A Vision of Peace in the Lotus Sutra

Yoichi Kawada

I.

The threefold world is a burning houseI

N the Simile and Parable chapter of the Lotus Sutra, the phenomenal
world is alluded to as a burning house, and it is in this world that the
Buddha appears.
“His great pity and great compassion are constant and unflagging; at
all times he seeks what is good and will bring benefit to all.
“He is born into the threefold world, a burning house, rotten and old,in order to save living beings from the fires of birth, old age, sickness
and death, care, suffering, stupidity, misunderstanding, and the threepoisons; to teach and convert them and enable them to attain anuttarasamyak-sambodhi.”1
The threefold world (the worlds of desire, form, and formlessness)refers to the phenomenal world in which we currently live. And thisworld, which serves as our “house” is being consumed by the raging“fires” of suffering and the three poisons. The Buddha appears in thisburning house to quench these fires and save the people from suffering.
Even now, after entering the twenty-first century, humanity is stillenveloped by the fires of the three poisons of hatred, greed, and egoism,
perpetuating the cycle of animosity and violence.
The terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001 at the dawn of the new
century offered a frightening contemporary vision of the passage in the
Lotus Sutra that reads, “a fire suddenly broke out on all sides, spreading
through the rooms of the house.”2 This was a historical occurrence thattriggered a war on terrorism, expanding the blaze of the three poisons to
the entire world.
Especially since the terrorist attacks, Soka Gakkai International President, Daisaku Ikeda, has discerned the true nature of the burning house,and has promoted the application of Buddhist wisdom to alleviate global
problems.
Ikeda, together with other conscientious intellectuals, do not view theterrorist attacks on September 11th as a “clash of civilizations.” He first
addresses terrorism in the following way,
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A VISION OF PEACE IN THE LOTUS SUTRA“Terrorism destroys the right of human beings to live in peace.
Regardless of the motives or causes of terrorist acts, they can never be
excused or justified. From the perspective of Buddhism and its belief inthe sanctity of life, terrorism is an absolute evil. Yet it would be mistaken to simplistically conclude that the recent attacks were the result of aconflict between religions or civilizations, a view that will surely provoke further tragic consequences.”3
The terrorist attacks on September 11th took place amidst a backdropof an ever widening disparity between political, military, and economic
power and the resulting structural oppression.
Johan Galtung categorizes the outbreak of war, conflict and terrorist
acts as examples of “direct violence,” and calls the deeper sources of
those forms of violence such as poverty, hunger, environmental destruction, disregard for human rights and other forms of oppression and disparity—“structural violence.” Furthermore, he regards the creation ofstereotypes of other religions by religious extremists “cultural violence.”
Unless an all-encompassing strategy that addresses violence on all levels
including structural and cultural forms is developed, the cycle of terrorism and conflict will continue to repeat itself.
The four sufferings of birth, aging, illness and death which are depicted in the Similes and Parables chapter of the Lotus Sutra, symbolize thesufferings in contemporary society which stem from various forms ofviolence. Buddhism cites the source of these sufferings as “the fire of
the three poisons” contained within human life itself.
Based on this Buddhist philosophy, Ikeda observes,“In the darkness in which our civilization has been immersed since
September 11, we sense an eerie absence, a spiritual landscape in whichpeople are failing to recognize the humanity of the other.”4
And then further concludes,“Rather I think, we need to ask ourselves deeper questions: What is
the true danger? What are the real enemies? The real enemies are, I
believe, poverty, hatred and, most formidable of all, the dehumanizationthat exerts a demonic dominion over contemporary society.”5
Poverty results from greed, a limitless energy to achieve one’s own
satisfaction in blind disregard of the destruction and injury caused toothers. In other words, the uncontrolled expansion of greed is the root
cause of poverty. In turn, abysmal animosity is the result of an outpouring of uncontrollable hatred. In Buddhism, hatred churns inside one’s
life in various forms such as rage, resentment, enmity, jealousy, and thenfinally erupts into the harming of others. Greed and hate are the pillarsof structural violence. But even more fundamental than these, points out

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Ikeda, is the illness of dehumanization. In Buddhism, dehumanization isregarded as fundamental darkness (also ignorance) and is an extreme
form of egoism.
Fundamental darkness, when coupled with egoism of “the absence ofthe other,” undermines people’s humanity and turns them into objects
regarded as the “enemy.” As a result of the process of dehumanizing theenemy, we, ourselves also become objects, thereby oppressing andrejecting our conscience, and giving free-reign to the three poisons to
manifest themselves completely.
The “self” and “other” that arise as objects are no longer connectedby the thread of humanism as espoused in the theory of dependent origination. The ties are completely severed by the three poisons.
In this way, Buddhism proposes that it is fundamental darkness, i.e.
dehumanization, which serves as the mechanism behind the explosion ofviolence and greed that we are experiencing in modern society.
From the Ashes: A Spiritual Response to the Attack on America is acollection of writings authored by Christian, Muslim, Jewish, Hindi, andBuddhist leaders that was published immediately after the events of
September 11th. As a contributor in this book, Ikeda calls for a strengthening of the forces of good within humanity. He states,“International cooperation against terrorism cannot be limited to theshort-term. At a deeper level, it requires a profound reexamination of thenature of human civilization,”6 and then continues,“It is the function of evil to divide; to alienate people from each otherand divide one country from another. The universe, this world and ourown lives, are the stage for a ceaseless struggle between hatred andcompassion, the destructive and constructive aspects of life. We mustnever let up, confronting evil at every turn…
“In the end, the evil over which we must triumph is the impulse
toward hatred and destruction that resides in us all.
“Unless we can achieve a fundamental transformation within our own
lives, so that we are able to perceive our intimate connection with all our
fellow human beings and feel their sufferings as our own, we will neverbe free of conflict and war. In this sense, I feel that a ‘hard power’approach, one that relies on military might, will not lead to a long-term,
fundamental resolution.”7 He then concludes by stressing the need for
genuine dialogue between cultures on all levels to restore faith inhumanity.
To change the vector of history, hard power such as military mighthas often been implemented, bringing further bloodshed and engraving
deeper feelings of animosity toward others. The world needs a more

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encompassing, multi-layered approach to end this cycle of hatred.
One concrete suggestion for this is the creation of an international
code of laws that will prevent the expansion of conflicts and terrorism,
so that a solution based on a common standard can be reviewed in aninternational criminal court.
However, in order to take truly effective steps to change the structural
violence that underlies direct violence, a strategy to promote humansecurity carried out by a multitude of NGOs coordinated by the United
Nations is necessary. Human security, as will be discussed further inPart III of this paper, includes not only satisfying basic needs, but also
requires increasing the skills and capacity of the population at large as
they are the most important factor in creating a stable society.
For this reason, human development is part and parcel of human security and a philosophical and religious foundation is needed to develop
the “goodness” inside the lives of people, and by doing so, dehumanization can be overcome. What makes it possible to develop one’s goodness? One is education and the other is dialogue between civilizations
and religions. Peace education, environmental education, human rights
education, to name a few, will guide children to realize the goodness
within their lives. This kind of education will help expand stability overthe vertical axis of time, and inter-civilization and inter-religious dialogue will expand along the horizontal axis of space.
Dialogue is a breeding ground for trust, and is a vehicle for promoting
understanding by destroying stereotypes that warp one’s view of othercivilizations and religions, and replaces mistaken ideas with commonalities that we share as humans. Seeking eternal universal values such as
love, compassion, non-violence and morality opens the way for clearing
up mistaken views that cause separation and division and the dark heartof hatred.
Dialogue between the heads of nations, between leaders in respective
professional and academic fields, and between ordinary citizens is whatis needed as a basis for any attempt to create a structure for peace.
Through dialogue, we can develop the goodness within ourselves, andwhen this becomes a global trend, all measures taken to solve global
problems will bear long-lasting fruit.

II.

Three major principles of peace in the Lotus Sutra

The three major principles of peace in the Lotus Sutra are 1) attainmentof enlightenment for all people, 2) the Eternal Buddha, and 3) practicing
the bodhisattva way. These three principles form a basis for many otherA VISION OF PEACE IN THE LOTUS SUTRA

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ideas for peace.
The first principle, the attainment of enlightenment for all people, isintroduced in the Expedient Means chapter of the Lotus Sutra. The single most important reason for the Buddha’s appearance in this world liesin creating the cause for people to reach enlightenment,“The Buddhas, the World-Honored Ones, wish to open the door of
Buddha wisdom to all living beings, to allow them to attain purity. That
is why they appear in the world. They wish to show the Buddha wisdom
to living beings, and therefore they appear in the world. They wish tocause living beings to awaken to the Buddha wisdom, and therefore they
appear in the world. They wish to induce living beings to enter the pathof Buddha wisdom, and therefore they appear in the world.”8
According to Buddhist scholar T’ien-t’ai, “Buddha wisdom,” as mentioned here, means the same thing as “Buddha nature.”9 All people
inherently possess a Buddha nature, and it is this nature that the Buddhaseeks to help bring forth by leading people to the path of Buddhist practice. From the passage above, Buddhism’s view of the respect for humanlife can be established. The fact that all living beings possess a Buddha
nature, a life as large as the universe, in the depths of their lives serves
as a basis for fundamental human dignity.
In monotheistic religions, human dignity is rooted in the belief thathumans were created in God’s image, whereas in Buddhism, humanrights derive from the fact that all people possess a Buddha nature in thedepths of their lives.
Secondly, the Lotus Sutra teaches that all people possess the capacity
for enlightenment by expounding the attainment of Buddhahood by persons of the two vehicles, evil persons, and women. This indicates that
despite a person’s race, sex, ethnicity, cultural background, class, occupation, or physical or psychological condition, they inherently possess
the Buddha nature, thereby establishing a basis for equality in Buddhism.
Thirdly, the concept of opening, showing, awakening, and inducing
living beings to enter the path of Buddha wisdom is an expression ofcomplete realization of life’s potential. This indicates being able to fully
express the goodness, ability, feeling, and life energy that one possesses
latently.
If the conditions that Shakyamuni Buddha attempted to establish during his lifetime with his wisdom and compassion were to be implemented on a large scale, the stage would be set for all people to achieve theirfull potential as human beings. This is the basis for self-actualization in
Buddhism.

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Fourth, in The Parable of the Medicinal Herbs chapter of the Lotus
Sutra, the parable of the three kinds of medicinal herbs and two kinds oftrees serves to illustrate a model of symbiosis for all living things, notonly human life,“The rain falling from one blanket of cloud accords with each particular species and nature, causing it to sprout and mature, to blossom andbear fruit. Though all these plants and trees grow in the same earth andare moistened by the same rain, each has its differences and particulars.
“Kashyapa, you should understand that the Thus Come One is likethis. He appears in the world like a great cloud rising up. With a loudvoice he penetrates to all the heavenly and human beings and the asurasof the entire world, like a great cloud spreading over the thousand-millionfold lands.”10
The simile of a great cloud rising is employed to explain the appearance of the Buddha and the far-reaching extent of his preaching which
extends across the entire phenomenal world. Just as the rain of the great
cloud falls, the preaching of the Buddha rains upon all people equally.
However, just as each tree and grass is unique in its ability to absorb anduse the rain, people differ in their religious capacity, which is a significant feature of this simile.
In a speech given at Harvard University, Ikeda expands on this simile
to create an image of peace for all living things existing in harmony,“This scene, depicted with the vividness, grandeur, and beauty characteristic of the Lotus Sutra, symbolizes the enlightenment of all people
touched by the Buddha’s Law. At the same time, it is a magnificent tribute to the rich diversity of human and all other forms of sentient andnon-sentient life. Thus, each living thing manifests the enlightenment of
which it is capable; each contributes to the harmony of the grand concert
of symbiosis. In Buddhist terminology, ‘dependent origination’ (engi)
describes these relationships. Nothing and nobody exists in isolation.
Each individual being functions to create the environment that sustains
all other existences. All things are mutually supporting and interrelated,
forming a living cosmos, what modern philosophy might term a semantic whole. That is the conceptual framework through which Mahayana
Buddhism views the natural universe.”11
The parable of the three kinds of medicinal herbs and two kinds oftrees highlights the individuality of plants—an image of all living things
realizing their full potential amidst a backdrop of the great universe
which supports all life equally. Nichiren describes this full blooming ofindividual potential as the principle of cherry, plum, peach, and damson
blossoms.12

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All people and all of nature are contained within the life of the Buddha. The parable is a model of harmonious existence where nature andhumanity co-exist peacefully, detailing a prosperous society that has
overcome environmental destruction, as well as all direct and structural
violence. Buddhism aims to create such a society.
The second major principle of peace, the Eternal Buddha, appears in
the Life Span of the Thus Come One chapter of the Lotus Sutra, as the
Buddha of beginningless time. Using the life of Shakyamuni, the principle of the Eternal Buddha is expounded here,“In all the worlds the heavenly and human beings and asuras all
believe that the present Shakyamuni Buddha, after leaving the palace of
the Shakyas, seated himself in the place of practice not far from the cityof Gaya and there attained anuttara-samyak-sambodhi. But good men, it
has been immeasurable, boundless hundreds, thousands, ten thousands,
millions of nayutas of kalpas since I in fact attained Buddhahood.”13
After this, Shakyamuni uses the parable of numberless major world
system dust particle kalpas to explain how long ago it was that he actually attained enlightenment. He also speaks about the future, which hesays is twice as long as the time he attained enlightenment in the distantpast to the present. In effect, this can be understood to mean that his life
is eternal.
The Eternal Buddha is at one with the Eternal Law, and it is this Eternal Buddha who is also the Eternal Savior Buddha. This is explained in
the following quote,“Ever since then I have been constantly in this saha world, preaching
the Law, teaching and converting. And elsewhere I have led and benefited living beings in hundreds, thousands, ten thousands, millions of
nayutas and asamkhyas of lands.”14
After attaining enlightenment, Shakyamuni attempted various ways ofalleviating people’s suffering through guidance and providing for theirneeds, and regarding these acts of extraordinary compassion he says,“This, the Buddha’s work, I have never for a moment neglected.”15
Second president of the Soka Gakkai, Josei Toda, explains the actionsof the Eternal Savior Buddha from a cosmic perspective, stating theseactions are a great practice of compassion by the “Universal Buddha.”
He justifies the name Universal Buddha by explaining that the Eternal
Savior Buddha is one with the Eternal Law, which integrates space of
the Buddhas in the ten directions (Emergence of the Treasure Tower
chapter) and integrates time of the Buddhas of the three existences (Life
Span of the Thus Come One chapter).

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A VISION OF PEACE IN THE LOTUS SUTRAIn Toda’s Theory of Compassion, he states,“In the first place, the universe in its entirety is the substance of the
Buddha, and all phenomena in the universe are the workings of compassion. Therefore, compassion is the inherent nature of the universe.”16 He
also explains that humans, who have been given life by the universe,
have a special mission to fulfill.
“Since the universe itself is compassion, that of course means that ourdaily activities naturally constitute the workings of compassion themselves. Because we lead privileged lives as human beings, we must
not descend to the same level as animals or plants. Carrying out more
exalted activities is the attitude of those truly dedicated to serving theBuddha.”17 And also advises us, “to live with an awareness of true compassion.”18
Here Toda explains the reason for humanity’s existence from Buddhism’s cosmic perspective. That is, he proposes that in order to repay
our debt of gratitude to the universe for giving us life, humanity has aunique mission to expand upon the universe’s working of compassion
by contributing to its creative evolution.
In the Expedient Means chapter of the Lotus Sutra, human dignity
which lies at the heart of human rights, is linked to the Buddha nature
inherent in our lives, and the potential for this nature to be realized fully.
Furthermore, in the Life Span of the Thus Come One chapter, the full
realization of one’s Buddha nature becomes possible when it interacts
with the great compassion of the Universal Buddha as the Eternal Savior
Buddha. In other words, inside the context of the grand cosmos, humandignity becomes manifest when we become one with the Universal Buddha, and fulfill our universal mission to create compassion.
Dignity is not something that comes automatically, just because weare born human. Human dignity is a component of human life becauseof our potential to manifest compassion and to take part in the compassionate action of the Eternal Universal Buddha.
Is it then possible to respect the dignity of “people” who antagonize
the compassionate workings of the universe and destroy the life of oneself, others, and the natural environment under the influence of the threepoisons and malevolence? In the Devadatta chapter of the Lotus Sutra,
the acts of salvation carried out by the Eternal Buddha include theenlightenment of evil persons. There is no eternal hell in Buddhism. It is
the Buddha’s role to try to save even those who seek to destroy the compassion of the cosmos by drawing forth their Buddha nature, and it is
this act that establishes grounds for human dignity. The ceaselessactions for salvation of the Universal Buddha are what form the basis forA VISION OF PEACE IN THE LOTUS SUTRA

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Buddhism’s view of human rights and peace.
In Mahayana Buddhism, “bodhisattva” is the name given to the groupof people who live with an awareness of this mission in the universe.
This brings us to the third major principle, which is practicing thebodhisattva way. There are two separate groups of bodhisattvas thatappear in the Lotus Sutra, the Bodhisattvas of the Earth and the bodhisattvas of theoretical teaching, and I would like to explore the difference between these two groups.
In the dialog, The Wisdom of the Lotus Sutra, Ikeda defines one group(the Bodhisattvas of the Earth) as the bodhisattvas of the essential teaching, and groups the bodhisattvas that appear after the Medicine Kingchapter of the Lotus Sutra, bodhisattvas of the theoretical teaching (i.e.,
Bodhisattvas Medicine King, Wonderful Sound, Perceiver of theWorld’s Sounds, and Universal Worthy) and talks of their relationship in
the following way,
“As you know, when light passes through a standard triangular prism,it breaks into the seven main colors of a spectrum. Light is the totality,
and the seven colors are its constituent parts. Similarly, the bodhisattvasof theoretical teaching who appear in the latter assembly at Eagle Peak,
while each carrying in their heart the light of Buddhahood, richly exhibit
the hues of their individual mission.”19
In other words, the Bodhisattvas of the Earth (bodhisattvas of theessential teaching) represent the light as a whole, and the bodhisattvas of
the theoretical teaching each fulfill their missions in their own way, likethe seven colors of the rainbow.
First of all, in the Emerging from the Earth chapter of the Lotus Sutra,
the Bodhisattvas of the Earth make their appearance as champions of the
Lotus Sutra in the era after the Buddha’s passing,“The bodies of these bodhisattvas were all golden in hue, with thethirty-two features and an immeasurable brightness,”20 described as having the same features as a Buddha.
There are four leaders of the Bodhisattvas of the Earth who are introduced in the Emerging from the Earth chapter of the Lotus Sutra,“Among these bodhisattvas were four leaders. The first was called
Superior Practices, the second was called Boundless Practices, the third
was called Pure Practices, and the fourth was called Firmly Established
Practices. These four bodhisattvas were the foremost leaders and guiding teachers among all the group.”21
The Teacher of the Law chapter of the Lotus Sutra states, “he or she is
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Come One and carries out the Thus Come One’s work.”22 This passage
explains the mission of those who have pledged to uphold and spreadthe teachings of the Lotus Sutra, and indicates the existential characterof the Bodhisattvas of the Earth, i.e., the Bodhisattvas of the Earth areagents of the Buddha, having been sent by the Buddha to do the Buddha’s work, which is the salvation of humanity.
In The Record of the Orally Transmitted Teachings, Nichiren Daishonin uses a quote from the ninth volume of the Supplement to “TheWords and Phrases of the Lotus Sutra” to correlate these four leaders to
the four virtues of true self, eternity, purity, and happiness, respectively.
The four virtues are four noble qualities of a Buddha’s life,“The four leaders described in the sutra passage here represent thefour virtues. Superior Practices represents the virtue of true self. Boundless Practices represents the virtue of eternity. Pure Practices represents
the virtue of purity. And Firmly Established Practices represents thevirtue of happiness.
“There are times when a single person possesses all four of theseprinciples.”23
Looking at them one by one, Nichiren links Superior Practices to thevirtue of true self, indicating a self that is one with the Eternal Savior
Buddha. A person who has awakened to his mission in the universe
takes compassionate action on his own accord. Since Superior Practices
is also at one with the eternal Universal Buddha, he is completely free to
move, unfettered by any obstacle that attempts to stop his activities ofcompassion.
The virtue of purity linked to Pure Practices represents a life-cleansing function, which consists of a process of actively transforming negative tendencies of the self to positive ones. As the self becomes filledwith good, it becomes increasingly free. This is a manifestation of thevirtue of eternity as linked with Boundless Practices, and is also an
aspect of freedom for Superior Practices.
The true self of Superior Practices, which transforms evil to good andcarries out compassionate action establishes a firm foundation of life.
This solid foundation is a true expression of the virtue of happiness, andis a representation of the life-state of Firmly Established Practices.
Through the process described above, the greater self (of Superior
Practices) becomes one with the Eternal Savior Buddha and is liberated
to take compassionate action which is an expression of an expanded
state of life. The four virtues as expressed in the Bodhisattvas of the
Earth are an ideal of living focused on self-realization, and manifesting
the four virtues in one’s life is Buddhism’s goal for humanity as a

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whole, as doing so leads to human development and security.
The actions of the Bodhisattvas of the Earth are practical examples ofcompassion within the burning house of the threefold world. The chapters following the Former Affairs of the Bodhisattva Medicine Kingchapter of the Lotus Sutra give numerous examples of compassionate
action from a variety of perspectives, and serve as an ideal for bodhisattva practice.
Next, I would like to examine the bodhisattvas of theoretical teaching,which are represented by Bodhisattvas Medicine King, WonderfulSound, Universal Worthy, and Perceiver of the World’s Sounds. Traditionally, these bodhisattvas are regarded in relation to the respective
fields they represent (medical, artistic, academic, and informational) but
here I would like to view them from the perspective of human rights
philosophy and as specific aspects of compassionate action of the Bodhisattvas of the Earth.
In this light, we can view Bodhisattva Medicine King as a function tofree people from illness by providing food, water, medical assistance,and healthcare, and represents the human right to health and longevity.
Bodhisattva Wonderful Sound represents the right of artistic expression,
and Bodhisattva Universal Worthy represents the right of academic andideological freedom.
Lastly, the bodhisattva that listens to the humble wishes of the common people, grants their wishes, and raises people to a state of life
where they are not afraid of anything is Bodhisattva Perceiver of theWorld’s Sounds. The way that this bodhisattva saves people is by providing tangible rewards in this lifetime. In the burning house of thethreefold world which is our current society, listening and addressing
people’s needs is the only way to establish a secure existence and raise
the level of life for all. The compassion of Bodhisattva Perceiver of theWorld’s Sounds frees people of various fears, such as violence, natural
disasters, and poisons. From the perspective of human rights, the following serve as specific examples of the power of protection that Bodhisattva Perceiver of the World’s Sounds possesses.24
a. Even if you enter a great fire, the fire can not burn you and if
washed away by a great flood, you will immediately find yourself in shallow place—this symbolizes freedom from fear of natural disasters.
b. Even if you face trouble with rakshasa demons on the high seas,
or face imminent danger from attack from countless yakshas anddemons, they will not be able to cause you any harm—symboliz-

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ing freedom from violence.
c. Even if you face numerous evil-hearted bandits, you can successfully flee from them unharmed—symbolizing freedom from violence.
d. Even if you encounter trouble with the king’s law and face thedeath sentence, the executioner’s sword will be broken to bits—
symbolizing freedom from political oppression and freedom toenjoy basic human rights.
e. Even if you are imprisoned and bound by fetters and chains, therestraints will fall off and you will be freed—symbolizing freedom to enjoy basic human rights under any government.
f. Even if someone tries to poison you, the poison will reboundupon the originator—symbolizing specifically freedom from thefear of being poisoned.
In this way, Bodhisattva Perceiver of the World’s Sounds’ compassion
works to free people from the fear of violence, natural disasters, poisonsand other calamities and protect them.
The “freedoms” that the bodhisattvas of theoretical teaching symbolize are realized in practice in contemporary society as human security,
human development, and human rights.
The bodhisattvas that appear in the Lotus Sutra, both Bodhisattvas of
the Earth as well as those of theoretical teaching, merge together as one
to form a holistic but also specific model of self-actualization forhumanity to strive for.

III. Striving Toward the Creation of a Proactive Peace
The kind of peace that Buddhism aims for is not a passive one, which isbased simply on the absence of war, but one that actively seeks to eliminate all the causes of structural violence and establish a proactive peace.
In tackling the causes of structural violence, which arise from the more
direct form, “human security” has recently been gathering much attention as a possible framework to work within. Human security prioritizes
the preservation, continuation and respect of human life.
The final report of the United Nations Commission on Human Security was completed on May, 2003. It called for a major paradigm shift in
expanding its thinking about security from the state level to the individual level. The committee defines human security in the following way,
“to protect the vital core of all human lives in ways that enhance human
freedoms and human fulfillment”25—the vital core of life being basic
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want, freedom from fear, and freedom to take action on one’s own
behalf among others.
In his book, The Strategy of Human Security,26 Yoshida Fumihiko further elaborates on freedom from want as freedom from poverty, hunger,
disease, and access to clean water and air. He breaks down freedom
from fear as freedom from the fear of violence, crime, and drugs, andfreedom to act for oneself as freedom to enjoy family life and to participate in ethnic group gatherings. He also adds, for political security, thefreedom to retain one’s human rights.
The commission summarizes, “it means protecting people from critical (severe) and pervasive (widespread) threats and situations.”27
How can we create a society that will protect the basic freedoms of
the individual and one that will allow for the development of the individual’s latent potential? The Commission on Human Security proposes
this can be achieved by promoting “protection” and “empowerment.”28
Protection means to guard against violence, conflict, poverty, terrorism,
financial disaster, suppression of human rights, and diseases such as
AIDS, and the task of providing this protection is entrusted to national
governments, international organizations, NGOs, and corporations. As
for empowerment, this requires a flowering of one’s dormant capabilities, whatever the circumstances, so that individuals can proactively contribute to the sustaining of human security. Through education, it ishoped that the awareness of the individual, the ability to absorb information, and the ability to acquire new technology will be heightened,
eventually leading to a society that can realize human security for all
members of its society.
As the topic of human security is expanded to the point of viewing
the latent potential within the depths of people’s lives, examination of
the link between security and human development becomes necessary.
This concept immediately began gathering attention in 1990 after being
introduced by Mahbub ul Haq of Pakistan and promoted by Amartya
Sen of India.
In 1994, according to the UNDP’s Human Development Report, a key
element to sustainable human development is discussed,“Human beings are born with certain potential capabilities. The purpose of development is to create an environment in which all people can
expand their capabilities, and opportunities can be enlarged for both present and future generations. The real foundation of human development
is universalism in acknowledging the life claims of everyone.”29
Human development assists in unveiling hidden human potential sothat it can be fully realized. In order for this to occur, Sen proposes,

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A VISION OF PEACE IN THE LOTUS SUTRA“Human development is concerned with removing the various hindrances that restrain and restrict human lives and prevent its blossoming.”30 Accordingly, several different indices have been devised tomeasure human development such as the HDI (Human Development
Index), the GEM (Gender Empowerment Measure), and the MDGs
(Millennium Development Goals).
M.S. Swaminathan of India argues,“A general standard for measurement should include aspects of education, healthcare, life-expectancy, literacy, elimination of sexual differences based on economic wealth, opportunities for employment, skills
and education.”31
Regarding the complementary relationship between human development and human security, Sen adds,“The idea of human development, broad as it is, does, however, havea powerfully buoyant quality, since it is concerned with progress andaugmentation. It is out to conquer fresh territory on behalf of enhancing
human lives and is far too upbeat to focus on rearguard actions needed
to secure what has to be safeguarded. This is where the notion of humansecurity becomes particularly relevant.”32
He specifies the complementary nature of the two concepts by commenting,“Human security as an idea fruitfully supplements the expansionist
perspective of human development by directly paying attention to what
are sometimes called ‘downside risks’,” and,“…the human focus of development approaches…tend to concentrateon ‘growth with equity’, a subject that has generated a vast literature andinspired many policy initiatives. In contrast, focusing on human security
requires that serious attention be paid to ‘downturns with security’…”33
Preserving human security increases the number of opportunities andchoices for human development. This is an increase in freedom.
Through this mutually supplementary relationship, untapped humanpotential is given a chance to manifest and the circumstances for selfactualization of each individual becomes ripe.
Sen also comments on the relationship between human development
and human rights,“Commitments underlying human rights take the form of demandingthat certain basic freedoms of human beings be respected, aided andenhanced. The basically normative nature of the concept of humanrights leaves open the question of which particular freedoms are crucial
enough to count as human rights that society should acknowledge, safeguard and promote. This is where human security makes a significant

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contribution by identifying the importance of freedom from basic insecurities—new and old. The descriptive richness of the considerations
that make security so important in human lives can, thus, join handswith the force of ethical claims that the recognition of certain freedoms
as human rights provides. Human rights and human security can, therefore, fruitfully supplement each other.”34
As explained above, human security provides a basis for determining
which freedoms need protection depending on the situation involved. On
the other hand, human rights play a large supporting role when specifying human security issues by lending an ethical base for discussions. In
this way, human security, human rights, and human development work
constructively together to protect human life, the right to live, and basic
freedoms, thus allowing the realization of latent potential and the livingof a more fruitful life.
So what kind of human abilities and potentials are unleashed by successful implementation of human security and human development? The
Commission for Human Security sets forth the fundamental direction bystating, “human security starts from the recognition that people are themost active participants in determining their well-being. It builds on
people’s efforts, strengthening what they do for themselves.”35
Each individual person is charged with determining which latent ability they want to develop, and the kind of life they want to lead, and inwhat way they want to self-actualize themselves. Creating a supportive
environment for the development of abilities by removing all the obstacles preventing one from exploring one’s own possibilities makes it possible to examine one’s life-view.
As I have stated earlier, the Lotus Sutra recognizes the potential forall people to attain enlightenment. It also proposes that the purpose forlife is to manifest our hidden abilities by utilizing our surroundings andhaving the freedom to make choices.
Human security and human development, when seen through the eyesof Buddhism, not only includes various technical skills, but also thedeeper capabilities that human beings possess in the depths of theirlives. Intelligence, experience, skill are all part of one’s capabilities, but
in order to fully realize oneself, the most fundamental key to success is
how to approach the development of the “self.” The question we mustask ourselves is,“Is my life ruled by egoism and the three poisons? Or is my life fullof goodness?”
The self that seeks to establish human security, human development,
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goodness. In Buddhist terms, goodness is defined by the presence oftrust, humility, the power to control desire, the power to control anger,
and the power to suppress violence. Through teachings such as dependent origination, Buddhism shares the wisdom to overcome the inherent
darkness that we possess in our hearts.
When one is protected by the kind of goodness mentioned above, it isfree to work on gaining a sense of individuality, developing latent talents
and skills, and striving toward self-realization with vibrant energy.
Having a strong conviction in one’s own self-worth is the ideal stateof life that the Bodhisattvas of the Earth illustrate. When one develops
the greater self within, the desire to fulfill one’s mission in this universe
will come forth naturally. The mission to save others from suffering andlead them to happiness is the direct road to self-actualization, and thisself-actualization, in turn, contributes directly to others’ happiness, fusing happiness of the self and the other into one. Is this not an ideal
model of proactive global citizenship fit for humanity in the twenty-first
century? The promotion of human security, human development, andhuman rights aims at creating a proactive peace, and the key to realizing
this vision is the fostering of individuals to become global citizens.

IV.

The Requisites of a Global Citizen—Bodhisattva Never
Disparaging

Bodhisattva Never Disparaging, who is depicted in the Lotus Sutra as an
earlier incarnation of Shakyamuni while he was training to become a
Buddha, serves as a model of behavior for the Bodhisattvas of the Earth.
In a letter entitled The Three Kinds of Treasure, Nichiren writes,“The heart of the Buddha’s lifetime of teachings is the Lotus Sutra,
and the heart of the practice of the Lotus Sutra is found in the ‘Never
Disparaging’ chapter. What does Bodhisattva Never Disparaging’s profound respect for people signify? The purpose of the appearance in thisworld of Shakyamuni Buddha, the lord of teachings, lies in his behavior
as a human being.”36
The Expedient Means chapter of the Lotus Sutra explains the ultimate
reason for Shakyamuni Buddha’s appearance in this world, which is toshow what it means to truly act as a human being, and this is exemplified by the practice of veneration that Bodhisattva Never Disparaging
undertook.
If the bodhisattva-like model of the “self” presented in the Lotus
Sutra through the images of the Bodhisattvas of the Earth and the bodhisattvas of theoretical teaching is regarded as a viable model for global

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citizenship, then it would be fitting to study the actions of Bodhisattva
Never Disparaging.
The Bodhisattva Never Disparaging chapter describes the practice ofbowing and veneration of a lone bodhisattva named Never Disparaging
who lived in a time when arrogant monks held great authority.
He respected everyone’s innate Buddha nature, and addressed everyone he met in the following way,
“I have profound reverence for you, I would never dare treat you withdisparagement or arrogance. Why? Because you are all practicing thebodhisattva way and are certain to attain Buddhahood.”37
However, as Never Disparaging had not devoted time to Buddhist
study, he had no formal qualifications. Therefore, some of those headdressed, angrily slandered him saying,“This ignorant monk—where does he come from, presuming to
declare that he does not disparage us and bestowing on us a predictionthat we will attain Buddhahood? We have no use for such vain and irresponsible predictions!” Furthermore, others attacked him with staves
and threw tiles and rocks. Never Disparaging, after running away to asafe distance, would again recite, “I would never dare disparage you,because you are all certain to attain Buddhahood!” On his deathbed, heheard from the sky the previous teachings of Buddha Awesome Sound
King which purified his six senses, and upon this purification, was able
to extend his life for a considerable number of years, and in those years
he was able to assist in the enlightening of countless others, including
those arrogant monks who had previously attacked him.
What can be gleaned from Never Disparaging’s actions described in
the sutras, especially from the context of global citizenship?
First of all, even if on the surface they were arrogant or harbored illwill, Never Disparaging respected all people because of the innate Buddha nature that shines within their lives. He also explained that all people who persevere on the path of the bodhisattva way, will without failmanifest their Buddhahood and enjoy an enlightened state of life filledwith goodness. In other words, even if they were persecuting him at present, he equally respected all people because of their potential to
become Buddhas in the future. Here, there is absolute faith in human
life, exemplifying a truly humanistic outlook that looks past the deluded
actions of others, and observes with keen insight the shining Buddha
nature that lies within and will one day manifest. It is respect forhumanity in actual practice.
Secondly, Never Disparaging’s actions to draw forth people’s Buddha
nature implemented a strategy of absolute non-violence. Mahatma

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Gandhi, who lead the resistance movement against British colonial ruleusing non-violence, believed respect for human life arose from the spiritual strength of non-violence,“Non-violence is the law of our species as violence is the law of thebrute. The spirit lies dormant in the brute and he knows no law but thatof physical might. The dignity of man requires obedience to a higher
law—to the strength of the spirit.”38
Never Disparaging responds to persecution and animosity towards
him with the spiritual strength of non-violence. Often employing themetaphor of a coin, Gandhi championed the use of non-violence (ahimsa) to manifest the ultimate truth of the universe (satya), saying that thetwo concepts were like the sides of a single coin—symbolizing thattruth can only be realized through non-violence.
The Lotus Sutra refers to the ultimate truth of the universe as the Eternal Law, and teaches its realization can only be achieved when the Law
and the Eternal Buddha become one through the observance of precepts.
One example of a precept of the bodhisattva way is the precept of no
killing, i.e. ahimsa. In truth, the only way to manifest the great life of
the Eternal Buddha from within, is to commit completely to non-violence. It is impossible to manifest the condition of a Buddha throughviolence or malevolence.
No matter what the circumstance, Never Disparaging never failed tosee the Buddha nature within each person, and based all of his actions
on non-violence and good will. This reinforces the idea that in order toachieve peace, peaceful means must be utilized, and that the goal andmeans are one and the same.
Thirdly, at the time right before his death, Never Disparaging’s life
was purified by hearing the preaching of the Buddha, and this purification led to the extension of his life. This indicates a complete manifestation of the state of Buddhahood as he neared the last moments of life,and by doing so, rejuvenated his life and lived many more years. With
this extended life, he persevered to save even more people from suffering, including those who had persecuted him previously. After seeing
his enlightened state and hearing his words, they took up faith under his
direction. This caused a flowering of the Buddha nature inside the livesof those who previously harbored ill-will, transforming their life into
one of faith and good will. This is a prime example of mutual happinessresulting from the process of seeking Buddhahood for oneself and others.
The path of bodhisattva traversed by Never Disparaging lead to selfactualization, and this entailed the full manifestation of Buddhahood forA VISION OF PEACE IN THE LOTUS SUTRA

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himself and others, showing that interaction with others advance one’s
own path to the maturity of the “greater self.” There is no path of peaceor tranquility for a lone person, disconnected from society. It is only
when tranquility for all humankind is achieved that we can establish
peace for each individual person. This fits in harmoniously with the goalof human security and human development, which is the empowermentof people, aligning self-actualization with the happiness of oneself andothers through non-violent efforts.
Ikeda looks out on the landscape of the twenty-first century saying,“In this century, the 21st century, we must make the principle thatkilling is not acceptable or justified in any circumstances the fundamental ethos of humankind. Unless we can widely spread and deeply
implant among all peoples the principle that violence can never be condoned as a means of advocating one’s beliefs, humanity will havelearned nothing from the lessons of the 20th century. The real struggleof the 21st century will not be between civilizations, nor between religions. It will be the struggle between violence and nonviolence.”39
It is the task of global citizens to wage this war for non-violence, andin the concluding section, I would like to unveil the qualities of a global
citizen from the viewpoint of the Lotus Sutra.
The first quality of a global citizen is being equipped with a profoundworld-view which supports the dignity of humankind and respect forlife. The world-view of a global citizen should be one based on eternaland universal themes. To give an example from the Lotus Sutra, the Life
Span of the Thus Come One chapter contains an Eternal Buddha who is
at one with the Eternal Law. The Universal Buddha, who is a manifestation of the cosmos itself, is an Eternal Savior Buddha.
The second quality, having the Eternal Savior Buddha as a base, isholding the belief that all people can attain enlightenment as indicated in
the Expedient Means chapter. The basis for the respect for humankind
comes from the fact that all people, regardless of their, race, sex, ethnicity, culture, occupation, or social standing, are equally endowed with a
Buddha nature, and that they can manifest it if they apply themselves.
The third quality, as exemplified by the actions of Never Disparaging,is strictly adhering to a policy of non-violence. Never implementing violence as a means to achieve peace, global citizens must use wisdom andcompassion to devise non-violent means to achieve their goals. Examples of this include the use of dialog, exchange, proactive participation,
education, culture, and awareness-raising activities.
The fourth quality of a global citizen is devoting oneself for the sakeof others to alleviate their suffering and assist in the establishment of a

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lasting peace, with the awareness that this is the path to one’s own selfactualization. In the Lotus Sutra, the Bodhisattvas of the Earth, who arepracticing the bodhisattva way, were charged with the universal mission
to save humanity by the Eternal Buddha. By deeply realizing their individual missions in life, they live a life based on the vow to fulfill their
missions.
The fifth quality of a global citizen is having a multi-cultural mindset
for peaceful co-existence, as depicted in the parable of the three kinds of
medicinal herbs and two kinds of trees. The Parable of the Medicinal
Herbs chapter contains an ideal image for a society of everlasting peace
where many serve to support one and one serves to support many. This
creates an atmosphere where each individual is empowered to develop
to their full potential—in line with the concept of cherry, plum, peachand damson—allowing for the dynamic harmony of abilities that support unified co-existence in a highly cultural society.
The sixth quality of a global citizen is having a pluralistic character ofself in order to support the multi-cultural co-existence described above.
Just as the bodhisattvas of theoretical teaching are armed with an arsenalof useful capabilities, the global citizen must be able to flexibly adapt to
rapidly changing situations to be effective in serving others. For example, Bodhisattva Wonderful Sound could switch between thirty-four different body forms and Bodhisattva Perceiver of the World’s Sounds into
thirty-three forms, in accord to the particular suffering the people were
facing. The relationship of the Bodhisattvas of the Earth and the bodhisattvas of theoretical teaching illustrate the balance between a multifaceted character and an integrated self, proposing the existence of an
ideal self that harmonizes all of these characteristics into one.
The seventh quality of a global citizen is having a bodhisattva-likeself that thinks globally and acts locally. Looking at the self from thisperspective, a multi-layered aspect comes to light. Tsunesaburo
Makiguchi, the first president of the Soka Gakkai, in his book, A Geography of Human Life, talks about “multi-layered world-views”40—homeland, nation, and world. The local region in which one lives is thehomeland (or local community), and by closely examining its features, abase for understanding larger concepts of ethnicity and nation can beformed, and a deep yearning to co-exist with nature results. Makiguchi
was an ardent supporter of exploring homeland life, because doing sostrengthened the idea that no matter how expansive one’s view of theworld becomes, being grounded and affecting change in the local area ismost important.
The bodhisattva-like self is a self that dynamically integrates into one,

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the various layers of the ethnic self, the national self, and the earthlingself. This bodhisattva-like self is capable of improving one’s local community, while also taking action on higher levels in other areas as a citizen of the nation and the world.
The comprehensive underlying theme that transcends all the of thevarious aspects and qualities of a global citizen that have been discussed
up to this point, is the vow to fulfill one’s universal mission charged by
the Eternal Savior Buddha and the non-violent and compassionate
means to fulfill that goal. With global citizens actively engaging in the
aforementioned goal and means, the everlasting peace described in the
Lotus Sutra becomes a reality.
References
The Lotus Sutra, translated by Burton Watson (New York: Columbia University
Press, 1993), p. 59.
2
Ibid., p. 56.
3
Daisaku Ikeda, The High Road to A Century of Peace (Seikyo Newspaper, 25
December 2001) http://www.sgi.org/about/president/works/interviews/high_road.html(accessed on 2 September 2007)
4
Daisaku Ikeda, The Humanism of the Middle Way—Dawn of a Global Civilization(26 January 2002) http://www.sgi.org/about/president/works/proposals/peace2002.pdf(accessed on 2 September 2007)
5
Ibid.
6
Daisaku Ikeda, The Evil over which We Must Triumph, in From the Ashes: A Spiritual Response to the Attack on America, collected by the editors of Beliefnet (Rodale
Press, 2001), pp. 105–6.
7
Ibid., p. 106.
8
The Lotus Sutra, p. 31.
9
See Hiroshi Kanno, The Lotus SËtra: The Eternal Practice of Bodhisattva (Tokyo:DaizØ Shuppan, 1993).
10
The Lotus Sutra, p. 98.
11
Daisaku Ikeda, Mahayana Buddhism and Twenty-first-Century Civilization(Address at Harvard University, Cambridge, 24 September 1993), in A New Humanism:
The University Addresses of Daisaku Ikeda (Tokyo: Weatherhill, 1996), pp. 159–160.
12
Nichiren, The Record of the Orally Transmitted Teachings, translated by Burton
Watson (Tokyo: Soka Gakkai, 2004), p. 200.
13
The Lotus Sutra, p. 225.
14
Ibid., p. 225.
15
Ibid., p. 226.
16
Translated from Japanese. Josei Toda, Toda Josei Zenshu [Collected Writings ofJosei Toda] (Tokyo: Seikyo Shimbunsha, 1983), vol. 3, p. 44.
17
Ibid., p. 45.
18
Ibid., p. 48.
19
Daisaku Ikeda, et al., The Wisdom of the Lotus Sutra: A Discussion, (Santa Monica,
CA: World Tribune Press, 2000), vol. 6, pp. 8-9.
20
The Lotus Sutra, p. 213.
1

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Ibid., p 214.
Ibid., p 162.
23
The Record of the Orally Transmitted Teachings, p. 118.
24
See The Lotus Sutra, pp. 299 & 304.
25
Commission on Human Security, The Final Report of the Commission on Human
Security: Human Security Now (New York, 2003), p. 4.
26
Translated from Japanese. Fumihiko Yoshida, Ningen no anzen hoshou senryaku[The Strategy of Human Security] (Tokyo: Iwanami, 2004), p. 7.
27
The Final Report of the Commission on Human Security: Human Security Now,p. 4.
28
Ibid., pp. 10–12.
29
United Nations Development Program, Human Development Report 1994: New
dimensions of human security (New York: Oxford University Press, 1994), p. 13.
30
The Final Report of the Commission on Human Security: Human Security Now,
p. 8.
31
Translated from Japanese. M.S. Swaminathan and Daisaku Ikeda, Revolutions: togreen the environment, to grow the human heart (Tokyo: Ushio Shuppansha, 2006),
p. 148.
32
The Final Report of the Commission on Human Security: Human Security Now,p. 8.
33
Ibid., p. 8.
34
Ibid., p. 9.
35
Ibid., p. 4.
36
Nichiren, The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, trans. and ed. by the Gosho Translation Committee (Tokyo: Soka Gakkai, 1999), pp. 851–52.
37
The Lotus Sutra, pp. 266–267.
38
Mahatma Ghandi, The Doctrine of the Sword 11 August 1920 issue of Young India,
in The Collected Works of Mahatma Gandhi, (New Delhi: The Publications Division,1981), vol. XXI, p. 134.
39
Translated from Japanese. Daisaku Ikeda, Wonderful Encounters No. 32, (SeikyoNewspaper, 23 September 2001) http://www.sgi.org/about/president/works/essays/wonderful.html (accessed on 2 September 2007)40
See Tsunesaburo Makiguchi, A Geography of Human Life, ed. by Dayle Bethel(San Francisco: Caddo Gap Press, 2002).
21
22