Buddhism is the “body”; it is the basis of everything. When Buddhism is in disarray or its teachings are lost, society falls into a state of confusion. Unless there is a philosophy in place that supports society on a fundamental level, the world will lose its foundation. As a result, society will descend into the path of Animality ruled by the law of the jungle, into the path of Anger bound by ceaseless conflict, and into the path of Hunger swirling with discontent. Ultimately, it will plunge into the realm of the endless suffering of Hell. That is why “establishing the correct teaching” is of utmost importance. Once that is in place, “the peace of the land” will be realized without fail.
This guidance is an abstract from 'The World of Nichiren Daishonin Writings' with universal value and application
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Those who embrace this philosophy and dedicate their lives to putting it into practice are equal to the Buddha in their spirit and way of life. Their dwelling, wherever it may be, is a Buddha land. From this we see that the Law of Buddhism is the fundamental underpinning of people’s lives. The essence of “establishing the correct teaching” lies in believing in the fundamental good that is the Lotus Sutra and in each individual establishing peace in his or her heart. Only when a society that functions in accord with the fundamental good is firmly secured will a truly peaceful society be actualized. This does not mean, however, that every person in a given society must be united by faith in the Lotus Sutra. What matters is that the spirit of the great philosophy of peace expounded in the Lotus Sutra, with its teaching that all people are Buddhas, be given full play in society as a whole. On a societal level, “establishing the correct teaching” means establishing the concepts of human dignity and the sanctity of life as principles that support and move society. The Daishonin says that when we win over the fundamental evil of slander of the Law and transform the beliefs that we hold in our hearts, then the threefold world—the actual world in which we live—becomes a pure Buddha land, an indestructible treasure realm. He also says that the teaching in which we should believe is the “single good doctrine.” “Doctrine” means a true teaching and refers namely to the Lotus Sutra. “Single good” means fundamental good. The Lotus Sutra teaches that all people can manifest the Buddha nature, and that it is the duty of those who uphold the sutra to take action to enable others to attain Buddhahood as well. This is the wisdom and way of life of the Buddha. This philosophy and practice of the Buddha is precisely what is meant by fundamental good. In the same vein, the Daishonin’s teaching of the Three Great Secret Laws is none other than the practice of fundamental good for the Latter Day of the Law. The Daishonin’s life was to a large extent centered around this treatise [“establishing the correct teaching for the peace of the land”]. That is to say, actualizing the principle of “establishing the correct teaching for the peace of the land” was the fundamental objective of his propagation efforts. |
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