MENTOR-DISCIPLE

RELATIONSHIP

IS THE HEART OF THE

SOKA GAKKAI

(Extracted from Value Creation,

November 2017, 53–54 & 65

25.2 Mentor and disciple are like a needle and thread

President Ikeda explains through an easy-to-grasp example that the mentor-disciple relationship is not
authoritarian or hierarchical, but is the supreme way by which we can grow and develop our fullest
human potential through the shared effort to realize a lofty ideal

President Ikeda’s Guidance

Adapted from the book Watakushi no Ningengaku (On Historical Personalities and Society), published in
Japanese in August 1988

We need to be aware of the importance of the mentor-disciple relationship in terms of awakening to and
carrying out our personal mission in life, as well as promoting the betterment and development of
society. For many today, the words “mentor and disciple” have a feudalistic, old-fashioned ring, but that
is not how it should be.In order to master anything, whether academic learning or sports, we need an
instructor or a coach. Having a good instructor or coach speeds our improvement and mastery. Trying to
learn on our own, in contrast, often leads to much wasted effort or soon finding ourselves stuck, not
knowing how to progress further. In the same way, to live our lives in the most meaningful and
worthwhile fashion, we need a good instructor or coach — a mentor in life — who can teach us basic
values and attitudes for life. This relationship is not a hierarchical one of superior and inferior, nor a
contractual one based on profit and payment. It is the most spontaneous and purest spiritual bond, built
on a foundation of mutual trust, in which two individuals share a common purpose. It is only through
this person-to-person bond that human potential is truly fostered and can develop to its fullest. In that
respect, encountering a good teacher, a great mentor, is the key to leading the best possible life. In
addition, a lofty ideal can only be achieved when it is shared by a mentor and disciple, the disciple
carrying on and realizing the vision articulated by the mentor. The relationship between mentor and
disciple is like that between a needle and thread. The mentor opens the way and reveals the principles,
while the disciple, carrying on the mentor’s work, applies, develops, and actualizes those principles. The
disciple must also go on to surpass the mentor. The mentor, meanwhile, is ready to give everything, even
their own life, for the sake of the disciple. I have always pledged that it is my duty to spare no pains or
efforts, to make every sacrifice, to open the way to a bright future for our young people and build the
stage for their activities.
25.7 Having a mentor in one’s heart

Throughout his novel The New Human Revolution, President Ikeda touches on the profound nature of
the mentor-disciple relationship. The excerpted passages below describe how the novel’s protagonist,
Shin’ichi Yamamoto, has opened the way for kosen-rufu while cherishing his mentor in his heart and
carrying on an internal dialogue with him.

President Ikeda’s Guidance

Adapted from The New Human Revolution. From volume 17, ‘Main Bastion’ chapter

At the leaders meeting, the young men’s division leader asked Shin’ichi, “With the beginning of the
second chapter of kosen-rufu, the Gakkai will initiate a multifaceted movement that reaches out to
society. What should we bear in mind as we head in that direction?” Shin’ichi answered unhesitatingly:
“Follow the path of mentor and disciple.”Watching the young man’s reaction, he continued, “You’re
wondering what mentor and disciple has to do with it, aren’t you? It’s like the relationship between
centrifugal (outward) and centripetal (inward) forces in rotational motion. “Developing a movement that
widely spreads the ideals of Buddhism into society is like a centrifugal, or outward, force. The stronger
this centrifugal force becomes, the more important it is to have a powerful centripetal, or inward, force
directed toward the teachings of Buddhism. And the source of that ‘centripetal force’ is the spirit of
oneness of mentor and disciple. “In recent years, youth division members have brimmed with the spirit
to show victorious actual proof of their Buddhist practice in society, and gradually become more aware
of the importance of social contribution. That’s a wonderful thing. But if you forget the fundamental goal
of kosen-rufu and become obsessed with achieving personal renown and success, you can easily end up
making light of the realm of faith. And, if you start to judge people based on their social status and
position and look down on ordinary people, you’ll have defeated the entire purpose. “The way of mentor
and disciple is crucial to walking the true path of humanity and Buddhism.” The mentor-disciple
relationship in Buddhism starts with the compassion of Shakyamuni Buddha to teach his disciples the
path to enlightenment, and the seeking spirit of his disciples to try to understand his teaching. In short, it
is a spiritual bond that depends on the self-motivated will of the disciple. This is also made clear from
examining the relationship between Nichiren Daishonin and his direct disciple and successor, Nikko
Shonin. The way of mentor and disciple is strict; nowhere else can we find the great path of human
revolution and attaining Buddhahood in this lifetime. Shin’ichi strongly urged the young people present,
“I also dedicated myself wholeheartedly to Mr Toda, supported him and fulfilled my mission as his
disciple. I always achieved the goals he set, showing actual proof of victory. Had I allowed myself to be
defeated, his plans would have come to naught, and I would, in effect, have been betraying my mentor.
“In his final years, Mr Toda said to me: ‘Shin’ichi, you’ve achieved everything I asked. You even took
seriously things I said half-jokingly and brought them to fruition. I don’t trust people who are all talk.
What matters are the actions one takes. With you here, I know I have nothing to worry about.’ “Those
words are my greatest source of pride. They describe what it means to be a genuine disciple. I am always
talking with Mr Toda in my heart. I am always asking myself what he would do in any given situation,
what he would say to me if he saw what I was doing. A mentor is a role model for your entire life.

”From volume 25, ‘Bastion of Capable People’ chapter

The oneness of mentor and disciple means living with the same spirit as our mentor, and it starts with
always having our mentor firmly in our heart. We can stress the importance of walking the path of
mentor-disciple all we like, but if we fail to internalize our mentor’s spirit, we are not genuinely
practicing Buddhism. And if we view our mentor as existing apart from us, as someone beyond our
reach, then the mentor’s conduct and teachings cannot serve as an internal guide. We may end up
taking how our mentor views or appraises us as the standard for our behavior. If that happens, we may
give in to the sly tendency to strive hard if our mentor tells us to, but slacken our efforts when left to our
own devices. We will then neither be able to deepen our faith nor carry out our human revolution. If
leaders, especially, fall prey to this tendency, they will extinguish the true spirit of Buddhism, and the
pure realm of faith will become a realm of worldly affairs ruled by personal advantage and calculation.
Only by firmly establishing the great path of the oneness of mentor and disciple in our own hearts can
we ensure the eternal transmission of the Law.

25.8 The disciples are key

President Ikeda notes that the way of mentor and disciple is the path of Buddhism and the path of Soka,
and that its success or failure is determined by the efforts of the disciples

President Ikeda’s Guidance From a speech delivered at a nationwide youth division leaders meeting,
Tokyo, January 17, 1998

Even in the midst of persecution, founding Soka Gakkai president Tsunesaburo Makiguchi, a great lion
king of faith who gave his life for his beliefs, often declared that a steady stream of young people was
certain to follow in his footsteps. Mr Toda succeeded Mr Makiguchi, and I carried on from Mr Toda. Now,
I have you, millions of young successors. I am confident that you will carry on after me. Please continue
to resolutely follow this path of lions, the path of mentor and disciple, while forging ever stronger and
deeper bonds of unity. The mentor-disciple relationship is the essence of Nichiren Buddhism and the
heart of the Soka Gakkai spirit. In his well-known writing ‘Flowering and Bearing Grain’, the Daishonin
says, “If a teacher has a good disciple, both will gain the fruit of Buddhahood, but if a teacher fosters a
bad disciple, both will fall into hell. If teacher and disciple are of different minds, they will never
accomplish anything” (WND-1, 909).In other words, the mentor-disciple relationship ultimately hinges
on the commitment and actions of the disciple. As third Soka Gakkai president, I accomplished all the
goals and visions of Mr Makiguchi and Mr Toda. Taking on the brunt of all persecution, I fought to the
end, and I triumphed. This is my greatest pride. Now, I must entrust the future to you. It is your turn,
members of the youth division!