If we stop to consider, we realize that one observes the precepts in order that one may repay the debt of gratitude that one owes to one’s father and mother, one’s religious teachers, the ruler of the nation, one’s own particular lord, living beings as a whole, and to the three treasures.[1] One owes a profound debt to father and mother for having raised one, and a heavy debt to all living beings for mutual help and assistance.
“Explaining the Causation of the Ten Worlds,” The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, vol. 2, p. 204
Nichiren Daishonin teaches the path of repaying debts of gratitude and explains how we can guide our parents and all those in our lives to lasting happiness.
Illuminating the interconnectedness of life and offering hope for a future of world peace and the harmonious coexistence of all living things, the Buddhism of the Sun shines ever brighter in these troubled times.
In this month of the Daishonin’s birth,[2] we forge ahead in our efforts to engage in dialogue to create a better world. For this is the way to repay our debt of gratitude to all living beings.
From the Feb. 14, 2023, issue of the Soka Gakkai’s daily newspaper, Seikyo Shimbun.
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