Lotus Sutra in Japanese Culture, {author-numb}Chapter 11, “Apparition of the Jeweled Stupa,” relates that the Stupa in which the Tathāgata Prabhūtaratna (Abundant Treasures) sat rose into the sky and Śākyamuni moved from the earth to the precious Stupa in the sky, seating himself next to Prabhūtaratna. Almost simultaneously, buddhas who had emanated from Śākyamuni gathered from all directions, returning to Śākyamuni, and as they did so, all their worlds were united, becoming the world of the one Buddha. This has been interpreted to mean that the Tathāgata Prabhūtaratna was the past manifestation of Śākyamuni and that Sakyamuni’s taking his seat beside him symbolizes that Śākyamuni has been a buddha eternally. In other words, Śākyamuni is the eternal Buddha, and the return of the buddhas and the unification of their worlds in the world of the one Buddha are expressions of Śākyamuni as the “unifying Buddha.” Thus the “Apparition of the Jeweled Stupa” chapter has been interpreted as a preliminary statement of the theme of chapter 16, the eternal life of the Tathāgata. Both chapters, however, advocate bodhisattva practices and activities in this sahā world of the decay of the law, and expound entrusting the law to bodhisattvas. This being the case, the concepts of the precious Stupa rising up, the gathering of buddhas who are emanations of the eternal Buddha, and the united world of the one Buddha should be understood as expressions from the standpoint of advocacy of bodhisattva practices.
Category: d16b
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Lessons from the Jeweled Stupa
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‘The Eye of the World of Gods and Men’
The Lotus Sūtra, fascicle 4 (chapter 11 on the “Appearance of the Stupa of Treasures”) preaches: “Anyone who understands the meaning of this sūtra after My extinction, will be the eye of the world of gods and men.” Now am I, Nichiren, who spreads the daimoku, the essence of the Lotus Sūtra, in Japan, not “the eye of the world of gods and men”?
To begin with, there are five kinds of eyes—human eye, divine eye, wisdom eye, dharma eye and Buddha-eye. These five kinds of eyes are all born from the Lotus Sūtra, so it is preached in the Sūtra of Meditation on the Universal Sage Bodhisattva: “This Hōdō sūtra is the eyes of Buddhas; Buddhas are able to have five kinds of eyes because of this sūtra.” “This Hōdō sūtra” in this citation refers to a Mahāyāna sūtra that expounds the vast and equal truth of reality, namely the Lotus Sūtra. The Sūtra of Meditation on the Universal Sage Bodhisattva also states: “It (the Lotus Sūtra) is a fertile field where men and gods should sow the seeds of merit. Offerings to the practicer of this sūtra is most meritorious.”
According to these scriptures, the Lotus Sūtra is the eye of men and gods, the eye of the Two Vehicles (śrāvaka and pratyekabuddha) and bodhisattvas, and the eye of the Buddhas in all the worlds throughout the universe in the past, present and future lives. Therefore, those who hate a practicer of the Lotus Sūtra scoop out the eyes of men and gods, and those protective deities who do not punish such people in effect protect those who gouge out the eyes of men and gods.
Kangyō Hachiman-shō, Remonstration with Bodhisattva Hachiman, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Doctrine 1, Page 267-268
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Doing the Right Thing for the Sake of the People
Now we come to the conclusion of the Kaimoku-shō. Over the course of this writing Nichiren has reviewed all the reasons why he believes that the Lotus Sūtra alone allows all people to sow the seed of buddhahood and why he believes that it is necessary to refute all those teachings that would cause people to neglect or reject it. He has also addressed the reasons why he and his followers have to face many hardships if they are to uphold the Lotus Sūtra in the Latter Age of the Dharma. Nichiren concludes by reminding the reader that in chapter eleven of the Lotus Sūtra Śākyamuni Buddha, Many Treasures Tathāgata, and the buddhas throughout the universe all came together “for the purpose of making sure that the Lotus Sūtra would spread forever.” (Hori 2002, p. 113) He says of them that “their compassion seems greater than that of parents who see their only child faced with great suffering.” (Ibid, p. 113). Nichiren compares his own efforts to uphold the sūtra and refute those who would negate it to this great parental compassion of the buddhas saying, “l, Nichiren, am like a compassionate parent of everyone in Japan…” (Ibid, p. 114) In a later letter, Nichiren even said of himself that for the people of Japan he was a parent, teacher, and lord because of his efforts as the Buddha’s messenger: “Though I am a fool, I have declared myself to be a messenger of the Buddha and a practitioner of the Lotus Sūtra so that peace and tranquility may be established in Japan. … I am the father and mother of the people in Japan, their lord and their eminent teacher.” (Hori 2010, p. 166) As the Buddha’s messenger, Nichiren felt that he was sharing in the virtues of the Buddha as parent, teacher, and sovereign to those he was trying to correct and lead to the right path. In Kaimoku-shō, we see the thought process that Nichiren went through to come to his conviction that he was doing the right thing for the sake of the people of Japan and ultimately all beings.
Open Your Eyes, p585
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Five Proclamations
In considering whether or not to give public witness to the Lotus Sūtra, even though he knew he might face persecution, Nichiren found encouragement and confirmation of his chosen course of action in the simile of the “six difficult and nine easier actions” given by the Buddha in chapter eleven of the Lotus Sūtra.
Vacillating between whether I should speak out or whether I should not if I were to back down in the face of royal persecutions, I hit upon the ‘six difficult and nine easier actions’ mentioned in the eleventh chapter, “Appearance of the Stūpa of Treasures,” in the Lotus Sūtra. It says that even a man as powerless as I can throw Mr. Sumeru, even a man with as little superhuman power as I can carry a stack of hay on his back and survive the disastrous conflagration at the end of the world, and even a man as ignorant as I can memorize various sūtras as numerous as the sands of the Ganges River. Even more so, it is not easy to uphold even a word or phrase of the Lotus Sūtra in the Latter Age of Degeneration. This must be it! I have made a vow that this time I will have an unbending aspiration to buddhahood and never fall back! (Hori 2002, p. 53 adapted)
The passage that Nichiren is referring to can be found in the verses of chapter eleven. Further on in Kaimoku-shō, Nichiren cites what he calls the “five proclamations” of the Buddha in chapters eleven and twelve, of which the “six difficult and nine easy actions” are a part of the third proclamation. The five proclamations refer to the “three proclamations” of chapter eleven and two exhortations of buddhahood in chapter twelve — the prediction of buddhahood for Devadatta and the attainment of buddhahood by the dragon king’s daughter. The three proclamations are the three times in chapter eleven in which the Buddha exhorts those gathered to receive and keep, protect, read, and recite the Lotus Sūtra in the world after the passing of the Buddha.
Open Your Eyes, p487-488
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The Symbolism of Chapter 11
Buddhism for Today, p 147-148Like Chapter 2, [Chapter 11] relates stories that sound strange at first. As already explained in the Introduction, the Lotus Sutra often represents abstract ideas in the form of concrete images in order to help people grasp them. This entire chapter is a case in point.
First, we must explain the description of the Stupa of the Precious Seven springing from the earth. This Stupa symbolizes the buddha nature that all people possess. Buddha-nature (the stupa) springing from the earth implies unexpectedly discovering one’s buddha-nature in oneself (the earth), which one had been predisposed to regard as impure. Hence the title of this chapter, “Beholding the Precious Stupa.”
In this Stupa is the Tathāgata Abundant Treasures, who symbolizes the absolute truth that was realized by the Tathāgata Sakyamuni. This truth never changes, and it has existed throughout the universe forever. The truth is revealed in the form of the various teachings of the Buddha, and it guides people everywhere. This is symbolized by the buddhas who have emanated from the Buddha and who are preaching the Law in worlds in all directions.
When the Tathāgata Abundant Treasures within the Precious Stupa shares half his throne with Sakyamuni Buddha, saying, “Sakyamuni Buddha! Take this seat!” Abundant Treasures testifies that all the teachings of the Tathāgata Sakyamuni are true. This testimony is delivered by truth itself. It may be difficult to understand the idea of the truth itself testifying to the truth, but in brief, this means that all that Sakyamuni Buddha has said is sure to come true eventually. To come true eventually is to testify that what the Buddha said is the truth. There can be no testimony more definite than this.
There is a deep meaning in the image of the Tathāgata Abundant Treasures as the truth and the Tathāgata Sakyamuni as its preacher sitting side by side cross-legged on the lion throne in the Stupa of the Precious Seven. This symbolizes the fact that were it not for a person who preaches the truth, ordinary people could not realize it, and that a preacher of the truth is as much to be honored as the truth itself.
Lastly, the great assembly reflected thus: “The Buddhas are sitting aloft and far away. Would that the Tathāgata by his transcendent powers might cause us together to take up our abode in the sky.” Then immediately Sakyamuni Buddha, by his transcendent powers, transferred the great assembly to the sky. This signifies that if people discover their buddha-nature in themselves, they will be able immediately to make their abode in the world of the buddhas.
In this chapter, grasping the meaning of the text as a whole is more important than understanding the meaning of specific verses or words.
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Nichiren and the Precepts
It is clear that Nichiren was no longer advocating even the Mahāyāna precepts of the Brahmā’s Net Sūtra. He believed that the practice of revering the true spirit of the Lotus Sūtra by invoking its title transcended any precept codes or particular Buddhist practices or lifestyles inherited from the past as those were all just provisional methods based on provisional teachings that were no longer efficacious. The following statements of his in other writings also express his view that faith in the Lotus Sūtra is what leads to buddhahood and not the observance of precepts:
Speaking of Ajātaśatru and Devadatta: “I am convinced that ordinary people in the Latter Age of Degeneration commit sins more or less. Whether or not such a man can reach Buddhahood depends not on how serious his sin is but whether or not he believes in the Lotus Sūtra. (Hori 2002, p. 188)
It is preached in the Lotus Sūtra, the “Appearance of the Stūpa of Treasures” chapter, ‘Upholding this sūtra is what is called observing the precepts.’ (Hori 2004, p. 214)
Open Your Eyes, p467-468
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Verifying the Prediction of the Lotus Sūtra
It is stated in the Lotus Sūtra, Chapter 11 that it is not so difficult to shoulder a load of hay and stay unburned in the fire of the kalpa of destruction at the end of the world as it is difficult to uphold this sūtra and expound it for even one person after the Buddha’s extinction. What I, Nichiren, have done and consequent persecutions of me fit perfectly in this scriptural statement. It is stated also in the sūtra, Chapter 13, that ignorant people will speak ill of us, abuse us, and threaten us with swords or sticks. The Buddha predicts in the 13th and 23rd chapters of the sūtra that a practicer of the Lotus Sūtra will appear in the fifth 500-year period after the Buddha’s extinction, and he will be spoken ill of, abused, threatened with swords and sticks, exiled or executed by ignorant people. If I were not here, the prediction made by Śākyamuni Buddha, the Buddha of Many Treasures and other Buddhas in all the worlds throughout the universe would be groundless.
Shingon Shoshū Imoku, Differences between the Lotus Sect and Other Sects Such as the True Word Sect, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Doctrine 2, Page 123