The Buddhism of the People

The SGI-USA this year has been studying “The Opening of the Eyes” via the study magazine Living Buddhism and monthly region-level study lectures. Harada said he chose to lecture on this writing to support the SGI-USA’s study focus.

In lieu of summarizing the lectures, this article will focus on key points shared throughout the weekend.

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Faith that shines with indestructible brilliance.

Nichiren Daishonin completed “The Opening of the Eyes” in February 1272, while still in exile on Sado Island. He entrusted the two-part work to Shijo Kingo, one of his leading disciples, while addressing it to all his disciples.

In this writing, Nichiren reveals his identity as the Buddha of the Latter Day of the Law who possesses the three virtues of sovereign, teacher and parent capable of leading all people to enlightenment.

Regarding the three virtues, Harada said that, while many other religions have an awakened spiritual figure whose mission is to save ordinary people, the genuine Buddhist view stands in stark contrast with this perspective.

“Buddhism views ordinary people as inherently remarkable, and its goal is to elevate the people to the same life condition as the Buddha,” he said. “This makes the people the main players. The Buddha exists to serve the people. This is the view of the Buddhism of the People.”

In addition to “The Opening of the Eyes” (completed in February 1272), “The Object of Devotion for Observing the Mind” (April 1273) is considered a foundational writing of Nichiren Buddhism.

In the former work, Nichiren explains the object of devotion in terms of the Person; in the latter, he describes it in terms of the Law.

What led to his exile? On Sept. 12, 1271, Nichiren faced the Tatsunokuchi Persecution, an attempt by governmental authorities, in collusion with scheming priests, to execute him.

When their attempt failed, they instead sentenced Nichiren to exile on Sado Island, which was tantamount to a death sentence.

He explains in “The Actions of the Votary of the Lotus Sutra” the intent behind writing “The Opening of the Eyes,” which he began composing shortly after arriving to Sado:

I wanted to record the wonder of Nichiren, in case I should be beheaded. The essential message in this work is that the destiny of Japan depends solely upon Nichiren. A house without pillars collapses, and a person without a soul is dead. Nichiren is the soul of the people of this country.^[3]

The “wonder of Nichiren” refers to the Tatsunokuchi Persecution where he “cast off the transient and revealed the true,” meaning that, while remaining an ordinary person, he brought forth his original identity as a Buddha exuding limitless compassion and wisdom.

And to provide a clear model for all people in future ages to do the same, he inscribed his enlightened life state in the form of the Gohonzon.

Having steadfast faith at the crucial moment.

Whether we attain Buddhahood hinges on the strength of our faith—Nichiren sought to underscore this point when he declared in “The Opening of the Eyes”:

Although I and my disciples may encounter various difficulties, if we do not harbor doubts in our hearts, we will as a matter of course attain Buddhahood. Do not have doubts simply because heaven does not lend you protection. Do not be discouraged because you do not enjoy an easy and secure existence in this life. This is what I have taught my disciples morning and evening, and yet they begin to harbor doubts and abandon their faith.
Foolish men are likely to forget the promises they have made when the crucial moment comes.^[4]

In this passage, cherished by SGI members around the world, Nichiren begins with the phrase “Although I and my disciples,” which seems to echo the same spirit as another writing, in which he states, “My disciples, form your ranks.”^[5]

Harada said that rather than a one-way call to his disciples, Nichiren expresses his great conviction that when we uphold faith that is united fully with Nichiren, “we will as a matter of course attain Buddhahood.”

 ‘Any time we face hardships is a crucial moment.’

The underlying spirit of this passage can be found in the phrase “if we do not harbor doubts in our hearts,” meaning to persevere in faith come what may.

Sensei explains:

Putting the spirit of this passage into action is the eternal lifeline of the SGI. If we keep advancing with these words as our point of reference, our faith will shine with indestructible brilliance.
Based on the spirit of this passage, any time we face hardships is a crucial moment. It is, therefore, essential that we have the dauntless faith to enable us to fight back bravely at such times—for instance, when the three obstacles and four devils strike, when we are challenging ourselves to change our karma or when we are engaged in a win-or-lose struggle for kosen-rufu. We should realize that every day we can learn this spirit of faith from Nichiren’s example. We must never be foolish people who cave in at a crucial moment.^[6]

Harada said that the strength and power of Soka Gakkai members is that, when they face trials or struggles, they recognize that “now is the crucial moment,” double down on their faith, face each obstacle head-on and overcome it.

“I believe that those who ‘open their eyes’ to Nichiren as the sovereign, teacher and parent of the Latter Day and the Buddha of the Latter Day also are able to ‘open their eyes’ to their own mission to fight together with Nichiren to spread the Law,” he said.

“For us today, these are the people who are engaged in the bold struggle to help as many people as possible form connections with Buddhism.”

What it means to ‘cast off the transient and reveal the true.’

In a Q&A session that followed, a participant asked whether Harada could share his own experience of “casting off the transient and revealing the true.”

He said while we understand how Nichiren cast off the transient and revealed the true during the Tatsunokuchi Persecution, the three founding presidents, Tsunesaburo Makiguchi, Josei Toda and Ikeda Sensei, clarified and demonstrated what it looks like for both the Soka Gakkai and the members themselves to do the same.

“President Makiguchi explained that it means that each person who practices Nichiren Buddhism transforms from a mere believer into a practitioner,” Harada said. “It means that you don’t simply practice Nichiren Buddhism but you become a protagonist who spreads the Mystic Law.”

When Josei Toda, at his inauguration as second Soka Gakkai president on May 3, 1951, famously declared his determination to spread Nichiren Buddhism to 750,000 households in Japan, it marked the moment when the Soka Gakkai cast off the transient and revealed the true.

And when, on May 3, 1960, Sensei became the third president and immediately engaged in efforts to open the way for worldwide kosen-rufu, the Soka Gakkai further cast off the transient and revealed the true.

Harada then shared his own experience as a youth helping his friend embrace faith. “Because all of you are challenging yourselves to do shakubuku, that has inspired me to do more shakubuku,” he said. “I’d like to declare with all of you that we are engaged in the effort right now to cast off the transient and reveal the true.”

Establishing a towering state of happiness through the practice of shakubuku.

After Nichiren declares,  “Although I and my disciples may encounter various difficulties, if we do not harbor doubts in our hearts, we will as a matter of course attain Buddhahood” (The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, vol. 1, p. 283), he discusses shakubuku, which can be considered the final theme of “The Opening of the Eyes.”

When he fearlessly refuted the doctrines of the Nembutsu and Zen schools of his day in Japan as distortions of Buddhism that led people into suffering, he faced fierce criticism. Leaders of other schools accused him of harboring a “contentious mind” and even claimed he himself would fall into the realm of asuras.

They pointed to the “Peaceful Practices” chapter of the Lotus Sutra—where it states, “He should not delight in speaking of the faults of other people or scriptures” (The Lotus Sutra and Its Opening and Closing Sutras, p. 240)—to argue that Nichiren was contradicting the very teaching he upheld.

Sensei explains that far from being contentious, Nichiren spoke forcefully out of his compassion to help people win in their daily struggles. He writes:

Genuine Buddhism does not promote a utopia existing in some imaginary realm. On the contrary, it is a philosophy that seeks to enable us to transform reality and live an ideal life right here in this troubled saha world. It seeks to empower us, to help us develop the spiritual strength and inner fortitude with which to overcome all storms as we struggle amid the reality of our daily lives.
The essence of Buddhism, in a sense, is not to seek the placid existence of a still pond but to establish a towering state of happiness that not even the stormiest seas can destroy. Though we might wish for a humble happiness where nothing untoward ever occurs, it is impossible to avoid being buffeted by life’s winds and waves when storms howl. Indeed, it is only by bringing forth our inherent strength to make our way dauntlessly through the maelstrom of fundamental darkness and karma that we can secure true happiness. In that respect, happiness is found only amid struggle.
Building genuine happiness for oneself and others necessarily entails battling erroneous thinking and mistaken beliefs that lead people to misery. This is what the practice of shakubuku is all about.^[7]

Harada noted that, while SGI members often use words such as “fight” and “battle,” it refers to our “fight” against our own karma, our “battle” with the devil of illness and hardships, and the “battle” of shakubuku, which entails reaching out to and praying for the happiness of others.

“In other words, when we speak of ‘fighting,’ it does not mean engaging in conflict with others,” he said. “Rather, it is a battle with ourselves.”

Shakubuku is rooted in the spirit of compassion.

In concluding “The Opening of the Eyes” with the theme of shakubuku, the Daishonin stresses that the spirit of shakubuku is not contentious or competitive but rather based on the spirit of compassion.

Nichiren writes:

When the country is full of evil people without wisdom, then shoju is the primary method to be applied, as described in the “Peaceful Practices” chapter. But at a time when there are many people of perverse views who slander the Law, then shakubuku should come first, as described in the “Never Disparaging” chapter. It is like using cold water to cool yourself in the hot weather, or longing for a fire when the weather turns cold. Grass and trees are kindred to the sun—they suffer in the cold moonlight. Bodies of water are followers of the moon—they lose their true nature when the hot weather comes.
In the Latter Day of the Law, however, both shoju and shakubuku are to be used. This is because there are two kinds of countries, the country that is passively evil, and the kind that actively seeks to destroy the Law. We must consider carefully to which category Japan at the present time belongs.^[8]

In Buddhism, “shakubuku” involves refuting erroneous beliefs held by individuals, while “shoju” means embracing and guiding them. While keeping this original meaning in mind, Nichiren clearly states that shakubuku is the act of spreading the correct teaching with the resolve to face hardships. It is an act of compassion that ultimately leads people to happiness, even if they reject and oppose it.

Nichiren concludes that the choice between the two is determined by the time. In the Latter Day of the Law, an age of quarrels and disputes, when the Buddha’s teachings are on the verge of perishing, shakubuku is the method to be used.

Citing Nichiren’s example of cold water being useful in the hot weather or a fire being appreciated when the weather turns cold, Harada said, “both shoju and shakubuku bring benefit only when applied appropriately according to the time.”

Shakubuku, he said, is the practice of continuing to sincerely speak the truth, while respecting others, in the same manner as Bodhisattva Never Disparaging.

Sensei writes:

First, as the major premise, all efforts to teach people about Nam-myoho-renge-kyo in the Latter Day constitute shakubuku. Basing ourselves on the spirit of shakubuku to teach others about the Mystic Law without selfish concern, at times we might strictly refute a person’s mistaken views, while at other times we might explain the truth with a broad-minded spirit of tolerance for the other person’s beliefs. 
It is important to have the wisdom to use each of them correctly. As we discussed in connection with “The Teacher of the Law” chapter, shakubuku in essence means to declare the truth. All our efforts to explain Buddhism with a sincere and earnest desire to help others become happy are shakubuku.^[9]

In this way, SGI members around the world, directly connected to the Daishonin, uphold the spirit of shakubuku as an expression of compassion. “Our actual propagation efforts place great importance on dialogue that is based on the Buddhist spirit of tolerance—respecting others’ positions and beliefs while bringing forth wisdom to engage in dialogue grounded in empathy and understanding,” Harada said.

“This is not necessarily an action aimed solely at getting the other person to join; rather, it is a practice of seeking happiness for both oneself and others, and inspiring each other to elevate their lives.”

Sensei elaborates:

To conduct shakubuku is to carry out the Buddha’s practice of compassion—to remove suffering and impart joy. Above all, shakubuku is founded on a profound and embracing respect for all people. Consequently, our efforts in this sphere will not be successful unless we have deep respect for those we seek to guide toward the correct teaching, as all of us who have earnestly undertaken this challenge keenly recognize.
In view of this, shakubuku is definitely not motivated by “a contentious heart” or other aggressive, negative emotions. Because of this, it is not in any way exclusivist or self-righteous. The heart of shakubuku is compassion; it is also the spirit to refute error because of the suffering it causes—a spirit that transforms our compassion into the courage to fight against that which is wrong.^[10]

—Prepared by the World Tribune staff

Impressions

‘It Starts With Me. It Starts From Now.’

Mira Gandy
Los Angeles Northwest Region Women’s Leader

My question coming here was about how to encourage longtime members who have doubts about their Buddhist practice, or don’t feel like they can transform their situation. Harada shared two things—when visiting members, to help them deepen the oneness of mentor and disciple in their lives and to emphasize the importance of Buddhist study. When I go on these visits, I’ll start by asking them to share their own experiences with Ikeda Sensei.

Harada also shared his own prime point with Sensei, and this is what I’m returning with: “It starts with me. It starts from now.”

The Ultimate Form of Compassion

Jesse Thompson
Mideast Zone Young Men’s Leader

I like what Harada said about shakubuku being the ultimate form of compassion. I think it means just to lead with compassion. During a Q&A he held with the youth, we asked him how to do shakubuku. He shared the answer his young men’s leader gave him: “The key to shakubuku is to continue challenging shakubuku.” It’s important to just really go for it, to just draw from your life the compassion to connect life to life with another person. Just share from your heart.

September 5, 2025 World Tribune, pp. 6–8