Monthly Archives: June 2021

Daily Dharma

Daily Dharma – June 15, 2021

Anyone who keeps this sūtra in the evil world
In the age of the decline of my teachings
Should be considered
To have already made these offerings.

The Buddha sings these verses to Maitreya Bodhisattva in Chapter Seventeen of the Lotus Sūtra. Given the trauma we have suffered in our previous existences, especially the calamity of death, it should be no surprise that our memories of those lives is dim at best. It can be enough to know that beneficial actions bring benefit and harmful actions bring harm, even if we do not know the specific causes of our condition. Our finding and practicing the Wonderful Dharma in this life is an indication of our great generosity in previous lives, and our capacity to continue practicing that same generosity.

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

LS32

Day 11

Day 11 continues Chapter 7, The Parable of the Magic City

Day 11 Text with annotationsPlay MP3
Having last month concluded today’s portion of Chapter 7, we return to the top and consider what happened when Great-Universal-Wisdom-Excellence Buddha attained Anuttara-samyak-saṃbodhi.

The Buddha said to the bhikṣus:
“When Great-Universal-Wisdom-Excellence Buddha attained Anuttara-samyak-saṃbodhi, five hundred billion Buddha-worlds in each of the ten quarters quaked in the six ways, and all those worlds, including those intercepted from the brilliant rays of light of the sun and the moon by the neighboring worlds, were illumined [by great rays of light], and the living beings of those worlds were able to see each other for the first time. They said to each other, ‘How did you appear so suddenly?’ The palaces of the gods of those worlds, including the palace of Brahmans, also quaked in the six ways. The great rays of light which illumined all those worlds were brighter than the rays of light emitted by those gods.

“The palaces of the Brahman-heavenly[-kings] of the five hundred billion worlds in the east were illumined twice as brightly as ever. The Brahman-heavenly-kings [of those worlds] each thought, ‘My palace has never been illumined so brightly before. Why is that?’ They visited each other and discussed the reason. There was a great Brahman-heavenly-king called All-Saving among them. He said to the other Brahmans in gāthās:

Why are our palaces illumined
More brightly than ever?
Let us find [the place]
[From where this light has come].
Did a god of great virtue or a Buddha
Appear somewhere in the universe?
This great light illumines
The worlds of the ten quarters.

“Thereupon the Brahman-heavenly-kings of the five hundred billion worlds went to the west, carrying flower-plates filled with heavenly flowers, in order to find [the place from where the light had come]. Their palaces also moved as they went. They [reached the Well-Composed World and] saw that Great­Universal-Wisdom-Excellence Tathāgata was sitting on the lion­like seat under the Bodhi-tree at the place of enlightenment, surrounded respectfully by gods, dragon-kings, gandharvas, kiṃnaras, mahoragas, men and nonhuman beings. They also saw that the sixteen princes were begging the Buddha to turn the wheel of the Dharma. Thereupon the Brahman-heavenly­kings worshipped the Buddha with their heads, walked around him a hundred thousand times, and strewed heavenly flowers to him. The strewn flowers were heaped up to the height of Mt. Sumeru. The Brahman-heavenly-kings offered flowers also to the ten-yojana-tall Bodhi-tree of the Buddha. Having offered flowers, they offered their palaces to the Buddha, saying, ‘We offer these palaces to you. Receive them and benefit us out of your compassion towards us!’ In the presence of the Buddha, they simultaneously praised him in gāthās with all their hearts:

You, the World-Honored One, are exceptional.
It is difficult to meet you.
You have innumerable merits.
You are saving all living beings.

As the great teacher of gods and men,
You are benefiting all living beings
Of the worlds of the ten quarters
Out of your compassion towards them.

We have come here from five hundred billion worlds.
We gave up the pleasure
Of deep dhyāna-concentration
Because we wished to make offerings to you.
Our palaces are beautifully adorned
Because we accumulated merits in our previous existence.
We offer [these palaces] to you.
Receive them out of your compassion towards us!

“Thereupon the Brahman-heavenly-kings, having praised the Buddha with these gāthās, said, ‘World-Honored One! Turn the wheel of the Dharma and save all living beings! Open the Way to Nirvāṇa!’ They simultaneously said in a gāthā with all their hearts:

Hero of the World,
Most Honorable Biped!
Expound the Dharma!
Save the suffering beings
By the power of your great compassion!

“Thereupon Great-Universal-Wisdom-Excellence Tathāgata gave his tacit consent to their appeal.

The Daily Dharma from April 27, 2021, offers this:

Our palaces are beautifully adorned
Because we accumulated merits in our previous existence.
We offer [these palaces] to you.
Receive them out of your compassion towards us!

The Brahma-Heavenly-Kings of the East sing these verses in Chapter Seven of the Lotus Sutra. In the story, they came to the world of Great-Universal-Wisdom-Excellence-Buddha from their worlds of beauty and pleasure when that Buddha became enlightened. Their offering shows their understanding that while they can enjoy the results of the merits they have created, these results are meant to be shared with all beings. No matter how much or how little we have, being grateful for what we have, rather than being resentful for what we lack, is an expression of the Buddha’s wisdom.

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

Foundations

Arising and Perishing and Quiescence

[V]erses in the Mahāparinirvāṇa Sūtra say, “All things are transient; this is the dharma of arising and perishing . . .” and “When arising and perishing is extinguished, this quiescence is the appearance, nature [and so forth] of those of the six destinies [from hell to heaven] are the referent of “all things.” The appearance, nature [and so forth] of those of the two vehicles and [the bodhisattva of] the Shared Teaching are the referent of “transient.”238 The appearances, nature [and so forth] of the bodhisattvas of the Distinct Teaching are the referent of “when arising and perishing is extinguished.”239 The appearances, nature [and so forth] of the Buddha realm are the referent for “this quiescence is bliss.”240 Also, “when arising and perishing is extinguished, this quiescence is bliss” refers to the appearances, nature [and so forth] of the Distinct Teaching, i.e., arising and perishing is identical with the quiescence of extinction. When extinction has not yet been accomplished, it is already called “bliss.”241 This is the appearances, nature [and so forth] of the Buddha realm as taught in the Perfect Teaching.

Foundations of T'ien T'ai Philosophy, p 195-196
236
This is the verse from a famous story concerning one of Śākyamuni’s previous lives in which he is practicing in the Himalayan mountains. A Buddha who appears as a rākṣasa speaks the first part of the verse to the future Śākyamuni, who then offers his body to be eaten by the rākṣasa in order to hear the last half of the verse. return
237
This corresponds to the position of pratītyasamutpāda, conditioned co-arising. return
238
This corresponds to the position of Śūnyatā, emptiness. return
239
This should correspond to the position of prajn͂aptirupādādya, conventional existence. return
240
This should correspond to the position of madhyamā, the middle. return
241
In other words, true nirvāṇa is not complete extinction; rather, reality is inherently and originally quiescent. Chih-i could have quoted, for example, the Lotus Sūtra, which Hurvitz, Lotus Sūtra, 37, translates: “The dharmas from their very origin are themselves eternally characterized by the marks of quiet extinction.” return
WONS

When We Single-Mindedly Spread the Lotus Sūtra

How can we not spread the Lotus Sūtra even if very few people have the capacity for it while most people contradict it like water against fire? When we single-mindedly spread the Lotus Sūtra, there is no doubt that we will eventually succeed even if we should encounter such great difficulties as those that have befallen Never-Despising Bodhisattva.

Kangyō Hachiman-shō, Remonstration with Bodhisattva Hachiman, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Doctrine 1, Page 272

Daily Dharma

Daily Dharma – June 14, 2021

All living beings are either noble or humble. They are either handsome or ugly. They are destined to be reborn either in a better region or in a worse region. All of them will be reflected on the pure bodies [of the good men or women].

The Buddha makes this declaration to Constant-Endeavor Bodhisattva in Chapter Nineteen of the Lotus Sūtra, describing those who keep the Lotus Sūtra. Much of what we see in the world is a projection of our own biases and ignorance. We see things for what we want them to be rather than what they are. We classify the people in our lives as friends, enemies or strangers not because of their inherent qualities, but because of how they treat us. When we act for the benefit of others rather than our own gratification, we are showing them their true qualities. We let them see themselves for what they are.

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

LS32

Day 10

Day 10 concludes Chapter 6, Assurance of Future Buddhahood, and opens Chapter 7, The Parable of a Magic City.

Day 10 Text with annotationsPlay MP3
Having last month concluded today’s portion of Chapter 6 with the prediction for Great Maudgalyāyana, we consider a Buddha called Great-Universal-Wisdom-Excellence.

The Buddha said to the Bhikṣus:

“A countless, limitless, inconceivable, asaṃkhya number of kalpas ago, there lived a Buddha called Great-Universal-Wisdom-Excellence, the Tathāgata, the Deserver of Offerings, the Perfectly Enlightened One, the Man of Wisdom and Practice, the Well-Gone, the Knower of the World, the Unsurpassed Man, the Controller of Men, the Teacher of Gods and Men, the Buddha, the World-Honored One. His world was called Well-Composed; and the kalpa in which he became that Buddha, Great-Form.

“Bhikṣus! It is a very long time since that Buddha passed away. Suppose someone smashed all the earth-particles of one thousand million Sumeru-worlds into ink-powder. Then he went to the east[, carrying the ink-powder with him]. He inked a dot as large as a particle of dust [with that ink-powder] on the world at a distance of one thousand worlds from his world. Then he went again and repeated the inking of a dot on the world at every distance of one thousand worlds until the ink-powder was exhausted. What do you think of this? Do you think that any mathematician or any disciple of a mathematician could count the number of the worlds [he went through]?”

“No, we do not, World-Honored One!”

“Bhikṣus! Now all the worlds he went through, whether they were inked or not, were smashed into dust. The number of the kalpas which have elapsed since that Buddha passed away is many hundreds of thousands of billions of asaṃkhyas larger than the number of the particles of the dust thus produced. Yet I remember [the extinction of] that Buddha by my power of insight as vividly as if he had passed away today.”

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

According to my remembrance,
There lived a Buddha, an Honorable Biped,
Called Great-Universal-Wisdom-Excellence,
Countless kalpas ago.

Suppose someone smashed
All the earth-particles
Of one thousand million Sumeru-worlds
Into ink-powder.

He went, [carrying the ink-powder with him,]
And inked a dot as large as a particle of dust
On the world at a distance of one thousand worlds.
He repeated the inking until the ink-powder was exhausted.

Suppose the worlds
Through which he went,
Whether they were inked or not,
Were smashed into dust.

It is innumerable kalpas,
More than the number
Of the particles of dust thus produced,
Since that Buddha passed away.

I remember the extinction of that Buddha
As vividly as if he had passed away just now,
By my unhindered wisdom; I also remember
The Śrāvakas and Bodhisattvas who lived [with him].

Bhikṣus, know this!
My wisdom is pure, wonderful,
Free from āsravas and from hindrance.
I know those who lived innumerable kalpas ago.

See Our Karmic Connection to Śākyamuni Buddha

Foundations

The characteristics of the Buddha

The characteristics of the Buddha include the manifestation of correct universal knowledge. The Buddha’s wisdom is universal and he knows all appearances.228 This is taught in all of the Sūtras. If one utilizes this teaching to interpret the simile of the teachings of the Five Flavors [the results are as follows]:

First, the “milk” teaching expounds the nature and characteristics229 of both the bodhisattva and Buddha realms, at times expounding the “sameness” [of reality in terms] of the integration of conventional existence, at times expounding the “sameness” [of reality in terms] of the integration of the middle . Although the teaching of the middle is supreme, this [”milk”] teaching [of the Avataṃsaka Sūtra] still partially contains expedient means and thus is not completely supreme.

Second, the “cream” teaching clarifies only the characteristics and natures of those of the two vehicles, and though it attains [the doctrine of] “sameness” as emptiness through analysis [of dharmas],230 it does not clarify the “sameness” [of reality in terms] of the integration of emptiness, let alone the others [of conventional existence and the middle]. Therefore it is not supreme.

Third, the “curds” teaching clarifies characteristics and nature in four ways, at times expounding the “sameness” [of reality in terms of] emptiness [gained through] analysis, at times expounding the “sameness” [of reality in terms] of the integration of emptiness, at times expounding the “sameness” [of reality in terms] of the integration of conventional existence, and at times expounding the “sameness” [of reality in terms] of the integration of the middle. Only the Buddha with his characteristics and nature fully attains [perfect insight into] the integration of reality as simultaneously empty [of substantial Being] and yet conventionally existent. However, this [”curds” teaching] contains three types of expedient means [i.e., the first three types]. Therefore it is not supreme.

Fourth, the “butter” teaching clarifies three types of characteristics and nature, i.e. at times expounding the integration of emptiness, at times expounding the integration of conventional existence, and at times expounding the integration of the middle. Only the Buddha with his characteristics and nature fully attains [perfect insight into] the integration of reality as simultaneously empty [of substantial Being] and yet conventionally existent. However, this [”butter” teaching] still contains two types of expedient means. Therefore it is not supreme.

Fifth, this Lotus Sūtra [the “ghee” teaching] clarifies that the nine [suchlike characteristics of] appearance, nature, and so forth are all [characterized as] an integrated reality simultaneously empty of substantial Being yet conventionally existent. [As the Lotus Sūtra says,] “You are my true son. I am your true father.”231 Each visible form and each taste in itself is the dharma of the Buddha, and there are no other dharmas.” Therefore it should be known that the Buddha realm is supreme.

Foundations of T'ien T'ai Philosophy, p 193-194
228
Or “all characteristics of reality.” return
229
In this section I have translated the character as “characteristics” rather than “appearances” as in the first of the ten suchlikes. In this section the compound [Chinese characters] refers to the ten suchlike characteristics in general and thus “characteristics and nature” makes for a more readable, though admittedly inconsistent, English translation. return
230
Chih-i criticizes the Abhidharmic understanding of emptiness as an emptiness which is achieved by analyzing or “breaking down” dharmas to show that they have no substantial Being. To Chih-i this is an inferior understanding of emptiness, and all things should be understood as empty just as they are. return
231
This statement is by the father of the poor son in the chapter on “Faith and Understanding,” where he finally reveals to everyone the true relationship of he and his son. It illustrates the integrated relationship between the Buddha and sentient beings, and the integrated nature of all of reality. Hurvitz, Lotus Sūtra, 88, translates the context as follows: “When facing his end, the old man commanded his son to gather his kinsmen, as well as kings, great ministers, kṣatriyas, and householders, who were all to gather together. Then he himself proclaimed to them: ‘Sirs! Know that this is my son, by me. Having forsaken me in such-and-such a city and run off, he suffered loneliness and hardship for more than fifty years. His original name was so-and-so. My own name is thus-and-so. Formerly, in my native city, affected by grief, I sought him. Some time ago, I suddenly encountered him by accident and got him back. He is really my son. I am really his father. Now all the treasure I have belongs to my son. What was formerly paid out and taken in, my son knows it all.’ ” return
WONS

Two Kinds of Self-Conceit

With gratitude, I received one koku of rice, your offering for eight months.

Now the doctrine of “attainment of Buddhahood with the present body” is clearly described in various Mahāyāna sūtras such as the Great Sun Buddha Sūtra. But trying to obtain Buddhahood with the present body by such sūtras will cause one to enter two kinds of self-conceit and eventually, far from becoming a Buddha, fall into hell. Regarding these two kinds of self-conceit, Grand Master Miao-lê states in the 9th fascicle of his Annotations on the Words and Phrases of the Lotus Sūtra: “When people are told that those who attained Buddhahood with the present body are equal to the Buddha, arrogance will appear in their minds preventing them from practicing Buddhism. When people with evil passions are told that they will become Buddhas as they are, they will neglect to cultivate the roots of goodness or to amend their self-conceit. Though there is a difference between the two kinds of self-conceit in depth, both are similar in assuming that the Buddha and people are the same, and they are disgraceful who do not reflect upon themselves.”

Ōta-dono Nyōbō Gohenji, A Response to the Wife of Lord Ōta, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Faith and Practice, Volume 4, Page 165-166

Daily Dharma

Daily Dharma – June 13, 2021

The Buddhas, the Tathāgatas, teach only Bodhisattvas. All they do is for one purpose, that is, to show the insight of the Buddha to all living beings, to cause them to obtain the insight of the Buddha.

The Buddha speaks these words in Chapter Two of the Lotus Sutra. Here he emphasizes the importance of practice for reaching enlightenment. We may think that just hearing what the Buddha teaches is enough to reach his insight of seeing things for what they are. We also need to be actively engaged with the world, doing our best, making mistakes, and confident that we can continue to learn how to make things better. This is no different from the mistaken belief that one can learn how to cook by merely reading recipes. Only by going in the kitchen and making something can one gain the insight of whoever came up with the recipe.

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

Blog

My Experience

20210612_chicken-fire-2000

Back when I was active in Soka Gakkai, especially in the early 1990s, I would attend monthly district meetings. These were always held in someone’s home and they would always feature someone’s elaborate experience demonstrating actual proof of the power of chanting the Daimoku.

These experiences never had anything to with Buddhism, per se. They were more like fun coincidences.

Fast-forward 30-odd years to yesterday, Friday, June 11. On Saturday, today, The Sacramento Nichiren Buddhist Church was having its summer fund-raiser, a drive-through, no contact Bento box sale. The meals were sold in advance and specific pick up times were assigned. It was a Covid-era innovation.

My first job at these fundraisers is to prepare the barbecue pit so that the grill is ready at 7am to begin cooking the 500 or so half chickens marinated over night in teriyaki sauce.

To meet that deadline I need to be preparing the piles of charcoal briquets by 6am. The distance from my house to the church is normally a 20-minute mostly freeway drive. But Saturday was the first day of a weeklong shutdown of the highway I use. That necessitated a surface street detour that I estimated would stretch that commute from 20 minutes to 35 minutes.

Going to bed at 10 pm, I set my alarm for 5am, figuring that I would get up, dress and do a portion of my regular morning service and then be on the road by 5:25am.

At least that was the plan.

I awoke at 4:50am and decided there wasn’t much point of trying to fall back asleep until the alarm went off. By 5:05am I had dressed, posted the Daily Dharma quote and  “watered” my altar – Kishimojin, Daikoku and Kannon Bodhisattva in the form of Kuan Yin have their personal cups and I have one more for good measure – and was considering how to abbreviate my morning service.

My routine normally takes a little under an hour to complete. I decided I would set a 15-minute timer and then do as much of that morning’s shindoku recitation as I could fit. Today is Day 9 of my 32 Days of the Lotus Sutra practice. I opened up the Nichiren Buddhist Sangha of Greater New England’s Myoho Renge Kyo Romanized and began reciting Chapter 5, The Simile of Herbs.

When I finished with Day 9’s portion of Chapter 6, Assurance of Future Buddhahood, thus completing Day 9’s shindoku practice, I looked at the time and realized that I had failed to set my timer. It was now 5:30am.

I made a quick cup of tea in a travel cup and raced out the door.

With a lot of help from the protective deities who control the traffic signals and the dearth of traffic at 5:30 on a Saturday morning, I was able to arrive at Sacramento Nichiren Buddhist Church by 6am.

When the cooking crew arrived at 7am everything was ready to begin the day’s task.

And that’s my experience with the power of chanting Namu Myoho Renge Kyo.