The Stories of the Lotus Sutra, p69At a meeting some time ago of the International Buddhist Congregation in Tokyo, a young woman described how, dissatisfied with the faith in which she had been raised, she had searched among Christian and Buddhist traditions for an appropriate faith for herself, finally discovering with some joy the importance of having faith in herself. We might think that faith in oneself is not enough. And indeed it isn’t. But it is an important beginning. The poor man in this story was not able to become a functioning contributor to his family and society until he gained some respect for and confidence in himself.
Monthly Archives: July 2020
The Three Legs of Buddhism
Notice that the Lotus Sutra requests us to understand by faith, not believe. This is a key distinction and something that is rare to come across in religion. Nichiren teaches that faith comes from practice and study. A tripod with its three legs can stand on any irregular surface, there is a mathematical explanation for this but it is unique in that ability. How many of us have sat down at a table or on a chair of four legs and had it wobble on us because of an uneven floor? The three legs of Buddhism, the legs which can support us on any of the various uneven surfaces of life, are faith, practice and study. With those three we can overcome any situation enabling the realization of enlightenment regardless of the circumstances.
Lecture on the Lotus SutraSeasonal Choices
Nichiren’s argument for the need to use the way of subduing is developed further in the True Way of Practicing the Teaching of the Buddha (Nyosetsu Shugyō-shō).
“All those who want to practice Buddhism should know that there are two ways of propagation, embracing and subduing. All Buddhist scriptures, sūtras and commentaries must be propagated through these two ways. However, scholars in Japan today, though they seem to have learned Buddhism in general, do not know how to meet the needs of the time. The four seasons differ from one another. It is warm in summer and cold in winter, flowers bloom in spring and trees bear fruit and nuts in autumn. How can we harvest crops in spring by planting seeds in the fall? Heavy clothes are for the cold winter, not the hot summer. A cool breeze is needed in the summer and not in the winter.
“The same could be said of Buddhism. There are times when Hinayāna teachings can be spread effectively, and times when provisional Mahāyāna teachings might be more effective. Still other times might call for the True Dharma to be disseminated for the attainment of buddhahood. The two thousand year period following the death of Śākyamuni Buddha, namely the Ages of the True Dharma and Semblance Dharma, is the time for the Hinayāna and provisional Mahāyāna teachings to be spread. The five hundred year period at the beginning of the Latter Age of the Dharma is the time exclusively for the pure, perfect, only real teaching of the Lotus Sūtra to be disseminated. This is the time when quarrels and disputes are rampant, the True Dharma is hidden and the difference between the true and provisional teachings is blurred. It is said in the Nirvāṇa Sūtra: ‘Arm yourself with swords, staves, and bow and arrows when there are enemies of the True Dharma; it is no use having them when there are no enemies.’ Provisional teachings today are enemies of the True Dharma. If provisional teachings stand in your way as you try to spread the One Vehicle teaching of the Lotus Sūtra, you should thoroughly refute them. Of the two ways of propagation, this is the way of subduing of the Lotus Sūtra. Great Master Tiantai declares in his Profound Meaning of the Lotus Sūtra, fascicle nine: ‘The Lotus Sūtra is the teaching of subduing, the denouncing of the provisional teachings. ‘ How true this is!
Open Your Eyes, p570-571‘As Long as One has Strong Faith’
When Tripiṭaka Master Kumārajīva brought the Lotus Sūtra to China, the Heavenly King Vaiśravaṇa dispatched countless soldiers to escort him safely over the Pamirs. When Priest Dōshō read the Lotus Sūtra in a waste land, innumerable tigers came together to protect him. You will also be protected in the same way; the thirty-six earthly deities and the twenty-eight heavenly gods will protect you. Moreover, two heavenly gods always accompany each person just as a shadow follows the body. One is called God Dōshō, and another is God Dōmyō. Both protect a person by accompanying him on both his shoulders, so that Heaven will not punish the innocent by mistake, not to speak of a lady with virtue like you. Grand Master Miao-lê has stated: “As long as one has strong faith, he certainly will receive greater protection.” It means that the stronger one’s faith is, the greater the gods’ protection.
Oto Gozen Go-shōsoku, A Letter to Lady Oto, Nyonin Gosho, Letters Addressed to Female Followers, Page 120
Daily Dharma – July 5, 2020
When he sat on that seat, the Brahman-heavenly-kings rained heavenly flowers on the area extending a hundred yojanas in all directions from that seat. From time to time withered flowers were blown away by fragrant winds and new flowers were rained down. [The Brahman-heavenly-kings] continued this offering to him for fully ten small kalpas. [After he attained Buddhahood also,] they continued raining flowers until he passed away.
The Buddha describes the life of an ancient Buddha named Great-Universal-Wisdom-Excellence in Chapter Seven of the Lotus Sūtra. In the story, when that Buddha took the seat from which he would become enlightened, the gods who created his world recognized the immense benefit all beings were about to receive and showed their joy by filling the skies with these beautiful flowers. After that Buddha became enlightened, gods from innumerable other worlds came to his world to make offerings, giving up the pleasures of their own worlds. The enlightenment of any being extends beyond the personal contact we have with any that being. It changes the entire universe.
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Day 6
Day 6 continues Chapter 3, A Parable
Having last month concluded today’s portion of Chapter 3, A Parable, we return to the top and witness the great joy the children had riding in the carts.
“The children rode in the large carts, and had the greatest joy that they had ever had because they had never expected to get them. Śāriputra! What do you think of this? Do you think that the rich man was guilty of falsehood when he gave his children the large carts of treasures?”
Śāriputra said:“No, World-Honored One! He saved his children from the fire and caused them to survive. [Even if he had not given them anything,] he should not have been accused of falsehood because the children should be considered to have already been given the toys [they had wished to have] when they survived. He saved them from the burning house with the expedient. World-Honored One! Even if he had not given them the smallest cart, he should not have been accused of falsehood because he thought at first, ‘I will cause them to get out with an expedient.’ Because of this, he should not. Needless to say, he was not guilty of falsehood when he remembered his immeasurable wealth and gave them the large carts in order to benefit them.”
The Buddha said to Śāriputra:
“So it is, so it is. It is just as you say. Śāriputra! The same can be said of me. [I thought, ‘] I am the father of the world. I eliminated fear, despondency, grief, ignorance and darkness. I obtained immeasurable insight, powers and fearlessness. I have great supernatural powers, the power of wisdom, the paramita of expedients, the paramita of wisdom, great compassion, and great loving-kindness. I am not tired of seeking good things or of benefiting all living beings. I have appeared in the triple world, which can be likened to the rotten and burning house, in order to save all living beings from the fires of birth, old age, disease, death, grief, sorrow, suffering, lamentation, stupidity, darkness, and the three poisons, to teach all living beings, and to cause them to attain Anuttara-samyak-saṃbodhi. I see that all living beings are burned by the fires of birth, old age, disease, death, grief, sorrow, suffering and lamentation. They undergo various sufferings because they have the five desires and the desire for gain. Because they have attachments and pursuits, they have many sufferings in their present existence, and will suffer in hell or in the world of animals or in the world of hungry spirits in their future lives. Even when they are reborn in heaven or in the world of humans, they will still have many sufferings such as poverty or parting from their beloved ones or meeting with those whom they hate. Notwithstanding all this, however, they are playing joyfully. They are not conscious of the sufferings. They are not frightened at the sufferings or afraid of them. They do not dislike them or try to get rid of them. They are running about this burning house of the triple world, and do not mind even when they undergo great sufferings.[‘]
“Śāriputra! Seeing all this, I [also] thought, ‘I am the father of all living beings. I will eliminate their sufferings, give them the pleasure of the immeasurable wisdom of the Buddha, and cause them to enjoy it.’
“Śāriputra! I also thought, ‘If I extol my insight, powers, and fearlessness in the presence of those living beings only by my supernatural powers and by the power of my wisdom, that is to say, without any expedient, they will not be saved because they have not yet been saved from birth, old age, disease, death, grief, sorrow, suffering and lamentation, but are burning up in the burning house of the triple world. How can they understand the wisdom of the Buddha?’
Riding in Smaller Vehicles
The Stories of the Lotus Sutra, p51We should realize that in this story it is the lure of the three “lesser” vehicles that actually saves the children. In running out, the children are pursuing the shravaka, pratyekabuddha, and bodhisattva ways. And here, these three ways, including the bodhisattva way, are essentially equal, as they are equally effective, perhaps with one appealing to some of the children, another to others, and the other to still other children. These “smaller” vehicles, in other words, are sufficient for saving people, that is, for enabling them to enter the One Buddha Vehicle and become bodhisattvas, ones who are on the way to becoming buddhas themselves.
Daily Practice Evolution
For several days I’ve wanted to write about my new supplemental service booklet I created but I keep getting distracted. Sanshō-shima.
My first attempt was sidetracked into an illustrated tour of my altar’s evolution.
When I started today I got distracted updating the booklet text to include macrons that had been dropped from several words.
So here I am again.
In the past 2000 days, my daily service has not evolved as much as my altar, but it has changed. For example, back in September 2015, I was chanting Daimoku an average 10 minutes each service. Today, it’s more like 20 minutes. Then I used a timer; now I have a ritual that includes counting 40 to 50 Daimoku while focusing on the Mandala Gohonzon, then 40 to 50 Daimoku on Śākyamuni, and then 40 to 50 Daimoku on Many Treasures and then 40 to 50 Daimoku on the Buddhas in Manifestation Throughout the Universe. Then I focus 40 to 50 Daimoku on Nichiren and then move on to my traveling altar, first the mandala amulet and then the Kishimojin amulet. (I count using my fingers, with four or five Daimoku for each finger depending on how many I can chant with one breath.) Then I greet each of the Seven Happy Gods, identifying each of them – e.g. Bishamon, Vaiśravaṇa, Heavenly King of the North, who represents Dignity – followed by three Daimoku. After I’ve identified all seven I repeat their features – Dignity, Honesty, Joy, Wisdom, Longevity, Happiness and Fortune – and three more Daimoku. I then focus three Dailmoku each on my deceased parents and stepmother and my wife’s parents. I finished by chanting while reading silently a portion of the Letter to Hōren, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Volume 6, Followers I, Pages 56-57.
Since last summer, when I added the Seven Happy Gods to my altar, I have given each god it’s own day. In November last year, I settled on my present order – Monday, Bishamon; Tuesday, Ebisu; Wednesday, Benten; Thursday, Jurojin; Friday, Fukurokuju; Saturday, Hotei; and Sunday, Daikoku – and in March, I assigned each a character from Na Mu Myo Ho Ren Ge Kyo.
These are not the only gods I’m including in my daily service. In January of last year I began offering a daily prayer for the 30 Guardian of he Lotus Sutra, Sanjubanshin. At the time there was a booklet you could buy with a page for each of the 30 deities, but that is no longer available.
Prayers for the daily Happy God and the daily guardian deity are said before my morning service.
What prompted the creation of my new supplemental service booklet was the desire to add a daily quote from Nichiren’s writing. I found the quotes in Raihai Seiten, a Nichiren Shu Service Book Companion compiled by the Los Angeles Nichiren Buddhist Temple’s Nichiren Shu Beikoku Sangha Association. This was compiled in 2001-2002 when Rev. Shokai Kanai was the head priest. I was able to purchase a copy of the booklet from Rev. Shokai Kanai’s son, Rev. Shoda Kanai, who is the head priest at the Nichiren Buddhist Kannon Temple of Nevada. The quotes are not the same as the A Phrase A Day booklet created in 1986.
I’ve created two PDF versions of the booklet. One is suitable for reading and the other is formatted to be printed on both sides of 8.5×11 paper.
PDF files updated April 2, 2021
For anyone who donates $20 or more to the Sacramento Nichiren Buddhist Church, I will print out the booklet on my laser printer, fold and staple the pages, and mail the booklet to you. Forward a copy of your donation receipt to me at [email protected] along with your mailing address.
Circumstances Determine Method
In Kaimoku-shō, Nichiren describes the circumstances that determine which method should be followed, making it clear that in the Latter Age of Degeneration both ways must be applied depending on the circumstances. His concern was which method to apply to Japan at that time.
“So, when the land is full of evil and ignorant people, the way of embracing should take precedence as preached in the ‘Peaceful Practices’ (fourteenth) chapter of the Lotus Sūtra. However, when there are many cunning slanderers of the True Dharma, the way of subduing should take precedence as preached in the ‘Never Despising Bodhisattva’ (twentieth) chapter.
“It is the same as using cold water when it is hot and fire when it is cold. Plants and trees are followers of the sun, so they dislike the cold moon. Bodies of water are followers of the moon, so they lose their true nature when it is hot. As there are lands of evil men as well as those of slanderers of the True Dharma in this Latter Age of Degeneration, there should be both embracing and subduing as means of spreading the True Dharma. Therefore, we have to know whether Japan today is a land of evil men or that of slanderers in order to decide which of the two ways we should use.” (Hori 2002, p.111 adapted)
Nichiren further clarifies that according to Zhiyi (538-597) and Guanding, one must be sure of the conditions of the time and choose which method to use accordingly. What is the difference between “evil and ignorant people” and “cunning slanderers of the True Dharma”? By “evil and ignorant people” Nichiren means those who are ignorant of Buddhism and who commit unwholesome bodily, verbal, and mental actions without reference to Buddhist teachings. In a letter attributed to Nichiren, the author wrote of these kinds of people: “Paradoxical as it may seem, evil people who have not the least understanding of the principle of cause and effect and who are not dedicated to any Buddha whatsoever would appear to be the ones free from error with respect to Buddhism.” (WNDI, p. 173) Slanderers, on the other hand, are those who have heard the Dharma and in fact have become Buddhists, but they choose provisional teachings over the
True Dharma taught in the Lotus Sūtra and even reject the latter.
Realizing the Truth of the Buddha’s Teaching
Nichiren Shonin taught that these three principles – Gohonzon, Odaimoku and Precept Platform – would enable all people to realize the truth of Ichinen Sanzen for themselves and become fully awakened. For this reason, Nichiren was convinced that he had surpassed previous forms of Buddhism by presenting a form of teaching and practice that was not only accessible but potent enough to enable all people to fully realize the truth of the Buddha’s teaching for themselves.
Lotus Seeds