The Lotus Sutra and SGI President Daisaku Ikeda

He Jingsong

I

N more than 2,000 years of Buddhist development, the Lotus Sutra
due to its unique thought system and religious practice has obtained ahistorical significance, unmatched by others canons. Not only does itmark the sermon of Buddha in full maturity, but also it has determined
the fundamental direction of the great vehicle. Today, we even more
realize that it can be called a true classic of supreme Buddhism. TroughMr. Ikeda’s explanation and unique sagacity, and the great cultural
movement developed by Soka Gakkai under his leadership, the Lotus
Sutra takes on a strong, contemporary meaning and shines again withbright splendor.
Defense of the Religious Importance of the Lotus Sutra

According to the theory of Tiantai sect distinguishing “five periods andeight doctines,”1 as we already know, the Lotus Sutra is the last sermonof the Buddha in his earthly life, containing the highest Buddhist truth.
However, the claim of Tiantai sect regarding the Lotus Sutra has met
the serious challenge of exegesis. The exegesis ascertain that the writingof the Lotus Sutra is roughly around the year zero A.D.. This easily
leads us to think that this sutra was written by some believers few centuries after the entry of the Buddha to nirvana. The expression of “greatvehicle as not spoken by the Buddha” comes from there. On this matter,
Mr. Ikeda has consciously examined the historical development of Buddhism, pointing out that not long after the entry of the Buddha in nirvana, the disciples have organized a meeting to arrange the teachings ofthe Buddha. In the following two or three centuries, the Buddhist canon
has been transmitted orally, until the first century B.C. when the writings of today appeared. “It means that the small vehicle canon waspractically not formed earlier than the earliest works of the great vehicle.”2 If we advocate late formation to deny the Lotus Sutra as a sermonof the Buddha, it clearly denies the authenticity of some small vehicle
canons such as the Āgama Sutra.
It is not difficult to observe that the denial of the Lotus Sutra and47

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other great vehicle sutras arises mostly from a disagreement between
sects, resulting from the opposition between great and small vehicles.
Mr. Ikeda had conducted a study proving that between great and small
vehicles sutras exist mutual contradictions on fundamental teachings.
At the same time, he has observed an essential connection between the
two. The existing contradictions between great and small vehicles lay inthe development and the changes in the 50 years of the Buddha’s teaching. “Even though the fundamental principles he proclaimed were identical, he repeatedly reflected on how to better explain his feelings andits meanings to simple people. Without doubt, in different surroundings,
he may have wisely used different methods to teach.”3 So, he needed tothink in a concrete context about the capacity of the people to listen,
and accordingly to adjust the content of his teaching. We can imagine
that the content of his message was adjust to the spiritual progress ofthe disciples. Moreover, we still need to consider that the progressive
growth and development of the religious community would influence
the content and the style of the teaching. Mr. Ikeda thinks that “the differences in the content and style of the teaching mainly originate from
community members or secular believer groups.”4 At that time, themonks remained separated from the world. Their interest in the Buddha’s teaching mainly lay in the area of internal norms for the preservation of the community, or in some meticulous analysis and explanationsof the doctrine, put into practice inside a quite and peaceful monastery.
The first meeting in the history of Buddhism appears to be chiefly concerned about community rules. Also, the focus of interest by an earlygroup into abhidharma trend has inevitably brought a clear limitation.
But, in contrast, other disciples worried about transmitting the faith to
the whole society, and so they took the oral teaching as a basis to determine which of them are attractive to secular believers and to ordinary
people. It is the reason why many great vehicle sutras ingenuously use
the parables and other literary forms, choosing clear stories to makepeople understand. Clearly, those who have determined the great vehicle canon firmly believes that the Buddha teaching was not reserved tomonks and intellectuals, but was primarily for the masses.
Most of the people having in mind the difference between great andsmall vehicles consider that the monastic institution was an early formof Buddhism. Later on, the rising of the great vehicle movement and theidea of Bodhisattva are a reaction to early Buddhism. Mr. Ikeda in clarifying the differences between great and small vehicles and the reason
for their distinction, has put his attention on the internal relation
between the two, the Lotus Sutra playing the evident function of a

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bridge between the two. This sutra5 includes 28 chapters, whose content
can be separated in two parts, each one of 14 chapters. The first partcentered on the “Expedient Means” (Fangbian) chapter which discussed the question whether the adepts of the two vehicles can become
Buddha. The latter part centered on “The Life Span of the Thus ComeOne” (Rulaishouliang) chapter which argued whether the Buddhahood’s potentiality is already present at the beginning or formed progressively. Most of the sutras consider that in distinguishing between
two vehicles (one for the hearer, or disciple, and one for the solitary
Buddha) lays the weakness of a restrictive search for individual liberation, not wanting to be a compassionate Buddha, advocating “the suppression of body and mind,” working only to one’s own perfection.
Also, this distinction had met with fierce criticism from all the greatvehicle sutras and has been judged as never leading to Buddhahood. For·
example, the Śūrangama
Sutra views it as a “wrong device.” Also, “Thebroad and equal prayer” sutra called this distinction a dead wood unable
to give a flower, a burnt seed not to germinate again. But the Lotus
Sutra is looking also from a higher perspective. With its original creation of the principle that “the three together returned into one,” it has
conveniently unified the oppositions and mended the contradictions
between great and small vehicles. It has departed from the view of othergreat vehicle sutras, has properly classified the former Buddhist theories, and has given to those theories adequate value and status.6 As Mr.
Ikeda said, “the Lotus Sutra by exposing the vitality principle includes
those two (vehicles) in the whole universe.”7 Anyway, it “clearly
demonstrates that Buddha world and the nine other worlds are completely identical,”8 attesting that everyone can become a Buddha.
Concerning the life of the Buddha, the Lotus Sutra offered different
explanations from earlier canons. The small vehicle usually regards him
as a historical personage, its own religions founder and guide. However,
the great vehicle makes him the highest personal and powerful god.
Also it considers that it is through religious practice that he start toreach the perfect Enlightenment. On this regard, the Lotus Sutra in thechapter “The Life Span of the Thus Come One” states that those above
expressions are only but parables, a device used by the Buddha to
instruct people. The Buddha himself told his disciples: “I have alreadybecame a Buddha myriads of years ago.” As a historical figure, Shakyamuni is only “to cross over, to reach conveniently the nirvana, todestroy the illusion.” The affirmation of the Buddha’s life span as“inconceivably long” has a very important meaning. So, the idea that“the two vehicles can both lead to buddhahood” as well as the idea of

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future manifestations of Buddhas in the future had an emotional andconvincing impact on the people. On this basis, this sutra has firmly
established that the Buddhahood is the clear goal of those who practice.
The teaching that “the three vehicles return to one” implies that believers should reject the view of three vehicles. They should through the
Buddha’s wisdom unify the three vehicles into one, and should walk on
the same road leading to Buddhahood.9
From the perspective of the inclusiveness of the principle “the three
together returned into one” and of the impermanence of Buddha’s life
“eternally completed,” this sutra is clearly different from all others. It is
not exaggerated to say that it is in the entire life of Shakyamuni themost perfect logical induction. Mr. Ikeda has abundantly proved the historical and religious significance of the Lotus Sutra by an analysis of
the texts mentioned above and by the study of the Buddhist canon’s
content.10
Mr. Ikeda and the Practice of Lotus Sutra
Mr. Ikeda’s affirmation of the historical significance of the Lotus Sutra
amounts to a defense of the Buddhist wise life (huiming). We should
notice that, according to Mr. Ikeda, the defense of wise life does notstop at the historical meaning of the doctrine. But the religious principleof the Lotus Sutra is transposed into the area of practical life, giving
again a practical meaning to the teaching. At the end of the 50s and the
beginning of the 60s, Mr. Ikeda has proposed the famous notion of “thethird civilization” and proclaimed the slogan of “new socialism.” Lateron, those theories were elaborated, enriched, until the final developmentin the new concept of “Middle Way politic” (direction of the middle
path), as a spiritual basis for the social activities of Soka Gakkai.
The Middle Way politic proposed by Mr. Ikeda is rooted in the theoryof “the unification of the three truths”: Lotus Sutra advocates for itself
the philosophy of the unification of the three truths of emptiness (kong),
temporary reality (jia) and mean (zhong). More explicitly, the late Lotus
Sutra has revealed its meaning, hidden within the text, with the Holy
Nichiren: the truth of emptiness, temporary reality and mean have themiddle path as regulating principle.11 Tiantai sect by promoting the theory of “the unification of the three truths” understands that the truth of
emptiness refers to the fact that things of the world arise due to certain
conditions; they don’t have their own essence, and so are empty. The
truth of temporal reality considers that even through the things are
empty and without their own essence, still it is not a pure vacuity, andthings possess a temporary existence. The truth of mean is that taking

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into account that the things in the world are from one aspect empty, andfrom another real, it is neither empty nor real, but it is a Middle Way.
Zhiyi (or Chih-i) considers that the three truths, “though three, are one;through one, are three, without mutually conflicting,” “one idea arises,at the same time empty, real and middle.”12 That means that the emptiness and the reality of phenomena are a Middle Way, and that the Middle Way is shown in the middle of all the phenomena.
The word Middle Way in Sanskrit means originally to leave away
two sides (two extremes) and to choose the way of not having any inclination. In the chapter of The Four Truths, in the Treaty of the Middle, it
is said: “The Law arises from many conditions; I say it is empty; it isnamed real; it means Middle Way.” Mr. Ikeda has firmly grasped thespecificity of the Middle Way: “To stand on ‘the indistinctivenessbetween the material things and the spirit’ and to talk about the Middle
Way, it means not to lean on material things nor on the spirit, but thatthe material things and the spirit together possess this indistinction.”
Mr. Ikeda, while transposing the soul of Middle Way theory of the traditional Buddhist thinking into the field of contemporary social activities,
said: “The three truths of emptiness, reality and mean can conceptually
be applied to the main contemporary thoughts of idealism, materialismand existentialism. What idealism advocates is only the part corresponding to the truth of emptiness; materialism talks only about the part
corresponding to the truth of reality; but existentialism is the philosophical principle corresponding to the truth of mean.”Materialism and idealism are two main philosophical branches. For
Mr. Ikeda, the opposition between materialism and idealism is quite
similar to the opposition in the Buddhist doctrine between material
things and spirit, between the truth of emptiness and the truth of reality,reflecting only one side of the knowledge. The spirit of the unificationof the three truths principle in the Tiantai Lotus Sutra can really unify
different philosophical trends such as materialism and idealism. Mr.
Ikeda said: “Only the Middle Way of the Mystic Law can break the partiality of the two great ideologies of idealism and materialism, permanently opposing and confronting. From there, we can create a philosophy of life with a strong direction. So, the Mystic Law of the Middle
Way corrects the partiality of all the ideologies, puts them in an appropriate place, and establishes a systematic thinking; this is an absolute
truth without any mistake.” Why? “First, the sublime teaching of the
Middle Way and the Middle Way politic not only lay between the two
big forces opposing each other, but also shouldn’t advocate its own way
by choosing the positive elements from the two... The correct Middle

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Way should possess its own independently strong opinion and direction,with the great and powerful principles of contesting, suiding, unifying...
Secondly, the Middle Way’s direction shouldn’t be submitted to political party’s control and absolutely shouldn’t allow itself to be centeredon party’s policies. In all circumstances, it should put the public interestin the forefront; its practical policy should be the search for people’s
prosperity and happiness.” Concretely, Mr. Ikeda hopes that Soka
Gakkai will become a powerful third force for the whole of Japan.
Mr. Ikeda has said that the essence of the Middle Way doctrine canpractically be identified as a doctrine of man with man as an “harmonious and complete vital essence, so it can be said that the essence ofhuman life is the Middle Way. To take an example, in hot weather we
can remove clothes; in cold weather, we put on clothes. What changes
is the clothes. Man’s essence didn’t change, because the essence ofhuman life is the Middle Way.” Mr. Ikeda extends this example to capitalism and communism, drawing a parallel conclusion: one puts on
clothes, one doesn’t put clothes on. Mr. Ikeda says by the way of comparison. On a cold winter, it is needed to wear clothes; it is like communism. During a hot summer with the intensity of the heat, removing theclothes make one adapt quickly; it is capitalism. That means that, in any
cases, one can never be attached to either capitalism or communism. If
not, it means one doesn’t pay attention to the weather, to the environment and to other conditions, and fundamentally one doesn’t look at thehuman essence. So, “whether capitalism or communism, they both aim
to realize people’s happiness and bring social prosperity. The social system in final analysis is only a device to accomplish this aim.”13
We have to realize, after World War II, East and West remain in a situation of complete opposition. Mr. Ikeda firmly transposes the spirit of
the Buddhist teaching of the unification of the three truths into international politics, intending to finish the Cold War between the two socialist and capitalist camps, bringing about peace and security. This
undoubtedly bears great historical meaning and pragmatism. After thatthe world situation may warm up, especially after the deep changes in
Eastern Europe, Mr. Ikeda’s penetrating ideas may have even morevalue.
The Meaning of the Lotus Sutra in the Future of Society
For a long time, the doctrine of Middle Way has constituted the foundation of Soka Gakkai’s cultural activities for peace in the world. Until thelate 1970s, Mr. Ikeda had persistently emphasized rationale of the santiyuanrong (interpenetration of the three truths) that means the eventualTHE LOTUS SUTRA AND SGI PRESIDENT IKEDA

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reciprocal compensation between the void, the false and centrality.
According to Mr. Ikeda, the three truths exist in the following way: thetruth of void is the immanent nature of all dharmas (beings/phenomena). The nature will show itself necessarily just like a human being
speaks and a tree flowers, as any wisdom will exhibits somehow in theuniverse. The truth of the false is merely an temporary amalgamation of
the five skandhas (elements) which are some forms human beings offlowers appear in the reality. As for the truth of century, it not only comprises
Both the void and false, but represents the unchangeable life as originof all phenomenal beings. The truth of void, as some appearance of universal wisdom, symbolizes progress and vitality; the truth of false, inform of temporary amalgamation, stands for compromise that means all
dharmas (beings) ever-changing at every moment but maintaining its
temporal and special location as a particular existence. Yet, as theunchangeable life, the truth of centrality provides the fountainhead andstarting-point for both void and false. Of the three truths, none is absent
for the establishment of a perfect society. Any cultural institution for
mankind should stand upon the three principles of vitality, compromiseand starting-point. And any compromise without a starting-point is only
surrender lack of principled standards; and if it is lack of progress andvitality, the compromise runs into a stagnation; but without compromise, any progress and development in society tends to degenerate into
abnormality and imbalance.
If we further examine our modern society, it is not difficult to realizethat our modern culture has already fallen into a profound crisis. This
crisis is shown in the unilateral and accelerated development of science,technology and material civilization. But the spiritual civilization
receives relatively less attention and stays in the background. Not only
developing countries but also developed countries are facing a mountainof problems. For example, because science, technology and material
wealth are concentrated in few people’s hands, a quite important part ofthe population is still suffering from natural calamities and man madedisasters, famine and diseases, ignorance and backwardness; the rapid
economic development brings about global environment damage; thestimulation of material thirst make people fall into an extreme egocentric and profit-orientated mentality, burying humanity and morality,
lacking higher ideals, becoming short-sighted, looking for short term
results. Money and enjoyment become the only happiness. As we cansee, the problem facing humanity in the 21st century is how to solve
this spiritual crisis.

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In fact, the fundamental origin of this crisis is that our humanity
totally turns the back to the teachings of “the indistinctiveness of thematerial things and the spirit” and to “the unification of the three principles.” So the serious crisis of modern culture, as Mr. Ikeda said, is notgoing to be solved by the development of science, technology, material
civilization, improves legal institution, neither by the support of different social institutions. Even though science and technology are themoving force behind progress in modern society, science and technology have to be handled by men. So the fundamental element of productivity lies in man and not in things. The different institutions, including
social ones, are to serve man. The material civilization can only solve
the material basis for man’s survival and existence. Man has still a higher spiritual quest. If a society has only a developed material civilization
without higher spiritual civilization, the development of this society is
not healthy, but abnormal and sick. The serious problems of the modern
society are manifested at the spiritual level. Mr. Ikeda intends to solve
the different problems from the perspective of man. On this regard, he
has also proposed an authentic practical route, that is “to make a revolution inside the individual,” so as “to change the fate of one country, up
to the point of changing the fate of the whole humanity.”
On multiple aspects of practical problem, we understand more theimportant meaning of the fundamental spirit of Buddhism that Mr.
Ikeda has drawn from Lotus Sutra. At the same time, the Soka Gakkai
under the leadership of Mr. Ikeda, based on the spirit of Lotus Sutra,
has provided a field where this great cultural movement can be developed.
Finally, I would like to express my best wish for Soka Gakkai: May it
always maintain its sublime character that any good-lotus possesses as
not taking root without mud and keeping uncontaminated in spite ofgrowing in mud.
Notes
1

Tiantai sect distinguishes in the life on Buddha five periods of preaching: the“Flower Garland” period when, after reaching Enlightenment under the pipal tree, hespoke about the great vehicle as the superior door in the “Flower Garland Sutra”; theperiod of the Āgama Sutra when during 12 years he taught to simple people the Āgama
Sutras; the period of the introductory Mahāyāna when during eight years he taught at
the request of advanced people the Vimalakı̄rti Sutra, the Golden Light Sutra, the.
Lankāvatara Sutra and other great vehicle truths; the period of the Prajñā (or Wisdom)
while during 22 years he transmitted the principle that all the dharmas are empty; the“Nirvana and Lotus” period when during eight years he proclaimed the fundamental
feeling of leaving the world, in the Lotus Sutra and the Nirvana Sutra.

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2
Daisaku Ikeda, One thousand Years of Buddhism (Chinese edition), TianJin University Press, p. 84
3idem, p. 85
4idem, p. 87
5as translated by Kumārajı̄va in the Miaofa lienhua Sutra
6
He Jingsong, The Correct Sermon Looking as a White Lotus, Taiwan: Ruwen
Press, p. 72–73
7
One thousand Years of Buddhism, p. 90
8idem, p. 90
9The Correct Sermon Looking as a White Lotus, p. 75–76
10Mr. Ikeda has remarked: “As we can see, the small vehicle’s Āgama Sutra andother great vehicle canons are the assembly of the different theories before Shakyamuni
revealed his true spirit at last in the Lotus Sutra... They represent some aspects of his
illumination, and so enclose some truths. But each one separately is limited to one partof the ‘perfect teaching’ achieved in the Lotus Sutra.” Mr. Ikeda also noticed: “IfShakyamuni had not taught the Lotus Sutra, he would not have spoken the most complete form of the Law, nor would have completed the mission for which he has come tothis world.” One thousand Years of Buddhism, p. 95
11
Seikyo Sinbun, Tokyo: Seikyo shinbunsha, November 14, 1966
12
Zhiyi, Mohe zhiguan, volume 2
13
Mr. Ikeda’s speech at the 31st general meeting, 1959. Quoted from Yang Zhongbang, On Ikeda Daisaku, 14th edition, Tokyo: Taikosha, 1969, p. 228–229.