Kōsen-rufu (広宣流布), a phrase found in the

Japanese Japanese may refer to: * Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia * Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan * Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture ** Japanese diaspor ...

translation of the

Buddhist Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and ...

scripture

Lotus Sutra The ''Lotus Sūtra'' ( zh, 妙法蓮華經; sa, सद्धर्मपुण्डरीकसूत्रम्, translit=Saddharma Puṇḍarīka Sūtram, lit=Sūtra on the White Lotus of the True Dharma, italic=) is one of the most influ ...

, is informally defined to as "world peace through individual happiness." It refers to the future widespread dissemination of the Lotus Sutra. The term derives from Lotus Sutra's 23rd chapter: "Propagate this chapter widely throughout the

Jambudvīpa Jambudvīpa ( sa, जम्बुद्वीप; Pali: Jambudīpa) is a name often used to describe the territory of Greater India in Ancient Indian sources. The term is based on the concept of '' dvīpa'', meaning "island" or "continent" ...

in the last 500-year period after my death."

Nichiren Nichiren (16 February 1222 – 13 October 1282) was a Japanese Buddhist priest and philosopher of the Kamakura period. Nichiren declared that the Lotus Sutra alone contains the highest truth of Buddhist teachings suited for the Third Age of B ...

(1222–1282), the founder of

Nichiren Buddhism Nichiren Buddhism ( ja, 日蓮仏教), also known as Hokkeshū ( ja, 法華宗, meaning ''Lotus Sect'') is a branch of Mahayana Buddhism based on the teachings of the 13th-century Japanese Buddhist priest Nichiren (1222–1282) and is one of ...

, took this statement to indicate that the Lotus Sutra is the Law to be declared and widely spread during the Latter Age. ''Kōsen'' means to "widely declare." "Widely" implies speaking out to the world, to an ever-greater number and ever-broader spectrum of people. "Declare" means to proclaim one's ideals, principles and philosophy. The ''ru'' (flow) of ''rufu'' means "a current like that of a great river," and ''fu'' (cloth) means "to spread out like a bolt of cloth." This requires an active and engaged approach of ''

shakubuku ''Shakubuku'' is a term that originates in the Chinese version of the Buddhist text, ''Śrīmālādevī Siṃhanāda Sūtra''. The term has historically been used to indicate the rebuttal of false teachings and thereby break negative patterns ...

'', propagation of the Dharma, rather than peaceful retreat or meditative solitude.

Kosen-rufu as peacemaking

Literally, kōsen-rufu means to declare and spread widely the teachings of the

Buddha Siddhartha Gautama, most commonly referred to as the Buddha, was a śramaṇa, wandering ascetic and religious teacher who lived in South Asia during the 6th or 5th century BCE and founded Buddhism. According to Buddhist tradition, he was ...

. However, the term "kosen rufu" has come to connote "world peace" based on the Lotus Sutra and Nichiren teachings. The

Soka Gakkai is a Japanese Buddhist religious movement based on the teachings of the 13th-century Japanese priest Nichiren as taught by its first three presidents Tsunesaburō Makiguchi, Jōsei Toda, and Daisaku Ikeda. It is the largest of the Japanese ...

Risshō Kōsei Kai ; until June 1960, is a Japanese new religious movement founded in 1938 by Nikkyō Niwano and Myōkō Naganuma. Risshō Kōsei Kai is organized as a lay Buddhist movement, which branched off from the older Reiyūkai, and is primarily focused a ...

, and Nipponzan-Myōhōji are Nichiren-inspired new religious movements headquartered in Japan that have incorporated peace activities into their religious practice. All three of these groups have some form of

NGO A non-governmental organization (NGO) or non-governmental organisation (see spelling differences) is an organization that generally is formed independent from government. They are typically nonprofit entities, and many of them are active in h ...

status. According to the Soka Gakkai and Nipponzan-Myōhōji, Nichiren stressed the ideal of achieving kōsen-rufu in

practice because he felt that the quests for personal enlightenment and the peace and well-being of the entire society were inseparable. Both the Soka Gakkai and Rissho Koseikai hold that peacemaking and social improvement require inner personal transformation. The Soka Gakkai labels this as "human revolution" (''ningen kakumei'') and Risso Koseikai calls it "reformation of the mind" (''kokoro no kaizō''). Both groups reason that since war, strife, and injustice are rooted in the

three poisons The three poisons (Sanskrit: ''triviṣa''; Tibetan: ''dug gsum'') or the three unwholesome roots (Sanskrit: ''akuśala-mūla''; Pāli: ''akusala-mūla''), in Buddhism, refer to the three root kleshas: '' Moha'' (delusion, confusion), ''Raga'' ...

of greed, anger, and delusion existing in the minds of individuals, the creation of lasting peace requires individual self-purification taken on by many people. From their perspective of "Buddhism is daily life," activities at home, school or the workplace become part of the Buddhist practice, opportunities for growth and are means to demonstrate the validity of the Lotus Sutra.

Soka Gakkai

The largest of the three socially engaged Nichiren groups is the

. Since the start of its postwar history it has equated its propagation efforts with a quest to contribute to peacemaking. Its members meet in local community small discussion groups called ''

zadankai Zadankai (, discussion meetings) are community-based conventicles which serve as the grassroots activity of Soka Gakkai members. They are the means for propagation and deepening faith. Soka Gakkai literature also describes them as being sites for ...

''. Member identification with the organization's goals is strengthened through activities organized around age, gender, and professional interests. In addition it is active in nuclear arms abolition, support for the United Nations, and engagement with like-minded religionists.

Risshō Kōsei Kai

The second largest of these groups is the

. It sponsors peacemaking through peace activism, ecumenical, and anti-poverty activities. In addition to its global footprint its members meet locally in "Dharma circles" (''hōza'') for problem-solving counseling based on the group's teachings. It also solidifies membership identification through activities organized by age, gender, and professional interests.

Nipponzan-Myōhōji

Nipponzan-Myōhōji, with a membership of fewer than 1500 clerics and lay members, is the smallest of the three socially engaged Nichiren movements. It was founded in 1947 by peace activist

Nichidatsu Fujii was a Japanese Buddhist monk, and founder of the Nipponzan-Myōhōji order of Buddhism. He is best known for his decision in 1947 to begin constructing Peace Pagodas in many locations around the world as shrines to world peace. Fujii was bor ...

who was deeply influenced by his personal relationship with

Mahatma Gandhi Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (; ; 2 October 1869 – 30 January 1948), popularly known as Mahatma Gandhi, was an Indian lawyer, anti-colonial nationalist Quote: "... marks Gandhi as a hybrid cosmopolitan figure who transformed ... anti- ...

. Fujii constructed a movement active in building "peace pagodas" throughout the world and leading "peace walks" in places with histories of strife. Whereas the Soka Gakkai and Risshō Kōsei Kai attempt to create change by working within the system, Nipponzan-Myohoji engages in non-violent civil protest on behalf of disarmament, human rights, social justice, and environmental protection.

References

{{reflist Nichiren Buddhism Japanese language 1222 births 1282 deaths