Quotes

Lotus Seeds

The Three Bodies of the Buddha

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Mahayana Buddhism speaks of the Trikaya, or Three Bodies of the Buddha. These are not actually separate, distinct bodies; rather, they are personifications of different aspects or properties of the life of a Buddha. …

The first Buddha body is the Nirmanakaya, or Transformation-body. This is the historical aspect of a Buddha and refers to the Buddha as a person who is born, becomes awakened, teaches the Dharma, and then dies. This Buddha is an ordinary human being in every respect, except that he or she is awakened to the true nature of life.

The second Buddha body is the Sambhogakaya, or Enjoyment-body. This is the idealized aspect of the Buddha. This body is adorned with all kinds of special marks and characteristics symbolizing a buddha’s transcendent nature. This is the Buddha of limitless life and light, who resides in a pure land far removed from all suffering. The Enjoyment-body expresses the inner life of the historical Buddha and is the Buddha’s enjoyment of the Wonderful Dharma.

The third Buddha body is the Dharmakaya, or Dharma-body. This is the Buddha as universal truth, a personification of the true nature of reality itself. The Dharma-body is synonymous with other Buddhist terms such as Emptiness, Suchness, Buddha nature, or Dependent Origination. The Dharma-body expresses the Wonderful Dharma that is enjoyed by the Enjoyment-body and manifested physically by the Transformation-body.

Lotus Seeds

Awakening to the Lotus

Basic Truths

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The Nichiren Shu recognizes certain basic truths that our daily lives should express in our actions. These truths … should naturally arise from our Buddhist practice; that is, we should live this way not because we are supposed to follow some rules, but because they express our natural beliefs.

Awakening to the Lotus

Basics

Four Objects of Faith

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The four indestructible objects of faith in which true believers put unshakable trust are the Three Treasures (Buddha, Law, and Order) and the precepts (not to kill, not to steal, not to indulge in wrong sexual activity, not to lie, not to drink intoxicants). The person who profoundly believes in the Three Treasures will abide absolutely by these moral rules. The aim of Buddhism is for believers of this kind to convert the world into a place of peace and happiness free of war, strife, antagonism, envy, injustice, and iniquity.

Basic Buddhist Concepts

buddhaseed

The Primary Concerns of Human Life

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The primary concerns of human life can be summarized by the four sufferings: birth, old age, sickness and death. We can include the idea of the eight sufferings which would add the suffering of meeting and getting along with a unfavorable person, the suffering of separation from loved ones, the suffering of not getting what one desires and the sufferings caused by activities of the body. The intention of Buddhism is to respond to these concerns and provide a solution to such suffering through our own realization of the Eternal Buddha’s teachings.

Buddha Seed: Understanding the Odaimoku

Doctrines of Nichiren

The Equally Glorious and Splendid World

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This world, so full of evils as to appear like a fiery furnace in the eyes of the vulgar, is perceived by the Buddha to be a peaceful and happy realm inhabited by beings of high spiritual order. What is the truth of it? Is the world pure and full of pleasures, or foul and full of pains? The solution will be this or that according to the confusion or the enlightenment of each individual mind. The world seen by the Buddha and the world seen by the multitude are not two, but one. When enlightenment is attained, all worlds are found to be equally glorious and splendid.

Doctrines of Nichiren (1893)

Lotus Path

The Certainty of Enlightenment

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If we knew that the path of our lives was secure, that there was certainty of enlightenment how free would we feel? Would our burdens be easier if we did not have to worry about happiness? Contained within the Lotus Sutra is the heart and soul of all the messages of all the Buddhas. It isn’t easy to believe this; we may struggle with accepting the truth of the message of the Buddha. Yet I wonder how is it easier to accept messages that deny us our ability to be happy. Which message do you allow to penetrate the core of your life?

Lotus Path: Practicing the Lotus Sutra Volume 1

Physicians Good Medicine

Facing Inward

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When a person is willing to delve into his weaknesses and troubles while ignoring those of others, the real benefit of Buddhist practice will appear. Buddhism, at the core, is not a religious doctrine that subscribes to the practices of judgment. Facing inward is where Buddhism invites us to direct our energy.

Physician's Good Medicine

Lotus World

The Physical Gohonzon

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Though the physical gohonzon provides a concrete focus for our devotion and contemplation, the gohonzon in its fullest sense transcends any particular form or concept used to represent it, though it includes them as well. It is certainly not merely an idol or object of worship. Rather, the gohonzon is the selfless and compassionate nature of reality that all beings can awaken to as their own true nature.

Lotus World: An Illustrated Guide to the Gohonzon

Spring Writings

Devotion

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Namu originates from the Sanskrit word “Namas” which means “Devotion,” and was transliterated with the two Chinese characters “Na” and “Mu,” which were pronounced similarly a long time ago. The two characters are not, therefore, used for their literal meanings, “South” and “Nothing,” nor are they thought of individually. What is used is “Namu,” two characters to represent one word, signifying “Devotion.”

Spring Writings

Lecture on Lotus Sutra

The Jewel of the Sangha

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I would like to remind you there are the Three Jewels in Buddhism of the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha. The Buddha and the Dharma are usually easy for people to respect and cherish. It is frequently the jewel of the Sangha that seems less important to some. I believe this is a great mistake and deprives us of tremendous benefit, if we choose to ignore the community of practitioners. If we think Buddhism is a solitary practice then I think we are missing many of the messages the Buddha tells us.

Lecture on the Lotus Sutra