Butsu

The word Butsu (Fo in Chinese) is used to describe both the Buddha and the practitioners of Buddhism. It is composed of a radical on the left and a composite on the right.

Nin	On the left is Nin (Ren in Chinese) a person who stands up.
Fu	Fu is a composite of two more elemental characters:

	The first elements of Fu are vertical lines running almost parallel then going in different directions. They represent separation, opposites, opposition, and in a Buddhist sense duality.
Gong	The second element of Fu is Gong. Gong is the ancient Chinese bow. It represents the struggle against obstacles and the binding together of the opposites.

 The Buddha (and all Buddhists) stand up to obstacles, and with the Buddha's (Buddhist) perception of non-duality, bind together opposing forces through the wisdom of co-dependant origination. There is never an "Us" and a "Them" — there is always a "We." 

Co-dependant origination is a perception that sees the mutually benefiting aspects of even opposing forces. It is a wisdom that embraces all species. 

Daisaku Ikeda in the "Dialogue on the Lotus Sutra" in the October 1999 Living Buddhism states: "In reality, the Buddha can be found only in the life and activities of a bodhisattva. There is no Buddha other than the bodhisattva-Buddha." (p. 35) 

He further states:  

"Majestic Buddhas are but illusions that have nothing to do with reality.  The only actual Buddhas are ordinary people who each moment bring forth the eternal life force of time without beginning. There is no Buddha existing apart from the people. A Buddha set above the people is fake, and an expedient means. Therefore, the correct way is to live with dignity as a human being and to continue along the supreme path in life; to do so is to be a Buddha." (ibid, p. 37)

  Updated 6/7/06  Copyright 2002 Imagery of Nichiren's Lotus Sutra website