The narrative of Great-Universally-Excelling-Wisdom Buddha can be considered an introduction to the “Realm of Origin” (Hommon), which is the key philosophy of the Lotus Sutra. In some ways, this story foreshadows the fundamental view of the Realm of Origin (Hommon), which will be revealed in later chapters, especially in Chapter Sixteen, “The Duration of the Life of the Buddha.” First, the facts that Great-Universally-Excelling-Wisdom Buddha expounded the Lotus Sutra a long time ago, and the sixteen princes kept it and continue to expound it even now, indicate that the Lotus Sutra is the eternal truth, transcending the concepts of time and space. Second, the fact that the Buddhas of the worlds of the ten directions obtained enlightenment through the Lotus Sutra suggests that all the teachings of and faith in the Buddhas are to be merged into the teachings of and faith in the Lotus Sutra. Finally, the central cosmic figure among these Buddhas is Sakyamuni, who resides in this World of Endurance (Saha-world).
Introduction to the Lotus SutraAuthor: John Hughes
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The New Year
Ann N. Hughes, Feb. 15, 2014 This was my third New Year’s service at the Sacramento Nichiren Buddhist Church. If you don’t normally do much for New Year’s, this is a great tradition to adopt. The year-end service begins at 11pm. After that there’s a quick bite to eat, and then at midnight the church bell is rung 108 times to symbolize the extinguishing of the 108 earthly desires. Following the bell ringing, the New Year’s Day service is held. During this service Ven. Kenjo Igarashi offers purification blessings for all of the members’ home altars.
Last year I had a memorial service for my father and mother. This year I had a memorial service for my stepmother. Today I’m 66 years old and I still haven’t let go of the fact that my parents divorced when I was 9 years old and my father remarried and remained happily married until his death. Ann Hughes wasn’t an evil stepmother. Far from it. She just wasn’t my mother. With the memorial service I honor her place with my father and let go of my resentment. I’ve added a photo of my father and Ann to my side altar where I honor my ancestors.
Ann and Ed Hughes -
Little Things
I read something the other day that said it isn’t the big things that really make us happy or unhappy. It is little things. Think about this. The research found that for example on our jobs we gain a sense of happiness or dissatisfaction more from the accumulation of little events throughout the day or days, than we do from one or two major events. We have a sense of our general disposition more from viewing a series of events than from one event. Today we are able to practice Buddhism and the Lotus Sutra because we have created the causes to do so. And by the same method, the accumulation of the merits of our practice we can manifest the Buddha potential within our lives.
Lotus Path: Practicing the Lotus Sutra Volume 1
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Learn About Last Moments in Life
MYOHO AMA GOZEN GOHENJI
I, Nichiren, have learned Buddhism since I was a child. One’s life is uncertain. Even if you exhale, you are not sure that you can inhale next. One dies quicker than the dew vanishes in the wind. The wise and the fool, the young and the old, are under the law of the transient life. Therefore, one should always know death comes to everyone and should accept it solemnly and spend the valuable life meaningfully.
(Background : July 14, 1278, 56 years old, at Minobu, Showa Teihon, p.1535)
Explanatory note
Nichiren Daishonin said, “One should always know death comes to everyone and should accept it solemnly and spend the valuable life meaningfully.” He meant that we should accept transiency of life and strive for positive works, and that the value of one’s life will be confirmed at the moment of his or her death.
The above quotation was the response of Nichiren Daishonin to a letter from Myoho Ama. According to her letter, her husband was sick but still chanted the Lotus Sutra day and night. Just before his death, he chanted “Namu Myoho Renge Kyo” twice loudly.
Nichiren assured her that the last chanting of Odaimoku by her husband changed his wrong karma not only In this life but also in his previous lives to Buddhahood. Moreover, Nichiren assured her that since Myoho Ama’s husband carried through his faith in the Lotus Sutra, he was able to go calmly to Mt. Sacred Eagle, where the Buddha Sakyamuni is continuously preaching the Lotus Sutra.
To accept “death” solemnly helps us to resist our temptation to commit evil acts. This earnest attitude is the first step in becoming Buddhists.
Rev. Kanai
Phrase A Day
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Daily Dharma – Jan. 2, 2018
Thereupon a loud voice of praise was heard from within the stūpa of treasures: “Excellent, excellent! You, Śākyamuni, the World-Honored One, have expounded to this great multitude the Sūtra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma, the Teaching of Equality, the Great Wisdom, the Dharma for Bodhisattvas, the Dharma Upheld by the Buddhas. So it is, so it is. What you, Śākyamuni, the World-Honored One, have expounded is all true.”
This declaration comes from Many-Treasures Buddha (Tahō, Prabhutaratna) at the beginning of Chapter Eleven of the Lotus Sūtra. In the story, Many-Treasures came from a world far away from this world of conflict when he heard the Buddha giving his highest teaching and appeared in a tower (stūpa) of wonderful treasures to confirm the truth of this teaching. By the Teaching of Equality, he means that all beings can become enlightened through this teaching. By the Great Wisdom, he means that the teaching is the same as the Buddha’s own mind. By the Dharma for Bodhisattvas, he means that to receive this teaching we awaken to our natures to benefit all beings. And by the Dharma Upheld by the Buddhas, he means that all Buddhas in all worlds encourage and help those who practice this sūtra.
The Daily Dharma is produced by the Lexington Nichiren Buddhist Community. To subscribe to the daily emails, visit zenzaizenzai.com
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Day 9
Day 9 covers Chapter 5, The Simile of Herbs, and introduces Chapter 6, Assurance of Future Buddhahood.
Having last month heard Śākyamuni vow to water all living beings with the Dharma, Śākyamuni reveals his purpose: To reveal the Great Vehicle.
All gods and men!
Listen to me with one mind!
Come here and see me,
Who am the Most Honorable One!I am the World-Honored One.
I am not surpassed by anyone.
I have appeared in this world
To give peace to all living beings.I will expound the Dharma as pure as nectar
To you all in this great multitude.
My teachings are of the same taste.
They are for emancipation, that is, for Nirvana.I will expound these teachings [of mine]
With a wonderful voice.
My purpose is
To reveal the Great Vehicle. -
The Vast Compassion of Sakyamuni
Traditionally, the small herbs are interpreted as humans and deities, the middle-sized herbs as “hearers” and “private Buddhas,” and the large herbs, stems, and branches as Bodhisattvas. The latter can be divided into three levels of accomplishment. The vast compassion of Sakyamuni is distributed equally to all living beings in order to lead them all to the enlightenment of the Buddha.
Introduction to the Lotus Sutra
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The Challenge in Eliminating Suffering
It is true that, on the one hand, the elimination of suffering does not lie in the acquisition of more material things. It also does not lie in the abhorrence or avoidance of the material. The Buddha chose the middle path. This path turned away from asceticism and from hedonism. The middle path is one of finding the way between the two, without ignoring either. This is our challenge.
Physician’s Good Medicine
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Awakening as Buddha’s Children
HOKKE SHUYO SHO
Since the time immemorial all the people on the earth have been the Buddha Sakyamuni’s beloved children. We had not realized the relationship, because we had been undutiful children. It is a unique relationship. As the moon reflects on calm water, the Buddha appears in our calm mind.
(Background : 1274, 52 years old, at Minobu, Showa Teihon, p.812)
Explanatory note
Although people think that the Buddha Sakyamuni was born in India (today’s Nepal) about 2,500 years ago, He has been stretching His hands to save us from the eternal past. According to chapter 16 of the Lotus Sutra, it was five hundred dust-particle kalpa ago that the Buddha Sakyamuni became the Buddha. Suppose a person —smashes a world into dust particles and deposits one of the particles in a world which he comes across after he passes many worlds. By putting one of the particles in another world at the same distance, he passes countless worlds until the dust particles are exhausted. The five hundred dust-particle kalpa means much longer time than the number of dust-particles are distributed in this way.
Thus, the Buddha has been trying to have us attain Buddhahood since that many kalpa ago, and even now He is preaching to us on Mt. Sacred Eagle. But we have not listened to His words and have not realized the compassion of the Buddha.
Nichiren Daishonin said that all beings originate from the Eternal Buddha, and that if the people do not realize the relationship of the Eternal Buddha and His children, they are undutiful children of the Buddha. We must appreciate the great compassion of the Buddha.
Rev. Kanai
Phrase A Day
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A Phrase A Day – Preface
Download PDF copy of this booklet.
August 1986I established Myokakuji Betsuin Temple, a Nichiren Buddhist temple, in San Jose, California, U.S.A. five years ago. At that time, I made several trips to the U.S.A. visiting various Buddhist temples in America, including non-Nichiren temples, in order to grasp the real situation of their activities. I was greatly impressed to see generally beautiful temple buildings in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and other cities with ministers engaged in active missionary work. I learned, however, that they had one problem in common: a generation change in membership. Young members hardly understand Japanese. Consequently, more and more of them stay away from Buddhist temples, where Japanese is the means of communication and propagation. Aged, non-English speaking ministers are incapable of attracting young members. As the first- and second-generation members die, there are hardly any young members ready to take their place.
Confronted by such a serious problem, while thinking about our Founder Nichiren Daishonin’s slogan to “spread Odaimoku throughout the world,” I felt that we had not an inch to lose. Nichiren ministers stationed in North America agreed with me that we had to move, even one or two steps, forward. We all realized the need of active propagation in the English language. However, there hardly existed any English translations of writings of Nichiren Daishonin, which could form the basis for English language propagation.
I, therefore, was almost overjoyed to hear about the plan of Nichiren ministers in North America to translate “A Saying A Day” compiled by Dr. Hoyo Watanabe as an English language teaching material. So I proposed that our Overseas Propagation Promotion Association help them to implement the plan. It was agreed that the English translation be made by ministers in North America, that it be scrutinized by experts in Nichiren Buddhism, and that it be published and distributed by the association.
I hope in this way Nichiren Daishonin’s letters and tracts will gradually be translated and introduced to followers of Nichiren Buddhism in America, so that they will be able to deepen their correct understanding of Nichiren Daishonin’s true faith and salvation.
In accordance with the importance in aim and significance, the draft of the English translation made by ministers in America was sent to Japan, where it was strictly scrutinized by the English Translation Committee established by the Nichiren Shu Overseas Propagation Promotion Association. The committee meetings, attended by Dr. Hoyo Watanabe and other experts in Nichiren Buddhism as well as Reverends Ryusho Matsuda and Shokai Kanai from America, tried hard to polish up the draft. I believe that the finished product in the form of this booklet is solid in content, readable for English speaking people, and correct in interpretation. My special thanks go to ministers abroad and members of the English Translation Committee for their time to make this publication possible.
Last but not least I would like to express my gratitude to Nichiren Shu Shumuin (Administrative Office) and its Sogozaidan (General Foundation) for their generous donations. Without their help this publication would not have been possible.Reverend Shingaku Oikawa
Phrase A Day
President, Nichiren Shu Overseas Propagation Promotion Association
