All posts by John Hughes

Daily Dharma

Daily Dharma – Aug. 28, 2019

[This] pure world of mine is indestructible.
But the [perverted] people think:
“It is full of sorrow, fear, and other sufferings.
It will soon burn away.”

The Buddha sings these verses in Chapter Sixteen of the Lotus Sūtra. When we are not aware of our own potential for enlightenment, and of the Ever-Present Buddha Śākyamuni who is helping us and all beings to reach this potential, we can easily sink into despair. So long as we are preoccupied with suffering, when we live as if our purpose were to feel good as much as possible and feel bad as little as possible, we long for escape from this world of conflict. As we continue to grow the Buddha’s own mind within us, we see how this world is being transformed. When we know where we are going, all obstacles become stepping stones.

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

As I prepare to begin my 45th cycle through the Lotus Sutra I set the stage with The Sutra of Innumerable Meanings. And, as I did yesterday, I’m starting at the beginning of the sutra with the explanation of the practice of the great Bodhisattvas.

Having obtained the greatest wisdom, they can understand all things deeply, completely understanding the reality of the nature and characteristics of things, clearly distinguishing their ontological status and their relative strengths and weaknesses and make clear the revelatory quality of reality.

Moreover, knowing well the abilities, natures, and desires of all, with incantations and unobstructed eloquence, they obediently and skillfully turn the Dharma wheel of the buddhas.

First, they have small drops of moisture fall to dampen the dust of desire, and by opening the gateway of nirvana, fanning the wind of liberation, and ridding themselves of the heat of worldly passions, they bring about the cooling quality of the Dharma.

Next, raining down the profound teaching of the twelve causes and conditions, pouring it on the ferocious, intense rays of suffering— ignorance, old age, illness, death, and so on—they pour out the unexcelled Great Vehicle, soak the good roots of all the living with it, scatter seeds of goodness over the field of blessings, and everywhere bring forth sprouts of awakening. With wisdom as bright as the sun and the moon, and timely use of skillful means, they make the enterprise of the Great Vehicle prosper and grow and lead many to attain supreme awakening quickly. Always living in the blessedness of a reality that is fine and wonderful, with immeasurable great compassion, they save the living from suffering. (Reeves, p24)

In pondering how to put into practice the Buddha’s teaching, this description of the Bodhisattva practice is a window onto an ideal scene.

Blog

A Catechism for Sunday School

Recently I was helping clear out the classroom at the Sacramento Nichiren Buddhist Church and came across a stack of books entitled The Buddha and His Teaching by Ernest K. Shinkaku Hunt. The book was published by Aoyama Shoin Inc., Tokyo, in April 1962. These were used as textbooks for the church’s Sunday School.

This is not a text specific to Nichiren Buddhism but rather a generic teaching. To that end, the book finishes with:

A Catechism for Sunday School

1. Of what religion are you?
I am a Buddhist.
2. What is Buddhism?
Buddhism is the Teaching of the Buddha Sakyamuni.
3. What does the word Buddha mean?
The word Buddha means “The Enlightened One.”
4. When did the Buddha Sakyamuni live?
About two thousands five hundred years ago.
5. Where was he born?
He was born in India, in Lumbini’s garden.
6. When was he born?
623 BCE
7.What was his family name?
His family name was Gotama and his given name, Siddhartha.
8.Who were his parents?
King Sudhodana and Queen Maya.
9. What did the wise hermit Asita say about him when he was born?
The wise hermit Asita said, “Truly this child will become either a king of kings or a Buddha.”
10. What did the king do to try and stop the prince from becoming a Buddha and why?
The king built beautiful palaces and gardens for the prince and tried to keep all knowledge of old age, sickness, and death from him. The king wanted him to become a great king.
11. Did this plan of the king succeed?
No, when the prince passed along the street of the city he met an old man, a sick man, and the funeral of a dead man.
12. What did the prince think when he became aware of these things?
“How can I save all men from suffering and sorrow.”
13. What did the prince decide to do?
To leave his home to go out in search of the Truth.
14. Was it hard for him to leave his home?
Yes, because he had a wife and dear little boy.
15. How old was he when he left his home?
Twenty Nine years.

16. Where did he go after leaving his home?
To the forest, to visit wise hermits and learn from them.
17. Was he satisfied with their teaching?
No, he was not, and practiced himself a severe asceticism.
18. How long did he continue to practice asceticism?
For nearly six years till he almost died of weakness and pain.
19. Did he find the Truth?
No, he realized that asceticism was not the right way to find the truth.
20. What did he decide to do then?
He stopped his practice of asceticism, and left the forest.
21. What did he do then?

He sat under the Bodhi Tree, and decided never to leave there until he attained to Enlightenment.

22. Did he succeed this time?
Yes, while sitting under the Bodhi Tree he suddenly saw the face of Truth and the reason for sorrow, and the way to a better life. He became a Buddha.
23. How can we express the teaching of the Buddha in a few words?
The teaching of the Buddha leads us from suffering, through love, to peace.
24. Why do we mention suffering first?
Because suffering is the fundamental fact in nature and life.
25. Why do we bring love next?
Because love shows us the way from suffering to peace.
26. Why do we mention peace last?
Because peace is our goal or last aim.
27. What did he teach in his first sermon?
He taught the Four Noble Truths and the Eight-fold Path.
28. What are the Four Noble Truths?
  1. That life as we live it, is full of ill-faring (suffering and sorrow)
  2. That there is a cause for this ill-faring.
  3. That this ill-faring may be alleviated.
  4. The way by which this may be done and finally brought to an end.
29. What does the statement “Life is full of suffering” mean?
It means that life is full of discord, jealousy and angry contention.
30. What is the cause of this suffering?
Ignorance, desire, thinking of ourselves apart from other forms of life.
31. Can this suffering be cured?
Yes, this may be done by following the way the Buddha taught.
32. What is the name of that way?
The name of the way is the Eightfold Path.
33. What is the Eight-fold Path?
The Eight-fold Path consists of eight rules. They are Right Understanding, Right Purpose, Right Speech, Right Conduct, Right Livelihood, Right Endeavor, Right Thought, and Right Meditation.
34. What do we mean by Right Understanding?
Right Understanding means that we should try to learn and understand the Teaching of our Buddha Sakyamuni.
35. What do we mean by Right Purpose?
Right Purpose means that we should try always to do what is right.
36. What do we mean by Right Speech?
Right Speech means that we should be Truthful and kind in all we say.
37. What do we mean by Right Conduct?
Right Conduct means that we should behave ourselves at all times.
38. What do we mean by Right Livelihood?
Right Livelihood means that we should earn our living in a way which will not harm anyone.
39. What do we mean by Right Endeavor?
Right Endeavor means that we should try constantly to become better.
40. What do we mean by Right Thought?
Right Thought means that we should cherish our thoughts because our words and our actions arise from our thoughts.
41. What do we mean by Right Meditation?
Right Meditation means that we should think often of the Buddha and repeat His Name.
42. What is Karma?
Karma means that what we sow we shall reap. If we live in the way the Buddha shows us, we shall reap happiness. If not, we shall reap unhappiness.
43. What are the Three Guides which a Buddhist should take refuge in?
The Buddha, The Dharma, and The Sangha. The Buddha is the great teacher. The Dharma is the teaching. The Sangha is the brotherhood.
44. What are the Three Signs of Buddhism?
Change (Anicca), Suffering (Dukkha) and None-self (Anatta) are called “Three Signs.”
45. What are the Five Precepts?
  1. The precept to abstain from taking life unnecessarily.
  2. The precept to abstain from taking things not given.
  3. The precept to abstain from immoral actions.
  4. The precept to abstain from false speech.
  5. The precept to abstain from intoxicating liquors and drugs.
46. What does the lotus stand for?
The lotus is a symbol of purity.
47. How about images of the Buddha?
Images of the Buddha remind us of our gentle Lord with His sweet smile, and are a silent sermon, teaching us to become like our Buddha—gentle, compassionate and loving-kind.
48. How did The Buddha Sakyamuni console his disciples just before his death?
He said “His spirit would still be with them and lead them to peace and happiness.”
Basics

Understanding the Law

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The law of dependent origination and Buddhism are identical. The Buddha said, “The person who understands the Law understands dependent origination, and the person who understands dependent origination understands the Law.”
Basic Buddhist Concepts

Daily Dharma

Daily Dharma – Aug. 27, 2019

Having made these offerings [to the Buddha], he emerged from the samādhi, and thought, ‘I have now made offerings to the Buddha by my supernatural powers. But these offerings are less valuable than the offering of my own body.’

In Chapter Twenty-Three of the Lotus Sūtra, the Buddha tells the story of Gladly-Seen-By-All-Beings Bodhisattva, the previous life of Medicine-King Bodhisattva. This Bodhisattva practiced under an ancient Buddha, and made exorbitant offerings to that Buddha through his supernatural powers. He then realized that all the riches of the universe that he could conjure up paled in comparison to the treasure of his own body and his own life. He then made an offering of his body to the Buddha, which illuminated innumerable worlds. Nichiren wrote often of the hardships he faced in his life and those of his followers. He wrote of “reading the Lotus Sūtra with our bodies,” meaning bringing the Buddha’s wisdom to life in our lives. When we act according to the Wonderful Dharma, no matter what hardships we face, then we too are living the Lotus Sūtra, and making a perfect offering from our gratitude to the Buddha.

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

LS32, Universal Sage

Between Day 32 and Day 1 Again

Having competed my 44th cycle through the Lotus Sutra, it is again time to consider The Sutra of Contemplation of the Dharma Practice of Universal Sage Bodhisattva and since this is the first complete cycle since my 21-day stay-cation retreat, it seems appropriate to start at the very beginning:

This is what I heard.

At one time the Buddha was staying in the kingdom of Vaisali, in the multi-storied assembly hall of the Great Forest Monastery. He said to all the monks: “After three months, surely I will enter complete nirvana.”

Then the Venerable Ananda rose from his seat, straightened his robe, put his palms together, and circled around the Buddha three times. Kneeling with his palms together, he paid his respects, gazing at the Tathagata attentively without turning away for even a moment. Mahakashyapa, the elder, and Maitreya Bodhisattva, the great one, also rose from their seats and, with palms together and gazing up at his honored face, paid respects to the Buddha.

Then the three great leaders spoke to the Buddha in one voice: “World-Honored One, after the extinction of the Tathagata, how can living beings aspire to be bodhisattvas, follow the Great Vehicle sutras, the Expansive Teaching, and think about the world of one truth correctly? How can they keep from losing their aspiration for unexcelled awakening? Without cutting off their afflictions and renouncing the five desires, how can they purify their sense organs and completely rid themselves of their sins? With the natural pure eyes received at birth from their parents, and without leaving the world of the five desires, how can they see past their hindrances?” (Reeves, p401)

Two points to make here: Note the very sparse crowd here. This is not the grand Lotus Sutra. This is a practice guide. The Lotus Sutra has been described as a preface to a sermon that’s never delivered. I reject that. Instead I see the Lotus Sutra as a carefully constructed house, a grand mansion of precious materials. The walls and floors and ceilings and doors of this sutra define the boundaries of the mansion. Those who practice the Lotus Sutra do so by exploring within the rooms and halls of this great mansion. By comparison, the Contemplation of Universal Sage is but one room equipped with tools for self-improvement.

buddhaseed

The Ultimate Form of Reciting the Odaimoku

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Nichiren Shōnin took the Buddha’s vows as his own and did not spare his life to spread the Odaimoku. This is the actual meaning of Shiki doku, reading the Lotus Sūtra by realizing its teaching through our experience; and, it is the ultimate form of reciting the Odaimoku verbally and faithfully.

Buddha Seed: Understanding the Odaimoku

Daily Dharma

Daily Dharma – Aug. 26, 2019

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

LS32

Day 32

Day 32 covers Chapter 28, The Encouragement of Universal-Sage Bodhisattva, closing the Eighth Volume of the Sutra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma.

Day 32 Text with annotationsPlay MP3

Having last month heard Universal Sage’s prediction for anyone who keeps the Sūtra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma, we hear Śākyamuni Buddha praise Universal Sage’s efforts.

“World-Honored One! I will protect this sūtra with my supernatural powers so that it may be propagated and not be destroyed in the Jambudvipa after your extinction.”

Thereupon Śākyamuni Buddha praised him, saying:

“Excellent, excellent, Universal-Sage! You will protect this sūtra so that many living beings may obtain peace and benefits. You have already obtained inconceivable merits and great compassion. You aspired for Anuttara-samyak-saṃbodhi and vowed [to protect this sūtra] by your supernatural powers in the remotest past, and have been protecting this sūtra since then. By my supernatural powers, I will protect anyone who keeps your name.

“Universal-Sage! Anyone who keeps, reads and recites this Sūtra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma, memorizes it correctly, studies it, practices it, and copies it, should be considered to see me, and hear this sūtra from my mouth. He should be considered to be making offerings to me. He should be considered to be praised by me with the word ‘Excellent!’ He should be considered to be caressed by me on the head. He should be considered to be covered with my robe. He will not be attached to worldly pleasures. He will not like to read heretical scriptures or any other writings of heretics. He will not be intimate with heretics, slaughterers, boar-breeders, sheep-breeders, fowl-breeders, dog­breeders, hunters, prostitutes, or any other evil people. He will be upright. He will have correct memory and the powers of merits and virtues. He will not be troubled by the three poisons. He will not be troubled by jealousy, arrogance from selfishness, arrogance from self-assumed attainment of enlightenment, or arrogance from self-assumed acquisition of virtues. He will want little, know contentment, and practice just as you do.

The Daily Dharma from Dec. 27, 2018, offers this:

He will have correct memory and the powers of merits and virtues. He will not be troubled by the three poisons. He will not be troubled by jealousy, arrogance from selfishness, arrogance from self-assumed attainment of enlightenment, or arrogance from self-assumed acquisition of virtues. He will want little, know contentment, and practice just as you do.

The Buddha gives this description of the person who keeps and practices the Lotus Sūtra to Universal-Sage Bodhisattva (Fugen, Samantabhadra) in Chapter Twenty-Eight of the Lotus Sūtra. Powers of merits are what we have when we see things clearly. The three poisons are greed, anger and ignorance. The practice of Universal-Sage is to support and encourage everyone who takes on this difficult practice of the Wonderful Dharma. This is another Bodhisattva who gives us an example of how we can live in this world of conflict.

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

Lotus Path

Practicing the Way of Bodhisattvas

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“What you are now practicing is the way of Bodhisattvas. Study and practice it continuously, and you will become Buddhas.” – Lotus Sutra, Chapter III

Our daily efforts may seem small but over time they accumulate into a significant effort. What may seem quite impossible if we look at the whole actually becomes very doable with continuous effort. The trick is to not be discouraged. While enlightenment exists in every single moment, it is the accumulation of many moments of practice and effort that enables us to build a solid life full of happiness and joy. It may be impossible to imagine this today, but looking back over your life of accumulated effort you will definitely see significant change.

Lotus Path: Practicing the Lotus Sutra Volume 1