Highlights of the May 2025 Study Material

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Chapter Overview

Understanding the Eternal Nature of the Buddha’s Enlightenment

This third installment of Ikeda Wisdom Academy’s seventh class focuses on this passage from the Lotus Sutra’s “Life Span of the Thus Come One” chapter: 

Thus, since I attained Buddhahood, an extremely long period of time has passed. My life span is an immeasurable number of asamkhya kalpas, and during that time I have constantly abided here without ever entering extinction. Good men, originally I practiced the bodhisattva way, and the life span that I acquired then has yet to come to an end but will last twice the number of years that have already passed. (The Lotus Sutra and Its Opening and Closing Sutras, pp. 267–68) (See also The Wisdom of the Lotus Sutra, vol. 4, p. 57)

In this passage, Shakyamuni Buddha affirms that his Buddhahood is eternal, as is ours. Ikeda Sensei says: 

The Buddha from time without beginning, the Buddha existing eternally without beginning or end, is the life of the universe itself. This Buddha works ceaselessly to lead all to enlightenment. In fact, since that Buddha and we ourselves are one, then, we ourselves have been working to lead people to happiness and for widely declaring and spreading Buddhism since the remote past; not only in this lifetime. This awareness is the heart of the “Life Span” chapter. (WLS-4, 58)

Rooted in this understanding of the eternal Buddha, the essential teaching (last 14 chapters) of the Lotus Sutra reveals a momentous shift from the theoretical teaching of the Lotus Sutra and the pre-Lotus Sutra teachings. In teachings prior to the essential teaching, it was thought that the Buddha had practiced countless eons in the past and attained enlightenment for the first time in India. That would mean that the causes for attaining Buddhahood come first and the effect of Buddhahood comes later. 

However, in the essential teaching, Shakyamuni casts off his transient status as the Buddha who attained Buddhahood in his present existence and reveals his true identity as the eternal Buddha. Sensei says: 

The purpose of the essential teaching of the Lotus Sutra is to awaken people to the true Buddha whose life is without beginning. In fact, this is the ultimate purpose of all Buddhism. Without recognizing the original Buddha, we can never recognize the mentor of all Buddhas of past, present and future, nor truly awaken to the fact that we ourselves can attain Buddhahood. (WLS-4, 71)

—Prepared by the SGI-USA Study Department

Ikeda Sensei’s Guidance

Buddhahood Is Found in Taking Action 

Even if we understand the Lotus Sutra theoretically, unless we take action to widely declare and spread Buddhism, it won’t do us any good. Indeed, failure to take action is the very proof of not understanding! 

On the other hand, eternal Buddhahood manifests in the depths of the lives of those who take action daily to widely declare and spread Buddhism, for the Mystic Law and for the happiness of others—regardless of how much theory they “know.” Such action is the source of inexpressible joy and vitality, courage and wisdom. (WSL-4, 79)

Buddhahood Is Found in Taking Action 

Even if we understand the Lotus Sutra theoretically, unless we take action to widely declare and spread Buddhism, it won’t do us any good. Indeed, failure to take action is the very proof of not understanding! 

On the other hand, eternal Buddhahood manifests in the depths of the lives of those who take action daily to widely declare and spread Buddhism, for the Mystic Law and for the happiness of others—regardless of how much theory they “know.” Such action is the source of inexpressible joy and vitality, courage and wisdom. (WSL-4, 79)

Digging Deep

May Study Guide 

Please use these questions to guide your study of  The Wisdom of the Lotus Sutra, vol. 4, pp. 55–87. 

1) In “The Opening of the Eyes” (see The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, vol. 1, p. 235), Nichiren Daishonin explains two flaws of the pre-Lotus Sutra teachings. What are these two flaws? (The Wisdom of the Lotus Sutra, vol. 4, pp. 58–62)

2) When Shakyamuni casts off his transient identity and reveals his true identity, he simultaneously reveals the original cause and original effect—the “True Cause” and “True Effect”—of his enlightenment. In “The Opening of the Eyes,” Nichiren Daishonin says: “It reveals that the nine worlds are all present in beginningless Buddhahood and that Buddhahood is inherent in the beginningless nine worlds. This is the true mutual possession of the Ten Worlds, the true hundred worlds and thousand factors, the true three thousand realms in a single moment of life” (WND-1, 235).

Which passages from the “Life Span” chapter substantiate the key concepts of “beginningless Buddhahood” and “beginningless nine worlds”? How do these relate to the mutual possession of the Ten Worlds? (WLS-4, 66–70)

3) In the “Life Span” chapter, Shakyamuni states, “It has been immeasurable, boundless hundreds, thousands, ten thousands, millions of nayutas of kalpas since I in fact attained Buddhahood” (The Lotus Sutra and Its Opening and Closing Sutras, pp. 265–66). 

Here, the “I” literally means Shakyamuni but implicitly, what does it stand for? 

The view that Shakyamuni actually attained enlightenment in the remote past offers an eternal perspective of life. What does understanding that life continues eternally prompt us to do? (WLS-4, 75–78)

4) Second Soka Gakkai President Josei Toda says, “Absolute happiness is a state such that, whatever your situation, you feel an immense sense of worth and satisfaction; and wherever you are, to be alive is itself a joy” (WLS-4, 80).

Regarding this, Ikeda Sensei says that “absolute happiness means realizing the state of actual attainment in the remote past” (WLS-4, 81). What do we need to do to achieve this state of life? (WLS-4, 80–81)

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Looking Forward: June Syllabus

The Wisdom of the Lotus Sutra, vol. 4, pp. 91–118
Part Two: “The Life Span of the Thus Come One”: The Ten Worlds
4: “The Pursuit of Happiness”

From the May 2025 Living Buddhism