Facing the four sufferings, manifesting the four virtues. Modern civilization has forgotten the meaning of death. Yet, according to Nichiren Daishonin, unless we first face the problem of death, we will not be able to live a full and fulfilled life.
Indeed, according to the Buddhist view of life, human beings can taste joy in both life and death if they tap into that special vital state called "Buddhahood": intangible, invisible, yet omnipresent in every form of existence in the universe. Indeed, according to Josei Toda's insight while in prison during World War II, it is precisely Buddhahood that constitutes the fundamental core of life, of all life.
Josei Toda taught Daisaku Ikeda that Buddhism is the teaching capable of overcoming the sufferings of birth, aging, illness and death, and in turn, Daisaku Ikeda returns to address the fundamental questions of existence for the benefit of readers. He does so by dialoguing on these issues with a number of members of the medical and nursing divisions of the Soka Gakkai, all of whom in their professional activities have experienced the profound relationship between Buddhism and medicine and who strive in invisible ways to sustain people's lives.
In their wide-ranging dialogue, Daisaku Ikeda encourages representatives of the medical profession to reveal particularly poignant personal experiences with patients and to explain how to deal with problems common to the existence of every human being: being stricken with the flu, dealing with a family member suffering from Alzheimer's or simply hospitalized, the risk of flu pandemics, which is particularly topical. Sound advice from both practical and hygienic perspectives, as well as attitude and faith.
The fundamental issue of the 21st century, says Ikeda in the preface to the volume, is precisely "that of the four fundamental sufferings. Ours is a never-ending challenge, and for this very reason I will continue to address the great issues of existence, trying to answer the questions of the contemporary world." No one can avoid the four sufferings that are at the origin of the Buddhist teaching: in fact, it points the way by which each person can solve the problem of suffering in his or her life.
"According to Buddhist philosophy, birth and death are part of an unbroken cycle that is driven by a set of internal causes and relationships with the environment. Death can therefore be seen as an opportunity to regain energy for a subsequent rebirth, in the same way that with sleep we regain the energy we need for the next day. By persevering in Buddhist practice it is possible to experience joy in life and death. I believe that the fundamental issue of the xxi century is precisely that of the four basic sufferings, which even Arnold Toynbee and Linus Pauling thought was essential to address. Ours is a never-ending challenge, and for that very reason I will continue to address the great issues of existence, trying to answer the questions of the contemporary world."
Daisaku Ikeda
