Comparison between the Lotus Sutra and other spiritual scriptures
Among different categories that can be used for comparison between various spiritual scriptures - the criteria of peace, security and equality of people - are the most important.
This would lead to a focus on how various scriptures target the following domains impacting the life of people:
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peace in society,
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reaction to disputes among people, and
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equality among various classes of society.
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Peace and Non-violence
Viewed from the Lotus Sutra’s contents, the subject of “peace among people” - is indisputably prevalent in all its teachings. There is not a single mention of any justification for the use of violence in the Lotus Sutra.
In contrast to this strong emphasis on peace and non-violence, other than Lotus spiritual scriptures, are filled with images of violence and wars.
Based on the Lotus Sutra, in his landmark writing: “On Establishing the Correct Teaching for Peace of the Land”, Nichiren states
“If you care anything about your personal security, you should first of all pray for order and tranquillity throughout the four quarters of the land, should you not?”
SGI literature promotes the same principle of correlation between “security” and “freedom of the individual” - and the “progress of human society”. Since 1983, late SGI president Daisaku Ikeda offered insight into the most challenging problems in the world we live in - in the form of Peace Proposals presented to the United Nations.
The only tool, which Buddhism sees as effective for promoting human rights is “dialogue” among the parties in conflict. There is not a single verse in the Lotus Sutra that justifies wars, or subduing other people, or justifying aggression, or occupying other people’s lands etc, verses that can be found in all Abrahamic religions books, and also in various other religious doctrines.
The Lotus Sutra defines the process of “Dialogue” in detail in Chapter 10 (Medicine King) as being an exchange “clothed in the three robes of compassion, wisdom and endurance”. Nichiren elaborates further on the “obligation of the individual” to employ dialogue with sincerity, humility and respect:
“When in public debate, although the teachings that you advocate are perfectly consistent with the truth, you should never on that account be impolite or abusive, or display a conceited attitude. Such conduct would be disgraceful. Order your thoughts, words, and actions carefully, and be prudent when you meet with others in debate”. The Teachings Practice and Proof
Reaction to disputes among people:
Neither Revenge Nor Forgiveness
The Lotus Sutra deals with the cases in which people can be threatened by those who act with the intention to harm. In civilised societies disputes are settled through applying to the secular “Law”. According to the Lotus Sutra, the secular law is one form of “the Buddhist Law of Cause and Effect” - the order - which is the general “Law of Life”. The ultimate action one can take in case of hardships is applying to the Law of Life (the Dharma).
The “Law of Life” presented in the Lotus Sutra is the Law of Cause and Effect (MyohoRengeKyo). Depending on the level of awareness of a given society, its secular law reflects a limited aspect of the Law of Cause and Effect. The secular Law applies at the present time or at current actual circumstances, while the “Law of Life” applies beyond time and space, and it includes future consequences of occurring events. Referring to “the Law” (or “the Dharma”) - is the essential message of the Lotus Sutra.
Revenge, then can only ignite a vicious cycle. Personal revenge (in order to seek a sort of “balance” to experience hurt) - is not accepted in the Buddhist system of justice. This is because the consequences of committed karmic actions are guaranteed to occur. According to Buddhism, the aggressor carries within own life - the relevant effect (or the future consequences of past action). It is only a matter of time for the consequences to manifest, awaiting relevant conditions.
Responding to aggression:
How to respond to aggressive behaviour from others - was metaphorically illustrated in Chapter 25 of the Lotus Sutra, (Perceiver of World Sounds). If one is faced with an aggressive situation, then one should call for justice through the Law of Life, which can ‘perceive people’s sufferings’ and can respond accordingly.
The Perceiver of World’s Sounds (Kannon) was depicted in a variety of manifestations as a function of the Law of Life having a genderless manifestation of Bodhisattva. If an individual is in a situation of conflict or in dispute with others, then the involved individual should ask for the intervention of the “Perceiver of Sounds” - a function, which exists in the universe implying action for justice.
The Sutra also assures that through reporting the extent of hurt one feels to the “function of justice”, one’s injury will be healed. The verses in Chapter 25 of the Sutra list many examples of possibilities of a person being attacked or hurt, and instructs one who is attacked or injured to:
“Think of the power of that Perceiver of Sounds, and the injury will rebound upon the originator.” Lotus Sutra, Chapter 25
Revenge and Forgiveness
Buddhism categorically rejects acting with intention to harm (revenge). As for “forgiveness”, Buddhism distinguishes between two categories of events: one minor and personal, the other major and general.
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If an event of hurt is minor and personal - such as someone vilifying us, or acting emotionally and inappropriately - then we should exercise flexibility and broadmindedness, and forgive such immaturity, as being a product of ‘small self’. As Nichiren mentions: “Even should the people on your side make a slight error, pretend not to see or hear it” WND1 p 839
It is wise to dissolve tension and not be affected by other’s low quality of actions.
However, the situation is dramatically different if the hurt done is of a major and general nature. For example, if someone commits a crime, we do not have the authority to “forgive”.
If an arsonist for example burns someone’s house out of jealousy or other motives, then even if the affected person may “forgive” the action of that arsonist - the police would not. Such actions (and others like murder and inflicting damage) - are not personal matters, but involve the Law of Life, and hence cannot be forgiven.
Surpassing Forgiveness: Compassion towards the offender
Because of the strict Law of Cause and Effect, the offender who created sufferings for us is destined to meet the consequences. Even if someone forgives an evil event in which we were hurt, the Law is strict, and - regardless of one’s forgiveness or its lack - the offender has created already karmic consequences that will inevitably take place in the offender’s future (unless the offender apologises and rectifies own arrogance and evil tendencies).
A Buddhist would use the experienced situation of hurt to awaken oneself to the causes that made that event happen, and would develop immunity through the process of self-development (human revolution). Many SGI members started practicing Buddhism because they were suffering. This means that a person whose behaviour led us to suffer has become for us a condition for searching for Buddhism, and inwardly - without their awareness - offenders become friends for our life. The offense we experience becomes an opportunity for us to grow.
Taking the example of Nichiren, who was aggressively persecuted and almost beheaded, he felt pity for those who opposed him, thinking of helping them out of their ignorance:
“Even in the case of [my opponents] all of whom bear me such hatred —
I admonish them because I want to help them, and their hatred for me makes me pity them all the more”. WND1 p 608
In such a perspective, it is even a higher quality (than ordinary forgiveness) that we get concerned about the fate of the offender, a fate they created for themselves. We can heal ourselves from hurt and transform our sufferings into a feeling of compassion - through the power of our faith in the Lotus Sutra (Gohonzon):
“If you are suffering, then take that suffering to the Gohonzon; if you feel sad, then take your sadness to the Gohonzon.
It is also best to chant with clear determination, having a concrete goal in mind about how you want to grow or change or what you want to accomplish. It’s also important to chant for those people whom you may not like, or find hard to deal with, or feel resentful toward.
It may be difficult and perhaps even impossible for you to do so at first. But if you challenge yourself and chant for them, the wheels of change will definitely be set into motion.
Either you will change or the other person will. Either way, you will be able to open a path leading in a positive direction. Many people have experienced this firsthand.
Most importantly, your own transformation into a person able to chant for even those you harbor negative feelings toward will become your greatest fortune”. (D. Ikeda, Thoughts on Friendship)
How to prevent serious offenses from taking place in our life?
If we are subjected to bullying, for example, or to financial deception, then forgiveness of the offender is meaningless: first, the Law of Cause and Effect will take care of the offender regardless of our opinion, and second, through forgiving serious evil we cannot prevent the same pattern of hurt from reoccurring again in our future.
To stop becoming a magnet attracting such painful tendencies of offenders, we must make a shift in our karma. There is always a reason behind what we experience:
“Buddhism teaches that nothing happens by chance. Everything has meaning”.
What we experience in reality happens because of a karmic attraction of the external conditions (that make us feel this way or another).
For example, if we do not stop others from bullying us or still allow for financial deception, etc, then we are creating a karmic susceptibility to further fall into another similar violation to our mental or financial security.
Forgiveness of offenders does not change our karma; it is rather our self-development (human revolution) that can lead us to freedom from falling into cycles of abuse.
Nichiren Buddhism enables us to change our negative karma (or tendency of falling into violations and hurt). Human Revolution leads us to transform our hardships and sufferings into personal missions. Our focus becomes strengthening our lifeforce and transforming weakness into courageous actions of wisdom and compassion, and helping others do the same.
Equality among all Human Beings
The Lotus Sutra’s fundamental teaching is the equality of all people in being capable of revealing their highest dignified state of life (Buddhnature) in their current circumstances. It abolished all categories of discrimination prevalent in society.
This supremely humanistic perspective is in sharp contrast with systems of beliefs which allowed for slavery - and which was accepted as a “normal practice” in society, with no religious commandment to ban it.
Slavery promoted by Religions of East and West
The oldest known document for specifying rules of social relations is the “Law Code of Ur”
of the Middle East (around 2000 BC). Among the various components of that law, slavery of men and women was not only accepted as a normal practice in society - but it was regulated in details by the articles of the mentioned code:
- Article 4 : about a slave marrying a slave,
- Article 5: on removing the child of a slave mother, and
- Articles 17 and 25 on reward and punishment (concerning slaves).
Another set of recorded laws (1780 BC), known as the “Code of Hammurabi” shows a similar level of social treatment and tribal relationships of that time, thousands of years ago. In essence, slavery was “justified” by the idea that a slave has a value for the owner - but does not have an inherent value or worth for him or herself.
All religious beliefs in Abrahamic religions accepted slavery of human beings as “business as usual”. Abrahamic religions did not overturn the tribal local laws allowing slavery, which were the laws of previous pagan religions - and considered slavery as an acceptable fact in people’s life. For this reason, slavery was regarded as a normal component in the construct of human society for thousands of years, fully permitted by influential religious authorities.
The situation was not better in Asian societies. In Hinduism, slavery was replaced by the ‘caste system’, based on discrimination. As for Buddhism, its early spread was limited mainly to temples with isolated monks, removed from engagement in the affairs of life of society. Early Buddhism isolated monks in their temples, and did not do much for acting for the freedom of the individual in feudal society based on injustice, discrimination and enslavement.
While monks enjoyed a peaceful environment in their retreats, the daily affairs of ordinary people living in society were that of great sufferings, living under oppression and threats from various authorities. The term ‘household person’ in 17th century China, meant simply a slave, a widely accepted reality at the time. This fact of social oppression, however, did not meet any interest from the Buddhist monks to stand against that state of social inequality, because the concern of Pre-Lotus Buddhism was on reaching nirvana and the afterlife.
The only recorded Buddhist priest, who took action and confronted the ruling authorities of his society (raising the alarm about the dangerous situation in the life of ordinary people) - was Nichiren, (1222-1282) - and whose teachings were based on the Lotus Sutra.
Nichiren even prided himself as having a ‘lowly social status’, being a “son of a chandala family” (chandala: a term referring to the lowest group in society’s class system).
As an ordinary individual, Nichiren aimed at giving the actual proof of endorsing the human right all people (to attain the highest state of enlightenment).
Abolishing Slavery by Secular Law
The first legal action to outlaw slavery was a decision of “English Court of King’s Bench” (year 1772) a decision which specified the Positive Law - or the law made by human beings - as the only reasonable ground for regarding slavery as unlawful.
In a further step, the British Parliament - a secular authority - formally abolished slavery (1833). It is obvious that condemning slavery as unlawful or inhumane could originate only from a secular law (or a law made by human beings) - not by religious authorities, which fully accepted slavery as a permissible social status.
The teachings of the Lotus Sutra, however, abolish all kinds of discrimination among people, and regards all individuals as equally-having the Buddhanature, the state leading to ultimate freedom , dignity and joy, as the Buddha declared:
“At the start, I pledged to make all people perfectly equal to me without any distinction between us”.
Chapter 2, Lotus Sutra