When Buddhists say they’re “planting seeds,” they’re usually talking about teaching others about Nam-myoho- renge-kyo, the seed of Buddhahood. This essential component of our Buddhist practice is rooted in a profound respect for each person and the belief that all people are inherently endowed with the highest life state of Buddhahood. We talk about Buddhism with people to awaken this state of life in them and in ourselves.
This process of teaching others about Nam-myoho-renge-kyo is called “planting,” or sowing, “seeds of Buddhahood.” Nichiren Daishonin states, “The Lotus Sutra is like the seed, the Buddha like the sower, and the people like the field” (“The Essentials for Attaining Buddhahood,” The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, vol. 1, p. 748).
When we engage others in dialogues about the benefits of Buddhist practice, we, “the sower,” are planting seeds of Buddhahood in the “field” of their lives.
When we engage others in dialogues about the benefits of Buddhist practice, we, “the sower,” are planting seeds of Buddhahood in the “field” of their lives.”
Second Soka Gakkai President Josei Toda explains two stages of sowing:
There are two kinds of seed sowing [in Buddhism]: sowing the seeds by letting people hear the teaching and sowing the seeds by leading people to arouse faith in the teaching.
Let’s say you meet someone for the first time and tell them about Nichiren Buddhism, but the person does not take faith. This is sowing the seeds by letting people hear the teaching.
But suppose that later someone else who practices this Buddhism approaches that person and talks about faith in the Mystic Law again, and they decide to receive the Gohonzon. This is sowing the seeds by leading people to arouse faith in the teaching. Both of these are equally sowing the seeds of Buddhahood, and the benefit is the same. (October 2003 Living Buddhism, p. 45)
When we share Nam-myoho-renge-kyo with people, we enable them to hear it, form a connection with it and cause the seed of Buddhahood to blossom in their lives. The more we teach people about Buddhism, the more we can enrich and uplift their hearts and infuse our communities with the philosophy of respect for all people.
—Prepared by the SGI-USA Study Department
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