Action for Happiness
Action for Happiness
by Vice General Director, SGI-UK Sue Thornton
Earlier this year there was a programme on the television called Making Slough Happy where a team of experts worked on several projects with local people, aiming at making them happier. Much of it was based on the theories and evidence of an Americal psychologist called Dr. Martin Seligman from his book Authentic Happiness. SGI President Daisaku Ikeda has met with Dr Seligman many times. In 2001, he wrote:
Dr Seligman notes that though people in the developed world are enjoying more wealth and peace than ever before in history, there has been a dramatic upsurge in those who are pessimistic and suffering from depression. This is a surprising paradox, he says. He analyzes the cause of this epidemic of depression as self-centeredness and the decline of larger institutions of support, such as religion, the nation, the ties of extended families and local communities.
It was therefore an interesting conclusion of the television programme that many people discovered that to support others and to work for their happiness, rather than just follow selfish desires, brought about a deeper level of personal satisfaction and happiness.
Ultimate Principle of Faith
It is true to say that all people are searching for ways to find happiness and the letter we are studying this month, “Happiness in this World”, written in 1276 by Nichiren Daishonin to his follower Shijo Kingo, is as relevant today in the pursuit of happiness as it was in thirteenth-century Japan. It states, quite simply, that we practice faith to become truly happy. President Ikeda said, in his own lecture on this famous letter, that it explains the “secret teaching” that makes this possible. It is a short letter, but it offers a complete exposition of the ultimate principles of faith. When we deeply understand this Gosho, we have internalized the secret of faith and of life.
To this end, the letter actually starts with the conclusion: There is no true happiness for human beings other than chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo.
In order to completely understand this statement, and the passages that follow it, it is necessary first to understand some important points about the Lotus Sutra taught by Shakyamuni and then see how this sutra was systemized and clarified by T’ien-t’ai and how this led to Nichiren Daishonin teaching his followers to chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo.
The true purpose of the teaching of the Lotus Sutra by Shakyamuni Buddha was to explain the true Law or reality of life, and therefore to explain how all people can overcome the sufferings and illusions of life and death and become absolutely happy. Shakyamuni clearly stated his intention in the “Life Span” (sixteenth) chapter that we recite every day:
At all times I think to myself:
How can I cause living beings
To gain entry into the unsurpassed way
And quickly acquire the body of a Buddha?
He states ‘How can I?’—asking what action he can take to help others attain a state of life of happiness. This teaching of the Lotus Sutra was in fact the answer to that question, as concealed within its allegories and stories is the truth that ultimately leads towards the revelation of Buddhahood and absolute happiness in the lives of all people.
Myoho-renge-kyo is the title of the Lotus Sutra, which in its simplest literal translation means ‘The Mystic Law of the Lotus Sutra’.
Although on one level it might seem quite straightforward to say what Nam-myoho-renge-kyo means, understanding the depth of meaning in this phrase is actually extremely difficult, since Nam-myoho-renge-kyo expresses, in words, the Law of life, which all Buddhist teachings in one way or another seek to clarify.
A simple translation might perhaps read as ‘Devotion (Nam) to the Mystic Law of life and death (myoho) based on the simultaneity of cause and effect (renge) that continues eternally (kyo).’
However, the truth of this Mystic Law of life was explained by T’ien-t’ai (538-597) through his own enlightenment from the Lotus Sutra. He was able to clarify the Mystic Law into a theory that we know today as the mutual possession of the Ten Worlds and the theory of ‘three thousand realms in a single moment of life’(Jp. Ichinen sanzen). These are a framework of how the Mystic Law works. A simple explanation of this profound and complex theory is that when there is a change inside one person, it ultimately effects a change in the world around that person. Such a truth only became a reality when Shakyamuni taught the Lotus Sutra, for within the words of the sutra it became clear that each of the ten basic states of life (the Ten Worlds) from Hell to Buddhahood mutually possessed each of the other nine worlds. This was, in fact, a revelation that turned Shakyamuni’s earlier teaching on its head. The Lotus Sutra revealed that it would not take lifetime after lifetime to progress towards Buddhahood, but that the potential to achieve the life-condition of Buddhahood and happiness could take place instantly with one world changing immediately into any of the Ten Worlds. Most importantly, this means that Buddhahood can instantly emerge from the world of Hell.
The theory of both the mutual possession of the Ten Worlds and ‘three thousand realms in a single moment of life’ shows that this possibility and potential for change within, without doubt, transforms the world we live in. Quite simply, if we change, then the world we live in changes.
Every individual has a unique self, matched by a unique living and physical environment which changes in direct response to the changes that occur within that individual, and vice versa. Seen from the viewpoint of the individual, three thousand realms in a single moment of life explains theoretically how, by changing yourself, you change the world about you.
This theory clarified Shakyamuni’s intention in the Lotus Sutra, but it was not until Nichiren Daishonin explained the Mystic Law as Nam-myoho-renge-kyo and encouraged his followers to chant these words that the truth of life became immediately available to everyone. Chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo allowed all people to become one with the Mystic Law of the universe, to reveal their Buddha nature. Based on the theory of the mutual possession of the Ten Worlds, when anyone is chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, their life-condition is immediately changed from one of the other nine worlds. Immediately, their life-condition changes, and as already stated, ‘their unique living and physical environment changes in direct response to the changes that occur within that individual’.
It is like the case of a fishing net: though the net is composed of innumerable small meshes, when one pulls on the main cord of the net, there are no meshes that do not move.
The Secret of Faith and Life
As one’s life-condition moves, so does one’s environment; it can move in the direction of happiness and it can move towards establishing happiness as the true essence of one’s life. This is the very reason why Nichiren Daishonin so confidently states that: ‘There is no true happiness for human beings other that chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo.’ There is no other way to take action towards developing absolute happiness, for this lifetime and for future lifetimes! Chanting allows us to shift our life-condition, thereby affecting our life and our environment, and to establish happiness as the essence of one’s life. Therefore, the action of chanting with strong belief is action towards accumulating absolute happiness. As President Ikeda says, when we deeply understand this, we know the secret of faith and life.
Nichiren Daishonin is however a realist and he is not describing a happy life as one where people do not experience difficulties or troubles, as he indicates when he writes: ‘Though worldly troubles may arise, never let them disturb you. No one can avoid problems, not even sages or worthies.’ Difficulties are inherent in life; nobody is spared this fact of life. Yet happiness, as well as true peace and security, is about having courage to overcome hardships and difficulties.
When deep in our hearts we base ourselves on the Mystic Law, we can lead lives of supreme happiness in which we thoroughly savour the sufferings and the joys of this world.
The second chapter of the Lotus Sutra is called the ‘Expedient Means’ chapter. An expedient means is something that is used to show you the truth. In this letter, Nichiren Daishonin is teaching how we can use these difficulties and hardships to lead us to the truth of life and lead us towards happiness. ‘Regard both suffering and joy as facts of life and continue chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, no matter what happens.’
Strong Conviction
When difficulties occur, it usually does matter what happens, and when they seem to continue for a long time we can lose our hope, confidence and faith. Instead, however, of being dragged down by the ongoing problems, if we can summon up strong and deep conviction to win and dare to change our normal reaction to problems, we can use absolutely everything that happens to us as a path towards happiness: Even after we embrace faith, we continue to experience various problems and suffering. We may reach a deadlock and be unable to break through. But because of our Buddhist practice, any problem we encounter serves as an opportunity to show actual proof of the power of faith. Here we see the secret and mystic expedient at work. Problems or difficulties encountered in the course of our efforts for kosen-rufu, in particular, exemplify the principles that ’the world of Hell contains the world of the Bodhisattva’ and ‘the world of Buddhahood contains the world of Hell’. No problems or difficulties could be nobler than these. The more we challenge and triumph over our problems, the stronger Buddhahood grows within us. In that sense if our faith is strong, negative factors immediately transform into positive factors, and loss transforms into merit. To a person of faith, everything that happens in life becomes a benefit.
When our way of reacting to problems is negative, then everything is coloured by this negativity, both ourselves and our environment. At such a time, T’ien t’ai’s theory of ‘three thousand realms in a single moment of life’ is very evident to us as our environment changes in direct response to the changes that occur within us. But the basis of this theory is that we mutually possess the Ten worlds and, understanding this, it is possible, right where you are, to bring about a change. This happens by taking positive action, of believing strongly in the Mystic Law, believing strongly in your innate Buddhanhood.
In every case whether we feel happy or unhappy ultimately depends on us. Without changing our state of life we can find no true happiness. But when we do change our inner state, our entire world is transformed. The ultimate means for effecting such change is chanting daimoku.
Every struggle we go through in our Buddhist practice serves as an ‘expedient means’ leading us step by step towards the truth of life and a deep and strong sense of absolute happiness.
Whatever our circumstances, everything that happens is a vital scene in the drama of our present lifetime in this world—the drama of attaining Buddhahood, which is synonymous with the process of human revolution. Everything is an expedient means (the nine worlds) to reveal the truth (the world of Buddhahood).
The Daishonin writes: ’Suffer what there is to suffer, enjoy what there is to enjoy…how could this be anything other that boundless joy of the Law?’
Suffering and joy are expedients of the nine worlds. To chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo is to be in the world of Buddhahood, the realm of the Buddha’s true wisdom.
From this vast, elevated state of life we attain through our practice of faith, we gaze serenely upon all sufferings and joys, and at the same time we savour the joy of the Mystic Law.
President Ikeda is always encouraging us to build strong selves that are indomitable in the face of difficulties and that such strong life-force is achieved through chanting and challenging the realities of our lives, so that we can realize true ‘peace and security in this life’ and ‘good circumstances in the next’. These are the true benefits of our practice.
At the end of this letter, Nichiren Daishonin says: ’Strengthen your faith more than ever.’
It’s not a matter of what we’ve done in the past—it’s what we do now that counts. Strength of faith is what everything comes down to. Faith is strength. It is the greatest power that people have.
Action for Happiness
by Vice General Director, SGI-UK Sue Thornton
Earlier this year there was a programme on the television called Making Slough Happy where a team of experts worked on several projects with local people, aiming at making them happier. Much of it was based on the theories and evidence of an Americal psychologist called Dr. Martin Seligman from his book Authentic Happiness. SGI President Daisaku Ikeda has met with Dr Seligman many times. In 2001, he wrote:
Dr Seligman notes that though people in the developed world are enjoying more wealth and peace than ever before in history, there has been a dramatic upsurge in those who are pessimistic and suffering from depression. This is a surprising paradox, he says. He analyzes the cause of this epidemic of depression as self-centeredness and the decline of larger institutions of support, such as religion, the nation, the ties of extended families and local communities.
It was therefore an interesting conclusion of the television programme that many people discovered that to support others and to work for their happiness, rather than just follow selfish desires, brought about a deeper level of personal satisfaction and happiness.
Ultimate Principle of Faith
It is true to say that all people are searching for ways to find happiness and the letter we are studying this month, “Happiness in this World”, written in 1276 by Nichiren Daishonin to his follower Shijo Kingo, is as relevant today in the pursuit of happiness as it was in thirteenth-century Japan. It states, quite simply, that we practice faith to become truly happy. President Ikeda said, in his own lecture on this famous letter, that it explains the “secret teaching” that makes this possible. It is a short letter, but it offers a complete exposition of the ultimate principles of faith. When we deeply understand this Gosho, we have internalized the secret of faith and of life.
To this end, the letter actually starts with the conclusion: There is no true happiness for human beings other than chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo.
In order to completely understand this statement, and the passages that follow it, it is necessary first to understand some important points about the Lotus Sutra taught by Shakyamuni and then see how this sutra was systemized and clarified by T’ien-t’ai and how this led to Nichiren Daishonin teaching his followers to chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo.
The true purpose of the teaching of the Lotus Sutra by Shakyamuni Buddha was to explain the true Law or reality of life, and therefore to explain how all people can overcome the sufferings and illusions of life and death and become absolutely happy. Shakyamuni clearly stated his intention in the “Life Span” (sixteenth) chapter that we recite every day:
At all times I think to myself:
How can I cause living beings
To gain entry into the unsurpassed way
And quickly acquire the body of a Buddha?
He states ‘How can I?’—asking what action he can take to help others attain a state of life of happiness. This teaching of the Lotus Sutra was in fact the answer to that question, as concealed within its allegories and stories is the truth that ultimately leads towards the revelation of Buddhahood and absolute happiness in the lives of all people.
Myoho-renge-kyo is the title of the Lotus Sutra, which in its simplest literal translation means ‘The Mystic Law of the Lotus Sutra’.
Although on one level it might seem quite straightforward to say what Nam-myoho-renge-kyo means, understanding the depth of meaning in this phrase is actually extremely difficult, since Nam-myoho-renge-kyo expresses, in words, the Law of life, which all Buddhist teachings in one way or another seek to clarify.
A simple translation might perhaps read as ‘Devotion (Nam) to the Mystic Law of life and death (myoho) based on the simultaneity of cause and effect (renge) that continues eternally (kyo).’
However, the truth of this Mystic Law of life was explained by T’ien-t’ai (538-597) through his own enlightenment from the Lotus Sutra. He was able to clarify the Mystic Law into a theory that we know today as the mutual possession of the Ten Worlds and the theory of ‘three thousand realms in a single moment of life’(Jp. Ichinen sanzen). These are a framework of how the Mystic Law works. A simple explanation of this profound and complex theory is that when there is a change inside one person, it ultimately effects a change in the world around that person. Such a truth only became a reality when Shakyamuni taught the Lotus Sutra, for within the words of the sutra it became clear that each of the ten basic states of life (the Ten Worlds) from Hell to Buddhahood mutually possessed each of the other nine worlds. This was, in fact, a revelation that turned Shakyamuni’s earlier teaching on its head. The Lotus Sutra revealed that it would not take lifetime after lifetime to progress towards Buddhahood, but that the potential to achieve the life-condition of Buddhahood and happiness could take place instantly with one world changing immediately into any of the Ten Worlds. Most importantly, this means that Buddhahood can instantly emerge from the world of Hell.
The theory of both the mutual possession of the Ten Worlds and ‘three thousand realms in a single moment of life’ shows that this possibility and potential for change within, without doubt, transforms the world we live in. Quite simply, if we change, then the world we live in changes.
Every individual has a unique self, matched by a unique living and physical environment which changes in direct response to the changes that occur within that individual, and vice versa. Seen from the viewpoint of the individual, three thousand realms in a single moment of life explains theoretically how, by changing yourself, you change the world about you.
This theory clarified Shakyamuni’s intention in the Lotus Sutra, but it was not until Nichiren Daishonin explained the Mystic Law as Nam-myoho-renge-kyo and encouraged his followers to chant these words that the truth of life became immediately available to everyone. Chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo allowed all people to become one with the Mystic Law of the universe, to reveal their Buddha nature. Based on the theory of the mutual possession of the Ten Worlds, when anyone is chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, their life-condition is immediately changed from one of the other nine worlds. Immediately, their life-condition changes, and as already stated, ‘their unique living and physical environment changes in direct response to the changes that occur within that individual’.
It is like the case of a fishing net: though the net is composed of innumerable small meshes, when one pulls on the main cord of the net, there are no meshes that do not move.
The Secret of Faith and Life
As one’s life-condition moves, so does one’s environment; it can move in the direction of happiness and it can move towards establishing happiness as the true essence of one’s life. This is the very reason why Nichiren Daishonin so confidently states that: ‘There is no true happiness for human beings other that chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo.’ There is no other way to take action towards developing absolute happiness, for this lifetime and for future lifetimes! Chanting allows us to shift our life-condition, thereby affecting our life and our environment, and to establish happiness as the essence of one’s life. Therefore, the action of chanting with strong belief is action towards accumulating absolute happiness. As President Ikeda says, when we deeply understand this, we know the secret of faith and life.
Nichiren Daishonin is however a realist and he is not describing a happy life as one where people do not experience difficulties or troubles, as he indicates when he writes: ‘Though worldly troubles may arise, never let them disturb you. No one can avoid problems, not even sages or worthies.’ Difficulties are inherent in life; nobody is spared this fact of life. Yet happiness, as well as true peace and security, is about having courage to overcome hardships and difficulties.
When deep in our hearts we base ourselves on the Mystic Law, we can lead lives of supreme happiness in which we thoroughly savour the sufferings and the joys of this world.
The second chapter of the Lotus Sutra is called the ‘Expedient Means’ chapter. An expedient means is something that is used to show you the truth. In this letter, Nichiren Daishonin is teaching how we can use these difficulties and hardships to lead us to the truth of life and lead us towards happiness. ‘Regard both suffering and joy as facts of life and continue chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, no matter what happens.’
Strong Conviction
When difficulties occur, it usually does matter what happens, and when they seem to continue for a long time we can lose our hope, confidence and faith. Instead, however, of being dragged down by the ongoing problems, if we can summon up strong and deep conviction to win and dare to change our normal reaction to problems, we can use absolutely everything that happens to us as a path towards happiness: Even after we embrace faith, we continue to experience various problems and suffering. We may reach a deadlock and be unable to break through. But because of our Buddhist practice, any problem we encounter serves as an opportunity to show actual proof of the power of faith. Here we see the secret and mystic expedient at work. Problems or difficulties encountered in the course of our efforts for kosen-rufu, in particular, exemplify the principles that ’the world of Hell contains the world of the Bodhisattva’ and ‘the world of Buddhahood contains the world of Hell’. No problems or difficulties could be nobler than these. The more we challenge and triumph over our problems, the stronger Buddhahood grows within us. In that sense if our faith is strong, negative factors immediately transform into positive factors, and loss transforms into merit. To a person of faith, everything that happens in life becomes a benefit.
When our way of reacting to problems is negative, then everything is coloured by this negativity, both ourselves and our environment. At such a time, T’ien t’ai’s theory of ‘three thousand realms in a single moment of life’ is very evident to us as our environment changes in direct response to the changes that occur within us. But the basis of this theory is that we mutually possess the Ten worlds and, understanding this, it is possible, right where you are, to bring about a change. This happens by taking positive action, of believing strongly in the Mystic Law, believing strongly in your innate Buddhanhood.
In every case whether we feel happy or unhappy ultimately depends on us. Without changing our state of life we can find no true happiness. But when we do change our inner state, our entire world is transformed. The ultimate means for effecting such change is chanting daimoku.
Every struggle we go through in our Buddhist practice serves as an ‘expedient means’ leading us step by step towards the truth of life and a deep and strong sense of absolute happiness.
Whatever our circumstances, everything that happens is a vital scene in the drama of our present lifetime in this world—the drama of attaining Buddhahood, which is synonymous with the process of human revolution. Everything is an expedient means (the nine worlds) to reveal the truth (the world of Buddhahood).
The Daishonin writes: ’Suffer what there is to suffer, enjoy what there is to enjoy…how could this be anything other that boundless joy of the Law?’
Suffering and joy are expedients of the nine worlds. To chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo is to be in the world of Buddhahood, the realm of the Buddha’s true wisdom.
From this vast, elevated state of life we attain through our practice of faith, we gaze serenely upon all sufferings and joys, and at the same time we savour the joy of the Mystic Law.
President Ikeda is always encouraging us to build strong selves that are indomitable in the face of difficulties and that such strong life-force is achieved through chanting and challenging the realities of our lives, so that we can realize true ‘peace and security in this life’ and ‘good circumstances in the next’. These are the true benefits of our practice.
At the end of this letter, Nichiren Daishonin says: ’Strengthen your faith more than ever.’
It’s not a matter of what we’ve done in the past—it’s what we do now that counts. Strength of faith is what everything comes down to. Faith is strength. It is the greatest power that people have.
