Category Archives: LS32

LS32

Day 21

Day 21 covers all of Chapter 16, The Duration of the Life of the Tathāgata.

Day 21 Text with annotationsPlay MP3
Having last month heard the Buddha’s call for everyone to “understand my sincere and infallible words by faith,” we learn about the Buddha’s hidden core and supernatural powers.

Thereupon the World-Honored One, seeing that they repeated their appeal even after they repeated it three times, said to them:

“Listen to me attentively! I will tell you about my hidden core and supernatural powers. The gods, men and asuras in the world think that I, Śākyamuni Buddha, left the palace of the Śākyas, sat at the place of enlightenment not far from the City of Gayā, and attained Anuttara-samyak-saṃbodhi [forty and odd years ago]. To tell the truth, good men, it is many hundreds of thousands of billions of nayutas of kalpas since I became the Buddha. Suppose someone smashed into dust five hundred thousand billion nayuta asaṃkhya worlds, which were each composed of one thousand million Sumeru-worlds, and went to the east [carrying the dust with him). When he reached a world at a distance of five hundred thousand billion nayuta asaṃkhya worlds [from this world], he put a particle of dust on that world. Then he went on again to the east, and repeated the putting of a particle of the dust [on the world at every distance of five hundred thousand billion nayuta asaṃkhya worlds] until the particles of the dust were exhausted. Good men! What do you think of this? Do you think that the number of the world he went through is conceivable, countable, or not?”

Maitreya Bodhisattva and others said to the Buddha:

“World-Honored One! Those worlds are innumerable, uncountable, inconceivable. No Śrāvaka or Pratyekabuddha could count them even by his wisdom-without-āsravas. We are now in the state of avaivartika, but cannot, either. World-Honored One! Those worlds are innumerable.”

Thereupon the Buddha said to the great multitude of Bodhisattvas:

“Good Men! Now I will tell you clearly. Suppose those worlds, whether they were marked with the particles of the dust or not, were smashed into dust. The number of the kalpas which have elapsed since I became the Buddha is on hundred thousand billion nayuta asaṃkhyas larger than the number of the particles of the dust thus produced. All this time I have been living in this Sahā-World, and teaching [the living beings of this world] by expounding the Dharma to them. I also have been leading and benefiting the living beings of one hundred thousand billion nayuta asaṃkhya worlds outside this world.

See Mañjuśrī and Maitreya; Wisdom and Compassion

b4today, LS32, d21b

Mañjuśrī and Maitreya; Wisdom and Compassion

Another thing that we must not forget is that, on behalf of the great host of bodhisattvas, the Bodhisattva Maitreya asked the Buddha to expound the teaching. In chapter 1 of the Lotus Sutra, the Buddha sent forth from the circle of white hair between his eyebrows a ray of light that illuminated all the lands in the universe. At that time the Bodhisattva Maitreya wondered at this marvel and asked the Bodhisattva Mañjuśrī to explain it. Then, on the basis of his past experience, the Bodhisattva Mañjuśrī predicted, “The World-honored One now intends to preach a very important law, the truth in the utmost depth of his mind.” From this episode we can judge that Mañjuśrī was the most senior bodhisattva. In chapters 12 and 14 the Bodhisattva Mañjuśrī again requested the Buddha to instruct the host of bodhisattvas. However, from the latter half of chapter 15 onward, the Bodhisattva Maitreya represents the host of bodhisattvas, and the Bodhisattva Mañjuśrī does not appear in the later chapters of the Lotus Sutra. This change is not incidental but has deep significance.

As indicated by the saying “the wisdom of Mañjuśrī,” the Bodhisattva Mañjuśrī is regarded as the idealization or personification of the wisdom of the Buddha. Therefore, in the Law of Appearance as the teaching of wisdom, this bodhisattva usually represents the host of bodhisattvas. The Bodhisattva Maitreya, on the other hand, is believed to represent the Buddha’s compassion. Therefore, in the Law of Origin as the teaching of compassion, which begins with the latter half of chapter 15, the Bodhisattva Maitreya is the representative of all the bodhisattvas. However, in chapter 28, “Encouragement of the Bodhisattva Universal Virtue,” the last chapter of the Lotus Sutra, the Bodhisattva Universal Virtue acts as the representative of the bodhisattvas. This is because Universal Virtue typifies the practice of the Buddha. This bodhisattva is actually regarded as representing the teaching, practice, and attainment of the Buddha, but in the Lotus Sutra he most strongly represents the practice of the Buddha.

The appearance of these three bodhisattvas— Mañjuśrī, who represents the wisdom of the Buddha; Maitreya, who typifies the compassion of the Buddha; and Universal Virtue, who personifies the practice of the Buddha—reflects the organization of the Lotus Sutra itself.

Buddhism for Today, p212-213
Japanese Culture, d17b

Realizing Buddhahood Within Three Lifetimes

Saichō argued that the story of the dragon king’s daughter was significant for all sentient beings, not just for one individual. Her story revealed that the power of the Lotus Sutra could be effective for virtually any sentient being. Even if a person could not emulate the dragon king’s daughter’s rapid realization of buddhahood, merely recognizing and appreciating her achievement was sufficient to lead a person to a significant advance in practice as demonstrated by the achievements of those beings who witnessed the dragon king’s daughter’s realization. Since not all sentient beings possessed the same religious faculties, Saichō admitted that those with lesser abilities might require additional time to realize buddhahood, but they would still realize buddhahood much more rapidly than the Hossō practitioner who was said to require three incalculable eons. If those with superior faculties did not realize enlightenment in this life, they surely would realize buddhahood within three lifetimes.

The dragon king’s daughter who converted others (to the ultimate teaching) had not undergone a long period of religious austerities; nor had the sentient beings who were converted undergone a long period of austerities. Through the wondrous power of the sutra, they all realized buddhahood with their bodies just as they are (sokushin jōbutsu). Those with the highest grade of superior faculties realize buddhahood in one lifetime; those with the medium grade of superior faculties require two lifetimes to realize buddhahood. And those with the lowest grade of superior faculties will realize buddhahood within three lifetimes. They will meet the bodhisattva Samantabhadra, enter the ranks of the bodhisattvas, and acquire the dhārāṇi which will enable them to master nonsubstantiality.

Lotus Sutra in Japanese Culture, {author-numb}
LS32

Day 20

Day 20 completes Chapter 15, The Appearance of Bodhisattvas from Underground, and concludes the Fifth Volume of the Sutra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma.

Day 20 Text with annotationsPlay MP3
Having last month considered the concerns of Maitreya and the other Bodhisattvas, we consider the great qualities of the Bodhisattvas from Underground.

These Bodhisattvas have
Great powers, virtues and energy.
Who expounded the Dharma to them? Who taught them?
Who qualified them to attain [perfect enlightenment]?

Under whom did they begin to aspire for enlightenment?
What teaching of the Buddha did they extol?
What sūtra did they keep and practice?
What teaching of the Buddha did they study?

These Bodhisattvas have supernatural powers
And the great power of wisdom.
The ground of this world quaked and cracked.
They sprang up from under the four quarters of this world.

World-Honored One!
I have never seen them before.
I do not know
Any of them.

They appeared suddenly from underground.
Tell me why!
Many thousands of myriads
Of millions of Bodhisattvas
In this great congregation
Also want to know this.

There must be some reason.
Possessor of Immeasurable Virtues!
World-Honored One!
Remove our doubts!

At that time the Buddhas, who had come from many thousands of billions of worlds outside [this world], were sitting cross-legged on the lion-like seats under the jeweled trees in [this world and] the neighboring worlds of the eight quarters. Those Buddhas were the replicas of Śākyamuni Buddha. The attendant of each of those Buddhas saw that many Bodhisattvas had sprung up from under the four quarters of the [Sahā-World which was composed of one thousand million Sumeru-worlds and stayed in the sky. He said to the Buddha whom he was accompanying, “World-Honored One! Where did these innumerable, asaṃkhya Bodhisattvas come from?”

That Buddha said to his attendant:

“Good Man! Wait for a while! There is a Bodhisattva
mahāsattva called Maitreya [in this congregation]. Śākyamuni
Buddha assured him of his future attainment of Buddhahood,
saying, ‘You will become a Buddha immediately after me.’
Maitreya has already asked [Śākyamuni Buddha] about this
matter. [Śākyamuni] Buddha will answer him. You will be able
to hear his answer.”

See Hiding in Plain Sight

LS32, d19b, d20b, stories

Hiding in Plain Sight

The bodhisattvas are said to spring up from the sky or empty space that is below the earth. Exactly what is meant by the empty space below the earth is unclear. Probably this was simply the most convenient way to have this huge number of bodhisattvas be hidden from view, yet not be in less-than-human regions, nor be among the heavenly beings, yet still be in this world. The dramatic effect of the story is dependent on the existence of these bodhisattvas being unknown to all but Shakyamuni, so they have to be hidden somewhere. But it is also important for the thrust of the story that they not be from some other world, or even from one of the heavens or purgatories associated with this world. In other words, both for the sake of the story and for the sake of the central message of the Dharma Flower Sutra, it is important that these bodhisattvas be both hidden and somehow of this world. Thus the Buddha says, “They are my children, living in this world… .”

The Stories of the Lotus Sutra, p189
Japanese Culture, d17b

Saichō and Sokushin Jōbutsu

Saichō’s discussions of the rapid realization of buddhahood are found in his polemical writings criticizing the Hossō school and defending Tendai teachings. He argued that Tendai teachings were superior because they led to buddhahood more rapidly than Hossō practices. Tendai practices could benefit everyone, but Hossō practices would not result in buddhahood for anybody in Japan because nobody could follow them. Saichō argued that the perfect religious faculties (enki) of the Japanese had already matured so that they need not bother with lesser teachings.

Saichō introduced and developed the term sokushin jōbutsu [attainment of buddhahood in this very body] in his last written work, Hokke shūku, as a part of his program to demonstrate the superiority of the Lotus Sutra and the Tendai interpretation of it. The power of the Lotus Sutra to lead the practitioner to realization with his current body is introduced as the eighth of ten reasons why the Lotus Sutra is superior to other texts. The following passage demonstrates how Saichō employed the description of the dragon king’s daughter to prove that the Lotus Sutra applied to all sentient beings and would quickly bring them salvation.

This passage (about the dragon king’s daughter) concerns those beings who can realize buddhahood only with difficulty and reveals the power of the Lotus Sutra to help them. She is an animal, (one of lower levels of the) six destinies [realms], obviously the result of bad karma. She is female and clearly has faculties which are not good. She is young and thus has not been practicing religious austerities for a long time. And yet, the wondrous power of the Lotus Sutra endows her with the two adornments of wisdom and merit. Thus we know that the power of the Lotus Sutra reveals it to be the jewel among the scriptures and a rarity in the world.

Lotus Sutra in Japanese Culture, {author-numb}
LS32

Day 19

Day 19 concludes Chapter 14, Peaceful Practices, and begins Chapter 15, The Appearance of Bodhisattvas from Underground.

Day 19 Text with annotationsPlay MP3
Having last month considered how this Sutra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma is the most excellent and profound, we consider the Parable of the Jewel in the Top-Knot in gāthās.

I will tell you a parable.
A wheel-turning-holy-king was powerful.
Some of his soldiers
Distinguished themselves in war.
He was glad to honor them.
He gave them elephants or horses,
Vehicles or ornaments,
Paddy fields or houses,
Villages or cities,
Garments or various treasures,
Menservants or maidservants,
Or other valuables.

He took a brilliant gem
Out of his top-knot
And gave it to the bravest man
Who had done the most difficult feats.

I am like the king.
I am the King of the Dharma.
I have the great power of patience
And the treasury of wisdom.
I save all living beings in the world by the Dharma
Out of my great compassion towards them.

The people were under the pressure
Of various sufferings.
They were fighting with the Maras
In order to emancipate themselves
From suffering.
Because I saw all this,
I expounded various teachings to them.
I expounded many sūtras with skillful expedients.

Now I know that they can understand the Sutra
Of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma.
Therefore, I expound it to them lastly
Just as the king took the brilliant gem
Out of his top-knot
And gave it [to the bravest man lastly].

This is the most honorable sūtra.
It is superior to all the other sūtras.
I kept it [in secret]
And refrained from expounding it.
Now is the time to do so.
Therefore, I expound it to you now.

Anyone who seeks
The enlightenment of the Buddha
And wishes to expound this sūtra
In peaceful ways after my extinction,
Should practice
These four sets of things.

See A Practice Leading to a Rewarding Life

LS32, d19b, stories

A Practice Leading to a Rewarding Life

The Sutra teaches that there have been many kinds of Buddhist teachings and sutras in the past. Now the supreme Dharma Flower Sutra is to be preached. Why now?

Indeed, this same question has to be faced by any religion that claims to have a special revelation, even just a special beginning. Usually, the answer is some kind of great evil, terrible pollution, or awful sin, something extremely negative that makes some kind of special intervention necessary. But not in the Dharma Flower Sutra. Here it is because of the goodness, that is, because of the merit, of many of his followers that the king at last gives the great jewel to one of them.

The king understands his responsibility to be one of rewarding people for, and according to, the merit of the good they have done. That is, he is looking for the good in people and for the good things they have done. What the Dharma Flower Sutra teaches is that we too should be about the business of seeking out the good in other people and rewarding it where possible. It is very easy to be critical of others, to find fault with them, especially perhaps when it comes to those to whom we are the closest, such as those in our families and those with whom we work every day. For those who would be followers of the Dharma Flower Sutra, while it is important to understand the teaching of buddha-nature, understanding or accepting the idea of universal buddha-nature is nowhere near as important as actually embodying that idea in everyday life by seeing and respecting the buddha-nature in those around us.

Such a practice is likely to lead to a happier and more rewarding life for all involved. Thus, it is not accidental that this parable, which might at first seem unrelated to the first part of the chapter, is actually quite closely related to the whole idea of practice that leads to a rewarding life. The theme of the parable is not just the withholding of the jewel, but rewarding others with all kinds of treasures, including, and especially, the greatest treasure one has to give. T1is is a practice that leads to a trouble-free life, that is, to a life that is relatively free of worries, in part because one has many friends and few if any enemies.

In the prose section of this chapter, it is said that the radiance of the wisdom of those who follow the Dharma Flower Sutra will shine like the sun. The point is that one can see nothing in darkness. All there is, is a lack of light. If we provide light, even a very little light, darkness will disappear. That is why the radiance of the wisdom of one who follows the Sutra is like the radiance of the sun – it lights up the world, bringing happiness both to others and to oneself.

The Stories of the Lotus Sutra, p183-184
Japanese Culture, d17b

Buddhahood In This Very Body

The earliest use of the term sokushin jōbutsu [attainment of buddhahood in this very body] in a T’ien-t’ai text is found in the Fa-hua wen-chii chi (T34, no.1719), Chan-jan’s subcommentary on Chih-i’s line-by-line commentary on the Lotus Sutra, the Fa-hua wen-chii (T34, no.1718). Since the term appears in Chan-jan’s discussion of the dragon king’s daughter’s realization of buddhahood, the section of the Lotus which Saichō chose as the basis of his discussion of sokushin jōbutsu, Chan-jan’s use of the term undoubtedly played a vital role in shaping Saichō’s views on the subject. Both Chih-i and Chan-jan mentioned a text entitled [P’u-sa-ch’u] t’ai-ching (T12, no.384) in their discussions of the dragon king’s daughter. In the T’ai-ching, the transformation of women into men and their subsequent realization of buddhahood, a common theme in early Mahāyāna sutras, is described. Like many of the Mahāyāna texts in which buddhahood and women are mentioned, the T’ai-ching argues against clinging to discriminations between concepts such as male and female. According to Chih-i:

The T’ai-ching states that “the women in the realms of Mara, Sakra and Brahma all neither abandoned (their old) bodies nor received (new) bodies. They all realized buddhahood with their current bodies (genshin).” Thus these verses state that the dharma nature is like a great ocean. No right or wrong is preached (within it). Ordinary people and sages are equal, without superiority or inferiority.

Chan-jan, in commenting on this passage, used the term sokushin jōbutsu to describe the realization of both the dragon king’s daughter and the women in the T’ai-ching. Saichō’s use of the term clearly was derived from Chan-jan’s subcommentary, and his discussion of sokushin jōbutsu is primarily based on the story of the dragon king’s daughter in the “Devadatta” chapter of the Lotus.

Lotus Sutra in Japanese Culture, {author-numb}
LS32

Day 18

Day 18 concludes Chapter 13, Encouragement for Keeping this Sutra, and begins Chapter 14, Peaceful Practices.

Day 18 Text with annotationsPlay MP3
Having last month concluded today’s portion of Chapter 14, Peaceful Practices, we begin again with today’s portion of Chapter 13, Encouragement for Keeping this Sutra, and the question posed by the eighty billion nayuta Bodhisattva-mahāsattvas.

Thereupon the World-Honored One looked at the eighty billion nayuta Bodhisattva-mahāsattvas. These Bodhisattvas had already reached the stage of avaivartika, turned the irrevocable wheel of the Dharma, and obtained dhārāṇis. They rose from their seats, came to the Buddha, joined their hands together [towards him] with all their hearts, and thought, “If the World-Honored One commands us to keep and expound this sūtra, we will expound the Dharma just as the Buddha teaches.”
They also thought, “The Buddha keeps silence.’ He does not command us. What shall we do?”

In order to follow the wish of the Buddha respectfully, and also to fulfill their original vow, they vowed to the Buddha with a loud voice like the roar of a lion:

“World-Honored One! After your extinction, we will go to any place [not only of this Sahā-World but also] of the worlds of the ten quarters, as often as required, and cause all living beings to copy, keep, read and recite this sūtra, to expound the meanings of it, to act according to the Dharma, and to memorize this sūtra correctly. We shall be able to do all this only by your powers. World-Honored One! Protect us from afar even when you are in another world!”

See Encouragement to Uphold the Sutra