THE GREAT VOW

THE GREAT VOW

This Great Vow is the vow to pledge one’s life for kosen-rufu.

The Daishonin stated that when his disciples make the Great Vow for kosen-rufu, they will without fail be able “to enter an eternal and unsurpassed way of being” (The Hope-filled Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, 148). In other words, they will experience the state of Buddhahood—a state that will be theirs to enjoy and experience for eternity, i.e., one can experience the state of Buddhahood moment after moment.

On the occasion of the opening of the Hall of the Great Vow for Kosen-rufu, which heralded the New Era of Worldwide Kosen-rufu, Ikeda Sensei gave us a clear guideline:

The heart of the great vow for kosen-rufu and the life state of Buddhahood are one and the same. Therefore, when we dedicate our lives to this vow, we can bring forth the supreme nobility, strength and greatness of our lives…. When we wholeheartedly strive to realize this vow, the “poison” of even the most difficult challenge can be transformed into “medicine” and karma transformed into mission. (VC, Jan 2014, 30)

Thus, every time doubt creeps in, uncertainty engulfs, worry overwhelms, we need to go back to this litmus test of whether our vow for kosen-rufu is intact. And every time we re-confirm this vow, we further deepen our roots and establish the world of Buddhahood within us. One will experience a surge of joy that enables one to look at one’s problems “as dust before the wind” and fills one with the determination to prove the greatness of the Mystic Law. These very moments of challenge thus become profound opportunities to establish one’s reputation as the votary of the Lotus Sutra.

Source: Value Creation, Aug 2016