Monthly Archives: March 2018

LS32, d14b, LS Introduction

Buddhas One and All

[Chapter 10, The Teacher of the Dharma,] opens with Sakyamuni speaking to a Bodhisattva named Medicine-King in the presence of eighty thousand great beings:

Medicine-King! Do you see the many human beings, nonhuman beings, monks, nuns, laymen, and laywomen in this congregation, who are seeking the goals for Sravakahood and Pratyekabuddhahood or the enlightenment of the Buddha? If any of them rejoice in my presence, even for one moment’s thought, at hearing a verse or a phrase of the Lotus Sutra, I can assure them all of their future Buddhahood. Even after my extinction, if they rejoice for one moment’s thought at hearing a verse or a phrase of the Lotus Sutra, I can assure them all of their future attainment of supreme-perfect-enlightenment. Moreover, if anyone keeps, reads, recites, expounds, and copies even a verse or a phrase of the Sutra, and respects a scroll of the Sutra just as he respects me, and makes offerings to it, he or she should be considered to have already made offerings to ten billion Buddhas in a previous existence, and will surely become a Buddha in a future life.

These words of the Buddha introduce a new development in the teachings of the Lotus Sutra. Up until Chapter 10, only “hearers” had been assured of their future Buddhahood. This statement, on the other hand, indicates that not only the “hearers,” but all other people in the congregation are also assured of future Buddhahood. What is more, the account goes on to say that even after the Buddha’s extinction, anyone who rejoices at hearing the Sutra will be assured of his or her future Buddhahood. Furthermore, these words tell us that after the Buddha’s extinction, the Lotus Sutra should be written on a scroll, and we should respect it and make offerings to it.

Introduction to the Lotus Sutra

Lotus Seeds

Leading All Beings to Buddhahood

Quote

Though the Buddha taught a variety of concepts, such as the Four Noble Truths for the monastic voice-hearers, Dependent Origination for the privately awakened ones, and the Six Perfection for those who wished to become buddhas (the vehicle of the bodhisattvas), they are all different aspects of the One Vehicle of Buddhahood. When the Buddha taught the One Vehicle in the Lotus Sutra, he finally made it clear that all along his intention had been to lead all beings to Buddhahood.

Lotus Seeds

WONS, 100 Days of Study

Day 27 of 100

Śākyamuni Buddha’s lifetime preaching can be divided into five periods:

  1. The first is called the Flower Garland period, when the Buddha expounded the Flower Garland Sūtra for two or three weeks on the Diamond-seat under the Bodhi Tree for bodhisattvas in the Dharma Body during the eight meetings at seven places. The Flower Garland Sūtra is a provisional Mahayana teaching compared to the Lotus Sūtra, however, it is the distinct teaching (teaching for bodhisattvas) as well as the perfect teaching. The conclusion of this sūtra is in the Brahma-net Sūtra, which expounds the Mahayana precepts for bodhisattvas. …
  2. The second of the five periods is the Āgama (or Deer Park) period, when for 12 years Śākyamuni Buddha preached the Hinayana Āgama sūtras in the Deer Park in Bārāpasī and various other places in 16 great states. The Āgama sūtras roughly consists of four groups: Long Āgama Sūtras; Middle Length Āgama Sūtras; Increasing-by-One Āgama Sūtras; and Miscellaneous Āgama Sūtras. These sūtras preach such doctrines as the “four noble truths” (the truth of suffering, the truth regarding the cause of sufferings, the truth regarding the extinction of suffering, and the truth regarding the path to Nirvana) and the “eightfold holy path” (right views, thoughts, speech, acts, living, effort, mindfulness, and meditation), which preach for men of the Two Vehicles (śrāvaka and pratyekabuddha) that all things and phenomena are transient and void. The concluding sūtra is the Sūtra of Legacy Teachings preached just before Śākyamuni Buddha’s death as His final instruction to His disciples. This is known as the Hinayana precepts. …
  3. The third of the five periods is the Hōdō period, when Śākyamuni Buddha preached a variety of Mahayana sūtras. This period of preaching is said to have lasted eight years, sixteen years, or an indeterminate amount of years. The sūtras preached in this period include the Revealing the Profound and Secret Sūtra, the Necklace Sūtra, the Entering Laṅkā Sūtra, the Great Sun Buddha Sūtra, the Diamond Peak Sūtra, the Sūtra on the Act of Perfection, the Sūtra of the Buddha of Infinite Life, the Sūtra of Meditation on the Buddha of Infinite Life, and the Amitābha Sūtra. …
  4. The fourth of the five periods is the Hannya (Wisdom) period, when Śākyamuni Buddha preached the doctrine of void for 14 or 22 years. The Hannya sūtras include such as the Kōsan hannya, Kongō hannya, Tennōmon hannya, Maka hannya, Daibon hannya, Ninnō hannya, etc. The last mentioned is considered the conclusion of the Hannya sūtras. …
  5. The last of the five periods is the Lotus-Nirvana period, when the two sūtras of Lotus and Nirvana were preached. Of the two, the Lotus Sūtra is the principal text while the Nirvana Sūtra is like a gleaning after the harvest in autumn. Established on the basis of the Lotus Sūtra is the Tendai (T’ien-t’ai) School, which is also known by various designations such as the Lotus School, School Established by the Buddha, School Depended-on by Various Other Schools, Secret School, and Exoteric School of Illumination. The Sūtra of Meditation on the Buddha of Universal Sage Bodhisattva, the conclusion of the Lotus Sūtra, provided the spiritual foundation for the establishment of the Mahayana Perfect and Sudden Precept Dais on Mt. Hiei.

Ichidai Goji Keizu, Genealogical Chart of the Buddha’s Lifetime Teachings in Five Periods, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Doctrine 3, Pages 238-248

Twice each day I repeat: “The Buddha’s teachings are immeasurable. I vow to know them all.” As I work my way through Nichiren’s writings I can imagine a lifetime of study for myself. Perhaps in the next life I can fulfill this vow.

100 Days of Study

Daily Dharma

Daily Dharma – March 27, 2018

The arrogant bhikṣus, bhikṣuṇis, upāsakas and upāsikās, that is, the four kinds of devotees who had abused him and caused him to be called Never-Despising, saw that he had obtained great supernatural powers, the power of eloquence, and the great power of good tranquility. Having seen all this, and having heard the Dharma from him, they took faith in him, and followed him.

The Buddha tells this story of Never-Despising Bodhisattva in Chapter Twenty of the Lotus Sūtra. Earlier in the sūtra, when the Buddha came out of his meditation to teach the Wonderful Dharma, five thousand of those gathered to hear him stood up and walked away. The Buddha did not stop them, and described them as arrogant: believing they knew something they did not. The arrogance of those who abused Never-Despising Bodhisattva, whose practice was to declare his respect for all beings, was rooted in their not seeing the Buddha’s wisdom in him and believing that they were superior to him. We can only learn from those we respect, and create misery only for ourselves when we despise.

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

LS32

Day 29

Day 29 covers all of Chapter 25, The Universal Gate of World-Voice-Perceiver Bodhisattva.

Having last month learned of the merits to be earned by keeping the name of World-Voice-Perceiver Bodhisattva, we learn how World-Voice-Perceiver Bodhisattva goes about this Sahā-World:

World-Honored One! How does World-Voice-Perceiver Bodhisattva go about this Sahā-World? How does he expound the Dharma to the living beings? What expedients does he employ?”

The Buddha said to Endless-Intent Bodhisattva:

“Good man! In a certain world, World-Voice-Perceiver Bodhisattva takes the shape of a Buddha and expounds the Dharma to those who are to be saved by a Buddha. He takes the shape of a Pratyekabuddha and expounds the Dharma to those who are to be saved by a Pratyekabuddha. He takes the shape of a Śrāvaka and expounds the Dharma to those who are to be saved by a Śrāvaka. He takes the shape of King Brahman and expounds the Dharma to those who are to be saved by King Brahman. He takes the shape of King Śakra and expounds the Dharma to those who are to be saved by King Śakra. He takes the shape of Freedom God and expounds the Dharma to those who are to be saved by Freedom God. He takes the shape of Great-Freedom God and expounds the Dharma to those who are to be saved by Great-Freedom God. He takes the shape of a great general in heaven and expounds the Dharma to those who are to be saved by a great general in heaven. He takes the shape of Vaiśravaṇa and expounds the Dharma to those who are to be saved by Vaiśravaṇa. He takes the shape of the king of a small country and expounds the Dharma to those who are to be saved by the king of a small country. He takes the shape of a rich man and expounds the Dharma to those who are to be saved by a rich man. He takes the shape of a householder and expounds the Dharma to those who are to be saved by a householder. He takes the shape of a prime minister and expounds the Dharma to those who are to be saved by a prime minister. He takes the shape of a brahmana and expounds the Dharma to those who are to be saved by a brāhmana. He takes the shape of a bhikṣu, a bhikṣunī, an upāsakā or an upāsikā and expounds the Dharma to those who are to be saved by a bhikṣu, a bhikṣunī, an upāsakā or an upāsikā. He takes the shape of a wife and expounds the Dharma to those who are to be saved by the wife of a rich man, of a householder, of a prime minister, or of a brāhmana. He takes the shape of a boy or a girl and expounds the Dharma to those who are to be saved by a boy or a girl. He takes the shape of a god, a dragon, a yakṣa, a gandharva, an asura, a garuda, a kiṃnara, a mahoraga, a human being or a nonhuman being and expounds the Dharma to those who are to be saved by one or another of these living beings. He takes the shape of Vajra-Holding God and expounds the Dharma to those who are to be saved by Vajra-Holding God.

“Endless-Intent! This World-Voice-Perceiver Bodhisattva does these meritorious deeds. He takes various shapes, walks about many worlds, and saves the living beings [of those worlds]. Make offerings to World-Voice-Perceiver Bodhisattva with all your hearts! This World-Voice-Perceiver Bodhisattva-mahāsattva gives fearlessness [to those who are] in fearful emergencies. Therefore, he is called the ‘Giver of Fearlessness’ in this Sahā-World.”

See World-Voice-Perceiver’s 33 Transformations

LS32, d29b, LS Introduction

World-Voice-Perceiver’s 33 Transformations

[In Chapter 25, The Universal Gate of World-Voice-Perceiver Bodhisattva,] Endless-Intent Bodhisattva (Aksayamati) asks Sakyamuni, “What expedients does World-Voice-Perceiver (Avalokitesvara) employ to expound the law in this world?”

Answering this question, Sakyamuni says that World-Voice-Perceiver can transform himself into thirty-three different forms to save people. This is similar to the way Wonderful-Voice transforms himself into thirty-four bodies. However, there are a few differences between the two. World-Voice-Perceiver takes on any of the following thirty-three forms:

(1) a Buddha, (2) a Pratyekabuddha, (3) a Sravaka, (4) Heavenly-King-Brahman, (5) King Sakra, (6) Freedom God (Isvara), (7) Great-Freedom God (Mahesvara), (8) a commander of heavenly hosts, (9) the god Vaisravana, (10) the king of a small country, (11) a rich man, (12) a householder, (13) a prime minister, (14) a Brahman [or Brahmin, a member of the highest Indian caste], (15) a monk, (16) a nun, (17) a man of pure faith, (18) a woman of pure faith, (19) the wife of a rich man, (20) the wife of a householder,
(21) the wife of a prime minister, (22) the wife of a Brahman,
(23) a boy or a girl, (24) a god, (25) a dragon, (26) a yaksa, (27) a gandharva, (28) an asura, (29) a garuda, (30) a kimnara, (31) a mahoraga, (32) a human or nonhuman being, and (33) the Vajra-holding God (p. 318-19).

Not only do all of us have different faces and forms, but also different beliefs and aspirations according to our race, nationality, occupation, social status, age, education, and so forth. A leader must understand people’s feelings, and display an attitude and appearance that are harmonious with theirs. That is why this Bodhisattva transforms himself into other living beings.

“Good man,” says Sakyamuni, “In a certain world, World-Voice-Perceiver Bodhisattva takes the shape of a Buddha in order to save those who are to be saved by a Buddha. He takes the shape of Vajradhara [God of Power and Might] by those who are to be saved by Vajradhara” (p. 318-19).

Introduction to the Lotus Sutra

Awakening to the Lotus

Judging the Truth of Any Teaching

Quote

The Nirvana Sutra … set out four guidelines for judging the truth of any teaching. … These guidelines are: (1) to rely upon the Dharma, not upon persons; (2) to rely on the meaning, not on the words alone; (3)to rely on wisdom, not on knowledge alone; and (4) to rely on sutras that reveal the whole truth, not on sutras that only reveal partial truth.

Awakening to the Lotus

WONS, 100 Days of Study

Day 26 of 100

The Collection Concerning the Immediate Attainment of Buddhahood [by Grand Master Jikaku] further states:

First, speaking of the gist of the Lotus Sūtra, it is preached that various Buddhas have appeared in this world for the one important purpose and that all the people have the Buddha-nature. People will be able to attain Buddhahood if they hear and practice the teaching of the Lotus Sūtra. For what reason has the Buddha expounded the Three Inherent Potentials of the Buddha-nature (innate Buddha-nature, “wisdom” to develop the innate Buddha-nature, and virtuous deeds which enable one to develop “wisdom”)? It is said in the first fascicle of the Dependent-Origination section of the Treatise on the Buddha-nature by Bodhisattva Vasubandhu that the Buddha insisted on the existence of the Buddha-nature in all the people for the purpose of helping them eliminate five kinds of mistakes and obtain five kinds of merit. The five kinds of mistakes are despicable mind, conceit, attachment to delusion, slandering the True Dharma and attachment to self-interest. On the other hand, the five kinds of merit are diligence, respect, wisdom, intelligence, and great compassion. It is “despicable” to harbor doubts about the Buddha-nature in oneself and fail to aspire to Buddhahood; it is called “conceit” to think that one has the Buddha-nature and can aspire to Buddhahood by oneself; it is the “attachment to delusion” to believe that all things have substance though they actually exist only through conditions; it is “slandering the True Dharma” to speak ill of the pure wisdom and virtue of all things; and it is called “attachment to self -interest” to think only about oneself without compassion for all the people. We should eliminate these five kinds of mistakes, know the existence of the Buddha-nature in ourselves, and aspire to Buddhahood.

Nizen Nijō Bosatsu Fu-sabutsu Ji, Never-Attaining Buddhahood by the Two Vehicles and Bodhisattvas in the Pre-Lotus Sūtras, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Doctrine 3, Page 223

This quote from Grand Master Jikaku is offered in Nichiren’s letter to bolster the argument that Bodhisattvas in pre-Lotus Sūtras cannot attain enlightenment since śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas are denied that opportunity, thus preventing the Bodhisattvas from saving all sentient beings and fulling the first of the Four Great Vows.

I find it interesting that this same Grand Master Jikaku is the subject of a scathing rebuke from Nichiren in a later letter entitled Jikaku Daishi no Koto, Concerning Grand Master Jikaku. As the translator’s introduction to that letter explains:

Nichiren … laments what he considers to be the most deplorable false doctrine of Grand Master Jikaku, who denigrated the Lotus Sūtra and regarded the Shingon teaching to be supreme. Nichiren further states that since Jikaku’s tenure esoteric Buddhism had gradually gained the upper hand over the Lotus teaching on Mt. Hiei until the entire mountain had been completely dominated by esotericism by the time of Myōun (55th and 57th Head Priest).

Perhaps this is an example of why Nichiren wrote, “Now, as far as my theology goes, I would like you to think that what I have expressed before being banished to Sado Island can be equated with the forty or so years in which Śākyamuni had taught before revealing the Lotus Sūtra (that is, the truth and true aims of the Buddha were not directly divulged in those years)” (Misawa-shō, A Letter to Lord Misawa of Suruga, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Doctrine 2, Page 241)

In any event, I find the “five kinds of mistakes and five kinds of merit” an excellent way of illustrating the point about the Bodhisattvas not being able to attain enlightenment outside the Lotus Sūtra.

100 Days of Study

Daily Dharma

Daily Dharma – March 26, 2018

If after my extinction anyone rejoices, even on a moment’s thought, at hearing even a gāthā or a phrase of the Sūtra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma, I also will assure him of his future attainment of Anuttara-samyak-saṃbodhi.

The Buddha declares these lines to Medicine-King Bodhisattva at the beginning of Chapter Ten of the Lotus Sūtra. Other teachings had described beings becoming enlightened after making exorbitant offerings or strenuous practices over many lifetimes. In the teaching of the Wonderful Dharma, a single moment of joy at hearing the Dharma is enough to assure us that we will become enlightened.

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

Blog

The Third Jewel

20180325 Service in Rochester, NY
Sunday at Rochester Shoeizan Enkyoji Buddhist Temple

I must confess a feeling of awe at my good fortune. At least the good fortune I have to be able to attend Nichiren Shu services. Many people who chant Namu Myōhō Renge Kyō must practice alone because they live far from established Nichiren Shu sanghas. What good fortune I have to live near the Sacramento Nichiren Buddhist Church and to have inlaws within a short commute from the Rochester Shoeizan Enkyoji Buddhist Temple.

I’ve been in Churchville, New York, for a week and a half to help my wife care for her brother, who underwent major surgery, and her 90-year-old father, who fell while we were here and ended up under evaluation in a hospital.

While I’ve been in the area I’ve attended a Shodaigyo service with Shami Kanjo Grohman in Buffalo and attended a Tuesday night Shodaigyo in Rochester and today’s Higan service.

How precious is that third jewel, the Sangha.