This study series covers Soka Spirit topics to be presented by a youth or student division member at Soka 2030 meetings on the last Sunday of each month.
Has someone ever done something harmful, leaving you to wonder how they can get away with it? Maybe they acted out of anger, selfishness or ignorance yet still appear to avoid negative consequences.
Nichiren Daishonin raised a similar question: Why do people who devote themselves to spreading the Lotus Sutra face hardships, while those who oppose or harm them do not seem to suffer immediately?
From the perspective of Nichiren Buddhism, this question relates to the law of cause and effect: Every action plants a cause in our lives, even if the result does not appear right away. But some people may not experience obvious consequences immediately because the negative causes they’re making are building up deep within their lives.
Nichiren explains: “We should note that persons who are inevitably destined to fall into hell in their next existence, even though they commit grave offenses in this life, will suffer no immediate punishment. The icchantikas are examples of this” (“The Opening of the Eyes,” The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, vol. 1, p. 279).
In this passage, “icchantikas” refers to people who do not believe in Buddhism or aspire to attain enlightenment. It also includes those who slander Buddhist teachings or profess faith outwardly while acting with selfish motives. Nichiren describes them as people of “incorrigible disbelief.” Consumed by the three poisons of greed, anger and foolishness, they continue making harmful causes without reflecting on their actions or trying to change, weakening the foundation of their own happiness.
While such people may not receive visible punishment immediately, Ikeda Sensei explains:
They are invariably racked by a fundamental fear and anxiety arising from their inability to believe in their own Buddha nature. The anxiety and fear gnaw at them, steadily destroying their lives. So even where their retribution is not immediately visible, such people are clearly already suffering inconspicuous punishment (The Opening of the Eyes: SGI President Ikeda’s Lecture Series, p. 119).
Devadatta and the Buddha’s Compassion
A prime example of an icchantika in Buddhist history is Devadatta, who tried to kill Shakyamuni Buddha and turn his followers against him.
While many sutras describe icchantikas as incapable of attaining enlightenment, the Lotus Sutra teaches that even they are not beyond hope. Every person has the potential for Buddhahood, including those trapped in the grips of greed, anger and foolishness.
Expressing his profound compassion, Shakyamuni taught that even Devadatta would attain enlightenment: “The fact that I have attained impartial and correct enlightenment and can save living beings on a broad scale is all due to Devadatta, who was a good friend” (The Lotus Sutra and Its Opening and Closing Sutras, p. 223).
The Causes We Make Now Matter Most
What can we learn from the Lotus Sutra’s view of icchantikas?
First, no one is beyond the possibility of change.
Second, our task is to keep making positive causes based on faith, wisdom, courage and compassion rather than focusing on whether others seem to escape consequences. Nichiren cites these words in “The Opening of the Eyes:”
If you want to understand the causes that existed in the past, look at the results as they are manifested in the present. And if you want to understand what results will be manifested in the future, look at the causes that exist in the present. (WND-1, 279)
Nichiren faced intense opposition because he stood up resolutely for teachings he believed could lead people to happiness. He was criticized, attacked and nearly killed, yet he was not defeated. Protection, he demonstrated, does not mean avoiding problems; it means developing the strength to face them without giving in or giving up.
What matters most are the causes we make now. By chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo and taking action based on Buddhist principles, we can transform our karma instead of being controlled by it.
Our choices, words and actions matter. Seemingly small positive causes, such as encouraging a friend, standing up for what is right or refusing to give in to negativity, help shape a better future for ourselves and others. In this way, we contribute to kosen-rufu and help build a more peaceful, respectful world by changing our own lives and helping those around us do the same.
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