the of it as cause, condition, and result, the
a condition, or facilitating secondary “ten suchnesses,” which it says comprise twelve causes and conditions, or even

24 Dharma World Spring 2023

 Dominick Scarangello oEtained his PhD from the University of 9irginia in .
His interests include religion and modernity, /otus Sutra Buddhism in East Asia,
Japanese religions, esoteric Buddhism, emEodiment, and religious material
culture. Dr. Scarangello has taught at the University of 9irginia and was the
Postdoctoral Scholar in Japanese Buddhism at the University of &alifornia
(± . Presently he is the International Advisor to Rissho Kosei-kai and the
coordinator of the International /otus Sutra Seminar.

the ten suchnesses, are not impartial, such as Europe and even some parts of
disinterested laws, but compassionate. Asia. This means that those of us who
Putting aside the issue of the personify- begin studying Buddhism today con-
ing religious symbolism and metaphor front the entirety of Buddhism’s 2,500-
of the original Buddha, I am sometimes year legacy of teachings and practices,
asked how exactly a universal law can be including theories of causation, and
compassionate. Doesn’t Buddhism hold unless we have some way of sorting out
that, as we can see in the world around Buddhism’s various understandings of
us, good causes lead to good results, causation, we are likely to become very
and bad causes lead to bad results? The confused.
assertion that universal law is somehow Making sense of the diversity of
compassionate would seem to be illog- Buddhism is in fact one of the main
ical and erroneous. points at issue in the Lotus Sutra, and

Photo: Alamy / PPS

This is the question we’ll explore historically, many Buddhists have used
this time. the Lotus Sutra as a framework to bring
coherence to the “84,000 teachings”
Four Different Ways of Buddhism. One of these was Zhiyi
( 智顗 , 538–97 CE), also known as The Buddha as a young prince at the gate of
of Understanding Master Tiantai, after the mountain his father’s palace. Hanging scroll painting,
Causation in where he practiced and taught many
Mogao Caves, Dunhuang in Gansu province,
China. Eighth century. The painting depicts
Buddhism of his disciples. Zhiyi created a fourfold the young prince seeing a sick man, one of
Not unlike the world’s other major reli- typology to make sense of the many the four encounters that led him to a path of
gions, Buddhism is extremely diverse Buddhist teachings and practices that enlightenment.
and has a long history. Its teachings and had been transmitted to China. One of
practices have developed over time and Zhiyi’s criteria for sorting teachings into to the circumstances. It will also help us
through interaction with the many cul- these four categories was their theories comprehend how Lotus Sutra Buddhism
tures to which it has spread. One aspect of causation, which were also closely arrived at the conclusion that the
of Buddhism that has undergone tre- connected to the understanding of universe is a compassionate place, and
mendous development is its conception suffering and how people should practice that the functioning of causation is the
of causation. And because over time to transcend it. Depending on the text, compassionate activity of the Buddha.
Buddhists conceived of causation dif- the details of Zhiyi’s schema can become
ferently, their understanding of suffer- quite complicated, and my presentation The Four Categories of
ing and how to practice one’s response of it will necessarily be rudimentary, at
to it also differed. As Rev. Dr. Kenneth best. I believe a basic account of his four
Buddhist Teachings
Tanaka writes in a recent article for categories of Buddhist teachings is still The teachings in Zhiyi’s first category
Tricycle, for the first time in history, useful today for making sense of different look at suffering much like ordinary
all of the many types of Buddhism are conceptions of causation in Buddhism, people do—as problems that arise and
found in one place at one time—North learning how these conceptions relate exist. Spiritual practice is the work of
America (Tanaka 2021), and I think this to one another, and understanding how extinguishing suffering by removing its
also goes for other areas of the world each of them can be skillful according causes and conditions, or extinguishing

Dharma World Spring 2023 25

suffering analytically through mental instantly look past all the onion’s lay- pratyaya), or facilitating cause for suf-
exercises of logical reduction, break- ers at once to see its empty core as the fering, delusion, and defiled phenom-
ing down suffering and its causes into immanent reality of what it is. ena. For this reason, it is also said that
the things that make them up, such The third and fourth teachings “Dharma nature gives rise to all things.”
that they no longer logically exist to take a different starting point: they are In one metaphor used to conceptualize
us as substantial entities. Liberation is not world-negating in character, but this teaching, dharma nature or such-
attaining the state of the nonexistence world-affirming. To continue the anal- ness is like the placid and tranquil water
of suffering. ogy of an onion, in these teachings the of a lake—the original state of phenom-
The teachings in the second category “emptiness” at the core of the onion is ena—and our ignorance is a strong wind
go a step further by holding that suffer- also understood in a positive way: it is that churns the water, causing it to lose
ing, like anything in the world, is the the very thing that makes the onion pos- its clarity and become muddied. But,
encounter of causes and conditions, and sible. Or, compare it to an empty glass. despite the admixture of the mud, the
thus suffering and its causes are never The absence or vacuum inside it is the water remains and is never lost. For this
anything substantial, but ephemeral and very utility of the glass; it is what gives reason, it is in this category of teachings
fleeting in their essence. Suffering, and the glass its positive, affirmative qual- that we first encounter the belief that
its causes and conditions, never truly ities to do something in the world: to all beings have buddha nature.
arise as substantial existences in the accept, hold, and store liquids. What For readers familiar with the
first place. The things in life that vex was formerly seen as emptiness is now Threefold Lotus Sutra, this understand-
us only have the power we ourselves also seen as an affordance; the space ing of “emptiness” as also being a well-
give them by not seeing them as they within the glass is not just something spring for existence should ring a bell. In
really are in their essence. When we look negative, but instead the very source the Sutra of Innumerable Meanings, the
through their forms or appearances to of all it can do. What was the empti- “opening” sutra of the Threefold Lotus
their very essence, we see only chime- ness of phenomena is, in these teach- Sutra and a kind of preface to the Lotus
ras and mirages. They are, just as they ings, also a storehouse of merits and Sutra proper, Shakyamuni Buddha tells
are, “empty” of substantial existence, infinite possibility. the assembly that the “innumerable
and when we perceive them directly In the various explanations of the meanings arise from the One Dharma,
as such illusions or daydreams, they teachings in the third category, igno- and this One Dharma is, namely, the
lose their power over us. And in terms rance encounters “dharma nature” (Skt. state of having no attributes” (Rissho
of causation, because suffering and its dharmatā; Chn., faxing 法性;) or “such- Kosei-kai 2019, 14). The state of having
causes never truly arise as substantial ness” (Skt., tathatā; Chn., zhenru真如), no attributes—what we could call emp-
things in the first place, we don’t have giving rise to everything that exists. tiness or dharma nature—is the “One
to extinguish them, and this is how the Readers may be unfamiliar with terms Dharma” that gives birth to everything.
causal chain of suffering evaporates of like dharma nature or suchness, which The teachings in the third category
its own accord. are said to be the ineffable true nature consist of practices to extinguish these
The teachings in the first and sec- of phenomena, but for our purposes, adventitious forms of suffering and
ond categories work primarily through we can think of it as the propensity of defilement that arise from the encoun-
subtraction, reduction, and negation— things to follow the law of causation, ter of dharma nature and ignorance.
they remove things, or intellectually and we can also consider it synony- This is reminiscent of the first category
break them down into their components, mous with “buddha nature.” To draw a of teachings, but according to the per-
or they teach people to see things, just parallel to modern philosophy, dharma spective of the third category, once delu-
as they are, as insubstantial. These are nature could be imagined as something sions and defilements are eliminated,
teachings of deconstruction. Liberation along the lines of Alfred Whitehead’s in addition to emptiness, the dharma
is a zero point, an absence—the non- proposal that creativity is the “univer- nature or suchness as a storehouse of
existence of suffering. To use an anal- sal of universals,” the nature of every- merits is also attained. Thus, liberation
ogy, the teachings of the first category thing, and because of this, “the universe and awakening are not simply absences,
are like peeling back the layers of an is thus a creative advance into novelty” but also the recovery of something won-
onion to finally arrive at the center, where (Mesle 2008, 79). drous—buddha nature. Because these
there is no core, but only emptiness— Dharma nature or suchness is even teachings posit the presence of both
an absence. In contrast, in the teach- sometimes said to be the direct cause the defiled and the pure in things, and
ings of the second category, the insight (Skt., hetu) of everything that exists, the way they bring together existence
of wisdom is like X-ray vision that can while our ignorance is a condition (Skt., and nonexistence (emptiness), is why

26 Dharma World Spring 2023

they are considered teachings of the
middle way.
The teachings in the fourth category
take a further step that for most of us
is a grand leap, which is why, to bor-
row the words of the Lotus Sutra, the
teachings in this category are “difficult
to enter and difficult to understand”
(Rissho Kosei-kai 2019, 57).
According to the teachings in the
fourth category, the Buddha’s wisdom
reveals that even the adventitious phe-
nomena of suffering and defilement
are of the very same dharma nature as
pure and undefiled phenomena. Both
types of phenomena arise through the
very same workings of dharma nature,
thus in their essence, they are not dif-
ferent. In terms of causation, they have

Source: Wikimedia Commons File: Wheel of Existence.jpg

the same nature to interact with other
things they encounter, become causes
and conditions, and produce effects.
Even though they are experienced by
the ordinary human being as suffering,
these things and experiences are, just as
they are, dharma nature. This means that
we cannot reject these phenomena in
an absolute sense. An example used to
explain these teachings is the metaphor
of utensils made of gold. If the approach
of the third category of teachings were
A traditional Tibetan thangka showing the Wheel of Life, or chain of causation. This thangka
taken, practitioners would melt down was made in eastern Tibet and is currently housed in the Birmingham Museum of Art,
these utensils to obtain their gold, but Birmingham, Alabama.
here, in the fourth category of teach-
ings, practitioners awaken to the fact of liberation, are inseparable. Wisdom transformation of delusion into awak-
that the utensils, be they cups or what- and delusion are entangled. For these ening and samsara into nirvana using
ever, are nevertheless gold, just as they reasons, we cannot experience any bliss the twelve links as follows. When the
are, and there is no need to melt them or happiness separate from the aspects practitioner truly grasps that all phe-
down to obtain their gold. of our lives normally characterized by nomena are immanent expressions of
From this standpoint, the teachings suffering—namely, birth, aging, and the ultimate truth, and if they contem-
of the fourth category embrace phenom- death. This ultimate reality of the world plate the ignorance that conditions the
ena characterized by suffering and delu- is described by Mahayana Buddhism’s entire chain of causation as insepara-
sion, but in a very nuanced way that, if famous maxim “Delusion is inseparable ble or not-different from wisdom, the
misunderstood, could lead to even more from awakening, and samsara is insep- entire chain of causation is transformed.
suffering. The teachings in this fourth arable from nirvana.” First, the links characterized as delusion
category hold that from the standpoint For readers familiar with the (ignorance, desire, and grasping) turn
of causation there can be no liberation Buddhist account of causation known into wisdom—the mind of awakening,
without the existence of bondage, and as the twelve causes and conditions (also and are experienced as the realization
there can be no awakening without delu- translated as “twelvefold causation” of the world as buddha nature. Second,
sion. Samsara, the cycle of suffering, or “the twelve links of dependent the links of the chain characterized as
and nirvana, the peace and tranquility origination”), Zhiyi describes this action (action and existence) turn into

Dharma World Spring 2023 27

wholesome deeds that are the workings was my good friend, I was able to per- The third teaching tries to synthesize
of buddha nature and experienced as the fect the Six Paramitas,” Shakyamuni these partial truths by affirming both of
freedom of liberation. Third, the links tells the assembly, even giving some them, while the fourth teaching negates
of the chain characterized as the suf- credit to the adversarial role Devadatta both, to be the highest reality: the mid-
fering subject and its suffering (name played in his attainment of supreme per- dle way that transcends both existence
and form, or the body-mind, and birth, fect awakening: “All of this is due to the and nonexistence. However, the first,
aging, and death) become the body of a good friendship of Devadatta” (Rissho second, and third teachings included
buddha, as birth, aging, and death are Kosei-kai 2019, 232). in the “One Vehicle” of Buddhism are
experienced as ease (see Fahua xuanyi In the third, and especially the fourth, useful and have an appropriate place in
[The profound meaning of the Lotus category of Buddhist teachings—the lat- our practice, according to our capaci-
Sutra], in Taishō shinshū daizōkyō [The ter of which includes sutras such as the ties and circumstances. In the words of
Buddhist canon, Taishō period new edi- Lotus Sutra and the Mahayana version the Lotus Sutra, the many and diverse
tion], vol. 33, 705c). of the Nirvana Sutra—the workings of teachings of Buddhism “are solely for
If this transposition of experience causation, even when they bring us suf- the sake of liberating living beings,
seems counterintuitive to you, it may fering and delusion, are paradoxically [and] are all valid and not in vain”
help to reflect on the relativity and appreciated as facilitating our liberation (ibid., 279).
interdependence of things according from suffering and the attainment of
to Mahayana notions of causation. Can the wisdom of awakening. If good and A Lighthearted (but
there be “up” without “down?” Can there evil were simply dualisms and forever
be “heads” without “tails?” This is why separate, how could anyone ever attain
Hopefully Useful)
ignorance cannot be separated from awakening? In this teaching, good and Exercise
wisdom, and the suffering of samsara evil are not separated by an eternal, Let’s try a thought experiment to see
cannot be unrelated to liberation. Here, uncrossable gulf, but are instead polar- how all four teachings could be ben-
we can see that the perspective of the ities, like ice and water or positive and eficial to us.
fourth category of teachings does not fly negative electric charges. They are dif- Sometimes we need to extinguish
in the face of the principle of causation, ferent functionings of the very same the existence of a certain kind of suffer-
but reflects a deep understanding of dharma nature. ing in our lives by eradicating its causes.
causation as mutual co-creation that is As a result, awakening and liberation For example, let’s say my health is in
heavily indebted to the Buddhist phi- are the nature of everything, everywhere, decline because of a poor lifestyle, and
losophy of Nāgārjuna (second century all at once. This is a radical affirmation this brings me various types of suffer-
CE). However, relativity does not lead of the world as compassionate and mer- ing. One of the causes is perhaps that my
to nihilism, but to the embrace of the ciful and a considerable development diet consists of fast food, which is high
world, and of all experience. This is not beyond the worldview of the first cat- in salt, fat, and calories. I can remove
an encouragement to wallow in nega- egory of teachings. But when we look one cause of my suffering by eliminat-
tive thoughts and actions that lead to at the various teachings using Zhiyi’s ing fast food from my diet. Let’s think
more suffering, but to appreciate that schema, we find a logical progression of this as a metaphor for some of the
working through and responding to the in their conceptualizations of causation, teachings in the first category.
difficulties and challenges in life is the and we can see that causation is the fun- I still have a problem, however. The
very source of our growth and develop- damental principle that unites them, downtown of the city where I live is full
ment. Metaphorically, they are like the even though they differ in their under- of fast-food restaurants that offer all the
burden of heavy weights, without which standing of it. sandwiches that I love and desperately
we cannot tone our bodies and build crave. Maybe in the beginning of my
our muscles. A famous example of this The Four Teachings effort to improve my health, I can avoid
can be found in the “Devadatta” chapter those restaurants by walking a different
of the Lotus Sutra, where Shakyamuni
All Have a Place in Our way home from the train station. But
Buddha expresses his appreciation Practice can I circumvent downtown forever?
for his archnemesis Devadatta, who These four teachings are often under- No, I can’t. Yet, whenever I walk past
tried to supplant him as the leader of stood as a hierarchy. The first two are those restaurants, I’m assaulted by the
the Buddhist community and, having considered true perspectives on reality, aroma of all the fast food I love, and
failed at that, attempted to kill him on but one-sided or partial, in which things sometimes I cannot resist it. I end up
various occasions. “Because Devadatta either exist or don’t substantially exist. giving in to my cravings and walk into

28 Dharma World Spring 2023

one of those restaurants, and, having devoid of nutritional value, and the rea- mind, owing to the paramita of bliss.
denied my cravings for so long, gorge son why fast food leads to suffering is And it is a place where the attributes
myself on all the fast food I desire. not anything intrinsic to the food, but of all things are not seen as existence
What could I do? I could reason with within me, my mindset, and the actions or nonexistence. (Ibid., 404)
myself, going over in my head how the it spurs. From this perspective, fast food
ingredients hurt my health, and that, is really no different from any other Notice that the world is described in
after I eat that food, the next day I don’t food. What I need to learn is moderation ways that are the direct opposite of how
really feel well, and experience indiges- and knowing when enough is enough. the Buddhist teachings of the first cate-
tion and bloating because of all the fat, Another possible way to embrace a mid- gory would describe it. Those teachings
salt, and preservatives used to make that dle way rather than one-sidedly negat- contradict our ordinary view of the world
food. Every time I pass through down- ing fast food could be to get a job in by showing phenomena to be imper-
town, I can recall the bad ingredients one of those restaurants. I expect that manent, and nonself; phenomena are
and remember the suffering they have at times I’ll go into a fast-food restau- defiled, and the attributes of body and
brought me. rant and end up pigging out, but the mind are suffering. But in the Lotus Sutra
Both avoiding these restaurants and very struggle itself holds the prom- and Nirvana Sutra, the first category
the analytical exercises of reducing my ise of helping me develop a sense of of teachings’ negation of the ordinary
favorite fast foods are like the approaches moderation, which, when extended worldview is itself negated, becoming a
of the first category of teachings. to everything in my life, could com- higher-order affirmation of the world.
But I will never really succeed in free- pletely transform the way I live. I could Also, notice the statement that things
ing myself from the allure of fast food also use the teachings of the fourth cat- are “not seen as existence or nonexis-
until the way I see it is utterly trans- egory after the previous approaches tence.” The transcendence of both par-
formed. Eventually, if I change how I have already suppressed my desire to tial views of existence and nonexistence
look at fast food so that, instead of per- a significant degree. In a way, this is a tells us that this is the worldview of the
ceiving the desirable surface character- return to my world before I began prac- fourth teaching.
istics I always see through to its essence ticing but informed by the wisdom of In his commentary on this passage,
as something unhealthy and intrinsically the middle way. Eventually, fast food Rev. Nikkyo Niwano explains that it
undesirable, then it will lose its power could become my “good friend” like is the description of how the world is
over me. If I were to see the fast food Devadatta, which, by the challenge it experienced by an awakened person:
without the eyes of desire—that is, if presents, facilitates the development
desire originally never arose in the first of good qualities in me. It is a world composed of the
place, then I would have the perspec- paramita of permanence—a state
tive of the second category of teachings. The Compassionate of mind attained through one’s prac-
If we stay with the metaphor of try- tice in which one eliminates attach-
ing to achieve health, the teachings of
Universe of the Fourth ment to transient things and obtains
the third and fourth categories would Category of Teachings a solid grasp of what always abides.
be more akin to proactive methods. The Threefold Lotus and Nirvana Sutras It is also a world securely established
What if I were to realize that not all contain descriptions of the kind of com- by the paramita of self—the peace
fast food causes suffering, but that some passionate universe that the fourth cat- of mind attained by eliminating the
foods on offer, like the salads (minus egory of Buddhist teachings declares. egotistical small self and awakening
the high-calorie dressing, of course), In the Threefold Lotus Sutra’s closing to the great self. This great self is the
can be healthy? Or what if I patron- sutra’s account, the Buddha is omni- free and unimpeded state of having
ize newer fast-food chains that serve present, and the universe, his abode, perfectly realized universal buddha
healthier food? We can think of this is described as follows: nature. It is also a place character-
approach as a metaphor for the third ized by the paramita of purity, the
category of teachings. It both affirms It is a place composed of the paramita equanimity of mind that is attained
and negates at the same time. of permanence. It is a place securely by abandoning the deluded discrim-
An approach akin to the fourth cat- established by the paramita of self. ination of self and other (extinguish-
egory of teachings is admittedly hard It is a place where the attributes of ing attributes of existence). It is a
to imagine using a fast-food habit as an existence are extinguished by the place where, through the paramita
example. But even fast food, despite its paramita of purity. It is a place of no of bliss—through the attainment
excessive salt and fat, is not completely abiding in the attributes of body and of true quiescence of the heart and

Dharma World Spring 2023 29

 peace of mind—suffering and distress to attain this view of the world in the Rev. Kosho also says that we must
come to an end. (Niwano 1989, 726) context of their everyday lives. This is confirm “all causes as good causes”
to take the stance that all encounters in through the events of our daily lives
The awakened person is not trans- our lives are part of the path to awak- (ibid.). In other words, we must dis-
ported to another universe or some kind ening, and nothing is in vain. I think cover what we can learn from encoun-
of heavenly paradise, but undergoes of this as Rissho Kosei-kai’s lay-focused ters, how we should change ourselves in
a radical change in their perspective adaptation of Zhiyi’s various instruc- light of them, and what they can teach
to, as these sutras hold, see the holis- tions to his monastic disciples to con- us about life in general. In a previous
tic state of things as they really are. As template things as dharma nature. Rev. feature, I reflected that this is like work-
Rev. Niwano makes clear, this is not a Niwano taught people to do this using ing on a Zen koan, or paradoxical rid-
separate place in spatial terms but a the basic language of causation, urg- dle. You may not find meaning at first
different state of mind. For example, ing them to accept all that happens as and struggle with doubt in hopes that
whereas the first category of Buddhist “good causes.” you will understand it. The wish to solve
teachings provided nonself as an anti- As Rev. Kosho Niwano, presi- the riddle is your faith. Then one day it
dote to the selfish, petty sense of self dent-designate of Rissho Kosei-kai, is revealed to you. To see all causes as
that is the cause of so much suffering, describes it: good causes is essentially an awaken-
here, a new self is realized: a grand self ing to buddha nature in yourself and in
that is the interconnectedness with other The founder [Rev. Nikkyo Niwano] others, and realize the events of daily
people and the environment. In some always focused on the way that good life as the workings of the Buddha’s lib-
Mahayana sutras like the Nirvana Sutra, causes lead to good effects. Having eration. But it takes work to open one's
this is called the “true self ” or the “great encountered the Lotus Sutra, he eyes. This is how each encounter can be
self ”: the oneness of oneself with the advanced the basic Buddhist teach- transformative, because in our encoun-
totality of phenomena and events in ings [on causation] an extra step . . . ters we find wisdom.
our universe. Thus, instead of under- always seeing the people around one-
going practices to negate or analyti- self as good causes and good con- Isn’t This Just a Game
cally reduce the ordinary, selfish sense ditions. (Kosho Niwano 2008, 34)
of self, we transcend the petty notion of
of Semantics?
self by focusing on the interconnected- If we only know the view of causation I understand why a compassionate uni-
ness of ourselves and all causal events that is central to the first category of verse, in which causation works merci-
in the universe. In the lexicon of Rissho teachings—good causes lead to good fully, may be hard for many people to
Kosei-kai, this is pondering the events results and bad causes lead to bad accept. It goes against our common-
and people in our lives as causing us to results—Rev. Niwano’s words might sense assumptions about the way things
live and sustaining us. strike us as unusual, but it should be clear are. Over the last several centuries of
to readers that this is a readily under- western civilization, the scientific rev-
Practical Steps standable practice thoroughly based on olution’s perspective of an impersonal,
the fourth category’s understanding of mechanistic universe has become the
to Awaken to a causality, and the oneness of everyday normative outlook, supplanting beliefs
Compassionate World life and the realm of awakening heralded in any deity or principle of the good as
The teachings in the third, and espe- by the notion that “Delusion is insep- ruling the cosmos. Philosopher Friedrich
cially the fourth category, which include arable from awakening, and samsara Nietzsche’s proclamation that “God is
the Lotus Sutra and the Mahayana ver- is inseparable from nirvana.” As Rev. dead” has coincided with the rise of
sion of the Nirvana Sutra, challenge us Kosho Niwano puts it: nihilism in western secularized soci-
to see all things in the world as having ety. This revolution in consciousness
arisen from dharma nature, suchness, Actually, we are all liberated, has inevitably led to the existentialist
or buddha nature, and more radically, although many people are not yet notion that life lacks inherent mean-
to recognize the immanence of dharma aware of this. The process of liber- ing or preordained purpose.
nature in all things, perceiving all phe- ation is certain. Thus the import- The realist would respond that see-
nomena as nothing but Buddha Dharma. ant thing is to accustom yourself ing all causes as good causes, and the
Rev. Nikkyo Niwano, the founder of to always seeing that all things you compassionate universe that it implies,
Rissho Kosei-kai, taught a practical way encounter can be causes of happi- is merely a game of semantics, and that
in which ordinary people could work ness. (Kosho Niwano 2013, 34) when we look squarely at the material

30 Dharma World Spring 2023

 An Existentialist
Response: Every
Experience in Life Is
Meaningful
In western culture, the freedom to take
a stance toward reality was discovered
by the Stoics of the ancient Greco-
Roman world, and in modern times,
proclaimed by the existentialist phi-
losophers. One modern existentialist
thinker who may help us understand
Lotus Sutra Buddhism’s worldview for
the twenty-first century is the psychol-
ogist and Auschwitz death camp survi-
vor Viktor Frankl (1905–97). Frankl’s
“logotherapy” is counted with Freud
and Jung’s approaches as one of the
three schools of Viennese psychother-
Photo: Shutterstock.com

apy. Despite enduring one of history’s

most tragic events of human suffering,
Frankl rejected modern nihilism—the
position that existence is senseless—and
he also repudiated scientific reduction-
The main gate of the Auschwitz II-Birkenau German Nazi concentration and extermination ism, which asserts that human experi-
camp in Oswiecim, Poland. ence is nothing but lower-order drives
(Marshall 2011, 10). For Frankl, mean-
realities of existence, death always wins bodhisattva, but the heart of Buddhist ing was to be found in every experience
out in the end. And so, the reality of the practice is changing one’s perspective. in life, no matter one’s circumstances.
human predicament is that we live in From its very beginnings, Buddhism What interests me about Frankl’s thought
a universe without any intrinsic mean- has taught people to make their peace is how it resonates with the world-af-
ing. The philosopher and novelist Albert with the material realities that can- firming tenor of the fourth category of
Camus (1913–60), who went as far as to not be changed, such as birth, aging, Buddhist teachings, including the pos-
call the universe absurd, assailed philos- sickness, and death; the inevitability tulate that “all causes are good causes.”
ophies or religions that refuse to rec- of having to part with those we love In contrast to Freud, who taught
ognize this absurdity as a checking out and situations we prefer; the inability that humankind seeks pleasure, and
of reality that he called “philosophical to get away from people we dislike or Nietzsche, who saw the will to power
suicide” (Camus 1991, 11). situations that are uncomfortable; and as primary, Frankl was convinced that
While I do not accept that this is our powerlessness to make things turn the quest for meaning is central to what
just an issue of semantics, and in the out the way we want them to. Although it is to be human. Frankl acknowledged
Lotus Sutra tradition the fourth teach- these experiences cannot be totally that Being is ambiguous and that it is
ing’s vision of the world is believed avoided, we have the freedom to tran- possible to see it as either nonsense or
to be the ultimate reality, transcend- scend those sufferings by changing meaningful. Both interpretations are
ing the partial truths of existence and our stance toward them, thus altering “logically of equal status,” but because
nonexistence, awakening to the real is our subjective experience of them. But the individual making their decision
indeed fundamentally an issue of per- changes in our perspective manifest in about the nature of Being faces an exis-
spective. Buddhist practice includes our behavior, and this does eventually tential choice, they “place the weight
changing our lives by avoiding behav- change the material realities of our of their own existence onto one side
iors and circumstances that will lead lives. This is what Buddhism means of the scale” in favor of meaningful-
to suffering, and incorporates affir- when it claims that all realities arise ness (ibid., 9). Frankl says that it is not
mative practice by helping others as a from the mind. knowledge that makes the decision,

Dharma World Spring 2023 31

but faith. For Frankl, this faith is not would have to be meaning in suffer- or what Frankl called “supra meaning”
a distortion or minimizing of real- ing in particular: is something like a general organizing
ity, but an “enriching of reality by the principle of the universe (ibid., 29). It
existentiality of the decision maker” If there is a meaning in life at all, can also be faith and trust that there is
(ibid.). This decision is summed up then there must be a meaning in suf- an ultimate meaning (Frankl 2011, 17).
by the literal meaning of the German fering. Suffering is an ineradicable Even though it may not be possible to
title of his famous work Man’s Search part of life, even as fate and death. fully grasp it intellectually, and thus
for Meaning: “Despite everything say Without suffering and death, human it must be approached through faith,
‘yes’ to life” (Frankl 2014, 40). life cannot be complete. (Ibid., 41) Frankl thought that having a sense of
Frankl acknowledged that this exis- ultimate meaning is “of foremost psy-
tential decision is subjective, but it “does This is the freedom to, by the stand chotherapeutic and psychohygienic
not in the least detract from the objec- we take toward our situation, trans- importance,” and “adds immeasurably
tiveness of reality itself.” He illustrated form situations of suffering into some- to human vitality” (Guttman 2008, 37).
this by asking his seminar students at thing positive. The world as dharma nature, or
Harvard to look out the classroom win- in the language of Rissho Kosei-kai, a
dow at the cathedral across the street. Life is potentially meaningful under world where the Buddha is omnipresent,
Since each student was seated in a dif- any conditions, even those which always together with us, and reaching
ferent location in the classroom, their are most miserable. And this in turn out to us through all our encounters is
perspectives on the cathedral differed. presupposes the human capacity to Frankl’s “supra meaning” for Lotus Sutra
Yet, these differences in perspective did creatively turn life's negative aspects Buddhism. The Lotus Sutra also speaks of
not change the objective reality of the into something positive or construc- the need for faith to accept this account
cathedral in any way. However subjective tive. (Ibid., 89) of reality because it cannot be entirely
a perspective may be, Frankl explains, grasped intellectually or expressed in
things are seen through a perspective, During his time in the death camp, language. Zhiyi called it “inconceiv-
thus our subjective perspectives are not Frankl found meaning in the experience able.” On the granular level of mean-
ipso-facto projections forced upon real- in various ways, including using his med- ing in everyday life, this becomes the
ity (ibid., 40-1). ical and psychotherapeutic training to stance that moment-to-moment expe-
The affordance for the existential respond to the suffering of his fellow riences are all good causes, prompting
decision to see the world as one of mean- inmates, and at times his life became the interrogation of experience to dis-
ing is the freedom that human beings meaningful by focusing on the beauty cover and decode its meanings.
always possess to make this choice, no of trees and sunsets (ibid., 9). The idea
matter the circumstances. As Frankl that the stand we take toward things can Having Attained the
explains: transform them from negative to posi-
tive, or something constructive, evokes
Rare Birth of a Human
To be sure, a human being is a how changing our way of seeing the Being
finite thing, and his [sic] freedom world in the fourth category of Buddhist When president-designate of Rissho
is restricted. It is not freedom from teachings can transpose ignorance into Kosei-kai Rev. Kosho Niwano urges
conditions, but it is freedom to take a wisdom, and “dis-ease” into ease. people to try out this belief that “all
stand toward the conditions. (Frankl Frankl cautioned that the meaning causes are good causes” and says that
1992, 132) of any given moment is not always clear, “When we embrace this approach, we
and we must be patient if we want to dis- become aware of happiness and can
Frankl’s recognition that we are cover it (Guttman 2008, 61). Meanings acquire true joy” (Niwano 2013, 34),
finite beings with limited freedom, but need to be discovered and decoded, not it may strike some as mere magical
never totally without freedom, is shared arbitrarily, but conscientiously, and they thinking. This time I’ve sought to show
by Buddhism—there is no escape from should be integrated with higher orders how profound this deceptively simple
aging, sickness, and death, and other of meaning. The meanings of a partic- teaching is by exploring its roots in the
types of suffering, but we can elimi- ular moment or instance that hold the development of Buddhism’s thinking
nate “dis-ease” by changing our atti- potential to be true for us are those that about causation and causal logic of the
tude toward these experiences. In fact, fit with the meanings of our lives, and the fourth category of Buddhist teachings
Frankl goes as far to say that if the ultimate meaning that we subscribe to that profess the universe to be filled
universe is indeed meaningful, there (Marshall 2011, 30). “Ultimate meaning,” with the Buddha’s compassion and see

32 Dharma World Spring 2023

causation as the working of that com- the grand totality of causation. Frankl shinshū daizōkyō [The Buddhist
passion in the world. says that the fact that something has canon, Taishō period new edition],
ed. Junjirō Takakusu and Kaigyoku
Some readers may be thinking happened never changes. The event, or
Watanabe, 681–814. Tokyo: Issai kyō
that I have not spoken to the problem the living being, has existed, and noth-
kankōkai, 1924–32.
of inevitable, inescapable death—the ing can change that fact. He maintains Frankl, Viktor E. 1992. Man’s Search
great equalizer. Doesn’t this negate all that meaning is never lost. for Meaning: An Introduction to
meaning, and certainly prove that the In a fascinating discussion in her Logotherapy. 4th ed. Beacon Press.
workings of causation are not compas- most recent book, Sabine Hossenfelder, Frankl, Viktor E. 2011. Man’s Search For
sionate? Many Buddhists would answer physicist and host of the podcast “Science Ultimate Meaning. Random House.
by pointing to reincarnation and saying Without the Gobbledygook” writes that Frankl, Viktor E. 2014. The Will
that death is only a transformation into when a person dies, the information of To Meaning: Foundations and
another form. The river of existence, a their body and the life they lived dis- Applications of Logotherapy. Plume.
Guttman, David. 2008. Finding Meaning
great chain of dependent origination, perses quickly into forms we can no lon-
in Life at Midlife and Beyond: Wisdom
marches on. But I will cede ground to ger communicate with, “and becomes,
and Spirit from Logotherapy. Praeger.
the realist by refraining from making in practice, irretrievable.” But advanced Hossenfelder, Sabine. 2022. Existential
any claims that I can’t prove through mathematics shows that information is, Physics: A Scientists Guide to Life’s
science. Instead, I will share a metaphor in principle, eternal: Biggest Questions. Atlantic Books.
that Buddhism uses to convey the rar- Marshall, Maria. Prism of Meaning: Guide
ity and preciousness of a human life. If you trust our mathematics, the to the Fundamental Principles of
It is commonly said in Buddhism information is still there, spread out Viktor E. Frankl’s Logotherapy. By the
that being born as a human being is as over the universe, to be preserved author.
rare as the chance occurrence of a sea forever. (Hossenfelder 2022, 19) [...] Mesle, Robert C. 2008. Process-Relational
Philosophy: An Introduction to Alfred
turtle swimming under the sea to poke While the situation is not entirely set-
North Whitehead. Templeton Press.
its head through the hole in a piece of tled, it seems that the laws of nature
Niwano, Kosho. 2008. Kaisosama ni nara-
driftwood when it surfaces. This met- preserve information entirely, so all ite [The Buddha in Everyone’s Heart].
aphor was originally tied to the belief the details that make up you and the Kosei Publishing.
in reincarnation, but I prefer to inter- story of your grandmother’s life are Niwano, Kosho. 2013. The Buddha in
pret it this way: when we look around immortal. (Ibid., 21–22) Everyone’s Heart. Kosei Publishing.
our world, we see that most things are Niwano, Nikkyo. 1989. Hokekyō no
inanimate matter—rocks, soil, air, gas, Hossenfelder’s scientifically informed atarashii kaishaku [A new com-
and so forth. Even many of the living speculations bring to mind the follow- mentary on the Lotus Sutra]. Kosei
Publishing.
things on earth, such as plants, are insen- ing passage from “The Life Span of the
Scarangello, Dominick. 2019. “Given
tient (as far as we know). This means Eternal Tathagata,” ch.16 of the Lotus
the Gift of Life and Sustained by the
that most of the matter in our world has Sutra: Buddha.” Dharma World 46 Autumn:
come together to form inanimate things, 24–36.
and only the tiniest fraction has assem- The Tathagata perceives the charac- Scarangello, Dominick. 2021. “The Lotus
bled in just the right way to become ter of the threefold world as it really Sutra’s Prescription for Sustainability:
sentient living beings. Being born as is. Birth and death do not leave it or The Ten Suchnesses as the Ultimate
humans, we have attained an exceed- appear in it. There is no staying in Reality of All Things.” Dharma World
ingly rare and precious marker of exis- the world or departing from it for 48 Autumn: 30–37.
tence—sentience. Even if you think this extinguishment. It is neither sub- Scarangello, Dominick. 2022. “Engaging
with the Religious Myth and
is sheer luck, if you try meditating on stantial nor insubstantial. And it is
Metaphor of the Lotus Sutra.”
life in this way, I don’t think you’ll be neither thus nor otherwise. (Rissho
Dharma World 49 Spring: 28–35.
able to feel anything but gratitude. Yes, Kosei-kai 2019, 278).   T
Rissho Kosei-kai, ed. 2019. The Threefold
we must die; it is inevitable. But most of Lotus Sutra: A Modern Translation
the universe doesn’t even get the chance References for Contemporary Readers. Kosei
to live a sentient life in the first place. Camus, Albert. 1991. The Myth of Publishing.
And our actions in this world are not Sisyphus and Other Essays. Translated Tanaka, Kenneth. 2021. “The Land of
necessarily in vain. However infinites- by Justin O’Brien. Vintage Books. Many Dharmas.” Tricycle, Summer
imal we are in the face of the cosmos, Fahua xuanyi [The profound meaning 2021. https://tricycle.org/magazine
what we have done in this life is part of of the Lotus Sutra]. In vol. 33, Taishō /buddhist-diversity-in-america/.

Dharma World Spring 2023 33

 THE THREEFOLD LOTUS SUTRA: A MODERN COMMENTARY

Founder Nikkyo Niwano had a talk with Dr. Michael Ramsey, the Archbishop of Canterbury,
at a meeting room in the Great Sacred Hall, Rissho Kosei-kai’s Tokyo headquarters, in 1973.

The Sutra of Meditation

on the Bodhisattva Universal Virtue
(3)
This is the 139th installment of a detailed commentary on the Threefold Lotus Sutra
by the founder of Rissho Kosei-kai, Rev. Nikkyo Niwano.

TEXT One bodhisattva’s preaching will say: ‘Do you COMMENTARY The bodhisattvas preach and instruct
reflect on the Buddha’; another’s preaching will say: ‘Do the follower to do a variety of things in order to purify the
you reflect on the Dharma’; yet another’s preaching will six organs. This implies that there is a considerable gap
say: ‘Do you reflect on the Sangha’; still another’s preach- between our own actions and those of the bodhisattvas
ing will say: ‘Do you reflect on the precepts’; still anoth- who appear in the Mahayana sutras. We must therefore
er’s preaching will say: ‘Do you reflect on donation’; yet reflect upon our deficiencies. The bodhisattvas’ preach-
another’s preaching will say: ‘Do you reflect on the heav- ings are heard as voices from the sky that reverberate in
ens.’ And the preaching will further say: ‘Such six laws are the mind. A voice first says to reflect on the Buddha: “You
the aspiration to buddhahood and are the ones that beget may think that you have taken refuge in the Buddha, but
the bodhisattvas. Before the buddhas, do you now confess your awareness of this remains insufficient. Unless you
your previous sins and repent them sincerely.’ strive with your whole body and mind to become close to

34 Dharma World Spring 2023

the Buddha, that awareness doesn’t express your earnest • You receive a woman’s body. In ancient India, women were
desire.” Another voice then demands that we reflect on the lowly regarded, being considered a hindrance to religious
Dharma. “Do you think you have completely understood the training. Such a statement would not be apt in modern times.
Buddha’s teachings? Are you not guilty of great arrogance? The mind’s voice continues:
The Buddha’s teachings are very profound and deep. Unless
you study them and think about them more deeply, you will TEXT Forms harm your eyes and you become a slave of
not understand their truth.” A further voice orders us to human affections. Therefore, forms cause you to wander
reflect on the Sangha. “A community of believers is essen- in the triple world. Such fatigue of your wandering there
tial if the Buddha’s teachings are to spread in the world. Are makes you so blind that you can see nothing at all.
you exerting yourself for the community? Aren’t your efforts
perhaps still lacking? Forget yourself and work for the com- COMMENTARY A slave of human affections. This refers
munity of believers.” Another voice sternly adjures us: “Are to the mind that feels gratitude to things that bring plea-
you keeping the precepts you received from the Buddha? sure to the senses and that is attached to the result. In other
Are your donations (particularly that of the Dharma) for words, we feel grateful for those things that are favorable
the sake of society and other people sufficient? Have you to us and become attached to having them always remain
attained the realm of heavens, or the state where you are unchanged. Even if circumstances do change, we still try
entirely separated from the defilements?” It is when these to grasp hold of those things that bring us pleasure. Thus,
six are in place that we can truly be said to have raised the we are captive of phenomenal change and become its slave.
aspiration toward enlightenment. Practicing them is in itself • Fatigue. We become exhausted with chasing after phenom-
the way to be a bodhisattva. Thus the follower must reflect enal things. Those who are attached to “human affections”
on whether he or she lacks any of them; if faults or defi- are pursued by the defilements that arise when phenome-
ciencies are perceived, they must be confessed before the nal changes occur, and suffer mental fatigue. To perceive
buddhas and repented sincerely. With repentance, another the truth, the mind must be relaxed and clear; in a state of
voice arises in the mind. fatigue it is in no state to do so.
The mind’s voice continues:
TEXT In your innumerable former lives, by reason of
your organ of the eye, you have been attached to all forms. TEXT You have now recited the sutras of Great Extent,
Because of your attachment to forms, you hanker after all the Great-vehicle. In these sutras the buddhas of all direc-
dust. Because of your hankering after dust, you receive a tions preach that their forms and bodies are not extinct.
woman’s body and you are pleasurably absorbed in all forms You have now been able to see them—is this not true? The
everywhere you are born age after age. evil of your eye-organ often does much harm to you.

COMMENTARY This passage is important for its remark- COMMENTARY This too is an important passage. Having
ably concise exposition of the fundamental causes of human learned that the Buddha attained buddhahood in the
unhappiness. We should recall here the Law of the Twelve infinite past, we believe that we will also be able to attain
Causes and Conditions. buddhahood someday, but it is not easy to remain true
• In your innumerable former lives. This refers to an extremely to that consciousness. If we cannot, though, we will be
long period of time lasting from the far distant past to the unable to grasp the essence of the Mahayana teachings.
present, repeating the cycles of rebirth. The ultimate teaching of the Mahayana sutras, the Lotus
• By reason of your organ of the eye, you have been attached Sutra in particular, is the truth about the existence of the
to all forms. In the course of countless cycles of rebirth, Eternal Original Buddha; that is, all beings and all things
we have continued to hold on to our fundamental igno- are caused to live by that Buddha. When we are able to
rance (lack of wisdom). Because of errors in how we per- realize this in the furthest depths of our mind, we will for
ceive things (organ of the eye), we are always attached to the first time experience the true joy of living. We will be
the phenomena (all forms) that surround us, or we have unaffected by the temporary joys and sadnesses associ-
the tendency to covet them. ated with phenomenal things, for we will be constantly
• Because of your attachment to forms, you hanker after all composed in mind in daily living. Further, when we real-
dust. “Dust” refers to all the trivial things that act as a base ize that all existence is equal, being caused to live by the
for the defilements. If we become attached to phenomena Eternal Original Buddha, we are naturally impelled to value
(forms), we inevitably lust after those things that bring plea- all others. There will spontaneously well up within us all
sure to our senses. a true love for all beings and things, a spirit of harmony

Dharma World Spring 2023 35

and conciliation. Thus, to be completely assured of the TEXT If there be anyone who calls upon the names of
existence of the Eternal Original Buddha is the supreme the buddhas; burns incense; strews flowers; aspires to the
way to become truly human beings and create a brighter Great-vehicle; hangs silks, flags, and canopies; speaks of
human society. If we lack some of this confidence, if we the errors of his eyes; and repents his sins, such a one in
feel unsure, we must reflect upon ourselves and repent, the present world will see Shakyamuni Buddha, the bud-
and then continue our training until we mentally con- dhas who emanated from him, and countless other bud-
form to that truth. dhas and will not fall into the evil paths for asamkhyeya
kalpas. Thanks to the power and vow of the Great-vehicle,
TEXT Obediently following my words, you must take ref- such a one will become an attendant [of the buddhas],
uge in the buddhas and Shakyamuni Buddha and confess together with all the bodhisattvas of dharani. Anyone who
the sins caused by your organ of the eye, saying: ‘Dharma- reflects thus is one who thinks rightly. If anyone reflects
water of wisdom-eye possessed by the buddhas and the otherwise, such is called one who thinks falsely. This is
bodhisattvas! Be pleased, by means of it, to wash me and called the sign of the first stage of the purification of the
to let me become pure!’ eye-organ.
Having finished speaking thus, the follower should uni-
versally salute the buddhas in all directions, and turning COMMENTARY Thanks to the power and vow of the
to Shakyamuni Buddha and the Great-vehicle sutras, he Great-vehicle, such a one will become an attendant [of the
should again speak thus: buddhas], together with all the bodhisattvas of dharani. If
we have acquired the strong power that is the Mahayana
COMMENTARY Wisdom-eye. This is the eye of wisdom teachings and hold continually to our vow to bring about
that penetrates the true aspect of all things. More precisely, the deliverance of all beings, we too will become one of the
wisdom comprises both the power to discern the aspect of company of dharani bodhisattvas, who possess the power
distinction of all phenomena and the power to penetrate to instruct others not to do any evil and possess the power
the aspect of equality of all phenomena. This quality is to encourage others to do good.
brought out in the expression universal and great wisdom.
TEXT Having finished purifying the organ of the eye,
TEXT ‘The heavy sins of my eye-organ of which I now the follower should again further read and recite the Great-
repent are such an impediment and are so tainted that I am vehicle sutras, kneel and repent six times day and night,
blind and can see nothing at all. May the Buddha be pleased and should speak thus: ‘Why can I see only Shakyamuni
to pity and protect me by his great mercy! The Bodhisattva Buddha and the buddhas who emanated from him but can-
Universal Virtue onboard the ship of the great Dharma fer- not see the Buddha’s relics of his whole body in the stupa of
ries the company of the countless bodhisattvas everywhere the Buddha Abundant Treasures? The stupa of the Buddha
in all directions. Out of compassion for me, be pleased to Abundant Treasures exists forever and is not extinct. I have
permit me to hear the law of repenting the evil of my eye-or- defiled and evil eyes. For this reason, I cannot see the stupa.’
gan and the impediment of my bad karma!’ After speaking thus, the follower should again practice fur-
ther repentance.
COMMENTARY The company of the countless bodhisattvas.
Here “company” has the sense of a “band of companions.” COMMENTARY The Buddha Abundant Treasures is, as
The companions of the countless bodhisattvas are the people is true in the Lotus Sutra , buddha nature itself. There is
who are led, guided, and taught by those bodhisattvas. therefore no other way to see the Buddha than to realize
one’s buddha nature. We have only to consider the actu-
TEXT Speaking thus three times, the follower must pros- ality of our lives to know how difficult such a realization
trate himself down to the ground and rightly reflect on the is. When we are told the truth that the essence of human
Great-vehicle without forgetting it. This is called the law beings is buddha nature, all of us will be able to have some
repenting the sin of the organ of the eye. degree of understanding of what it is, but it is far more dif-
ficult to reach the point of being able to affirm it from the
COMMENTARY The section above has dealt with the depths of our being. If we are satisfied with only half mea-
method of repentance for sins caused by the eye. The main sures and tell ourselves we have come far enough, our reli-
point is to be aware of the fundamental error of perceiv- gious training won’t get any further, and we will never attain
ing only those phenomena that appear before the eye and true enlightenment. Thus the sutra teaches us here that we
to strive to see the true aspect of all things. must undertake stricter self-reflection.

36 Dharma World Spring 2023

 of the truth that buddha nature is possessed by all beings
and that buddha nature reveals itself to anyone, taking a
variety of forms (“universal revelation”). Then we will be
able to see buddha nature clearly, shining and radiant, even
in those people whom we have considered ignorant or evil.
The “hundred thousand myriad kotis of transformed bud-
dhas” refers to those people.

TEXT When such a sign appears, the follower will rejoice

and make procession around the stupa with praising verses.
When he has finished making procession around it seven
times, the Tathagata Abundant Treasures praises him with
a great voice, saying: ‘Heir of the Dharma! You have truly
practiced the Great-vehicle and have obediently followed
Universal Virtue, repenting [the sins of] your eye-organ.
For this reason, I will go to you and bear testimony to you.’
Having spoken thus, the Tathagata extols the Buddha, say-
ing: ‘Excellent! Excellent! Shakyamuni Buddha! Thou art
able to preach the Great Dharma, to pour the rain of the
Photo: Bridgeman Images / PPS

Great Dharma, and to cause all the defiled living to accom-

plish their buddhahood.’

COMMENTARY Making procession around the stupa of

the Tathagata Abundant Treasures seven times while recit-
ing the verses of praise describes the follower’s admiration
for the wonder of buddha nature and his praise with joy.
The Buddhas Prabhutaratna and Sakyamuni seated sided by side in
the jeweled stupa. Shakyamuni Buddha and the Buddha Abundant
Treasures sit together. Gilt bronze. Northern Wei dynasty, China
TEXT Thereupon the follower, having beheld the stupa of the
(386–535). Guimet Museum. Buddha Abundant Treasures, again goes to the Bodhisattva
Universal Virtue, and folding his hands and saluting him,
TEXT After seven days have passed, the stupa of the speaks to him, saying: ‘Great Teacher! Please teach me the
Buddha Abundant Treasures will spring out of the earth. repentance of my errors.’
Shakyamuni Buddha with his right hand opens the door of Universal Virtue again speaks to the follower, saying:
the stupa, where the Buddha Abundant Treasures is seen ‘Through many kalpas, because of your ear-organ, you dan-
deep in contemplation of the universal revelation of forms. gle after external sounds; your hearing of mystic sounds
From each pore of his body he emits rays of light as numer- begets attachment to them; your hearing of evil sounds
ous as the atoms of the sands of the Ganges. In each ray causes the harm of one hundred and eight illusions. Such
there dwells one of the hundred thousand myriad kotis of retribution of your hearing evils brings about evil things
transformed buddhas. and your incessant hearing of evil sounds produces vari-
ous entanglements. Because of your perverted hearing, you
COMMENTARY The follower who is thoroughly strict will fall into evil paths, faraway places of false views, where
with himself and does not deceive himself will reproach the Dharma cannot be heard.
himself and repent if he senses that there is even a min-
ute gap in his understanding or the slightest obstruction COMMENTARY Here again the mind’s voice speaks:
to true enlightenment. If he continues to do so with all his For long ages you have piled error upon error in the way
mind, he will eventually perceive buddha nature welling you listen to things. Because of your mind’s illusion, you
forth as if before his eyes. When Shakyamuni opens the seek and follow (“dangle after”) what you hear from with-
door of the precious stupa with his right hand (the power out (“external sounds”). When you hear what is pleasant
of wisdom), the follower clearly perceives the truth of the (“mystic sounds”), you are deluded by those sounds and
Mahayana teachings that the Buddha has preached for the cling to them (“begets attachment”), and when you hear
sake of all. With this enlightenment comes the confirmation what is unpleasant (“evil sounds”), various defilements

Dharma World Spring 2023 37

arise and lead to thoughts of enmity and revenge, which words! Until my present life, for many kalpas, because of my
injure your own mind and cause harm to others (“causes ear-organ, I have been attached to hearing [evil] sounds, like
the harm”). Because you hear things with a deluded mind grass clings to glue; my hearing evil sounds causes the poi-
(“hearing evil”), as its retribution, you will act wrongly son of defilements that are attached to every condition, and
(“evil things”); moreover, because you have been prone I am not able to rest even for a little while; my raising evil
to always interpret what people say in a negative manner sounds fatigues my nerves and makes me fall into the three
(“your incessant hearing of evil sounds”), one delusion will evil ways. Now having for the first time understood this, I
become the contributing cause for the increasing growth confess and repent it, turning to the world-honored ones.’
of that delusion (“produces various entanglements”), as
one grasps rocks and trees one after the other to clamber COMMENTARY The sutras of Great Extent are the mas-
up the mountainside. Because you listen to things with a ters of compassion. This is a very important passage. The
distorted mind, your thoughts fall into such evil ways as Mahayana teachings are the source of compassion, for at
anger (the realm of hell) and greed (the realm of hungry their core is the truth that all beings equally possess bud-
spirits) or faraway places of mistaken ideas (“false views”), dha nature. More precisely, all human beings, all animal
so that you become incapable of hearing the teachings of and plant life, as well as all nonliving beings, are caused to
the Buddha (“where the Dharma cannot be heard”). The live by the Eternal Original Buddha and, possessing bud-
passage “faraway places of false views” can also be inter- dha nature, are of exactly the same existence as each of us.
preted as “extreme views unrelated to the Buddha’s teach- When we understand this in the depths of our mind, we
ings (‘faraway places’), or mistaken ideas (‘false views’).” cannot help but feel affection for all beings, both sentient
There are many points here that are called to mind. It and nonsentient, which is a deep affection based on the one-
is one of the unhappy propensities of ordinary people to ness of the self with others. Such affection is called com-
think too negatively about what others say, and in partic- passion. Love of others stimulated by a necessity to love is
ular, matters become even worse when something is heard an excellent thing, as is love born of pity. The compassion
secondhand. Once people interpret in a negative way, their that Buddhism refers to transcends those kinds of love and
interpretations can turn into preconceptions, which causes is the state where one comes to love spontaneously, which
them to harbor hatred and grudges one after another. We is considered the highest of all forms of love. Such com-
must beware of such things occurring in the course of our passion develops through the deepest realization of the
daily lives. essence of Mahayana, which teaches that all beings and
things are caused to live by the Eternal Original Buddha. It
TEXT At present you have recited and kept the Great- is in this sense that the sutras of Great Extent are the mas-
vehicle, the ocean-store of merits. For this reason, you have ters of compassion.
come to see the buddhas in all directions, and the stupa of • Be pleased to look upon me and hear my words! This pas-
the Buddha Abundant Treasures has appeared to bear tes- sage means to say, “Since the Buddha sees through every-
timony to you. You must yourself confess your own errors thing, please look into the deepest parts of my heart. There
and evils and must repent all your sins.’ is nothing I will try to hide from you, for I intend to reveal
all to you.”
COMMENTARY Again we hear the inner voice. You have • I have been attached to hearing [evil] sounds, like grass
at last acquired the Mahayana teachings, and through the clings to glue. “Like grass clings to glue” is a skillful met-
merit thus acquired, you have been able to come into contact aphor. When we hear things that appeal to us, we rejoice
with the minds of the buddhas in every direction. You have in them without consideration, adhering to them tightly.
also understood, as clearly as if you could see it with your Such psychology of ordinary people is described clearly.
own eyes, the actuality of buddha nature. However, some- • My hearing evil sounds causes the poison of defilements
thing is still lacking in your training. You must examine the that are attached to every condition, and I am not able to
illusions of your mind much more closely and dispel them. rest even for a little while. Here, too, is a fine description
of the mindset of one who has no firm faith. It is when we
TEXT Then the follower, having heard thus, must again have no firm faith that we are at the mercy of external stim-
further fold his hands, and prostrating himself down to uli (“sounds”), buffeted from side to side (“every condi-
the ground, he must speak thus, saying: ‘All wise, World- tion”), swayed by appearances, and misled on every front
honored One! Be pleased to reveal yourself and bear tes- (“not able to rest even for a little while”). When we hear
timony to me! The sutras of Great Extent are the masters evil sounds (those disadvantageous or unpleasant to us) in
of compassion. Be pleased to look upon me and hear my particular, they give rise to wrong emotions (“the poison of

38 Dharma World Spring 2023

 one named Excellent Virtue, who also possesses innumera-
ble emanated buddhas sitting cross-legged on lion thrones
under jewel trees.’ All these world-honored ones who enter
into the contemplation of the universal revelation of forms
speak to the follower, praising him and saying: ‘Good!
Good! Good son! You have now read and recited the Great-
vehicle sutras. That which you have recited is the mental
stage of the Buddha.’

COMMENTARY Seeing the Buddha Abundant Treasures

emitting a great ray of light indicates that as we purify the
ear-organ through repentance, our buddha nature comes to
grow still clearer within the mind. Consequently we come
also to see countless emanated buddhas, which means we
can discern the buddha nature in all living beings as well.
To perfectly reach such a state is to enter the mental stage
of the Buddha. Guiding all beings to that mental stage is
nothing other than the ultimate purpose of the Mahayana
teachings.

TEXT After these words have been spoken, the Bodhisattva

Universal Virtue will again further preach to the follower
the law of repentance, saying: ‘In the innumerable kalpas
Photo: Alamy / PPS

of your former lives, because of your attachment to odors,

your discrimination and your perception are attached to
every condition and you fall into birth and death. Do you
now meditate on the cause of the Great-vehicle! The cause
An image of the Bodhisattva Universal Virtue. of the Great-vehicle is the ultimate reality of all things.’

defilements”) one after another, such as anger, hatred, and COMMENTARY Because of your attachment to odors. This
jealousy. Then we, too, unintentionally voice “evil sounds,” means to be greedy for the pleasures of the five sense-or-
raging, backbiting, and making slanderous remarks. However gans and to forget mental joy. Here, “odors” represents all
much we give vent to such feelings, however, we will never the senses. When we lust too much after the pleasures of
gain any relief; rather, we will become more and more irri- the senses alone, our powers of understanding and dis-
tated ourselves, and as a consequence we will be mentally criminating (“perception” and “discrimination”) sensi-
tired (“fatigues my nerves”). This will cause us to become bly become dull. As a result, we will end up living at the
depressed and fall into the mire of the three evil ways, or mercy of external stimuli. When things that appeal to us
states of mind: hells (the realm of anger), the realm of hun- appear before our gaze, we thoughtlessly give ourselves up
gry spirits (where inhabitants continually chase after their to them (“attached to every condition”), and at the mercy
desires), and the realm of the beasts (where inhabitants live of phenomenal changes (“birth and death”), we will oscil-
by instinct alone, with no wisdom). Reflect on whether we, late between joy and sadness. Thus spiritually we find our-
too, may be guilty of such pitiful behavior or inclination is selves in a lamentable condition.
the repentance of the ear-organ. People who find themselves in such a position gain great
benefit from removing themselves from everyday life for a
TEXT Having finished repenting thus, the follower will time and undergoing religious training to perceive clearly
see the Buddha Abundant Treasures emitting a great ray for themselves the ultimate reality of all things that is the
of light that is gold-colored and universally illuminates the basis (“cause”) of the Mahayana teachings. By doing so,
eastern quarter as well as the worlds in all directions, where they come to realize how empty it is to pursue the plea-
the countless buddhas appear with their bodies of pure sures of the senses alone, so that when they return to their
gold color. In the sky of the eastern quarter there comes a normal life, they are easily able to escape the oscillations
voice uttering thus: ‘Here is a buddha, the world-honored of joy and sorrow that result from phenomenal changes.

Dharma World Spring 2023 39

Thus the Bodhisattva Universal Virtue (the mind’s voice) “Righteous Dharma” refers to the true teachings. The kings
strongly recommends this repentance. of the true teachings are the buddhas who are one with the
true teachings themselves.
TEXT Having heard these words, the follower should Again, the Bodhisattva Universal Virtue continues:
again further repent, prostrating himself down to the
ground. When he has repented, he should exclaim thus: TEXT Having repented thus, the follower must again read
‘Namah Shakyamuni Buddha! Namah stupa of the Buddha and recite the Great-vehicle sutras without negligence of
Abundant Treasures! Namah all the buddhas emanated body and mind. By the power of the Great-vehicle, from
from Shakyamuni Buddha!’ the sky there comes a voice saying: ‘Heir of the Dharma!
Do you now praise and explain the Dharma of the Great-
COMMENTARY The teachings of the Bodhisattva Universal vehicle, turning to the buddhas in all directions, and before
Virtue continue. them do you yourself speak of your errors! The buddhas,
the tathagatas, are your merciful fathers.’ Do you yourself
TEXT Having spoken thus, he should universally salute the speak of the evils and bad karmas produced by your organ
buddhas in all directions, exclaiming: ‘Namah the Buddha of the tongue, saying: ‘This organ of the tongue, moved
Excellent Virtue in the eastern quarter and the buddhas by the thought of evil karmas, leads me to false speaking,
who emanate from him!’ The follower should also make improper language, ill speaking, a double tongue, slander-
obeisance to each of these buddhas as wholeheartedly as if ing, lying, and praising the words of false views, and also
he saw them with his naked eyes and should pay homage causes me to utter useless words. Because of such many and
to them with incense and flowers. After paying homage to various evil karmas, I provoke fights and dissensions and
the buddhas, he should kneel with folded hands and extol speak of the Dharma as if it were not the Dharma. I now
them with various verses. After extolling them, he should confess all such sins of mine.’
speak of the ten evil karmas and repent all his sins.
COMMENTARY The buddhas, the tathagatas, are your
COMMENTARY The ten evil karmas. These are the ten merciful fathers. These are truly important words. The fol-
types of evil action of body and mind: killing, stealing, lower has continued to practice repentance on the physi-
committing adultery, lying, improper language, a double cal aspects very severely, and if people do not understand
tongue, ill speaking, covetousness, anger, and ignorance the meaning of this sufficiently, some of them may feel a
(“ten evils”; see the discussion in “Ten Merits,” chapter 3 lump in their throat. Or others may think it implies that
of the Sutra of Innumerable Meanings). one prostrates oneself before a master who observes one’s
The Bodhisattva Universal Virtue (the mind’s voice) evil deeds, confessing one’s sins and begging forgiveness.
continues: This, however, is completely wrong. The Buddha is our
compassionate and gentle father, who thinks continually
TEXT Having repented, he should speak thus, saying: of ways to bring all to deliverance, not of inflicting pun-
‘During the innumerable kalpas of my former lives, I yearned ishment. Every time we strip away one defilement of our
after odors, flavors, and contacts and produced all [man- mind through repentance, he rejoices and always praises
ner of] evils. For this reason, for innumerable lives I have us for our efforts. The reason we will repent is not because
continuously received states of evil existence, including we fear him. Rather, because we cherish a longing and a
hells, hungry spirits, animals, and faraway places of false thirst for him and wish him to rejoice, we will repent, feel-
views. Now I confess such evil karmas, and taking refuge ing like we depend on a fond father. Thus the words “the
in the buddhas, the kings of the Righteous Dharma, I con- buddhas, the tathagatas, are your merciful fathers” have
fess and repent my sins.’ such deep significance.
The evil karmas of the tongue have their basis in delu-
COMMENTARY We should consider this to be a deeper sion of mind. Because of evil karmas, the tongue is moved
form of repentance regarding the attachment to odors dis- by thoughts of evil; thus it is the mind that must in the
cussed earlier. Adding “flavors” and “contacts” to “odors” final analysis be corrected. It is also the case that often the
strengthens the meaning of the sensual pleasures and refers words uttered make a bad mind still worse. For example,
to physical pleasure. if we say that we don’t like a particular person, we might
• Faraway places of false views. This passage can be inter- very well end up detesting him or her. Both the mind and
preted as “extreme views and false views.” the words provide causes and outcomes, so that we need
• The buddhas, the kings of the Righteous Dharma. The to pay attention to both.

40 Dharma World Spring 2023

 Among the sins of the tongue are false speaking, speak- wheel can, however, be brought to a standstill by malicious
ing irresponsibly (improper language), ill speaking, causing slander against the teachings, the worst of all sins.
dissension (a double tongue), abusing people or the Buddhist • Preaching of meaningless things is variously forced upon
teachings by marshaling false facts (slandering), lying, mis- [others]. “Meaningless things” refers to what is not the Truth.
leading people by teaching or praising false ideas (words We often see examples in the course of our life where, when
of false views), and indulging in worthless gossip (useless issues cannot be explained directly, they are promoted indi-
words). You may think that gossip is not harmful, merely rectly in a high-handed fashion (“forced upon”) and in a
a form of social recreation, but if we chatter meaninglessly variety of ways (“variously”) or distorted in order for them
on and on, our thought processes will become blunted and to be accepted. There are certainly individuals and groups
we will find it increasingly difficult to think about things who publicize themselves in this way (“false views”). This is
that matter or to discuss what is truly important. We must, like throwing more wood on an already raging fire and thus
therefore, attempt to keep such talk within measure. causing great harm to people. Since the people will tend to
Because of the evil karma our words cause, people reject think that such ideas are splendid and correct, they will,
one another (“fights”), the peace of their lives is disturbed all unknowingly, find at some point that they have become
(“dissensions”), what is correct (especially “the Righteous undermined spiritually. This is like a person who has been
Dharma”) is spread as if it were something incorrect, peo- poisoned. Though the person does not develop boils (“sores”)
ple’s improvement is impeded, and social progress is inhib- or a rash (“pustules”), he or she dies of the burning down
ited. Thus we must constantly reflect upon and repent the of the internal organs. People who have been poisoned by
words that leave our mouth. evil ideas may show no visible sign of their affliction on the
The teachings of the Bodhisattva Universal Virtue still surface, but they have been tainted within. We have here
continue. an excellent description of the evil workings of false views.

TEXT Having spoken thus before the world’s heroes, the TEXT When the follower reflects thus, there will come
follower must universally revere the buddhas in all direc- a voice from the sky saying: ‘In the southern quarter there
tions, prostrating himself down to the ground and folding is a buddha named Sandalwood Virtue who also possesses
his hands and kneeling to salute them, and he must speak countless emanated buddhas. All these buddhas preach the
thus, saying: ‘The errors of this tongue are numberless and Great-vehicle and extinguish sins and evils. Turning to the
boundless. All the thorns of evil karmas come from the innumerable buddhas and the great merciful world-hon-
organ of the tongue. This tongue causes the cutting off of the ored ones in all directions, you must confess such sins and
wheel of the Righteous Dharma. Such an evil tongue cuts false evils and repent them with a sincere heart.’ When
off the seeds of merits. Preaching of meaningless things is these words have been spoken, the follower should again
variously forced upon [others]. Praising false views is like salute the buddhas, prostrating himself down to the ground.
adding wood to a fire and further wounding living beings Thereupon the buddhas will send forth rays of light that
[who already suffer] in raging flames. It is like one who illuminate the follower’s body and naturally cause him to
dies drinking poison without [showing] sores or pustules. feel joy of body and mind, to raise a great mercy, and to
Such reward of sins is evil, false, and bad and causes me reflect on all things extensively. At that time the buddhas
to fall into the evil ways during a hundred or a thousand will widely preach to the follower the law of great kindness,
kalpas. Lying causes me to fall into a great hell. I now take compassion, joy, and indifference, and also teach him kind
refuge in the buddhas of the southern quarter and confess words to make him practice the six ways of harmony and
my errors and sins.’ reverence. Then the follower, having heard this teaching,
will greatly rejoice in his heart and will again further recite
COMMENTARY Here, too, we have extremely important and study it without laziness.
teachings and many severe but apt metaphors. From the sky there again comes a mystic voice, speak-
• All the thorns of evil karmas come from the organ of the ing thus: ‘Do you now practice the repentance of the body
tongue. This sentence means wounding another through and mind!
the barbs of the mouth. Causing such wounds, born of
negative intent and difficult of cure, is behavior resulting COMMENTARY Joy, and indifference. “Joy” is to rejoice in
in grave karmic retribution. the happiness of others; “indifference” is to disregard both
• The cutting off of the wheel of the Righteous Dharma. The the favors we do others and the injuries inflicted on us by
true teachings extend infinitely, like an ever-rolling wheel, others. It is to go beyond love and hate in order to think
bringing large numbers of people to deliverance. The rolling continually about the good of others.

Dharma World Spring 2023 41

 • Kind words. This refers to gentle words full of affection. many times they transmigrate after death, until they attain
The Buddhist expression “a gentle face and kind words” tells emancipation.
us what our demeanor toward others must be. • The twelve sufferings, including ignorance, old age, and
• The six ways of harmony and reverence. Those sharing the death. This refers to the teaching of the Twelve Causes and
same faith must act in harmony with, and show respect to, Conditions: ignorance, action, consciousness, name and
one another in their spiritual and everyday lives. The six form, the six sense organs, contact, feeling, craving, grasp-
ways of doing so are in body, word, and mind through the ing, becoming, birth, and old age and death.
precepts, through correct views, and through practice. This • The eight falsenesses. This refers to practices contrary to
teaching, of course, is not limited to people of religion but the Noble Eightfold Path: false views, wrong thought, wrong
can be applied to everybody everywhere. speech, wrong action, wrong livelihood, wrong effort, wrong
mindfulness, and wrong meditation.
TEXT ‘[The sins of] the body are killing, stealing, and com- • The eight circumstances. These are the circumstances in
mitting adultery, while [the sins of] the mind are entertain- which it is impossible to see a buddha or listen to his teach-
ing thoughts of various evils. Producing the ten evil karmas ings, also called the “eight conditions of no leisure,” where
and the five deadly sins is just like [living as] a monkey, like there is no time to practice the Buddha Way. These con-
birdlime and glue, and the attachment to all sorts of con- ditions are hells, the realm of hungry spirits, the realm of
ditions leads universally to the [passions of the] six sense animals, remote places, the heaven of long life, being blind
organs of all living beings. The karmas of these six organs or deaf, secular prejudice, and a time when a buddha is
with their boughs, twigs, flowers, and leaves entirely fill absent in this world.
the triple world, or the twenty-five abodes of living beings, “Remote places” refers to areas of natural bounty where
where all beings are born. Such karmas also increase the living is always pleasant. In ancient India it was believed
twelve sufferings, including ignorance, old age, and death, that such an area, called Uttara-kuru, existed. However,
and infallibly reach through to the eight falsenesses and when human beings suffer but little from life, they have
the eight circumstances. Do you now repent such evil and no incentive to improve their condition, and without this
bad karmas!’ incentive, progress will cease. Human beings are said to be
at the apex of all creatures and are the lords of creation, yet
COMMENTARY Producing the ten evil karmas and the they must still continue to advance. Much progress has been
five deadly sins is just like [living as] a monkey, like bird- made in terms of living conditions, but the human race is
lime and glue. Being inseparable from each other, the mind still immature in mind; the task of the human race in the
and body produce the ten evil karmas and the five deadly future is to advance more and more spiritually.
sins endlessly, just like a monkey moving from branch to We must, therefore, pursue that which is true and cor-
branch and like sticky birdlime. “The five deadly sins” are rect in our lives; if our lives are too comfortable, we will
killing a father, killing a mother, killing an arhat, wound- neglect that pursuit and become absentminded in living.
ing the Buddha, and destroying the harmony of the Sangha. This is the reason that the Buddha taught that such places
Committing these sins leads inevitably to rebirth in the are not good for people.
Avichi hell, the worst of all the hells. The “heaven of long life” is one of the heavenly realms,
• Boughs, twigs, flowers, and leaves. The boughs, twigs, flow- whose inhabitants have long life spans. That makes them
ers, and leaves all grow from a root. Similarly, the workings convinced that their life span will continue endlessly.
of the mind have their origins in the nature of the spirit. Translated to everyday terms, it refers to those who think
Thus the boughs, twigs, flowers, and leaves refer to minor vaguely that they will live forever in this world—a com-
mental actions. mon condition of us all. Those who give little thought to
• The twenty-five abodes of living beings. This refers to the the finitude of life are not compelled to seek the Buddha’s
realm of defiled living beings undergoing the ceaseless teachings, or even if they do, they think they will prac-
round of birth and death (transmigration) that is divided tice them someday. This attitude does not aid our spiritual
into the triple world: the fourteen abodes in the realm of progress, and so the realm of such thoughts is considered
desire (kama-dhatu), the seven abodes in the realm of form an adverse circumstance.
(rupa-dhatu), and the four abodes in the realm of form- “Secular prejudice” means to be overly intelligent in a
lessness (arupya-dhatu). worldly sense and concerned only with getting on in the
• Fill the triple world where all beings are born. This means world. Such people are absorbed only in that which is before
to fill the world where all sentient beings exit. This implies their gaze; they tend to forget the more important question
that all beings will be dogged by karmas no matter how concerning how human beings should live, and they rarely

42 Dharma World Spring 2023

give a thought to pursuing the question. The Buddha teaches
us that such a way of living is not the true human way.
A “time when a buddha is absent in this world” refers
to the period after one buddha has died and before the next
has appeared. It is, therefore, a time when it is impossible
to meet a buddha. Considered in real terms, it may indi-
cate a period when the Buddhist teachings are not actively
practiced or a human condition in which people cannot
have any interest in them, even if they are being taught.
Ordinary people with their sins of body and mind are
infallibly enmeshed in the eight circumstances and, unable
to escape them, wander around lost and deluded. If we do
not practice repentance, we will likewise find ourselves
always within their bounds and unable to walk out toward

Photo: Shutterstock.com
our progress. Thus repentance is essential.

TEXT Then the follower, having heard thus, asks the

voice in the sky, saying: ‘At what place may I practice the
law of repentance?’
An image of Vairochana (right) in the main Longmen Grotto,
Thereupon the voice in the sky will speak thus, saying:
located twelve kilometers south of present-day Luoyang in Henan
‘Shakyamuni Buddha is called Vairochana Who Pervades Province, China.
All Places, and his dwelling place is called Eternally Tranquil
Light, the place that is composed of permanency-paramita and • The place that is composed of permanency-paramita. The
stabilized by self-paramita, the place where purity-paramita buddha-realm is the perfected (paramita) condition of
extinguishes the aspect of existence, where bliss-paramita does eternally unchanging characteristic (permanency), a world
not abide in the aspect of one’s body and mind, and where made up of and ruled by (“composed of ”) the characteris-
the aspects of all the laws cannot be seen as either existing tic of perfect permanence. This realm is realized only after
or nonexisting, the place of tranquil emancipation, or pra- people cease to be attached to that which is impermanent
jnaparamita. Because these forms are based on permanent and they perfect their practice of perceiving what is per-
law, you must now meditate on the buddhas in all directions.’ manent (the Original Buddha).
• Stabilized by self-paramita. Here, “self ” refers to the “true
COMMENTARY Here the buddha-realm of the Eternal self.” The Buddha denied the existence of the physical and
Original Buddha is mentioned, which indicates how this mental “small self.” Here, “self ” is that which cannot be
realm can be attained (awakened to). It is a difficult pas- moved by anything, having been confirmed through the
sage and repays constant rereading, so that we gradually attainment of perfect enlightenment. We can also call it
come to understand its meaning correctly. buddha nature. The place referred to is that realm made
• Vairochana Who Pervades All Places. Vairochana is the up of and stabilized by this “true self.” The realm of the
buddha whose radiance illumines all places and who is Buddha is, therefore, the place where we are able to attain
present everywhere. Vairochana refers to the true body, the only after we are removed from our attachment to our-
Dharma-body (dharma-kaya), of the Buddha, and only the selves that undergo birth and death; we achieve this realm
Dharma-body is nonborn and nondying. In other words, through exertion in bodhisattva training.
he is the Eternal Original Buddha who attained enlighten- • The place where purity-paramita extinguishes the aspect of
ment in the remote past. Therefore, saying that “Shakyamuni existence. The world of the Buddha transcends all phenom-
Buddha is called Vairochana Who Pervades All Places” ena (“existence”), being a realm of true equality that stands
means that though Shakyamuni appeared as a human being, above all discrimination. We are unable to perceive that
his original form, or Dharma-body, is the Eternal Original realm unless we become utterly pure in mind and abandon
Buddha. The passage then goes on to describe what kind all phenomenal distinctions between the self and others.
of place his buddha-realm is. • Where bliss-paramita does not abide in the aspect of one’s
• Eternally Tranquil Light. “Tranquil” means immovable body and mind. “Bliss-paramita” refers to perfect peace. The
and unchanging. The buddha-realm never changes and is world of the Buddha is imbued with such perfect peace.
always filled with a radiant light. We will be able to attain that realm only when we have

Dharma World Spring 2023 43

transcended “the aspect of one’s body and mind” (the actu- COMMENTARY Not to cut off binding and driving nor to
ally existing mind and body) and formed no attachment to abide in the ocean of driving. Even though the defilements
them. If we remain attached to the actually existing body (“binding and driving”) are not entirely cut away, we should
and mind, we will inevitably come into confrontation with strive not to become immersed (“abide”) in the sea of the
others, and because of greed and other delusions, will dis- defilements (“ocean of driving”). This is an important teach-
pute with those around us. The suffering and anguish of ing for us, performing as we are the bodhisattva practice in
human existence will then never end. the everyday world. If we could sever the defilements utterly,
The four paramitas above signify the Buddha’s virtues of per- it would be best. This, however, in a normal context, is no
manence, bliss, self, and purity. But as to all things in this more than an ideal. Even if we still possess the defilements,
world, because of illusions, ordinary people regard what is we must control ourselves so that we are not drowned by
impermanent as permanent; they mistake what is essentially them, not falling into error. In addition, it is because we, too,
suffering for pleasure; they regard only the surface of things possess the defilements that we are well able to understand
and mistake the impure for the pure; and they mistakenly the defilements of others and employ the power of tactful-
think that although all things are devoid of self, there is a ness suited to them. Thus the defilements become a valuable
lasting entity or substance (self) that exists independent and effective aid in the bodhisattva practice of teaching and
of all other things. These, of course, are completely oppo- transforming others. Here we find a large difference between
site from actuality. Only when we reach the Buddha’s realm the shravaka and pratyekabuddha, who withdraw from the
are we able to see that this world is the Land of Eternally floating world, and the bodhisattva, whose mission it is to
Tranquil Light all the time. liberate all living beings.
• Where the aspects of all the laws cannot be seen as either • In meditating on one’s mind, there is no mind one can
existing or nonexisting. This refers to the realm that transcends seize. Ordinarily the minds of people are not firm but con-
relativity, such as arguments or decisions about whether “all stantly flit from one thing to another. It is impossible to
laws” (everything that exists) actually exist or not. grasp clearly what the mind really is.
• Tranquil emanciption. This refers to the realm of immu- • Perverted thought. This means the confused ideas, the
tability and great harmony, freed from all delusions and opposite of the truth, that see things that do not exist as
suffering. existing. This is the state of mind of the ordinary person.
• Prajnaparamita. “Prajna” in Sanskrit is wisdom, the • False imagination. This means thinking false things to
Buddha wisdom that penetrates the true aspect of all things. be the truth, considering everything in a self-centered way,
“Prajnaparamita” (the paramita of wisdom) is the state and discriminating among things that are originally equal.
where this wisdom is perfected. The method of repentance taught by the buddhas of
• Because these forms are based on permanent law. Because every direction continues.
these appearances (“these forms”) of the Buddha’s realm are
not susceptible to change (“permanent law”). TEXT ‘Such a form of the law neither appears nor disap-
However we interpret these words, we can never com- pears. What is sin? What is blessedness? As one’s own mind
pletely understand them through the intellect, since they is void of itself, sin and blessedness have no existence. In
refer to the world of the Buddha. If we read the sutras as if like manner all the laws are neither fixed nor going toward
we were in a state of samadhi and strive always to perform destruction. If one repents like this, meditating on one’s
bodhisattva practice, we will, I am sure, eventually come to mind, there is no mind to be seized. The law also does not
realize the full import of the description above. dwell in the law.

TEXT Then the buddhas in all directions will stretch out COMMENTARY This passage, like the previous one, is
their right hands, laying them on the head of the follower, extremely difficult.
and will speak thus: ‘Good! Good! Good son! Because you • Form of the law. This refers to the essential nature of all
have now read and recited the Great-vehicle sutras, the bud- things, or their significance. The basic characteristics of all
dhas in all directions will preach the law of repentance. The things are nonarising and nonperishing (“neither appears
bodhisattva practice is not to cut off binding and driving nor disappears”).
nor to abide in the ocean of driving. In meditating on one’s • As one’s own mind is void of itself, sin and blessedness have
mind, there is no mind one can seize, except the mind that no existence. If all things are empty, one’s mind must itself be
comes from one’s perverted thought. The mind presenting empty. Therefore, both sin and blessedness are only tempo-
such a form rises from one’s false imagination like the wind rary appearances, and they have no real, unchanging sub-
in the sky, which has no foothold. stance (“have no existence”).

44 Dharma World Spring 2023

 A number of methods of repentance have already been
set before us. Here we are told definitely that the highest form
of repentance is to contemplate the real aspect of all things.
Repentance, in other words, is to accumulate our bodhisattva
practice, which begins with our reflecting upon our sins and
faults regarding phenomenal things, so that we eventually
reach the realization of the real aspect of all things, the apex
of the Mahayana teachings. We keenly realize that repentance
is a positive and extremely profound practice toward that end.
Source: Wikimedia Commons File: Basarh lion, DGASI, before 1929.jpg

TEXT ‘He who practices this repentance has the purity

of body and mind not fixed in the law [but free] as flowing
water. In every thought and in every moment, he will be
able to see the Bodhisattva Universal Virtue and the bud-
dhas in all directions.’

COMMENTARY Not fixed in the law [but free] as flowing

water. This means that we become no longer captured by
the things of the world, and our spirit flows free and unre-
stricted. As we continue to practice repentance, we become
purified in mind and body, and no longer captured by the
things of the world, our spirit flows free and unrestricted.
Eventually we will be able to experience the presence of the
Bodhisattva Universal Virtue and the buddhas of the ten
directions as if they were truly before us.
Ashoka Pillar, standing at Vaishali (present-day Basarh) in Bihar Here the buddhas of the ten directions conclude their
State, India. The Buddha is said to have preached the Sutra of
teaching of repentance.
Meditation on the Bodhisattva Universal Virtue at a monastery in
Vaishali.
TEXT Thereupon all the world-honored ones, sending
• The law also does not dwell in the law. Here “law” signi- forth the ray of light of great mercy, preach the law of non-
fies “all things.” Nothing in this world has fixed existence, aspect to the follower. He hears the world-honored ones
and all things are always subject to change and transfor- preaching the emptiness of the first principle. When he has
mation. Therefore, we must not become attached to what heard it, his mind becomes imperturbable. In due time, he
is presently appearing and be swayed by it. We must, how- will enter into the real bodhisattva standing.”
ever, not be satisfied with the present conditions and never
cease making efforts to improve ourselves. “Enlightenment” COMMENTARY The law of nonaspect. This is the teach-
is to be accomplished through bodhisattva practice within ing that all things have no firm and specific forms, which
our actual lives. indicates that we must remove ourselves from all attach-
ments and be true to the view of equality.
TEXT ‘All the laws are emancipation, the truth of extinc- • The emptiness of the first principle. This means the emp-
tion, and quiescence. Such an aspect is called the great tiness as the supreme meaning. While “emptiness” has a
repentance, the greatly adorned repentance, repentance of number of different meanings, the ultimate meaning of
the non-sin aspect, and the destruction of discrimination. “emptiness” refers to the real aspect of all things, which is
the true aspect of this world. “The emptiness of the first
COMMENTARY All things are themselves in a state of principle” means the emptiness that is in great harmony.
emancipation, nonsuffering, and the tranquillity of nirvana. • His mind becomes imperturbable. The things we see before
To realize this is the greatest and most beautiful repentance, our eyes do not actually exist as we see them, but they are
the repentance that truly does away with all sin. That repen- in the state of emptiness. When we have prepared our-
tance will break down the mind that tends to be attached selves to understand such truths, we will be neither sur-
to phenomena and satisfied with the present conditions, prised nor upset when we hear what seems to be beyond
and it makes us turn instead toward true enlightenment. common understanding.

Dharma World Spring 2023 45

 • The real bodhisattva standing. This refers to the true stage • With which the ocean of nirvana is sealed. This means
of a bodhisattva, not a substitute or an assistant, but the that it is impressed upon people in the world that the realm
actual performer, whose task it is to bring deliverance to of the Buddha is as broad as the ocean and truly at peace.
the world and humankind. • From such an ocean are born the three kinds of pure bod-
ies of the Buddha. The three kinds of the Buddha’s bodies
TEXT The Buddha addressed Ananda: “To practice in are born from the Mahayana teachings, which expound
this manner is called repentance. This is the law of repen- the true nirvana.
tance, which the buddhas and great bodhisattvas in all • Blessing-field. The three kinds of the Buddha’s bodies are
directions practice.” compared to a cultivated field, for they are the sources of
all blessings without end.
COMMENTARY To confess one’s sins is the repentance • The supreme object of worship. “Object of worship” means
of a novice; however, the greatest form of repentance, that one who is worthy of offerings from the people of the world.
practiced by the buddhas and bodhisattvas, is to contem- This is one of the ten epithets of the Buddha.
plate the most profound principle of the real aspect of all • Born of the Buddha’s wisdom. This is a valuable phrase.
things. Thus the Buddha confirms as correct the teachings A person who has gained knowledge of the truth through
of the Bodhisattva Universal Virtue. the Buddha’s teachings and who leads a new life on the
basis of that truth is as one who has been reborn. He or
TEXT The Buddha addressed Ananda: “After the extinc- she has received new birth as a bodhisattva, by means of
tion of the Buddha, if all his disciples should repent their the Buddha’s wisdom.
evil and bad karmas, they must only read and recite the
Great-vehicle sutras. These sutras of Great Extent are the The Three Seals of the Dharma
eyes of the buddhas. By means of the sutras the buddhas I would like to spend some time at this point explaining the
have perfected the five kinds of eyes. The three kinds of the most important “seals” of the Dharma in basic Buddhism,
Buddha’s bodies grow out [of the sutras] of Great Extent. the Three Seals of the Dharma: “All things are impermanent,”
This is the seal of the Great Dharma with which the ocean “All things are devoid of self,” and “Nirvana is tranquil.”
of nirvana is sealed. From such an ocean are born the three Since I have already discussed the first two in my commen-
kinds of pure bodies of the Buddha. These three kinds of tary on “Preaching,” chapter 2 of the Sutra of Innumerable
the Buddha’s bodies are the blessing-field for the gods and Meanings, I would ask you to reread the section.
men and are supreme object of worship. If there be any who All things are impermanent. The way that all things, all
recite and read the sutras of Great Extent, the Great-vehicle, phenomena, appear has a certain cause; when that cause
know that such are endowed with the Buddha’s merits and, meets with an exactly suitable condition, it takes form as
having extinguished their longstanding evils, are born of a phenomenon, and when that cause or condition disap-
the Buddha’s wisdom.” pears, the phenomenon also disappears, all things of this
world are neither unchanging nor permanent but change
COMMENTARY These sutras of Great Extent. The Mahayana continually and eventually disappear. This is the seal of the
sutras, of which the central is the Lotus Sutra (see the Spring Dharma that all things are impermanent. It is a precise, sci-
2022 issue of Dharma World). entific statement. On the basis of that teaching, Buddhism
• The five kinds of eyes (see the discussion in “The Parable preaches how people should live and what kind of mental
of the Herbs,” chapter 5 of the Lotus Sutra). attitudes they should have in leading their lives. The most
• The three kinds of the Buddha’s bodies (see the discussion in important feature of the teaching, though, is that when we
“Virtues,” chapter 1 of the Sutra of Innumerable Meanings). discern that all phenomena undergo constant change, we
• The seal of the Great Dharma. The seal of the Dharma is will spontaneously no longer be attached to, or be pulled
the hallmark of the Buddha’s teachings, the slogan that indi- about by various phenomena that happen to us or around
cates to the world the purpose of Buddhism. The seal of the us, or undergo suffering and pain, or cause suffering or
Dharma in Mahayana Buddhism is the teaching of the ulti- pain to others. Therefore, it is essential that we realize that
mate reality of all things, while in basic Buddhism it refers all things are impermanent.
to the Three Seals of the Dharma: “all things are imperma- People (and particularly the Japanese in the past) tend
nent,” “all things are devoid of self,” and “nirvana is tranquil.” to interpret impermanence pessimistically, in the sense that
Since these Three Seals of the Dharma are the basis for the all things in the world are fleeting and untrustworthy. This,
Dharma seal of the ultimate reality of all things, I will dis- however, is a distorted understanding of the concept. Perhaps
cuss them in detail at the end of this section of commentary. the distortion occurred because the ordained monks of the

46 Dharma World Spring 2023

past who pursued this teaching as a guidepost to emanci- inhale the oxygen that plants exhale, while plants are able
pation were those who renounced the world. A negative to grow by turning into a carbohydrate the carbon dioxide
interpretation regarding the nature of things caused no hin- that human beings and other animals exhale. In this sense,
drances to them and, in fact, may have supported them in human beings do not live independently of everything else
their decision to do so. Such an attitude, however, seems but come into being through the coming together of var-
backward looking and pessimistic to modern people, who ious forms of energy. We may think that we live of our-
have to work hard for their living, who marry and raise selves, but in fact we are caused to live through a variety
children, and who participate in the running and progress of unseen factors.
of their respective societies. If they indulged in views that The interconnectedness of life is even closer between
rejected the world, all progress and development would be people. The clothes we wear, the food we eat, the houses
brought to a halt. We must therefore completely reverse our we live in, and all the other necessities of life have been
attitude to impermanence, understanding it in the light of produced by somebody somewhere; when we think of the
Shakyamuni’s teachings as something dynamic and for- process by which they actually come into our hands, we
ward looking. will be astounded by the almost limitless breadth of the
Impermanence does not mean inevitable decline and connections involved. We are surrounded by things we use
decay. The dewdrop poised on a leaf ’s tip seems to disappear and consume to support our lives that are produced, man-
once the sun shines on it, but in fact it turns into vapor and, ufactured, shipped, and sold by untold numbers of peo-
joining together with other components in the atmosphere, ple whom we will never meet. Conversely, our labor also
rises high into the sky and falls again as rain to moisten the supports the existence of countless people about whom
fields or provide the energy to produce hydroelectricity. The we know nothing. Likewise, our taxes and the money we
dewdrop does not die; rather, it is born anew. Similarly, the pay for insurance are of use to somebody somewhere. We
cells in our body die and are reborn every moment, and all live, regardless of country, in a condition of live and
each second about a hundred million red blood corpuscles let live. This does not apply only to other human beings,
perish and the same number come newly into existence. for we have similar connections with all life, sentient and
We should not therefore understand impermanence emo- nonsentient, in the universe, supporting and being sup-
tionally as the people of old did; rather than accepting it ported by one another’s existence. Realizing that there is
as “disappearance,” we should understand it more dynam- no self that exists completely independently of everything
ically as “constantly changing.” else is expressed in Buddhism in the words “all things are
If things ceased to change, there would be nothing other devoid of self.”
than eternal death. Because there is change there is mobility, How this realization is to be put into practice in every-
and because of mobility there is life. Once we understand day life will soon become apparent. All the various actions
this to the very core of our being, change and movement will of one’s own life must be seen to be linked in an intricate
no longer frighten us or cause anxiety but, rather, be a rea- way—like the crisscross pattern of a net—with those of other
son for joy, since they are signs of living. The more change people. We must always be aware that should one person
there is in our life and work, the more we should feel encour- selfishly exert too much pressure on one line of that net, the
aged, for the changes are proof that we are alive. This is the mesh will become distended or break completely, so that
way modern people should understand impermanence. the overall balance holding society together will be lost,
All things are devoid of self. This is the truth that there hitches will occur in its smooth flow, and all will fall into
is no such self (real, unchanging substance) in this world confusion. However, it is not enough that we just control
that is permanent (that is, never dies or changes), existing ourselves and act correctly, for there are many in the world
without connection to others or not separating from oth- who entangle or rip the meshes of the net. Therefore, we
ers, possessing unrestricted power, and governing our fate. should strive to enlighten as many people as possible about
Accordingly, there is not one thing that exists alone, inde- the teaching of “all things are devoid of self ” and instill in
pendent of all else; everything is linked, all relying on and them a spirit of shared responsibility. This is a major rea-
supporting one another. Our body provides an excellent son that we have to be desperately concerned to spread
example of this principle. It is made up of dozens of ele- the Buddhist Dharma throughout the world. The seal of
ments, including oxygen, carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, cal- the Dharma, “all things are devoid of self,” is a fundamen-
cium, phosphorus, potassium, sulphur, sodium, chlorine, tal truth of human social life. Precepts against selfishness
magnesium, and iron, but all these same elements are in and greed are also based on this doctrine, as are the teach-
some way supplied by and returned to sentient and non- ings that we should be grateful to all the beings of heaven
sentient beings on earth. Human beings live because they and earth and feel obligation to all people.

Dharma World Spring 2023 47

 Nirvana is tranquil. This third seal of the Dharma signi- the excellence of their activities conspicuously stand out from
fies the state of perfect tranquillity of body and mind. There the mass who are crawling along or even retrogressing, they
are a number of stages in such tranquillity. Generally, it refers will upset the harmony of the whole but bringing that dishar-
to the perfect peace and calm that comes from liberation, the mony to a newer, more advanced harmony is progress. For
equilibrium of a mind released from the anxieties of the world example, when the majority of people in a group are lazy, the
through enlightenment to the teaching “all things are devoid intense activity of one person can overturn the balance and
of self.” Just as we as modern people must comprehend the bring about a higher form of harmony. When someone of
meaning of “impermanence” in a dynamic way, so must we great wisdom like Shakyamuni appears among people who
not limit ourselves to understanding the teaching “nirvana is are ignorant of the true nature of things and teaches a better
tranquil” as merely calm and peace. For instance, the peace of way of living, the balance is broken for a time and friction
a body and mind in which all motion has stopped can still be occurs. However, when large numbers of people begin to fol-
called peace. After intense activity, such peace is very neces- low those teachings and their attitude toward living rises to a
sary, for a healthy life is one that alternates between activity higher plane, society as a whole will advance as a newer and
and rest. Nevertheless, it would be a clear mistake to pursue more advanced harmony comes about. Human progress is
such calm and peace as the source of human happiness. As the repetition of such a process of a low-level harmony being
I mentioned above, it is circulation that determines life, and broken and then reformulated into a higher state.
eternal stillness is nothing other than death. Perhaps the highest ideal is an unbreakable harmony,
Such things as minerals that have no movement are in within which, nevertheless, humankind progresses ever higher.
fact dead. Of course, from the standpoint that even plants This is certainly possible in theory. Consider, for example,
and earth can become buddhas (because all beings, sentient the well-balanced performance of a symphony orchestra. As
and nonsentient, have buddha nature), minerals, too, are long as everyone works together and no one neglects his or
considered to possess life; however, since they cannot move her study and practice, the orchestra itself can continue to
without the aid of some external force, they will remain still improve little by little, in quality and content, without los-
and unmoving forever, and so in the ordinary sense of the ing its overall balance. The same should be possible in soci-
word we are justified in considering them to be without life. ety if each and every person works hard according to his or
The pursuit of peace of body and mind as the first princi- her own talents and appointed task. United by the common
ple of human life is nothing less than seeking to be like an spirit of “all things are devoid of self,” all strive to maintain
inanimate rock and so represents an abandonment of the the bonds joining them. They hold one another in affection
significance of having been born as a human. and compassion, extending a hand to those who fall behind
True tranquillity is harmony within movement, the har- and lending their strength to those who are weak, so that all
mony that is the merger of the creative talents of many peo- walk together in harmony. If all humankind could live in this
ple. It is similar to chords in music. It is an inexpressible way, people would experience great tranquillity within a life
joy to hear the harmony produced by different instruments, of true creativity and progress. This, I believe, is the highest
despite the differences in the tone and pitch of individual form of tranquillity, the true state of “nirvana is tranquil.”
notes. The true peace that people seek is like such a chord. Through careful practice of these three principles, we
An orchestra that does not perform has no life, however will achieve, as individuals and in society as a whole, true
many fine musicians it might possess. In the same way, peo- deliverance and bring into being the Land of Tranquil Light.
ple who do not let their creative talents arise are not truly This, then, is why Buddhism proclaims these three “seals of
alive. As each and every person works diligently at his or the Dharma.” The three seals were later developed into the
her own occupation, their unknowable quantity of work principle of the real aspect of all things. This is the reason
combines and flows forward in a great harmony. As long that Mahayana Buddhism considers as its seal of the Dharma
as this ever-flowing harmony continues, people will work that principle based on the Three Seals of the Dharma.
happily and live contentedly, stimulated by a will to work I will here bring my remarks on the seals of the Dharma
that arises from within. This is true peace. to a close and return to the main text.
When we look around society today, we may see this To be continued
ideal of harmony achieved by some people in some places
at some times, but it seems almost impossible to compre- In this series, passages in the TEXT sections are quoted
hend that this ideal state of harmony is continually possi- from The Threefold Lotus Sutra, Tokyo: Kosei Publishing
ble for all the people of the world. Wherever we look, all we Company, 1975, with slight revisions. The diacritical marks
see seems to be disharmony. All the same this very dishar- originally used for several Sanskrit terms in the TEXT sec-
mony might well be the path to progress. If a few people in tions are omitted here for easier reading.

48 Dharma World Spring 2023

 


 

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 !"

The Lotus Sutra has been one of the foremost scrip- The Threefold Lotus Sutra: A Modern Translation
tures of Mahayana Buddhism since the appear- for Contemporary Readers is the first English ver-
ance of its superb translation into Chinese by sion of this religious classic tailored to the essen-
Kumarajiva in 406 CE. Over the ensuing centu- tial Buddhist practice of daily sutra recitation. In
ries, this centerpiece of the three sutras composing addition to providing an accurate translation faith-
the Threefold Lotus Sutra has thoroughly spread ful to the original text and following the standard
throughout East Asian civilization. definitions of key Buddhist terminology, this inno-
vative Threefold Lotus Sutra breaks new ground
by employing more inclusive language to reflect
present-day concepts of equality and human dig-
nity in an increasingly diversified world.

Translated by Michio Shinozaki, Brook A. Ziporyn,

and David C. Earhart

526 pp., 5.5 x 8.5 in., Glossary

ISBN: 978-4-333-00692-2
25.00 USD for paperback
17.39 USD for eBook

Rissho Kosei-kai International

Fumon Media Center
2-7-1 Wada, Suginami-ku
Tokyo 166-8537, Japan
E-mail: [email protected]
 Rissho Kosei-kai International
Fumon Media Center 3F, 2-7-1 Wada, Suginami-ku, Tokyo 166-8537, Japan
Tel: +81-3-5341-1124 Fax: +81-3-5341-1224
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