Quotes

buddhaseed

Ichinen Sanzen of Ji

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Diagram 1BEnlightenment means awakening to the truth of Ichinen Sanzen and realizing a great life transcending the limits of time and space. Ichinen Sanzen is the wisdom of the Buddha’s enlightenment and the circumstances obtained with His enlightenment. Ichinen Sanzen of Ri is awakening to Ichinen Sanzen as the Buddha’s enlightenment through meditation or mental practice, and the enhancement of one’s own wisdom.

In contrast, our own lives are connected with the Buddha’s life through faith and the Odaimoku. If one can imagine connecting a pipe between the Buddha’s life and ours, Ichinen Sanzen as the Buddha’s wisdom and circumstance of His enlightenment flows naturally into our lives and becomes our own wisdom. We receive Ichinen Sanzen from the Buddha through our chanting of the Odaimoku. This is Ichinen Sanzen of Ji.

Buddha Seed: Understanding the Odaimoku

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The Distinction Between Ri And Ji

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Among the large corpus of writings traditionally attributed to Nichiren (1222-1282) are many that deal with original enlightenment thought. In 1926, when Shimaji published “Nihon ko Tendai kenkyū no hitsuyō o ronzu,” it was generally accepted both inside and outside Nichiren Shū that Nichiren had taught the doctrine of original enlightenment. Some difference of opinion existed as to whether he stood closer to the doctrinal position of the Eshin or the Danna school, but the influence of medieval Tendai on his thinking was virtually unquestioned.

Nonetheless, within Nichiren Shū, scholars had for some time been engaged in attempting to establish the existence of clear differences between medieval Tendai hongaku thought and the hongaku thought of Nichiren, making use of the distinction between ri, or “principle,” and ji, meaning “phenomena” or “concrete actuality.” Over and above their importance to East Asian Buddhism generally, these categories held a time-honored place in the Nichiren tradition, having been used by Nichiren himself to distinguish between the “contemplation of the mind” (kanjin) set forth by the Chinese T’ien-t’ai founder Chih-i (538- 597) and his own form of practice. Where Chih-i’s form of meditative discipline was that of “principle,” or introspective contemplation to perceive the true aspect of reality in one’s own mind, Nichiren’s was that of “actuality,” or the chanting of the daimoku, the title of the Lotus Sūtra, said to embody the reality of the Buddha’s enlightenment and the seed of Buddhahood. Nichiren’s usage reflects the strong influence of esoteric Buddhism, in which ri refers to formless truth that is contemplated inwardly, and ji, to its expression in outwardly manifest practices involving concrete forms. (Page 67-68)

Original Enlightenment and the Transformation of Medieval Japanese Buddhism


Profound

Positions Of The Four Teachings

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Chih-i’s argumentation of the arising of different positions demonstrates an ascending order of the positions of the Four Teachings. Each position functions as the step for the later position to arise. The later position aroused is based on the previous position to further server delusions and realize truth. Among various positions, positions of the Tripitaka and Common Teachings are concerned with emptiness as the Absolute Truth. As these two positions cannot transcend the truth of emptiness, they can only originate wholesomeness in terms of the facts and principle within the three realms and destroy evil in terms of the facts and principle within the three realms. Positions of the Separate and Perfect Teachings advance to be concerned with the Middle Way that embraces both the truth of emptiness and the provisional existence. Thus, they transcend the three realms, originate the wholesomeness in terms of the facts and principle beyond the three realms, and destroy evil in terms of the facts and principle beyond the three realms. Apparently, positions of each of the Four Teachings are closely connected: the previous position leads to the later position, and such a progress enables one to eventually conceive the principle of the Middle Way. Consequently, position of the Perfect Teaching is confirmed to be the ultimate position that eradicates fundamental ignorance and enables one to attain Buddhahood. This is Chih-i’s dialectic approach in highlighting the supremacy of the position of the Perfect Teaching while confirming the indispensable value of various tentative positions of other three teachings. According to Chih-i’s view, tentative and ultimate are fundamentally the same entity: without the tentative, the ultimate cannot be manifested; without the ultimate, the tentative loses its value of existence. (Vol. 2, Page 226-227)

The Profound Meaning of the Lotus Sutra: Tien-tai Philosophy of Buddhism


Lotus Path

Seeing Our Lives as Buddhas and Our Land as the Buddha’s Realm

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I have frequently remarked that it would be nice to see a movie version of the stupa that arises from the ground and the emergence of the Bodhisattvas from underground. I think it could be a truly epic production, and certainly would be epic in its message. But we do not have to wait for some creative person to take on the task. It isn’t necessary to depend on someone else to generate the visuals or the music. We can see that play out any day we choose if we awaken to the reality of it in our present lives. When we chant Odaimoku, Namu Myoho Renge Kyo, we can begin to see our lives, and our environment in new ways. We begin to recreate our own emergence from the dirt of suffering and rise up to bow before the Buddha and greet him. We see our lives as Buddhas and our land as the Buddha’s realm. When we see all this then we can show it to others.

Lotus Path: Practicing the Lotus Sutra Volume 1

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The Moral Danger In An Originally Inherent Tathāgata

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Although Shimaji characterized original enlightenment thought as the “climax” of Buddhist philosophy in Japan and the “matrix” of the new Kamakura Buddhism, he perceived a moral danger in an idea that affirmed all activities of life as precisely the activities of the originally inherent Tathāgata. Tendai thought concerning an inherently enlightened Buddha, Shimaji said, had proceeded in two major directions: “One took form as the bright Kamakura Buddhism that purified original enlightenment thought, while the other sank to a naturalistic, corrupt thought and brought about the deterioration of the Buddhism of Mt. Hiei.” Elsewhere using “original enlightenment thought” in a very broad sense to encompass all the immanentalist forms of Buddhism that had developed in East Asia—Shimaji suggested that the notion of all things as inherently enlightened had encouraged an incorporation of non-Buddhist elements that inevitably brought about the destruction of Buddhism. In the case of Japan, he said, this process had fortunately been halted at the critical moment by the emergence of the new Kamakura movements, which “were able to remove the danger that inevitably accompanies original enlightenment thought, purify and actualize it, skillfully harmonizing it with the idea that enlightenment is acquired.” Scattered throughout Shimaji’s writings are indications that, despite his conviction of their philosophical indebtedness to Tendai hongaku thought, he considered the Kamakura thinkers superior in the areas of practice and ethics. In the case of Nichiren, for example, while judging that “the content of his doctrine scarcely differs from medieval Tendai thought,” Shimaji wrote that Nichiren had brought the vitality of faith to a medieval Tendai that had not transcended philosophical conceptualizing and introduced national concerns to an original enlightenment doctrine that had hitherto been concerned purely with individual salvation. (Page 64-65)

Original Enlightenment and the Transformation of Medieval Japanese Buddhism


Profound

Chih-i’s Herbs

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Chih-i gives an overview of different levels of positions in terms of their coarseness or subtlety. Among the three herbal grasses and two trees, the four are coarse, except the big tree that can be considered as subtle. However, the position of the big tree is coarse as well, compared with the position of the Perfect Teaching, because the door of the former entails expedient means, and the door of the latter is straightforward without any expedient means. Therefore, only the position of the Perfect Teaching is subtle. With regard to the position of the inferior grass of human and heavenly vehicle, Chih-i states that because of the defilement of the four destinies, this vehicle stays within the three realms of transmigration without moving and outgoing. With regard to the position of the intermediate grass of the Two Vehicles (śrāvaka and pratyekabuddha), Chih-i confirms that it can move in and out (e.g. transcend the three realms) by severing defilements within the three realms. Nevertheless, the knowledge of the Two Vehicles only concerns emptiness, which does not exhaust the nature of truth, and what they pursue is only for self-liberation, which does not benefit others. As for the position of the superior grass of the bodhisattva of the Tripiṭaka Teaching, Chih-i comments that though this bodhisattva practices the Six Perfections by means of helping others with kindness and compassion, this position is still coarse as his goal is to extinguish forms, e.g. cannot identify emptiness with the provisional existence. With regard to the position of the small tree, Chih-i illustrates that by perceiving emptiness within dharmas, one’s knowledge of entering emptiness is skillful, but this type of knowledge functions to eliminate false views and wrong attitudes within the three realms, which cannot manage to sever delusions beyond the three realms. Thus, this position is coarse. With regard to the position of the big tree of the Separate Teaching and that of the Perfect Teaching, Chih-i asserts that both positions practice the contemplation of the Middle Way, whereby the knowledge of the Middle Way functions to destroy ignorance beyond the three realms. Therefore, both positions are subtle. Nevertheless, to make further distinction, Chih-i points out that the Separate Teaching enters truth through the door of expedience, e.g. by means of going through immeasurable practices before reaching the Middle Way. Furthermore, its knowledge of the Middle Way does not enable one to perceive all dharmas as an integrated whole, since all dharmas are viewed as separate. Thus, the ignorance the bodhisattva of the Separate Teaching destroys is not so penetrating and complete as that in the Perfect Teaching. Compared with the Perfect Teaching, Chih-i regards the door of the Separate Teaching as unskillful (e.g. winding and roundabout) and its position as coarse. On the other hand, Chih-i claims that the bodhisattva of the Perfect Teaching penetrates the principle of the Middle Way and understands that all flavors and fragrance of the phenomenal world are nothing else but the manifestation of the Middle Way. One’s knowledge of the Middle Way is perfect and integrated starting from the initial practice of the Perfect Teaching. One’s every thought corresponds with the Ten Dharma-realms, and one is mindful of the Ultimate Truth. Thus, the door of the Perfect Teaching is straightforward without any expedience in reaching truth and attaining ultimate enlightenment of Buddhahood, whereby its position is subtle. (Vol. 2, Page 224-225)

The Profound Meaning of the Lotus Sutra: Tien-tai Philosophy of Buddhism


History of Japanese Religion

The ‘Supreme Being’

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The “Supreme Being”, according to Nichiren, is Buddha in his metaphysical entity, the enlightened soul in full grasp of the whole truth of existence. This entity, the Buddha-nature, is inherent in every being, whether human or celestial, or even bestial and infernal, and can be, ought to be, realized in every soul when it enters into full communion with Buddha. This truth was embodied in the person of the historical Buddha and his eternal life revealed in the Lotus of Truth.

History of Japanese Religion

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Hongaku Thought

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“Hongaku thought” is best understood not as a monolithic philosophy, but as a multivalent discourse, albeit one that included among its many forms some highly developed doctrinal formulations. It was, moreover, a discourse embodied in specific practices, lineages, and concerns about authority and legitimacy. “Original enlightenment thought” is a convenient designation for the great range of concepts, perspectives, arguments, and doctrinal formulations informed by ideas of original enlightenment, but it was by no means either unified or an exclusively philosophical enterprise. The term will be used in this study based on this understanding. (Page 52)

Original Enlightenment and the Transformation of Medieval Japanese Buddhism


Profound

Positions of the Perfect Teaching

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In order to support his classification about the number of positions of the Perfect Teaching, Chih-i quotes citations from the Lotus Sūtra to demonstrate that this is not his own creation. In actuality, the Fourfold Teaching is his own system of classifying the teaching of the Buddha, and his illustration of the position of the Perfect Teaching is certainly derived from his own understanding of Buddhism.

With regard to the Position of the Five Preliminary Grades of Disciples, Chih-i argues that the chapter on Fen-pieh Kung-te P’in (Distinguishing Merits and Virtues) in the Lotus Sūtra provides a description of these positions. In the chapter on Fang-pien P’in (Expedient Means), the phrase about “to cause sentient beings to open the Buddha’s knowledge and insight” (Yü-ling Chung-sheng K’ai-fo Chih-chien) denotes the Ten Dwellings; “to reveal the Buddha’s knowledge and insight” (Shih-fo Chih-chien) signifies the Ten Practices; “to be awakened to the Buddha’s knowledge and insight” (Wu-fo Chih-chien) indicates the Ten Merit transferences; “to enter the Buddha’s knowledge and insight” (Ju-fo Chih-chien) denotes the Ten Stages, and the Stage of Preliminary Enlightenment. The Stage of Subtle Enlightenment is revealed in the citation “only Buddhas and Buddhas can exhaust the Ultimate Truth of all dharmas” (Wei Fo-yü-fo Nai-neng Chiu-ching Chu-fa Shih-hsiang). These associations of various phrases in the Lotus Sūtra with various positions are made by Chih-i according to his teacher Hui-ssu’s explanation. Moreover, Chih-i stresses that the number of positions of the Perfect Teaching in severing and destroying ignorance is for an expedient purpose only. By nature, positions of the Perfect Teaching are inconceivable: integrated, they can become a single position; divided, they can be of various levels. (Vol. 2, Page 222-223)

The Profound Meaning of the Lotus Sutra: Tien-tai Philosophy of Buddhism


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Buddhas and Kami

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[O]riginal enlightenment thought influenced a shift in how the unity of kami and Buddhas was understood. During the Nara and Heian
periods, the Buddhas and bodhisattvas, who transcend time and space, had increasingly come to be identified with specific local deities and thus grounded, as it were, in the temporal and geographical realities of Japan. The logic of these identifications was eventually expressed in terms of honji-suijaku, language borrowed from T’ien-t’ai/Tendai Lotus Sūtra exegesis. The Buddha of the latter fourteen chapters of the sūtra, or “origin teaching” (honmon), who attained enlightenment countless kalpas ago, is the Buddha in his original ground (honji), while the Buddha of the first fourteen chapters, or “trace teaching” (shakumon), is the “manifest trace” (suijaku) who appeared in this world as the historical Buddha. Chih-i had likened the relation of the two to that of the moon in the sky and its reflection on a pond. When this relation was applied to that of Buddhas and kami, it became possible to conceive of the deities, not merely as protectors of Buddhism or as suffering beings in need of Buddhist salvation, but as local manifestations of the transcendent Buddhas and bodhisattvas, compassionately projected as a “skillful means” to lead the people of Japan to enlightenment. (Page 41)

Original Enlightenment and the Transformation of Medieval Japanese Buddhism