Propagating the Correct Teaching is the Direct Path to Peace


Therefore you must quickly reform the tenets that you hold in your heart and embrace the one true vehicle, the single good doctrine [of the Lotus Sutra]. If you do so, then the threefold world will become the Buddha land, and how could a Buddha land ever decline? The regions in the ten directions will all become treasure realms, and how could a treasure realm ever suffer harm? If you live in a country that knows no decline or diminution, in a land that suffers no harm or disruption, then your body will find peace and security, and your mind will be calm and untroubled.

(Passage from “On Establishing the Correct Teaching for the Peace of the Land”, The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, p6-32)


Background
On Establishing the Correct Teaching for the Peace of the Land is a treatise submitted by Nichiren Daishonin at the age of 39 to Hojo Tokiyori, the most influential figure in the Kamakura shogunate then, on the sixteenth day of the seventh month in 1260.

During that time, Japan was plagued by natural disasters, including violent earthquakes which took many lives. In addition, famines and epidemics swept throughout the land.


Nichiren Daishonin, who was agonising over the great suffering of the people, was prompted by the frightful earthquake of unprecedented scale in 1257 to seek an answer to the cause of these disasters in the scriptural writings of Buddhism. In an effort to clarify the cause, he went to Jisso-ji temple at Iwamoto in Suruga Province and pored over the entire collection of Buddhist scriptures in the temple library.

The Daishonin summarised the conclusion he arrived at in the form of a treatise, On Establishing the Correct Teaching for the Peace of the Land, and submitted it to Hojo Tokiyori.

Explanation
This passage aptly summarises the principles of “establishing the correct teaching for the peace of the land” (rissho ankoku). This passage can also be said to be the conclusion of the entire treatise. The statement, “Therefore you must quickly reform the tenets that you hold in your heart and embrace the one true vehicle, the single good doctrine [of the Lotus Sutra]”, corresponds to “establishing the correct teaching” (rissho) while “if you do so, then the threefold world will become the Buddha land” corresponds to “peace of the land” (ankoku).

The statement, “Therefore you must quickly reform the tenets that you hold in your heart and embrace the one true vehicle, the single good doctrine [of the Lotus Sutra]”, means that one should discard one’s belief in erroneous teachings and embrace the correct ones. This is because when the people uphold the belief in partial or erroneous teachings, their lives will be “distorted” due to the negative effects that arise from their erroneous beliefs. This will in turn give rise to negative effects in society. On the other hand, when correct teachings are established in the lives of people, they will bring forth wisdom, strength and virtues and their lives will be in peace and harmony. The lives of the people will then exert a positive influence on their surroundings that will eventually lead to the realization of a peaceful society.

The “threefold world” refers to the world of desire, the world of form and the world of formlessness. It refers to the actual world where living beings in the lower six worlds live in. In addition, “ten directions” refer to the entire universe.

The “one true vehicle, the single good doctrine” refers to the Lotus Sutra which expounds the universal teachings of the Mystic Law that will lead all living beings to happiness. By stating that by embracing the Mystic Law, the threefold world and the regions in the ten directions will become the Buddha land, the Daishonin taught that the principle of “establishing the correct teachings for the peace of the land” transcends the framework of time and national boundaries. It is the principle that will bring about the realization of global peace.

The Daishonin also said in this passage, “If you live in a country that knows no decline or diminution, in a land that suffers no harm or disruption, then your body will find peace and security, and your mind will be calm and untroubled.” This statement indicates that one can find genuine peace and security in one’s life only with the realization of peace in the society and nation.

This is because our daily lives can never exist separately from the society or surroundings. When there is instability and decline in our society, there can be no individual happiness. For this reason, Nichiren Daishonin taught that if one seeks personal security and happiness, one should first of all pray and strive for peace and order in the world.

SGI President Ikeda said in his guidance, “The Daishonin’s Buddhism is the great teaching for ‘securing peace of the land’. As the number of people who chant the Mystic Law increases, that country and society will naturally be led on a rhythm towards prosperity. There can be no greater and more lasting contribution to the people than this.” In this manner, it is essential that we propagate the Mystic Law far and wide in order to realize peace and prosperity in the world.

Footnotes:
1. The one true vehicle, the single good doctrine [of the Lotus Sutra]: In the Latter Day of the Law, it refers to Nam-myoho-renge-kyo of the Three Great Secret Laws.

2. The threefold world: The world of desire, the world of form and the world of formlessness derived from the six paths (world of hell to rapture). It refers to the actual world where we live in.

3. Treasure realms: Refers to a realm filled with benefits. It is expounded in the “Life Span of the Thus Come One”, (16th) chapter of the Lotus Sutra that the saha world in which the Buddha constantly dwell is the Land of Eternally Tranquil Light (treasure realm).