SECTION A: 'THE SELECTION OF THE TIME' – PART 2 The Age of ...

STUDY MATERIAL SGI-UK grade three study course 2011
SECTION A: ‘THE SELECTION OF THE TIME’ – PART 2
SGI President Ikeda’s Study Lecture Series (SGI Newsletter No. 8047, 4 August 2010)
LEARNING FROM THE WRITINGS OF NICHIREN DAISHONIN: THE TEACHINGS FOR VICTORY
[17] ‘The Selection of the Time’ – Part 2 [of 4] (WND-1, 543-52)
The Age of the Buddhism of the People, an Age of Human
Triumph
Now more than two hundred years have passed since we entered the
Latter Day of the Law, a time of which, as the Great Collection Sutra
records, the Buddha predicted that “quarrels and disputes will arise
among the adherents to my teachings, and the pure Law will become
obscured and lost.” If these words of the Buddha are true, it is a time
when the whole land of Jambudvipa [the entire world] will without
doubt be embroiled in quarrels and disputes. . . .
[T]he Buddha’s prediction concerning the occurrence of quarrels
and disputes has proved anything but false. It is like the tides of the
ocean that never fail to come when the time arrives.
In view of the accuracy of his prediction, can there be any doubt
that, after this period described in the Great Collection Sutra when
“the pure Law will become obscured and lost,” the great pure Law of
the Lotus Sutra will be spread far and wide throughout Japan and all
the other countries of Jambudvipa? (WND-1, 549–50)
***
[In the Lotus Sutra, Many Treasures Buddha and the Buddhas of the
ten directions testified to the truth of Shakyamuni’s teaching.]
Shakyamuni Buddha also extended his tongue, which is incapable of
telling falsehoods, until it reached the highest heaven in the world of
form, saying that in the last five-hundred-year period after his
passing, when the entire body of Buddhist doctrine would be about to
disappear, Bodhisattva Superior Practices would come forward with
the five characters of Myoho-renge-kyo and administer them as good
medicine to those afflicted with white leprosy—that is, persons of
incorrigible disbelief and those who slander the Law. And he charged
Brahma, Shakra, the gods of the sun and moon, the four heavenly

kings, and the dragon deities to act as that bodhisattva’s protectors.
How could these golden words of his be false? Even if the great earth
were to turn upside down, a high mountain crumble and fall, summer
not follow spring, the sun move eastward, or the moon fall to earth,
this prediction could never fail to come true! (WND-1, 550)
***
A person who spreads the Lotus Sutra is father and mother to all the
living beings in Japan. For, as the Great Teacher Chang-an says,
“One who rids the offender of evil is acting as his parent.” If so, then
I, Nichiren, am the father and mother of the present emperor of
Japan, and the teacher and lord of the Nembutsu believers, the Zen
followers, and the True Word priests. (WND-1, 551)
Lecture
My mentor, second Soka Gakkai president Josei Toda, declared: “The time is more
than ripe. Seven centuries have passed since Nichiren Daishonin proclaimed his
teaching. Nowhere in the course of those 700 years until now has there been an
organization like the Soka Gakkai. I hope you will take great pride in this.” 1 With this
powerful lion’s roar, he underscored the extraordinary nature of our organization,
which had appeared in modern times to carry out the momentous mission of realizing
the Buddha’s decree of the widespread propagation of the Mystic Law.
Overcoming wartime persecution and the painful struggles to rebuild the
organization after the war, Mr. Toda spearheaded the dynamic development of our
movement as a great leader and teacher of propagation. He was motivated by a
profound determination to rid the world of misery.
“If the Buddha’s words are true, then kosen-rufu can definitely be achieved. The
time to propagate the Mystic Law has arrived! The happiness of humanity hinges on
the efforts we make now for kosen-rufu”—this was his unwavering conviction.
Opening the Path of Worldwide Kosen-rufu
Mr. Toda often said: “We mustn’t miss this chance!” Boldly deciding that the time for
kosen-rufu had come, he devoted himself to laying the foundations for kosen-rufu in
Japan. And he entrusted me, his loyal disciple, with the great mission of realizing the
1 From Josei Toda’s speech at his inauguration as second president of the Soka Gakkai on May 3,
1951.
2

Daishonin’s vision of the westward transmission of Buddhism 2 —that is to say,
worldwide kosen-rufu.
“Daisaku, I’ll build a solid foundation for kosen-rufu in Japan. You must open the
way for kosen-rufu throughout the world. I’m counting on you!”—this solemn wish of
my mentor has never left my mind for even a moment. This is because, for me, as heir
to Mr. Toda’s spirit, worldwide kosen-rufu represents the shared vow of mentor and
disciple and the cherished goal of our united struggle.
It has been 50 years since I took the first step for global kosen-rufu, and a solid
foundation for the SGI is now in place. This year (2010) also marks the 35th
anniversary of the SGI’s inauguration. Courageous Bodhisattvas of the Earth continue
to appear in ever increasing numbers. And we have robust ranks of youth in our
organizations everywhere. The flow of kosen-rufu throughout the world has now
grown into an unstoppable current.
Our good fortune and benefit to be alive at this auspicious time of worldwide
kosen-rufu and to be able to participate in creating a new era are beyond measure. As
the Daishonin indicates in his treatise “The Selection of the Time,” the path for
attaining Buddhahood in this defiled age of the Latter Day is found solely in efforts to
create a powerful flow of kosen-rufu that can serve as a counterforce to evil (cf.
WND-1, 579–80). 3 ***
Now more than two hundred years have passed since we entered the
2 Westward transmission of Buddhism: Nichiren Daishonin predicted that his Buddhism of the
sun would flow from Japan toward the west, returning to the countries through which Buddhism
had originally been transmitted and spreading throughout the entire world. In “On Reprimanding
Hachiman,” he writes: “The Land of the Moon is another name for India, the place where the
Buddha made his appearance in the world. The Land of the Sun is another name for Japan. Is
there any reason why a sage should not appear here? The moon moves from the west eastward, a
sign of how the Buddhism of India spread in an easterly direction. The sun rises in the east, an
auspicious sign of how the Buddhism of Japan is destined to return to the Land of the Moon. The
light of the moon is not very bright, for the Buddha taught [the Lotus Sutra in India] for only eight
years of his life. But the light of the sun is brilliant, outshining the moon, an auspicious sign of
how the Buddhism of Japan is destined to illuminate the long darkness of [the Latter Day of the
Law, which begins with] the fifth five-hundred-year period” (WND-2, 936).
3 The Daishonin states: “Little streams come together to form the great ocean, and tiny particles
of dust accumulate to form Mount Sumeru. When I, Nichiren, first took faith in the Lotus Sutra, I
was like a single drop of water or a single particle of dust in all the country of Japan. But later,
when two people, three people, ten people, and eventually a hundred, a thousand, ten thousand,
and a million people come to recite the Lotus Sutra and transmit it to others, then they will form a
Mount Sumeru of perfect enlightenment, an ocean of great nirvana. Seek no other path by which
to attain Buddhahood!” (WND-1, 579–80).
3

Latter Day of the Law, a time of which, as the Great Collection Sutra 4
records, the Buddha predicted that “quarrels and disputes will arise
among the adherents to my teachings, and the pure Law will become
obscured and lost.” If these words of the Buddha are true, it is a time
when the whole land of Jambudvipa [the entire world] will without
doubt be embroiled in quarrels and disputes. . . .
[T]he Buddha’s prediction concerning the occurrence of quarrels
and disputes has proved anything but false. It is like the tides of the
ocean that never fail to come when the time arrives.
In view of the accuracy of his prediction, can there be any doubt
that, after this period described in the Great Collection Sutra when “the
pure Law will become obscured and lost,” the great pure Law of the
Lotus Sutra will be spread far and wide throughout Japan and all the
other countries of Jambudvipa [the entire world]? (WND-1, 549–50)
Accurately Recognizing the Significance of the Latter Day of the Law
One important focus of the Daishonin’s Buddhism is how to view the Latter Day of the
Law.
The Latter Day is one of the three consecutive periods or stages—together with
the Former and Middle Days of the Law—into which the time after the Buddha’s
passing is divided. It refers to an age when Buddhism falls into decline and is in danger
of perishing.
These three periods are described in many sutras, but their characteristics are
probably most easily understood when we look at them in terms of the three aspects of
teaching, practice, and proof—in other words, the Buddha’s teaching, the practice of
that teaching, and the actual proof or benefit resulting from the practice of that
teaching.
First comes the Former Day of the Law, when the teaching, practice, and proof of
Buddhism remain sound. This is followed by the Middle Day of the Law, an age when
the teaching and practice of Buddhism continue but there is no longer any proof. It is a
period when Buddhism becomes increasingly formalized. And then we finally come to
the Latter Day of the Law, an age when, though the teaching remains, there is neither
practice nor proof. It marks a time when Buddhism has fallen into serious decline.
These are the characteristics of the Former, Middle, and Latter Days of the Law.
On two separate occasions in “The Selection of the Time,” the Daishonin
discusses the history of the propagation of the Lotus Sutra during these three periods.
4 Great Collection Sutra: A collection of sutras translated into Chinese by Dharmaraksha
(385–433) and others. These sutras were compiled into a single sutra, or the Great Collection
Sutra, by Seng-chiu of the Sui dynasty in 586. The work predicts how the spread of Buddhism
will unfold over the five five-hundred-year periods following Shakyamuni’s death.
4

He does so in the course of clarifying who and what teaching will lead people to
enlightenment in the Latter Day.
Based on an overview of the first discussion (WND-1, 544–52), 5 this history of
Buddhism over the Former, Middle, and Latter Days of the Law is a chronicle of the
loss and subsequent recovery of the Buddha’s intent to lead all people to attain
Buddhahood.
To summarize, first there is a gradual spread of various teachers and schools that
have lost sight of the essence of the Buddha’s teachings. Amid the resulting state of
confusion and disarray in the realm of Buddhism, there appears a person of wisdom
who recognizes the Buddha’s true intent and proclaims the correct teaching. But,
before long, people again lose sight of the Buddha’s true intent, whereupon there
appears another person of wisdom who sets about clarifying it even more clearly and
explicitly.
Repeatedly in the course of the history of Buddhism, genuine disciples of the
Buddha boldly rise into action in order to undo the work of counterfeit Buddhist
disciples responsible for plunging people into misery with erroneous teachings. They
stand up alone to raise high the banner of the correct teaching and to free people from
suffering, each making greater efforts than the one before.
From this perspective, therefore, the most important thing in the Latter Day—an
evil age when the Law falls into decline—is to expound the highest and most crucial
teaching that directly reveals the Buddha’s true intent.
However, the different schools of Buddhism in the Daishonin’s day were
preoccupied with people’s poor capacity to understand various sutras. It was the
general belief that those of adverse or inferior capacity, people who were unable to
understand even simple Buddhist doctrines—a category into which the people of the
Latter Day fell—couldn’t possibly practice the difficult teaching of the Lotus Sutra.
For example, Honen, 6 the founder of the Pure Land (Jodo) school in Japan,
placing a disproportionate emphasis on people’s capacity, had established the practice
of exclusive devotion to the Nembutsu—that is, reciting the name of Amida
Buddha—as the sole means for people to gain salvation. He maintained that the people
of the Latter Day, with their adverse and inferior capacity, were not suited to the kind
of practice where they would have to rely on their own efforts to attain enlightenment.
He insisted instead that their sole route to salvation lay in gaining rebirth in the
paradise of the Pure Land of Perfect Bliss in the west by relying on the power or
5 The second discussion of this subject appears on WND-1, 553–60.
6 Honen (1133–1212): Also known as Genku. Founder of the Pure Land school of Buddhism in
Japan. He advocated the exclusive practice of Nembutsu—that is, to devote oneself solely to the
practice of calling on the name of Amida Buddha in order to attain rebirth in the Pure Land. In his
work Nembutsu Chosen above All, Honen urges that people “discard, close, ignore, and abandon”
the sutras, including the Lotus Sutra, and instead embrace the Pure Land faith. In “On
Establishing the Correct Teaching for the Peace of the Land,” the Daishonin strictly denounces
the Nembutsu as the “one evil” that is the cause of the various disasters befalling the country.
5

enevolence of Amida Buddha.
This capacity-based approach to freeing people from suffering in the Latter Day
might appear at first glance to be very humanistic and people-oriented. But a closer
look reveals this to be far from the case. First, it arbitrarily catalogs people’s capacity
as adverse and inferior, and then posits that they can only be guided to happiness by an
otherworldly and omniscient savior in the form of a great Buddha or bodhisattva. Such
an approach separates and draws an insurmountable distinction between Buddha and
living beings—teacher and disciples.
The priests and clergy who advocate such doctrines interpose themselves between
the Buddha and the people, using their religious and spiritual authority to control
believers and often, at the same time, arrogantly or deviously advancing their own selfinterest.
In contrast, Nichiren Daishonin places highest importance on the true intent of
Shakyamuni Buddha, the lord of teachings. He therefore prizes the Lotus Sutra, which
was expounded “in accordance with the Buddha’s mind” (i.e., revealing Shakyamuni’s
ultimate and true intent), and not the expedient or provisional pre-Lotus Sutra
teachings, which were expounded “in accordance with other’s minds” (i.e., taking
people’s capacity into account). He declares that the teaching that should be imparted
to people of the Latter Day is the fundamental Law that is truly vital and essential from
the enlightened perspective of the Buddha, and not the various expedient teachings of
the Buddha that are sought by those whose lives are clouded by delusion.
When considering the crucial question of the “time” of the Latter Day of the Law,
the Daishonin, instead of giving his attention to weighing the “capacity” of the people,
devoted himself to investigating which “teaching” actually had the power to help
people solve their problems and overcome their sufferings. And he concluded that this
teaching was none other than Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, the heart of the Lotus Sutra.
The Daishonin, therefore, regards the Latter Day as the time for the widespread
propagation of the Lotus Sutra, or worldwide kosen-rufu, that Shakyamuni envisaged
and predicted in the sutra.
Because the Lotus Sutra teaches that all people are originally bodhisattvas and
have the potential to attain Buddhahood, it has the power to lead to enlightenment even
the people of adverse and inferior capacity living in the Latter Day. When viewed
based on the correct teaching of the Mystic Law, the Latter Day comes to signify an
age of human triumph, an age of true victory for the people. Consequently, the Latter
Day expounded by the Lotus Sutra is not a degenerate age of darkness and despair, but
a positive age of hope-filled change.
The Latter Day Is the Time for Worldwide Kosen-rufu
In the passage we are studying from “The Selection of the Time,” the Daishonin
declares that the Latter Day is the time when the great pure Law of the Lotus Sutra will
be spread far and wide throughout the entire world (cf. WND-1, 550).
6

The Great Collection Sutra refers to the so-called five five-hundred-year periods 7
that will follow after the Buddha’s passing. The Latter Day, beginning in the fifth
five-hundred-year period, is described in that sutra as an age of conflict, or time when
“quarrels and disputes prevail, and the pure Law is obscured and lost.” This description
points to incessant rivalry and contention among Buddhist schools, each emphasizing
the superiority of the specific teaching of Shakyamuni they uphold. As a result, the
pure Law or correct teaching of the Buddha is gradually obscured and in danger of
disappearing altogether. This disarray in the realm of Buddhism is reflected in society,
and unceasing conflict and turmoil ensue in the secular realm as well.
A literal reading of the Great Collection Sutra leaves one with the impression that
the Latter Day is a time completely bereft of hope. But when viewed in the light of the
Lotus Sutra, the real intent behind the Buddha’s words in the Great Collection Sutra
becomes clear.
For instance, in the “Medicine King” (23rd) chapter of the Lotus Sutra,
Shakyamuni states: “After I have passed into extinction, in the last five-hundred-year
period you must spread it [the teaching of the Lotus Sutra] abroad widely throughout
Jambudvipa [the entire world] and never allow it to be cut off [by evil devils, the
devils’ people, or others]” 8 (LSOC23, 330 [LS23, 288]).
The fifth five-hundred-year period—an age of conflict when the Law is
threatened with decline and oblivion—is the very time that the Lotus Sutra should be
spread far and wide. In other words, it is the time for worldwide kosen-rufu.
The “Medicine King” chapter states that we must never allow the flow of
propagation of the correct teaching to be severed by “evil devils, the devils’ people, or
others.” Here, the Buddha instructs us to stand firm against and soundly defeat the
various devilish functions that will inevitably seek to obstruct our efforts at the time for
worldwide kosen-rufu in the Latter Day.
It is in these efforts of practitioners of the Lotus Sutra to vanquish devilish
functions that the power to transform the Latter Day from an age characterized by the
7 Five five-hundred-year periods: Five consecutive periods following Shakyamuni’s death, during
which Buddhism is said to spread, prosper, and eventually decline. They are (1) the “age of
attaining liberation,” in which many people attain emancipation through practicing the Buddha’s
teachings; (2) the “age of meditation,” when meditation is widely practiced; (3) the “age of
reading, reciting, and listening,” in which the people study and recite the sutras and hear lectures
on them as their central practice; (4) the “age of building temples and stupas,” when many
temples and stupas are built, but the spirit of seeking the Buddhist teachings declines; and (5) the
“age of quarrels and disputes,” also known as the age of conflict, when strife occurs among the
various rival schools and Shakyamuni Buddha’s teachings become obscured and lost. In terms of
the three periods, the first thousand years correspond to the Former Day, the second thousand
years correspond to the Middle Day, and the last five hundred years correspond to the beginning
of the Latter Day.
8 The passage in the Chinese translation of the Lotus Sutra can also be read in this way. The
phrase “evil devils, the devils’ people, or others” essentially refers to all those who slander the
Law in one form or other.
7

Law’s decline into an age of universal enlightenment and worldwide kosen-rufu is
found. The Daishonin himself actually undertook such efforts with selfless dedication
as a votary of the Lotus Sutra, defeating all manner of devilish functions and opening
the flow that would one day lead to worldwide kosen-rufu. He powerfully proclaims
this fact in “The Selection of the Time.”
As long as the concept of universal enlightenment remains confined to the realm
of principle and theory, there will be no real-world actualization of kosen-rufu. Words
alone will not enable even one person to attain Buddhahood, much less all people.
A great visionary who fully grasps the ideals and principles of the Lotus Sutra,
however, will undertake efforts to overcome, one by one, the various obstacles that
obstruct the path to the realization of these ideals and principles. Only then will the
first step toward the actual advance of kosen-rufu be taken. This first step forward
could be called a “daring leap” to bridge the infinite chasm between ideals and reality.
The one who successfully accomplishes this leap is a person of action who is capable
of realizing the ideals of the Lotus Sutra—in other words, a votary of the Lotus Sutra.
In “The Selection of the Time,” the Daishonin describes himself as the “foremost
votary of the Lotus Sutra in the entire land of Jambudvipa [the entire world]” (WND-1,
552). He clearly affirms that through his selfless efforts to clarify the correct teaching,
he has established the foundation for enlightenment of all people and for worldwide
kosen-rufu.
The Daishonin’s immortal struggle set in motion the start of a profound
transformation of the Latter Day from an evil age rife with suffering and delusion into
the time of worldwide kosen-rufu, which opens the way for all people to attain
enlightenment and the establishment of the correct teaching for the peace of the land.
***
[In the Lotus Sutra, Many Treasures Buddha and the Buddhas of the ten
directions testified to the truth of Shakyamuni’s teaching.] Shakyamuni
Buddha also extended his tongue, which is incapable of telling
falsehoods, until it reached the highest heaven in the world of form, 9
saying that in the last five-hundred-year period after his passing, when
9 One of the Buddha’s thirty-two features is his long broad tongue, which symbolizes the truth of
his words. In the “Supernatural Powers” (21st) chapter of the Lotus Sutra, Shakyamuni and other
Buddhas present extend their tongues to the highest heavens to attest to the truth of what has been
said.
8

the entire body of Buddhist doctrine would be about to disappear,
Bodhisattva Superior Practices 10 would come forward with the five
characters of Myoho-renge-kyo 11 and administer them as good
medicine to those afflicted with white leprosy—that is, persons of
incorrigible disbelief 12 and those who slander the Law. And he charged
Brahma, Shakra, the gods of the sun and moon, the four heavenly kings,
and the dragon deities 13 to act as that bodhisattva’s protectors. How
could these golden words of his be false? Even if the great earth were to
turn upside down, a high mountain crumble and fall, summer not follow
spring, the sun move eastward, or the moon fall to earth, this prediction
could never fail to come true! (WND-1, 550)
The Good Medicine That Heals Even the Grave Affliction of Slander of the Law
Here, the Daishonin clearly indicates that the teaching of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo is the
“good medicine” that can fundamentally save “persons of incorrigible disbelief and
those who slander the Law” in the Latter Day, an age when the pure Law is on the
verge of disappearing.
As we saw earlier, people of the Latter Day were viewed as possessing adverse or
inferior capacity with regard to understanding the Buddha’s teachings. It was certainly
true in the Daishonin’s day that those who professed faith in Buddhism were usually
adherents of misguided schools, having been led astray by teachers with erroneous
views. They usually ended up rejecting and denigrating the complete and perfect
teaching of the Mystic Law, thus committing slander of the Law.
10 Bodhisattva Superior Practices: The leader of the Bodhisattvas of the Earth. Shakyamuni
entrusts Superior Practices with propagating the Lotus Sutra during the evil age of the Latter Day
of the Law. In his writings, Nichiren Daishonin associates himself with Bodhisattva Superior
Practices, saying that he is fulfilling the mission entrusted to the bodhisattva by Shakyamuni, and
he refers to his propagation efforts as the work of Bodhisattva Superior Practices. Nichikan
Shonin, the 26th high priest, regarded the Daishonin as the reincarnation of Bodhisattva Superior
Practices in terms of his outward behavior, and as the Buddha of the Latter Day of the Law, in
terms of his inner enlightenment.
11 Myoho-renge-kyo is written with five Chinese characters, while Nam- myoho-renge-kyo is
written with seven (nam, or namu, being comprised of two characters). The Daishonin often uses
Myoho-renge-kyo synonymously with Nam-myoho-renge-kyo in his writings.
12 Persons of incorrigible disbelief. Also, icchantikas. People who have no aspiration for
enlightenment and thus no prospect of attaining Buddhahood. Attached to erroneous doctrines,
they slander and oppose the Buddha’s correct teaching. Views on the possibility of persons of
incorrigible disbelief attaining Buddhahood differ depending on the sutra.
13 These are gods and kings depicted in Buddhist mythology. Brahma and Shakra are the two
principal tutelary gods of Buddhism. The four heavenly kings serve Shakra and protect the four
quarters of the world.
9

“People of incorrigible disbelief” means people who, preoccupied with the pursuit
of worldly desires, refuse to accept the validity of the correct teaching expounded by
the Buddha, and instead slander it. The Nirvana Sutra therefore explains that even
though persons of incorrigible disbelief possess the Buddha nature, they are incapable
of attaining Buddhahood. Hence, the Daishonin likens them to people afflicted with a
severe and even incurable illness.
In his treatise “On Establishing the Correct Teaching for the Peace of the Land,”
referring to the situation in society in his day, the Daishonin notes that slander of the
Law had eaten away at people’s hearts, threatening to destroy the spiritual fabric of
society. He singles out slander as the “one evil,” or potent cause, of people’s misery
and society’s confusion and disorder (cf. WND-1, 15).
Ending this “one evil,” the Daishonin says, hinges on the Mystic Law being
accepted and upheld by individuals and the correct teaching for the peace of the land
becoming widely established in society. Because slander of the Law means violating
and denigrating the correct teaching, he calls for this evil to be swiftly eliminated. The
ultimate solution lies in making efforts that are the exact opposite of slander—that is,
upholding faith in the Mystic Law, selflessly striving to protect it and share it with
others, and building a sound spiritual framework for society. Therefore, the Daishonin
says that Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, the essence of the Lotus Sutra, is the great good
medicine that has the power to cure the grave illness of slander of the Law that afflicts
the Latter Day.
Slander of the Law is slander of the Lotus Sutra, the teaching of universal
enlightenment. At the root of this slander is the ignorance or darkness that resides in
people’s lives and gives rise to disrespect for human dignity and disregard for life itself.
This engenders unhealthy thinking that oppresses and discriminates against people and
creates havoc in society.
The great good medicine of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo has the power to cure even
the serious affliction of these persons of incorrigible belief. Why does it have such
immense power? Because Nam-myoho-renge-kyo is the seed for attaining
enlightenment; it is the very wellspring of the boundless life-force of Buddhas.
The “Supernatural Powers” (21st) chapter of the Lotus Sutra refers to the transfer
of the Law from Shakyamuni to Bodhisattva Superior Practices [the leader of the
Bodhisattvas of the Earth]. It states that Myoho-renge-kyo is “a teaching to instruct
bodhisattvas, one that is guarded and kept in mind by the Buddhas” (LSOC21, 315
[LS21, 273–74]). In other words, Buddhas are Buddhas precisely because they uphold
and embody Myoho-renge-kyo in their lives at all times. When they instruct the
bodhisattvas who are their true disciples, it is the teaching of the Mystic Law that they
impart.
Thus Shakyamuni entrusts this teaching to Superior Practices and the other
Bodhisattvas of the Earth who vowed to carry out its propagation after his passing. The
content of the entrustment of the Law included “all the doctrines possessed by the Thus
10

Come One, all the freely exercised supernatural powers of the Thus Come One, the
storehouse of all the secret essentials of the Thus Come One, all the most profound
matters of the Thus Come One” (LSOC21, 316 [LS21, 274]). As indicated by the
repetition of the word “all” in each item in this passage, the five characters of
Myoho-renge-kyo contain all the practices that became the cause for Shakyamuni to
attain enlightenment as well as all the benefits that he gained as a result of attaining
enlightenment.
The same chapter further says that Bodhisattva Superior Practices, in spreading
this teaching of Myoho-renge-kyo in the troubled saha world in the evil age after the
Buddha’s passing, is like the sun and moon in dispelling the darkness in the lives of all
people. 14 The mission of the Bodhisattvas of the Earth lies in sowing the seeds of
Buddhahood of the Mystic Law in the fields of people’s hearts, and helping those
seeds come into fragrant bloom.
Because these efforts to unlock people’s highest potential can lead to fundamental
positive change in people’s lives and, by extension, in the world, resistance by
opposing forces will naturally arise. But the Bodhisattvas of the Earth are not alone
and defenseless against such onslaughts. As the Daishonin notes in “The Selection of
the Time,” Shakyamuni also charges the heavenly deities with guarding and protecting
these bodhisattvas in their great undertaking (cf. WND-1, 550). The efforts of the
Bodhisattvas of the Earth to advance kosen-rufu in the Latter Day are therefore assured
of being safeguarded by the protective forces of the universe. A crucial point here,
however, is that it is the selfless devotion to spreading the Law shown by the
Bodhisattvas of the Earth under the leadership of Bodhisattva Superior Practices that
draws forth the protection of the heavenly deities.
The Daishonin himself strove unceasingly as a votary of the Lotus Sutra
committed to confronting slander of the Law and relieving people from suffering in the
Latter Day. Using his voice and his life to the fullest, he tirelessly chanted and taught
others Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. As a result, while weathering the intense hostility of
society, the teaching of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo gradually spread, leading many people
to gain lives of genuine happiness. As the Daishonin waged his dauntless struggle,
there was also a steady increase in the number of people supporting him in his cause
and joining him in his undertaking. The valiant, pioneering efforts of this great
champion of the correct teaching ushered in and created the time for kosen-rufu.
In “The Selection of the Time,” the Daishonin declares that even if the world
should turn upside down, even if the sun were to rise in the west and set in the east,
there is absolutely no doubt that a great current of kosen-rufu had begun flowing in the
Latter Day of the Law (cf. WND-1, 550). It was a powerful conviction that arose from
his own personal experience.
14 The passage in the Lotus Sutra states: “As the light of the sun and moon / can banish all
obscurity and gloom, / so this person as he advances through the world / can wipe out the
darkness of living beings” (LSOC21, 318 [LS21, 276]).
11

***
A person who spreads the Lotus Sutra is father and mother to all the
living beings in Japan. For, as the Great Teacher Chang-an 15 says, “One
who rids the offender of evil is acting as his parent.” 16 If so, then I,
Nichiren, am the father and mother of the present emperor of Japan, and
the teacher and lord of the Nembutsu believers, the Zen followers, and
the True Word priests. (WND-1, 551)
The Establishment of the Buddhism of the People
In the confident declaration above, the Daishonin clarifies that the votary of the Lotus
Sutra is endowed with the three virtues of sovereign, teacher, and parent. 17
The votary of the Lotus Sutra in the Latter Day is someone who embodies and
spreads Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, the very essence of the life-state of Buddhahood that
has been kept locked away in people’s lives by fundamental darkness. 18 He therefore is
able to break through fundamental darkness and lead to enlightenment even “people of
incorrigible disbelief and those who slander the Law.”
The truly great thing about this votary is that he is born among the people in the
Latter Day. Though an ordinary person of supposed adverse and inferior capacity, he
works unstintingly to propagate the Mystic Law and manifests the lofty life-state of
Buddhahood with which he is originally endowed. Because of this, he can serve as an
example and model for all.
The phrase “father and mother to all the living beings in Japan” (WND-1, 551)
indicates that he embodies the “virtue of parent” in relation to the people. It is a
declaration that the Daishonin, who strove to propagate the Law without begrudging
his life as the votary of the Lotus Sutra, is the parent who truly protects the people.
15 Chang-an (561–632): T’ien-t’ai’s disciple and successor. He recorded T’ien-t’ai’s lectures and
later compiled them as The Profound Meaning of the Lotus Sutra, The Words and Phrases of the
Lotus Sutra, and Great Concentration and Insight. His own works include The Annotations on the
Nirvana Sutra and The Profound Meaning of the Nirvana Sutra.
16 The Annotations on the Nirvana Sutra.
17 Three virtues of sovereign, teacher, and parent: The benevolent functions of sovereign, teacher,
and parent a Buddha is said to possess. The virtue of the sovereign is the power to protect all
living beings, the virtue of the teacher is the wisdom to instruct and lead them to enlightenment,
and the virtue of the parent is the compassion to nurture and support them.
18 Fundamental darkness: The most deeply rooted illusion inherent in life, said to give rise to all
other illusions. The inability to see or recognize the truth, particularly, the true nature of one’s
life.
12

The votary of the Lotus Sutra seeks to eliminate the evil of slander of the Law to
which people have unwittingly succumbed. The Daishonin, therefore, underscores the
votary’s compassion by citing the words of the Great Teacher Chang-an: “One who
rids the offender of evil is acting as his parent” (WND-1, 551).
The Daishonin also declares himself to be the “father and mother of the present
emperor of Japan” (WND-1, 551). In a time when slander of the Law was rampant
throughout the land, the Daishonin bluntly called on the ruler to put a stop to such
slander. He was motivated by a wish to repay his debt of gratitude to the country, even
though he knew his actions would most likely invite persecution from the authorities.
In this passage, his words clearly indicate that he is the person actually seeking to
protect the ruler in the truest sense, and that he is the teacher of the nation who can
genuinely bring peace and security to the land. He further goes on to say that he is the
“teacher” and the “lord” of the adherents of other schools (WND-1, 551). He is
clarifying that he is a genuine spiritual leader committed to revitalizing the realm of
Buddhism of his day in which the pure Law had become obscured and lost.
Here, I would like to focus on how, after first proclaiming himself “father and
mother to all living beings,” the Daishonin then asserts that this in turn must also make
him the “father and mother of the present emperor of Japan” and the “teacher and lord
of the Nembutsu believers, the Zen followers, and the True Word priests” (WND-1,
551).
The compassionate gaze of the Daishonin was above all directed toward the
salvation of those who, without realizing it, had become stained by the evil of slander.
He aspired for a Buddhism of the people. This aim can be viewed as the essence of his
struggle for kosen-rufu to actualize the ideal of universal enlightenment.
The ruler and the Buddhist clergy of the day should have been working for the
happiness and welfare of the people, but the only one actually doing so on the most
fundamental level was Nichiren Daishonin. That’s why he says that he is the father and
mother of the ruler and, in a very real sense, the teacher and lord of the adherents of
other Buddhist schools.
Most of the established Buddhist schools enjoyed the support and patronage of the
ruler and other influential officials, and conducted prayers for the protection of these
powerful and privileged individuals. In contrast, it is clearly evident that the Daishonin
felt that Buddhism in the Latter Day should exist for the happiness of all people.
Therefore, when remonstrating with the government, he pressed for a change in the
ruling echelon’s awareness, articulating the view that religion and religious faith must
serve to protect the people and the land. And he harshly criticized the established
Buddhist schools for their cozy relationships with the ruling authorities and other
powerful figures. This was part of his effort to establish the correct teaching for the
peace of the land.
13

The Time to Win Is Now
Through his struggles as the votary of the Lotus Sutra, the Daishonin revealed the great
teaching to be spread in the Latter Day, and established a genuine Buddhism of the
people for propagation into the eternal future of this latter age.
It has been solely through the efforts of the Soka Gakkai and the SGI that this
Buddhism of the people has today spread throughout the world.
When we participate in the struggle for kosen-rufu, we can bring forth our
life-force as a votary of the Lotus Sutra, and develop into a person of immense
capacity.
As many of our predecessors have demonstrated, hardships encountered in the
course of striving for kosen-rufu become a springboard to attaining Buddhahood.
Mr. Toda declared:
Once we have raised the banner of kosen-rufu, we must forge ahead with it to
the very end. We must not be defeated by daunting obstacles and discard our
faith. . . .
Now, at this time, it has fallen to us to carry out the grand undertaking of
kosen-rufu. Dropping out of this great march for kosen-rufu now would mean
that happiness in life remains forever out of reach. This was the case with a
number of my erstwhile comrades who received the same opportunity as me
and underwent persecution for the sake of the Law, but were ultimately unable
to dedicate their lives to kosen-rufu. However, if you stand up with a powerful
commitment to this magnificent movement, it is as clear as day that you will be
able to gain true, lasting happiness. . . . You must absolutely not miss
participating in this great endeavor for kosen-rufu! 19
The time to fight and win is now.
19 Translated from Japanese. Josei Toda, Toda Josei Zenshu (Collected Writings of Josei Toda)
(Tokyo: Seikyo Shimbunsha, 1989), vol. 4, p. 281.
14