UNDERSTANDING "THE MUTUAL POSSESSION OF THE TEN WORLDS"

UNDERSTANDING "THE MUTUAL POSSESSION OF THE TEN WORLDS"

  

“Establishing the world of Buddhahood as our basic life tendency is what it means to 'attain Buddhahood.' Of course, even with the world of Buddhahood as our basic life tendency, we won’t be free of problems or suffering, because we will still possess the other nine worlds. But the foundation of our lives will become one of hope, and we will increasingly experience a condition of security and joy.

  

"My mentor, second Soka... Gakkai president Josei Toda, once explained this as follows:

  

"’Even if you fall ill, simply have the attitude, 'I’m all right. I know that if I chant to the Gohonzon, I will get well.’ Isn’t the world of Buddhahood a state of life in which we can live with total peace of mind? That said, however, given that the nine worlds are inherent in the world of Buddhahood, we might still occasionally become angry or have to deal with problems. Therefore, enjoying total peace of mind doesn’t mean that we have to renounce anger or some such thing. When something worrying happens, it’s only natural to be worried. But in the innermost depths of our lives, we will have a profound sense of security. This is what it means to be a Buddha. . . .’

  

"Our daily practice of gongyo—reciting portions of the Lotus Sutra and chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo—is a solemn ceremony in which our lives become one with the life of the Buddha. By applying ourselves steadfastly and persistently to this practice for manifesting our inherent Buddhahood, we firmly establish the world of Buddhahood in our lives so that it is solid and unshakable like the earth. On this foundation, this solid stage, we can freely enact at each moment the drama of the nine worlds.”

  

President Ikeda

Excerpt from The Wisdom for Creating Happiness and Peace, Part 1: Happiness, 2.2 Buddhahood Is the Sun within Us