In Chapter 2, “Expedients,” the Buddha taught that his purpose in this world is to cause all people to open the treasury of the wisdom of the Buddha and for them to be shown, attain, and enter into this treasury. The Buddha Wisdom, of course, is the Buddha’s enlightenment; so this is the same as causing people to attain enlightenment. The teachings which have been developed since Chapter 2 are expressed [in Chapter 16, The Duration of the Life of the Tathāgata,] in terms of Sakyamuni’s deepest and most heartfelt desire. [The Duration of the Life of the Tathāgata] chapter’s final words show the Buddha’s hope that all living beings will attain the same Buddhahood which he himself enjoys.
Introduction to the Lotus SutraCategory Archives: LS32
Day 2
Day 2 completes Chapter 1, Introductory.
Having last month considered the ray of light from Sun-Moon-Light Buddha illumining 18,000 Buddha worlds in the east, we consider the reaction of the four kinds of devotees.
The four kinds of devotees
Of the world of Sun-Moon-Light Buddha
Also saw the Buddha displaying this great wonder.
They had great joy.
They asked one another:
“Why is he doing this?”He who was honored by gods and men
Emerged from his samādhi,
And praised Wonderful-Light Bodhisattva, saying:
“You are the eyes of the world.You are believed and relied on
By all living beings.
You are keeping the store of the Dharma.
Only you will understand the Dharma which I shall expound.”Having praised Wonderful-Light
And caused him to rejoice,
That World-Honored One expounded
The Sūtra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma.
He never rose from his seat for sixty small kalpas.
Wonderful-Light, the Teacher of the Dharma,
Kept the Wonderful Dharma
Expounded by that World-Honored One.
Nichiren wrote in Zuisō Gosho, Writing on Omens concerning the great omens of the Lotus Sūtra:
Grand Master T’ien-t’ai states in his Profound Meaning of the Lotus Sūtra fascicle 6, “It is said in a secular society that a cobweb is an advance notice of a happy event and chirps of a magpie foretell the arrival of a traveler. Even such trifle matters in the secular world are foreshadowed by an omen, how much more so the advent of the Buddhist Dharma. Based on worldly matters, we can conjecture the profound truth of Buddhism.” Thus the Buddha showcased the greatest omens that had never been seen during the more than 40 years in His lifetime when He expounded the theoretical section of the Lotus Sūtra.
Zuisō Gosho, Writing on Omens, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Volume 6, Followers I, Page 122
Day 1
Day 1 covers the first half of Chapter 1, Introductory
Having last month consider what Maitreya Bodhisattva thought this wonder displayed by the Buddha, we consider what the rest of the crowd thought.
At that time the congregation included the four kinds of devotees: bhikṣus, bhikṣunīs, upāsakās and upāsikās. They also included gods, dragons, and other supernatural beings. Maitreya Bodhisattva, wishing to have his doubts removed, and also understanding the minds of the congregation, asked Mañjuśrī:
“Why is the World-Honored One displaying this good omen, this wonder? Why is he emitting a great ray of light, illumining eighteen thousand worlds to the east, and causing us to see those beautifully-adorned worlds of the Buddhas?”
Nichiren addresses the significance of the Introductory chapter and the position of the Lotus Sūtra in “Shugo Kokka-ron, Treatise on Protecting the Nation”:
[I]t is stated in the first “Introductory” chapter of the Lotus Sūtra that when the Buddha showed a potent omen of emitting a ray of light from the white curls between His eyebrows, Bodhisattva Maitreya saw Buddhas of the numerous worlds in the universe expound major sūtras in five periods He then asked Bodhisattva Mañjuśrī what this all meant: “The Buddhas, Saintly Masters, the Lion-like Ones, expounded the most wonderful sūtra. I also saw them teaching many billions of bodhisattvas with pure and gentle voices.” This indicates that the first preaching of the Buddha was the Flower Garland Sūtra for bodhisattvas. Also, in the “Expedients” chapter of the Lotus Sūtra the Buddha refers to His experience upon attaining enlightenment stating, “Sitting under a bodhi tree for the first time, I meditated on the tree, strolled about … then various heavenly beings such as the King of the Brahma Heaven, Indra, the Four Heavenly Kings who protect the world, and Great Freedom God and billions of their retainers respectfully held their hands in gasshō, bowed and requested Me to preach. This passage from the Lotus Sūtra indicates when the Flower Garland Sūtra was preached. Hence the first fascicle of the Flower Garland Sūtra includes such names as moon god, sun god, Indra, King of the Brahma Heaven, and Great Freedom God, all of whom attended the assembly of the Flower Garland Sūtra. …
Āgama (Hinayana) sūtras were preached following the Flower Garland Sūtra. … Regarding what sūtras were preached after the Flower Garland Sutra, the “Introductory” chapter of the Lotus Sūtra states, “To those who suffer, hating old age, sickness and death, the Buddha preaches the teaching of Nirvana, showing ignorant people the way to tranquility and extinction of worldly passions.” In the “Expedients” chapter of the same sūtra, it states, “The Buddha went to the Deer Park in Bārāṇasī Kingdom … and preached the dharma to five monks.” It is also stated in the Nirvana Sūtra, “The Buddha preached on the Middle Way in the Deer Park of the Bārāṇasī Kingdom. ” This indicates what sūtras were preached after the Flower Garland Sutra.
Shugo Kokka-ron, Treatise on Protecting the Nation, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Doctrine 1, Page 6
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.
Having last month heard Śākyamuni’s praise Universal-Sage, we conclude Chapter 28, The Encouragement of Universal-Sage Bodhisattva and finish Volume Eight of the Sutra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma.
“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.
When the Buddha expounded this chapter of the Encouragement of Universal-Sage, as many Bodhisattvas as there are sands in the River Ganges obtained the dhārāṇis by which they could memorize hundreds of thousands of billions of repetitions of teachings, and as many Bodhisattvas as the particles of dust of one thousand million Sumeru-worlds [understood how to] practice the Way of Universal-Sage.
When the Buddha expounded this sūtra, the great congregation including the Bodhisattvas headed by Universal-Sage, the Śrāvakas headed by Śāriputra, and the other living beings such as gods, dragons, men and nonhuman beings, had great joy, kept the words of the Buddha, bowed [to him], and retired.
[Here ends] the Eighth Volume of the Sūtra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma.
The Introduction to the Lotus Sutra offers this on The Merits of This Teaching:
[Chapter 28, The Encouragement of Universal-Sage Bodhisattva] is the last chapter of the Lotus Sutra. By the merits of this teaching, as many Bodhisattvas as there are sands in the River Ganges obtained the dharanis of Samantabhadra Bodhisattva, and as many Bodhisattvas as the particles of dust filling the great universe grasped how to practice the Way of Universal-Sage.
When the Buddha finished expounding this Sutra, all the congregation, including Bodhisattvas, deities, and other living beings, rejoiced greatly, memorized the words of the Buddha, bowed before him, and departed from Mount Sacred Eagle.
Introduction to the Lotus SutraDay 31
Day 31 covers Chapter 27, King Wonderful-Adornment as the Previous Life of a Bodhisattva.
Having last month heard the two sons ask their mother if they can go attend on Cloud-Thunderpeal-Star-King-Flower-Wisdom Buddha, we hear their mother’s response.
“The mother said to them, ‘[Yes, I will. But] your father believes in heresy. He is deeply attached to the teachings of brahmanas. Go and tell him to allow us to go [to that Buddha]! ‘
“Pure-Store and Pure-Eyes joined their ten fingers and palms together, and said to their mother, ‘We were born in this family attached to wrong views although we are sons of the King of the Dharma.’
“The mother said to them, ‘Show some wonders to your father out of your compassion towards him! If he sees [the wonders], he will have his mind purified and allow us to go to that Buddha.’
The Daily Dharma from Dec. 7, 2017, offers this:
The mother said to them, ‘Show some wonders to your father out of your compassion towards him! If he sees [the wonders], he will have his mind purified and allow us to go to that Buddha.’
These lines are from a story told by the Buddha in Chapter Twenty-Seven of the Lotus Sūtra. The two sons of King Wonderful-Adornment have asked their mother for permission to leave home and follow the Buddha Cloud-Thunderpeal-Star-King-Flower-Wisdom. The wonders in the story are beyond the capacity of human beings, but they show the King that another way of living is possible, and induce him to seek the teaching of that Buddha. Even if we cannot develop supernatural powers, there are wonders we can develop in our practice. We can learn the value of respecting all beings. We can control our desires and not be devastated by life’s tragedies. We can share “even a word or phrase,” as Nichiren put it, of the teaching and bring great benefit to others. In our normal lives, changed by our practice, we too can purify the minds of others.
The Daily Dharma is produced by the Lexington Nichiren Buddhist Community. To subscribe to the daily emails, visit zenzaizenzai.com
Day 30
Day 30 covers all of Chapter 26, Dhāraṇīs
Having last month heard Brave-In-Giving Bodhisattva’s dhāraṇīs, we hear Vaiśravaṇa Heavenly-King’s dhāraṇīs.
Thereupon Vaiśravaṇa Heavenly-King, the Protector of the World, said to the Buddha, “World-Honored One! I also will utter dhārānis in order to protect this teacher of the Dharma out of my compassion towards all living beings.”
Then he uttered spells, “Ari (1), nari (2), tonari (3), anaro (4), nabi (5), kunabi (6).”
[He said to the Buddha:]
“World-Honored One! I will protect this teacher of the Dharma with these divine spells. I also will protect the person who keeps this sūtra so that he may have no trouble within a hundred yojanas’ distance [from here].”
Thereupon World-Holding Heavenly-King, accompanied by thousands of billions of nayutas of gandharvas who were surrounding him respectfully, came to the Buddha, joined his hands together, and said to him, “World-Honored One! I also will protect the keeper of the Sūtra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma with dhārānis, with divine spells.”
Then he uttered spells,” Akyanei (1), kyanei (2), kuri (3), kendari (4), sendari (5), matōgi (6), jōguri (7), furoshani (8), atchi (9).”
[He said to the Buddha:]
“World-Honored One! These dhārānis, these divine spells, have already been uttered by four thousand and two hundred million Buddhas. Those who attack and abuse this teacher of the Dharma should be considered to have attacked and abused those Buddhas.”
Note the role of Vaiśravaṇa in this letter from Nichiren entitled “True Way of Practicing the Teaching of the Buddha“:
Life is fleeting! No matter how many powerful enemies join forces against you, do not retreat and never be afraid. Even if your head is sawed off, your torso pierced through with a spear, and your feet shackled and drilled with a gimlet, you should continue chanting “Namu Myōhō-renge-kyō” as long as you have life. If you die chanting it, Śākyamuni Buddha, the Buddha of Many Treasures, and Buddhas in manifestation throughout the universe will immediately come flying, lead you by the hand or carry you on their shoulders to Mt. Sacred Eagle as they had promised at the assembly on Mt. Sacred Eagle. At that moment, two sages (Bodhisattvas Medicine King and Brave Donor), two heavenly kings (World Holding and Vaiśravaṇa), and ten female rākṣasa demons will protect you, upholders of the Lotus Sūtra, and various gods and deities will hold up a canopy over your head, wave banners, guard you, and certainly will send you to the Jeweled Land of Tranquil Light. Is not this the utmost happiness?
Nyosetsu Shugydō-shō, True Way of Practicing the Teaching of the Buddha, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Faith and Practice, Volume 4, Pages 87-88
100 Days of StudyDay 29
Day 29 covers all of Chapter 25, The Universal Gate of World-Voice-Perceiver Bodhisattva.
Having last month witnessed Endless-Intent Bodhisattva’s offering to World-Voice-Perceiver Bodhisattva, we repeat in gāthās.
Thereupon Endless-lntent Bodhisattva asked the Buddha in gāthās:
World-Honored One with the wonderful marks
I ask you about this again.
Why is the son of the Buddha
Called World-Voice-Perceiver?The Honorable One with the wonderful marks answered Endless-Intent in gāthās:
Listen! World-Voice-Perceiver practiced
According to the conditions of the places [of salvation].
His vow to save [people] is as deep as the sea.
You cannot fathom it even for kalpas.On many hundreds of thousands of millions of Buddhas
He attended and made a great and pure vow.
I will tell you about his vow in brief.
If you hear his name, and see him,
And think of him constantly,
You will be able to eliminate all sufferings.
Images of World-Voice-Perceiver
[Chapter 25, The Universal Gate of World-Voice-Perceiver Bodhisattva,] ends with verses which repeat the same themes we have seen. Faith in World-Voice-Perceiver is widespread in Asia. Many beautiful works of art have depicted this popular Bodhisattva, sometimes showing her as female and sometimes as male. In English, she is often misnamed the “Goddess of Mercy.” Among the many representations of Avalokitesvara, seven figures are particularly famous, and more especially, two of them: the “World-Voice-Perceiver of Eleven Faces,” and “World-Voice-Perceiver of a Thousand Hands.” The thousand hands signify that World-Voice-Perceiver offers a multitude of gifts to our suffering world.
Introduction to the Lotus SutraDay 28
Day 28 covers all of Chapter 24, Wonderful-Voice Bodhisattva, and concludes the Seventh Volume of the Sutra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma.
Having last month considered what happened when Pure-Flower-Star-King-Wisdom Buddha and Wonderful-Voice Bodhisattvawere illumined by a ray of light emitted by Śākyamuni, Wonderful-Voice announces his plan to visit the Sahā-World.
Wonderful-Voice Bodhisattva said to the Buddha “World-Honored One! I can go to the Sahā-World by your powers, by your supernatural powers of traveling, and by your merits and wisdom which adorn me.”
Thereupon Wonderful-Voice Bodhisattva entered into a samadhi. He did not rise from his seat or make any other movement. By the power of this samadhi, he caused eighty-four thousand lotus flowers of treasures to appear in a place not far from the seat of the Dharma situated on Mt. Gṛdhrakūṭa. Those flowers had stalks of jambunada gold, leaves of silver, stamens of diamond, and calyxes of kimsuka treasures.
Thereupon Mañjuśrī, the Son of the King of the Dharma, having seen these lotus-flowers, said to Śākyamuni Buddha:
“World-Honored One! What does this omen mean? Tens of millions of lotus-flowers have appeared. They have stalks of jambunada gold, leaves of silver, stamens of diamond, and calyxes of kimsuka treasures.”
Thereupon Śākyamuni Buddha said to Mañjuśrī:
“This means that Wonderful-Voice Bodhisattva-mahāsattva, surrounded by eighty-four thousand Bodhisattvas, is coming from the World of Pure-Flower-Star-King-Wisdom Buddha to this Sahā World in order to make offerings to me, attend on me, bow to me, make offerings to the Sūtra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma, and hear it.”
The Introduction to the Lotus Sutra offers this:
In Chapter 24, Wonderful-Voice Bodhisattva, the Pure Land of Wonderful-Voice Bodhisattva is described as existing in the east. According to the Lotus Sutra, however, the Pure Land should not be anywhere else than right here in our Sahā-world. This idea was presented in Chapter Sixteen, the “Duration of the Life of the Tathagata.” It is a principal theme of the Lotus Sutra, which always emphasizes practice in our real world. It concludes that “the Sahā-world itself is the Pure Land.
However, many Buddhists, who do not have a thorough understanding of the Lotus Sutra, still think of the Pure Land as being somewhere else, away from the Sahā-world. The Lotus Sutra accommodates this popular belief and differentiates between the eastern Pure Land, the western Pure Land, and the defiled land. This chapter of Wonderful-Voice-Bodhisattva shows us that this World of Endurance is pivotal, however, no matter how inferior it may seem when compared to the pure lands of the east and west. It is here that people live and die. It is here that they conceive of pure lands existing either to their east or west. It is here that the Eternal Original Buddha reveals himself. It is here that the other Buddhas and Bodhisattvas come to pay homage. Thus Pure-Flower-Star-King-Wisdom Buddha warns Wonderful-Voice not to denigrate the World of Endurance. Its crucial importance belies its miserable outward appearance.
Introduction to the Lotus SutraDay 27
Day 27 concludes Chapter 23, The Previous Life of Medicine-King Bodhisattva.
Having last month concluded Chapter 23, we start again with day’s portion of The Previous Life of Medicine-King Bodhisattva.
“Having sung this gāthā, Gladly-Seen-By-All-Beings Bodhisattva said to the Buddha, ‘World-Honored One! You do not change, do you?’
“Sun-Moon-Pure-Bright-Virtue Buddha said to Gladly-Seen-By-All-Beings Bodhisattva, ‘Good man! The time of my Nirvana is near at hand. The time of my extinction is coming. Prepare me a comfortable couch! I shall enter into Parinirvana tonight.’ “Then he instructed Gladly-Seen-By-All-Beings Bodhisattva, saying, ‘Good man! I will transmit all my teachings to you. [I also will transmit] to you all the Bodhisattvas and all my great disciples. [I also will transmit] to you my teachings for Anuttara-samyak-saṃbodhi. I also will transmit to you the one thousand Sumeru worlds made of the seven treasures, the jeweled trees, the jeweled platforms, and the gods attending on me. I also will transmit to you the śarīras to be left after my extinction. Distribute my śarīras far and wide and make offerings to them! Erect thousands of stupas [to enshrine them]!’
“Having given these instructions to Gladly-Seen-By-All-Beings Bodhisattva, Sun-Moon-Pure-Bright-Virtue Buddha entered into Nirvana in the last watch of that night. Having seen the extinction of the Buddha, Gladly-Seen-By-All-Beings Bodhisattva was overcome with sorrow. He adored the Buddha all the more. He made a pyre of the candana grown on this shore of the sea, offered it to the body of the Buddha, and burned it. After it burned up, he collected the śarīras. He made eighty-four thousand stupas of treasures[, and put the śarīras therein]. He erected eighty-four thousand stupas[, and enshrined the urns therein]. The stupas were higher than the Third Dhyana-Heaven. They were adorned with yastis. Many streamers and canopies were hanging down [from the stupas]. Many jeweled bells also were fixed [on the stupas].
The Daily Dharma from May 10, 2018, offers this:
Having sung this gāthā, Gladly-Seen-By-All-Beings Bodhisattva said to the Buddha, ‘World-Honored One! You do not change, do you?’
This description of the life of Gladly-Seen-By-All-Beings Bodhisattva comes from Chapter Twenty-Three of the Lotus Sūtra. In a previous existence, this Bodhisattva had given up his body and his life for the sake of teaching the Wonderful Dharma. He was then reborn into a world in which the Buddha he served previously was still alive and benefitting all beings. Recognizing this unchanging aspect of the Buddha despite his changing appearances helps us see into our own capacity for enlightenment.
The Daily Dharma is produced by the Lexington Nichiren Buddhist Community. To subscribe to the daily emails, visit zenzaizenzai.com