Our Members’ Vow clearly and simply describes the purpose of Rissho Kosei-kai (RK) and its members’ practices for the realisation of these ideals.
Members’ Vow:
We members of Rissho Kosei-kai
Take refuge in the Eternal Buddha Shakyamuni
And recognise in Buddhism a true way of liberation,
Under the guidance of our revered founder, Nikkyo Niwano.
In the spirit of lay Buddhists,
We vow to perfect ourselves
Through personal discipline and leading others
And by improving our knowledge and practice of the faith,
And we pledge ourselves to follow the bodhisattva way
To bring peace to our families, communities and countries, and to the world.
We members of Rissho Kosei-kai
‘Rissho’ means establishing the teaching of the true Dharma in our hearts and minds, and ‘Kosei’ means aspiring to perfect oneself through interaction with many people, learning together and encouraging each other. We think this is the ideal way of life and wish to make it more universal. We are the ‘members’ of such an organisation.
Take refuge in the Eternal Buddha Shakyamuni
Walking a true path of the Buddha Way, we put our faith in the Eternal Buddha Shakyamuni, Great Benevolent Teacher, World-honoured One (Original Buddha) as our Gohonzon (focus of devotion). We acknowledge ourselves as direct disciples of the Original Buddha, taking refuge in his teachings.
And recognise in Buddhism a true way of liberation
‘A true way of liberation’ means developing our hearts and minds in accord with Shakyamuni Buddha’s teachings one by one, connecting people with the teachings and walking the path together.
Taking refuge in the Original Buddha, we do not practise to satisfy our material or human desires. We strive to recognise the truth (Dharma) that Shakyamuni was awakened to, and live for other people’s worries and sufferings in empathy. We diligently practise together to live meaningful lives.
Under the guidance of our revered founder, Nikkyo Niwano.
Thanks to ‘Founder Nikkyo Niwano’ and his interpretation, we have been connected with the Lotus Sutra and thus become happy. We express ‘reverence’ by calling him ‘Great Teacher of the One Vehicle’ in his Dharma title.
Founder Niwano taught us the true meaning of the Buddha’s teachings and showed us how to practise them as a leading practitioner. The members diligently practise ‘under his guidance’.
In the spirit of lay Buddhists
There are two categories in Buddhist tradition in terms of where you practise: monastic and non-monastic. In monastic Buddhism, people renounce their home life and seek the truth. In non-monastic Buddhism like RK, we keep ourselves lay Buddhists and practise based on the truth in our daily lives.
Shakyamuni Buddha left his material life and attained Supreme Perfect Awakening through ascetic practices to enable people to live happy lives. What we should do is to study the teachings and take advantage of the truth in our lives. It makes both ourselves and others happy and makes for a better world. This is the true purpose of Shakyamuni’s Mahayana teachings and the appropriate way of practice ‘in the spirit of lay Buddhists’.
We vow to perfect ourselves
Why do we practise Buddhism, ‘taking refuge in the Eternal Buddha Shakyamuni and recognising in Buddhism a true way of liberation, under the guidance of our revered founder, Nikkyo Niwano, in the spirit of lay Buddhists’? Because we aim to ‘perfect ourselves’. In other words, it is attaining buddhahood, or becoming human in the truest sense.
For us ordinary people, it may be challenging to diligently practise setting a goal of buddhahood. But taking each step toward perfection by practising the Buddha’s teachings is worth respecting. You see many examples in RK where they are reborn as new people while still living in this world.
Shakyamuni Buddha is our role model. He was awakened to the truth, lived his life in accord with it, and encouraged people to do so. We take refuge in and learn from him and develop ourselves to accomplish his spiritual level.
Through personal discipline and leading others
We study and then share with others. What we experience is introduced to others. We don’t need to be perfect to speak to others. Let’s do our best according to our understanding.
Expounding the Dharma causes us to develop, which enables us to extend more merits to others.
And by improving our knowledge and practice of the faith
Why does it come with ‘of the faith’?
Because we ‘lay Buddhists’ would face various challenges in our daily lives while practising to ‘perfect ourselves’. Great faith as a solid foundation enables us to practise in a dignified manner, no matter what difficulties we encounter.
In Buddhism, people take their faith in the Three Treasures: the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha. Taking refuge in them, we ‘improve our knowledge and practice’.
What we practise is Buddhism that enables us to ‘perfect ourselves’. What we learn is a ‘true meaning of Buddhism’, or rather a true meaning of religion.
The ‘knowledge’ and ‘practice’ are inseparable in the way that wings are an integral part of a bird, and wheels are an integral part of a vehicle. They don’t work well without the other. We have to study what we don’t practise very well, and we have to put what we study into practice. Such repetition will lead us to the true ‘perfection’.
And we pledge ourselves to follow the bodhisattva way
Since its foundation, RK members have been practising the bodhisattva way. We are certain that serving, helping and liberating others is the true way of human lives. Members have been leading, inviting and encouraging other people to bodhisattva practices. Thus both parties/participants will have been liberated together. We will keep practising the bodhisattva way thoroughly and expound it to many people.
Each of us may individually have small power, but when this is combined together it functions as the driving force for the greater whole; this is bodhisattva practice. Let’s ‘follow the bodhisattva way’ together.
To bring peace to our families, communities and countries, and to the world.
As mentioned earlier, we aim to ‘perfect ourselves’, which can be a more personal aspect of our goal. At the same time, we set our purpose in the context of the whole society.
‘Peace’ will not be achieved in the truest sense unless our personal development is connected with the families, communities, countries and the world. There you see the spirit of the Lotus Sutra.