All posts by John Hughes

LS32

Day 12

Day 12 concludes Chapter 7, The Parable of the Magic City, and completes the Third Volume of the Sutra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma.

Having last month having covered the setup before the Parable of the Magic City, now we review the parable.

“I will tell you a parable. Once upon a time there was a dangerous, bad road five hundred yojanas long. It was so fearful that no men lived in the neighborhood. Now many people wished to pass through this road in order to reach a place of treasures. They were led by a man, clever, wise, and well informed of the conditions of the dangerous road. He took them along this dangerous road, but halfway the people got tired of walking. They said to him, ‘We are tired out. We are also afraid of the danger of this road. We cannot go a step farther. Our destination is still far off. We wish to go back.’

“The leader, who knew many expedients, thought, ‘What a pity!

They wish to go back without getting great treasures.’ Having thought this, he expediently made a city by magic at a distance of three hundred yojanas from the starting-point of this dangerous road. He said to them, ‘Do not be afraid! Do not go back! You can stay in that great city, and do anything you like. If you enter that city, you will be peaceful. If you go on afterwards and reach the place of treasures, then you can go home.’

“Thereupon the worn-out people had great joy. They said, ‘We have never had such joy as this before. Now we shall be able to get off this bad road and become peaceful.’

“Then they made their way forward and entered the magic city.

They felt peaceful, thinking that they had already passed [through the bad road]. Seeing that they had already had a rest and relieved their fatigue, the leader caused the city to disappear, and said to them, ‘Now the place of treasures is near. I made this city by magic in order to give you a rest.’

The Daily Dharma of Jan. 20, 2017, offers this:

He said to them, ‘Do not be afraid! Do not go back! You can stay in that great city, and do anything you like. If you enter that city, you will be peaceful. If you go on afterwards and reach the place of treasures, then you can go home.

This is part of the Parable of the Magic City, told by the Buddha in Chapter Seven of the Lotus Sūtra. In the story, a guide is leading a group of travelers through a dangerous road to a city of treasures. Halfway through the trip, the travelers, overcome by their fear and fatigue, consider giving up their journey and returning to their previous lives. The guide makes a resting place for them where they can relax before continuing. When the travelers mistake this resting place for their destination, the guide makes the city disappear so that they will keep moving towards the true treasures. The Buddha compares himself to the guide, us to the travelers, the magic city to that place we all want where even our unspoken desires are met, and his enlightenment to the city of treasures. To see the world as it is and find true happiness, we need to let go of our delusions and keep faith in our guide and his highest teaching.

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

Lotus Seeds

Middle Way of the Middle Way

Quote

Both the Middle Way as practice and the Middle Way as insight are dependent on each other. By practicing the Middle Way, we attain the insight of the Middle Way, and through the insight of the Middle Way, we are able to live in accord with the practice of the Middle Way. Ultimately, the Middle Way is the unity of practice and insight.

Lotus Seeds

Daily Dharma

Daily Dharma – March 22, 2017

All living beings are suffering.
Being blind, they have no leader.
They do not know how to stop suffering,
Or that they should seek emancipation.
In the long night fewer people go to heaven,
And more people go to the evil regions.
They go from darkness to darkness, and do not hear
Of the names of the Buddhas.

The children of Great-Universal-Wisdom-Excellence Buddha proclaim this to their father in a story told by Śākyamuni Buddha in Chapter Seven of the Lotus Sūtra. They understand that when beings are so preoccupied with their own happiness, and so convinced that this happiness comes from what they can acquire, that they need an enlightened being to lead them to see the world as it is. With the Lotus Sūtra as the embodiment of the Buddha’s highest teaching, we have the same wisdom present to us as those children’s father was to them.

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

LS32

Day 11

Day 11 continues Chapter 7, The Parable of the Magic City

Having last month finished the travels of the Brahman-heavenly-kings, we return to the light at the top of Day 11.

“When Great-Universal-Wisdom-Excellence Buddha attained Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi, five hundred billion Buddha-worlds in each of the ten quarters quaked in the six ways, and all those worlds, including those intercepted from the brilliant rays of light of the sun and the moon by the neighboring worlds, were illumined [by great rays of light], and the living beings of those worlds were able to see each other for the first time. They said to each other, ‘How did you appear so suddenly?’ The palaces of the gods of those worlds, including the palace of Brahmans, also quaked in the six ways. The great rays of light which illumined all those worlds were brighter than the rays of light emitted by those gods.

It is this light that we celebrate, for without the Buddha’s presence it would be very dark.

Lotus Path: Practicing the Lotus Sutra Volume 1 offers this:

With the Lotus Sutra and our Buddhist practice we can even illuminate the sufferings we are experiencing as well as those we have experienced and with the wisdom learned we can forge a future with different outcomes. No matter how dark or how long darkness has existed in our lives, just as a light illuminates a cave that has been dark for hundreds of years, the Lotus Sutra can bring light and enlightenment to our lives.
Lotus Path: Practicing the Lotus Sutra Volume 1

Daily Dharma

Daily Dharma – March 21, 2017

Those who seek the enlightenment of the Buddha
Are as various as previously stated.
A kalpa will not be long enough
To describe the variety of them.

The Buddha speaks these verses in Chapter Three of the Lotus Sūtra. We may believe that only some kinds of people will hear the teaching of the Buddha. In this passage the Buddha reminds us that we cannot predict who will be able to join us in our practice and who will not. This is why it is so important to maintain our vow as Bodhisattvas to benefit all beings.

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

Blog

What is Buddhahood or how would you describe it?

[This continues a previous conversation]

What is Buddhahood or, how would you describe it? It seems like such a vague term to me. Everywhere i’ve read, vagueness abounds. I was hoping you could maybe offer your take on this word?

On the meaning of Buddhahood, I like Ven. Kenjo Igarashi’s explanation here.

Specifically to Nichiren Buddhism, you have to consider Ichinen Sanzen, the 3000 realms in a single thought moment. Here’s a quick explanation.

And in the realm of things to ponder is Rev. Igarashi’s “Consciousness Only” view of our innate Buddhahood and why it seems hidden from us. See this blog post.

I’m sorry. I digested that information and, I just don’t get it.

One of the fundamental aspects of Buddhism is the requirement that each individual ponder what it all means. No one can enlighten you. There are certain things for which we are asked to have faith but even those require constant pondering. It’s all something to consider while chanting Namu Myoho Renge Kyo.

But if we can’t articulate these concepts in a way that lay men & women can understand, how can we propagate Buddhism?

Personally, I like the concept expressed by Ven. Kenjo Igarashi that “Essentially, [the eternal] Buddha is the ‘truth.’ ” One who becomes enlightened — who enters Buddhahood — awakens to the truth. The whole truth.

And what is this truth? Here’s one attempt to explain:

The Four Noble Truths are the fundamental teachings of the Buddha, a straight-forward application of the law of cause and effect. The Four Noble Truths are the truth of suffering, the truth of the cause of suffering, the truth of freedom from suffering, and the truth of the way to eliminate suffering that is the Eightfold Path. The first two truths describe the effect and the cause of suffering. The last two truths describe the effect and cause of freedom from suffering.
Lotus Seeds

The Physician left behind for us in the Lotus Sutra a medicine that looks, smells and tastes pleasing. It can cure all of the suffering children. The problem is that while it is easy enough to see that something looks nice and that it smells OK, there is no way tell if the medicine tastes pleasing without taking the medicine. That is the measure of the faith needed to embrace the Lotus Sutra and to receive the merits of this practice.

I believe I’ve articulated the foundation of Nichiren Buddhism, although I admit that much of it presupposes a certain general understanding of Buddhism.

My reading from the Lotus Sutra tonight covered Chapter 5: Simile of Herbs.

Although my teachings are of the same content to anyone
Just as the rain is of the same taste,
The hearers receive my teachings differently
According to their capacities
Just as the plants receive
Different amounts of the rain water.

Articulating these concepts in a way that “lay men & women” can understand is the original problem.

I appreciate you taking the time to explain things for me. I get the impression that Buddhahood is something to be experienced and that it just cannot be really encapsulated into words?

Yes. I’d say that pretty much nothing related to Buddhahood can be encapsulated into words. But that doesn’t mean we don’t try.

Nichiren’s Buddhism draws its foundation from the Tendai Buddhism of his day and before. The founder of Tendai Buddhism, in discussing the realization of the 3,000 realms in a single thought moment as enlightenment, offered this:

“One may say neither that the one mind is prior and all dharmas posterior nor that all dharmas are prior and the one mind posterior. … If one derives all dharmas from the one mind, this is a vertical relationship. If the mind all at once contains all dharmas, this is a horizontal relationship. Neither vertical nor horizontal will do. All one can say is that the mind is all dharmas, and all dharmas are the mind. Therefore the relationship is neither vertical nor horizontal, neither the same nor different. It is obscure, subtle and profound in the extreme. Knowledge cannot know it, nor can words speak it. Herein lies the reason for its being called ‘the realm of the inconceivable.’ ” *

Describing enlightenment as “the realm of the inconceivable” works for me. Really appreciating that in each moment we have the potential to realize Buddhahood is just amazing.

* This quote comes from “Original Enlightenment and the Transformation of Medieval Japanese Buddhism” by Jacqueline I. Stone.

LS32

Day 10

Day 10 concludes Chapter 6, Assurance of Future Buddhahood, and opens Chapter 7, The Parable of a Magic City.

Having last month concluded Chapter 7’s portion of Day 10, we return to the Chapter 6 and the prediction of future Buddhahood for Subhuti.

Thereupon the World-Honored One, having understood the wishes of the great disciples, said to the bhiksus:

“In his future life, this Subhuti will see three hundred billion nayutas of Buddhas, make offerings to them, respect them, honor them, praise them, perform brahma practices, complete the Way of Bodhisattvas, and become a Buddha on the final stage of his physical existence. He will be called Beautiful-Form, the Tathagata, the Deserver of Offerings, the Perfectly Enlightened One, the Man of Wisdom and Practice< the Well-Gone, the Knower of the World, the Unsurpassed Man, the Controller of Men, the Teacher of Gods and Men, the Buddha, the World-Honored One. The kalpa in which he will become that Buddha will be called Having-Treasures; and his world, Treasure-Born. The ground [of his world] will be even, made of crystal, adorned with jeweled trees, and devoid of mounds, pits, rubble, thorns and dirt. Jeweled flowers will cover the ground to purify it. The people of that world will live in buildings of wonderful treasures. His disciples in Sravakahood will be numberless, beyond calculation or comparison. The Bodhisattvas will be many thousands of billions of nayutas in number. The duration of the life of that Buddha will be twelve small kalpas. His right teachings will be preserved for twenty small kalpas. The counterfeit of his right teachings will be preserved also for twenty small kalpas. That Buddha will always stay in the sky, expound the Dharma to the multitude, and save innumerable Bodhisattvas and Sravakas.

So I wonder: Does the prediction that Subhuti will become a Buddha who always stays in the sky as he expounds to the Dharma to the multitude have something to do with his position among the 10 top voice hearers as the “foremost in understanding emptiness“? Not a big deal; just curious.

Odaimoku

The Pure and Beautiful Flower of Enlightenment

Quote

All living beings have the potential for Buddhahood. All people possess that seed, as explained in the concept of Inga Guji [both cause and effect are mutually possessed]. So when we recite Namu Myoho Renge Kyo in front of the Mandala Gohonzon, the pure and beautiful flower of enlightenment contained within our lives blossoms, develops and flourishes.

Odaimoku: The Significance Of Chanting Namu Myoho Renge Kyo

Daily Dharma

Daily Dharma – March 20, 2017

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.

The 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

LS32

Day 9

Day 9 covers Chapter 5, The Simile of Herbs, and introduces Chapter 6, Assurance of Future Buddhahood.

Having last month given the Assurance of Future Buddhahood for Maha-Kasyapa in prose, we repeat it in gathas:

Thereupon the World-Honored One, wishing to repeat what lw had said, sang in gathas:

I will tell you, bhiksus.
I see this Kasyapa
With the eyes of the Buddha.
He will become a Buddha
In his future life
After innumerable’ kalpas from now.

He will see in his future life
Three hundred billions
Of Buddhas, of World-Honored Ones.
He will make offerings to them,
And perform brahma practices
To obtain the wisdom of the Buddha.
Having made offerings
To the Most Honorable Bipeds,
He will study and practice
Unsurpassed wisdom,
And become a Buddha on the final stage
Of his physical existence.

The ground [of his world] will be pure.
It will be made of lapis lazuli.
Many jeweled trees
Will stand on the roadsides.
The roads will be marked off by ropes of gold.
Anyone will rejoice at seeing them.

Fragrance will be sent forth from the trees;
And beautiful flowers will be strewn
On the ground, which will be adorned
With various wonderful things.
The ground will be even,
And devoid of mounds and pits.

The number of the Bodhisattvas
Will be beyond calculation.
They will be gentle.
They will have great supernatural powers.
They will keep the sutras of the Great Vehicle
Expounded by the Buddhas.

The Sravakas will have already eliminated asravas,
And reached the final stage of their physical existence.
They will become sons of the King of the Dharma.
Their number also will be beyond calculation.
Even those who have heavenly eyes
Will not be able to count them.

The duration of the life of that Buddha
Will be twelve small kalpas.
His right teachings will be preserved
For twenty small kalpas.
The counterfeit of his right teachings
Will be preserved also for twenty small kalpas.
All this is my prophecy
About the World-Honored One called Light.

Lotus World offers this about the prediction for Buddhahood of Maya-Kasyapa, who is present in Nichiren’s Gohonzon:

In the Lotus Sutra, the voice-hearers fall into three groups of superior capacity, intermediate capacity, and lesser capacity, depending on the manner in which they are able to understand the One Vehicle. Mahakashyapa, Katyayana, and Subhuti comprise the intermediate category. They require the preaching of parables, such as the parable of the burning house in Chapter 3, in order to comprehend the One Vehicle.

In the Lotus Sutra, Mahakashyapa, along with Subhuti, Katyayana, and Maudgalyayana all express their joy at hearing the teaching of the One Vehicle in Chapter 4. These four disciples then tell the Buddhist version of the parable of the prodigal son in that same chapter. In chapter five, the Buddha addresses the parable of the herbs to these four. In Chapter 6, the Buddha predicts the future buddhahood of these four disciples beginning with Mahakashyapa, who he announces will become Light Tathagata of the world Light Virtue.
Lotus World: An Illustrated Guide to the Gohonzon