The Benefit, Joy and Purpose of Sharing Buddhism

From Nichiren Daishonin

Single-mindedly chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo and urge others to do the same; that will remain as the only memory of your present life in this human world. (“Embracing the Lotus Sutra,” The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, vol. 1, p. 64)

There should be no discrimination among those who propagate the five characters of Myoho-renge-kyo in the Latter Day of the Law, be they men or women. Were they not Bodhisattvas of the Earth, they could not chant the daimoku. At first only Nichiren chanted Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, but then two, three, and a hundred followed, chanting and teaching others. Propagation will unfold this way in the future as well. Does this not signify “emerging from the earth”? (“The True Aspect of All Phenomena,” WND-1, 385)

“A hundred years of practice in the Land of Perfect Bliss cannot compare to the benefit gained from one day’s practice in the impure world. Two thousand years of propagating Buddhism during the Former and Middle Days of the Law are inferior to an hour of propagation in the Latter Day of the Law. This is in no way because of Nichiren’s wisdom, but simply because the time makes it so.” (“On Repaying Debts of Gratitude,” WND-1, 736)

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From Ikeda Sensei

Unlocking a Powerful Life Force

Josei Toda declared: “Propagating the Mystic Law in the Latter Day of the Law simply means deciding, ‘My life is none other than Nam-myoho-renge-kyo!’”

We are ordinary people inundated by all manner of problems and striving earnestly to navigate our way through the turbulence of society. But when we make Nichiren Daishonin’s wish for the compassionate propagation of the Mystic Law our personal mission, we unlock a powerful life force that can overcome even the fiercest onslaughts of karma. The life state of Buddhahood flows forth moment by moment. (November 2020 Living Buddhism, p. 58)

Keep Sharing Buddhism With Conviction 

“Whether a person who has heard about Buddhism chooses to practice it or not is up to them. What matters is how many people we’re able to share Buddhism with, based on our genuine desire for their happiness. 

“Our goal is for each person to find true happiness through practicing Nichiren Buddhism. Therefore, it goes without saying that it’s very important for you to have a strong desire that they begin practicing this faith for themselves. But even if they don’t practice Buddhism, there’s no need to be disillusioned or disappointed.

“Try talking to one person. If it doesn’t go well, try talking to two more people. If that still doesn’t work out, try three, five, ten, and if ten are unfruitful, then try twenty. If twenty doesn’t work out, then try thirty and forty. The point is just to keep sharing Buddhism, with conviction and in high spirits. All those efforts will be transformed into benefit and good fortune, a force for transforming your karma.

“We are all ‘Bodhisattvas Never Disparaging’ of the modern day, the Bodhisattvas of the Earth. We’re following the same great path of Buddhist practice as Nichiren Daishonin.” (The New Human Revolution, vol. 25, pp. 112–113)

We Can Change Our Karma 

My mentor, second Soka Gakkai President Josei Toda, always taught us that if we had problems, we should share Buddhism with others, and that in so doing, we would be able to change our own karma.

Sharing Buddhism is not about debating or defeating others in argument. It is encouraging and urging another person to awaken to the fact that we are all supremely respectworthy beings who possess the Buddha nature. This is precisely what Bodhisattva Never Disparaging did. It is also a struggle to break down the icy walls of darkness or ignorance in our own lives, which take the form of apathy, passivity and other negative emotions.

When we talk with others about Buddhism, we are actually grappling with our own ignorance and earthly desires. That’s why it gives us the strength to surmount our own problems, enabling us to solidly transform our state of life and change our karma. 

In that sense, sharing Buddhism comes down to overcoming our own cowardice, laziness and delusion, thus enabling us to dispel the darkness or ignorance in our own lives and in the lives of others. (June 2019 Living Buddhism, p. 53)

Once It Is Sown, the Seed of Buddhahood Never Disappears 

Just hearing about the Lotus Sutra from another person is an external cause that plants the seed of Buddhahood in one’s life, guaranteeing that one will attain enlightenment and realize absolute happiness. Even if one doesn’t listen to what is being said about the Lotus Sutra, or even if one is unable to hear, the “Buddha’s voice” penetrates the depths of one’s being. 

Talking about Nichiren Buddhism, which constitutes the heart of the Lotus Sutra, sharing the joy and conviction we’ve experienced through our practice, and enabling others to hear the sound of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo being chanted—all of these actions sow the seed of enlightenment, of Buddhahood, in their lives. 

People differ in their personalities and circumstances, and they all have different challenges and problems. But seen with the eyes of the Buddha, they are struggling valiantly amid the sea of the sufferings of birth, aging, sickness and death. Wishing to share the Mystic Law—the “highly effective medicine” for all humankind (see LSOC, 269)—with others, we strive patiently to connect with each person’s life. 

Nichiren Daishonin uses the word persist in this passage. “Persist” here does not imply forcing the teaching upon others. Rather, it is daring to act, seeking to create positive bonds with people. …

The only way to awaken people’s inherent Buddha nature is by sowing the seed of Buddhahood in their lives. This is because the Buddha nature is activated through forming a connection with Buddhism. This is why we engage in Buddhist dialogue—because it creates the best possible conditions for bringing forth the Buddha nature in people’s lives. And Nichiren tells us that once the seed of Buddhahood is sown, it will never disappear: “If one can establish a relationship with even just one phrase of the Wonderful Law [Nam-myoho-renge-kyo], that relationship will continue unbroken over a million kalpas” (OTT, 219). (June 2019 Living Buddhism, p. 55)

The Concrete Prayers of a Bodhisattva of the Earth

“When we pray, it’s important to have a firm conviction that all our prayers will be answered and to pray with intensity. Mentors and disciples, Bodhisattvas of the Earth striving together for kosen-rufu, unite their hearts in prayer, so their prayers are certain to come true. When we truly pledge to achieve kosen-rufu as we chant, then our prayer is a prayer of the Bodhisattvas of the Earth. At that moment, our lives open and expand to that of the Bodhisattvas of the Earth. Such prayers have the power to set the heavenly deities and the Buddhas, the entire universe, into action, and they will protect us and our families, while also answering our personal prayers. As such, praying for kosen-rufu is the direct path to expanding our own life state and realizing our personal prayers.

“It’s always crucial that our goals and prayers be concrete—for example, ‘Today I’ll talk to that person about Buddhism,’ or ‘I’ll invite this person to attend a discussion meeting,’ or ‘Please let me get a job so I can demonstrate proof of this Buddhist practice,’ or ‘Please let me recover from this illness so I can fully take part in Soka Gakkai activities.’

“When our prayer comes true, we experience joy, and that joy provides us with fresh momentum.” (The New Human Revolution, vol. 23, p. 315)

A Strong Desire to Help Our Suffering Friends

The month’s propagation results announced at that meeting set a new Soka Gakkai record—more than 160,000 new households in a month. With total membership in excess of 3 million, the momentum of the Soka Gakkai’s drive to realize kosen-rufu knew no bounds.

The members weren’t exerting themselves to propagate the Daishonin’s teachings because of orders from above. What spurred them on was the conviction they gained through their own experiences of triumphing over hardship based on faith and the pure joy of devoting their lives to the mission of kosen-rufu.

The members simply could not stand by and watch in silence while their friends suffered and were deadlocked by their problems. Filled with a strong desire to help such people become happy, the members couldn’t help telling others about Buddhism.

These efforts brought them greater and greater joy, which in turn gave them increased energy to spread the Mystic Law. Moreover, they could see that their daily efforts to share Buddhism with others were steadily changing their society. (The New Human Revolution,  vol. 7, revised edition, p. 304)

From the August 2024 Living Buddhism