In the “Parable of the Conjured City” chapter of the Lotus Sutra it says, “The Buddha Way is long and far,” but looking at your devotion to practice, I have the feeling that it might not be such a long journey after all. This is because a great many of you have nearly reached the level of a bodhisattva who puts the liberation of others before their own happiness, and a lot of you are about one step away from becoming buddhas!
For this reason, it is important for each and every one of us to interact with people in true sincerity as children of the Buddha, to always be mindful of the happiness of others, and to be devoted to bodhisattva practice. When we eliminate the suffering of others, bring them joy, and guide them to the Way of true happiness, we move closer to becoming buddhas with every step.
In the “Skillful Means” chapter of the Lotus Sutra, the Buddha emphatically teaches us that “Of those who hear the Dharma, / None will fail to become a buddha.” That is to say, everyone who hears this teaching can become a buddha, without exception. This is because we were born to become buddhas, and that’s why we are now following the Way to become buddhas.
The Buddha’s aspiration is that we all become buddhas, but for our part, we human beings vow to acquire the wisdom and compassion of a buddha. When the Buddha’s vow and our vows match perfectly, then without a doubt, the promise that not a single person will fail to become a buddha is fulfilled.
I may sound repetitive, but it is the Buddha’s original vow that everyone, without the omission of one single person, becomes a buddha. I, too, wish only that all of you devote yourselves to bodhisattva practice in order to travel straight ahead on the Way to becoming a buddha.
Bodai no me o okosashimu [Germinating the Seeds of Awakening] (Kosei Publishing, 2018), pp. 28–29
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.
