(Translation of Buddhism in Daily Life, SGI Quarterly No. 11, January 1998)
A bodhisattva is literally a living being (sattva) who aspires to enlightenment (bodhi) and carries out altruistic practices. The bodhisattva ideal, in which the individual seeks enlightenment both for himself and for others is of central importance in the Mahayana Buddhist tradition. Compassion and identification with the suffering of others is the most important feature of the bodhisattva.
This feature is discussed in the following incident Vimalakirti Sutra, which refers to a prominent lay follower of the Buddha, who had fallen ill. Asked about of his illness, Vimalakirti replied: "Because things are sick, sick bodhisattva. bodhisattva sickness arises from his great compassion." He asserts that the last four bodhisattva vows expressing its determination to work for the happiness of others "No matter how there are countless sentient beings, I vow to save, no matter how passions are inexhaustible, I vow to master them, no matter how endless are the teachings, I swear to study them, no matter how infinite is the truth of the Buddha, I vow to attain." Each one of the votes to which the bodhisattva devotes endless, can seem daunting as it moves away from its objectives.
But Buddhism says that the bodhisattva path is not a detached task in the world to exclusively offer up compassion or wisdom to people. Rather, the living conditions of the bodhisattva is inherent in the lives of ordinary men and women, and the purpose of Buddhist practice is to strengthen that state of life so that compassion becomes the basis of all our acciones.Además of compassion, the votes reflect the commitment made by the bodhisattva to reach self-mastery, its commitment to study and learn and to attain wisdom. However, none of these votes is pursued in a vacuum or simply improving or decorating la personalidad; en el fundamento de todos estos esfuerzos está siempre la determinación de remover los sufrimientos de los demás y reemplazarlos con la felicidad.
Para los seguidores del budismo de Nichiren Daishonin, la práctica del bodhisattva está contenida en el doble y recíproco aspecto de la "práctica para uno y para los demás. " El corazón de la práctica para uno mismo es la recitación de Nam-myojo-rengue-kyo (el "Daimoku" del Sutra del Loto) junto con pasajes clave del Sutra.
El propósito de esta práctica es revolucionar la vida interior de uno para desarrollar las cualidades del Buda: courage, wisdom, compassion and abundant energy or life force. Although initially, many people can practice Buddhism with the desire for personal happiness, to overcome the illness or some other seemingly insurmountable challenge, as their state of life expands, naturally develop a concern deeper for the happiness of others. Perceiving the interconnectedness of all beings, carry out compassionate actions include sharing with others the understanding of Buddhism and thus, they can also extract the rich resources that lie within their lives. So that the bodhisattvas are naturally engaged in society, striving dynamically in your personal improvement and making the world a better and more humane place for all people.
This explains why members of the SGI are determined to be valued participants in society and contribute as much as possible in their families, workplaces and in their community.
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