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.
A simple yet powerful starting point in Nichiren Buddhism is our belief that every person possesses inherent goodness—what we call our Buddha nature. Still, it can be easy to forget this amid the complexities of daily life, especially if we feel judged, excluded, misunderstood or unsure of ourselves.
Our Buddha nature, also called fundamental enlightenment, expresses itself as belief in and deep respect for the preciousness and dignity of our own and other’s lives.
But we also have fundamental ignorance, a tendency toward disbelief in our Buddha nature. This ignorance lies behind common unhelpful habits, such as comparing ourselves to others, assuming the worst, shutting people out or feeling we don’t belong.
Our fundamental ignorance is always at odds with our Buddha nature, while our Buddha nature works to dispel that ignorance. Ikeda Sensei describes this push and pull as a “colossal struggle” between construction and destruction, harmony and chaos, compassion and hate, hope and despair.[1]
The good news is: When we choose to ground our lives in the Mystic Law, we learn how to bring forth our Buddha nature to win this battle. Even when things are confusing or difficult, through Buddhist practice, we can keep moving toward lasting happiness.
Evil Divides, Good Unites
A simple way to recognize our negative tendencies is this:
• Negative, or “devilish,” functions seek to separate and divide.
• Goodness creates harmony and brings people together.
Daily life, however, isn’t always so clear-cut. We might unintentionally hurt someone, misread a situation or react from insecurity. What matters most isn’t being perfect but continuing to move in a positive direction. Sensei explains:
“Goodness” can be defined as that which moves us in the direction of harmonious coexistence, empathy and solidarity with others. The nature of evil, on the other hand, is to divide: people from people, humanity from the rest of nature. The pathology of divisiveness drives people to an unreasoning attachment to difference and blinds them to human commonalities. …
The struggle to rise above such egoism and live in larger and more contributive realms of selfhood constitutes the core of the bodhisattva’s practice.[2]
It’s natural that we don’t always like or get along with everyone. “In such cases,” Sensei says, “we should chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo earnestly and strive to expand our life state.”[3] As our life state expands, we develop the ability to embrace even more people.
This doesn’t mean ignoring or suppressing how we feel.
As we chant, we start to notice our “unreasoning attachment to difference”—like our harsh judgments, deep-seated self-doubt or trauma—that prevents us from seeing what we have in common with others. As our hearts expand, we’re less likely to react from a place of negativity and more able to appreciate people for their unique qualities and contributions.
Many in Body, One in Mind
The Buddhist ideal of “many in body, one in mind” teaches that differences are natural and valuable. We don’t need to think alike, dress alike or live similar lives. But when we unite, “one in mind,” with the shared spirit to respect all life and work to create peace in our communities, we can tap into a strength that’s far greater than anything we could achieve alone.
Poet and activist Maya Angelou captured this beautifully, saying, “In diversity there is beauty and there is strength.”[4] Sensei also explains:
If everyone can break free from petty, egoistic attachments to personal prestige, or the ambitions for fame and profit, and base themselves on their great vow for kosen-rufu, the strongest unity will result. Then each individual will be able to demonstrate his or her greatest potential. A single drop of water can’t bore a hole in even a single leaf, but if countless drops of water are combined into a great ocean, they can form mighty breakers and penetrate even giant boulders.[5]
By repeatedly choosing unity over division, we can overcome the impulses that try to pull us apart. We can find vitality in working toward a shared purpose grounded in dignity and respect for all life. Through chanting and sharing our Buddhist practice, feelings of doubt, anger or isolation can be starting points for deeper connections, courage and hope for everyone.
February 13, 2026 World Tribune, p. 9
References
- See The Wisdom for Creating Happiness and Peace, part 2, revised edition, p. 179. ↩︎
- My Dear Friends in America, fourth edition, pp. 452–53. ↩︎
- The New Human Revolution, vol. 25, p. 28. ↩︎
- Maya Angelou, Rainbow in the Cloud: The Wisdom and Spirit of Maya Angelou (New York: Random House, 2014), p. 6. ↩︎
- NHR-25, 352. ↩︎
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