All posts by John Hughes

Daily Dharma

Daily Dharma – Sept. 2, 2016

We were satisfied with the elimination
Of illusions within ourselves.
What we accomplished was that elimination.
We did nothing more.

These verses are sung by Subhūti, Mahā-Kātyāyana, Mahā-Kāśyapa, and Mahā-Maudgalyāyana in Chapter Four of the Lotus Sūtra. They use the parable of the wayward son in this chapter to describe their own realization that the Buddha had not held any teaching back from them. Instead, the Buddha earlier allowed them to remain in the satisfaction of ending their own suffering. But before they can continue their progress towards the Buddha’s own enlightenment, they must give up their preoccupation with suffering, as the boy in the parable had to give up his idea of himself as a lowly hired worker, rather than the heir to his father’s treasure.

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

LS32

Day 2

Day 2 completes Chapter 1, Introductory.

Last month, I focused on the rarity of seeing this light – 20,000 Buddhas all preached the dharma, but only the last offered the light of his own wisdom. Today, I want to dwell on what Manjushri recalls having seen in the worlds illumined by the light of that long-ago Buddha.

This ray of light illumined
Eighteen thousand Buddha-worlds in the east.
It showed the region
To which each living being was to go by his karmas.

The worlds of the Buddha were
Adorned with many treasures,
And given the colors of lapis lazuli and crystal.
I saw all this by the light of the Buddha.

I also saw the gods, men, dragons, yaksas, gandharvas, and kimnaras of those worlds.
Each of them made offerings
To the Buddha by whom he was taught.

I also saw the Tathagatas of those worlds
Who had attained enlightenment by themselves.
The color of their bodies was as beautiful
And as wonderful as that of the golden mountains,
Or as that of a golden image
Put in a shrine of pure lapis lazuli.

Those World-Honored Ones explained to the great multitudes
The meaning of the profound teaching.
There were innumerable Sravakas
In the worlds of those Buddhas.
All those great multitudes were seen
By the light of the Buddha.

The bhiksus were living in mountains and forests.
They made endeavors,
And observed the pure precepts
As carefully as one keeps brilliant gems.

As many Bodhisattvas
As there are sands in the River Ganges
Performed almsgiving, patience, and other practices.
I saw all this by the light of the Buddha.

I also saw some Bodhisattvas
Who entered deep into dhyana-concentrations,
And became tranquil and motionless in body and mind,
In order to attain unsurpassed enlightenment.

I also saw some Bodhisattvas,
Who realized the tranquil extinction of all things,
And expounded the Dharma to [the people of] their worlds in order to attain the enlightenment of the Buddha.

The light illumines the present and past and foretells the future. A great teaching is coming this way.

Books, Odaimoku

Odaimoku: The Significance Of Chanting Namu Myoho Renge Kyo

Odaimoku bookcover
This book is available for purchase on Amazon

From Amazon

The Odaimoku, which literally means “the title,” is used in Japanese Buddhism in reference to the repeated recitation of a Buddhist mantra. The Odaimoku of Namu Myoho Renge Kyo is derived from the title of the Lotus Sutra which over a millennium, continues to have great influence throughout all of Japanese Buddhism. The Lotus Sutra has also been an inspiration to great Buddhist thinkers and Masters in China, Tibet, Korea and Japan since ancient times, and was a subject of profound interest and research by the 13th Century Buddhist Master, Nichiren Shonin. This ingenious teacher not only wrote exhaustively about the Lotus Sutra, but actively promoted the recitation of both the Sutra and its title, the Odaimoku.

The Odaimoku is today, therefore, the essential mantra of Nichiren Shu Buddhist faith and practice. This book examines the meaning of each single word composing the Odaimoku, so that one might have a deeper understanding of Namu Myoho Renge Kyo and its implications on one’s life, cultivation of Buddhist practice and enlightenment. It is divided into the following four chapters for easy comprehension:

  1. Introduction to the Lotus Sutra and Odaimoku
  2. The Meaning of Namu Myoho Renge Kyo
  3. Why do we chant the Odaimoku?
  4. How we chant the Odaimoku?

From the book dedication:

May the merit accumulated in the creation of this work adorn the pure land of Buddha, repay the profound debts of gratitude owed to the Three Treasures, our parents, teachers, and all those senior and more experienced, as well as help those who are suffering or in need. May all who see, read or hear this work bring forth their Bodhisattva heart, walk along the Path of the Buddha and obtain the blessed enlightenment of the Tathagata.

Namu Myoho Renge Kyo

Book Quotes

 
Book List

Lecture on Lotus Sutra

Honestly Adhering to Precepts

Quote

The Six Paramitas are 1. Giving – Dana; 2. Discipline – Five Precepts; 3. Patience; 4. Effort; 5. Meditation; and 6. Wisdom. … There are many precepts given in Buddhism depending upon whether you are a lay practitioner or a priest and whether you are a female or male. However, what we will focus on are the first five, which apply to all.

The Five Precepts are, not to take life, not to take what is not yours, not to engage in sexual misconduct, not to tell an untruth, and not to use intoxicants. …

I like to point out that whenever we equivocate or try to make excuses or bend the rules, then we are ignoring an inability to be honest with ourselves. I personally don’t care one way or another how strictly a person adheres to these rules; after all it is not up to me to judge. But what does concern me is whenever someone tries to dance around the point, rather than being honest with oneself and others.

Lecture on the Lotus Sutra

Daily Dharma

Daily Dharma – Sept. 1, 2016

The Buddha possesses 32 marks of physical excellence, all of which belong to the category of matter. The Brahma’s voice, pure and immaculate voice of the Buddha, however is invisible. Therefore it is impossible for us to depict it in pictures or statues.

Nichiren wrote this passage in his Treatise on Opening the Eyes of Buddhist Images, Wooden Statues or Portraits (Mokue Nizō Kaigen no Koto). The statues, portraits and other images of the Buddha and other protective deities which we use in our practice are not meant to be idols. They are living examples of the perfections to which we aspire and from which we draw strength. The ceremony in which we “Open the Eyes” of an Omandala or anything else we use in our practice reminds us that everything around us has life. When we hear the Buddha’s voice from them, leading us to enlightenment, then we learn how to improve the world for ourselves and all beings.

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

LS32

Day 1

Day 1 covers the first half of Chapter 1, Introductory

This is the 12th time through this exercise. It feels like a December. Someday I want to go through Maitreya’s description of what he sees the Bodhisattvas doing and match those activities with the events described later in the Lotus Sutra. For now, I invite tomorrow’s confirmation with Maitrey’s plea:

Manjusri, Son of the Buddha!
Remove our doubts!
The four kinds of devotees
A.re looking up with joy at you and me,
Wishing to know why this ray of light is emitted
By the World-Honored One.

Son of the Buddha, answer me!
Remove our doubts and cause us to rejoice!
For what purpose is the Buddha
Emitting this ray of light?

Does he wish to expound the Wonderful Dharma
Which he attained when he was sitting
At the place of enlightenment?
Does he wish to assure us of our future Buddhahood?

He shows us the worlds of the Buddhas
Adorned with many treasures.
We can see the Buddhas of those worlds.
This cannot be for some insignificant reason.

Manjusri, know this!
The four kinds of devotees and the dragons
Are looking at you, thinking:
“What is he going to say?”

Books, History of Japanese Religion

History of Japanese Religion

History of Japanese Religion bookcover
This book is available for purchase on Amazon

From Amazon:

Masaharu Anesaki’s “History of Japanese Religion” is an outcome of the author’s lectures at Harvard University during the years 1913-15, when he had the honor of occupying there the chair of Japanese Literature and Life. In response to the encouragement given by several friends at Harvard, the author tried to put the material of the lectures into book form and redrafted it from time to time. The book was eventually published in 1930.

See also, Masaharu Anesaki’s “Nichiren, The Buddhist Prophet”

Book Quotes

Book List

Lecture on Lotus Sutra

Crossing to the Other Shore

Quote

The word paramita was originally translated into Chinese from two words param and ita. Param translated as “to the other shore” and ita as “reached.” It is believed that by observing the Paramitas one is able to cross the shore of birth and death and reach the shore of nirvana.

Lecture on the Lotus Sutra

Daily Dharma

Daily Dharma – Aug. 31, 2016

When we worship gods or Buddhas, we begin with the phrase of “namu.” Namu is an Indian word that has come to mean “offering of life to Buddhas and gods” in China and Japan. Our social standing is determined in part by possessing a spouse and children, retainers, fiefs, and gold and silver, though some people do not have those. Regardless of whether we possess these or not, no one possess treasure more precious than life. Accordingly, sages and wise men in the past have donated their lives to the Buddhas in order to attain Buddhahood.

Nichiren wrote this passage in his Treatise on Phenomenal and Noumenal Offering (Jiri Kuyō Gosho). We tend to judge ourselves and others by the outward aspects of their lives: where we live, what we wear, our position in society, and the company we keep. It is easy to lose sight of what will happen when we leave this life and give up all those things, even our precious bodies. Nichiren reminds us that our lives are all we have, and when we live them in gratitude for what the Buddha teaches us, and dedicate ourselves to benefitting others, then we exist as enlightened beings.

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

LS32

Day 32

Day 32 covers Chapter 28, The Encouragement of Universal-Sage Bodhisattva, closing the Eighth Volume of the Sutra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma.

Last month, I discussed this chapter’s rather unique use of women – either to be avoided (captivating) or as a reward (attended on by hundreds of thousands of billions of goddesses). This month I return to what I see as the principal point of Universal-Sage Bodhisattva’s visit: The answer to his question of “how the good men or women who live after your extinction will be able to obtain this Sutra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma!”

The Buddha said to Universal-Sage Bodhisattva:

The good men or women will be able to obtain this Sutra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma after my extinction if they do the following four things: 1. secure the protection of the Buddhas, 2. plant the roots of virtue, 3. reach the stage of steadiness [in proceeding to enlightenment], and 4. resolve to save all living beings. The good men or women will be able to obtain this sotra after my extinction if they do these four things.

The Daily Dharma from Jan. 29, 2016, comments on this:

For us who aspire to this difficult practice of the Wonderful Dharma, the Buddha gives this guide in Chapter Twenty-Eight of the Lotus Sūtra. For us to have even heard of this sūtra in this life we must have already done these four things. In order to maintain this practice, we need to use the Buddha’s protection for the benefit of all beings, not just for our benefit alone. We need to nourish the virtuous seeds we have already planted, remain steady and confident on the path to enlightenment, and sustain our determination to maintain our respect for everyone.

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