The Buddhist Teaching

The kalpa of decrease¹ has its origin in the human heart. As the poisons of greed, anger, and foolishness gradually intensify, the life span of human beings gradually decreases and their stature diminishes.

The world declines as a result of human delusion, and as the greed, anger, and foolishness of people’s hearts intensify, progressively higher teachings are needed to check that influence.

Persevering in faith in the evil age of the Latter Day of the Law is like swimming upstream against a powerful current. It is hard enough just to resist the insidious forces exerted by our own earthly desires and fundamental darkness . . . Nichiren explains that this is even more true in the Latter Day, when even seemingly remarkable human wisdom and ingenuity can be inundated by an inexorable tide of deluded impulses fueled by the three poisons of greed, anger and foolishness—an ever-growing tide that wreaks havoc as a force of evil.

“Making A Great Vow” Living Buddhism Jan 1, 2020