History and Teachings of Nichiren Buddhism, p 76To perform the five bodhisattva practices in the world after Śākyamuni Buddha passed into nirvāṇa, continuing the work of the Buddha by leading all people to attaining buddhahood, means that through one’s own practices one is realizing Śākyamuni Buddha’s goal of saving others. Even in this buddhaless world, these practices are Śākyamuni Buddha’s activities for the salvation of others. Therefore, the teachers of the Dharma who perform the bodhisattva practices are called messengers of the Tathāgata, meaning “agents of the Buddha.” In the Lotus Sūtra, the Buddha says:
“Anyone who keeps this sūtra in the future
Should be considered
To have been dispatched by me
To the world of men in order to do my work.”Thus, those who act as the agents of the Buddha in the world by doing the Buddha’s job of leading others into salvation, after the Buddha passed into nirvāṇa, are referred to as “those who are engaged by the Buddha to do his work,” in Japanese hosshi, or “messengers of the Tathāgata,” in Japanese nyoraishi.
It also can be said that the messengers of the Tathāgata bring about the eternal existence of Śākyamuni Buddha. This is because as long as these people exist, Śākyamuni Buddha’s important activity of leading others into salvation will continue to be done actively. Conversely, messengers of the Tathāgata are asked to continue their activities unremittingly so that these practices do not fall into arrears.
All posts by John Hughes
A Grain of Soybean Offered to the Lotus Sūtra
With gratitude I have received one koku of soybeans and respectfully made a report of this at the altar of the Lotus Sūtra. It is said that a drop of water thrown into an ocean will never be lost even when the three calamities strike and a single flower offered to the Heaven of Pure Inhabitants (Jōgo-ten) will not wither even in the “kalpa-fire” at the end of the world. Likewise, a grain of soybean offered to the Lotus Sūtra will become lotus flowers beautifying the entire Dharma-realm.
Daizu Gosho, A Letter on Soybeans, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Followers I, Volume 6, Page 173
Daily Dharma – Nov. 22, 2021
You, the World-Honored One, are our leader.
You give peace to gods and men.
Hearing that you assured us of our future Buddhahood,
We are relieved and satisfied.
These verses are sung by Maha-Prajāpatī Bhikṣuṇī, Yaśodharā Bhikṣuṇī, and their attendants in Chapter Thirteen of the Lotus Sūtra. In our lives we have many desires, some of which we may not recognize. We believe that when these desires are met, only then can we be happy and peaceful. At the foundation of these desires is the desire for liberation. These women recognize that with this desire, just knowing that it will be fulfilled is enough to bring joy.
The Daily Dharma is produced by the Lexington Nichiren Buddhist Community. To subscribe to the daily emails, visit zenzaizenzai.com
Day 1
Day 1 covers the first half of Chapter 1, Introductory
Thereupon Maitreya Bodhisattva, wishing to repeat what he had said, asked him in gāthās:
Mañjuśrī!
Why is the Leading Teacher
Emitting a great ray of light
From the white curl between his eyebrows?[The gods] rained mandārava-flowers
And mañjūṣaka-flowers.
A breeze carrying the fragrance of candana
Is delighting the multitude.Because of this, the ground has become
Beautiful and pure;
And this world quaked
In the six ways.The four kinds of devotees
Are joyful.
They are happier than ever
In body and mind.The light from [the white curls]
Between the eyebrows of the Buddha illumines
Eighteen thousand worlds to the east.
Those worlds look golden-colored.I see from this world
The living beings of the six regions
Extending down to the Avici Hell,
And up to the Highest HeavenOf each of those worlds.
I see the region to which each living being is to go,
The good or evil karmas he is doing,
And the rewards or retributions he is going to have.
The Act of Becoming a Buddha in Our Present Form
History and Teachings of Nichiren Buddhism, p 75-76Nichiren Shōnin speaks of “becoming a buddha in our present form.” It is said that only those who become a buddha immediately in this way may enter the Pure Land of Eagle Peak after they pass away. But how should one devote oneself solely to faith in the Lotus Sūtra? The answer to this question is in the Lotus Sūtra, namely the five practices of bodhisattvas… . Then again, according to Nichiren Shōnin, the practice most suitable for unenlightened people like us is chanting Odaimoku, reciting “Namu Myōhō Renge Kyō.” “Namu” is a Chinese imitation of the sound of the Sanskrit word “namo,” which means “to believe.” “Myōhō Renge Kyō” is the title of the Lotus Sūtra as translated by Kumārajīva. Therefore, “Namu Myōhō Renge Kyō” is an expression of faith in the Lotus Sūtra. For Nichiren Shōnin, the act of reciting Odaimoku is the act of becoming a buddha in our present form.
Protecting Us Day and Night
It is a blessing that not only the Four Heavenly Kings of this world but also the Four Heavenly Kings, stars, the sun, the moon, Indra and the King of the Brahma Heaven of all the worlds protect us. Moreover, all of the Hinayāna sages called Two Vehicles (śrāvaka and pratyekabuddha), all bodhisattvas, Bodhisattva Maitreya in the Inner Palace of the Tuṣita Heaven, Bodhisattva Kisitigarbha of Mt. Kharādiya, Avalokiteśvara Bodhisattva of Mt. Potalaka and Mañjuśrī Bodhisattva of Mt. Ch’ing-liang, together with their respective groups of followers, would all protect us, believers in the Lotus Sūtra. It is the greatest blessing beyond expression that Śākyamuni Buddha, the Buddha of Many Treasures and the Buddha from all over the universe themselves come to protect us day and night.
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 180
Daily Dharma – Nov. 21, 2021
You, the World-Honored One, are exceptional.
You reminded me of the teachings
Of innumerable Buddhas in the past
As if I had heard them today.
Ānanda, the Buddha’s cousin and one of his leading disciples, sings these verses in Chapter Nine of the Lotus Sūtra. In the Story, Ānanda had just been personally assured by the Buddha that he would become a Buddha himself in a future life. All the teachings of the Buddha across all time are always available to us. What prevents us from hearing them and putting them into practice is nothing more than our own attachment to our suffering and our doubts about our capacity for wisdom and compassion. When we take to heart the assurance that we and all beings can become enlightened, it clears away our delusion and allows to see the Buddha teaching us in all aspects of our lives.
The Daily Dharma is produced by the Lexington Nichiren Buddhist Community. To subscribe to the daily emails, visit zenzaizenzai.com
Another Innumerable Day Before Day 1
Having last month concluded the Sutra of Innumerable Meanings, we return to opening and consider who was present.
Thus have I heard: On one occasion the Buddha was staying at the city of Rājagṛha, on Mount Vulture Peak, together with an assembly of twelve thousand eminent monks. Eighty thousand great-being (mahāsattva) bodhisattvas were also there, along with heavenly beings (devas), nāgas, yakṣas, gandharvas, asuras, garuḍas, kiṃnaras, and mahoragas, as well as various monks, nuns, laymen, and laywomen.
Spontaneously gathered around them—each with retinues that were hundreds of thousands of myriads in number—were leaders of empires great and small: rulers of gold-wheel, silver-wheel, and lesser-wheel domains; kings, princes, and officials of state; and citizens who were noblemen, noble-women, or people of great means. They all made their way to where the Buddha was, bowed their heads at his feet in homage, walked around him a hundred thousand times, burned incense and scattered flowers, and paid their respects in various ways. After they had honored the Buddha, they withdrew and sat to one side.
The bodhisattvas known by name were: Mañjuśrī, Prince of the Dharma;2 Wellspring of Great Majestic Virtue,3 Prince of the Dharma; Wellspring of Freedom from Anxiety, Prince of the Dharma; Wellspring of Effective Discourse, Prince of the Dharma; Maitreya Bodhisattva; Facilitating Leader Bodhisattva; Medicine King Bodhisattva (Bhaiṣajyarāja); Incomparable Medicine Bodhisattva (Bhaiṣajyarājasamudgata); Flower Banner Bodhisattva; Flower Radiance Bodhisattva;4 Sovereign Master of Dharma-grasping Empowerments Bodhisattva; World-Voice-Perceiver Bodhisattva (Avalokiteśvara); Great Strength Achieved Bodhisattva (Mahāsthāmaprāpta); Constant Endeavor Bodhisattva (Nityodyukta/Satatasamitābhiyukta);5 Hands Showing the Seal of the Dharma Bodhisattva; Store of Treasures Bodhisattva (Ratnākara); Scepter of the Treasures Bodhisattva; Transcender of the Three Realms Bodhisattva (Trailokyavikrāmin); Bearer of the Loom Bodhisattva (Vemabhara);6 Incense Elephant Bodhisattva (Gandhahastin); Great Incense Elephant Bodhisattva; Majestic Roar of the Lion Bodhisattva; Lion Ranging the World Bodhisattva; Heroic Endeavor of the Lion Bodhisattva (Siṃhavikrīḍita); Relentlessness of the Lion Bodhisattva; Power of Courage and Dynamism Bodhisattva; Imposing Intensity of the Lion Bodhisattva; Well Composed Bodhisattva; and Fully Composed Bodhisattva (Mahāvyūha). Such great-being bodhisattvas as these numbered eighty thousand in all.
Nikkyō Niwano’s Buddhism for Today offers this observation about the crowd present at the opening of this sutra:
There were also gods, dragons, yakshas, spirits, and animals in the assemblage. Gods are beings living in the various heavens, while dragons are serpent-shaped demigods who live at the bottom of the sea. Yakshas are flying demons. Thus the beings at the great assemblage included demons, who are generally regarded as harmful to human beings, as well as animals. This kind of description is a characteristic of Buddhism that cannot be found in other religions. The Buddha did not try to lead only man to enlightenment but had such vast benevolence as to save all creatures of the universe from their sufferings and lead them to the shore of bliss. Therefore, even man-eating demons were permitted to attend the assemblage to hear the Buddha preach.
Buddhism for Today, p3-4
The Necessity of Faith in the Lotus Sūtra
History and Teachings of Nichiren Buddhism, p 75Nichiren Shōnin described the necessity of faith in the Lotus Sūtra as “to replace understanding with faith.” We are unenlightened people. Even if we dream of gaining the wisdom of the buddhas, accomplishing that is impossible with our mediocre intelligence. What Nichiren Shōnin describes is completely different. By discarding our limited intelligence and devoting ourselves solely to faith in the Lotus Sūtra, the wisdom of the buddhas naturally emerges. We unenlightened people cannot comprehend the wisdom of the buddhas. But this wisdom will come to us naturally if we have faith in the Lotus Sūtra. It is just like the way a baby drinking its mother’s milk cannot understand the elements contained in the milk but uses the milk to nourish growth.
The Functions of the Lotus Sūtra
It is just as how the rays of various stars will be lost before the sun; pieces of iron will be drawn by a magnet; a great sword will be useless when heated by a small fire; milk of cows or donkeys will be like water when compared with milk of the queen of lions; foxes will lose their magic power when they see a dog; and how seeing a small tiger, dogs change their color.
Chanting “Namu Myōhōrengekyō” swallows up the functions of “Namu Amidabutsu (Buddha of Infinite Life),” “Namu Dainichi shingon (Great Sun Buddha’s mantras),” and “Namu Kanzeon bosatsu (Avalokiteśvara Bodhisattva)” as well as of all the Buddhas, sūtras, and bodhisattvas. All these will be of no use without the functions of the Lotus Sūtra. This can be seen by everyone, for it has been realized in front of everyone. I, Nichiren, recite “Namu Myōhōrengekyō,” the function of “Namu Amidabutsu (Buddha of Infinite Life)” disappears just as the moon wanes, the tide ebbs, grasses in autumn and winter wither and ice melts under the sun.
Hōon-jō, Essay on Gratitude, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Doctrine 3, Pages 53.