Category Archives: AI Contribution

AI Contribution, Daily Dharma

Daily Dharma for April 13, 2026

20260413-ddi

Illustration by Google Gemini

Show Gemini's thinking

Gemini Thinking

Before generating this image, I visualized the dramatic scene from Chapter Eleven of the Lotus Sūtra: the "Emergence of the Treasure Tower." This square illustration utilizes Japanese Buddhist iconography in a style reminiscent of traditional woodblock prints and paintings.

At the center, seated on a shared lotus throne within an open, radiant Treasure Tower (Hōtō), are Śākyamuni Buddha (the speaker of the verses, seen on the left with a teaching gesture) and Prabhūtaratna Buddha (seated on the right, looking on with serenity). They are surrounded by an assembly of other Buddhas and Bodhisattvas on floating lotus seats and clouds, representing the joy and support for those who practice. The dark, swirling clouds beneath the landscape symbolize the difficult world and habits mentioned in the context.

Finally, in the bottom right corner, a traditional and subtle signature has been placed. It includes the brush-stroke Kanji text 双子座 (Futago-za, meaning Gemini) alongside a small red square hanko seal containing the katakana text ジェミニ (Jemini, meaning Gemini).

It is difficult to keep this sūtra.
I shall be glad to see
Anyone keeping it even for a moment.
So will all the other Buddhas.

Śākyamuni Buddha sings these verses in Chapter Eleven of the Lotus Sūtra. He is well aware of how hard it is to move from expedient teachings to the Wonderful Dharma. We have habits and attachments built up over many lifetimes, and live in a world that does not always support our practice. Still, one cannot underestimate the importance of trying, even for the briefest amount of time, to hold on to this teaching and bring it to life in this world.

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

AI Contribution, Daily Dharma

Daily Dharma for April 12, 2026

20260412-ddi

Illustration by Google Gemini

Show Gemini's thinking

Gemini Thinking

This square illustration utilizes traditional Japanese Buddhist iconography to visualize the "mutual possession of ten realms" as described in Nichiren’s treatise on Spiritual Contemplation and the Most Venerable (Kanjin Honzon-Shō). The composition is a narrative flowing through symbolic representations.

The core message of potentiality within contrasting states is visualized through Nichiren’s specific analogies. On the bottom left, two rocks strike together, sending sparks that start a small fire, illustrating hidden fire within stone. On the top left, blooming cherry blossom branches emerge from a gnarled, seemingly dead branch, illustrating flowers in wood.

The central figure is an ordinary human devotee or monk in sincere prayer, representing the human realm. Emanating from within this human figure is a faint, glowing golden aura, inside which a subtle, generalized meditating Buddha figure is faintly visible. This powerfully visualizes the difficult-to-believe concept that the realm of Buddhas is inherent and contained within the realm of humans. A small, elegant scroll representing the Lotus Sutra (subtly labeled Myōhō) is placed near the figure as their guide. Interwoven cloud patterns connect all the elements, symbolizing the interconnection and mutual possession of all ten realms.

The specified signature 双子座 (Gemini) is placed subtly in the lower corner, accompanied by a red square seal containing the katakana ジェミニ (Gemini).

[Kanji Translations]

双子座 (Artist Signature): Gemini

ジェミニ (Red Seal): Gemini

妙法 (Sutra Scroll): Mystic Law (abbreviation of Lotus Sutra)

観心本尊抄 (Treatise Title): On the Contemplation of the Mind and the Object of Worship.

The “mutual possession of ten realms” doctrine is as difficult to maintain as it is to see fire in a rock or flowers in wood. However it is not totally impossible because rocks spark when struck together and a tree blooms in spring. It is most difficult to believe that the realm of Buddhas is contained in the realm of humans because it is like saying that fire is in water or water in fire.

Nichiren wrote this in his treatise on Spiritual Contemplation and the Most Venerable (Kanjin Honzon-Shō). “Mutual Expression of Ten Realms” is one of the more difficult ideas from the Chinese Master T’ien-t’ai. Nichiren uses it to illustrate what the Buddha teaches in the Lotus Sūtra: that Buddha nature is contained within all beings. Even though this idea is difficult, we can see it in the transformations of everyday objects we encounter: rocks, fire, flowers and trees. With his similes, Nichiren reminds us that with the Lotus Sūtra as our guide, we can see the Buddha Dharma in all aspects of our lives.

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

AI Contribution, Daily Dharma

Daily Dharma for April 11, 2026

20260411-ddi

Illustration by Google Gemini

Show Gemini's thinking

Gemini Thinking

In this square illustration, I have captured the moment Śākyamuni Buddha makes his powerful declaration from the fifth chapter of the Lotus Sūtra. At the center, the Buddha is seated on a multi-tiered lotus throne, his hands in the vitarka mudra as he prepares to teach.

Surrounding him are the diverse beings he calls to hear the Dharma: celestial Gods descent on clouds in the upper left, while a dynamic group of fierce but respectful Asuras is gathered on the right. Below, a crowd of human followers—monks and laymen alike—represents men listening intently with hands clasped. I have placed the artist signature '双子座' (Futagoza, meaning "Gemini") and the traditional red square hanko seal containing the Katakana 'ジェミニ' (Jemini) in the bottom right corner as requested.

I know the Way. I have opened the Way. I will expound the Way. Gods, men and asuras! Come and hear the Dharma!

Śākyamuni Buddha makes this declaration at the beginning of Chapter Five of the Lotus Sūtra. If anyone besides the Buddha had said this, we would accuse them of arrogance: pretending to know what they do not. The Buddha does not separate himself from us. Because he knows we can become as enlightened as he is, he does not place himself as superior. He also knows that unless we hear him, he cannot help us to become enlightened. To accept this help means taking responsibility for our progress on the path. We cannot continue alone but we must make our own effort.

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

AI Contribution, Blog

Learning About Nichiren Buddhism

For years, the Sacramento Nichiren Buddhist Church has shared a collection of 21 brochures and pamphlets from Nichiren Shu. To help people dive deeper into these teachings, I am working on a new Interactive Flashcard Study Tool.

Flashcards demoDeveloped using Google’s NotebookLM, these flashcards offer a way to engage with the Nichiren Shu brochures and pamphlets. Unlike standard AI, NotebookLM works strictly within the 21 specific brochures provided to it. This ensures that every answer is accurate, faithful to the source material, and free from outside interference.

Key Features of the Tool:

  • Deep Insights: Each card includes a question, a concise answer, and a detailed explanation.
  • Direct Sourcing: Every card provides a link back to the original brochure for further reading.
  • Global Reach: The tool is available in Spanish, Japanese, Portuguese, French, German, and Italian.

You can explore the prototype at: https://500yojanas.org/brochureFC/

Since this tool is still in its prototype phase, I would love feedback. I’m particularly interested in the accuracy of the foreign language versions. The translations were created by Google’s Gemini Pro.

Eventually this will be embedded into the Sacramento Nichiren Buddhist Church website. I have an example of how it might look on this page.
 

AI Contribution, Daily Dharma

Daily Dharma for April 10, 2026

20260410-ddi

Illustration by Google Gemini

Show Gemini's thinking

Gemini Thinking

In this square illustration, I have depicted a priest desperately clinging to scrolls, symbolizing the "writings against the teachings of the Buddha" referenced by Nichiren. Although the priest may be praying or studying with conviction, the smoke rising from the incense burner forms dark, chaotic clouds, indicating a lack of true enlightenment.

Behind him, a scene of "deplorable events" unfolds—lightning strikes, storm winds, and a village in disarray. This illustrates the passage from the Kitō-shō, which states that following incorrect teachings will never result in peace and tranquility, despite one's prayers. In the bottom-right corner, you will find the required kanji signature 双子座 alongside a red hanko seal containing the katakana for Gemini (ジェミニ).

If his writings are against the teachings of the Buddha, no matter how hard one might believe them, one will never attain Buddhahood. No matter how much one prays for peace and tranquility for the country, only deplorable events will take place.

Nichiren wrote this passage in his Treatise on Prayers (Kitō-shō), commenting on the writings of a priest who did not hold the Lotus Sutra as the Buddha’s highest teaching. Because the Lotus Sutra assures the enlightenment of all beings who teach and practice the Wonderful Dharma, it is what brings peace and tranquility to the world.

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

AI Contribution, Daily Dharma

Daily Dharma for April 9, 2026

20260409-ddi

Illustration by Google Gemini

Show Gemini's thinking

Gemini Thinking

The illustration represents the specific paradox described by Maitreya Bodhisattva in Chapter Fifteen of the Lotus Sūtra. At the top, Śākyamuni Buddha is seated on a lotus throne, teaching. The visualization in the lower foreground depicts the two aspects of the difficult-to-believe scenario: on the left, four 100-year-old men are shown, and on the right, a 25-year-old black-haired man is pointing toward them. This image captures the essence of Maitreya’s question about how a young teacher (the Buddha, shortly after enlightenment) could have taught students who appear much older (the Bodhisattvas from the Earth).

The Kanji text includes the following translations:

百歳老人称少父: 100-year-old elders calling [the youth] their father.

二十五歳男子称百歳子: 25-year-old man calling [the elders] his sons.

The signature in the bottom right includes the Kanji 双子座 (Gemini) and a red hanko seal reading ジェミニ (Gemini).

World-Honored One! It is difficult for anyone in the world to believe this. It is as difficult as to believe a handsome, black-haired man twenty-five years old who points to men a hundred years old and says, ‘They are my sons,’ or as to believe men a hundred years old who point to a young man and say, ‘This is our father. He brought us up.’

Maitreya Bodhisattva explains his perplexity to Śākyamuni Buddha in Chapter Fifteen of the Lotus Sūtra. The Buddha has just revealed that all of the Bodhisattvas who have appeared from underground to continue teaching the Wonderful Dharma after the extinction of the Buddha have been taught by the Buddha in the time since he became enlightened. Maitreya realizes that his doubts are no different from the doubts of those gathered to hear the Buddha teach and asks the Buddha to explain. The Buddha says later that he sees the world differently than other living beings. But this does not mean that when our experience does not match what the Buddha teaches, we must keep silence and just accept what he tells us. It is only through sincere questioning that we find the Buddha’s mind and make it our own.

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

AI Contribution, Daily Dharma

Daily Dharma for April 8, 2026

20260408-ddi

Illustration by Google Gemini

Show Gemini's thinking

Gemini Thinking

In this square illustration, I have visually captured the joyous assurance of enlightenment found in Chapter Six of the Lotus Sūtra. At the center, Śākyamuni Buddha sits upon a lotus throne, radiating light. Below him, the disciples Maudgalyāyana, Subhūti, and Mahā-Kātyāyana are shown singing their verses of praise, their hearts connected to the Buddha by beams of light as a symbol of his ability to see their true potential. The glittering celestial dew descending upon them represents the cool and refreshing feeling of "nectar" described in the text. In the clouds surrounding them, I have included subtle depictions of the "innumerable Buddhas" that fill the universe, reinforcing the promise of future Buddhahood for all. The signature "双子座" and the traditional red seal containing "ジェミニ" can be found in the lower right corner.

If you see what we have deep in our minds,
And assure us of our future Buddhahood,
We shall feel as cool and as refreshed
As if we were sprinkled with nectar.

Maudgalyāyana, Subhūti and Mahā-Kātyāyana sing these verses to the Buddha in Chapter Six of the Lotus Sūtra. Śākyamuni Buddha knows that our habits of thought and behavior have developed over many lifetimes. We cannot clear them away by ourselves. In the Lotus Sūtra, he assures many of his disciples personally of the certainty of their enlightenment. He shows that this universe has innumerable Buddhas, and tells all of us who hear this teaching that we too should be certain of our enlightenment. When we take the Buddha’s voice to heart, and release the grip we have on our fears, and open ourselves to the joy within ourselves and the world.

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

AI Contribution, Daily Dharma

Daily Dharma for April 7, 2026

20260407-ddi

Illustration by Google Gemini

Show Gemini's thinking

Gemini Thinking

In this square illustration, I have depicted Śākyamuni Buddha in dialogue with Constant-Endeavor Bodhisattva on Vulture Peak, illustrating Chapter Nineteen of the Lotus Sūtra. A flowing stream of light connects them, symbolizing the purification of the mind and the ultimate truth of the Dharma. Within this stream, I have visualized the "one thousand million Sumeru-worlds" as a multitude of tiny figures and worlds, showing how a purified mind can perceive the vastness of existence and understand all beings. The inclusion of the Odaimoku text, Namu Myōhō Renge Kyō (南無妙法蓮華経), reflects the sutra's emphasis on sincere practice over intellectual understanding. You can find the traditional artist signature 的双子座 with the ジェミニ hanko seal in the bottom right.

They will be able to know all the thoughts, deeds, and words, however meaningless, of the living beings of the one thousand million Sumeru-worlds each of which is composed of the six regions. Although they have not yet obtained the wisdom-without-āsravas, they will be able to have their minds purified as previously stated. Whatever they think, measure or say will be all true, and consistent not only with my teachings but also with the teachings that the past Buddhas have already expounded in their sūtras.

Śākyamuni Buddha gives this explanation to Constant-Endeavor Bodhisattva in Chapter Nineteen of the Lotus Sūtra, describing those who keep the Lotus Sūtra. Paradoxically, the process of clarifying our minds so that we can see things for what they are is not an intellectual exercise. The practice of the Wonderful Dharma is not based on learning complicated theories or arcane facts. It can be as simple as chanting Odaimoku sincerely, awakening our nature as Bodhisattvas, and working for the benefit of all beings.

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

AI Contribution, Daily Dharma

Daily Dharma for April 6, 2026

20260406-ddi

Illustration by Google Gemini

Show Gemini's thinking

Gemini Thinking

This illustration depicts Śākyamuni Buddha (the historical Buddha) as he expounds the Dharma on Vulture Peak, surrounded by his close disciples. The swirling emanations from his heart symbolize the "inconceivable supernatural powers" described in the Lotus Sūtra—a visual metaphor for the profound, transformative wisdom that can appear miraculous to those still struggling to understand the nature of reality. The specific artist signature/stamp 双子座 (Futagoza, "Gemini") and the hanko with the katakana ジェミニ (Jemini) can be found in the lower right corner.

The supernatural powers
Employed by that Buddha
For the expounding of the Dharma
Will be inconceivable.

Śākyamuni Buddha sings this verse in Chapter Six of the Lotus Sūtra after predicting the future Buddhahood of his disciple Subhūti. Anything we do not understand can seem supernatural. Things we find common in our modern world would seem magical to those who lived in the Buddha’s time. It is only through our greater understanding that we can create our modern wonders. It should not then surprise us that with the Buddha’s mind, which he reminds us that we too can reach, the things we can accomplish will seem magical to those mired in delusion.

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

AI Contribution, Daily Dharma

Daily Dharma for April 5, 2026

20260405-ddi

Illustration by Google Gemini

Show Gemini's thinking

Gemini Thinking

In this square illustration, I have depicted the "keeper of the Sūtra" as a diverse community of practitioners—monks and laypeople of all ages—honoring the teachings of Śākyamuni Buddha. This reflects the Dharma that we are never alone in our path, as innumerable beings and fellow seekers support us in reaching enlightenment. As requested, I have placed the Kanji signature 双子座 (meaning "Gemini") and the red ジェミニ ("Gemini") seal in the lower right corner.

If you wish to dwell in the enlightenment of the Buddha,
And to obtain the self-originating wisdom,
Make offerings strenuously to the keeper
Of the Sūtra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma!

Śākyamuni Buddha sings these verses to Medicine-King Bodhisattva at the beginning of Chapter Ten of the Lotus Sūtra. This teaching does not mean that we who practice the Buddha Dharma should expect offerings because of our practice. Rather, it encourages us to appreciate all those who are seeking enlightenment, whether or not they are aware of their true nature as Bodhisattvas. It also means that innumerable beings are helping us reach enlightenment. We are never alone in this practice.

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