Promises

Myōhō Renge Kyō Promise for Sept. 30, 2025

Therefore, Grand Master T’ien-t’ai in his Words and Phrases of the Lotus Sūtra compares the 50th person rejoicing at hearing the Lotus Sūtra transmitted one after another, the lowest rank in the practice of the Lotus Sūtra, against the practicers of non-Buddhist teachings, Hinayana Buddhism, and provisional Mahayana Buddhism. He states that the merits of the lowest rank in the practice of the Lotus Sūtra are superior to those of any other practice.

Shō Hokke Daimoku-shō, Treastise on Chanting the Daimoku of the Lotus Sūtra

Higan, Hsuan Hua, Hsuan Hua Lotus Sutra Commentary, perfections

The Bodhisattva Practice for Others

As a final follow up to Higan Week, I offer Chinese Master Hsuan Hua’s discussion of Bodhisattva practice from his commentary on the Lotus Sutra.

Śākyamuni Buddha continued, “Medicine King, there are many people who, whether at home – upāsakās and upāsikās – or having renounced the home life – bhikṣus and bhikṣunīs – practice the Bodhisattva Path.” Both laypeople and monastics can practice the Bodhisattva Path.

What is the Bodhisattva Path? Benefiting others is practicing the Bodhisattva Path. What is the Bodhisattva Path? Benefiting not only oneself but also others is practicing the Bodhisattva Path. What is the Bodhisattva Path? Putting yourself aside to help others is practicing the Bodhisattva Path. It’s also giving advantage to others and taking disadvantage upon yourself. A person who practices the Bodhisattva Path is like water, which benefits all but never brags about its merit. All living creatures, whether they are born from wombs, eggs, moisture, or via metamorphosis, depend upon water for the sustenance of their lives. Without water, they can’t survive. But water itself doesn’t brag about its merit, saying, “I’ve helped you all so much. My merit is great indeed.” It doesn’t harbor this kind of thought. Those who practice the Bodhisattva Path should be the same way. Don’t think, “I’ve benefited living beings, so I have merit.” Lao Zi said,

The highest goodness is like water. Water benefits all yet does not contend. It goes to places people despise, and so it is close to the Path.

Water flows right into lowly places, places where nobody wants to live. To be like that is to practice the Bodhisattva Path.

When you practice the Bodhisattva Path, you must give credit to others and take the blame upon yourself. “But then I won’t get any credit,” you object. The more you give credit to others, the greater your merit becomes. On the surface you’re giving the credit away, but underneath, in the essence of things as they really are, the credit remains yours. People who don’t understand how to cultivate are always struggling to grab the spotlight, to be number one, and to make sure everyone knows who they are. People who have true understanding don’t seek recognition. It’s said that:

The deeds that are done for others to see are not truly good.
The deeds that are done fearing others will know are truly evil.

Bodhisattvas don’t want people to know about their good deeds. Conversely, if they make mistakes, they don’t care if people find out. Practicing the Bodhisattva Path is benefiting oneself and others. As you benefit yourself, you should benefit others more, even when it’s at your own expense.

Practicing the Bodhisattva Path is practicing the six pāramitās and the myriad practices. The six pāramitās are giving, upholding precepts, patience, vigor, dhyāna, and wisdom (prajña). To practice giving is to give to others without asking them to give to you. You shouldn’t complain, “I’m one of the Three Jewels. Why doesn’t anybody make offerings to me?” Being a member of the Three Jewels, you’re supposed to give. Upholding precepts means that you hold them yourself; it doesn’t mean that you go around telling other people to hold them. Patience means that you are patient, not that you tell others to be patient. Vigor means the same: that you’re the one who is vigorous, not that you tell others to be vigorous while remaining lazy yourself. You shouldn’t think, “I’ve already become a Bodhisattva, so I don’t need to be vigorous. I’m a senior Bodhisattva and don’t need to be vigorous; I’ll just tell the junior Bodhisattvas to be vigorous.”

As for dhyāna, you must cultivate it yourself. You can’t pester people by saying, “Hey! Why can’t you achieve dhyāna?” Finally, you yourself must have prajña. You can’t tell others to cultivate it while failing to do so yourself.

The six pāramitās are not to be practiced for just one day. You must practice them every single day and never take a breather for even a second. Practicing the Bodhisattva Path means that you’re busy working all the time. Busy doing what? Teaching and transforming living beings. Living beings are drowning in the sea of suffering. Unless you push yourself a little, how are you ever going to be able to save them all? There’s no time for naps; there’s no time for false thinking. Both monastics and laypeople should practice the Bodhisattva Path.

Hsuan Hua Lotus Sutra Commentary, v7, 220-223
Promises

Myōhō Renge Kyō Promise for Sept. 29, 2025

Filial piety of the Confucian School limits itself to this life. Since it does not help the parents in the future life, its sages and wise men are empty names without reality. Other non-Buddhist schools may know about past and future lives but they have no way of saving parents. Only Buddhism helps parents in their future lives. Therefore, those in Buddhism are worthy of the name of “sage and wise man.” Even in Buddhism, however, various scriptures and sects expounded before the Lotus Sutra were unable to help people obtain enlightenment themselves, much less their parents. They have only words without meaning. Only when the Lotus Sutra was expounded and said that women could obtain Buddhahood, our mothers’ obtaining Buddhahood became possible; and when it said that even a wicked man like Devadatta could obtain Buddhahood, our fathers’ obtaining Buddhahood also became possible. This is the sutra of filial piety among all Buddhist scriptures.

Opening the Eyes, Kaimoku-shō

Hsuan Hua, Hsuan Hua Lotus Sutra Commentary, perfections

The 10 Pāramitās of the Great Vehicle Bodhisattvas

As another follow up to Higan Week, I offer Chinese Master Hsuan Hua’s explanation of the  ten pāramitās of the Great Vehicle Bodhisattvas from his commentary on the Lotus Sutra.

I’ve explained the six perfections or six pāramitās practiced by the Bodhisattvas. What do Great Vehicle Bodhisattvas practice? They practice the ten perfections or the ten pāramitās.

7. The pāramitā of skillful means. Applying skillful means, you can turn the dust of the world into the Buddha’s work. Whatever a Buddha does is skillful means; what-ever Dharma he teaches is also skillful means. What are skillful means? Skillful means aren’t something that can be used forever. They’re provisional and temporary in nature. The Dharma-door of skillful means suits a par-ticular living being’s potential only at a given time.

8. The pāramitā of vows. You make vows to teach and rescue all living beings.

9. The pāramitā of powers. You need strength to realize this pāramitā.

10. The pāramitā of wisdom. This refers to provisional wisdom, the expedient wisdom used to teach and transform living beings.

Great Vehicle Bodhisattvas cultivate these ten pāramitās. Speaking of the six pāramitās and four infinite states of the mind, these ten pāramitās are already encompassed by the four infinite states of the mind. If I were to elaborate in detail, the endless elaborations could go on and on. Such explanations could go into infinite detail. For now, I can only give a general explanation.

Hsuan Hua Lotus Sutra Commentary, v8, p190-191
Promises

Myōhō Renge Kyō Promise for Sept. 28, 2025

QUESTION: I would like to know how great the merit contained in only five Chinese characters of myō, hō, ren, ge, and kyō can be.

ANSWER: The great ocean receives the whole flow of rivers from all over the world; the great earth contains everything including sentient and insentient beings; the wish-fulfilling gem rains all kinds of treasures; the King of the Brahma Heaven controls the whole Triple World (realms of desire, no desire, and non-form). Likewise, the five Chinese characters of myō, hō, ren, ge, and kyō possess the merits of all phenomena. In short, they contain everything in the Ten Realms from hell to the realm of Buddhas, including those that exist in the lands and the lands themselves.

Hokke Daimoku Shō, Treatise on the Daimoku of the Lotus Sūtra

Hsuan Hua, Hsuan Hua Lotus Sutra Commentary, perfections

Six Pāramitās and 10 Good Deeds

As another follow up to Higan Week, I offer Chinese Master Hsuan Hua’s explanation of the  the six pāramitās from the perspective of the ten good deeds from his commentary on the Lotus Sutra.

Let’s explain the six pāramitās from the perspective of the ten good deeds. No killing, no stealing, no sexual misconduct, and no false speech correspond to the pāramitā of giving. No divisive speech corresponds to the pāramitā of upholding precepts. No harsh speech corresponds to the pāramitā of patience. No frivolous speech corresponds to the paramita of vigor. No greed and no hatred correspond to the pāramitā of dhyāna. No wrong views corresponds to the paramita of prajña. The ten good deeds correspond to the six pāramitās in this way.

Hsuan Hua Lotus Sutra Commentary, v8, p135
Promises

Myōhō Renge Kyō Promise for Sept. 27, 2025

T’ien-t’ai’s interpretation makes it clear that even great bodhisattvas who have thoroughly studied Mahāyāna sūtras such as the Flower Garland Sūtra, Hōdō sūtras and the Wisdom Sūtra and reached the rank next only to the Buddha is incomparably inferior to those who merely listened to the Lotus Sūtra and had a connection with it, namely ordinary people in the Latter Age of Degeneration who were unable to eliminate the evil passions and master even one supernatural power.

Shō Hokke Daimoku-shō, Treastise on Chanting the Daimoku of the Lotus Sūtra

Higan, Hsuan Hua, perfections, Vajra Sutra

Vajra Sutra: Giving Six Paramitas

As a bonus following the conclusion of Higan, Paramita Week, I offer Chinese Master Hsuan Hua’s discussion of how giving can encompasses all six pāramitās from his commentary on The Vajra Prajna Paramita Sutra

Giving is the first of the six pāramitās. There are three kinds of giving: giving wealth, giving dharma, and giving fearlessness.

The gift of wealth is a gift to the living which does not transcend the present life.

The gift of dharma may take place when you meet a living being who is free of animosity and has no desire to harm you. Then you may speak dharma and cause him to awaken to the unconditioned. If you can also cause such a living being to leave behind all fear and trembling, you are practicing the pāramitā of holding precepts within the pāramitā of giving. Or you may encounter a living being who wants to harm you, and by speaking dharma you enable him to conquer his anger and hatred. If you can enable someone who displays enmity or resentment towards you or who wishes you harm to abandon aggression, you have used the pāramitā of patience to perfect your giving.

Perhaps you tirelessly benefit people and are not the least bit lazy in teaching and transforming living beings, and enjoy speaking dharma for whomever you see. To resolve that “Whatever Buddhadharma I know I will speak for others without regard for the acceptance or rejection of my teaching” is not to fear fatigue and suffering. That is to employ the pāramitā of vigor in practicing giving.

Perhaps your speaking of dharma is extremely well-organized. You never confuse summations, scramble lists, or muddle principles. In listing the pāramitās you are able to speak them in their proper sequence: giving, holding precepts, patience, vigor, dhyāna samadhi, and prajña. If in lecturing you encounter a reference to the Five Roots and Five Powers, as for example when they appear in the Amitabha Sutra, you are able to explain them correctly as:

Faith,
Vigor,
Mindfulness,
Samadhi,
Wisdom.

Rather than confusing them and explaining them as the six dusts, such orderly correct speaking of dharma is an example of the use of the pāramitā of dhyāna samadhi in giving. If someone asks you a question and you become flustered and say, “Uhhh, I don’t know…” then your skill in dhyāna samadhi is wanting.

However, even those with samadhi need wisdom. Wisdom enhances the development of eloquence so that “left and right the source is revealed, the Way is clear and straightforward.” No matter how you speak, you reveal the essence of the principle, because your wisdom is unobstructed. That is, you use the paramita of prajña wisdom in your giving.

Thus the three aspects of giving, the giving of wealth, the giving of dharma, and the giving of fearlessness encompass the six pāramitās.

The Vajra Prajna Paramita Sutra, p120-121
Promises

Myōhō Renge Kyō Promise for Sept. 26, 2025

The Lotus Sūtra states that even the Buddha cannot measure the merit of those who put faith in even one character or sentence of the Lotus Sūtra. The Buddha has boundless wisdom; He can measure the amount of rain that has continued to fall for one or two weeks in the whole universe. Nevertheless, He cannot measure the merit of those who chant just one character or phrase of the Lotus Sūtra. How can we, sinners and the ignorant, measure this merit?

Regardless, very few people believe in the Lotus Sūtra, which is worthy of such great merit.

Gassui Gasho, A Letter on Menstruation, Nyonin Gosho

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Higan, Hsuan Hua, Hsuan Hua Lotus Sutra Commentary

Higan: 10 Advantages of Prajña

Today is the final day of Higan week, the three days before the equinox and the three days after. As explained in a Nichiren Shu brochure:

For Buddhists, this period is not just one characterized by days with almost equal portions of light and dark. Rather, it is a period in which we strive to consciously reflect upon ourselves and our deeds.

The today we consider the Perfection of Prajña. For this Fall Higan week I’m using Hsuan Hua‘s commentary on the Lotus Sutra in which he discusses the 10 advantages of each pāramitā.

There are ten advantages of practicing prajña. If you practice prajña, you’ll attain these ten advantages; otherwise, you won’t attain a single one.

Wisdom is basically not being attached. Not being attached is just wisdom. If you have attachment, you won’t have wisdom. The saying “Prajña-light constantly shines” means that the light of wisdom always shines.

  1. One will not grasp at the notion of giving. In the twelve links of dependent arising, one link is “grasping, which is the condition for becoming.” If you have wisdom, you won’t grasp at the notion of giving. Grasping is being at-tached; not grasping is not being attached. One should give in such a manner that the nonsubstantiality of the three aspects of giving is empty. The three aspects are the giver, the receiver, and the gift. If you are caught up in your ability to give or in the person you are giving to, then you’re attached. Without the notions of there being one who gives, one to whom the gift is given, and the gift itself, there aren’t any attachments. It’s not that the notions don’t exist but that you’re not attached to them. This is what is meant by “one will not grasp at the notion of giving.”Why should you consider the nonsubstantiality of the three aspects of giving when you give? Because then you’ll be free of attachments. If you give thinking, “I’ve given several million dollars. How much merit do you think I have?” then you’re just like the Emperor Wu of Liang, who said to the Patriarch Bodhidharma, “I’ve built so many temples, renovated so many bridges, and influenced so many people to enter the monastic life. Would you say I have merit or not?”

    If the Patriarch Bodhidharma had said, “Yes, you do have merit,” he would’ve been following worldly thinking. Instead, the Patriarch taught the genuine Buddhadharma, which doesn’t accord with worldly sentiments. He said, “You have no merit!” He was trying to tell the emperor not to grasp at the notion of giving. With the notion of giving, you have attachments. Without it, there are no attachments. Without attachments, one’s merit is like empty space. Your merit fills empty space, but you mustn’t be attached.

  2. One will not become bound up by the precepts. Someone may say, “Then let’s not take precepts. Let’s not cultivate according to the precepts.” Not being bound up is the same idea as not grasping, which is not to become attached to the precepts. Don’t think, “I uphold the precepts, so I have cultivation and understand the Buddhadharma.” You should refrain from having that kind of attachment. You should abide by the precepts without consciously upholding them. While upholding the precepts, you have no attachment to upholding them. This is what is meant by not being bound up by the precepts. Even if you uphold the precepts, you shouldn’t think, “I’m genuinely upholding precepts. I’m a Vinaya Master!” That’s just one more attachment; the notion of self has come into being. The purpose of the precepts is to transcend the conception of self. With a notion of self, you think, “I cultivate according to the precepts.” When the notion of self is absent, why would there be precepts? …
  3. One will not become attached to the power of patience. This advantage also refers to being unattached. One is not attached to the notion of being patient. If one is attached to being patient, then one isn’t truly patient. True patience goes even beyond the concept of being patient. … Why do you have to think of it in terms of a self – “I” am patient? True cultivators of the Path must understand that all phenomena are empty of characteristics. If you can’t understand this concept, then you won’t be able to walk the Path.
  4. One will be vigorous in body and mind. One will be vigorous not only in body but also in mind. One won’t be more vigorous in body than in mind or vice versa. One will be equally vigorous in both, but won’t be attached to the notion of vigor. One shouldn’t think, “I really work hard! I’m really vigorous!” If one who cultivates holds the idea of vigor, that’s not prajña vigor. With prajña vigor, one must be vigorous yet not consciously vigorous; not vigorous yet vigorous. That’s emptying all phenomena, detaching from all characteristics. Although you apply effort in cultivation, you need to transcend the notion of cultivation. You must subdue your mind yet remain separate from the notion of having subdued your mind. You must regulate your mind until it’s at peace and free of false thinking.
  5. In dhyāna, one will abide nowhere. You probably expected the advantage of dhyāna, since the first is giving, the second upholding precepts, the third patience, and the fourth vigor; so certainly the fifth is dhyāna. So you don’t need the knowledge of others’ thoughts to know what I’m going to say; you just don’t know how I’m going to say it. When you investigate dhyāna, you should arrive at the state of abiding nowhere, which means you’ve broken all attachments. You don’t have any attachment to phenomena or to self; self and phenomena have both been emptied. Then you attain liberation. If you haven’t attained liberation, it’s because you still have attachments. Not abiding anywhere is prajña dhyāna.
  6. Demons will not disturb one. If you have prajña, demons can’t get to you; if not, everything will fall apart when demons come. It’s analogous to the formation of an army. While you’re lining up your soldiers in formation, the enemy suddenly attacks. Since your army isn’t ready for battle, you don’t know what to do – whether to fight or retreat, whether to pull the trigger on the gun or hold your fire – and your army quickly falls into disarray and chaos. Likewise, if you become afraid and frantic when demons come, that’s a sign of lacking wisdom. If you have wisdom, no matter how great their spiritual powers are, demons won’t be able to disturb you.
  7. Others’ opinions will not move one. If you don’t have genuine wisdom, then if someone says “east,” you’ll go east. If someone says “west,” you’ll go west. Someone may say, “Cultivating the Esoteric School is the best form of cultivation. Recite the name of Akṣobhya Buddha.” So you think, “It is, is it? Okay, I’ll do that. I’ll recite the name of Akṣobhya Buddha and subdue the demons.” Then someone else comes along and says, “The Pure Land School is the best. Reciting the name of Amitabha Buddha is the best form of cultivation in the Dharma-Ending Age.” So you think, “Really? Okay, I’ll do it.” And you’re swayed. Someone else may say, “Don’t bother learning how to lecture on the sūtras or teach the Dharma. Go off and live in a cave in the mountains. That’s real cultivation.” After you’ve spent two and a half days in the mountains, someone comes by and says, “Hey, the Vinaya School is the best,” and off you go to the Vinaya School. In general, you can’t focus on one school. You adopt others’ opinions of what’s good. You have no samādhi power. If the opinions of others cannot move you, that means you have samadhi power. …
  8. One will reach the end of birth and death. The end is the termination of something, just like the bottom of the sea and the base of every container. What’s the end of birth and death? Nirvāṇ If you have wisdom, you can end the cycle of birth and death and arrive at the other shore – nirvāṇa. Arriving at the other shore is reaching the end of birth and death.
  9. One will practice ever-increasing compassion. Previously, we talked about the five thousand people who left the Dharma Flower assembly because of their overbearing pride. Overbearing pride is quite the opposite of ever-increasing compassion. Ever-increasing compassion means that, although you may not have been very compassionate before, little by little, you gradually develop more and more compassion.
  10. One will take no delight in the stage of the Two Vehicles. Instead, one will choose to firmly walk on the Great Vehicle Path. Why so? Because one has wisdom. Therefore, one turns from the Lesser to the Great, giving up the Lesser Vehicle and cultivating the Great Vehicle Dharma.
Hsuan Hua Lotus Sutra Commentary, v8, p162-172

On the Journey to a Place of Treasures