Tao-sheng Commentary on the Lotus Sutra, p211They said to their father, ‘Father! Give us the toys! Give us the sheep-carts [carriages], deer-cart and bullock-carts you promised us!’
Even though they, having understood what they were told, know there are no three in reality, yet they have not yet come fully out of the doorway; this is tantamount to saying that they do not really know yet. As they have come out, they begin to realize that there are no three, though they still do not know the One. Hence there is the demand for the doctrine the [Buddha] promised [namely, of the three]. Yet as the Buddha himself has not previously promised them the One, they dare not demand the One. This is the reason why they demand the reward of the three. If li does not lie in three, it follows logically (tzu-jan) that [the Buddha] will give them the One. The meaning of their demand is such, with the implication that their subtle triggering-mechanism (chi) for grasping (k’ou) the One has been so profoundly manifested that [the Buddha], for their sakes, has devised this manner of speaking. Carriage points to the consummate knowledge of the two vehicles; that is, the knowledge of non-origination. How could there be no “carriage” in the three spheres? [The Buddha] merely gives no names to them, because he wants to lead travelers [to enlightenment] even in their ignorance. “Carriage” is [the means] that takes them to the ultimate destination. What does the Greater Vehicle refer to? Because the domain the Buddha is so subtle, profound, remote, and hard to connect with the coarse [world], [the Buddha] has brought himself close to men by means of the trace of [the Buddha,] [in the form of the transformation body] sixteen feet tall. Hence, [the Greater Vehicle] points to the superficial level of knowledge of [the Buddha] sixteen feet tall; it is “carriage.” The bodhisattvas in the seventh stage are the ones who have suppressed the bondage of the three spheres. The doctrine is outside of “the house” [of the three realms], and this is what men are demanding.
Monthly Archives: April 2025
Vajra Sutra: When Subhūti Wept
The Vajra Prajna Paramita Sutra, p108Subhūti, completely understanding the meaning and implications of the doctrine of no mark expressed in the Vajra Sūtra, wept. Tears flowed from his eyes and his nose ran. Usually people cry when they are sad or worried or when something unfortunate happens, but occasionally they also cry from joy, just as Subhūti then did. “Extreme happiness brings sorrow.” The Buddha expressed the depths of prajña so thoroughly that Subhūti was overjoyed at being able to hear the specific teaching, the wonderful dharma door of prajña. Subhūti realized that his former contentment with the Small Vehicle teachings had been misguided. His awakening may be thus expressed:
“Upon realization, I do not reproach myself for the past;
I know that in the future I can rectify mistakes.
Aware that I am not too far down the muddled path,
I have now awakened to today’s rights and yesterday’s wrongs.”The Small Vehicle was Subhūti’s “muddled path,” and his further awakening indicates that his former attachment to Small Vehicle dharmas had not been very great, he had “not gone too far down the muddled path.” “Awakened to today’s rights and yesterday’s wrongs” means he had realized it was right for him to seek the Great Vehicle dharma, and that his former fondness for the Sound-Hearer fruit of the Small Vehicle had been a mistake. He greeted those realizations with great emotion, however, so he wept for joy and exclaimed, “How rare!”
Myōhō Renge Kyō Promise for April 4, 2025
Any Śrāvaka or Bodhisattva
Who hears even a gāthā
Of Myōhō Renge Kyō which I am to expound
Will undoubtedly become a Buddha.
Tao-sheng: In Open Space
Tao-sheng Commentary on the Lotus Sutra, p210-211The rich man, who saw them having come out safely and sitting in the open on the [at a] crossroad with no more hindrance, felt relieved and danced with joy.
Being present in [the realm] of the [ultimate] reality, there is no one that has not penetrated li: they are “[at] a crossroad.” They have settled in it: they are “seated.” There are no more “bondage and instigators of the passions,” concealment (mrakṣa), and obstructions they are in open space.
Vajra Sutra: When Nothing Is Spoken and Nothing Is Heard
The Vajra Prajna Paramita Sutra, p103-104Recognizing the emptiness of all phenomena is actual truth. Recognizing the falseness of all phenomena is common truth. Recognizing that all phenomena are neither empty nor false is the truth of the Middle Way. Furthermore, throughout the present discourse on prajña, nothing has been spoken. It is just as when Subhūti eloquently spoke prajña and the Brahma Heaven King listened well to prajña, until finally Subhūti asked him, “What have I said?”
To which the Brahma god replied, “The Venerable One has not spoken.”
“Well, what have you heard?” pursued Subhūti.
“I also did not hear a thing,” came the reply.
“That is true prajña,” confirmed Subhūti.
When nothing is spoken and nothing is heard, that is called true prajña. So the prajña paramita spoken by the Buddha is not prajña paramita, but is merely called prajña paramita. It is a false name and nothing more.
Myōhō Renge Kyō Promise for April 3, 2025
“[T]he good men or women who do not speak ill of Myōhō Renge Kyō but rejoice at hearing Myōhō Renge Kyō after my extinction, should be considered, know this, to have already understood my longevity by firm faith. It is needless to say this of those who [not only rejoice at hearing Myōhō Renge Kyō but also] read, recite and keep Myōhō Renge Kyō. They also should be considered to be carrying me on their heads. Ajita! They need not build a stupa or a monastery in my honor, or make the four kinds of offerings’ to the Saṃgha because those who keep, read and recite Myōhō Renge Kyō should be considered to have already built a stupa or a monastery or made offerings to the Saṃgha.”
Tao-sheng: The Mad Race
“Hearing of the toys from their father, the children rushed quickly out of the burning house, pushing one another, and striving to be first [shoving one another aside in a
mad race], because they thought that they could get what they each wished to have.”[The Buddha] tells them that because it is what they are fond of they will get it. Perceiving what they will get, they then practice the [required] deeds. That is what is meant by [the phrase] in a mad race leave. Following what [the Buddha] has said they run hard; they have to make every effort to obtain it first: They are “in a mad race to get ahead of the others.” If [the Buddha] tells them about it while offering nothing [as reward] and they do not comprehend it, then they will return to the “fire” [of passion]; how can they be expected to leave [it, saṃsāra]?
Tao-sheng Commentary on the Lotus Sutra, p210
Vajra Sutra: The Not Spoken Dharma
The Vajra Prajna Paramita Sutra, p102-103Subhūti replied, “Nothing has been spoken by the Tathagata.” What do you say about that?! The Buddha spoke dharma and at the same time asked Subhūti if he had spoken any dharma. How should he be answered? Subhūti told him that he had not spoken dharma. Subhūti probably took one look and understood the principle of emptiness. He was called Empty Born because he was foremost in understanding emptiness, so he understood that with true, real prajña. It is not the case that anything is spoken. So he said, “There is nothing spoken. The Tathagata has not spoken anything.”
Most people are unable to comprehend this passage of text. Clearly the Buddha spoke dharma, and yet he asked if he had spoken dharma. Subhūti, moreover, replied that he had not spoken dharma. What is the meaning of that?
Sakyamuni Buddha and Subhūti were discoursing on true, real prajña. Since true, real prajña does not reside in a framework of language, what can be spoken? The emptiness of the dharma is beyond words and speech. The Buddha spoke dharma for forty-nine years and when the time of his nirvāṇa arrived, he said that he had not spoken one word. He said, “If anyone says the Tathagata has spoken dharma, he slanders the Buddha because he has been unable to understand what I have said.”
“Since the Buddha did not speak dharma, why are there so many sutras spoken by the Buddha?” one may rightly ask. The answer to that lies in the method of using conditioned phenomena for people bound to conditions and speaking unconditioned dharma for people who dwell in the unconditioned.
The Vajra Sūtra says, “Even the dharma should be relinquished, how much the more so what is not dharma.” The Buddha said he had not spoken dharma because he was concerned that people would become attached to the mark of dharma. Being attached to dharma is the same as being attached to self. People’s attachment to emptiness must also be broken. When the dharma door of prajña is spoken, even emptiness must not become an attachment.
Myōhō Renge Kyō Promise for April 2, 2025
Thereupon World-Holding Heavenly-King, accompanied by thousands of billions of nayutas of gandharvas who were surrounding him respectfully, came to the Buddha, joined his hands together, and said to him, “World-Honored One! I also will protect the keeper of Myōhō Renge Kyō with dhārānis, with divine spells.”
Tao-sheng: Replacing Suffering with Pleasure
Tao-sheng Commentary on the Lotus Sutra, p209-210“Thereupon the rich man thought, ‘This house will be burned down soon by this great fire. If they and I do not get out at once, we shall be burned. I will save them from this danger with an expedient.’
“An idea came to his mind that his children would be attracted by the various toys which they wished to have. He said to them, ‘The toys you wish to have are rare and difficult to obtain. You will be sorry if you do not get them now. There are sheep-carts, deer carts, and bullock-carts outside the gate. You can play with them. Come out of this burning house quickly! I will give you any of them according to your wishes.’ “
This is the fifth segment. The Buddha wants to provide them with the happiness of the three vehicles. As he has told them about the frightening and dreadful happening in order to terrify them, they feel apprehensive, and when they hear the attractions of the three vehicles suddenly their hearts are filled with joy. This is not the real teaching; it is called an expedient device.
What living beings are fond of is replacing suffering with pleasure. Here he speaks of the joys of the three vehicles. These (joys) are what they are fond of; it looks as if they are [true joys], yet [in reality] they are not. What I mean by replacing suffering with pleasure is that in the absence of suffering there is pleasure, and in the absence of pleasure there is suffering. [However], [the statement] that there is no suffering eternally in the three vehicles must not be spoken of in this sense. Traces follow the state of their minds, enabling them to pull themselves out of the stations of suffering, which is a consummate case of an expedient device. Because there are no three vehicles, how can there be pleasure? Yet it is suggested that there is pleasure. [Why?] This also is an expedient device. It has been stated that the joy of the three vehicles consists in bringing suffering to an end (nirodha) but, because suffering has not been destroyed and [the vehicles] have not been clearly revealed, again [it proves that] they are expedient devices. The Buddha’s teaching is [for the sake of] others; those in the Lesser Vehicle follow their masters. These two teachings are compared to the ox and goat, which are the subjects of men. Because the pratyekabuddhas can neither teach [others] nor follow the masters, they are compared to the deer. Transmigration in the three worlds is represented in its walking and trotting the long passage of suffering. li is capable of the unconditioned. One may have joy by replacing walking [the long path of suffering] with it; it is symbolized by the carts. No sooner do they (beings) come out of the burning house through the doorway of the teaching, than they can get it (li). Hence, it is stated that “[they] are outside of the door.”