The Kaikyōge (the Verses for Opening the Sutra) includes the following: “The letters composing this sutra are the Buddha’s manifestation.”
Nichiren Shōnin said, “Seeing the letters of the Lotus Sutra equals seeing the living Säkyamuni Buddha” (Reply to Shijō Kingo) and “The letters of this Sutra are the Buddha’s soul” (Kitö-shō).
The Lotus Sutra is the Eternal Buddha himself.
Buddha Seed: Understanding the OdaimokuThe title of the [Lotus Sutra], which occupies the middle portion of the Mandala, is what represents [the Original Buddha’s] body proper, while the various figures that appear on either side represent its thousand transformations. These figures stand for the Ten Worlds of living beings. Therefore the body of any individual, when reflected in the Mandala-mirror, is the sum total of these worlds – nay, the sum total of all things and all phenomena in time and space; and the Ten Worlds are in reality one and the same body. And since good and bad ideas both arise from this one body, they pervade all its transformations – that is, the Ten Worlds of being. Hence, if one single thought be pure, and so identified with the mind of Buddha, these Ten Worlds become the Buddha’s mind. On the other hand, if one single thought is debased into the mind of an infernal being, the same fate happens to the Ten Worlds. In spite of its insignificance, a single thought has a wide and rapid influence. This influence may be compared to that possessed by water and fire. If water be received into the mouth, the whole body is immediately conscious of a sense of coolness. If the hands are held over the stove, warmth is felt to the very tips of the toes. So a single thought produces enlightenment if good, and darkness if bad. The reason of this is that, the essence being one and the same, the influence is universal. It is clear, therefore, how careful we ought to be in allowing the rise in our minds of even a single thought.
Doctrines of Nichiren (1893)I used to try to make potato chips at home for my partner. Time after time I tried and they just never came out anything like the chips you could get in the bag. The bag chip was his favorite kind, but I tried none-the-less.
At one time I worked right next to a deli and the guy who owned it made his own chips every day. So I asked him what the secret was to making chips. He told me it was the soaking in water. You have to soak them in water to remove all the starch from the slices. Who would have thought? I had tried adjusting the thickness of the slice, the oil, the heat, the pan, all kinds of things I tried. I never knew soaking in water that was the key ingredient. …
Chanting Odaimoku is so simple. It is like soaking the potatoes in water to remove the starch. We need to soak our lives in the Odaimoku of the Lotus Sutra to remove the things that hold us back from enlightenment.
Lotus Path: Practicing the Lotus Sutra Volume 1The well-known but often misunderstood doctrine of Karma amounts to this, that no man’s life is a product of the present only but is the result of a long chain of moral causation, in which the quality of his deeds and character bears the fruits deserved. It teaches that there is a necessary course of life and fortune for everyone, which is determined by his or her moral disposition tantamount to the merit or demerit of the past and present deeds. The doctrine sounds like fatalism, yet the intention was to admonish every one to do his best in endeavouring to free himself from vicious Karma and to advance on the way to Buddhist perfection.
History of Japanese ReligionThe Great Mandala shows all the sentient beings of the ten worlds illuminated by the Odaimoku. The buddhas of past, present, and future are included in this. Shakyamuni Buddha represents the Buddhas of the present, while Many Treasures Tathagata represents all the Buddhas of the past, and the sentient beings of the other nine worlds are the Buddhas of the future. This shows that all the Buddhas of past, present, and future are unified with the Odaimoku.
Lotus World: An Illustrated Guide to the GohonzonEven though you know about the Odaimoku, if you don’t chant Odaimoku, it is the same as if you don’t know the Odaimoku at all. You will only come to realize how wonderful and beneficial the Odaimoku is after you have chanted it. Please open your mind peacefully and try to chant, even ten times a day, faithfully. Odaimoku is the key to open your stored treasures. Please keep this precious key with you always.
Spring WritingsEventually as our practice matures and we have many experiences in faith overcoming obstacles and making changes at the core of our life, our faith becomes more unshakable and it becomes more difficult to become discouraged. I say more difficult but we should never become complacent, as it is always possible to become sidetracked or discouraged. In fact if we take our faith and practice for granted it is most certain to happen. But indeed, over time our doubts do decrease as we accumulate a variety of experiences in our faith and practice. It is our intention to eventually create the kind of firm foundation of faith and practice of the Dharma that removes all of our doubts.
Lecture on the Lotus SutraNichiren Shonin recognized that the eternal life of the Buddha was of crucial importance. Therefore, he taught that we do not need to be born into a pure land after death so that we can come into the presence of the Buddha and thereby awaken to the truth. According to Nichiren Shonin, the essential teaching of the Lotus Sutra reveals that we are already in the pure land. We are already in the presence of the Buddha. We are able to directly realize Buddhahood through our faith, because it is already a part of our lives.
Lotus SeedsThere is one final element that deserves mention because it is so easy to overlook. Though not a part of our ritual practice, it is very important that we, as Buddhists, express the virtue of generosity in our lives. Donation to a Buddhist does not mean only the giving of money, but sharing our time and compassion. Therefore, social action should be an important part of our lives. This can mean many different things – Buddhism does not impose political or social beliefs upon its practitioners. However, whether it is working to feed the hungry, supporting disarmament, or whatever cause suits our personal beliefs within the context of Buddhist ethics, we should reach out to our communities and give our time and energy to make the world a better place. This is, after all, the goal of Buddhism – making this world the Buddha’s Pure Land and easing the suffering of all sentient begins.
Awakening to the LotusImpermanence is not itself suffering. Human beings suffer because they fail to realize that all things change. Desiring constancy, they think their hopes are betrayed when they fail to find stability in a world that cannot offer it. For the person whose outlook and desires are mistaken, impermanence causes suffering. In the Buddhist’s long-term view, the inconstant condition of all mortals is suffering because all transient pleasures must pass into pain.
Basic Buddhist Concepts