All posts by John Hughes

Daily Dharma

Daily Dharma – Nov. 14, 2018

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

Profound

The Subtlety of the Buddha-Dharma

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The subtlety of the Buddha-dharma is described by Chih-i as follows:

“The hundred realms and the thousand suchnesses are the objective realm of the Buddha, and only Buddhas … can exhaust such principle [reality]. It is like a huge box: its cover has to be correspondingly huge too. With the unlimited Buddha-knowledge, [the Buddha] illuminates the vast and great Buddhahood and objective realm. For [the Buddha] to reach to the bottom [of this reality] is called ‘following his own will.’ If [the Buddha] illuminates the characteristics of the nine other Dharma realms from beginning to end without leaving out a thread or a mustard seed, this is called ‘following another’s will.’ On the basis of these two dharmas [of following the Buddha’s own will and another’s will], [the Buddha] manifests the Traces of the ten realms, either showing his own body or another’s body, and either speaking the words following his own will or the words following another’s will. Both his own will and another’s will are inconceivable, and both his own body and the body of another are extremely subtle and quiescent. [Ultimately,] all of them are neither Relative nor Ultimate, and yet, [they] are capable of responding to the Relative of the nine realms and the Ultimate of the one realm, causing no loss or decrease to the Buddha-dharma.” (Vol 2, Page 81)

The Profound Meaning of the Lotus Sutra: Tien-tai Philosophy of Buddhism


LS32

Day 5

Day 5 begins Chapter 3, A Parable

Day 5 Full Text

Having last time heard Śākyamuni’s reply to Śāriputra, we continue with the Parable of the Burning House and complete today’s portion of Chapter 3, A Parable.

“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.’

“Hearing of the toys from their father, the children rushed quickly out of the burning house, pushing one another, and striving to be first, because they thought that they could get what they each wished to have. The rich man, who saw them having come out safely and sitting in the open on the crossroad with no more hindrance, felt relieved and danced with joy. They said to their father, ‘Father! Give us the toys! Give us the sheep-carts, deer-cart and bullock-carts you promised us!’

“Śāriputra! Then the rich man gave each of them a large cart of the same size. The cart was tall, wide and deep, adorned with many treasures, surrounded by railings, and having bells hanging on the four sides. A canopy adorned with rare treasures was fixed on the top of it. Garlands of flowers, tied with jeweled ropes, were hanging from the canopy. In the cart were quilts spread one on another, and a red pillow. The cart was yoked with white bullocks. The color of the skin of the white bullocks was bright; their build, beautiful and stout; and their pace, regular. They could run as swift as the wind. The cart was guarded by many attendants. [This great rich man gave one of these carts to each of his children] because his wealth was so immeasurable that his various storehouses were full [of treasures]. He thought, ‘My treasures are limitless. I should not give inferior, smaller carts to them. They are all my children. Therefore, I love them without partiality. I have a countless number of these large carts of the seven treasures. I gave one of these to each of my children equally. There should be no discrimination. The large carts are numerous enough to be given to all the people of this country. Needless to say, I can give them to my sons. [Therefore, I did.]’

As a child of the 1950s, steeped in the mid-century fear of spoiling children, I find it a measure of the Buddha’s enlightenment that he proclaims: “They are all my children. Therefore, I love them without partiality.”

Lecture on Lotus Sutra

Sickness Practice

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Of the five practices of a Bodhisattva – saint practice, Brama practice, nature practice, child practice, and sickness practice – Sickness practice is to realize that we are spiritually ill without a life grounded on the fundamental truths taught in Buddhism. I should point out that this is not sin nor is it evil. This sickness we have is cured by Buddhist practice and it simply is living the most skillful life, which produces the least negative causes, thereby ensuring the good effects in our lives. The two, child practice and sickness practice, are practices of humility. If we realize that we do not know all the answers and are seekers ourselves and when we realize that because of taking the good medicine of the Dharma we have overcome sickness then when we are with others we will be of humble nature. Our practice does not make us superior; it is a gift we have been given and one, which we are eager to share so as to eliminate the sufferings of others.

Lecture on the Lotus Sutra

Daily Dharma

Daily Dharma – Nov. 13, 2018

True practicers of Buddhism should not rely on what people say, but solely on the golden words of the Buddha.

Nichiren wrote this passage in his Treatise on the True Way of Practicing the Teaching of the Buddha (Nyosetsu Shugyō-shō). We may take this to mean that we should not listen to anything that others tell us and dogmatically adhere to a fixed teaching. Another interpretation involves learning to see the world as the Buddha does. Where people often speak from their own delusion and selfish desires, the Buddha speaks only to lead us to his enlightenment and help us to remove our attachments. When we look for the Buddha in all parts of our lives, we can learn to appreciate anything we hear from anybody as teaching us to become enlightened.

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

Profound

Twofold Knowledge

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Related to the Dharma of Sentient Beings that is composed of the Relative and the Ultimate, the Dharma of Buddha further explains the Buddha’s knowledge that concerns the Relative and the Ultimate, from which the profundity and vastness of objective reality is revealed. According to Chih-i, this objective reality is only penetrated by the Buddha with the Twofold Knowledge in terms of the Relative and the Ultimate. With this Twofold Knowledge, the Buddha is able to embrace the other nine realms, and to utilize all possible expedient means to teach and transform living beings. Therefore, the Twofold Knowledge of the Relative and the Ultimate is subtle and represents the subtlety of the Buddha-dharma. Chih-i asserts that the Dharma of Buddha is not something separate from our empirical world, and in fact, is part of the same reality. Its subtlety is reflected in the fact that the Twofold Knowledge of the Relative and the Ultimate can only be penetrated by the Buddha. Its subtlety is also reflected in the fact that only the Buddha with the Twofold Knowledge can exhaust the vastness of objective reality. (Vol. 2, Page 80)

The Profound Meaning of the Lotus Sutra: Tien-tai Philosophy of Buddhism


LS32

Day 4

Day 4 concludes Chapter 2, Expedients, and completes the first volume of the Sūtra of the Lotus flower of the Wonderful Dharma.

Day 4 Full Text

Having last time learned that the countless Buddhas in the future will employ expedients, we consider the reason the Buddhas use expedients.

The Buddhas, the Most Honorable Bipeds,
Expound the One Vehicle because they know:
“All things are devoid of substantiality.
The seed of Buddhahood comes from dependent origination.”

The Leading Teachers expound the Dharma with expedients
After realizing at the place of enlightenment:
“This is the abode of the Dharma and the position of the Dharma.
The reality of the world is permanently as it is.”

Gods and men are making offerings
To the present Buddhas of the worlds of the ten quarters.
The Buddhas as many as there are sands in the River Ganges
Who appeared in these worlds,
Are expounding the Dharma
For the purpose of giving peace to all living beings.

They know the Highest Truth of Tranquil Extinction.
They have the power to employ expedients.
Although they expound various teachings,
Their purpose is to reveal the Buddha-Vehicle.

Lotus Seeds offers this on the Truth of Emptiness:

The Truth of Emptiness is the teaching that everything that exists is empty of a permanent and independent essence. In other words, everything exists temporarily as part of a changing process that includes all other things in different ways. A tomato, for instance, comes in to existence as part of a process that begins with a seed. The seed develops into a ripened tomato when it has the proper soil, water, and sunlight as conditions that allow it to sprout and grow. The same tomato inevitably disappears when it is eaten by people or animals, and then it becomes a contributing factor to the existence of whoever has eaten it. In this way, everything participates in the law of cause and effect.

Lotus Seeds

Lotus Seeds

The Truth of Emptiness

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The Truth of Emptiness is the teaching that everything that exists is empty of a permanent and independent essence. In other words, everything exists temporarily as part of a changing process that includes all other things in different ways. A tomato, for instance, comes in to existence as part of a process that begins with a seed. The seed develops into a ripened tomato when it has the proper soil, water, and sunlight as conditions that allow it to sprout and grow. The same tomato inevitably disappears when it is eaten by people or animals, and then it becomes a contributing factor to the existence of whoever has eaten it. In this way, everything participates in the law of cause and effect.

Lotus Seeds

Daily Dharma

Daily Dharma – Nov. 12, 2018

We will wear the armor of endurance
Because we respect and believe you.
We will endure all these difficulties
In order to expound this sūtra.

Medicine-King Bodhisattva and Great-Eloquence Bodhisattva, along with their attendants, declare these verses to the Buddha in Chapter Thirteen of the Lotus Sutra. The Buddha had asked previously who would teach the Lotus Sūtra after the Buddha’s death. These Bodhisattvas declare their aspirations to maintain their practice of the Buddha Dharma in the face of unimaginable difficulties. We may believe that this practice will lead to permanent comfort and pleasure. But knowing that we are in a world that is constantly changing, we realize that any difficulty is temporary, and that the way to a beneficial outcome may only go through difficulties. This knowledge and faith in the Buddha’s teachings increases our capacity to be a beneficial force in this world of conflict.

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

Profound

The Ultimate Truth Consisting of the Relative and Ultimate Reality

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Chih-i argues that although each realm is differentiated from other realms as having different definitions of the Ten Suchnesses, together, they constitute the Ultimate Truth that consists of the relative and ultimate reality. In other words, the relative and the ultimate are coexistent as a polar concept and are contained within each other in terms of soteriological significance. On the one hand, without the relative of the nine realms, the ultimate of the Buddha-realm cannot be substantiated, and without the ultimate, the relative does not have any validity, two of which form a polar concept existing interdependently. On the other hand, if the relative does not contain the ultimate, then the attainment of Buddhahood would not be possible; if the ultimate does not contain the relative, then the Buddha would not undertake his task of teaching and saving beings. Only if the ultimate is already contained in relative as the cause for Buddhahood, can the attainment of Buddhahood as the effect be possible, whereby all beings in the nine realms are grounded to be able to eventually enter the Buddha-realm; only if the relative is contained in the ultimate, can the Buddha’s endless soteriological activities of saving beings be realistic. (Vol. 2, Page 80)

The Profound Meaning of the Lotus Sutra: Tien-tai Philosophy of Buddhism