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.
Across cultures, devils are seen as beings that do harm or hinder good. In Buddhist literature and art, too, they take terrifying forms.
Nichiren Buddhism, however, views devils not as external characters but as inner forces that drain vitality, weaken faith or block progress—negative potentials within human life. “Devils” and “devilish functions” refer to workings in life, sometimes in ourselves and sometimes in others, that interfere with our Buddhist practice.
The Sanskrit word for devil, mara, can mean “destroyer” or “robber of life.” We can regard devilish functions as negative tendencies like fear, doubt, self-centeredness or confusion that destroy our resolve for enlightenment and sap our life force.
The concept of the “three obstacles and four devils” describes the challenges that arise as we progress in faith.
The “three obstacles” are 1) earthly desires, 2) karma and 3) retribution. The “four devils” are:
1) The devil of the five components—hindrances arising from our physical and mental nature.
2) The devil of earthly desires—functions stemming from earthly desires, such as the three poisons of greed, anger and foolishness.
3) The devil of death—fear, doubt or despair triggered by death or great loss.
4) The devil king of the sixth heaven (also called Mara)—our foremost adversary in attaining enlightenment, representing fundamental ignorance in the depths of life and the impulses that drive domination, cruelty and destruction.
Nichiren Daishonin warns, “As practice progresses and understanding grows, the three obstacles and four devils emerge in confusing form, vying with one another to interfere.”[1]
That they “emerge in confusing form” means they’re not always obvious problems. In addition to creating doubt or fear, they can also take the form of comfort or praise, or the influence of people we respect.
In any case, we should be aware that they inevitably appear as we advance in faith.
Shakyamuni and Nichiren Faced Devilish Functions
Even great Buddhist teachers aren’t exempt.
When Shakyamuni Buddha was about to attain enlightenment, he was challenged by his fears, temptations and doubts, described as the workings of the devil king Mara. Only after overcoming these did he attain Buddhahood. And even after Shakyamuni’s awakening, Mara continued to challenge him, manifesting as his worries that his teachings would be too difficult for people to grasp.
Nichiren, too, faced relentless, sometimes life-threatening, opposition. He described these trials as the devil king’s attempts to obstruct the spread of the Mystic Law. Yet he declared: “Not once have I thought of retreat.”[2]
Both Shakyamuni and Nichiren demonstrated how to use such opposition to strengthen our resolve and state of life.
Resolve to Stand Firm and Exhaust the Devil King
So, how do we deal with these functions?
When we challenge ourselves to grow, forces that resist change naturally rise to the surface. Through chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo to the Gohonzon, we activate our fundamental enlightenment: the wisdom, courage and compassion needed to recognize and overcome these sources of resistance.
Among the figures that Nichiren depicted on the Gohonzon are various demons and devils, including the devil king of the sixth heaven. While often portrayed as frightening beings, the Lotus Sutra describes them as vowing to protect its practitioners.
Second Soka Gakkai President Josei Toda said:
When we pray to the Gohonzon, the devil king obeys the Gohonzon. The devil king will issue orders keeping the leaders of his devilish forces in check. The original enlightened potential of the devil king is manifested through the Gohonzon. Indeed, all entities depicted on the Gohonzon display their innate dignified attributes when illuminated by Nam-myoho-renge-kyo.[3]
What a radical idea: We can transform even the most negative forces to benefit us! To do this, we need determined prayer and steadfast action, as Ikeda Sensei says:
We must be determined to keep pressing forward, no matter the obstacles. … Standing firm until the power of the devil king is exhausted constitutes the first step for our future progress. We must courageously move forward, come what may.[4]
Devilish functions are part of life. But so is the power to overcome them. Based on our resolve and action, every obstacle can become a cause for our enlightenment and lasting happiness.
—Prepared by the SGI-USA Study Department
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