|
|
Desires and Enlightenment
|
People encountering Nichiren Buddhism for the first time are often
surprised by the stance taken toward desire which seems to contradict
prevailing images of Buddhism. For many, Buddhism is associated with
asceticism, and indeed there are many schools and traditions which stress
the need to eliminate desire and sever all attachments.
Needless to say, a life controlled by desires is miserable. In Buddhist
scriptures, such a way of life is symbolized by "hungry demons" with giant
heads and huge mouths, but narrow, constricted throats that make real
satisfaction unattainable. The deliberate horror of these images grew from
Shakyamuni Buddha's sense of the need to shock people from their attachment
to things--including our physical existence--that will eventually change and
be lost to us. Real happiness does not lie here, he sought to tell them.
The deeply ingrained tendencies of attachments and desire (in Japanese bonno) are often referred to by the English translation "earthly desires."
However, since they also include hatred, arrogance, distrust and fear, the
translation "deluded impulses" may in some cases be more appropriate.
But can such desires and attachments really be eliminated? Attachments are,
after all, natural human feelings, and desires are a vital and necessary
aspect of life. The desire, for example, to protect oneself and one's loved
ones has been the inspiration for a wide range of advances-from the
creation of supportive social groupings to the development of housing and
heating. Likewise, the desire to understand humanity's place in the cosmos
has driven the development of philosophy, literature and religious thought.
Desires are integral to who we are and who we seek to become.
In this sense, the elimination of all desire is neither possible nor, in
fact, desirable. Were we to completely rid ourselves of desire, we would
end up undermining our individual and collective will to live.
The teachings of Nichiren thus stress the transformation, rather than the
elimination, of desire. Desires and attachments are seen as fueling the
quest for enlightenment. As he is recorded as teaching: "Now Nichiren and
others who chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo . . . burn the firewood of earthly
desires and behold the fire of enlightened wisdom. . . ."
In the same vein, the Universal Worthy Sutra states: "Even without
extinguishing their earthly desires or denying the five desires, they can
purify all of their senses and eradicate all of their misdeeds."
Nichiren's approach has the effect of popularizing, humanizing and
democratizing Buddhism. In other words, by making the aspirations, dreams
and frustrations of daily life the "fuel" for the process of enlightenment,
Nichiren opens the path of Buddhist practice to those who had traditionally
been excluded by the demands of a meditative withdrawal from the world,
those, for example, who wish to continue playing an active role in the
world.
It is thus not a coincidence that this attitude toward desires should be
central to the Mahayana tradition of Buddhism, with its emphasis on the
role of lay practitioners. For people living in the midst of ever-changing,
stressful realities, those challenges are a far more effective spur to
committed Buddhist practice than an abstract goal of "enlightenment"
through severing of all desires and attachments.
Overcoming problems, realizing long-cherished goals and dreams--this is the
stuff of daily life from which we derive our sense of accomplishment and
happiness. SGI President Ikeda has emphasized the importance not of
severing our attachments, but of understanding and, ultimately, using them.
Often the faith experiences of SGI members describe events and changes that
seem at first glance to be focused on the external, material side of life.
But such "benefits" are only part of the story. Buddhism divides the
benefits of practice into the "conspicuous" and the "inconspicuous." The
new job, the conquest of illness, the successful marriage and so on are not
separate from a deep, often painstaking process of self-reflection and
inner-driven transformation. And the degree of motivation generated by
desires can lend an intensity to our practice which ultimately reaps
spiritual rewards. Bonno soku bodai--literally, "Earthly desires are
enlightenment"--is a key tenet of Nichiren Buddhism. Through our Buddhist
practice, even the most mundane, deluded impulse can be transformed into
something broader and more noble, and our desires quite naturally develop
from self-focused ones to broader ones concerning our families, friends,
communities and, ultimately, the whole world.
In this way, the nature of desire is steadily transformed--from material and
physical desires to the more spiritually oriented desire to live the most
fulfilling kind of life.
As SGI President Ikeda says: "I believe in the existence of another kind of
human desire: I call it the basic desire, and I believe that it is the
force that actively propels all other human desires in the direction of
creativity. It is the source of all impelling energy inherent in life; it
is also the longing to unite one's life with the life of the universe and
to draw vital energy from the universe."
|
