“Universal-Sage! If you see anyone who keeps, reads and recites Myōhō Renge Kyō in the later five hundred years after my extinction, you should think, ‘Before long be will go to the place of enlightenment, defeat Mara and his followers, attain Anuttara-samyak-saṃbodhi, turn the wheel of the Dharma, beat the drum of the Dharma, blow the conch-shell horn of the Dharma, send the rain of the Dharma, and sit on the lion-like seat of the Dharma in the midst of the great multitude of gods and men.’
Tao-sheng: The Buddha’s Long Life-Span
Tao-sheng Commentary on the Lotus Sutra, p295The duration of my life, which I obtained by the practice of the way of Bodhisattvas, has not yet expired.
When he was treading the bodhisattva path in the past, his lifespan “was twice the preceding [number].” It should be known, therefore, that though [his life-span] was compared to the number of grains of sand, the tiniest part of it has not yet been exhausted. Now the Buddha is described by way of a bodhisattva; the Buddha’s life-span is long [in comparison with the bodhisattva’s].
Turning the Dharma Wheel of the Four Noble Truths Three Times
Turning the wheel of the Dharma appears throughout the Lotus Sutra. What that turning includes is detailed in Chapter 7 after the enlightenment of Great-Universal-Wisdom-Excellence Tathāgata, who is said to have “turned the wheel of the teaching of the four truths three times, making twelve proclamations altogether.” In his commentary of Chapter 2, Expedients, Master Hsuan Hua explains what it means to turn the wheel of the teaching of the four truths three times.
Hsuan Hua Lotus Sutra Commentary, v3, p230-232To teach these five bhikṣus, Śākyamuni Buddha turned the Dharma wheel of the four noble truths three times. What does that mean?
When the Buddha first taught the five bhikṣus, he said:
Recognize that suffering is oppressive.
Recognize that the aggregation of suffering happens through attraction.
Recognize that the cessation of suffering can be realized.
Recognize that the Path leading to the cessation of suffering can be cultivated.This is the first turning of the Dharma wheel. Suffering is oppressive. The aggregation of suffering is the cumulative effect of afflictions. Suffering can be brought to an end, leading to the stillness of nirvāṇa, with its four virtues: permanence, joy, true self, and purity. The Path leading to cessation can be cultivated. This describes the first turning of the Dharma wheel (the indicative turning).
In the second turning of the Dharma wheel (the hortative turning), the Buddha said,
Suffering is to be understood.
The aggregation of suffering is to be severed.
The cessation of suffering is to be realized.
The Path leading to the cessation of suffering is to be cultivated.In the third turning of the Dharma wheel (the evidential turning), the Buddha said,
I have understood suffering and need not understand it further.
I have severed the aggregation of suffering and need not sever it further.
I have realized the cessation of suffering and need not realize it further.
I have cultivated the Path and need not cultivate it further.The Buddha said that he knew about suffering, had cut off his afflictions, had attained the four virtues of nirvāṇa, and had realized the thirty-seven factors of awakening.
Affliction is a kind of “guest dust.” It comes not from the host but from the outside. In the Śūraṅgama Sūtra, we read about guest dust. Ājñātakauṇḍinya became awakened because of these two words “guest dust.” “A guest,” he said, “does not stay forever; at some point, a guest will leave.” Ājñātakauṇḍinya became awakened because of the two words guest dust and is therefore known as he who “understood the fundamental essence” and “the first to become awakened.”
As the Buddha said to the five bhikṣus, “You should realize the cessation of suffering. You should cultivate the Path leading to the cessation of suffering,” Ājñātakauṇḍinya understood and immediately attained realization.
Myōhō Renge Kyō Promise for June 22, 2025
“I have expounded many sūtras. I am now expounding Myōhō Renge Kyō. I also will expound many sūtras in the future. The total number of the sūtras will amount to many thousands of billions. Myōhō Renge Kyō is the most difficult to believe and the most difficult to understand.”
Tao-sheng: Awakening to Reality
Tao-sheng Commentary on the Lotus Sutra, p295All that I say is true, not false, because I see the triple world as it is.
He who has seen Reality never again sees what is not real. [The Buddha’s] original intention was to ferry them over to Reality and awaken them to it. Thus, in accordance with the way they responded he devised expedients. Even though these are not identical their imports are not different. However, it is said here that [the Thus Come One] sees only “[the marks of] the triple sphere.” He has already seen something more than that. Because [everything] he says contains his original [intention] he seeks to find the words and expressions in various forms [that would suit the existential situations of beings].
Hsuan Hua’s Ledgers
Following on yesterday’s post Hsuan Hua and the Four Vast Vows, I offer this short explanation from Chapter 4, Understanding by Faith.
Hsuan Hua Lotus Sutra Commentary, v5, p136-137Some of them were counting
His gold, silver, and other valuables.
His expenses, earnings, and assets
Were noted and recorded there in the ledgers.There were people estimating the value of his gold, silver, and other valuables. All of his expenditures and revenues were noted and recorded in the ledgers. Just as merchants document their business transactions, we who study the Buddhadharma write things down because we wish to elaborate upon key principles with detailed explanations. For example, we write out a commentary for a sūtra so that those who do not understand certain principles may read the commentary and gain understanding. The ledger represents the four vast vows:
Living beings are boundless; I vow to save them all.
Afflictions are endless; I vow to cut them off.
Dharma-doors are countless; I vow to learn them all.
Buddhahood is unsurpassed; I vow to realize it.
If someone makes the four vast vows, his or her name is said to be “written in the ledger” to become a Buddha. Taking the four vast vows is considered to be evidence that the individual will become a Buddha. Writing account ledgers is an allegory for cultivating.
Myōhō Renge Kyō Promise for June 21, 2025
“These sixteen Bodhisattvas willingly expounded Myōhō Renge Kyō. Each of them taught six hundred billion nayutas of living beings, that is, as many living beings as there are sands in the River Ganges. Those living beings were always accompanied by the Bodhisattva[, by whom they were taught,] in their consecutive existences. [In each of their consecutive existences,] they heard Myōhō Renge Kyō from him, and understood it by faith. By the merits [they had thus accumulated], they were given a privilege to see four billion Buddhas, that is, four billion World-Honored Ones. They have not yet seen all of them.”
Tao-sheng: Establishing the Eternity of the Buddha
Tao-sheng Commentary on the Lotus Sutra, pp;294-295The 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.
The Form-body (rūpakāya) of the Buddha must be something visible and existent but without real form. If he is not real, how can he be spoken of in terms of life-span? However, the [different] modes and forms [of manifestation] are directed to arrive at the same [goal]. He is one throughout the past and the present; the past also is the present, and vice versa. There is no time when he is not existent. There is no place where he is not present. If there are times when something is not existent and there are places when something is not present, it applies only to beings, but not to the Sage. For the reason, ultimately [the Sage] establishes the eternity [of the Buddha], suggesting that Gayā is (a part of) it. If Gayā is [a part of] it, there is no more Gayā. Because there is no more Gayā, how can eternity exist alone? [Therefore], eternity and shortness are not [separately] existent; this is the reason why both eternity and shortness remain existent.
Hsuan Hua and the Four Vast Vows
Master Hsuan Hua offers this explanation of the Bodhisattva’s Four Great Vows in his discussion of Chapter 3, A Parable, in the Lotus Sutra and the description of the characteristics of the Great Cart given to the children who escape the Burning House of the Triple World.
Hsuan Hua Lotus Sutra Commentary, v4, p408-412The first of the four vast vows is, “Living beings are boundless; I vow to save them all.” The beings in our inherent nature are countless and limitless. You must first save beings within yourself before you can save beings on the outside. If you have not finished saving the beings within yourself, you cannot finish saving living beings on the outside. Although you have saved living beings, you should not become attached to having done so. You should save all living beings yet have no attachment to having saved them.
The second of the four vast vows is, “Afflictions are endless; I vow to cut them off.” Our afflictions arise without our intending to produce them. We try to avoid having afflictions, yet afflictions still arise. Without realizing how it happens, ignorance manifests. The Heart Sutra discusses twenty types of subsidiary afflictions. Without cause or reason, afflictions arise. One vows to sever these afflictions, but they continue to arise. We would be well-off indeed if we had as much money as we had afflictions. Then we’d always have money – no need to work for it. It’s too bad we don’t have as much money as we do afflictions. Afflictions are never-ending. Money is not. Once you use it, it’s gone. But there are people who think afflictions are the best thing. They get angry and think it’s more fun than eating dumplings. Is this strange or not? Giving rise to afflictions will burn away one’s virtues and Dharma wealth. That is why the Buddha taught all living beings to sever afflictions. Afflictions must be cut off.
The third vow Is, “Dharma-doors are countless; I vow to study them all.” Last year you studied the Śūraṅgama Sūtra. This year you are studying the Dharma Flower Sūtra, the Heart Sūtra, the Vajra Sūtra, and the Earth Store Sūtra; and soon we will have lectures on the Avataṃsaka Sūtra as well. Each sūtra has its own principles. How many doctrines would you say there are? There are as many as the grains of sand in the Ganges, as many as motes of dust. The Avataṃsaka Sūtra in its original form has as many chapters as the motes of dust in ten trichiliocosms. How many is that? It is as many as those dust motes. If you can count how many dust motes there are, then you know how many chapters there are. If you can’t, don’t ask me, because I am just like you.
As to Dharma-doors, there are the Great Vehicle Dharmas, the Lesser Vehicle Dharmas, the four noble truths, the six pāramitās, the twelve links of dependent arising, the thirty-seven factors of awakening… How many Dharmas are there? There are 84,000 Dharma-doors. If we were to study one Dharma-door every day, we would need 84,000 days. How many days are there in our lives? There are 365 days in a year, 3,650 days in ten years, and 36,500 days in one hundred years – so we would be dead before we finished studying. National Master Qingliang lived to be 101. How can we ever finish learning all wisdom and knowledge? We can never finish learning. If not, should we quit studying? No. Even though we cannot finish studying, we still need to study. “Dharma-doors are countless; I vow to study them all.” If we do not study, we will not learn. So we must keep studying. …
The fourth vow Is, “Buddhahood is unsurpassed; I vow to realize it.” In this world, there is nothing higher than the realization of Buddhahood. Becoming a Buddha is the most honorable accomplishment both in and beyond this world. Therefore, the Buddha, the World Honored One, is the most honored both within and beyond the world. Buddhahood is the ultimate refuge and final accomplishment. Before becoming a Buddha, one is simply a confused being in the nine Dharma realms. After becoming a Buddha, one is completely clear, without any confusion. This is why we vow, “Buddhahood is unsurpassed; I vow to realize it.” We vow to become Buddhas. Not only will we become Buddhas, we will lead all living beings to realize Buddhahood together.
These four vast vows are truly magnificent. “I vow to save the living beings of my inherent nature. I vow to cut off the afflictions of my inherent nature.” You can’t just run around telling other people that they should cut off their afflictions. You can’t walk up to someone and say, “You are studying the Buddhadharma, yet you still have so many afflictions. You still have a terrible temper. Just what meaning does all your study have?” You are not supposed to be looking at others’ faults. You are supposed to watch over yourself….
The four vast vows are very important. They are represented in the text by the phrase “with golden cords strung around them.” The four vast vows are like cords of gold braided together. You have to be vigorous. Don’t ever forget these vows. Always base your cultivation upon these four vast vows.
These vows, which are know in Nichiren Shu Buddhism as the Four Great Vows, are derived from T’ien T’ai Buddhism. There’s an excellent discussion of how these vows are derived from the Four Noble Truths in a 1983 article by Robert F. Rhodes. (PDF)
Myōhō Renge Kyō Promise for June 20, 2025
“It took the Buddha eight thousand kalpas to complete the expounding of Myōhō Renge Kyō. During that time he did not take a rest. Having completed the expounding of Myōhō Renge Kyō, the Buddha entered a quiet room and practiced dhyāna-concentration for eighty-four thousand kalpas. Seeing him practicing dhyāna-concentration quietly in the room, the sixteen Bodhisattva-sramaneras each sat on a seat of the Dharma, expounded Myōhō Renge Kyō to the four kinds of devotees for eighty-four thousand kalpas, and saved six hundred billion nayutas of living beings, that is, as many living beings as there are sands in the River Ganges. They showed them the Way, taught them, benefited them, caused them to rejoice and to aspire for Anuttara-samyak-saṃbodhi.”