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.
As ordinary people living in a world of complex challenges, what can we do to create positive change and a peaceful world?
Nichiren Buddhism teaches that one person’s inner transformation can impact society. In his treatise “On Establishing the Correct Teaching for the Peace of the Land,” Nichiren Daishonin conveys that creating peace begins with our prayers for others’ happiness, our personal growth and our willingness to engage in hope-filled dialogue.
Each effort we make in this regard creates a ripple effect. When people unite with a shared commitment to respect life and encourage one another, those ripples can grow into powerful momentum for change. World peace, then, becomes not an abstract ideal but something built through compassionate action.
This July marks the anniversary of Nichiren’s submission of “On Establishing the Correct Teaching for the Peace of the Land” to Hojo Tokiyori on July 16, 1260. Troubled by widespread suffering from natural disasters, famine and epidemics, he sought the root cause of people’s misery. After studying Buddhist scriptures, he concluded that society had lost sight of the principle that all people possess inherent dignity and deserve the highest respect.
Determined to protect the people, Nichiren urged the authorities to embrace the Lotus Sutra’s life-affirming values and prevent conflict before it arose. He offered two key admonitions in his treatise:
If you care anything about your personal security, you should first of all pray for order and tranquillity throughout the four quarters of the land, should you not?[1]
• • •
You must quickly reform the tenets that you hold in your heart and embrace the one true vehicle, the single good doctrine [of the Lotus Sutra].[2]
These passages remind us that lasting peace begins with the transformation of our hearts. At times, we may feel powerless in the face of global issues. Yet Nichiren teaches that our prayers, actions, dialogue and determination matter. Ikeda Sensei says:
The goal of Nichiren Buddhism is to create peace and prosperity in society by equipping individuals—the prime movers of society and shapers of the times—with the inner requisites to triumph in all endeavors. “On Establishing the Correct Teaching for the Peace of the Land” reveals the underlying principle for achieving this. Because Buddhism regards all beings as Buddhas, it finds absolute dignity and limitless potential in each individual. These same ideals constitute the unshakable philosophical basis of democracy.
Moreover, as we bring forth our inherent Buddha nature, we develop compassion for others. “Embracing the one true vehicle, the single good doctrine [of the Lotus Sutra]” means, in one sense, abandoning all prejudiced and partial views of life and humanity and returning to a respect for the supreme dignity of life. It means doing away with egoism and living by the rule of compassion, basing ourselves on true humanism. Here we find the universal principle that provides the key to humankind’s prosperity and peace on Earth.[3]
One Person’s Commitment to Peace Is Powerful
Our efforts can inspire hope and courage in others. Nichiren cites the proverb “One is the mother of ten thousand.[4] One courageous person’s commitment to peace can encourage a second, a third and many more.
This spirit came alive in March, when 120 SGI-USA youth representatives traveled to Japan and held exchanges with Soka Gakkai members in the Chugoku region. While there, they learned about Hiroshima, the first city in history to be devastated by an atomic bomb.
Though the true toll is difficult to measure, it is said that more than 140,000 people died from that one bombing, with many others suffering from the long-term effects of radiation. Yet the people of Hiroshima refused to let tragedy define them. They rebuilt their city, transforming it into a global symbol of peace that Sensei described as representing “a universal pledge of all humanity to never engage in nuclear war again.”[5]
Through their exchanges, these SGI-USA youth deepened their vow to ensure such devastation is never repeated. They also discovered that peace is not a distant dream, but something created through the choices we make and the encouragement we offer each day.
Just as the people of Hiroshima transformed suffering into hope, we too can contribute to peace in our families, friendships and communities. By taking action where we are, we can create ripples that extend far beyond our immediate surroundings, helping shape a more peaceful world.
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