All posts by John Hughes

Profound

A Stroke of Black Ink

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To portray [the] interconnectivity relationship between one entity and all entities, Chih-i gives an example revealing the structures that constitute Chinese characters. In association with traditional writing, black ink is the basic element to enable written character to be formed. Thus, black ink is treated by Chih-i as the fundamental form to be used to depict the formulation of characters.

“Form can interpret all dharmas. It is like the black ink as form. With one stroke [i.e., horizontal stroke], it means ‘one’. With two strokes, it means ‘two’. With three strokes, it means ‘three’. Adding the vertical stroke (on the three horizontal lines), it means ‘king’ (Wang). Adding one stroke on the right, it means ‘the period from 1 a.m. to 3 a.m.’ (Ch’ou). Adding one stroke on the left, it means ‘field’, (T’ien). If the middle vertical line goes over the top, it means ‘due to’ (Yu). When this line goes over the bottom, it means ‘to explain’ (Shen). With such a bending and turning, the meanings that are signified are endless. It could be that one word interprets immeasurable dharmas, or immeasurable words commonly interpret one dharma; either immeasurable words interpret immeasurable dharmas, or one word interprets one dharma. With one dot of black ink slightly bending and turning, its interpretation differs greatly. Bending to the left, it is interpreted as ‘evil’ (E); bending to the right, it means ‘good’ (Shan). Writing the dot on top means “no outflow” (Wu-lou) [of defilement]; writing the dot on bottom means outflow (Yu-lou) [of defilement]. Being killed or alive, being prosperous or robbed, being ruined or honored, being in suffering or in joy, they are all in the form of ink. There is no dharma that is beyond ink. In short, black ink interprets immeasurable Teachings, Practices, and Principles. Black ink is also the foundation for Teaching, Practice, and Principle.”

By pointing out how the “black ink as form” (Hei-mo-se) can possibly work out in the development of writing various strokes in formulating various characters (with their different meanings), Chih-i presents an ontological concept about one dharma containing all dharmas, and all dharmas being identical to one dharma. “One dharma contains all dharmas” is demonstrated by Chih-i from the black ink (as the fundamental source) that functions to draw multitude strokes, from which various characters are formed. Since all characters are derived from strokes and all strokes are derived from the black ink (as form), this demonstrates that all dharmas are identical to one dharma. Therefore, this second type of sign interpretation vividly depicts the dynamic nature of Chih-i ‘s perfect harmonization philosophy. (Page 95-96)

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


beginning

The Ideal Buddhist Realm

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Nanda undertook religious training for the sake of being born in heaven, where he would possess the beautiful women, because, relying on the law of cause and effect, he did not understand the wider Law of Causation. The people around him despised him because he sought only his own egoistic ends and ignored concord and the total development and perfection of others. After serious reflection, however, Nanda came to understand the Law of Causation.

Such understanding prompts awareness of the need to strive for the perfection of one’s own personality and of all society. If society as a whole improves and develops, the happiness of the individual will be guaranteed. If society is happy, the individual and all of his fellows will be happy. This is the meaning of true happiness and of the realization of the ideal Buddhist realm. Buddhist training is for the sake of realizing such a realm. When Nanda came to see this, he began training on the basis of the Law of Causation. This enabled him to attain the enlightenment of an arhat. (Page 96)

(See also How Nanda, Shakyamuni’s Half-Brother, Came To Be A Disciple)

The Beginnings of Buddhism

LS32

Day 20

Day 20 completes Chapter 15, The Appearance of Bodhisattvas from Underground, and concludes the Fifth Volume of the Sutra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma.

Having last month heard Maitreya’s doubts, we consider a handsome, black-haired man twenty-five years old who points to men a hundred years old and says, ‘They are my sons.’ we conclude the chapter in gāthās.

Thereupon Maitreya Bodhisattva, wishing to repeat what he had said, sang in gāthās:

It is not long
Since you renounced the family of the Śākyas
And sat under the Bodhi-tree
Near Gaya.

These sons of yours are innumerable.
They have practiced
The way to Buddhahood for a long time.
They have supernatural powers and the power of wisdom.

They have studied the Way of Bodhisattvas well.
They are not defiled by worldliness
Just as the lotus-flower
Is not defiled by water.

They sprang up from underground,
And are now standing before you respectfully.
This is difficult to understand.
How can we believe this?

You attained enlightenment quite recently.
But you have done so many things.
Remove our doubts!
Explain all this as it is!

Suppose a man twenty-five years old
Points to grey-haired and wrinkle-faced men
A hundred years old,
And says, “They are my sons.”
Suppose old men point to a young man
And say, “He is our father.”
No one in the world will believe
That a father is younger than his sons.

You are like the father.
You attained enlightenment quite recently.
These Bodhisattvas are resolute in mind.
They are not timid.
They have practiced the Way of Bodhisattva
For the past innumerable kalpas.

They are good at answering difficult questions.
They are fearless and patient.
They are handsome, powerful and virtuous.
They are praised by the Buddhas
Of the worlds of the ten quarter .
They expound [the Dharma] clearly.

They did not wish to live among men.
They preferred dwelling in dhyana-concentration.
They lived in the sky below
In order to attain the enlightenment of the Buddha.

We do not doubt your words
Because we heard them direct from you.
Explain all this so that the living beings in the future
May be able to understand your words, Buddha!

Those who doubt this sūtra
And do not believe it
Will fall into the evil regions.
Explain all this to us now!

How did you teach these innumerable Bodhisattvas
In such a short time,
And cause them to aspire for enlightenment
And not falter in seeking enlightenment?

[Here ends] the Fifth Volume of the Sūtra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma.

See Dissemination in the Age of Degeneration

LS Introduction, LS32, d25b, d26b

Dissemination in the Age of Degeneration

Judging from the Sutra as a whole, we can see that the Bodhisattvas taught by the Original Buddha assume the duty to disseminate the Lotus Sutra in the future, especially in the Age of Degeneration. The Age of Degeneration in this defiled World of Endurance will be filled with hazards and many people will reject the Lotus Sutra and oppose its teachers. Such a time and place will require Bodhisattvas of outstanding ability, ones who can overcome attitudes of apathy or resentment. The Bodhisattvas taught by the Provisional Buddha, on the other hand, are assigned a much easier task. They will work in this world during the Ages of Right Teaching and Counterfeit Teaching, or else in other worlds.

Introduction to the Lotus Sutra

Lotus Seeds

Faith in the Active Presence of the Buddha

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Other schools of Buddhism often focus on the parables and other teachings of the theoretical section in the hope that, through their own practice, they will see for themselves the truth expressed in the Original Gate. In Nichiren Buddhism, the Original Gate is held to be primary because our practice is based on our faith in the active presence of the Buddha in the form of Namu Myoho Renge Kyo. Through upholding the Lotus Sutra by chanting Namu Myoho Renge Kyo, we become one with the Eternal Buddha. The difference lies in whether we rely upon the future possibility of attaining Buddhahood taught in the theoretical section, or upon our present ability to actually attain Buddhahood through faith in the Eternal Buddha, as taught in the essential section.

Lotus Seeds

Daily Dharma

Daily Dharma – Aug. 24, 2018

World-Honored One, know this!
Evil bhikṣus in the defiled world will not know
The teachings that you expounded with expedients
According to the capacities of all living beings.

In Chapter Thirteen of the Lotus Sūtra, innumerable Bodhisattvas sing these verses before the Buddha from whom they had come to hear the Wonderful Dharma. They realized that due to their attachment and delusions, beings in this world would see us who keep and practice the Lotus Sūtra as the source of their unhappiness. When we uphold the Buddha’s teaching, and know the true purpose of that teaching, we can see even those beings who cause great harm as opportunities for all of us to become enlightened rather than enemies that we must destroy.

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

Profound

Chih-i’s Profound Comparison

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The comparison between the Lotus Sūtra and the other sūtras from various perspectives can be seen throughout the Hsüan-I (Profound Meaning of the Lotus Sūtra). This is Chih-i’s endeavor to demonstrate that the Lotus Sūtra is superior to all other sūtras. In the meantime, this comparison provides legitimacy for Chih-i’s own choice of selecting the Lotus Sūtra as the doctrinal foundation for his system of thought. The superiority of the Lotus Sūtra is derived from its reconciling nature of acknowledging the validity of all doctrines that are embraced by the One Vehicle of Buddhahood. The establishment of this superiority in turn sustains Chih-i ‘s own system of thought as perfect and harmonizing. Thus, this technique of comparison exemplifies Chih-i’s perfect harmonization philosophy in terms of its nature of reconciliation and all-embracing nature. (Page 88-89)

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


beginning

The Law of Causation

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The law of cause and effect pertains to the operations of all phenomena in the universe—not just to good and evil. It is taught in relation to what is called the Law of Causation, but there is a difference between the two. The law of cause and effect deals with the individual in terms of a temporal chain extending from past into present and then into the future. The Law of Causation, however, deals not merely with the individual but also with spatial and temporal relations among individuals and everything in their environment: family, local society, school, regional society, national society, international society, the natural environment, politics, economy, culture, spiritual fields, natural phenomena, and so on. An accurate interpretation of the world and of human life, this law is extremely extensive. It is the basis on which Buddhism teaches the impossibility of true happiness for an individual without development in the direction of happiness for all the other people in that individual’s environment. (Page 96)

The Beginnings of Buddhism

LS32

Day 19

Day 19 concludes Chapter 14, Peaceful Practices, and begins Chapter 15, The Appearance of Bodhisattvas from Underground.

Having last month considered the reasons for expounding the Lotus Sūtra lastly, we repeat in gāthās guidelines for expounding this Sūtra.

Be patient, and compassionate
Towards all living beings,
And then expound this sūtra
Praised by the Buddhas!

Anyone who keeps this sūtra
In the latter days after my extinction
Should have compassion towards laymen and monks
And towards those who are not Bodhisattvas.
He should think:
‘They do not hear this sūtra.
They do not believe it.
This is their great fault.
When I attain the enlightenment of the Buddha,
I will expound the Dharma to them
With expedients
And cause them to dwell in it.’

The Daily Dharma from Jan. 18, 2018, offers this:

Anyone who keeps this sūtra
In the latter days after my extinction
Should have compassion towards laymen and monks
And towards those who are not Bodhisattvas.
He should think:
‘They do not hear this sūtra.
They do not believe it.
This is their great fault.
When I attain the enlightenment of the Buddha,
I will expound the Dharma to them
With expedients
And cause them to dwell in it.’

The Buddha sings these verses to Mañjuśrī in Chapter Fourteen of the Lotus Sūtra. In our zeal to help other beings, we may create expectations of how they will receive our efforts, or how they will change themselves after hearing the Buddha Dharma. We may even blame them for not improving as quickly as we might want. These verses remind us that there is no shortage of time available for our efforts to benefit others.

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

Awakening to the Lotus

A Glorious Pure Land

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Since the Original Buddha is eternal, this world, where the Buddha lives, is also eternal. It can never be destroyed. However, ordinary people, deluded by worldly desires and unable to see with the eyes of the Buddha, think that this world is a defiled land, one which will burn away in the future. We see grief, pain and fear wherever we look. To us this is the “real world.” But our Buddha-nature can be realized in this defiled world. To enlightened eyes, the real world is revealed as a glorious Pure Land where all beings can attain Buddhahood.

Awakening to the Lotus