Day 26 of 100

The Collection Concerning the Immediate Attainment of Buddhahood [by Grand Master Jikaku] further states:

First, speaking of the gist of the Lotus Sūtra, it is preached that various Buddhas have appeared in this world for the one important purpose and that all the people have the Buddha-nature. People will be able to attain Buddhahood if they hear and practice the teaching of the Lotus Sūtra. For what reason has the Buddha expounded the Three Inherent Potentials of the Buddha-nature (innate Buddha-nature, “wisdom” to develop the innate Buddha-nature, and virtuous deeds which enable one to develop “wisdom”)? It is said in the first fascicle of the Dependent-Origination section of the Treatise on the Buddha-nature by Bodhisattva Vasubandhu that the Buddha insisted on the existence of the Buddha-nature in all the people for the purpose of helping them eliminate five kinds of mistakes and obtain five kinds of merit. The five kinds of mistakes are despicable mind, conceit, attachment to delusion, slandering the True Dharma and attachment to self-interest. On the other hand, the five kinds of merit are diligence, respect, wisdom, intelligence, and great compassion. It is “despicable” to harbor doubts about the Buddha-nature in oneself and fail to aspire to Buddhahood; it is called “conceit” to think that one has the Buddha-nature and can aspire to Buddhahood by oneself; it is the “attachment to delusion” to believe that all things have substance though they actually exist only through conditions; it is “slandering the True Dharma” to speak ill of the pure wisdom and virtue of all things; and it is called “attachment to self -interest” to think only about oneself without compassion for all the people. We should eliminate these five kinds of mistakes, know the existence of the Buddha-nature in ourselves, and aspire to Buddhahood.

Nizen Nijō Bosatsu Fu-sabutsu Ji, Never-Attaining Buddhahood by the Two Vehicles and Bodhisattvas in the Pre-Lotus Sūtras, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Doctrine 3, Page 223

This quote from Grand Master Jikaku is offered in Nichiren’s letter to bolster the argument that Bodhisattvas in pre-Lotus Sūtras cannot attain enlightenment since śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas are denied that opportunity, thus preventing the Bodhisattvas from saving all sentient beings and fulling the first of the Four Great Vows.

I find it interesting that this same Grand Master Jikaku is the subject of a scathing rebuke from Nichiren in a later letter entitled Jikaku Daishi no Koto, Concerning Grand Master Jikaku. As the translator’s introduction to that letter explains:

Nichiren … laments what he considers to be the most deplorable false doctrine of Grand Master Jikaku, who denigrated the Lotus Sūtra and regarded the Shingon teaching to be supreme. Nichiren further states that since Jikaku’s tenure esoteric Buddhism had gradually gained the upper hand over the Lotus teaching on Mt. Hiei until the entire mountain had been completely dominated by esotericism by the time of Myōun (55th and 57th Head Priest).

Perhaps this is an example of why Nichiren wrote, “Now, as far as my theology goes, I would like you to think that what I have expressed before being banished to Sado Island can be equated with the forty or so years in which Śākyamuni had taught before revealing the Lotus Sūtra (that is, the truth and true aims of the Buddha were not directly divulged in those years)” (Misawa-shō, A Letter to Lord Misawa of Suruga, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Doctrine 2, Page 241)

In any event, I find the “five kinds of mistakes and five kinds of merit” an excellent way of illustrating the point about the Bodhisattvas not being able to attain enlightenment outside the Lotus Sūtra.

100 Days of Study