History and Teachings of Nichiren Buddhism, p 125The perfect doctrine explains the three truths of emptiness, provisional existence, and the middle as a perfectly integrated whole, each of the three containing all three within itself as perfectly wondrous. Teachings and truths from the ten realms are all involved as perfectly full, and in one thought all bodhisattva practices are perfectly accomplished being perfectly capable. It is also a perfect teaching for beginners because there is no distinct difference in practice between that of a new practitioner and a buddha. One’s awakening is perfectly sudden, there is perfect suppression of the five levels of attachment, one develops perfect faith in true reality, realizes perfect cutting off of all illusion, performs the perfect practice containing all virtues of all practices, reaches the perfect stage embracing all other stages, possesses perfect majestic freedom from karmic retribution in the midst of a causally conditioned world, and allows the buddhahood of all beings as the perfect salvation of all beings. This teaching explains the Buddha’s awareness in a way that bodhisattvas of the distinct teaching have never before heard or understood.
All posts by John Hughes
The Neighing of a White Horse
Once upon a time, there was a king called Rinda, who was the master of the Jambudvīpa. It is said that the king’s food was the neighing of a white horse. Whenever the king heard the neighing of a white horse, he was rejuvenated, regaining his complexion, becoming refreshed in mind, and revitalized in power. Moreover, it enabled him to govern the country with justice. For these reasons, many white horses were raised in his country. He was like a king called Weiwang, who gathered many cranes, or the Emperor Te-tsung, who loved lightning bugs. As whenever the swans sang, the white horses neighed, many swans were brought to this country. One day, the swans all disappeared, and the white horses all became silent. As a result, the great king missed his meals; and it appeared that he would pass away at any moment just as flowers in full bloom wither from frost or the full moon is lost when covered by clouds. Everyone in the country, beginning with the queen, crown prince, and ministers, didn’t know what to do; they were grief-stricken and shed tears just like children who lost their mother.
There were many non-Buddhists in this country, just as today in Japan there are many followers of Zen, Pure Land, Shingon, and Ritsu Buddhism. However, there were also the Buddha’s disciples, just as today in Japan there are people of the Lotus (Nichiren) Sect. Buddhists and non-Buddhists did not get along with each other as though they were fire and water or Mongolia and Yüeh, one in the north and the other in the south. Then the great king issued an imperial edict: “If a non-Buddhist monk can make the white horse neigh, I will abandon Buddhism and put sole faith in him, who would be like Indra revered by all gods. If a disciple of the Buddha can make the horse neigh, I shall behead all non-Buddhist monks and deprive them of their residences, which will all be given to the Buddha’s disciples.” Both non-Buddhist monks and the Buddha’s disciples were startled by the edict, which they greatly deplored.
Unable to ignore the imperial order, non-Buddhist monks tried praying first for seven days. No swans, however, came back, nor did the white horse neigh. Next, it was the turn for a disciple of the Buddha. An unknown monk named Aśvaghoṣa prayed for the next seven days to the Lotus Sūtra, which Buddhas worshipped as the Most Revered One. Then a swan came flying over the altar. When it cried once cheerfully, the white horse loudly neighed once. When the king heard it, he got up from his sick bed, while the queen and many others all paid homage to Aśvaghoṣa. One, two, three . . . 10 and 100 swans came back flying, filling the entire land. As a result, hundreds and thousands of white horses neighed without interruption; and the king’s countenance was rejuvenated by as much as thirty years. His mind became as bright as the sun, and he ruled his country with justice. A rain of nectar fell from heaven with all the people swayed by the great king, and his reign continued peacefully for ages to come.
The same can be said of the Buddhas. The Buddha of Many Treasures enters Nirvana where the Lotus Sūtra is not spread, and He appears where the sūtra is spread. So do Śākyamuni Buddha and all the Buddhas in the entire universe. The Lotus Sūtra is so marvelous. How can Goddess Amaterasu, Great Bodhisattva Hachiman, and Great Bodhisattva Sengen of Fuji abandon those who believe in the sūtra? It is reliable indeed.
Ueno-dono Haha-ama Gozen Gohenji, A Response to My Lady the Nun, Mother of Lord Ueno, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Faith and Practice, Volume 4, Page 181-182
Daily Dharma – Dec. 18, 2021
The living beings are various in their natures, desires, deeds, thoughts and opinions. Therefore, I expounded the dharma with various stories of previous lives, with various parables, similes and discourses, in order to cause all living beings to plant the roots of good.
The Buddha gives this explanation in Chapter Sixteen of the Lotus Sūtra. He describes the methods he used to prepare those whom he taught for receiving his highest teaching. In this chapter, the Buddha reveals that his existence is not limited to that of the physical body of Siddhartha Gautama 2500 years ago. In truth he has been leading all beings to his enlightenment for an unimaginably long time, and will continue to lead us for twice that time into the future. We approach the Buddha’s true wisdom when we see the purpose of our existence as benefiting all beings, and are certain that the outcome of whatever troubles us now is the enlightenment of all beings.
The Daily Dharma is produced by the Lexington Nichiren Buddhist Community. To subscribe to the daily emails, visit zenzaizenzai.com
Day 27
Day 27 concludes Chapter 23, The Previous Life of Medicine-King Bodhisattva.
“Thereupon Gladly-Seen-By-All-Beings Bodhisattva thought again, ‘I have now made these offerings, yet I do not think that they are enough. I will make another offering to the śarīras.’
“He said to the Bodhisattvas, to the great disciples, and also to all the other living beings in the great multitude including gods, dragons and yakṣas, ‘Look with one mind! Now I will make another offering to the śarīras of Sun-Moon-Pure-Bright-Virtue Buddha.’
“Having said this, he burned his arms adorned with the marks of one hundred merits, and offered the light of the flame to the eighty-four thousand stupas for seventy-two thousand years. [By doing so,] he caused innumerable seekers of Śrāvakahood and many other asaṃkhyas of people to aspire for Anuttara-samyak-saṃbodhi, and obtain the samadhi by which they could transform themselves into the other living beings.
“Having seen him deprived of his arms, the Bodhisattvas, gods, men, asuras and others were overcome with sorrow. They said, ‘This Gladly-Seen-By-All-Beings Bodhisattva is our teacher. He is leading us. Now he has burned off his arms. He is deformed.’
“Thereupon Gladly-Seen-By-All-Beings Bodhisattva vowed to the great multitude, saying, ‘I shall be able to obtain the golden body of the Buddha because I gave up my arms. If my words are true and not false, I shall be able to have my arms restored.’
“When he had made this vow, his arms were restored because his merits, virtues and wisdom were abundant. Thereupon the one thousand million Sumeru-worlds quaked in the six ways, and the gods rained down jeweled flowers. All the gods and men had the greatest joy that they had ever had.”
The Buddha said to Star-King-Flower Bodhisattva:
“What do you think of this? Gladly-Seen-By-All-Beings Bodhisattva was no one but Medicine-King Bodhisattva of today. He gave up his body in this way, offered it [to the Buddha], and repeated this offering many hundreds of thousands of billions of nayutas of times [in his previous existence]. [He knows that he can practice any austerity in this Sahā-World. Therefore, he does not mind walking about this world.]
The Daily Dharma from June 11, 2021, offers this:
What do you think of this? Gladly-Seen-By-All-Beings Bodhisattva was no one but Medicine-King Bodhisattva of today. He gave up his body in this way, offered it [to the Buddha], and repeated this offering many hundreds of thousands of billions of nayutas of times [in his previous existence]. [He knows that he can practice any austerity in this Sahā-World. Therefore, he does not mind walking about this world.]
The Buddha gives this explanation to Star-King-Flower Bodhisattva in Chapter Twenty-Three of the Lotus Sūtra. The story of the previous life of Medicine-King Bodhisattva shows us the capacities we have already developed and are not aware of. When we see ourselves as choosing to come into this world of conflict to benefit all beings, rather than stuck where we do not want to be and just making the best of it, then it is much easier to let go of our delusions.
The Daily Dharma is produced by the Lexington Nichiren Buddhist Community. To subscribe to the daily emails, visit zenzaizenzai.com
The Enlightenment of Women
Some people hold up the enlightenment of the Dragon-King’s daughter as the story that proves that women had an equal place in the Sangha at the time of Shakyamuni. I don’t quite agree because I think a better case is made in the predictions of future enlightenment of the wife and aunt of the Buddha and other women in that general prediction. In both cases, however, the changing into a man still happens. I have written earlier in the book about imposing our modern ideals of equality and respect for all people on the culture and history of the past. I think the best we can say is the possibility of women being able to become enlightened is made in both instances, even if flawed.
Lecture on the Lotus SutraThe Distinct Doctrine
History and Teachings of Nichiren Buddhism, p 119-120[The distinct doctrine] explains the doctrine that transcends the triple world and belongs to the bodhisattvas alone, as outlined in the following eight categories: teaching, principle, wisdom, cutting off defilements, practices, stages, causes, and attainment. This is distinct from the two previous doctrines, tripiṭaka and common, and is distinct from the perfect doctrine that follows. Therefore, it is called distinct.
This doctrine is taught to bodhisattvas only. Dharma is equal for all people. However, as each phenomenon in nature is as distinct as each person’s perception of it, so this distinct doctrine is distinct from the tripiṭaka, the common doctrine, and the perfect doctrine. The purpose of the tripiṭaka and common doctrines is relief from the sufferings of birth and death within the triple world. In the distinct doctrine, suchness and ignorance are taught because delusions exist beyond the phenomenal world.
The distinct doctrine teaches the three truths of emptiness, provisional existence and the middle, independently from one another. In other words, practitioners understand the middle way by contemplating the three truths, but they observe the middle way separately from emptiness and provisionality. Thus it is called “only the middle, independent of others.” Bodhisattvas in the stage of the distinct doctrine observe emptiness, provisionality, and the middle way one by one; cut off the three categories of delusion; obtain the three kinds of wisdom simultaneously; partially cut off delusion by practicing for themselves and others; and benefit others according to their karma.
The Rank of Grand Master T’ien-t’ai
Now, regarding the rank of Grand Master T’ien-t’ai, Grand Master Chang-an cites from his biography of T’ien-t’ai in the “Preface” to the Great Concentration and Insight stating:
“(T’ien-t’ai) entered the state of spiritual meditation and passed away peacefully. His rank is the stage of the five kinds of meritorious acts of meditation and other practices preached in the ‘Variety of Merits’ chapter of the Lotus Sutra. Therefore, it is preached in the ‘Variety of Merits’ chapter, ‘Compared to the merit of giving seven kinds of treasures to each person in incalculable number of countries and to educate them all to attain the six supernatural powers, the merit of the first of the five kinds of meritorious acts, rejoicing at hearing the Lotus Sutra, is a hundred, a thousand and ten thousand times superior. Let alone the merit of the fifth of the five kinds of meritorious acts, six kinds of practice leading to Buddhahood.’ It is preached also in the ‘Teacher of the Dharma’ chapter of the Lotus Sutra, ‘that is to say, he is My messenger sent out among the people to perform My work.’ ”
Grand Master Dengyō has only the highest of praises for T’ien-t’ai in his Effects of T’ien-t’ai on Buddhist Schools, “The interpretation of the Lotus Sūtra by Grand Master T’ien-t’ai is incomparable. No one in T’ang China can compare to him.” He also states, “Grand Master T’ien-t’ai is clearly a messenger of the Buddha. Those who praise him will accumulate happiness as high as Mt. Sumeru, and those who insult him will fall into the Hell of Incessant Suffering.”
Tayūsakan-dono Gohenji, Reply to Lord Ikegami Munenaka, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Followers I, Volume 6, Page 106
Daily Dharma – Dec. 17, 2021
Medicine-King! I will tell you.
The Sūtra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma
Is the most excellent sūtra
That I have ever expounded.
The Buddha sings these verses to Medicine-King Bodhisattva in Chapter Ten of the Lotus Sūtra. Our founder Nichiren explained that the superiority of the Lotus Sūtra lay not in its being more powerful than other Sūtras, but that it leads all beings, without exception, to the Buddha’s own enlightenment. Other teachings distinguish between those who can follow the Buddha Dharma and those who cannot. But this teaching assures everyone who hears it that they will become enlightened.
The Daily Dharma is produced by the Lexington Nichiren Buddhist Community. To subscribe to the daily emails, visit zenzaizenzai.com
Day 26
Day 26 concludes Chapter 21, The Supernatural Powers of the Tathāgatas, includes Chapter 22, Transmission, and introduces Chapter 23, The Previous Life of Medicine-King Bodhisattva.
Having last month considered Star-King-Flower Bodhisattva’s question, we meet Sun-Moon-Pure-Bright-Virtue and Gladly-Seen-By-All-Beings Bodhisattva.
Thereupon the Buddha said to Star-King-Flower Bodhisattva:
“Innumerable kalpas ago, that is, as many kalpas as there are sands in the River Ganges ago, there lived a Buddha called Sun-Moon-Pure-Bright-Virtue, the Tathāgata, 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. He was accompanied by eight thousand million great Bodhisattva-mahāsattvas and also by great Śrāvakas numbering seventy-two times as many as there are sands in the River Ganges. The duration of his life was forty-two thousand kalpas. So were the durations of the lives of the Bodhisattvas. His world was devoid of women, hellish denizens, hungry spirits, animals and asuras. There was no calamity in his world. The ground of his world was as even as the palm of the hand. It was made of lapis lazuli, adorned with jeweled trees, and covered with a jeweled awning from which the streamers of jeweled flowers were hanging down. Jeweled vases and incense-burners were seen everywhere in that world. There was a platform of the seven treasures at the distance of a bowshot from each of the jeweled trees under which the Bodhisattvas and Śrāvakas were sitting. On each of the platforms of treasures, myriads of millions of gods were making heavenly music, singing songs of praise of the Buddha, and offering the music and songs to the Buddha.
“Thereupon [Sun-Moon-Pure-Bright-Virtue] Buddha expounded the Sūtra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma to Gladly-Seen-By-All-Beings Bodhisattva, to the other Bodhisattvas, and also to the Śrāvakas. Gladly-Seen-By-All-Beings Bodhisattva willingly practiced austerities under Sun-Moon-Pure-Bright-Virtue Buddha. He walked about the world, seeking Buddhahood strenuously with all his heart for twelve thousand years until at last he obtained the samadhi by which he could transform himself into any other living being: Having obtained this samadhi, he had great joy.
The Common Doctrine
History and Teachings of Nichiren Buddhism, p 117-118The common doctrine teaches the transition from the Hinayāna to the Mahāyāna. It connects the previous tripiṭaka teaching with the later distinct and perfect doctrines. This is why it is called the common doctrine. It is the beginning of the Mahāyāna teaching of the emptiness of all things. The tripiṭaka explains emptiness only through analyzing all phenomena, or dharmas. Therefore, it is called “contemplating emptiness through analysis.”
The common doctrine explains emptiness by directly experiencing phenomena. Therefore, it is called “contemplating emptiness embodied in phenomena.” The tripiṭaka doctrine used the contemplation of emptiness through analysis to consider all existences of the triple world and realize their emptiness. The common doctrine uses the contemplation of the emptiness embodied in phenomena to negate all existences by realizing that all phenomena are illusions resulting from delusion.