“Mañjuśrī! Myōhō Renge Kyō is the treasury of the hidden core of the Buddhas, of the Tathāgatas. Myōhō Renge Kyō is superior to all the other sūtras. I kept Myōhō Renge Kyō [in secret] and refrained from expounding Myōhō Renge Kyō for the long night. Now I expound Myōhō Renge Kyō to you today for the first time.”
All posts by John Hughes
Tao-sheng: The Father and His Son
Tao-sheng Commentary on the Lotus Sutra, p225-228Suppose there lived a man [in a certain country]. When he was a little boy, he ran away from his father.
The first paragraph, which explains what father and son stand for. Formerly when they as bodhisattvas received the transformative teaching, the li of teaching was the One. The One came from the Buddha; it was the “son,” and the Buddha is identical with the “father.” The process of teaching began like that: it was “young in years.”
The process of the transformative teaching began very early, not yet bearing fruit. He returned to the depth of worldly delusion, and delusion rode [over] the right path. All [the achievements of] the transformative teaching also were gone. This is the implication of “forsaking his father and running off.”
[The boy] lived in another country for a long time, say, for ten, twenty or fifty years.
The self-soness (tzu-jan) of the transformation of sphere is “native land.” The perversion of the [cycle of] birth and death (saṃsāra) is “another country.” It was a long period of departure from the transformative teaching and he stayed there as a human [in saṃsāra]”: he “dwelt” [there].
[The word] five [of fifty or five tens] refers to the five forms of existence. [The word] ten means “dwelling long.” It is not definite; hence, or.
As time passed by, he became poorer [reduced to destitution]. He wandered about all [four] directions, seeking food and clothing.
It is a long time since he abandoned the transformative teaching; he “grew old.” He stumbled in [the cycle of] birth and death”; he was “reduced to destitution.”
He wandered through all the five forms of existence; no place was left unvisited: he “ran about in all four directions.” Growing old, he sought after the joy of the Greater [Vehicle] and that of [the] parables; being in the state of destitution, he sought after the joy of the Lesser [Vehicle].
“While wandering here and there, he happened [gradually] to walk towards his home country.
One does not suddenly receive the retribution of delusion: it is “gradual.” He was advancing gradually toward a nonoriginal place: he was [in the state of] “wandering.” Responding to the force of the transformative teaching, he went back toward enlightenment; he “[happened” to head gradually toward his native land.” He was led by unseen conditions to come [back], but it was not what he intended; hence, happened.
At that time his father stayed [midway] in a city [of that country]. He had been vainly looking for his son ever since.
The second paragraph demonstrates that he (the father) was incarnated as the Buddha in order to preach the doctrine of the three vehicles. The Buddha, having transformed himself and accumulated [meritorious] deeds, had always wanted to seek his sons who might have fallen into [the cycle of] birth and death. This ended badly, as [the Buddha was left] “without finding” them. His sons, having yielded to past conditions (pratyaya) [which were] bound to reach them [soon], had become attached to the pleasure of birth and death and had developed emotional inclinations of a direction different from those they had originally had. Their “father,” in responding to them, condescended to become a Buddha. The trace stopped short of reaching the real: it “stopped midway.” The li of the One Vehicle can ward off what is wrong; it is the “city.” [All beings from] the ten directions have converged on the transformative teaching: [in that sense] they are “one.”
He was now very rich. He had innumerable treasures. His storehouses [treasure houses] were filled [to overflowing] with gold, silver, lapis lazuli, coral, amber and crystal.
Even though he is the Buddha in human form, li encompasses all dharmas. This means that it is rich with the treasure of the dharmas, which is inexhaustible.
The seven sacred treasures cannot be spied on [for stealing]: they are “[in] treasure houses.” li surpasses words: it is “filled to overflowing.”
He had many servants, clerks, and secretaries. He also had countless elephants, horses, carts [carriages], cows, and sheep.
The heretics (tīrthikas) are “attendants”‘ the devils (māras) are “servants.” They are destined to return and follow the transformative teaching: this is what attendants and servants imply. The bodhisattvas are “assistants,” helping spread the right transformative teaching. The voice hearers are “officers,” warding off and restricting the false and wrong. The multitudinous beings in the three spheres are “vassals”; the Buddha is the king who controls them. Elephants and horses, oxen and sheep refer to the meritorious virtues of the three vehicles and “five supernatural powers.” As for carriage, it means that li penetrates everywhere.
He invested his money [profits that flowed in and out] in all the other countries, and earned interest. He dealt with many merchants [and traders] and customers.
The transformative teaching is what “out” refers to. Out of the transformative teaching they went: hence, “the profits that flowed.” “The profits,” belonging to the transformed throughout the five forms of existence, “filled other countries.”
The bodhisattvas received the Dharma to transform [all beings in] the ten directions: they are “merchants and traders.”
Vajra Sutra: Symbolizing the Purity of the Three Karmas
The Vajra Prajna Paramita Sutra, p36At that time the Elder Subhuti arose from his seat in the assembly, uncovered his right shoulder, placed his right knee on the ground, put his palms together with respect and said to the Buddha…
The ritual performed in requesting dharma symbolizes the purity of the Three Karmas:
- Uncovering the right shoulder and placing the right knee on the ground represents the purity of body karma.
- Placing the palms together respectfully represents pure mind karma.
- Verbalizing the request indicates the karma of the mouth is pure
Myōhō Renge Kyō Promise for April 23, 2025
“Medicine-King! Suppose a man on a plateau felt thirsty and sought water. He dug a hole in order to get water. As long as he saw the dug-out lumps of earth were dry, he knew that water was still far off. He went on digging, and then found the dug-out lumps of earth wet. When he finally found mud, he was convinced that water was near. In the same manner, know this, the Bodhisattvas who have not yet heard, understood or practised Myōhō Renge Kyō, are still far from Anuttara-samyak-saṃbodhi.”
Tao-sheng: Faults Caused by Self-Esteem
Tao-sheng Commentary on the Lotus Sutra, p224-225They felt like dancing with joy, rose from their seats…
The next three [statements] describe why they are pleased. [In the paragraph] from [the clause] “[we], who were at the head of the saṃgha” to [the phrase] “made no effort to seek Anuttara-samyak-saṃbodhi (unsurpassed, complete enlightenment),” they told [themselves] that they “had already attained” realization, and felt that they did not hope for anything further. [This is] the first [statement].
You have been expounding the Dharma for a long time.
[This is] the second [statement]. In the past they heard the Buddha preaching the Prajn͂āpāramitā Sūtras. Hearing them preached, they became “tired and idle,” thinking solely of “emptiness” (śūnyatā) and “signlessness” (animitta), and giving up forever the will to transform the minds of living beings through the purity of the Buddha-land.
We elders of the Saṃgha were already old and decrepit [when we heard of Anuttara-samyak-saṃbodhi].
[This is] the third [statement]. They are already approaching the last stage of life, advanced in age. Being advanced in years, [“when the Buddha instructed bodhisattvas”] in the unexcelled path, [in their words], “this did not arouse in us the least thought of desire.”
But now we are very glad to hear that you have assured a Śrāvakas of his future attainment of Anuttara-samyak-saṃbodhi. We have the greatest joy that we have ever had. We have never expected to hear such a rare teaching all of a sudden. How glad we are! We have obtained great benefits. We have obtained innumerable treasures although we did not seek them.
The aforementioned three [statements] refer to the faults caused by self-esteem. Now, as they suddenly hear the voice hearers receive the prophecy, their hearts are filled with joy but with no self-esteem. Thus, “the immeasurable amount of precious treasures, unsought by us, of themselves” have reached [them]. The meaning of their joyfulness is shown here.
“World-Honored One! Allow us to explain our understanding by telling a parable.
The men of the Lesser Vehicle from the beginning had no great hope; they had hope only in the two vehicles. Again for the sake of them a parable is devised. This part, divided into three paragraphs, illustrates what “the immeasurable amount of precious treasures, unsought by us, of themselves have come into our possession” means. The first [paragraph] shows that formerly when they were in the place where twenty thousand Buddhas were, they were ignorant of the path of Śākyamuni. This formed the relationship of father and son. The second [paragraph] explains that their spiritual triggering force grew so profound and manifest that Śākyamuni deigned to respond to them, preaching the doctrine of the three vehicles. The third [paragraph] discusses the purport of the One ultimate of the Dharma Blossom. This allows, as a secondary effect, the Buddha’s idea to be manifested and helps them, as an immediate effect, to verify what they have heard.
Vajra Sutra: Three Meanings of Subhūti
The Vajra Prajna Paramita Sutra, p35Subhūti has three meanings: “empty-born,” “well-manifest,” and “good luck.” In Subhūti’s household there were one hundred eight storehouses filled with the Seven Precious Gems: gold, silver, lapis lazuli, crystal, mother-of-pearl, red pearls, and carnelian. When Subhūti was born, it was found that the storehouses were entirely empty. One after another the vaulted doors were opened to reveal absolutely nothing within. “Who has stolen my jewels?” cried Subhūti’s distraught father. “We had such wealth and now are penniless. What is the meaning of this son?” He went to a diviner who calculated that the disappearance of the jewels and the birth of the child had been simultaneous, and so his father called the infant “empty born.” Analyzing the child’s birth-chart, the diviner declared it very lucky, whereupon the child was further named “good luck.” Seven days after Subhūti’s birth, all of the family wealth reappeared in the one hundred eight storerooms. That moved the father to rename his son “well-manifest.” Subhūti grew up while Śākyamuni Buddha was in the world teaching and transforming living beings, and he left home under the Buddha.
Myōhō Renge Kyō Promise for April 22, 2025
Anyone who keeps Myōhō Renge Kyō
Will be able to see me. He also will be able to see
Many-Treasures Buddha,
[The Buddhas of] my replicas,
And the Bodhisattvas whom I have taught today.
Tao-sheng: Something Beyond the Expected
Tao-sheng Commentary on the Lotus Sutra, p224Thereupon the men living the life of wisdom: Subhūti, Mahā-Kātyāyana, Mahā-Kāśyapa, and Mahā-Maudgalyāyana felt strange because they heard the Dharma from the Buddha that they had never heard before, and because they heard that the World-Honored One had assured Śāriputra of his future attainment of Anuttara-samyak-saṃbodhi.
As a departure from what was mentioned as three, now they have heard that they are [in reality none other than] the One, and then [have witnessed] [the Buddha’s] granting Body-son the prophecy [of his future enlightenment to] the unexcelled Tao. They heard these words directly pronounced by the Buddha, which they had never heard before. Thanks to this they realized it themselves. What they have attained is something beyond what they had expected; (naturally,] their happiness is double.
Vajra Sutra: Three Types of Elders
The Vajra Prajna Paramita Sutra, p33-35After Śākyamuni Buddha had put away his robe and bowl, washed his face, arranged his seat and sat down, an Elder named Subhūti stood up in the assembly. There are Three Kinds of Elders: the elder in years, the dharma-nature elder, and the elder in blessings and virtue.
1. The elder in years must be old and have held the precepts for a long time, as had Mahākāśyapa, the oldest and longest precepted of those in Śākyamuni Buddha’s dharma assembly. There are three grades of elders in years:
a) Low rank, those who have held precepts for at least ten years;
b) Middle rank, those who have held precepts for more than twenty years; and
c) High rank, those who have held precepts for more than thirty years.
2. The dharma-nature elder may be young, but he must possess great wisdom and be able to lecture sutras and speak dharma with sufficient power to teach and transform living beings. His stature comes from his deep understanding of dharma, his penetration of wonderful principle, and his unobstructed eloquence. For example, the Buddha’s disciple Śāriputra mastered the entire Buddhadharma in just seven days and became an elder at the age of eight. At that time he mounted the high seat and spoke dharma, totally confounding the best debaters from the five parts of India. All they could do was prostrate themselves before the eight-year-old child and confess themselves defeated. Of all Śākyamuni Buddha’s disciples, Śāriputra was foremost in wisdom and had unobstructed eloquence.
There are Four Kinds of Unobstructed Eloquence: of phrasing, principle, dharma and delight in speech.
a) Unobstructed eloquence of phrasing enables one to answer any question, however difficult, without perplexity.
b) Unobstructed eloquence of principle is a necessary complement to that of phrasing, because along with having limitless powers of debate, one must always speak in accordance with principle.
c) Unobstructed eloquence of dharma means that no matter what is said, one can counter with a higher principle. There is a saying, “Everything is the Way. Left and right meet the source.”
d) Unobstructed eloquence of delight in speaking enables one to obtain the Delight in Speech Samadhi. Then, even if the audience is unwilling to listen, one’s words flow like water and no one can resist the current.
3. The elder in blessings and virtue must have the reward from having planted blessings and acted with virtuous conduct.
Elder is a term of respect and definitely not a title one assigns oneself saying, “I am an elder. Everyone should call me ‘Elder.”
Subhūti, the elder in the Vajra Prajña Dharma Assembly, was an elder in years, a dharma-nature elder, and an elder in blessings and virtue.
Myōhō Renge Kyō Promise for April 21, 2025
If you wish to obtain quickly the knowledge
Of the equality and differences of all things,
Keep Myōhō Renge Kyō, and also make offerings
To the keeper of Myōhō Renge Kyō!