The Stories of the Lotus Sutra, p 96-98The Lotus Sutra is sometimes said to disparage the shravaka way and its emphasis on nirvana. And it is indeed true that some passages in the Sutra can be cited to support this view. For example, in Chapter 2 we can read:
For those with dull minds
Who want lesser teachings,
Who greedily cling to existence,
Who, after encountering countless buddhas,Still do not follow
The profound and wonderful way,
And are tormented by much suffering –
For them I teach nirvana. (LS 86-7)But passages of this kind are rare and, while they are one way of looking at the matter, they do not represent the overall view of the Lotus Sutra, which is basically that shravaka teachings are an important step along the Buddha Way. Already in Chapter 1 we can find:
By various causal explanations
And innumerable parables,
[The buddhas] illuminate the Buddha-dharma And open understanding of it to all.Or weary from age, disease, or death,
For them they teach nirvana
To bring all suffering to an end.The shravaka way certainly is not being belittled or disparaged – after all, it brings suffering to an end. For those who sought to be shravakas he taught the Dharma of the four truths for overcoming birth, old age, disease, and death, and attaining nirvana.
Thus we find references to this shravaka nirvana as “incomplete nirvana, or as what shravakas “think is nirvana.” Not surprisingly, we find contrasting terms in the text as well, such as “ultimate nirvana.”
At one point in Chapter 7, the Buddha says, “the nirvana that you have attained is not the real one!” This implies, of course, that there is a greater nirvana of some kind. This greater nirvana is often characterized in the Dharma Flower Sutra as “buddha-wisdom.” The shravaka nirvana, the Buddha says, is “only close to buddha-wisdom.” (LS 199) Sometimes the text goes further, declaring that real nirvana is a matter of being a buddha. Thus, at the end of Chapter 7 we find:
When I know they have reached nirvana
And all have become arhats,
Then I gather everyone together
And teach the real Dharma.Through their powers of skillful means,
Buddhas make distinctions and teach three vehicles.
But there is really only one Buddha-Vehicle.
It is for a resting place that the other two are taught.Now I teach the truth for you:
What you have reached is not extinction.
To gain a buddha’s comprehensive wisdom, You have to make a great effort.When you have gained comprehensive wisdom,
And the ten powers of the Buddha-dharma,
And acquired the thirty-two characteristics,
Then that is real extinction. (LS 206)Thus, what is taught in the Dharma Flower Sutra, and in the parable of the fantastic castle-city, is that an experience of nirvana that leads you to think you have accomplished all that you need to accomplish is always an illusion. Yet, while it is an illusion, it is not necessarily a bad illusion, since, by providing a resting place along the way, it can enable people to pursue the greater goal of acquiring buddha-wisdom, of becoming a buddha. Resting places can be illusions and escapes, but they may be both useful and necessary. Without them many people, including ourselves, might not be able to continue on the way. We should not, then, be too critical of resting places, especially of the resting places of others.
Monthly Archives: June 2020
The Four Devils
The four devils consist of the devil of the five aggregates, the devil of the defilements, the devil of death, and the devil king of the sixth heaven. The devil of the aggregates refers to the inherent insecurity, anxiety, and outright suffering which results from trying to identify with the five aggregates of form, feeling, perception, mental formations, and consciousness. The devil of the defilements refers to the ways in which self-centered desires inevitably arise based upon the needs of the body and mind for nourishment, security, pleasurable stimulation, and self-aggrandizement. The devil of death refers to the dread, fear, and terror that arise in the face of the inevitable dissolution of the body and mind upon death. The devil king of the sixth heaven, or Mara, refers to those things in life that tempt us to forget about Buddhist practice and live only for worldly goals and aspirations. The devil king of the sixth heaven personifies all those people, situations, and inner impulses which tempt or threaten us to forsake Buddhism and return to the old cycle of unthinking habit, fleeting pleasures and familiar pains. One could say that the other name for the devil king of the sixth heaven is “the devil we know” who attempts to frighten or cajole us away from the unfamiliar territory of liberation back into the vicious cycle of our self-centeredness. Interestingly, the devil king of the sixth heaven is also included on the calligraphic mandala, probably to show that even he is not outside the power of the Eternal Śākyamuni Buddha, and that ultimately even the devilish functions can be turned to the realization of buddhahood.
Open Your Eyes, p483-484The Ten Factors and Three Truths
In the daily practice of Nichiren Buddhism, the Ten Factors are recited three times. This is done to acknowledge each of the Three Truths of Emptiness, Provisional Reality, and the Middle Way. The first recitation acknowledges that all Ten Factors are ultimately empty because they are nothing apart from the flow and process of the Ten Worlds that they describe. The second recitation acknowledges that all Ten Factors do have a provisional existence because their activity allows the Ten Worlds to manifest. The third recitation acknowledges that all Ten Factors are expressions of the Middle Way.
Lotus SeedsInterpreting Sūtras According to Intent of the Buddha
What is the difference in interpretation of sūtras between Grand Master T’ien-t’ai and masters of other Buddhist Schools? Masters of other schools interpret sūtras respectively and think that they understand the meaning of each sūtra. Grand Master T’ien-t’ai, on the other hand, interprets sūtras according to the intent of the Buddha as He preached in the Lotus Sūtra on the pre-Lotus sūtras of the first forty years or so. Therefore, though the Lotus Sūtra seems different from the sūtras compiled by Venerable Ānanda, it agrees with the Buddha’s will.
Nijō Sabutsu Ji, Obtaining Buddhahood by the Two Vehicles, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Doctrine 3, Page 229
Daily Dharma – June 4, 2020
When he expounds or reads this sūtra, he should not point out the faults of other persons or sūtras. He should not despise other teachers of the Dharma. He should not speak of the good points or bad points or the merits or demerits of others. He should not mention Śrāvakas by name when he blames them. Nor should he do so when he praises them. He should not have hostile feelings against them or dislike them. He should have this peace of mind so that he may not act against the wishes of the hearers. When he is asked questions, he should not answer by the teachings of the Lesser Vehicle, but expound the Dharma only by the teachings of the Great Vehicle so that the questioners may be able to obtain the knowledge of the equality and differences of all things.
The Buddha gives this explanation to Mañjuśrī Bodhisattva in Chapter Fourteen of the Lotus Sūtra in which he describes the peaceful practices of a Bodhisattva. For us who aspire to be Bodhisattvas in this world of conflict, this passage reminds us not to create more conflict in our efforts to benefit others. Rather we should work to remind them of their good qualities and demonstrate the respect we want to receive.
The Daily Dharma is produced by the Lexington Nichiren Buddhist Community. To subscribe to the daily emails, visit zenzaizenzai.com
Day 9
Day 9 covers Chapter 5, The Simile of Herbs, and introduces Chapter 6, Assurance of Future Buddhahood.
Having last month considered the Buddha’s insight into our capacities, appearances, entities and natures, we conclude the prose section of Chapter 5, The Simile of Herbs, and begin the gāthās.
“Kāśyapa, and all of you present here! It is an extraordinarily rare thing to see that you have understood, believed and received the Dharma which I expounded variously according to the capacities of all living beings because it is difficult to understand the Dharma which the Buddhas, the World-Honored Ones, expound according to the capacities of all living beings.”
Thereupon the World-Honored One, wishing to repeat what he had said, sang in gāthās:
As the destroyer of the bonds of existence,
I, the King of the Dharma, have appeared in this world.
Since then I have expounded the Dharma variously
According to the desires of all living beings.I am honorable, and my wisdom is profound.
Therefore, I have been reticent on this truth[,]
[That is, the reality of all things,] for a long time.
I did not make haste to expound it to all living beings.If they had heard it [without expedients],
Men of ignorance would have had doubts,
And lost their way [to enlightenment] forever,
Though men of wisdom would have understood it by faith.Therefore, Kāśyapa, I expounded [the Dharma]
With various expedients to all living beings
According to their capacities
In order to cause them to have the right view.
The Daily Dharma from March 2, 2020, offers this:
Kāśyapa, and all of you present here! It is an extraordinarily rare thing to see that you have understood, believed and received the Dharma which I expounded variously according to the capacities of all living beings because it is difficult to understand the Dharma which the Buddhas, the World-Honored Ones, expound according to the capacities of all living beings.
The Buddha makes this declaration to his disciple Kāśyapa and all those gathered to hear him teach in Chapter Five of the Lotus Sūtra. The Buddha knows how hard it is to set aside our delusions and understand what he is teaching us. When the Buddha teaches with expedients, he lets us stay in the comfort of our own minds. With the Wonderful Dharma of the Lotus Sūtra, he takes us into the unfamiliar areas of his own mind. Only when we gain confidence in the Buddha as our guide can we stay with this teaching and not regress to the contentment of our attachments.
The Daily Dharma is produced by the Lexington Nichiren Buddhist Community. To subscribe to the daily emails, visit zenzaizenzai.com
The Three Obstacles and Four Devils
Describing his early considerations as to whether he should risk remonstrating against slander of the Lotus Sūtra, Nichiren wrote, “If I spoke out, I realized, the three obstacles and four devils would overtake me.” (Hori 2002, p. 53; see also 106-107) The “three obstacles and four devils” (J. sanshō-shima) are described in the writings of Tiantai Zhiyi (538-597). The following passage is a good example of Nichiren’s citing of this teaching and his explanation of it:
Therefore, it is stated in the Great Calming and Contemplation, fascicle five, “As practice and understanding of ‘calming and contemplation’ progress, the three obstacles and four devils compete to interfere with the practitioner. … Do not follow them or fear them. When one follows them, one will fall into the evil realms; and if one is afraid of them, one will be unable to master the True Dharma.” This is exactly what I have experienced with my own body. Also, this should be a clear mirror for my disciples and followers to reflect upon. Please practice with reverence, thereby producing nourishment for the future practitioners of the Lotus Sūtra.
The “three obstacles” in this citation refer to defilements, evil karma, and painful retributions. The defilements are the obstacles arising from the three poisons of greed, hatred, and delusion; evil karma refers to the obstructions arising from wives and children; and the painful retributions are obstructions caused by the rulers of a country, parents, and others. Among the “four devils” that cause hindrances is the king of devils in the sixth heaven in the ream of desire. (Hori 2010, p.adapted)
The three obstacles and the four devils were Zhiyi’s way of cataloging all the various phenomena that can keep us from practicing Buddhism. The three obstacles consist of self-centered desires or defilements, the karma or unwholesome habits that arise from those defilements, and the painful consequences of such activity.
Open Your Eyes, p482The Seed in ‘3,000 Existences Contained in One Thought’
Nonetheless, without the seed of Buddhahood established on the basis of the “3,000 existences contained in one thought” doctrine, attainment of Buddhahood by all sentient beings or the worship of wooden statues and portraits are empty names without reality.
Kanjin Honzon-shō, A Treatise Revealing the Spiritual Contemplation and the Most Verable One, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Doctrine 2, Page 145
Daily Dharma – June 3, 2020
Those who come to this teacher of the Dharma
Will be able to complete the Way of Bodhisattvas quickly.
Those who follow him and study will be able to see
As many Buddhas as there are sands in the River Ganges.
The Buddha sings these verses to Medicine-King Bodhisattva in Chapter Ten of the Lotus Sūtra. By teacher of the Dharma, the Buddha means anyone who keeps, reads, recites, copies and expounds this Sūtra. As we continue on this Way, we learn to recognize the Buddha’s presence in every aspect of our experience. We learn to appreciate everything the Buddha does for us, and to show that gratitude to all those in whom we recognize the Buddha. Then we realize there is no shortage of teachers, no shortage of joy and no shortage of opportunities to benefit others.
The Daily Dharma is produced by the Lexington Nichiren Buddhist Community. To subscribe to the daily emails, visit zenzaizenzai.com
Day 8
Day 8 concludes Chapter 4, Understanding by Faith, and closes the second volume of the Sutra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma.
Having last month considered the rewards the Śrāvakas received, we conclude today’s portion of Chapter 4, Understanding by Faith.The Buddhas have
Great supernatural powers.
Their powers are rare, immeasurable,
Limitless and inconceivable.The Buddhas are the Kings of the Dharma
They are free from āsravas, from cause and effect.
The Buddhas practice patience
In order to save inferior people.
They expound the Dharma according to the capacities
Of the ordinary people who are attached to forms.The Buddhas expound the Dharma
In perfect freedom.
Knowing the various desires and dispositions
Of all living beings,
They expound the Dharma
With innumerable parables
And with innumerable similes
According to their capacities.Some living beings planted the roots of good
In their previous existence.
Some of the roots have fully developed.
Seeing all this, the Buddhas understand
The capacities of all living beings,
And divide the teaching of the One Vehicle into three,
According to the capacities
Of all living beings.[Here ends] the Second Volume of the Sūtra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma.