Just as the Sun God dispels all darkness, Myōhō Renge Kyō drives away all the darkness of evils.
All posts by John Hughes
Tao-sheng: Well-Done
Tao-sheng Commentary on the Lotus Sutra, p241-242Thereupon the World-Honored One said to Mahā-Kāśyapa and other great disciples: “Excellent, excellent! {well-done}
As four great voice hearers had achieved enlightenment by the first parable, subsequently they spoke of their faith and understanding, in order to express their enlightenment. Understanding had to be verified, [and it turned out that] they had comprehended in depth the Sage’s idea of first the three and later the One. Because they comprehended the purport of what the Sage was driving at, in this chapter the Buddha confirms the propriety of what they have said in order to perfect the meaning [of the doctrine]. Hence, he praised [them] saying, “well-done!” commending their rare achievement. [The Buddha] secretly guided them, undetected, making them equal with Kāśyapa [in understanding].
The title “Medicinal Herbs” conveys, the fact that in the past they had received and maintained the Sage’s teaching, and as the Sage’s teaching soaked their spirit, the disease of depravities (kleśa) was cured. Thus [the transmitter of the sūtra] used the [the words] medicinal herbs in titling the chapter.
The Recompense of Nondecay
Note: This is another in the monthly excerpts from “Tales of the Lotus Sutra.”
Buddhism in Practice, p440-441During the era of [Emperor] Wu-cheng of the [Northern] Qi (562-565), a person digging on the slope of Mount Kandong near Bingzhou came upon a patch of soil—yellowish white in color—that stood out in marked contrast from the ground around it. Probing further, he turned up an object that had the appearance of a pair of human lips, with a tongue, fresh red in color, sticking out between them. He reported the matter in a memorial [to the throne]. [The emperor] made inquiries among various learned scholars but could find no one who knew [the meaning of it]. When he heard of this, the mendicant Fashang (495-580), controller-in-chief [of the sangha], memorialized the throne saying, “This is the recompense of nondecay of the sense faculties that is achieved by devotees who [ritually] keep the Lotus Sūtra. It is proof that [this individual] recited [the scripture] more than a thousand times over.”
Subsequently, the emperor summoned the secretariat drafter, Gao Chen. “You are one inclined to faith,” he ordered, “go personally to look into this matter. Surely [this object] will have some sort of numinous power. Place it in a duly purified place, convene a maigre feast, and make offerings to it.”
Chen received the order and went to the site, where he assembled various Buddhist monks renowned for their devotion to the Lotus. Holding incense censers in hand and maintaining strict ceremonial purity, they circumambulated [the tongue] and offered prayers saying: “O Bodhisattva! Countless years have passed since you entered into nirvana. As one who has reverently received [the Lotus and kept it] flawlessly during this current age of the counterfeit dharma, we beseech you to manifest for us your [marvelous] stimulus and response (ganying).”
The instant they raised their voices the tongue and lips began to beat about on the altar top. Although no sound came forth, it looked as though it were chanting. Of those who witnessed it, there was not one whose hair didn’t stand on end. Chen reported the phenomenon. The [throne] ordered that it be stored away in a stone casket and moved to a stūpa chamber.
Vajra Sutra: Forerunners of Buddhism in China
The Vajra Prajna Paramita Sutra, p78-79Lao Zi was a transformation body of the Venerable Mahākāśyapa. When the Buddha entered the world, he saw that living beings in China committed many offenses and did not conduct themselves in accord with propriety, so he sent Lao Zi, Confucius, and Yan Hui to China to teach and transform living beings. All three were transformation bodies of Bodhisattvas.
Lao Zi introduced the concept of the unconditioned to the Chinese people. If one can understand unconditioned dharma, one can then come to understand that which is not unconditioned. The Buddhadharma speaks of that which is unconditioned and yet not unconditioned.
Myōhō Renge Kyō Promise for May 5, 2025
Anyone who keeps
Myōhō Renge Kyō,
Know this, has compassion towards all living beings
Because he is my messenger.
Tao-sheng: Short of Reaching the Ultimate
Tao-sheng Commentary on the Lotus Sutra, p236At that time you caused us to think over all things and to clear away the dirt of fruitless discussions about them.
This is connected with the second [part of the] parable, intended for preaching the doctrine of the three vehicles. [The words] one day’s wages disparage the self-satisfied mind of the Lesser Vehicle. The merits they had accumulated when they were blind are equal to no more than those the bodhisattvas would accumulate in one day. They are so little and are short of [reaching] the ultimate.
Vajra Sutra: 88 Categories of View Delusions and 16 States of Mind
The Vajra Prajna Paramita Sutra, p72-73A Srotaāpanna is a first stage Arhat. Certification to the first fruit of Arhatship, which is within the Small Vehicle, comes when the eighty-eight categories of view delusions are smashed. It is called the Position of the Way of Seeing. By means of sixteen minds one can cut off the eighty-eight categories of view delusions and certify to the truth.
View delusions are the result of the greed and love that arise when viewing situations. Before one sees something, one has no greed or love concerning it, but once the thing is seen, greed and love for it arise. The production of greed and love regarding states is termed view delusion. The eighty-eight categories of view delusions are cut off by means of the sixteen states of mind, which are aspects of the Four Noble Truths of suffering, accumulation, extinction, and the Way.
Within the desire realm are eight of these hearts:
- Patience Regarding the Phenomena Involved in Suffering.
- Wisdom Regarding the Phenomena Involved in Suffering.
- Patience Regarding the Phenomena Involved in Accumulation,
- Wisdom Regarding the Phenomena Involved in Accumulation,
- Patience Regarding the Phenomena Involved in Extinction,
- Wisdom Regarding the Phenomena Involved in Extinction,
- Patience Regarding the Phenomena Involved in the Way,
- Wisdom Regarding the Phenomena Involved in the Way.
The form realm and formless realm have eight:
- Subsequent Patience Regarding Suffering.
- Subsequent Wisdom Regarding Suffering.
- Subsequent Patience Regarding Accumulation,
- Subsequent Wisdom Regarding Accumulation,
- Subsequent Patience Regarding Extinction,
- Subsequent Wisdom Regarding Extinction,
- Subsequent Patience Regarding the Way,
- Subsequent Wisdom Regarding the Way.
The sixteen minds are all located in realms where there is attachment to marks. At the fifteenth of the sixteen minds, Subsequent Patience Regarding the Way, view delusions are cut off. That point is classified as Inclination Towards the First Fruit, and is called a Way of Non-Interruption. When one completely attains the sixteenth mind, Subsequent Wisdom Regarding the Way, that is certification to the first fruit of Arhatship. It is called a Way of Liberation, for at that point delusion is completely severed and liberation is obtained.
Myōhō Renge Kyō Promise for May 4, 2025
Many people hate Myōhō Renge Kyō with jealousy even in my lifetime. Needless to say, more people will do so after my extinction.
Tao-sheng: Causes of the Three Kinds of Suffering
Tao-sheng Commentary on the Lotus Sutra, p235The great rich man is you.
The next three [statements] are connected with the above three sections of the parable. This [sentence] conjoins with the first section of the parable, concerning the meaning of father and son.
We once had many troubles in the world of birth and death because of the three kinds of sufferings.’
The Buddha spoke of the three states of sensation (vedanā) as being the causes of the three kinds of suffering. When suffering becomes intensified, it is referred to as “suffering as [ordinary] suffering (duhkha-duhkha)”; when [suffering] comes as the result of change, it is spoken of as “suffering produced by change (vipariṇama-duhkha)”; and when it is neither an unpleasant nor pleasant [sensation] and changes every moment as its life passes beyond [the present life], it is referred to as “suffering as conditioned states (saṃskāra-duhkha). By reason of the three kinds of suffering” is “by reason of the three kinds of sensation.” Why? The sensation of suffering is bitter and cutting. Going against one’s sentiment gives rise to anger (dveṣa). Following the way one is used to gives rise to desire (rāga). [In a state] neither unpleasant nor pleasant, and in an utterly disturbed state, arises stupidity (moha). Because of these three states of sensation, there arise the three evil faculties. As the three evil faculties are affected, the passion instigators become active. As the passion instigators spread out and thrive, karma is being committed by body and mouth. When karma and the passion instigators join forces, future retributions are induced. Hence, it is said: “by reason of the three kinds of suffering, [in the midst of birth and death] we suffer various annoyances.” Because birth and death are the outcome of “annoyances,” it means that habits formed have not been overcome; hence, “erring and ignorant, we cling in desire to the lesser dharmas.” [The rest of the paragraph] from this point on conjoins with their wandering from the transformative teaching.
Vajra Sutra: Falling From Emptiness Into Hell
The Vajra Prajna Paramita Sutra, p71Some people say that there is no need to hold precepts, and will not even hold the five precepts in order to refrain from killing, stealing, sexual misconduct, lying, and the use of intoxicants. “The Buddhadharma is flexible, not fixed,” they contend, “so my killing isn’t killing, my stealing isn’t stealing, my lying isn’t lying.” One who has such great deviant knowledge and views certainly will fall into the hells in the future. Be very careful not to fall into the kind of total emptiness which denies cause and effect by professing “Offenses are empty, blessings are empty, everything is empty.” If you do not perform acts of merit and virtue you create offenses and bad karma. Right practice is to do good deeds and not to be attached to them. It is essential to perform acts of merit and virtue and maintain the precepts. If you do not maintain the precepts, you can fall into the hells. Everyone should be very clear about that.