All posts by John Hughes

WONS

The Essence of Buddhism

According to this explanation by T’ien-t’ai, since the essential section of the Lotus Sūtra is the essence of Buddhism, all other sūtras, be they Mahāyāna or Hinayāna, provisional or true, and exoteric and esoteric, such as the Nirvana Sūtra and Great Sun Buddha Sūtra, are Lesser Vehicle teachings. … Only the doctrines of the Tendai Sect comprise the Great Vehicle. It is because all sūtras except the Lotus Sūtra do not reveal the great dharmas of attaining enlightenment by persons of the Two Vehicles (śrāvaka and pratyekabuddha) and the concept of the Eternal Buddha.

Shōjō Daijō Fumbetsu-shō, The Differences between Hinayāna and Mahāyāna Teachings, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Doctrine 2, Page 192

Daily Dharma

Daily Dharma – Dec. 17, 2020

Every Buddha vows at the outset:
“I will cause all living beings
To attain the same enlightenment
That I attained.”

The Buddha sings these verses in Chapter Two of the Lotus Sūtra. The Buddha holds nothing back from us. There is nothing hidden or secret in his teachings. He is not threatened by anyone who reaches his wisdom, since he knows this is the potential we all have in us. By his example we can discern between the knowledge that separates from others, and that which unites us with our fellow 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

Day 1 Text with annotationsPlay MP3
Having last month considered Maitreya Bodhisattva’s reaction in gāthās, we consider the teaching of Buddhas that Maitreya sees.

I also see the Buddhas,
The Saintly Masters, the Lion-like Ones,
Who are expounding
The most wonderful sūtra
With their pure and gentle voices,
And teaching
Many billions of Bodhisattvas.
The brahma voices of the Buddhas
Are deep and wonderful,
Causing people to wish to hear them.

I also see the Buddha of each of those worlds
Expounding his right teachings to all living beings
In order to cause them to attain enlightenment.

He explains his teachings
With stories of previous lives,
And with innumerable parables and similes.

To those who are confronted with sufferings,
And tired of old age, disease, and death,
The Buddha expounds the teaching of Nirvana,
And causes them to eliminate these sufferings.

To those who have merits,
Who have already made offerings to the past Buddhas,
And who are now seeking a more excellent teaching,
The Buddha expounds [the Way of] cause-knowers.

To the Buddha’s sons
Who are performing various practices,
And who are seeking unsurpassed wisdom,
The Buddha expounds the Pure Way.

See The Worlds of the Dharma

LS32, d1b, stories

The Worlds of the Dharma

In the Lotus Sutra there are worlds, heavens, purgatories, and so on, making up a very rich imaginary cosmos. Much has been written about Indian and Buddhist cosmology, but none of it is very helpful in facilitating better understanding of the Dharma Flower Sutra. In this Sutra, cosmology is used, not as quasi-scientific description of the universe, but to enhance the place and importance of Shakyamuni Buddha, the Dharma Flower Sutra preached by him, and the world of Shakyamuni Buddha, this “saha world.” It is important to realize from the outset that the cosmological episodes – the mysterious and even magical events that occur in the Dharma Flower Sutra – are imaginative stories, used for the practical purpose of transforming the minds and hearts and lives of the readers or hearers of the Sutra. They are used for the purpose of having us understand – not only in our heads, but also spiritually, in the depths of our beings – that how we live our lives is important, not only for ourselves and those close to us, but for the whole cosmos as well.

The Stories of the Lotus Sutra, p35
Peaceful Action

A Very Great, Joyful Truth

Quote

The teaching of the Lotus Sutra on the ultimate dimension is a very great, joyful truth. From our limited perspective of reality we have etched in our minds the idea of birth and death, of coming and going, existence and nonexistence. We have gotten used to this view of reality. And now someone comes along and opens up the treasure of the ultimate for us, the priceless truth of no birth, no death, of infinite life span, essential Buddha nature, and imminent Buddhahood. Are we able to bear such a profound truth or not? When we hear the Buddha teach this truth – and we are able to practice it, bear it, accept it, and hold it in our hearts, smile and have faith in it – then we will enjoy the fruit of great merit.

Peaceful Action, Open Heart, p123
WONS

When We Construct a Statue of Śākyamuni to His Liking

The original substance of both Goddess Amaterasu and Great Bodhisattva Hachiman is the Lord Teacher Śākyamuni Buddha. For instance, Śākyamuni Buddha is the moon shining in the sky whereas other Buddhas and the various bodhisattvas are reflections of the moon shining upon bodies of water at various places. Therefore, one who constructs a statue of Śākyamuni Buddha in fact also constructs various Buddhas in the worlds throughout the universe. When the head sways, the hair sways. When the mind is at work, the body moves. When a strong wind blows, plants stir. When the earth quakes, waves rise in the ocean. Likewise, when we construct a statue of Śākyamuni Buddha to His liking, can there be any plants that remain unmoved? How can there be bodies of water that do not form waves?

Nichigen-nyo Sakabutsu Kuyōji, Construction of a Statue of Śākyamuni by Lady Nichigen, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Followers II, Volume 7, Page 124

Daily Dharma

Daily Dharma – Dec. 16, 2020

Do not doubt him even at a moment’s thought!
The Pure Saint World-Voice-Perceiver is reliable
When you suffer, and when you are confronted
With the calamity of death.

The Buddha sings these verses in Chapter Twenty-Five of the Lotus Sūtra. The calamity of death is something we all will face eventually, whether it our own or that of those we love. The other calamities in our lives are relatively minor losses which can prepare us for this great calamity. The Bodhisattva World-Voice-Perceiver is the embodiment of Compassion: the desire to benefit all beings. When we learn to use all of the suffering in our lives, especially the calamity of death, as a way to remove our delusions and benefit others, then we can see the world with the eyes of the Buddha and know the joy he declares is at the core of our being.

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

Innumerable, LS32

Another Innumerable Day Before Day 1

Having last month considered the second of the 10 Beneficial Effects of the Sutra of Innumerable Meaning, we consider the third beneficial effect:

“O you of good intent! Third, this sutra’s unimaginable power for beneficial effect is this: If there are living beings who can hear this sutra— whether a section of it, whether a verse of it, or whether a phrase—they will gain awareness of hundreds of millions of myriads of meanings. Then, even though they have delusive worldly passions, it will be as if their delusive passions do not exist. They will not feel that taking birth or experiencing death are things that need to be feared; they will give rise to a mind of compassion for all living beings; and they will come to have a dauntless attitude with regard to all things. A person with great strength can bear and carry all manner of heavy things. So it is also with people who keep faith with this sutra: they can shoulder the great responsibilities of ultimate enlightenment, and they can carry living beings away from the path of recurring births and deaths. They are capable of ferrying others even though they still cannot ferry themselves. Suppose a ship’s captain is rendered immobile by a serious affliction and must therefore remain on shore. But he has a fine, reliable vessel that is always equipped with everything needed to ferry others, which he makes available and on which they embark. So it is also with those who keep faith with this sutra: while enduring the circumstances of living in the five conditions of existence – the whole of their being constantly beset by one hundred and eight serious afflictions, one after another – they remain on this shore of ignorance, aging, and death. But they have this fine, reliable, all-ferrying sutra, equipped with infinite meanings, that is able to rescue living beings: those who practice it as expounded will attain deliverance from the cycle of births and deaths. O you of good intent! This is known as the inconceivable power of the third beneficial effect of this sutra.

Underscore: Even though they have delusive worldly passions, it will be as if their delusive passions do not exist. They will not feel that taking birth or experiencing death are things that need to be feared; they will give rise to a mind of compassion for all living beings; and they will come to have a dauntless attitude with regard to all things.

d22b, d23b, d24b, Peaceful Action

The Merit of Practice

Chapters 17, 18, and 19 of the Lotus Sutra all have to do with the idea of merit. The word “merit” (Sanskrit: punya), when rendered in Chinese is made up of two characters. The first character means “daily practice or daily work,” and the second means “virtuous conduct.” Merit is a kind of spiritual energy that can be accumulated when we maintain a steady practice. This energy protects us and brings us joy and insight. Our practice helps us see, hear, and understand things clearly, and we can be present in a very deep way. When we can maintain our mindfulness and deep presence, we are able to touch the ultimate dimension. And when we get in touch with the ultimate, we know we are already in nirvana. This is the merit of the practice.

Peaceful Action, Open Heart, p121
Daily Dharma

Daily Dharma – Dec. 15, 2020

Expound it
To those who make efforts,
Who have compassion towards others,
And who do not spare their lives!

The Buddha sings these verses to all those gathered to hear him teach in Chapter Three of the Lotus Sūtra. These are instructions for us to know who will benefit from the Wonderful Dharma. It is difficult for those who are absorbed in their own suffering to realize the benefit of helping others. It is difficult for those who are distracted by their preoccupations, or who do not believe they can become enlightened, to maintain their efforts to lead all beings to enlightenment. These insights also help us keep our minds open to the Buddha’s teachings.

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