Monthly Archives: August 2016

Daily Dharma

Daily Dharma – Aug. 27, 2016

Anyone who protects this sūtra
Should be considered
To have already made offerings
To Many-Treasures and to me.

The Buddha makes this declaration to all those assembled to hear him teach the Dharma in Chapter Eleven of the Lotus Sūtra. In the story, Many-Treasures Buddha has just appeared to confirm the truth of the sūtra, and the Buddha has asked who will protect and preserve this sūtra after his extinction. By considering anyone who defends the meaning of the Lotus Sūtra to be one who has been personally present before these Buddhas, the Buddha invites us to consider not just our previous lives, but our current lives. We repay these Buddhas for this wonderful teaching by bringing it to life ourselves. As Nichiren wrote, “even if only a word or phrase, spread it to others.”

The Daily Dharma is produced by the Lexington Nichiren Buddhist Community. To subscribe to the daily emails, visit zenzaizenzai.com

LS32

Day 28

Day 28 covers all of Chapter 24, Wonderful-Voice Bodhisattva, and concludes the Seventh Volume of the Sutra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma.

Having last month covered the powers already attained by a Bodhisattva called Wonderful-Voice in the All-Pure-Light-Adornment World, I get to review the traveling tips offered by All-Pure-Light-Adornment Buddha to Wonderful-Voice Bodhisattva before he traveled to the Saha world.

When he was illumined by the light of Sakyamuni Buddha, [Wonderful-Voice Bodhisattva] said to the Pure-Flower-Star-King-Wisdom Buddha:

World-Honored One! I wish to visit the Saha-World, bow to Sakyamuni Buddha, attend on him, and make offerings to him. I also wish to see Manjusri Bodhisattva, who is the Son of the King of the Dharma. [I also wish to see] Medicine-King Bodhisattva, Brave­In-Giving Bodhisattva, Star-King-Flower Bodhisattva, Superior­Practice-Intent Bodhisattva, Adornment-King Bodhisattva, and Medicine-Superior Bodhisattva.

Thereupon Pure-Flower-Star-King-Wisdom Buddha said to Wonderful-Voice Bodhisattva:

Do not despise that world! Do not consider it to be inferior [to our world]! Good Man! The Saha-World is not even. It is full of mud, stones, mountains and impurities. The Buddha [of that world] is short in stature! So are the Bodhisattvas [of that world]. You are forty-two thousand yojanas tall. I am six million an eight hundred thousand yojanas tall. You are the most handsome. You have thousands of millions of marks of merits, and your light is wonderful. Do not despise that world when you go there! Do not consider that the Buddha and Bodhisattvas of that world are inferior [to us]! Do not consider that that world is inferior [to ours]!

Wonderful-Voice Bodhisattva said to the Buddha: World­Honored One! I can go to the Saha-World by your powers, by your supernatural powers of traveling, and by your merits and wisdom which adorn me.

The Daily Dharma from June 28, 2016, applies this instruction to those who seek to propagate the Lotus Sutra:

Thereupon Pure-Flower-Star-King-Wisdom Buddha said to Wonderful-Voice Bodhisattva: “Do not despise that world! Do not consider it to be inferior [to our world]! Good Man! The Sahā-World is not even. It is full of mud, stones, mountains and impurities. The Buddha [of that world] is short in stature. So are the Bodhisattvas [of that world]. You are forty-two thousand yojanas tall. I am six million and eight hundred thousand yojanas tall. You are the most handsome. You have thousands of millions of marks of merits, and your light is wonderful. Do not despise that world when you go there! Do not consider that the Buddha and Bodhisattvas of that world are inferior [to us]! Do not consider that that world is inferior [to ours]!”

In Chapter Twenty-Four of the Lotus Sūtra, the Buddha sends a light from his forehead to the world in which Wonderful-Voice Bodhisattva lives. When that Bodhisattva saw this light from Śākyamuni Buddha, he asked permission from the Buddha he was attending to visit our world of conflict. The instruction he receives from his Buddha reminds us that no matter what advantages we have gained from our practice of the Buddha Dharma, these do not make us any better or worse than those we are determined to benefit.

The Daily Dharma is produced by the Lexington Nichiren Buddhist Community. To subscribe to the daily emails, visit zenzaizenzai.com

Lecture on Lotus Sutra

Showing the Joy of Our Practice

Quote

I like this story of the two boys, Pure-Store and Pure-Eyes, who end up converting their parents to the Lotus Sutra not so much because of the phenomena the two sons performed but for the example that our actions speak more powerfully than our words. We can convince more people of the truth of the Lotus Sutra through the way we act in society than by merely talking theoretically about Buddhism. Getting through life and the day-to-day concerns we all face may seem ordinary, even hum-drum. However, the manner in which we face and ultimately overcome our problems can look supernatural to others around us who struggle and suffer so much. We don’t need to spout water or fire from our bodies; we merely need to show the joy of our practice in the face of life as human.

Lecture on the Lotus Sutra

Daily Dharma

Daily Dharma – Aug. 26, 2016

Ajita! Anyone who hears that my life is so long, and understands it by faith even at a moment’s thought, will be able to obtain innumerable merits.

The Buddha makes this declaration to his disciple Maitreya, also known as Invincible (Ajita) in Chapter Seventeen of the Lotus Sutra. In the previous chapter, the Buddha revealed for the first time that his impending death was merely an expedient, intended to reach those who would take him for granted if they thought they could see him at any time. The Buddha explained that this is the teaching that is most difficult to believe and difficult to understand. Namely that he is always present, leading us and all beings to enlightenment.

The Daily Dharma is produced by the Lexington Nichiren Buddhist Community. To subscribe to the daily emails, visit zenzaizenzai.com

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Day 27

Day 27 concludes Chapter 23, The Previous Life of Medicine-King Bodhisattva.

Yesterday focused on a powerful statement by Sakyamuni that “all the teachings of the Tathagata, all the unhindered, supernatural powers of the Tathagata, all the treasury of the hidden core of the Tathagata, and all the profound achievements of the Tathagata are revealed and expounded explicitly in this sutra.”

Following the story of Gladly-Seen-By-All-Beings Bodhisattva as a previous life of Medicine-King Bodhisattva, Sakyamuni offers a string of comparisons that reveal the position of the Lotus Sutra.

Star-King-Flower! Just as the sea is larger than the rivers, this Sutra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma is more profound than any of the other sutras expounded by the Tathagatas. Just as Mt. Sumeru is the largest of all the mountains including earth mountains, black mountains, the Small Surrounding Iron Mountains, the Great Surrounding Iron Mountains, and the Ten Treasure Mountains, this Sutra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma is above all the other sutras. Just as the Moon God is brighter than the stars, this Sutra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma gives us more light than any of the other sutras numbering thousands of billions. Just as the Sun God dispels all darkness, this sutra drives away all the darkness of evils. Just as the wheel-turning-holy-king is superior to the kings of small countries, this sutra is more honorable than the other sutras. Just as King Sakra is the king of the thirty-three gods, this sutra is the king of all the sutras. Just as the Great Brahman Heavenly-King is the father of all living beings, this sutra is the father of all the sages and saints, of the Sravakas who have something more to learn, of the Sravakas who have nothing more to learn, and of those who aspire for Bodhisattvahood. Just as Srota-apannas, Sakrdagamins, Anagamins, Arhats, and Pratyekabuddhas are superior to ordinary men, this sutra is superior to any of the other sutras expounded either by Tathagatas or by Bodhisattvas or by Sravakas. The person who keeps this sutra is superior to any other living being. Just as Bodhisattvas are superior to Sravakas or to Pratyekabuddhas, this sutra is superior to any other sutra. Just as the Buddha is the king of the Dharma, this sutra is the king of all the sutras.

Lecture on Lotus Sutra

Golden Opportunities for Hope and Joy

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Our struggles in life are golden opportunities. We look around and we see strife, and it is an opportunity for us to eliminate the causes of strife. We look around and we see homelessness and these are nothing but chances for us to practice as the Buddha did and work to end homelessness. When we see these things and we give up hope, then we see our world as a dreary dark place, a place of great fires. However, turning towards these things and not away allows us to see many ways in which we who practice the Lotus Sutra, we who have hope, can bring hope and joy to those who have no hope.

Lecture on the Lotus Sutra

Blog

Quotes Redux

Lotus Sutra Practice Guide bookcoverThe Magic City Book CoverNichiren The Buddhist Prophet bookcoverHistory of Japanese Religion bookcoverAwakening to the Lotus bookcoverPhysicians Good Medicine bookcoverLotus Path: Practicing the Lotus Sutra bookcoverOdaimoku bookcoverLotus World bookcoverLotus in a Sea of Flames bookcoverLotus Seeds bookcoverLecture on the Lotus Sutra bookcover
The Doctrine of Nichiren bookcover

Today at noon I start reposting the quotes I’ve selected from the books above. I’ll begin with the book introduction and then follow with a quote from each book every 10 days. As of last count, I have 839 quotes.

The 9 am posting from Lecture on the Lotus Sutra will continue until Sept. 10, when the last quote from the book will be published.

Daily Dharma

Daily Dharma – Aug. 25, 2016

With Nichiren’s boundless compassion, “Namu Myoho Renge Kyo” will be heard forever even beyond the ten-thousand year period of Degeneration. It has the merit of curing the blindness of all people, blocking the way to hell. This merit is superior to those of Dengyō in Japan, T’ien-t’ai in China, Nāgārjuna in India or Kāśyapa who was the Buddha’s disciple. Practice for a hundred years in the Pure Land is not worth the merit of chanting the daimoku for one day in this defiled world. Propagation of the daimoku in a two-thousand year period following the death of the Buddha is not worth as much as spreading the daimoku for even a short while in the Latter Age of Degeneration. This is not from my wisdom; it is solely due to the time in which I live.

Nichiren wrote this passage in his Essay on Gratitude (Hōon-jō). In other writings, he explained that the superiority of the Lotus Sūtra is not in its power to change the world, but its power to lead all beings, without exception, to the same enlightenment the Buddha found. In this sūtra, the Buddha gives us a different idea of time, the world and our lives. All of these are truly boundless, and the Buddha is always here teaching us.

The Daily Dharma is produced by the Lexington Nichiren Buddhist Community. To subscribe to the daily emails, visit zenzaizenzai.com

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Day 26

Day 26 concludes Chapter 21, The Supernatural Powers of the Tathāgatas, includes Chapter 22, Transmission, and introduces Chapter 23, The Previous Life of Medicine-King Bodhisattva.

Starting over on this day’s content, I get to touch on what I find the most powerful statement of the Buddha about this sutra. He is addressing the Bodhisattvas who arose from underground headed by Superior-Practice:

To sum up, all the teachings of the Tathagata, all the unhindered, supernatural powers of the Tathagata, all the treasury of the hidden core of the Tathagata, and all the profound achievements of the Tathagata are revealed and expounded explicitly in this sutra. Therefore, keep, read, recite, expound and copy this sutra, and act according to the teachings of it with all your hearts after my extinction! In any world where anyone keeps, reads, recites, expounds or copies this sutra, or acts according to its teachings, or in any place where a copy of this sutra is put, be it in a garden, in a forest, under a tree, in a monastery, in the house of a person in white robes, in a hall, in a mountain, in a valley, or in the wilderness, there should a stupa be erected and offerings be made to it because, know this, the place [where the stupa is erected] is the place of enlightenment. Here the Buddhas attained Anuttara­samyak-sambodhi. Here the Buddhas turned the wheel of the Dharma. Here the Buddhas entered into Parinirvana.

The Daily Dharma addressed this on July 22, 2016:

To sum up, all the teachings of the Tathāgata, all the unhindered, supernatural powers of the Tathāgata, all the treasury of the hidden core of the Tathāgata, and all the profound achievements of the Tathāgata are revealed and expounded explicitly in this sūtra. Therefore, keep, read, recite, expound and copy this sūtra, and act according to the teachings of it with all your hearts after my extinction!

The Buddha makes this declaration to Superior-Practice Bodhisattva (Jōgyo, Viśiṣṭacārītra) in Chapter Twenty-One of the Lotus Sūtra. In Chapter Two, the Buddha told those gathered to hear him teach that his highest teaching could not be attained by reasoning alone. These two passages show us faith to look beyond the words in this book to find the Buddha Dharma in every aspect of our lives, and the ever-present Buddha leading us all to enlightenment.

The Daily Dharma is produced by the Lexington Nichiren Buddhist Community. To subscribe to the daily emails, visit zenzaizenzai.com

Personally deep in faith.

Lecture on Lotus Sutra

The Faith Within

Quote

I do not believe it is appropriate nor a mature faith and practice that transfers responsibility for improving our lives to beings outside our selves. We may find encouragement and strength from their ideals, but fundamentally, as we learn in Buddhism, it is up to us to create and manifest the life we wish to live and we do this by following the teachings in the Lotus Sutra.

Lecture on the Lotus Sutra