Six Perfections: Buddhism & the Cultivation of Character, p 207-208“Emptiness” is the meditation that yields freedom, whether this meditation is performed in Buddhist or non-Buddhist terms. If you do not understand how the choices you make are conditioned by your background and the context within which you face them, you will have very little freedom in relation to these conditioning factors. If you do not understand that your political views are largely a function of the particular influences that have been exerted on you from early life until now, you will have no way of seeing how other worldviews give justification to other views just as yours does for you, and therefore no way of even beginning to adjudicate between them except by naively assuming the truth of your own.
If you do not realize that what seems obvious to you seems that way because of structures built into your time and place and the particularities of your life, you will have very little room to imagine other ways to look at things that stretch the borders of your context and imagination. You will have no motive to wonder why what seems obvious to you does not seem obvious to others in other cultures or languages, and to wonder whether you might not be better off unconstrained by those particular boundaries of worldview. The extent to which you are limited by your setting is affected by the extent to which you understand such constraints both in general (anyone’s) and in particular (yours). The way you participate in your current given worldview shapes the extent to which you will be able to see alternatives to it and be able to reach out beyond it in freedom.
“Emptiness” and similar non-Buddhist meditations on the powers of interdependence and contextuality are among the most fruitful means of generating sufficient freedom to live a creative life. Reflexively aware, we are more and more able to see and act on alternatives that would never occur to us otherwise. In reflexive meditation, we come to embrace the finitude of all acts of thinking as a way to liberate us from dogmatism and certitude. Understanding the uncertainty that is constitutive of our human mode of being, we develop the flexibility of mind necessary to be honest with ourselves about our own point of view.
All posts by John Hughes
Believing in the Three Treasures of Buddhism
The Words and Phrases of the Lotus Sūtra, fascicle 4, states: “It is said that a thief acquired the golden head of a Buddhist statue by uttering ‘Namu Buddha.’ How much more so for a wise man saying this. Venerable gods in the entire universe will not fail to help a wise man. Be diligent and don’t be lazy.”
This interpretation means that once upon a time there was a state in India where the gods in heaven were worshiped but Buddhism was not. A Buddhist temple was built there enshrining the King of Devils in the Sixth Heaven. As the head of this King’s statue was made of gold, a thief had been trying to steal it for years in vain. One day this thief sneaked into the temple and listened secretly to the Buddha’s sermon saying that “namu” means “to be surprised and awakened.” So, the thief chanted “Namu Buddha.” This enabled him to get hold of the head of the Buddhist statue that he had been trying to steal. Later he confessed it to an investigator. As a result, it is said, everyone in the state abandoned the gods in heaven and became a Buddhist. Surmising from this instance of a thief, even a sinner can be relieved of a great burden if one believes in the Three Treasures of Buddhism.
Dōjōjin Shugo-ji, Protective Deities for the Place of Practicing Buddhism, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Volume 6, Followers I, Pages 16
Daily Dharma – Mar. 15, 2021
He said to them, ‘Know this! Now I am old and decrepit. I shall die soon. I am leaving this good medicine here. Take it! Do not be afraid that you will not be cured!’
The Buddha gives this explanation in Chapter Sixteen of the Lotus Sūtra. It is part of the Parable of the Wise Physician in which a father finds his children have taken poison and gives them an antidote. The poison has caused some of the children to lose their right minds and not trust that the medicine will cure them. By faking his death, the father used an expedient to get the children to realize that there was no other medicine that would cure them, and summon the courage to take it. When we accept the Wonderful Dharma and put it into our lives, we are cured of our delusions and find the Buddha’s wisdom.
The Daily Dharma is produced by the Lexington Nichiren Buddhist Community. To subscribe to the daily emails, visit zenzaizenzai.com
Day 21
Day 21 covers all of Chapter 16, The Duration of the Life of the Tathāgata.
Having last month considered in gāthās what the perverted people misunderstand, we conclude Chapter 16, The Duration of the Life of the Tathāgata.
To those who have accumulated merits,
And who are gentle and upright,
And who see me living here,
Expounding the Dharma,
I say:
“The duration of my life is immeasurable.”
To those who see me after a long time,
I say, “It is difficult to see a Buddha.”I can do all this by the power of my wisdom.
The light of my wisdom knows no bound.
The duration of my life is innumerable kalpas.
I obtained this longevity by ages of practices.All of you, wise men!
Have no doubts about this!
Remove your doubts, have no more!
My words are true, not false.The physician, who sent a man expediently
To tell his perverted sons
Of the death of their father in order to cure them,
Was not accused of falsehood although he was still alive.In the same manner, I am the father of the world.
I am saving all living beings from suffering.
Because they are perverted,
I say that I pass away even though I shall not.
If they always see me,
They will become arrogant and licentious,
And cling to the five desires
So much that they will fall into the evil regions.I know who is practicing the Way and who is not.
Therefore I expound various teachings
To all living beings
According to their capacities.I am always thinking:
“How shall I cause all living beings
To enter into the unsurpassed Way
And quickly become Buddhas?”
The Daily Dharma from Dec. 21, 2020, offers this:
I am always thinking:
“How shall I cause all living beings
To enter into the unsurpassed Way
And quickly become Buddhas?”
The Buddha sings these verses at the end of Chapter Sixteen of the Lotus Sūtra. In this chapter he revealed his existence as the Buddha who lives throughout time and space rather than in the limited human body in which we recognize him. When we realize that all the moments of our lives, all the joys and grief we face, all the people and other beings we encounter are in truth the Buddha leading us towards his own enlightenment, we see the Buddha in his true form, and we see the world for what it is.
The Daily Dharma is produced by the Lexington Nichiren Buddhist Community. To subscribe to the daily emails, visit zenzaizenzai.com
Energy: Between Mundane And Perfection
Six Perfections: Buddhism & the Cultivation of Character, p 142The most important distinction within the practices of energy, emphasized in virtually all classical texts, is that between mundane or ordinary practices of energy on one side and their perfected forms on the other. This is the same internal distinction that we find in all six of the perfections. It separates ordinary practice predicated upon common modes of self-understanding from extraordinary practice taken to the level of “perfection.”
As the classic Mahayana texts describe it, the mundane practice of energy is hardly “ordinary”; indeed, it is admirable in virtually every way. The bodhisattva at this level meditates on various dimensions of energetic practice – on the possible sources of this power, on ways in which it can be put to use, on how to avoid discouragement, on ways to transcend previously generated levels of energy. The bodhisattva adopts an intentional way of living that incorporates a variety of individual practices and pursues these with a sincerity of purpose and concentration of mind as well directed toward the cultivation of energy as possible. In order to generate and maintain this focus, the bodhisattva purposefully cultivates a desire for enlightenment and uses this desire to motivate discipline.
Sūtras that Reflect Their Own Minds
Pre-Lotus sūtras expound on such topics as the bodies and minds of people. They were expounded according to the wishes of the people. Although they are the Buddha’s teachings, they are nothing but people’s minds, therefore, they were called “sūtras preached according to others’ minds.” Suppose parents who had an aversion to alcohol had a son who loved to drink liquor. Because of their love for their son and also to cater to his whim, they made it a point to offer him alcohol, pretending that they also were drinkers of liquor. The hopeless son then assumed that his parents truly loved alcohol. Sūtras preached according to others’ minds are the same.
The Daii Sūtra expounds on issues regarding human and heavenly beings. The Āgama sūtras expound on the Two Vehicles (śrāvaka and pratyekabuddha). The Flower Garland Sūtra expounds on bodhisattvas. The Hōdō sūtras and the Wisdom Sūtra are similar to the Āgama sūtras and the Daii Sūtra, but they are also similar to the Flower Garland Sūtra. If unenlightened people in the Latter Age of Degeneration read these sūtras, they may think that these are in accordance to the Buddha’s wish. Strictly speaking, however, they read sūtras that reflect their own minds. Their minds are originally inept to such an extent that nothing is satisfactory.
Zui-jii Gosho, The Sūtra Preached in Accordance to [the Buddha’s] Own Mind, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Faith and Practice, Volume 4, Page 154-155
Daily Dharma – Mar. 14, 2021
My disciples are performing
The Bodhisattva practices secretly
Though they show themselves in the form of Śrāvakas.
They are purifying my world.
The Buddha sings these verses in Chapter Eight of the Lotus Sūtra. The Śrāvakas are those who hear the teachings of the Buddha and put it into practice only for themselves. They are concerned with ending their own suffering and do not believe they have the capacity to reach the Buddha’s enlightenment. But because they can serve as an example to those who are also unsure about receiving this great wisdom, they can be an inspiration to make progress on the path. With the Lotus Sūtra, the Buddha declares that all beings have the capacity for enlightenment, and reveals that all of our pursuits are for the sake of benefiting others. It is when we realize this directly and openly that we perform the Bodhisattva practice, the selfless effort of awakening the world.
The Daily Dharma is produced by the Lexington Nichiren Buddhist Community. To subscribe to the daily emails, visit zenzaizenzai.com
Day 20
Day 20 completes Chapter 15, The Appearance of Bodhisattvas from Underground, and concludes the Fifth Volume of the Sutra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma.
Having last month concluded Chapter 15, we return to the start of today’s portion of The Appearance of Bodhisattvas from Underground and the Buddha’s response to the leaders of the Bodhisattvas.Thereupon the World-Honored One said to them in the presence of the great multitude of Bodhisattvas:
“Truly, truly good men! I am peaceful. I am in good health. The living beings are ready to be saved. They do not fatigue me because I already taught them in their consecutive previous existences, and also because they have already honored the past Buddhas respectfully and planted the roots of good. As soon as they saw me and heard my teachings, they received my teachings by faith and entered into the wisdom of the Tathāgata, except those who had previously studied and practiced the teachings of the Lesser Vehicle. Now I am causing [the followers of the Lesser Vehicle] to hear this sūtra and to enter into the wisdom of the Buddha.”Thereupon the [four] great Bodhisattvas sang in gāthās:
Excellent, excellent, Great Hero!
World-Honored One!
The living beings are ready to be saved
Because in their previous existence
They already asked the [past] Buddhas
About their profound wisdom,
And having heard about it, understood it by faith.
We rejoice at seeing you.
The Daily Dharma from Sept. 17, 2020, offers this:
Truly, truly good men! I am peaceful. I am in good health. The living beings are ready to be saved. They do not fatigue me because I already taught them in their consecutive previous existences, and also because they have already honored the past Buddhas respectfully and planted the roots of good.
The Buddha makes this proclamation to the leaders of the Bodhisattvas from Underground in Chapter Fifteen of the Lotus Sūtra. These Bodhisattvas appeared when the Buddha asked who would teach the Lotus Sūtra after the Buddha’s death, and asked about the Buddha’s health and whether those he was teaching could keep what he provided for them. The Buddha assures us not only of the certainty of our future enlightenment, but that for us to receive his teaching, there was an earlier time, which we may have forgotten, when we met him. This awareness of our future and our past helps us to see our place in the world and maintain our determination to benefit all beings.
The Daily Dharma is produced by the Lexington Nichiren Buddhist Community. To subscribe to the daily emails, visit zenzaizenzai.com
Practicing the Six Paramitas at Higan
During the Month of March and again in September I am publishing articles related to Higan, which occurs on the Spring and Fall Equinox and extends three days before and three days after to involve the six pāramitās. Below is a copy of a sermon by Ven. Kenjo Igarashi that was published in the March/April 2021 Sacramento Nichiren Buddhist Church newsletter.
The Śākyamuni Buddha often speaks of the “six paramitas” as a way for followers Of the Buddha to practice his teachings. “Paramita” is a Sanskrit term, which literally translates to “go to Higan” in English. “Higan”, as we all may know means ‘the shore of the Sanzu River” and is a Buddhist holiday celebrated for seven days during the spring and autumnal equinox, where individuals focus solely on practicing Buddhism. In Buddhist literature, “higan” is a common euphemism referring to the attainment of Enlightenment and hence the purpose of practicing the six paramitas during “higan” is to lead individuals to Enlightenment.
The six paramitas are as follows: 1. fuse (generosity), 2. jikai (observance of Buddhist precepts), 3. ninniku (patience), 4. shojin (energy and diligence), 5. zenjou (meditation), and 6. chie (wisdom cultivated by studying the Buddhist teachings). Out of these six, jikai, zenjou, and jikai are also classified as sangakū or the ”three ways of learning.”
Fuse (generosity), the first paramita, can be practiced by providing monetary or psychological support to an individual or providing voluntary service to the community. Jikai (observance of Budddhist precepts), the second paramita, requires that an individual be very careful and aware of their five senses so as not to allow any intrusion, which may affect their practice and keep them from upholding the five Buddhist precepts. The third paramita, ninniku (patience), means solely to always be calm and maintain a harmonious relationship with all. Though it may seem easy, this may be one of the harder paramitas to practice. This is because it is hard not to be upset when living in this suffering world and in a society where many individuals commit crimes. In such a situation, we are advised to take our time to contemplate on the situation because often times, it is our emotions that keep us from making reasonable decisions. When we calm down, we tend to realize that we were overreacting about something very minor. While this is not always the case, we can say that the majority of our situations are similar to such. Shojin (energy and diligence), the fourth paramita, is often used interchangeably with doryoku, another Japanese term meaning to persevere and hard. The fifth paramita, zenjou (meditation), means to escape and avoid greediness and anything considered negative in order to maintain a peaceful state of mind. Lastly, chie (wisdom), the sixth paramita, emphasizes the need to understand the Four Noble Truths which are as follows: 1. the nature of suffering; 2. the reason behind the suffering; 3. the destruction of suffering; and 4. the path leading to the end of suffering.
As we approach “higan” we must think about these six paramitas and the ways that they will help us not only approach Enlightenment, but to also think about accumulating good karma and becoming a better individual. I hope that you will take the time to really practice these six paramitas this coming “higan.”
Ven. Kenjo Igarashi
March / April 2021
Daily Dharma – Mar. 13, 2021
Please remember that the service to your lord itself is practicing the teaching of the Lotus Sutra. Interpreting the scriptural statement in the Lotus Sutra, Grand Master T’ien-t’ai, therefore, states in his Great Concentration and Insight: “All the activities and daily work of the people in the secular world do not contradict the truth preached by the Buddha.” Please contemplate the spirit of this scriptural statement again and again.
Nichiren wrote this passage in his Response to a Follower (Dannotsu Bō Gohenji). In our frustration with this world of conflict, we may think it best to remove ourselves from those who are increasing the delusions of others. In this letter, Nichiren reminds us that the relationships we have in our lives are important. Service to others does not necessarily mean giving them what they ask for. It means wishing that they lose their delusions and nourishing the Buddha nature within them.
The Daily Dharma is produced by the Lexington Nichiren Buddhist Community. To subscribe to the daily emails, visit zenzaizenzai.com