The Parable of the Skillful Physician and His Sick Children can be understood from the perspective that being born in this Saha world is the act of taking poison. We are born forgetting our eternal connection to the Eternal Buddha. We are unaware of the truth of our Buddhahood potential residing in the core of our lives. As Buddhists, our life is the journey to rediscovery of that truth – the realization of the good medicine.
Physician's Good MedicineQuotes
United in the Adoration of the Lotus
What [Nichiren] meant was this: Buddhahood, or Truth, is eternal. It can be, and ought to be, made a fact in our own life. Nichiren is the man sent to lead all to that life, and he is now assisted by his followers, who are, therefore, the Saints prophesied in the Scripture. The attainment of Buddhahood is not a matter of individuals or of the aggregate of individuals, it is the embodiment of the all-embracing communion of all beings in the organic unity of Buddhahood which is inherent in them all. This realization is the Kingdom of Buddha, the establishment of the Land of Treasures, as Nichiren had declared in his Rissho Ankoku Ron and explained on many occasions. Now this Kingdom of Buddha is, properly speaking, immanent in the soul of every one, but it can only be realized in the spiritual and moral community of those who are united in the Adoration of the Lotus, and in the worship of the Supreme Being as revealed by Nichiren.
Nichiren, The Buddhist ProphetFirm Faith
Firm faith comes from a firm belief in the Lotus Sutra. The following are Nichiren Shonin’s words:
“Have faith in the Great Mandala Gohonzon, the most superlative in the world. Endeavor! Endeavor to strengthen your faith, so that you may be blessed with the protective powers of all Buddhas. Learn and practice to strengthen your faith. Without learning and practicing there is no Buddhism. Follow these teachings yourself and influence others to do the same. To learn and to practice are a part of faith. Even if only a word or a phrase, spread it to others.” -Shoho Jisso-sho
We are only able to learn and practice faithfully with the support of true faith.
Spring WritingsThe Inherent Potential for Buddhahood
I am not sure if you remember a little while back I mentioned how it is hard for people to believe they could become Buddhas. I won’t say for certain that this is the most common hindrance but of all my years of practicing with others and teaching and guiding this does seem to be one area that is difficult for many people to fully embrace. The fact that the Buddha tells us many times that the teaching of the Lotus Sutra is a teaching which enables all living beings to manifest the inherent potential for Buddhahood that lies within each person seems to be very difficult to grasp. Some people I am afraid think there must be some fine print in the text or some part that was left out of the translation that specifically mentioned their name as the single exception to this universal promise of the Buddha. … These people seem to be content with what little scraps they can get from their practice and refuse to enter the house to live, to enter into and realize enlightenment is in fact within their very lives.
Lecture on the Lotus SutraThe Sanctuary of the Buddha’s Teaching
[Within the Three Treasures of Buddha, Dharma and Sangha], the Dharma is the Buddha’s teaching that enable us to cut through the delusions and bad habits that prevent us from awakening. On a deeper level, the Dharma is not just the teachings, but also the reality that the teachings points to.
Lotus SeedsKaikyoge
The Kaikyoge (Verses for Opening the Sutra) states? “We can approach enlightenment when we see, hear or touch this Sutra. Within it is expounded the body of the Buddha’s truth and essence. Every letter composing this Sutra is a manifestation of the Buddha. Just as the scent of incense can be perceived as it is approached, all living beings shall be benefited by this Sutra, spontaneously and without hindrance.”
Odaimoku: The Significance Of Chanting Namu Myoho Renge KyoQuestioning
Examining the teachings of the Buddha we see that the Buddha frequently waits until he is asked a question before he teaches. In fact our Buddhist practice really doesn’t begin to take place until we ourselves ask and prepare for the answer to the question of how to end suffering.
It isn’t until we become aware that we suffer, or that there might be an alternative to suffering do we begin to even look for a way to end suffering. When we awaken to the truth about suffering being an option we begin to ask questions about how to end it, how to practice Buddhism.
Lotus Path: Practicing the Lotus Sutra Volume 1We Truly Are Buddhas
The medicine the Lotus Sutra offers us from the skilled physician, the Buddha, is that we are not who we seem to be. We truly are Buddhas who have awaken to an understanding that we have always been disciples of the Eternal Buddha and as such possess all the inner potential required to become equal to the Buddha.
Physician's Good MedicineNichiren’s Great Remorse
This was his great remorse, caused by the sense of his own sinfulness as well as by concern for his countrymen. His curse was not a product of mere self-righteousness nor of mere hatred of others, but an expression of his deep regret for his country and of his own ideal. There was always, for him, a link between the present danger and the future destiny, between the nation’s curse and his own expiation; and this connection was a result of his view of the inseparable tie uniting the individual to the community in which he lives.
Nichiren, The Buddhist ProphetA Test of Weakness and Faith
[P]racticing a teaching is not easy. It is hard work to struggle against your own ego and laziness. The human being’s mind can be tempted with laziness, and we lose faith easily when it should be firm. Laziness and ego are strong rivals against faith. In fact, it is harder to defeat our own mind than to defeat others. An example is a person who is determined to chant every morning. Somehow they manage to keep their determination for a couple of weeks. Then, one morning, they have a headache and think, “Today is special, I will rest.” Before long, the special days turn into regular days. Usually the battle between laziness and faith results in the laziness achieving “victory.” At that time we need to have firm faith to brush off the whisper of laziness, and should think: “This is a trial to test my weakness and my faith.”
Spring Writings