Monthly Archives: March 2019

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The Place of Practice

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In its most specific sense, the place of practice is understood in terms of the “ordination platform of the origin teaching” (honmon no kaidan), the third of the three great secret Dharmas entrusted by the original Śākyamuni to Bodhisattva Superior Conduct for the sake of persons in the Final Dharma age. However, as rules governing conduct, neither the ssu-fen lü precepts nor the bodhisattva precepts receive much attention in Nichiren’s thought. Although he maintained celibacy, refrained from meat-eating, and generally observed the standards of monastic conduct, he described himself as “a monk without precepts.” Like Hōnen, Nichiren saw the Final Dharma age as an age without precepts, when “there is neither keeping the precepts nor breaking them.” From a very early period, he held that “merely to believe in this [Lotus] sūtra is to uphold the precepts,” a statement based on the sūtra’s claim that one who can receive and keep the sūtra after the Buddha’s Nirvāṇa is “a keeper of the precepts.” A later writing explains this in terms of the all-inclusiveness of the daimoku:

Myōhō-renge-kyō, the heart of the origin teaching of the Lotus Sūtra, assembles in five characters all the merit of the myriad practices and good (acts] of the Buddhas of the three time periods. How could these five characters not contain the merit of [upholding] the myriad precepts? After the practitioner has once embraced this perfectly endowed, wonderful precept, it cannot be broken, even if one should try. No doubt this is why it has been called the vajra precept of the jeweled receptacle (kongō hōki kai). By embracing this precept, the Buddhas of the three time periods realized the Dharma, recompense, and manifested bodies, becoming Buddhas without beginning or end. … Because so wonderful a precept has been revealed, the precepts based on the pre-Lotus Sūtra teachings and on the trace teaching are now without the slightest merit.

Original Enlightenment and the Transformation of Medieval Japanese Buddhism


Profound

The Ultimate Empty Space

Chih-I portrays the Ultimate Truth by equating it with empty space in a house. Empty space in a house has neither roof beams nor pillars. The substance of a house, empty space, thus represents the Ultimate Truth. On the other hand, the roof beams and pillars are taken to analogize the cause and effect of Buddhahood. This is because if a house has no void, it cannot contain and receive anything. If the cause and effect of Buddhahood are not based on the Ultimate Truth as substance, they cannot sustain themselves. Thus, Chih-i holds that it is necessary to single out the correct substance that consists of only one empty space, upon which everything is able to function. (Vol. 2, Page 407-408)

The Profound Meaning of the Lotus Sutra: Tien-tai Philosophy of Buddhism


LS32

Day 21

Day 21 covers all of Chapter 16, The Duration of the Life of the Tathāgata.

Day 21 Text with annotationsPlay MP3

Having last month considered the purpose of the sūtras expounded to this point, we learn why Śākyamuni says ‘I shall pass away.’

“Good men! The duration of my life, which I obtained by the practice of the way of Bodhisattvas, has not yet expired. It is twice as long as the length of time as previously stated. Although I shall never enter into Nirvāṇa, I say to men of little virtue, ‘I shall pass away.’ I teach them with this expedient. Why is that? It is because, if they see me for a long time, they will not plant the roots of good, but become poor and base, and cling to the five desires so much that they will be caught in the nets of wrong views. If they think that I am always here, and do not think that I will pass away, they will become too arrogant and lazy to realize the difficulty of seeing me, and they will not respect me. Therefore I say [to them] expediently, ‘Bhikṣus, know this! It is difficult to see a Buddha who appears in [this] world.’ Why is that? It is because some men of little virtue cannot see me even during many hundreds of thousands of billions of kalpas while the others can. Therefore, I say [to them], ‘Bhikṣus! It is difficult to see a Tathāgata.’ Those who hear this and know that it is difficult to see me, will adore me, admire me, and plant the roots of good. Therefore l say [to them], ‘I shall pass away,’ although I shall not.

The Daily Dharma from July 8, 2018, offers this:

Although I shall never enter into Nirvāṇa, I say to men of little virtue, ‘I shall pass away.’ I teach them with this expedient. Why is that? It is because, if they see me for a long time, they will not plant the roots of good, but become poor and base, and cling to the five desires so much that they will be caught in the nets of wrong views.

The Buddha gives this explanation in Chapter Sixteen of the Lotus Sutra. This Chapter is the first time he reveals himself as the Ever-Present Buddha who became enlightened in the far distant past and will continue to lead all beings to enlightenment into the far distant future. The Buddha uses the death of his physical body as an expedient so that those who take him for granted will make efforts to practice his teachings. When we practice the Wonderful Dharma of the Lotus Sūtra, then we learn to see the Buddha in ourselves and all beings.

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

Daily Dharma

Daily Dharma – March 5, 2019

Anyone who reads this sūtra
Will be free from grief,
Sorrow, disease or pain.
His complexion will be fair.
He will not be poor,
Humble or ugly.
All living beings
Will wish to see him
Just as they wish to see sages and saints.
Celestial pages will serve him.

The Buddha sings these verses in Chapter Fourteen of the Lotus Sūtra. When we cultivate the mind of the Buddha, and bring his teachings to life, we help other beings find true happiness. This is different from our normal pattern of attempting to manipulate what others think about us through bribery, threats, and other forms of coercion. When we help others find their minds, they realize that they share our true mind of joy and peace.

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

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One Buddha and Four Attendants

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[A]nother form of honzon possibly adopted during Nichiren’s lifetime is known as the “one Buddha and four attendants” (isson shishi). It probably derives from passages in Nichiren’s writings such as the following, in a letter to his follower Toki Jōnin (1216-1299), dated 1279:

You say in your letter: “I have heard before that an object of worship should be made of the Lord Śākyamuni of the origin teaching, who attained enlightenment in the remotest past, and that, as attendants, [images] should be made of the four leaders of the bodhisattvas emerged from the earth who are his original disciples. But when [is this object of worship to be established] as I have heard?”

… Now in the Final Dharma age, in accordance with the Buddha’s golden words, [an object of worship] should be made of the original Buddha and his original attendants.

And in fact, Toki Jōnin’s index of the writings, icons, and ritual implements preserved at the temple he established after Nichiren’s death includes “a standing image of Śākyamuni and also the four bodhisattvas (in a small shrine).” The presence of the four bodhisattvas signals that the central icon is the original or eternal, rather than the merely historical, Śākyamuni. The “one Buddha and four attendants” came into fairly widespread use among Nichiren’s followers as a honzon almost immediately after his death. There was also a more complex configuration consisting of the two Buddhas, Śākyamuni, and Many Jewels, seated together in the jeweled stūpa and flanked by the four bodhisattvas (ittō ryōson shishi). The earliest attested grouping was made by Jōgyōin Nichiyū (1298-1374) of the Nakayama lineage in 1335. (Page 275)

Original Enlightenment and the Transformation of Medieval Japanese Buddhism


Profound

Etymological Meaning of the Sanskrit Term Sūtra

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The etymological meaning of the Sanskrit term sūtra refers to vertical threads of a textile or vertical, and such meaning is extended by Buddhists to refer to scriptures that record the teaching of the Buddha. Thus, sūtra can mean line, string, scripture, or the verse or sentences, which convey the teachings of the Buddha, or one of the twelve divisions of scripture. When sūtra is transcribed as Hsiu-to-luo or translated into Chinese Ching, it refers to the scriptures that convey the Buddha’s teaching: in a narrow sense, one of the twelve literary styles of the Buddhist canon; in a broad sense, one of the Tripiṭaka, i.e., the whole scripture. In line with the meanings such as vertical, line, string, sūtra is translated into Chinese as Ch’i-ching, meaning “to conform to,” which is traditionally understood as suggesting that the Buddha ‘s teaching conforms to the truth and is suitable for all people. Ch’i is traditionally interpreted as that which penetrates and embraces. Sūtras are thought to penetrate into the truth and embrace all sentient beings. … According to these various meanings of the word sūtra, Chih-i summarizes five meanings in view of the sūtra being untranslatable (e.g. foundation, slight emanation, gushing spring, line marker, garlands being tied together) and five meanings in view of the sūtra being translatable (e.g. Ching, tallying with, foundation, thread, and wholesome teaching). (Vol. 2, Page 403)

The Profound Meaning of the Lotus Sutra: Tien-tai Philosophy of Buddhism


LS32, WONS

Day 20

Day 20 completes Chapter 15, The Appearance of Bodhisattvas from Underground, and concludes the Fifth Volume of the Sutra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma.

Day 20 Text with annotationsPlay MP3

Having last month heard Śākyamuni’s reply to Maitreya question about the Bodhisattva-mahāsattvas who sprang up from underground, he hear Śākyamuni explain that he is the teacher of these Bodhisattva-mahāsattvas.

Thereupon the World-Honored One, having sung these gāthās, said to Maitreya Bodhisattva:

Now I will tell all of you in this great multitude, Ajita! [I know that] you have never seen these great, innumerable, asaṃkhya Bodhisattva-mahāsattvas who sprang up from underground. After I attained Anuttara-samyak-saṃbodhi in this Sahā-World, I taught these Bodhisattvas, led them, trained them, and caused them to aspire for enlightenment. They lived in the sky below this Sahā-World. When they were there, they read many sūtras, recited them, understood them, thought them over, evaluated them, and remembered them correctly. Ajita! These good men did not wish to talk much with others [about things other than the Dharma] but to live in a quiet place. They practiced the way strenuously without a rest. They did not live among gods and men. They had no hindrance in seeking profound wisdom. They always sought the teaching of the Buddha. They sought unsurpassed wisdom strenuously with all their hearts.”

Thereupon the World-Honored One, wishing to repeat what he had said, sang in gāthās:

Ajita, know this, these great Bodhisattvas
Have studied and practiced
The wisdom of the Buddha
For the past innumerable kalpas.

They are my sons because I taught them
And caused them to aspire for great enlightenment.
They have been living in this world
[For the past innumerable kalpas].

They always practiced the dhuta.
They wished to live in a quiet place.
They kept away from bustling crowds.
They did not wish to talk much.

These sons of mine studied my teachings
Strenuously day and night
In order to attain
The enlightenment of the Buddha.
They lived in the sky
Below this Sahā-World.

Resolute in mind,
They always sought wisdom,
And expounded
Various wonderful teachings without fear.

I once sat under the Bodhi-tree
In the City of Gaya,
Attained perfect enlightenment,
And turned the wheel of the unsurpassed Dharma.

Then I taught them,
And caused them to aspire £or enlightenment.
Now they do not falter [in seeking enlightenment].
They will be able to become Buddhas.

My words are true.
Believe me with all your hearts!
I have been teaching them
Since the remotest past.

Nichiren offers his perspective on these Bodhisattvas in his letter A Treatise Revealing the Spiritual Contemplation and the Most Verable One:

My disciples, think deeply! The countless bodhisattvas who had sprung up from underground were disciples of Lord Śākyamuni Buddha ever since the time He had first resolved to seek Buddhahood. Nevertheless, they neither came to see Him when He attained Buddhahood under the bodhi tree, nor visited Him when He passed away under the twin śāla trees. Thus, they may very well be accused of not being filial.

Moreover, they did not attend the preaching of the fourteen-chapter theoretical section, and they were absent when the last six chapters of the essential section were preached. They came and left while the first eight chapters of the essential section were being preached. But these great high-ranking bodhisattvas made a vow in the presence of Śākyamuni Buddha, the Buddha of Many Treasures and numerous Buddhas in manifestation that they would propagate the Five Characters transmitted to them at the beginning of the Latter Age of Degeneration. How can they not appear right now?

Kanjin Honzon-shō, A Treatise Revealing the Spiritual Contemplation and the Most Verable One, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Doctrine 2, Page 162

Summer Writings

The Influence of Spirits

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Although we don’t know our ancestors as specific individuals, they know us verv well. Therefore, it is just as a mother is concerned for her children. If great grandchildren or descendants ignore them and do not take care of them by holding a Memorial Service, how sad they are. Nichiren Shonin said, “Even though we take our body from our parents, if, after your parent’s death, you do not take care of them and your ancestors no memorial service, no prayers, no respect – do you think that your deceased parents cannot say anything? They become malevolent spirits and curse not only you but also your children and grandchildren, as well as future descendants.”

Cursing means they will punish you with bad things. In fact, it is not a rare case where malevolent spirits have cursed a descendant, for example causing them to meet with a mishap, accident, sickness, domestic discord, relationship trouble, etc. We tend to see and think of everything based on only visible things, never thinking of spiritual influences. You might not believe it, but there are many cases connected with spiritual influences. In fact, most of the things that happen around us are affected by spirits.

Summer Writings

Daily Dharma

Daily Dharma – March 4, 2019

Some children of mine are pure in heart, gentle and wise.
They have practiced the profound and wonderful teachings
Under innumerable Buddhas
[In their previous existence].
I will expound this sūtra of the Great Vehicle to them,
And assure them of their future Buddhahood, saying:
“You will attain the enlightenment of the Buddha
In your future lives.”

The Buddha sings these verses in Chapter Two of the Lotus Sūtra. In the difficulties we face in this world of conflict and attachment, we can lose sight of our purpose to benefit all beings and try to avoid whatever is uncomfortable. When we hear the Buddha assure us of our inherent wisdom, and that our capacity to benefit others will continue to grow despite any obstacles we find, we learn to persevere through misfortunes, and increase our determination to lead 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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A Worldwide Saṃgha

Sunday, March 3, 2019, online service with Rev. Ryusho Jeffus

Enjoyed attending the online Myoshoji service this morning. With services at the Sacramento Nichiren Buddhist Church and the meetings of the Oakland Nichiren Shu Saṃgha, I don’t have as many opportunities to attend these online sessions.

Today we had two couples in France, a young man in England as well as attendees in North Carolina, South Carolina, Iowa and Ohio. It was one of the best-attended services I’ve participated in.

In an effort to help out those in France, Rev. Ryusho Jeffus tried out typing his Dharma talk live and having Google Translate display it in French. The French participants said it helped.

Using Google Translate to help attendees in France follow the Dharma talk.

These services are an excellent opportunity to learn about Nichiren Shu and participate in a gathering of like-minded people. The schedule for services are available on the Myoshoji Calendar.