Material for Discussion Meetings (September)

Writings for Discussion Meetings

Passage

If the spirit of many in body but one in mind prevails among the people, they will achieve all their goals, whereas if one in body but different in mind, they can achieve nothing remarkable.

—“Many in Body, One in Mind,” The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, vol. 1, p. 618

Background

Around 1275, what came to be known as the Atsuhara Persecution began, and it continued until about 1283. Nichiren Daishonin’s disciples in Atsuhara and the surrounding area had been making great strides in spreading his teachings. Alarmed by their progress, priests of other Buddhist schools feared losing their following and donations. They appealed to authorities who oppressed and threatened Nichiren’s disciples. 

As the oppression intensified, sometime between 1274 and 1280, Nichiren wrote this letter to his embattled disciples, emphasizing the importance of unity based on the spirit of “many in body, one in mind” as the key to surmounting such great trials. 

In 1279, at the height of the persecution, authorities arrested 20 disciples on false charges, interrogating and torturing them, demanding they renounce their faith in the Daishonin’s teachings. But not one yielded in their faith, even after three were eventually executed. 

These events demonstrated that ordinary practitioners of Nichiren’s teaching possessed his same spirit to withstand any persecution for the sake of the Law. For the Daishonin, his disciples’ unity and resolute faith signaled that he had fulfilled the purpose of his appearance in this world.

—Prepared by the SGI-USA Study Department

Ikeda Sensei’s Encouragement

Uniting With the Buddha’s Heart

To quickly reconfirm the meaning of the concept of “many in body, one in mind,” many in body—which can also be expressed as “different in body”—refers to people’s diverse personalities and characteristics, and the roles they have to fulfill. One in mind—which can also be expressed as “same in heart or spirit”—generally means sharing the same purpose or values. It also means cherishing a shared wish or aspiration to realize a lofty goal or ideal.

In terms of Buddhism, the core of “being one in mind” is faith based on the oneness of mentor and disciple—that is, each person taking kosen-rufu, the Buddha’s will and intent, as a personal mission and actively working for its realization. For disciples to take on challenges and strive to win with the same spirit as their teacher is the essence of the spirit of many in body, one in mind. …

Though we may share the same purpose or aspiration, we do not suppress or deny our own individuality. When we each fully express our unique potential through the power of the Mystic Law, we can manifest the invincible strength of the unity of many in body, one in mind. …

Only when we each bring forth the wisdom of our enlightened Buddha nature can we truly actualize the unity of many in body, one in mind as taught in Nichiren Buddhism. Because we rise above our attachment to self and reveal our highest potential and individuality, the path of many in body, one in mind becomes a path for absolute victory.

Here, we should also remember that, through manifesting the wisdom of our Buddha nature, we can break free from the fundamental darkness or ignorance that would keep us trapped in the paths of evil and suffering. The spirit of many in body, one in mind is not a unity achieved through external constraints or demands for conformity. Rather, it is an expression of the wisdom of our Buddha nature arising from a fundamental liberation occurring in the depths of each person’s life. It is a unity based on aligning our own hearts with the heart of the Buddha. (Learning From the Writings: The Hope-filled Teachings of Nichiren Daishonin, pp. 205–06)

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The Mutual Possession of the Ten Worlds: Strengthening Our Buddhahood 

Buddhist Concepts

So far in this study series on the Ten Worlds, we learned about the six paths of hell, hungry spirits, animals, asuras, human beings and heavenly beings and the four noble worlds of voice-hearers (learning), cause-awakened ones (realization), bodhisattvas and Buddhas. 

While the concept of the Ten Worlds can be found in pre-Lotus Sutra teachings, only in the Lotus Sutra do we find the basis for the “mutual possession of the Ten Worlds,” the focus of this final installment. 

Let’s dive in to the mutual possession of the Ten Worlds and how understanding this concept can transform how we live our lives. 

Buddhahood Exists in All Ten Worlds

Teachings prior to the Lotus Sutra asserted that each of the Ten Worlds is a distinct realm that living beings inhabit. Reaching the world of Buddhahood would require making efforts over many lifetimes to level up through each world until finally becoming a Buddha. 

In contrast, the mutual possession of the Ten Worlds offers a hope-filled framework. It explains that within each of the Ten Worlds resides the other nine. This means that even the world of Buddhahood contains the nine other worlds within it and that they in turn all possess the world of Buddhahood. Therefore, just as we are—whether in the state of hell or that of bodhisattva—we can immediately bring forth our Buddhahood at any time and in any situation. 

That said, for ordinary people mired in the doubt, divisiveness and confusion pervading our world, Buddhahood can be the most challenging life condition to bring forth. 

In seeking a way for all people to access their Buddhahood quickly, Nichiren Daishonin inscribed the Gohonzon of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, depicting in it beings representing all Ten Worlds. He developed the practice of chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo to the Gohonzon, making it possible for anyone to freely manifest the life state of Buddhahood and all the enlightened aspects of the Ten Worlds.

Ikeda Sensei says: 

The human heart is unfathomable. It is fickle and constantly changing. From moment to moment, our inner state of mind changes. We experience various emotions—joy, sorrow, anger, pain. Life, too, is full of changes. That is why, for countless centuries and millennia, humanity has pondered the fundamental question of what constitutes the best and surest way to lasting happiness. 

Nichiren Daishonin revealed a fundamental solution to this ultimate problem of human existence. He taught that through chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo to the Gohonzon, we could break through any karma and establish an inner state of absolute happiness. (August 2, 2024, World Tribune, p. 9) 

Establishing Buddhahood as Our Basic Life Tendency

A key aim of our Buddhist practice is to transform our state of life and establish Buddhahood as our basic life tendency. 

Our basic life tendency is the life state we tend to reside in due to our karma, that is, because of causes we made in the past. For example, some people might quickly be drawn to feelings of despair (the world of hell), while others might always try to outdo those around them (the world of asuras). Yet, from moment to moment, we also move from world to world in response to external and internal factors. 

We strive to establish Buddhahood as our basic life tendency because it will help us lead the most wonderful kind of life. When Buddhahood becomes the foundation of our lives, no matter the highs and lows we may experience, we can use everything to fuel our appreciation, hope, confidence and joy. None of our experiences within the other nine worlds are ever wasted and can be used to encourage those around us. Sensei says:

A Buddha who has no connection to the actual sufferings of the nine worlds is
not a genuine Buddha—namely, one who embodies the mutual possession of the Ten Worlds. … 

The world of Buddhahood can also be described as a state of life where one willingly takes on even hellish suffering. This is the world of hell contained in the world of Buddhahood. It is characterized by empathy and hardships deliberately taken on for the happiness and welfare of others, and it arises from a sense of responsibility and compassion. Courageously taking on problems and sufferings for the sake of others strengthens the world of Buddhahood in our lives. (The Wisdom for Creating Happiness and Peace, part 1, revised edition, pp. 47–48)

To “live” the doctrine of the mutual possession of the Ten Worlds is to live true to ourselves while basing everything on the faith that we and others embody the potential for Buddhahood. When we live in this way, we can “suffer what there is to suffer, enjoy what there is to enjoy” (WND-1, 681), becoming experts in creating value in any circumstance.

—Prepared by the SGI-USA Study Department

From the September 2024 Living Buddhism