Ikeda Sensei: The heart of the practice of Nichiren Buddhism is our practice for self and others—that is, reciting gongyo and chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo ourselves and sharing Buddhism with others. Amid the realities of society, we chant and spread the Mystic Law and engage in dialogues that respect the dignity of each person’s life and impart encouragement and hope. All these efforts are in fact the highest form of Buddhist practice, the root cause for activating the Buddha nature in ourselves and others.
The more that people believe in the inherent goodness of human beings, and the more we base our interactions on mutual respect, the stronger the current of respect for the dignity of life will become, spreading throughout the world. Ultimately, this will enable us to put an end to the cycle of conflict and hatred that seems to have defined the karma of humankind and open the way to a new era of mutual understanding and peace building.
The humanistic ideal embodied in the behavior of Bodhisattva Never Disparaging is the model for action our world so desperately needs. (October 2024 Living Buddhism, pp. 46–47)
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