Part 3: Kosen-rufu and World Peace
Chapter 25: The Unity of “Many in Body, One in Mind” [25.10]

President Ikeda notes that the unity of “many in body, one in mind” is not only the driving force for the development of kosen-rufu and our victory over all obstacles, but also the philosophy that can lead humanity to peace and harmonious coexistence.

The unity taught by Nichiren Daishonin is strong and noble beyond compare. Because the Daishonin’s disciples had this unity of purpose, they were able to triumph in the midst of the Atsuhara Persecution.1

For many years, the young Nikko Shonin, the Daishonin’s direct disciple who later went on to become his true successor, had spearheaded the propagation efforts in Suruga Province [present-day central Shizuoka Prefecture], where Atsuhara was located. He directly conveyed the Daishonin’s spirit to the believers there, mostly farmers, and instilled in them faith to strive in oneness with the Daishonin.

Moreover, Nikko Shonin forged strong, close-knit unity among the followers, based on a spirit of equality and mutual respect that transcended differences such as rank, status, and other social barriers. That’s why he was able to build an unshakable community of practitioners who refused to give in to any persecution or hardship.

The deaths of the three martyrs of Atsuhara,2 who laid down their lives for their beliefs, signaled the establishment of a true, invincible Buddhism of the people.

Unity of purpose must be forged by genuine disciples who base themselves on the Daishonin’s spirit and boldly take their place on the front lines of the struggle for kosen-rufu, just as Nikko Shonin demonstrated. The Soka Gakkai is an organization of people firmly united in purpose—an organization founded by Presidents Makiguchi and Toda for the sake of promoting kosen-rufu.

The Daishonin declares that the key to victory is “perfect unity” (WND-1, 618)—in other words, the unity of “many in body, one in mind.” At the same time, victory attests to our solid unity of purpose. Everywhere around the globe, Soka Gakkai members are uniting harmoniously and winning widespread trust by contributing to society as good citizens and members of their communities.

Our goal is unity in the spirit of “many in body, one in mind,” not “one in body, one in mind.” Everyone has their own unique and precious individuality. We are all different in a myriad of ways—in our profession, age, gender, personality, and so forth.

In The Record of the Orally Transmitted Teachings, the Daishonin says that the cherry, plum, peach, and damson each embody the ultimate truth just as they are, without undergoing any change (cf. OTT, 200). Nichiren Buddhism is a teaching that enables each person to fully exhibit their unique characteristics.

Unity in diversity is born when we each work together for the unsurpassed goal of kosen-rufu while shining to the fullest in the place of our own mission. It is not something we create because we are told to. It’s a self-motivated unity, an alliance of people striving to reveal their true brilliant potential.

What matters most is each person’s happiness and victory in life. One person changing their karma, one person growing as a human being, is the basis for everything. The Daishonin writes: “When the pine flourishes, the cypress is overjoyed; when grasses whither, orchids weep. Even insentient plants and trees share as one a friend’s joys and sorrows” (WND-2, 964). To rejoice in our friends’ happiness, to sincerely applaud their achievements, to be by their side and encourage them when they are struggling, to share both good times and hard times and weather life’s difficulties together—true unity is born of such warmhearted and humanistic ties.

Mr. Toda once explained unity very simply: “To say to another member ‘Are you also facing difficulties? Are you struggling to make ends meet, too? Are you also suffering? Then, together let’s strengthen our faith!’—this is what it means to be united in purpose.”

The Daishonin taught his youthful disciple Nanjo Tokimitsu this passage from the Lotus Sutra: “We and other living beings all together [will] attain the Buddha way [LSOC7, 168]” (WND-1, 1003). We attain Buddhahood “all together.” When we make the vow to strive in our Buddhist practice with others and to grow and achieve victory together, we naturally come to be solidly united in purpose.

In his famous writing “Many in Body, One in Mind,” the Daishonin states:

“If the spirit of many in body but one in mind prevails among the people, they will achieve all their goals, whereas if one in body but different in mind, they can achieve nothing remarkable. . . . Although Nichiren and his followers are few, because they are different in body, but united in mind [i.e., many in body but one in mind], they will definitely accomplish their great mission of widely propagating the Lotus Sutra” (WND-1, 618).

The Daishonin says here that we cannot achieve victory if our minds are at cross purposes, no matter how large our group is or how great our influence. In contrast, even if our numbers are small, we will be able to accomplish all of our goals if we are united in our shared aspiration to realize kosen-rufu.