Category Archives: LS32

LS32

Day 21

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

Having last month heard Śākyamuni explain why he disappears, we learn about the pure land.

I can do all this by my supernatural powers.
I live on Mt. Sacred Eagle
And also in the other abodes
For asaṃkhya kalpas.

The [perverted] people think:
“This world is in a great fire.
The end of the kalpa [of destruction] is coming.”
In reality this world of mine is peaceful.
It is filled with gods and men.
The gardens, forests and stately buildings
Are adorned with various treasures;
The jeweled trees have many flowers and fruits;
The living beings are enjoying themselves;
And the gods are beating heavenly drums,
Making various kinds of music,
And raining mandārava-flowers on the great multitude and me.

[This] pure world of mine is indestructible.
But the [perverted] people think:
“It is full of sorrow, fear, and other sufferings.
It will soon burn away.”

Because of their evil karmas,
These sinful people will not be able
To hear even the names of the Three Treasures
During asaṃkhya kalpas.

To those who have accumulated merits,
And who are gentle and upright,
And who see me living here,
Expounding the Dharma,
I say:
“The duration of my life is immeasurable.”
To those who see me after a long time,
I say, “It is difficult to see a Buddha.”

See This Pure Land

LS Introduction, LS32, d21b

This Pure Land

[I]t is important that the Pure Land should not be thought of as some faraway place. It should be manifested right here. Ideas can be realized (made real) only by us, the people of this world. Here in the Lotus Sutra, it is taught that the Pure Land should be realized in this Saha-world. An important teaching of the Lotus Sutra is that “the World of Endurance is itself the Pure Land.”

Introduction to the Lotus Sutra

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.

Having last month heard Maitreya repeat his questions in gāthās, we continue with the examples of young fathers and old sons and old sons and young fathers and conclude the chapter.

You attained enlightenment quite recently.
But you have done so many things.
Remove our doubts!
Explain all this as it is!

Suppose a man twenty-five years old
Points to grey-haired and wrinkle-faced men
A hundred years old,
And says, “They are my sons.”
Suppose old men point to a young man
And say, “He is our father.”
No one in the world will believe
That a father is younger than his sons.

You are like the father.
You attained enlightenment quite recently.
These Bodhisattvas are resolute in mind.
They are not timid.
They have practiced the Way of Bodhisattva
For the past innumerable kalpas.

They are good at answering difficult questions.
They are fearless and patient.
They are handsome, powerful and virtuous.
They are praised by the Buddhas
Of the worlds of the ten quarter .
They expound [the Dharma] clearly.

They did not wish to live among men.
They preferred dwelling in dhyana-concentration.
They lived in the sky below
In order to attain the enlightenment of the Buddha.

We do not doubt your words
Because we heard them direct from you.
Explain all this so that the living beings in the future
May be able to understand your words, Buddha!

Those who doubt this sūtra
And do not believe it
Will fall into the evil regions.
Explain all this to us now!

How did you teach these innumerable Bodhisattvas
In such a short time,
And cause them to aspire for enlightenment
And not falter in seeking enlightenment?

[Here ends] the Fifth Volume of the Sūtra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma.

See One Chapter and Two Halves

LS Introduction, LS32, d20b, d21b, d22b

One Chapter and Two Halves

[T]he Lotus Sutra can be divided into two sections: the first half (Shakumon) and the second half Honmon). Nichiren concluded that the fundamental idea of the Lotus Sutra is manifested more clearly in the latter half than the first half, Furthermore, the central idea of the second half is elaborated in Chapter Sixteen, “The Duration of the Life of the Buddha.” The account in Chapter Sixteen is actually a continuation of the latter half of the previous chapter, “Bodhisattvas from Underground,” and is continued through the first half of the next Chapter, “The Variety of Merits.”

The three parts are closely enough related to form one single chain of thought. In his Kanjin-honzon-sho, Nichiren argues that the quintessence of the teachings of the Primal Mystery lies in this chain of three parts, which he specifically calls the “one chapter and two halves.” In addition, he declares that in our present Age of Degeneration, the teaching of the “one chapter and two halves” should be propagated in the abbreviated form of five Chinese characters, the title MYO-HO-REN-GE-KYO, meaning “The Sutra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma.”

Introduction to the Lotus Sutra

LS32

Day 19

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

Having last month begun the gāthās, we consider the Parable of the Priceless Gem in the Topknot.

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].

See Shakubuku and Shoju and Peaceful Practices

LS Introduction, LS32, d18b, d19b

Shakubuku and Shoju and Peaceful Practices

[T]he Sutra says that anyone who reads, recites, and expounds the Lotus Sutra will be attractive in appearance, fearless, safe from accidents, and served by angels from heaven. It goes on to say that the figure of the Buddha will appear in the dreams of such a person, lead him or her to renounce the world, attain enlightenment, and enter Nirvana just as the Buddha does.

This is an outline of the chapter called “Peaceful Practices.” The message of this chapter stands in contrast with that of the previous chapter, “Encouragement for Keeping the Sutra.” In that chapter, we recall, the Sutra tells us that we should be ready to accept any difficulty, and endure patiently if we come under persecution while spreading the Sutra. This also means that, in order to spread the Sutra, we must try to convince and convert someone who may be causing us problems. Later, in Chapter Twenty, “Never-Despise Bodhisattva,” the Sutra will tell us about a Bodhisattva named Never-Despise, who used to bow to and respect everyone he met, preaching the law to them, even when they hit him or threw stones at him.

Great Master Chih-i and Nichiren called such ways of spreading the Dharma, shakubuku, meaning “converting others by persistent preaching.” On the other hand, spreading the law by peaceful practices, as described in this chapter, is called shoju, “accepting.”

Shakubuku is the way to reproach opponents for their errors and make them awaken from their illusions. Shoju is to lead and convince them by respectfully accepting and understanding their viewpoints and situations. The difference between these two ways of propagation depends on the times and the abilities of the hearers to understand. Although the two methods seem to be entirely different, they have the same aim—to save others. Therefore, they share the same spirit.

In the history of Buddhism, Great Master Chih-i generally undertook the way of shoju, and Nichiren generally practiced the way of shakubuku. However, Chih-i also valued the spirit of shakubuku, and Nichiren also gave importance to the spirit of shoju. In our times, the way of shoju seems more appropriate, but it must be flavored with the spirit of shakubuku, too.

Introduction to the Lotus Sutra

LS32

Day 18

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

Having last month concluded Chapter 13, we begin Chapter 14, Peaceful Practices.

Thereupon Mañjuśrī Bodhisattva-mahāsattvas, the Son of the King of the Dharma, said to the Buddha:

“World-Honored One! The e Bodhisattvas are extraordinarily rare. They made a great vow to protect, keep, read, recite and expound this Sūtra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma in the evil world after your extinction because they are following you respectfully. World-Honored One! How should an [ordinary] Bodhisattva-mahāsattvas expound this sūtra in the evil world after [your extinction]?”

The Buddha said to him:

“A Bodhisattva-mahāsattvas who wishes to expound this sūtra in the evil world after [ my extinction) should practice four sets of things.

See Peaceful Practices

LS Introduction, LS32, d18b, d19b

Peaceful Practices

The previous chapter [Chapter 13, Encouragement for Keeping this Sutra] has explained that anyone who preaches and spreads the Lotus Sutra in the future, the Age of Degeneration, must have stamina. Such a person must resolve to spread the Sutra even though evil people, known as the Three Strong Enemies, will appear in his or her path to trouble or even persecute him. This way of propagation, by confronting the Three Strong Enemies head-on, may strain the preacher’s relationships with others. By way of contrast, there is another practical way to spread the Dharma, with an attitude that is calmer and more relaxed. This attitude is called, “Peaceful Practices.”

Introduction to the Lotus Sutra

LS32

Day 17

Day 17 covers all of Chapter 12, Devadatta, and opens Chapter 13, Encouragement for Keeping this Sutra.

Having last month begun Chapter 13: Encouragement for Keeping This Sūtra, we consider the vow of the Arhats.

At that time there were five hundred Arhats in this congregation. They had already been assured of their future attainment [of Anuttara-samyak-saṃbodhi]. They said to the Buddha, “World-Honored One! We also vow to expound this sūtra [but we will expound it] in some other worlds [rather than in this Sahā-World].”

There were also eight thousand Śrāvakas some of whom had something more to learn while others had nothing more to learn. They had already been assured of their future attainment [of Anuttara-samyak-saṃbodhi]. They rose from their seats, joined their hands together towards the Buddha and vowed:

“World-Honored One! We also will expound this sūtra in some other worlds because the people of this Sahā-World have many evils. They are arrogant. They have few merits. They are angry, defiled, ready to flatter others, and insincere.”

See The Age of Degeneration

LS Introduction, LS32, d27b, d32b, mappō

The Age of Degeneration

The Age of Degeneration lies in the future after Sakyamunis earthly lifetime. It does not denote a specific era. Whenever we ordinary people reflect seriously on the quality of our lives, we realize that we live far from the spirit of the Buddha. Our minds are soiled with evil and illusions. This actual state of human beings is what is called the Age of Degeneration. The Lotus Sutra warns us that it will be our normal state once the Buddha has departed from among us.

Introduction to the Lotus Sutra