Monthly Archives: September 2020

WONS

Pile Up Your Faith in the Lotus Sutra

According to the Lotus Sutra, the Buddha carries on His shoulders and back men and women who have firm faith in the sutra. Tripiṭaka Master Kumārāyana is said to have been carried on the back of a wooden statue of Śākyamuni Buddha. As for myself, the Buddha took my place to save my life at Tatsunokuchi. This has always been true, today as in the past. You are my followers. How can you each fail to attain Buddhahood? No matter whom you remarry, do not follow him if he does not believe in the Lotus Sutra. Have a stronger affirmation than ever.

Ice is made of water, but it is colder than water. Blue colored cloth is colored by indigo, but it will be bluer than indigo when dyed repeatedly. In the same fashion, if you pile up your faith in the Lotus Sutra, you will be filled with more vitality and blessings than other people.

Oto Gozen Go-shōsoku, A Letter to Lady Oto, Nyonin Gosho, Letters Addressed to Female Followers, Page 122-124

Daily Dharma

Daily Dharma – Sept. 4, 2020

He was strenuous and resolute in mind.
He concentrated his mind,
And refrained from indolence
For many hundreds of millions of kalpas.

The Buddha sings these verses to Maitreya Bodhisattva in Chapter Seventeen of the Lotus Sūtra. In this Chapter, the Buddha describes the benefits from practicing generosity, discipline, patience, perseverance, and in these verses, concentration. He then compares these benefits to those which come from understanding the ever-present nature of the Buddha, even for a time no longer than the time it takes to blink. The merits of the latter outshine the former as the sun in a clear sky outshines the stars. When we are assured of the Buddha’s constant presence, helping all of us to become enlightened, we find that we can accomplish far more than we thought possible.

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

LS32, Universal Sage

Between Day 32 and Day 1: Perspectives On The One Path

In reciting The Sutra of Contemplation of The Dharma Practice of Universal Sage Bodhisattva I was struck by a minor line early in the sutra:

“Hear me clearly! Hear me clearly, and consider this well! In the past, on Mount Vulture Peak and at other places, the Tathāgata has already expounded the one genuine path from many perspectives. And now, at this place, for the benefit of all living beings in the future who wish to follow the Supreme Way that is the Great Vehicle—and who wish to learn and follow the practice of Universal Sage,3 I will now expound the method4 for that, which I have kept in mind. Impurities, in any number, should be eliminated whether one perceives Universal Sage or not. This I will now explain to you, accordingly, in great detail.

This idea of one genuine path from many perspectives ties nicely with the Three-Fold Lotus Sutra.  Looking in book order, we have the Innumerable Meanings:

Seeing that conditioned desires are innumerable, the bodhisattva expounds the teachings in infinite ways. Because there are infinite ways of exposition, there are infinite meanings as well. The infinite meanings stem from a single dharma.

The Lotus Sutra follows with:

I know that all living beings have various desires. I also know that they have attachments deep in their minds. Therefore, I expound various teachings to them with stories of previous lives, parables, similes and discourses, that is to say, with various expedients according to their natures.

Śāriputra! I do all this for the purpose of causing them to realize the teaching of the One Buddha-Vehicle, that is, to obtain the knowledge of the equality and differences of all things. Śāriputra! There is not a second vehicle in the worlds of the ten quarters. How can there be a third?

And finally today’s reminder that what he have heard are many perspectives on the one genuine path.

d1b, Vasubandhu

The Merit Accomplished When the Tathāgata Establishes the Grounds to Teach

This merit means that he reveals an unusual, incomprehensible event to the great assembly. Seeing it, the great assembly is struck with wonder. Delighted, they want to hear about it and think: “The Tathāgata should now explain something to us.” Therefore it is called the accomplishment of a basis to explain the motive. That is why the Tathāgata emits a great ray of light that reveals various events occurring in the worlds of another direction.

The Tathāgata first displays for the great assembly external events, such as the earth quaking in six ways. Then he reveals the profound and subtle truth (Dharma) within this religious discourse that he realized by himself. He also utilizes the physical and human worlds; a variety of types and dimensions; the different defilements and purities possessed; the different buddhas, doctrines (Dharmas), and disciples in order to illustrate the Three Jewels; the different vehicles; the worlds with buddhas and those without buddhas. He causes living beings to see practitioners who have not yet attained the result [of the path] as well as those who have gained the path and attained the result. Just as it says in the Lotus Sutra, “[A]ll who had achieved the path through practice…”

“A variety of types” means various sights. Briefly expressed, there are four: 1) nourishment, 2) listening to the Dharma, 3) practice, and 4) delight. Just as it says in the Lotus Sutra:

At that moment the Buddha emitted a ray of light from the tuft of white hair between his eyebrows [which totally illuminated all of the eighteen thousand worlds in the east, down as far as the lowest hell and up as far as the highest heaven. In those lands the beings of the six destinies were completely visible. Moreover the buddhas present in those lands were seen and the Dharma they were teaching was heard. Also seen there were the monks, nuns, laymen, and laywomen who had achieved the path through practice. Moreover, all the bodhisattvas, great beings, possessed of various inclinations, motives, and appearances, were seen practicing the bodhisattva path.

Furthermore all the buddhas in final nirvana (parinirvāṇa) were seen. Also seen were all the buddhas after their final nirvana], and their buddha-relic stupas made of the seven precious treasures.

It should be known that those practicing the bodhisattva path give guidance to living beings using the expedient means of the four methods of conversion. [The four methods of conversion] should be individually applied in accordance with what is taught in the Saddharmapuṇḍarīka-sūtra.

Vasubandhu's Commentary on the Lotus Sutra, p 105-106
Lecture on Lotus Sutra

Teaching With Actions and Lives

When we can so fully integrate our lives with the teachings of Buddhism that every moment and every action is a Buddhist practice, then we can better propagate Buddhism. The loudest voice we manifest is the unspoken words of our actions. While it is true the voice does the work of the Buddha in that it is the means by which we can teach, it fundamentally boils down to our actions and lives are the real vehicle by which to teach Buddhism.

Lecture on the Lotus Sutra

WONS

When a Man of Knowledge Recites Namu Myōhō Renge Kyō

I have never seen or heard of any man of knowledge who recited “Namu Myōhō Renge Kyō” himself and advised others to do so during the 700-year period between the reigns of Emperor Kimmei, when Buddhism was introduced to Japan, and the latest emperor. It is only natural that when the sun rises, stars disappear; and when a wise king rises to power, an ignorant king is destroyed. So when the True Dharma spreads, provisional ones decline; and when a man of knowledge recites “Namu Myōhō Renge Kyō,” ignorant people follow him, just as a body is followed by its shadow and a sound is followed by its echo. Consider what is said above. I, Nichiren, undoubtedly am the prime practicer of the Lotus Sūtra in Japan. No one in China, India, and in the whole world is comparable to me.

Senji-shō, Selecting the Right time: A Tract by Nichiren, the Buddha’s Disciple, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Doctrine 1, Page 238

Daily Dharma

Daily Dharma – Sept. 3, 2020

It cannot be that the good man or woman who obtained merits [by understanding my longevity by faith even at a moment’s thought] falters in walking the Way to Anuttara-samyak-saṃbodhi.”

The Buddha makes this declaration to the Bodhisattva Maitreya in Chapter Seventeen of the Lotus Sūtra. We all have experiences that take a long time either to understand or to realize what affect they have had on our lives. We may even forget the experience and not be able to connect it with a present situation. This is also true with the experience of hearing the Buddha teach. We hear him declare that he is ever-present, always leading us to enlightenment. Then the memory of that teaching becomes obscured by our daily pursuits and attachments. By reminding ourselves and each other of this highest teaching, we regain our right minds and walk confidently on the path to the Buddha’s own enlightenment (Anuttara-samyak-saṃbodhi).

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

LS32

Day 32

Day 32 covers Chapter 28, The Encouragement of Universal-Sage Bodhisattva, closing the Eighth Volume of the Sutra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma.

Day 32 Text with annotationsPlay MP3
Having last month considered Universal-Sage’s vow to protect the practicer of the Lotus Sutra, we receive the dhārāṇis spells from Universal Sage.

“World-Honored One! The bhikṣus, bhikṣunīs, upāsakās or upāsikās who seek, keep, read, recite and copy this Sūtra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma in the defiled world in the later five hundred years after [your extinction], if they wish to study and practice this sūtra, should concentrate their minds [on study and practice] strenuously for three weeks. When they complete [the study and practice of] three weeks, I will mount a white elephant with six tusks, and appear before them with my body which all living beings wish to see, together with innumerable Bodhisattvas surrounding me. I will expound the Dharma to them, show them the Way, teach them, benefit them, and cause them to rejoice. I also will give them dhārāṇi spells. If they obtain these dhārāṇis, they will not be killed by nonhuman beings or captivated by women. Also I myself will always protect them. World-Honored One! Allow me to utter these dhārāṇis spells!”

Thereupon he uttered spells before the Buddha:

“Atandai (1), tandahatai (2), tandahatei (3), tandakusharei (4), tandashudarei (5), shudarei (6), shudarahachi (7), botsudahasennei (8), sarubadarani-abatani (9), sarubabasha-abataru (10), hu­abatani (11), sōgyahabishani (12), sōgyaneku-kyadani (13), asogi (14), sōgyahagyadai. (15), teirei-ada-sōgyatorya-aratei-haratei (16), sarubasogya-sammaji-kyarandai (17), sarubadaruma­shuharisettei (18), saru-basatta-rodakyōsharya-atogyadai (19), shin-abikiridaitei (20).”

[He said to the Buddha:]

“World-Honored One! It is by my supernatural powers, know this, that a Bodhisattva can hear these dhārāṇis. Anyone who keeps the Sūtra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma [while it is] propagated in the Jambudvipa, should think, ‘I can keep [this sūtra] only by the supernatural powers of Universal-­Sage.’ Anyone who keeps, reads and recites this sūtra, memorizes it correctly, understands the meanings of it, and acts according to it, know this, does the same practices that I do. He should be considered to have already planted deeply the roots of good under innumerable Buddhas [in his previous existence]. He will be caressed on the head by the hands of the Tathāgatas. Anyone who copies this sūtra will be reborn in the Heaven of the Trāyastriṃs̒a Gods immediately after his present life. On that occasion, eighty-four thousand goddesses will come and receive him, making many kinds of music. A crown of the seven treasures will be put on his head, and he will enjoy himself among the ladies in waiting. Needless to say, [more merits will be given to] the person who [not only copies this sūtra but also] keeps, reads and recites it, memorizes it correctly, understands the meanings of it, and acts according to it. Anyone who keeps, reads and recites this sūtra, and understands the meanings of it, will be given helping hands by one thousand Buddhas immediately after his present life. He will be fearless. He will not fall into any evil region. He will be reborn in the Tusiita Heaven. There he will go to Maitreya Bodhisattva who, adorned with the thirty-two marks, will be surrounded by great Bodhisattvas, and attended on by hundreds of thousands of billions of goddesses. He will be given the benefits of these merits. Therefore, anyone who has wisdom should copy this sūtra with all his heart, cause others to copy it, and also keep, read and recite it, memorize it correctly, and act according to it.

“World-Honored One! I will protect this sūtra with my supernatural powers so that it may be propagated and not be destroyed in the Jambudvipa after your extinction.”

See Doing the Work of the Buddha with the Strength of an Elephant

LS32, d32b, stories

Doing the Work of the Buddha with the Strength of an Elephant

It is significant that Universal Sage and his elephant come not to offer us a ride to some paradise above the masses of ordinary people but to bring the strength of an elephant for doing the Buddha’s work in the world, so that the Dharma can blossom in us, empowering us to be bodhisattvas for others, enabling us to see the Buddha in others and to experience the joy of seeing buddhas everywhere.

In doing the work of the Buddha, we should recognize that there are many kinds of Dharma – teachings, truths, and correct ways of doing things. In the Buddha’s time there were Hindu dharmas and Jain dharmas, dharmas stemming from one’s birth or caste, and dharmas appropriate to one’s stage of life. In many respects, the Buddha’s teachings provided an alternative to conventional Indian dharmas. Thus, in Buddhism, Dharma is always Buddha Dharma. In other words, Buddha Dharma is such that without the Buddha there is no Buddha Dharma and, since the Buddha is first and foremost a teacher, the Buddha is not the Buddha without Buddha Dharma. The Buddha and his Dharma, the Dharma and its teacher, cannot be separated into independent realities.

There is a very interesting passage in Chapter 28: “If there are any who receive and embrace, read and recite, remember correctly, practice, and copy this Dharma Flower Sutra, it should be known that they have seen Shakyamuni Buddha. It is as though they heard this sutra from the Buddha’s mouth. It should be known that they have made offerings to Shakyamuni Buddha. It should be known that the Buddha has praised them for doing good. It should be known that Shakyamuni Buddha has touched the heads of such people with his hand. It should be known that such people are covered by the robes of Shakyamuni Buddha.” (LS 397)

The Sutra itself, in other words, is not just an embodiment of Buddha Dharma but of Shakyamuni Buddha himself, and thus is one of the ways in which the Buddha appears to and for us.

The Stories of the Lotus Sutra, p305-306
Lotus Seeds

The True Nature of All Life

Quote

One can say that the teaching of the Eternal Shakyamuni Buddha during the Ceremony in the Air is not merely a mythological portrayal of the timeless and placeless qualities of Buddhahood, but is also a symbol of the workings of the pure consciousness within the depths of our lives. This is likewise the dimension of our life that transcends space and time. Essentially, Chapter 16 of the Lotus Sutra teaches that the true nature of Shakyamuni Buddha’s life is the true nature of all life, including our own. This means that the Buddha’s life and all of his awakened qualities are just as present here and now as they were 2,500 years ago in India when he was teaching the Lotus Sutra. Therefore, we should no longer feel we must devote ourselves to any cold, abstract principles or to any personifications of incomplete aspects of the life of the Buddha. Based upon his understanding of the Ceremony in the Air, Nichiren Shonin taught that we should take refuge in the Eternal Shakyamnni Buddha as the unity of the historical, ideal, and universal aspects of the Buddha-­nature. These are fully realized and manifested by Shakyamuni Buddha, and are also the potential within all of us. The Eternal Shakyamuni Buddha, therefore, should be our Focus of Devotion if we want to fully realize the true nature of the Buddha’s awakened life and our own.

Lotus Seeds