The radical Mahayana principle that “the sufferings of birth and death are themselves Nirvana” is another application of the Buddhist teaching of non-duality. This principle indicates that the ultimate goal is not outside of the world but is instead the real aspect of the world’s kaleidoscopic array of ever-changing aspects.

Specifically, “the sufferings of birth and death” refers to this world, wherein we must endure the constant cycle of birth and death. It is the world of temporary heavens, fighting demons, hungry ghosts, unthinking animals, numerous hells, and also the daily challenges of ordinary life. It is the world of karmic rewards and punishments. It is the world dominated and kept in perpetual motion through the energy of greed, hatred, and delusion. It is the world where all that is born to life must also die, with all of the suffering and loss this entails.

The best approach to dealing with the defilements is simply to be aware of them in the light of the Buddha-nature. This is how the practice of chanting Namu Myoho Renge Kyo can help us change the poison of the defilements into the qualities of awakening, because chanting the Odaimoku is the practice of calling upon the Buddha-nature within. Through the Odaimoku, we are able to cultivate a sense of awareness and equilibrium that allows us to acknowledge and redirect our desires instead of getting caught up and swept away by them. The practice of chanting Namu Myoho Renge Kyo can help us to think and reflect before we act. It can even help us recognize negative thoughts and feelings for what they are, so that we do not identify with them and allow them to control our lives. On the other hand, the principle of Namu Myoho Renge Kyo does not condemn or negate these desires, but gives us the space and the strength to work with them and brings out their positive aspects.

Awakening is not something that exists in a vacuum or a mystical void. Awakening is insight into the true nature of all reality and the deep caring which springs from that insight. ·When Buddhahood is attained, the defilements are not simply rejected or forgotten. Instead, they are seen as part of the dynamic and interdependent nature of life. One who is awakened to their true nature is no longer under their power and, in fact, is able to see them in their essence as a part of the dynamic and interdependent nature of all things, pure without the taint of our clinging. Greed, hatred, delusion, pride, false views, and doubt are transformed through awakened awareness into their positive equivalents, just like solid blocks of ice can melt into water in sunlight. Through Buddhahood, we turn greed into devotion, hatred into healthy criticism, delusion into openness to the truth, pride into self-confidence, false views into careful reasoning, and doubt into careful consideration. We will also be able to use the knowledge we have gained of our own inner life to understand and help others deal with the defilements in their lives.

A person in the grip of undeveloped, immature, and ignorant desires usually tries to fulfill these desires by acting in a way that only serves to reinforce them. That is, that person attempts to find some form of lasting satisfaction and security in material or spiritual things. However, there is nothing short of Buddhahood that can bring the kind of true happiness that can fully quench ignorant desires. In this sense, these desires are actually the workings of the Buddha-nature: they cause us to unwittingly seek out our own Buddhahood. One could even say, “that which we seek is that which causes us to seek.”

Before looking at the non-dual nature of defilements and awakening, we should make sure that we clearly understand what is meant by the two terms. Defilements are those personal characteristics or personality traits that keep us in a state of agitation, anxiety, or frustration and prevent us from realizing our own Buddha-nature. “Defilements” refers to the Three Poisons of greed, hatred, and delusion, and also to pride, false views, and doubt. According to Buddhism, the neediness of greed, the paranoia of hatred, the confusion of delusion, and the negativity generated by the other defilements are what keep us from feeling totally at ease, happy, peaceful, and confident. Because of these defilements, we never see things in the true light of reality. …

On the other hand, the defilements, or self-centered desires, can also be viewed as positive qualities that have not yet developed. For instance, those who are full of craving and attachment are also capable of single-minded devotion to the Three Treasures. Those who are highly critical and hostile towards others also have the capacity to develop critical thinking in order to discern truth from falsehood. Those whose minds are easily distracted by endless speculation are also acknowledged for their open-mindedness and curiosity. Buddhism recognizes that ignorant desires can be harnessed or developed into good qualities. We should also keep in mind that these defilements are the very qualities which motivate us to practice Buddhism. After all, if our lives were perfect and we felt neither desire nor dissatisfaction, then there would be no need to seek out the true nature of all existence or to cultivate the wisdom and compassion of Buddhahood. Our recognition of these qualities as defilements reveals a deep need within us to find meaning, security, and true happiness.

Another important principle of non-dualism taught in Nichiren Buddhism is that self-centered desires, which afflict our lives and create so much unhappiness, are themselves awakening. At first glance, this seems not only absurd but dangerous. Indeed, this principle has caused much misunderstanding and mischief down through the ages. Various people have misused this idea as a justification for indulging their egotism and hedonistic impulses in the name of awakened activity. However, when this principle is understood properly, it provides us with a healthy and productive way of relating to our own emotions and needs.

The Mahayana teachings often use the Jewel Net of the god Indra as a metaphor to help people realize the interdependence of all things, including life and its environment. The Jewel Net of Indra is said to cover the entire universe. At each intersection of the net is a jewel, which reflects all other jewels in the net and is in turn reflected by them. Each jewel, then, reflects all the others and is reflected by all the others. In the same way, all things contain one another. Every living being is a reflection of the world from which it arises and the world in turn reflects the living beings. In Nichiren Buddhism, life and its environment are also viewed as mutually supportive and reflective.

Buddhist non-duality does not end with the body and mind. The teaching of Dependent origination also implies the non-duality of life and its environment. Buddhism recognizes that body, mind, and environment are not separate entities, but are all interconnected parts of the dynamic flow of causes and conditions. This interdependence of life and its supporting environment has been a basic principle of Buddhism from the very beginning. Just as Shakyamuni Buddha taught that one should be mindful of the body, he also taught that one should reflect on the elements that make up the body. As in most of the ancient world, the Buddha taught that these elements consist of earth, air, fire, and water. In fact, it is fairly easy to recognize our dependence upon these four elements, which are usually thought of as nonliving matter. For instance, could we live without food, which is derived from the soil? Could we live without air to breath, water to drink, or the warmth of the sun? Even a simple reflection upon the way our body is composed of these four basic elements should be enough to make us realize that we are nothing without the environment of which we are a part.

In the Buddhist tradition, it is taught that an individual is made up of Five Aggregates: form, feeling, perception, mental formations, and consciousness. In fact, everything that we experience comes under the heading of one or more of these components.

They are not, however, five separate substances, but are different factors or stages in the process of consciously experiencing anything, including the experience of our own self. The process of conscious awareness often begins with form: a visual, auditory, olfactory, tactile, or gustatory object. Of course, a thought or feeling can also begin a process of conscious awareness, but even these can almost always be traced back to the memory of a concrete experience. Contact with form gives rise to feeling, which can be pleasant, unpleasant, or neutral. These feelings draw our attention to the form so that we then perceive the form as a specific object of awareness. Perception gives rise to mental formations, such as opinions for or against the object of awareness, as well as subsequent decisions, actions, and reactions. This activity in turn gives rise to awareness of a self-conscious subject acted upon by or acting upon an object.

According to the Three Truths, all things exist by virtue of their dependence upon all other things, and each thing contributes to the existence of all other things. Another way of saying this is that all things are manifestations of the underlying process of cause and effect, which unites them all. If all things are temporary manifestations of a single all-encompassing network of cause and effect, then nothing is truly separate from anything else. Body and mind, living beings and their environment, even the realms of delusion and awakening are not ultimately separate. They are all part of a single reality, which is revealed when one puts the Lotus Sutra into practice through Namu Myoho Renge Kyo.