Since Buddhahood is the accomplishment of the Buddha, Chih-i relates the effect of Buddhahood with the three Buddhas, and these three Buddhas are in fact different manifestations of one Buddha. In other words, the perfect effect of Buddhahood, i.e., the Threefold Track, is the manifestation of the first three categories of Subtlety. This indicates that the three Subtleties are represented by the three bodies of the Buddha, and these three bodies of the Buddha bear the names of the three Buddhas: Vairocana (P’i-lu-che-na) as dharmakāya represents the Ultimate Subtlety of Objects (Ching-miao Chiu-ching), Rocana (Lu-she-na) as saṃbhogakāya, the Ultimate Subtlety of Knowledge (Chih-miao Chiu-ching), and Śākyamuni (Shih-chia-mou-ni) as nirmāṇakāya, the Ultimate Subtlety of Practice (Hsing-miao Chiu-ching). Vairocana who lives in the Land of Eternity is the Dharma-body (dharmakāya) of the Buddha. Since the dharmakāya is everywhere and reflects true reality (tathatā), Vairocana is taken by Chih-i to represent the Subtlety of Objects as truth. Rocana who sits on the lotus-petal is the Reward-body (saṃbhogakāya) of the Buddha. Since saṃbhogakāya is the dharmakāya in the cosmic world, the former concerns the latter like the knowledge concerns objects as truth. Therefore, Rocana is taken to represent the Subtlety of Knowledge. Śākyamuni who appears in the mundane world to teach and transform living beings is the Transformation-body (nirmāṇakāya) of the Buddha. Since nirmāṇakāya is the function of the saṃbhogakāya, Śākyamuni is taken to represent the Subtlety of Practice. (Vol. 2, Page 265-266)
The Profound Meaning of the Lotus Sutra: Tien-tai Philosophy of BuddhismAll posts by John Hughes
Day 1
Day 1 covers the first half of Chapter 1, Introductory
Having last month witnessed the offerings of the sons of the Buddha, we consider the offerings of the Bodhisattvas to stupa-mausoleums.
Mañjuśrī!
Some Bodhisattvas make offerings
To the śarīras of a Buddha
After his extinction.I also see some sons of the Buddha
Adorning the world of the Buddha
With as many stupa-mausoleums
As there are sands in the River Ganges.Those stupas of treasures are
Lofty and wonderful.
They are five thousand yojanas high,
And two thousand yojanas wide and deep.Each of the stupa-mausoleums has
One thousand pairs of banners and streamers.
It also has curtains adorned with gems.
It also has jeweled bells ringing.Gods, dragons, men, and nonhuman beings
Constantly offer incense, flowers, and music
[To the stupa-mausoleums].Mañjuśrī!
Those sons of the Buddha
Adorn the stupa-mausoleums
And offer the adornments
To the śarīras [of the Buddha].
The Introduction to the Lotus Sutra offers describes this “Teaching Applicable Throughout the Cosmos“:
First of all, the narrative tells us that the Buddha’s light illuminated the east. Is there any special meaning to the east? One interpretation is that illuminating the east actually illuminating all directions, because the east represents them all. Another idea comes from Sanskrit. As the word purva (“east” in Sanskrit) also means “past” or “origin,” illuminating the east could be interpreted as “illuminating the origin of humanity.” At any rate, the chapter depicts in detail all kinds of spiritual seekers who are illuminated by the ray of light. This symbolizes the universality of the Lotus Sutra, a teaching that is applicable throughout the cosmos.
Introduction to the Lotus SutraOnly One Practice Going Forward.
These predictions given to various people telling of the future enlightenment and Buddhahood of all these people is referring to the enlightenment attained because of their practice of the Lotus Sutra. The enlightenment of these individuals is not due to their current practices or those practices they have engaged in up to this point. The Buddha is saying basically that they all arrived at this point, in time and faith, by various means but from this point forward their path to Buddhahood is based solely on the single Buddha practices in the Lotus Sutra. While there were a variety of ways to practice to get to this point there is only one practice going forward.
Lecture on the Lotus SutraDaily Dharma – Jan. 12, 2019
To see a Buddha is as difficult
As to see an udumbara[-flower].
To avert a misfortune is also difficult.
These verses are sung by two sons of a king in a story told by the Buddha in Chapter Twenty-Seven of the Lotus Sūtra. In the story, the boys have heard the Dharma from a previous Buddha and are asking permission from their parents to leave home and follow that Buddha. The legend of the udumbara flower is that it only blooms every 3000 years. Meeting a Buddha is not to be taken for granted. However, it is still important to remember the ties of our families. Rather than leaving in secret from their home, the sons’ asking permission from their parents creates more benefits. The King and Queen accompany their sons and learn the Wonderful Dharma. As Bodhisattvas it is important to use our relationships wisely as we lead all beings to enlightenment.
The Daily Dharma is produced by the Lexington Nichiren Buddhist Community. To subscribe to the daily emails, visit zenzaizenzai.com
Reversal
“Reversal” may be seen as a subset of correspondence and association; it denotes a case where the identification of two elements functions to invert their conventional meanings. The logic of original enlightenment itself entails precisely this sort of reversal. It proceeds not from cause (practice) to effect (realization) but from effect to cause. Thus, it inverts conventional notions of enlightenment as a linear process of cultivation culminating in eventual realization; rather, enlightenment is held to be inherent, and it is only when based upon this insight that cultivation is considered meaningful. Cultivation then becomes the expression of original enlightenment. It is because of this reversal of conventional perspective that original enlightenment thought has been referred to as representing a “Copernican revolution.” Reversal as an interpretive technique recapitulates this fundamental reversal at the heart of the notion of original enlightenment. (Page 164)
Original Enlightenment and the Transformation of Medieval Japanese BuddhismThe Ultimate Pursuit in Buddhism
The perfection of Buddhahood is the ultimate pursuit in Buddhism. According to Chih-i’s explanation, what the great nirvāṇa (adorned with the Three Virtuous Qualities) demonstrates concerns the constant abiding of the luminous dharma-nature characterized by constancy, bliss, self, and purity. The Track of Real Nature is identical to the Virtuous Quality of the Dharmakāya (Fa-shen-te), symbolizing the Buddha’s spiritual body, which is fully endowed with the principal nature of True Reality. The Track of the Illumination of Wisdom is identical to the Virtuous Quality of prajn͂ā (Po-jo-te), which is derived from the Buddha’s perfect wisdom. The Track of Accomplishment is identical to the Virtuous Quality of Liberation (Ch’ieh-t’uo-te) that is derived from the Buddha’s enlightenment, signifying neither contamination nor attachment of all Dharmas. (Vol. 2, Page 264)
The Profound Meaning of the Lotus Sutra: Tien-tai Philosophy of BuddhismDay 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.
Having last month heard Śākyamuni Buddha praise Universal-Sage Bodhisattva, Śākyamuni Buddha’s praise for anyone who keeps, reads and recites the Sūtra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma.
“Universal-Sage! If you see anyone who keeps, reads and recites the Sūtra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma in the later five hundred years after my extinction, you should think, ‘Before long be will go to the place of enlightenment, defeat Mara and his followers, attain Anuttara-samyak-saṃbodhi, turn the wheel of the Dharma, beat the drum of the Dharma, blow the conch-shell horn of the Dharma, send the rain of the Dharma, and sit on the lion-like seat of the Dharma in the midst of the great multitude of gods and men.’
“Universal-Sage! Anyone who keeps, reads and recites this sūtra [in the later five hundred years] after [my extinction], will not be attached to clothing, bedding, food or drink, or any other thing for living. What he wishes will not remain unfulfilled. He will be able to obtain the rewards of his merits in his present life. Those who abuse him, saying, ‘You are perverted. You are doing this for nothing,’ will be reborn blind in their successive lives in retribution for their sin. Those who make offerings to rum and praise him, will be able to obtain rewards in their present life. Those who, upon seeing the keeper of this sūtra, blame him justly or unjustly, will suffer from white leprosy in their present life. Those who laugh at him will have few teeth, ugly lips, flat noses, contorted limbs, squint eyes, and foul and filthy bodies, and suffer from bloody pus of scabs, abdominal dropsy, tuberculosis, and other serious diseases in their successive lives. Therefore, Universal-Sage! When you see the keeper of this sūtra in the distance, you should rise from your seat, go to him, receive him, and respect him just as you respect me.
The Daily Dharma from Oct. 30, 2018, offers this:
Universal-Sage! If you see anyone who keeps, reads and recites the Sūtra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma in the later five hundred years after my extinction, you should think, ‘Before long he will go to the place of enlightenment, defeat Māra and his followers, attain Anuttara-samyak-saṃbodhi, turn the wheel of the Dharma, beat the drum of the Dharma, blow the conch-shell horn of the Dharma, send the rain of the Dharma, and sit on the lion-like seat of the Dharma in the midst of the great multitude of gods and men.’
The Buddha gives this instruction to Universal-Sage Bodhisattva (Fugen, Samantabhadra) in Chapter Twenty-Eight of the Lotus Sūtra. Nichiren explained that the later five hundred years mentioned in this passage is the time in which we are living today. The Buddha is therefore talking about all of us who practice the Wonderful Dharma. When we can grow our capacity to respect each other as we respect the Buddha, it inspires the respect at the core of all beings, and transforms this world.
The Daily Dharma is produced by the Lexington Nichiren Buddhist Community. To subscribe to the daily emails, visit zenzaizenzai.com
The True Nature of Reality
Ultimately, the Three Truths – Emptiness, Provisional Reality, and the Middle Way – are united in one vision of the true nature of reality. All three are different ways of explaining the insight of the Eternal Shakyamuni Buddha as taught in the Lotus Sutra. It is a vision of the dynamic and interdependent nature of all things. Living in harmony with the vision of the Three Truths means freedom from clinging, freedom to act compassionately in the world, and freedom from extremes. In past ages, this vision was only available to those with the ability to comprehend the many complex teachings of the sutras, or those with the ability to meditate for long hours – even for many lifetimes – in order to see for themselves the truth of the teachings. Nichiren Shonin, however, taught the simple practice of chanting Namu Myoho Renge Kyo as the correct way to focus our minds upon the ultimate truth of the Buddha’s teachings with faith and joy. By following Nichiren Shonin’s instructions, our hearts and minds will receive an intuitive understanding of the Three Truths, and we will be able to live in harmony with them ourselves.
Lotus SeedsDaily Dharma – Jan. 11, 2019
Expound it to clever people
Who have profound wisdom,
Who hear much,
Who remember well,
And who seek
The enlightenment of the Buddha!
The Buddha sings these verses to all those gathered to hear him teach in Chapter Three of the Lotus Sūtra. Much of this teaching is about how we see things as opposed to how certain we are of what we see. When we believe that those whom we wish to benefit are stupid, lazy and incompetent, then it surely will be difficult to help them. But when we realize the Buddha nature within all beings, then we can see them as wise and compassionate despite the obstacles they face.
The Daily Dharma is produced by the Lexington Nichiren Buddhist Community. To subscribe to the daily emails, visit zenzaizenzai.com
Northeast
It is in connection with sacred geography that the political and ideological character of certain kanjin-style readings becomes most obvious. In a commentary on Chih-i’s Fa-hua wen chü (Words and phrases of the Lotus), Sonshun (1451-1514), a Tendai scholar-monk of the Kantō Eshin tradition, writes concerning Gṛdhrakūṭa (Eagle or Vulture Peak), the mountain where the Lotus Sūtra was said to have been preached:
[As for the tradition that] all Buddhas of the three time periods invariably dwell on this mountain when they expound the Lotus Sūtra: This mountain lies to the northeast of Rājagṛha [the capital of Magadha]. Because the Lotus Sūtra expounds the essential [teaching] that the worldly truth constantly abides, the Lotus is expounded in the direction of the demon gate, and prayers are offered [there] for the well-being of the Son of Heaven, so that the country may be at peace and the people happy. For this reason, [the temples on] Mt. T’ient’ai in the land of the T’ang and on Mt. Hiei in Japan were erected to the northeast of the ruler’s palace and revered as places of practice for the protection of the nation. … Those monks who dwell on Mt. Hiei even for a time should be understood as the assembly who hears the Dharma on Sacred [Eagle] Peak.
Here Sacred Eagle Peak, Mt. T’ien-t’ai, and Mt. Hiei are identified by virtue of all lying in a common direction, namely, northeast of the capital, and in a position to block the malevolent influences thought to originate from that direction. The equation of Mt. Hiei with the site of the Lotus Sūtra’s preaching is used to legitimize its authority as the major cultic center for rituals of nation protection. (Page 163)
Original Enlightenment and the Transformation of Medieval Japanese Buddhism