People who neglect the past and live carelessly in the present are unlikely to be respected by those around them. On the other hand, people who cherish the past while living to the fullest in the present are respected. However, there are people who are worthy of even greater respect: those who open paths to creating the future.
I believe that genuine practitioners of the Lotus Sutra—bodhisattvas—are people who open paths to the future. I’m convinced that people who, while seeking awakening themselves, guide many other people onto the Way to truth, and try to bring even a little more happiness to all whom they encounter, are the people who build the future.
I hold the former American President Jimmy Carter in high regard. During his presidency, the American people made many demands upon him, and he also faced severe criticism that his efforts to promote détente (a policy aimed at easing the Cold War between the United States and the former Soviet Union) went too far, allowing the Soviet Union to gain nuclear superiority.
Yet, Mr. Carter was a president whose belief in peace infused everything he did. A devout Christian baptized at the age of eleven, he was a man who, whenever making a crucial decision impacting the fate of the nation, would say “I seek God’s guidance regarding this decision.”
I had the honor of meeting President Carter at the White House when the Third World Assembly of Religions for Peace was held in the US at Princeton, New Jersey, in August of 1979. At that meeting, he said to us, “Your greatest task is to educate leaders. Let us pray for the success of your great work to lead the world to peace by guiding and fostering leaders in all fields, not only in the religious world, but also in the political world.”
Today, in 1992, the Cold War between the East and West has disappeared, détente has become a reality, and nuclear weapons are on their way to being abandoned. President Carter’s efforts to open a path to the future are now bearing fruit. As Rissho Kosei-kai has announced, the organization continues to support President Carter’s foundation, so all the members of Rissho Kosei-kai are contributing to his peace initiatives.
All of you are striving in your bodhisattva practice to have concern for the people close to you and to bring them happiness. It is through the efforts of individuals like you that we can slowly but surely impact politics in ways that lead to peace. I think this is the most precious way of being in the world, knowing “I am here!”
Bodai no me o okosashimu [Germinating the Seeds of Awakening] (Kosei Publishing, 2018), pp. 39–41
Nikkyo Niwano, the founder of Rissho Kosei-kai, was born in Niigata Prefecture, Japan, in 1906. A longtime advocate of cooperation and dialogue between the world’s religious faiths, Rev. Niwano promoted interreligious understanding as honorary chairman of Shinshuren (Federation of New Religious Organizations of Japan), honorary president of Religions for Peace, and in various other capacities. He is the author of several books on Buddhism, the Lotus Sutra, and spirituality, such as Buddhism for Today, Lifetime Beginner, Buddhism for Everyday Life, and more. Rev. Niwano passed away in 1999 at the age of 92.
