Monthly Archives: November 2020

WONS

The Transformation of Poison into Medicine

It is stated in the Great Wisdom Discourse by Bodhisattva Nāgārjuna, “If this is so, isn’t it correct to say that the Flower Garland Sūtra and other Wisdom Sūtras are not the secret dharma, but that instead the Lotus Sūtra, which expounds the doctrine of attaining Buddhahood by the Two Vehicles, is the secret dharma? The Lotus Sūtra is like a great medicine master who can transform poison into medicine.” Commenting on this, Grand Master T’ien-t’ai states, “As a good physician can change poison into medicine, the Two Vehicles, who are considered incapable of attaining Buddhahood, were guaranteed by the Lotus Sūtra to become Buddhas in the future. This is indeed the transformation of poison into medicine. Therefore, it is stated in the Great Wisdom Discourse that no other sūtras but the Lotus Sūtra is the secret dharma.” The Great Concentration and Insight again states, “The Lotus Sūtra is called “myō (wonderful)” because it can remedy the mind of the Two Vehicles which no other sūtra can.” Grand Master Miao-lê says, “The Lotus Sūtra is said to be ‘myō’ as it can cure what is difficult to be cured.”

Ōta Nyūdō-dono Gohenji, A Reply to Lay Priest Lord Ōta, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Volume 6, Followers I, Page 33-34

Daily Dharma

Daily Dharma – Nov. 3, 2020

Bhikṣus, know this! I can enter skillfully deep into the natures of all living beings. Because I saw that they wished to hear the teachings of the Lesser Vehicle and that they were deeply attached to the five desires, I expounded the teaching of Nirvāṇa to them. When they heard that teaching, they received it by faith.

The Buddha gives this explanation to the Bhikṣus (monks and nuns) gathered to hear him teach in Chapter Seven of the Lotus Sūtra. As difficult as it is to hear the Buddha’s highest teaching, he would not give it to us unless we were ready to receive it. Still, we who would receive it must set aside his earlier teachings as a means to our personal happiness, and see them as preparations to learn how to benefit all beings. Our faith in the Buddha is the confidence that we will become as enlightened as he is, and that he is helping all of us on the path to that enlightenment.

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

LS32

Day 25

Day 25 covers all of Chapter 20, Never-Despising Bodhisattva, and opens Chapter 21, The Supernatural Powers of the Tathāgatas.

Day 25 Text with annotationsPlay MP3
Having last month concluded Chapter 20, Never-Despising Bodhisattva, we begin Chapter 21, The Supernatural Powers of the Tathāgatas and hear the vow of the Bodhisattva-mahāsattvas as many as the particles of dust of one thousand worlds who sprang up from underground.

Thereupon the Bodhisattva-mahāsattvas as many as the particles of dust of one thousand worlds, who had sprung up from underground, joined their hands together towards the Buddha with all their hearts, looked up at his honorable face, and said to him:

“World-Honored One! After your extinction, we will expound this sūtra in the worlds of the Buddhas of your replicas and also in the place from which you will pass away. Why is that? It is because we also wish to obtain this true, pure and great Dharma, to keep, read, recite, expound and copy [this sūtra], and to make offerings to it.”

Thereupon the World-Honored One displayed his great supernatural powers in the presence of the multitude, which included not only the many hundreds of thousands of billions of Bodhisattva-mahāsattvas who had already lived in this Sahā-World [before the arrival of the Bodhisattvas from underground], headed by Mañjuśrī, but also bhikṣus, bhikṣunīs, upāsakās, upāsikās, gods, dragons, yakṣas, gandharvas, asuras, garuḍas, kiṃnaras, mahoragas, men and nonhuman beings. He stretched out his broad and long tongue upwards until the tip of it reached the World of Brahman. Then he emitted rays of light with an immeasurable variety of colors from his pores. The light illumined all the worlds of the ten quarters. The Buddhas who were sitting on the lion-like seats under the jeweled trees also stretched out their broad and long tongue and emitted innumerable rays of light. Śākyamuni Buddha and the Buddhas under the jeweled trees displayed these supernatural powers of theirs for one hundred thousand years. Then they pulled back their tongues, coughed at the same time, and snapped their fingers. These two sounds [of coughing and snapping] reverberated over the Buddha-worlds of the ten quarters, and the ground of those worlds quaked in the six ways. By the supernatural powers of the Buddhas, the living beings of those worlds, including gods, dragons, yakṣas, gandharvas, asuras, garuḍas, kiṃnaras, and mahoragas, men and nonhuman beings, saw the many hundreds of thousands of billions of Buddhas sitting on the lion-like seats under the jeweled trees in this Sahā-World. They also saw Śākyamuni Buddha sitting by the side of Many-Treasures Tathāgata on the lion-like seat in the stupa of treasures. They also saw that the many hundreds of thousands of billions of Bodhisattva-mahāsattvas and the four kind of devotees were surrounding Śākyamuni Buddha respectfully. Having seen all this, they had the greatest joy that they had ever had.

See The Buddha’s Long and Broad Tongue

stories, LS32, d25b, d26b

The Buddha’s Long and Broad Tongue

The long and broad tongue reaching to the Brahma heaven testifies to the truth of what had been taught. It is a way of affirming that what the Buddha teaches is true, especially true in the sense of being effective in relieving suffering. This tongue symbolizes the length and breadth the Dharma: it is both broad or inclusive and long in that it can reach everywhere. Though it takes many forms, the Dharma goes everywhere and is one; that is, it is neither divided nor fragmented.

Thus this image of the long and broad tongue reaching to the heavens is called a symbol of nimon-shin’itsu, “two gateways, one in faith.” That is, in faith the two halves of the Sutra are one, and Shakyamuni Buddha and the Original Buddha are one. …

This unity of Shakyamuni Buddha and the Original Buddha is related to the Dharma Flower Sutra’s repeated affirmation of the reality and importance of this concrete, actual world. The original, universal Buddha is always an embodied Buddha – for us, principally Shakyamuni Buddha, who is uniquely the Buddha of this world, the one declared in the Lotus Sutra to be the “father of this world.” The abstract universal and original Buddha has to be embodied in order to make a difference in this world. Without Shakyamuni Buddha, for us at least, there might be no buddha at all. Even the three Pure Land Sutras, which are the textual basis for devotion to Amida Buddha, like the Dharma Flower Sutra are said to have been preached on Eagle Peak by Shakyamuni Buddha. Regardless of what buddha is the main object of art or devotion, the whole Buddhist tradition has its historical origin in Shakyamuni Buddha.

The Stories of the Lotus Sutra, p224-225
Peaceful Action

The Lotus Sutra’s Spirit of Moderation

Quote

Before the appearance of the Lotus Sutra, many profound Mahayana ideas and philosophies had already been developed and had begun to be admired by many people. But the Mahayana was only there as a number of individuals scattered here and there. It was an expression of thought and scripture, but it was not yet there in the form of a community, an organization, or an establishment. Only when the Lotus Sutra was born, with its spirit of moderation, reconciliation, and unity, did the Mahayana begin to have a complete fourfold Sangha of monks, nuns, laymen and laywomen. This is the environment in which the Lotus Sutra was born, and its appearance was a very fortunate occurrence that contributed to the foundation of Mahayana Buddhism at just the right time. The Lotus Sutra applied a new method that was very compassionate

The attitude of reconciliation and harmony reflected in the Lotus Sutra was very important in the maturation of Mahayana Buddhism. Because of the Sutra’s capacity to accept and integrate the paths of all the Buddhist vehicles, it has been given the highest place in the Mahayana canon. In the Lotus Sutra the Buddha says to the bodhisattva called Beflowered by the King of Constellation, “Just as among all streams, rivers, and bodies of water the sea is the first, the Sutra of the Dharma Blossom is the deepest and greatest among the scriptures preached by the Thus Come One.” And earlier in the Sutra, the Buddha says:

Medicine King, I now proclaim to you
the scriptures that I preach;
And among these scriptures
The Dharma Blossom is foremost.

Peaceful Action, Open Heart, p19-20
Lecture on Lotus Sutra

The Buddha Is The Lotus Sutra

Quote

The Odaimoku is nothing more than praising with our life the heart of the Lotus Sutra. The Odaimoku does not exist outside of the Lotus Sutra. It is not something that replaces the Lotus Sutra. It is merely an abbreviated way to practice the heart of the sutra, which is praising. Nichiren did not invent the Odaimoku; he was not even the first person to chant it. So if Nichiren didn’t invent the Odaimoku, and he wasn’t the first person to chant it, how could he in any logical way be superior to Shakyamuni Buddha, who taught the Lotus Sutra? Shakyamuni Buddha’s life is the manifestation of the Lotus Sutra, and the physical embodiment of the Eternal Buddha, which is revealed in no place other than the Lotus Sutra. It isn’t so much that the Buddha attained enlightenment by means of the Lotus Sutra; it is more that the Buddha is the Lotus Sutra and the teaching of the Lotus Sutra is that revelation.

Lecture on the Lotus Sutra

WONS

The Eyes of Buddhas

The 11,037 Buddhist temples in Japan, 66 provinces and two islands (Iki and Tsushima), all enshrine Buddhas consisting of portraits and wooden statues. Some temples existed before the introduction of Shingon Buddhism to Japan while others were established after. At any rate, these Buddhas have become Buddhas enlightened by the Lotus Sūtra, hence their eyes all should be eyes of the Lotus Sūtra as it is preached in the Sūtra of Meditation on the Universal Sage Bodhisattva cited above: “This hōdō (Mahāyāna) sūtra is the eyes of Buddhas.” Grand Master Miao-lê also states in his Annotations on the Words and Phrases of the Lotus Sūtra: “This Lotus Sūtra makes the eternal presence of the Buddha-nature the throat, the practice of the One Vehicle teaching the eye, revival of the Two Vehicles the heart, and revealing the eternal life of the True Buddha, the life.”

Kangyō Hachiman-shō, Remonstration with Bodhisattva Hachiman, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Doctrine 1, Page 268-269

Daily Dharma

Daily Dharma – Nov. 2, 2020

Thereupon the Buddha said to World-Voice-Perceiver Bodhisattva:

“Receive it out of your compassion towards this Endless-Intent Bodhisattva, towards the four kinds of devotees, and towards the other living beings including gods, dragons, yakṣas, gandharvas, asuras, garuḍas, kiṃnaras, mahoragas, human and nonhuman beings!”

In Chapter Twenty-Five of the Lotus Sūtra, Endless-Intent Bodhisattva offers a necklace of gems with inestimable value to World-Voice-Perceiver Bodhisattva. At first World-Voice-Perceiver refuses to take it, and only accepts it when the Buddha asks him to receive it for the benefit of all beings. This reminds us that when we cultivate a mind of compassion, anything we receive is not meant to be held for our personal benefit. It is meant to be transformed into something beneficial for all beings.

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

LS32

Day 24

Day 24 concludes Chapter 19, The Merits of the Teacher of the Dharma, and closes the Sixth Volume of the Sutra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma.

Day 24 Text with annotationsPlay MP3
Having last month considered the twelve hundred merit of the tongue, we repeat the twelve hundred merit of the tongue in gāthās.

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

Their tongues will be purified.
Their tongues will not receive anything bad.
Anything they at will become
As delicious as nectar.

When they e pound the Dharma to the great multitude
And lead them
By telling them the stories of previous lives, parables, and similes
With their deep, pure and wonderful voices,
The hearers will rejoice
And make excellent offerings to them.

All gods, dragons,
Yakṣas and asuras
Will come together
And hear the Dharma respectfully.

Anyone who expounds the Dharma, if he wishes,
Will be able to cause the living beings
Of the one thousand million Sumeru-worlds
To hear his wonderful voice.

The wheel-turning-kings of great and small [countries],
Who have each one thousand children,
Will come with their children and attendants,
And join their hands together respectfully to hear the Dharma.

Gods, dragons, yakṣas,
Raksasas and pisacakas
Also will come joyfully,
And make offerings to him.

The Brahman-Heavenly-King,
King Mara, Freedom [God],
Great-Freedom [God],
And the other gods also will come to him.

The Buddhas and their disciples who hear
The voice of the expounder of the Dharma,
Will think of him, protect him,
And sometimes appear before him.

The Daily Dharma from March 21, 2020, offers this:

Their tongues will be purified.
Their tongues will not receive anything bad.
Anything they eat will become
As delicious as nectar.

The Buddha sings these verses to Constant-Endeavor Bodhisattva in Chapter Nineteen of the Lotus Sūtra, describing those who keep the Lotus Sūtra. With food and drink it is easy to see how different people will find the same food either delicious or disgusting. Our experience and beliefs shape what we are comfortable putting into our bodies, and whether we do so for the sake of our health or the pleasure that comes from experiencing their flavor. But when we find that something with good flavor is bad for our health, or vice versa, we can change our tastes. This is another example of how the Lotus Sūtra teaches us how to live in the world. We learn to embrace situations we once found frightening or intolerable. We increase our capacity with our focus on benefiting others. As a wise teacher once said, we learn to enjoy problems the way we enjoy ice cream.

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

Blog

Silver Lining to Terrible Year

There is very, very little that you can say about 2020 that is not depressing, beginning with the loss of Ryusho Shonin. But in this world of COVID-19 and all that the pandemic has turned upside down, the expansion of the online Sangha of Nichiren Shu followers is at silver lining worth cherishing.

This morning I relished the extra hour of sleep delivered with the end of Daylight Savings and then did morning Gonyo. After my morning tea and news update (I am, after all, a retired newspaper editor) I joined Rev. Shoda Kanai and 10 others for the Nichiren Buddhist Kannon Temple of Nevada kito blessing service.

20201101-las-vegas-purification
Rev. Shoda Kanai

Not certain how efficacious a Zoom purification ceremony is, but I enjoy the intent.

After another tea break and an online game of Go (I won), I joined Rev. Ryuei McCormick and Shami Ryugan Herrick and the Nichiren Shu Buddhist Sangha of the San Francisco Bay Area. More than 20 people from around the world were on the call.

20201101_origin_myoho-renge-kyo

This slide from Shami Herrick’s presentation offers an Origin Story of the Daimoku:

When the Buddha realized Awakening he praised the Saddharma or Wonderful Dharma and Brahma came and congratulated him saying that this was what all Buddhas did. This is “Namu Myoho.” Brahma said to him, “Great Master, you must teach the people so they too may be Free.” The Buddha looked across the world and saw all the many beings, great and small, strong and weak, smart and dull and observed that they are all like beautiful Lotus Flowers growing in the muddy pond in various states of blooming. And so the Buddha agreed to teach – this is “Renge Kyo.” He vowed, I will teach this Wonderful Dharma, the Way Things Are, the Path to Freedom from Suffering. This shall be known as the Teaching of the Blossoming Lotuses of the Wonderful Dharma.

Dharma Talk Video

Now it’s time to do my evening service and 32 Days of the Lotus Sutra blog post and retire to an evening of leisure.