The Collection Concerning the Immediate Attainment of Buddhahood [by Grand Master Jikaku] further states:

First, speaking of the gist of the Lotus Sūtra, it is preached that various Buddhas have appeared in this world for the one important purpose and that all the people have the Buddha-nature. People will be able to attain Buddhahood if they hear and practice the teaching of the Lotus Sūtra. For what reason has the Buddha expounded the Three Inherent Potentials of the Buddha-nature (innate Buddha-nature, “wisdom” to develop the innate Buddha-nature, and virtuous deeds which enable one to develop “wisdom”)? It is said in the first fascicle of the Dependent-Origination section of the Treatise on the Buddha-nature by Bodhisattva Vasubandhu that the Buddha insisted on the existence of the Buddha-nature in all the people for the purpose of helping them eliminate five kinds of mistakes and obtain five kinds of merit. The five kinds of mistakes are despicable mind, conceit, attachment to delusion, slandering the True Dharma and attachment to self-interest. On the other hand, the five kinds of merit are diligence, respect, wisdom, intelligence, and great compassion. It is “despicable” to harbor doubts about the Buddha-nature in oneself and fail to aspire to Buddhahood; it is called “conceit” to think that one has the Buddha-nature and can aspire to Buddhahood by oneself; it is the “attachment to delusion” to believe that all things have substance though they actually exist only through conditions; it is “slandering the True Dharma” to speak ill of the pure wisdom and virtue of all things; and it is called “attachment to self -interest” to think only about oneself without compassion for all the people. We should eliminate these five kinds of mistakes, know the existence of the Buddha-nature in ourselves, and aspire to Buddhahood.

Nizen Nijō Bosatsu Fu-sabutsu Ji, Never-Attaining Buddhahood by the Two Vehicles and Bodhisattvas in the Pre-Lotus Sūtras, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Doctrine 3, Page 223

This quote from Grand Master Jikaku is offered in Nichiren’s letter to bolster the argument that Bodhisattvas in pre-Lotus Sūtras cannot attain enlightenment since śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas are denied that opportunity, thus preventing the Bodhisattvas from saving all sentient beings and fulling the first of the Four Great Vows.

I find it interesting that this same Grand Master Jikaku is the subject of a scathing rebuke from Nichiren in a later letter entitled Jikaku Daishi no Koto, Concerning Grand Master Jikaku. As the translator’s introduction to that letter explains:

Nichiren … laments what he considers to be the most deplorable false doctrine of Grand Master Jikaku, who denigrated the Lotus Sūtra and regarded the Shingon teaching to be supreme. Nichiren further states that since Jikaku’s tenure esoteric Buddhism had gradually gained the upper hand over the Lotus teaching on Mt. Hiei until the entire mountain had been completely dominated by esotericism by the time of Myōun (55th and 57th Head Priest).

Perhaps this is an example of why Nichiren wrote, “Now, as far as my theology goes, I would like you to think that what I have expressed before being banished to Sado Island can be equated with the forty or so years in which Śākyamuni had taught before revealing the Lotus Sūtra (that is, the truth and true aims of the Buddha were not directly divulged in those years)” (Misawa-shō, A Letter to Lord Misawa of Suruga, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Doctrine 2, Page 241)

In any event, I find the “five kinds of mistakes and five kinds of merit” an excellent way of illustrating the point about the Bodhisattvas not being able to attain enlightenment outside the Lotus Sūtra.

The six stages in the practice of the Lotus Sūtra established by the Lotus School can be divided into two categories: (1) first four stages of ri-soku, myōji-soku, kangyō-soku and sōji-soku practiced by the ignorant (ordinary) people in the Impure Land; and (2) last two stages of bunshin-soku and kukyō-soku practiced by bodhisattvas in the Actual Reward Land.

1. Ri-soku is the stage at which one has not yet heard the True Dharma and is ignorant of Buddhism although in theory he possesses the Buddha-nature and his momentary thought is equipped with the principle of Triple Truth.
2. Myōji-soku is the stage at which one hears the name of the truth and perceives it. This is the initial state in which one is awakened for aspiration for Buddhahood upon encountering Buddhism and listening to the name of the Triple Truth.
3. Kangyō-soku is the stage at which one practices the principle of the Triple Truth. This corresponds to the five progressive stages of practice for believers of the Lotus Sūtra after the death of Śākyamuni Buddha. Illusions of view and thought are not yet eradicated in this stage.
4. Sōji-soku: a practicer at this stage manifests the principle of the triple truth and is automatically in accordance with the Dharma-nature; having eliminated 88 kinds of delusions in view, 81 kinds of delusions in thought, and 9 kinds of delusions as numerous as particles of dust and sand (namely the first two of the three illusions), he outwardly resembles a Buddha.
5. Bunshin-soku: a practicer at this stage partially awakens to the truth of Middle Way by eliminating the 41 kinds of illusions of darkness (ignorance), that is to say all illusions except the fundamental darkness.
6. Kukyō-soku, is the highest stage of practice, at which one completely eradicates all illusions and fully realizes the Buddha-nature.

Hokke Jōdo Mondō-shō, Questions and Answers on the Lotus and Pure Land Sects, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Doctrine 3,
Page 189-190

And from the glossary:

Triple truth (santai)

The term applied by T’ien-t’ai to explain reality in three aspects:

1. kūtai or shintai (truth of voidness), i.e. all existences are void and nonsubstantial in essence;
2. ketai or zokutai (truth of temporariness), i.e. all existences are temporary manifestations produced by causes and conditions; and
3. chūtai (truth of the middle), i.e. the absolute reality of all existences cannot be explained in either negative or affirmative terms. This term is interpreted differently in the distinctive teaching and the perfect teaching: in the former the three truths are perceived independent of each other while the latter considers them perfectly fused together in one.

Today marks the one-quarter milestone on this 100 days of study. This quote is a good example of the sort of foundational information I am seeking. I’d like to think I’m well into Kangyō-soku. I certainly acknowledge “Illusions of view and thought are not yet eradicated.” And I also enjoy the thought that everyone “possesses the Buddha-nature and his momentary thought is equipped with the principle of Triple Truth.”

Question: Is the doctrine of the Lotus School based on the explanations of Grand Masters T’ien-t’ai, Miao-lê and Dengyō?

Answer: It is based on the clear mirror of Śākyamuni Buddha (the Lotus Sūtra) supplemented by their explanations.

Shoshū Mondō-shō, Questions and Answers Regarding Other Schools, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Doctrine 3, Page 176

I’ve had something of an epiphany while reading the first part of Shoshū Mondō-shō, specifically The Relationship between the Doctrines of the Lotus School and those of the Tendai School.

I’ve touched before on the Tendai concept “if the Dharma of the Lotus Sūtra were explained without knowing the theoretical study of Buddhist teaching, the true meaning of the Lotus Sūtra would be lost.” This supports my long-held theory that, especially in a country like America where Buddhism is relatively unknown, we need to know the expedient teachings that paved the way for the Lotus Sūtra.

But reading Shoshū Mondō-shō I have a new appreciation of the subtlety of understanding required.

Consider the idea that all expedient teachings flow like rivers into the ocean that is the Lotus Sūtra.

Next, absolute subtlety (zetsudaimyō) is a doctrine of revealing the truth (single path to enlightenment) and merging all the provisional teachings for bodhisattvas, pratyekabuddha, and Śrāvaka (kaie). Here the pre-Lotus sūtras, which are abandoned as expedient by the doctrine of relative subtlety (sōdaimyō), are all included in the ocean of the Lotus Sūtra. Once entering the ocean of the Lotus Sūtra, the pre-Lotus sūtras will no longer be dismissed as expedient. All the sūtras entering the ocean of the Lotus Sūtra take up the one flavor of Namu Myōhō Renge Kyō because of the wonderful merit of the ocean of the Lotus Sūtra. There is no reason why they have to be referred to by other names such as nembutsu, Ritsu, Shingon, or Zen. Consequently, Grand Master T’ien-t’ai said in his Profound Meaning of the Lotus Sūtra, “Just as water becomes salty when it flows into the sea, any wisdom ceases to exist in itself after it is taken in the True Wisdom.” Thus he instructs us that no original names be mentioned.

People of the Tendai School generally maintain:

The pre-Lotus sūtras with the first four flavors, which were dismissed in comparing the Lotus Sūtra with other sūtras (relative subtlety), can be kept and any names of Buddhas and bodhisattvas can be recited even after the single path is revealed through the doctrine of absolute subtlety because these sūtras, Buddhas and bodhisattvas are included in the wonderful entity of the Lotus Sūtra. Waters in rivers before entering the sea differ in size, or in cleanliness, but once they flow into the ocean, we can see that it is a serious mistake to distinguish or select water saying that some waters are cleaner than others. Both the dirty water that is undesirable and clean water that is loved stem originally from the same ocean. Therefore even when we put a special name on some water, water is water wherever it is taken out from, and it is a mistake to think that there is a difference in water. Likewise, it is not a terrible idea to believe in any teaching one likes or comes across.

Thus they accept and believe any teaching which comes to the mind such as the nembutsu and mantras.

Shoshū Mondō-shō, Questions and Answers Regarding Other Schools, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Doctrine 3, Page 179-180

And, yes, it logically follows that the water in the ocean is composed of the contents of streams. But it is wrong to suggest that the streams are in some way equal to the ocean. Nichiren points this out immediately after the above quote:

When speaking in vague terms, a point of view such as this seems rational, but strictly speaking it is a serious fallacy leading to hell. The reason is that while one person who truly understands the doctrine of kaie may uphold various provisional sūtras or recite any names of the Buddhas and bodhisattvas, all other people generally keep or chant them with the usual prejudice without understanding the meaning of kaie. Consequently such a view can be an evil teaching in which even if a person who understands the doctrine may get enlightened, most people will fall into hell. Any doctrines expounded in the pre-Lotus sūtras and the “ultimate truth” shown in those doctrines are all composed of biased thoughts and convictions. As stated in the second chapter, “Expedients,” of the Lotus Sūtra, “They are astray in the thick forest of wrong views on existence and non-existence.”

Then both those who know the doctrine of kaie and those who do not know it cannot avoid going down to hell if they uphold provisional sūtras and recite the names of the Buddhas and bodhisattvas in them and contemplate the “ultimate truth” of the expedient teachings. Those who are convinced that they know the doctrine of kaie are no less wrong than those who believe that it is possible to put the water of the ocean into a puddle made by a hoof of a cattle. How can they escape from falling into the Three Evil Realms (hell, the realm of hungry souls, and realm of beasts and birds)? What’s worse, those who do not know the doctrine of kaie, basically taking in wrong teachings, are so attached to the wrong views or expedient teachings that they are sure to fall into the Hell of Incessant Suffering. Even after realizing the doctrine of kaie, they should dismiss such ideas considering them expedient teachings with which enlightenment cannot be achieved. Do not recite or uphold the names and the “ultimate wisdom” of evil doctrines.

Shoshū Mondō-shō, Questions and Answers Regarding Other Schools, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Doctrine 3, Page 180-181

All the rivers of teachings are contained in the ocean of the Lotus Sūtra but only the Lotus Sūtra contains the Wonderful Dharma. Thankfully, it all comes wrapped within the jewel of Namu Myōhō Renge Kyō.

The secret dharma (five characters of the Wonderful Dharma), the essence of the Lotus Sūtra, that such great sages as Kāśyapa, Ananda, Nāgārjuna and Vasubandhu of the Age of the True Dharma and Grand Masters T’ien-t’ai and Dengyō of the Age of the Semblance Dharma knew in mind but did not yet propagate outwardly, is clearly stated in the Lotus Sūtra. It is also clear, however, that this secret dharma is not explained at all in any commentary or annotation. Sages with an inborn capacity of perception should know the dharma by looking at the sūtra themselves. Wise persons should meet virtuous teachers, receive the dharma and believe it. Those with serious sins will distrust and hold in contempt such teachers and will not believe the dharma, but if they wish to listen to it even for a moment, I am willing to tell you about it.

Soya Nyūdō-dono-gari Gosho, A Letter to Lay Priest Lord Soya, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Doctrine 3, Page 169.

As I work my way through the Writings of Nichiren Shōnin I imagine myself listening to Nichiren as he explains the secret dharma to those who will listen for even a moment.

Below is a compilation of quotes from a letter to Nanjō Hyōe Shichirō, who had been converted by Nichiren but was under pressure from family members who believed in the nembutsu.

1. Therefore, it is preached in the Lotus Sūtra, fascicle 2 (chapter 3 on “A Parable”): “This triple world is My domain. Living beings therein are all My children. Now there are many sufferings in this world, and only I can save them all. Though I taught this to them, they did not believe Me, because they were attached to greed and defilement.” These statements mean that Śākyamuni Buddha is the parent, the teacher and the master for the people. For us, the Buddha of Infinite Life and Medicine Master Buddha are masters, but not parents or teachers. Only Śākyamuni Buddha is the compassionate Buddha who possesses the three virtues of the master, teacher and parent. There are many kinds of parents, but no one is as great as Śākyamuni. There are also many kinds of teachers and masters, but no one is superior to Him. If people are against the Buddha’s teachings, they will be abandoned by the gods of heaven and earth. They are the most undutiful; therefore it is preached, “Though I taught this to them they did not believe Me.” Even if one believes in the pre-Lotus sūtras, if one does not believe in the Lotus Sūtra and chant Namu Myōhō Renge-kyō even once, one is an undutiful child. He will be abandoned by the Buddhas and bodhisattvas in all the worlds throughout the universe in the past, present and future, and also will be begrudged by the gods of heaven and earth. (This is the first point.)
2. There are some who strongly believe in the Lotus Sūtra, but they do not denounce the enemies of the sūtra. Even if they do good deeds, read and copy the Lotus Sūtra ten million times, and master the heart of the “3,000 existences contained in one thought” doctrine theoretically, if they do not denounce the enemies of the Lotus Sūtra, they cannot attain enlightenment. If a man who has served his emperor for ten or twenty years knows an enemy of the emperor but neither reports him to the emperor nor drives him away, it will negate the credit of his longtime service, and he would instead be punished. You should know that people of today thus commit the sin of slandering the Lotus Sūtra. (This is the second point.)
3. Now it is the beginning of the Latter Age of Degeneration. Those who should be saved by Hinayana and provisional Mahayana teachings have disappeared, leaving only those who should be saved by the True Mahayana teaching. You cannot load a big rock on a small boat. Evil and ignorant people are like huge rocks. Such teachings as Hinayana and provisional Mahayana sūtras and the nembutsu are like a small boat. A large malignant scab cannot be cured easily because it is a severe sickness. For us in the Latter Age of Degeneration, nembutsu is like cultivating a rice field in winter. The time is not at all right. (This is the third point.)
4. Therefore, if you practice the Lotus Sūtra, even a word or phrase of it, you can be sure to attain Buddhahood because it is the teaching that has a close relation with the people of Japan. It is like a magnet pulling pieces of metal, or water seeping everywhere. Japan has no relation with other teachings such the nembutsu which is like a fake magnet that can’t pull any metal, or a substance that looks like water but is not and does not seep everywhere. When spreading the Dharma in a country, it is important to take into consideration the type of country it is. One cannot assume that a teaching suitable in one country will necessarily be suitable in another country. (This is the fourth point.)

Nanjō Hyōe Shichirō-dono Gosho, A Letter to Lord Nanjō Hyōe Shichirō, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Doctrine 3, Pages 140-143.

Today’s quotes continue yesterday’s discussion of how to apply what Nichiren taught in 13th Century Japan to a non-Buddhist land in the 21st Century.

And I ponder Nichiren’s declaration: “One cannot assume that a teaching suitable in one country will necessarily be suitable in another country.”

Let me be clear, however, on the baseline from which my internal debate grows. I hold as without question that the Lotus Sūtra is the highest teaching of the Buddha and it presents the Dharma best suited for this declining age. As Nichiren writes at the conclusion of Kanjin Honzon-shō, A Treatise Revealing the Spiritual Contemplation and the Most Venerable One, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Doctrine 2, Page 168:

For those who are incapable of understanding the truth of the “3,000 existences contained in one thought,” Lord Śākyamuni Buddha, with His great compassion, wraps this jewel with the five characters of myō, hō, ren, ge, and kyō and hangs it around the neck of the ignorant in the Latter Age of Degeneration.

The differences between 13th Century Japan and a non-Buddhist land in the 21st Century changes nothing of that.

Even after the death of the Buddha, however, the provisional sūtras may be preached first for those whose capacity is not for the Lotus Sūtra. Also, those who place emphasis on giving joy to the people should preach provisional sūtras first just as Śākyamuni Buddha did, while those who emphasize relieving the people of their sufferings first should preach the true Lotus Sūtra just as Never-Despising Bodhisattva did.

In reading Nichiren’s writings I am constantly holding in mind the question, How would Nichiren approach propagation of Buddhism in America, a country without an understanding of such basic Buddhist concepts as the Four Noble Truths, the Twelve-Link Chain of Causation, and the Six Paramitas?

I cling to quotes like the one above because I’m predisposed to believe that people need context when they take faith in the Lotus Sūtra. At the same time I realize that my wishful thinking may have taken the quote out of its context.

Here’s the quote with the context:

Question (12): If the Buddha preached the Lotus Sūtra not at the beginning but after four decades of preaching lest the people might slander the sūtra, why do you suddenly expound the Lotus Sūtra without preaching the provisional sūtras first, causing the people to slander the True Dharma and fall into the evil realms?

Answer (12): While in this world the Buddha sat under the bodhi tree contemplating the capacity of the people. He foresaw that preaching the Lotus Sūtra then would cause the people to slander it and fall into the evil realms, but preaching it 40 years or so later would not cause them to slander it; instead, it would cause them to enter the way of bodhisattvas attaining the rank of shojū (state of non-regression) or even the highest rank of myōkaku (wonderful enlightenment).

In the Latter Age of Degeneration, however, it seems that there is no person equipped with the capacity to be saved by the Buddha’s dharma, not even one out of 10,000, who would be able to enter the rank of shojū. Also Buddhist masters who guide the people are no longer Buddhas, who can make judgment about the capability of the people to understand and accept the Buddha’s teaching. Therefore, the Buddha has permitted us to guide the people, both believers (who will attain Buddhahood by following the Buddha’s teaching) and non-believers (who will eventually attain Buddhahood through the merit of reverse relationship), with the Lotus Sūtra from the beginning. Even after the death of the Buddha, however, the provisional sūtras may be preached first for those whose capacity is not for the Lotus Sūtra. Also, those who place emphasis on giving joy to the people should preach provisional sūtras first just as Śākyamuni Buddha did, while those who emphasize relieving the people of their sufferings first should preach the true Lotus Sūtra just as Never-Despising Bodhisattva did.

Ken Hōbō-shō, A Clarificaton of Slandering the True Dharma, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Doctrine 3, Pages 119-120.

Three pages later in the letter Nichiren offers “Precaution for Propagators of Buddhism”:

In this fourth section I will describe the rules that propagators of Buddhism should observe. Those who intend to spread Buddhism must correctly understand the five principles for propagation in order to disseminate the True Dharma. They are: (1) the teaching, (2) the capacity of the people, (3) the time, (4) the country, and (5) the sequence of spreading the Buddha’s teachings.

And I’m back wondering how this time and this country impacts the sequence of spreading the Buddha’s teachings. Namu Myoho Renge Kyo is the jewel left behind for us. Can a necklace that includes this jewel with lesser gems bring more people to faith in the Wonderful Dharma, the True Dharma, of the Lotus Sūtra?

Hell of Regeneration

The life span of these sinners in this hell is as follows. Suppose 50 years in the human world is equal to one day in the Four-king Heavens, the first heaven in the realm of desire, where heavenly beings’ life span is 500 years. Suppose 500 years in the Four-king Heavens correspond to one day in the Hell of Regeneration. Sinners in the Hell of Regeneration live as long as 500 years.

Hell of Black Ropes

One hundred years in the human world correspond to one day in the Heaven of the Thirty-three Gods, the second heaven in the realm of desire, where the life span of heavenly beings is 1,000 years. If 1,000 years in this Thirty-three Heaven are equal to one day in the Hell of Black Ropes, the life span of those sinners who fell into the Hell of Black Ropes is 1,000 years.

Hell of Crushing

Suppose 200 years in the human world correspond to a day in the Heaven of Yama, the third heaven in the realm of desire, where heavenly beings live for 2,000 years. If 2,000 years in this Heaven of Yama are equal to one day in the Hell of Crushing, the life span of sinners in this hell is 2,000 years.

Hell of Wailing

Regarding the life span of the sinners in this Hell of Wailing, one day in the human world corresponds to 400 years in the Tuṣita Heaven, the fourth heaven in the realm of desire, where dwellers live as long as 4,000 years. Suppose 4,000 years in this Tuṣita Heaven are equal to one day in the Hell of Wailing, sinners in this hell have to suffer as long as 4,000 years.

Hell of Great Wailing

Suppose 800 years in the human world equals to one day in the Creating Enjoyment Heaven, the fifth heaven in the realm of desire, where inhabitants live for 8,000 years. Suppose one day in this hell corresponds to 8,000 years in the Creating Enjoyment Heaven, those sinners who fall to the Hell of Great Wailing have to suffer for as long as 8,000 years.

Hell of Burning Heat

Suppose 1,600 years in the human world correspond to one day and night in the Paranirmitavaśavartin Heaven, the sixth heaven in the realm of desire, where the life span of heavenly beings is 1,600 years. Suppose 1,600 years in the Paranirmitavaśavartin Heaven are equal to one day and night in the Hell of Burning Heat, the sinners in this hell live as long as 1,600 years.

Hell of Great Burning Heat

The Hell of Great Burning Heat, the seventh of the eight major hells, is located beneath the Hell of Burning Heat, and its length and breadth are the same as the Hell of Burning Heat. However, the torment in this hell is ten times more severe than all the torments of the six hells mentioned above combined. The life span of sinners in this hell is half the length of a medium kalpa.

Hell of Incessant Suffering (Avīci Hell)

The life span of sinners in this hell is one medium kalpa. Suppose the length of time equivalent to the period during which a man’s life span decreases by one in 100 years from infinite to ten years, and then increases from 10 to 80,000 at the same rate. The time required for this decrease and increase is called a small kalpa, twenty of which constitute a medium kalpa. Those who fall into this Hell of Incessant Suffering are subjected to the great torment of this worst hell for this long period of time.

Ken Hōbō-shō, A Clarificaton of Slandering the True Dharma, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Doctrine 3, Pages 106-111.

The fire and brimstone warning of the Judeo-Christian tradition has nothing on Nichiren’s warnings in this letter. But my purpose in publishing this compilation is to illustrate the concept of time in Buddhism. The fraction of time we are here in this Sahā World in comparison with just the first level of heaven is – well, awe inspiring. Gives a whole new perspective to the cycle of birth and death. And beyond that, I think these would be excellent word math problems — if the life expectancy starts at 84,000 years and drops 1 year each 100 years and continues to fall until it reaches 10 years before starting to increase at the same rate, how many years will it take for the cycle to repeat 20 times? (335,960,000?)

Question: Various sūtras other than the Lotus Sūtra also state that an evil person can become a Buddha. It is preached in the Flower Garland Sūtra that five hundred evil people such as Devadatta will become Buddhas in the future. The Fuchō Zammai Sūtra states that an evil king, Ajātaśatru, will become a Buddha in the future and in the Sūtra of Mahayana Dhārani is the story of Vāsudeva, who had gone to hell because of his evil deeds but was guaranteed future Buddhahood. As for the enlightenment of women, the Bosatsu Shotai Sūtra says that any woman can become a Buddha. As for the enlightenment of beasts and birds, the Agama sūtras say that a pigeon will be a Buddha in the future. The enlightenment of the Two Vehicles is mentioned in the Sūtra of Mahayana Dhārani and the Heroic Valor Sūtra. The enlightenment of bodhisattvas is mentioned in such sutras as the Flower Garland Sūtra. As for rebirth in the Pure Land by ordinary people bound by evil passions, the Sūtra of Meditation on the Buddha of Infinite Life says that even “the lowest grade in the lowest class” will be reborn in the Pure Land of the Buddha of Infinite Life, no matter how serious one’s sin is. As for a woman turning into a man, the Sūtra of the Buddha of Infinite Life states in the thirty-fifth of its forty-eight vows that a woman can turn into a man by reciting the name of the Buddha of Infinite Life and be reborn in the Pure Land. How are these enlightenments thus revealed in these various provisional sutras different from the assurance of future Buddhahood of the Two Vehicles, a dragon girl, Devadatta, and bodhisattvas in the Lotus Sūtra? Also, there is no doubt that they all attain Buddhahood in these various sutras even though there are some differences between them and the Lotus Sūtra. What do you think of this?

Answer: It is easy to answer your question based on the teachings passed down to me which I hold dear. After hearing my answer, you will clearly see that the Lotus Sūtra is superior to the various other sutras and determine whether or not it is indeed possible to become Buddhas in those sutras. However, I cannot write this down on paper because it is the secretly treasured doctrine of the Buddha.

Ichidai Shōgyō Tai-i, Outline of All the Holy Teachings of the Buddha, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Doctrine 3, Pages 88-89.

I’ve included this quote for my future reference more than the substance. It is important to acknowledge that other sūtras have elements similar to the teachings of the Lotus Sūtra, but when the Lotus Sūtra is viewed in its entirety no other sūtra is as uniquely wonderful as the Sūtra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma, the Dharma for Bodhisattvas, the Dharma Upheld by the Buddhas.

The Lotus Sūtra of the fifth period consists of one fascicle of the Sūtra of Infinite Meaning as an introduction, eight fascicles of the Lotus Sūtra, and one fascicle of the Sūtra of Meditation on the Universal Sage Bodhisattva as the conclusion, bringing the total number of fascicles to ten.

The reason for my commentaries on the Four Teachings (Tripitaka, Common, Distinct, and Perfect) and the Four Periods (Flower Garland, Agama, Expanded, and Wisdom) is to help others learn what the Lotus Sūtra is. For one cannot correctly understand the teaching of the Lotus Sūtra without learning the pre-Lotus Sūtras, although one may study the pre-Lotus Sūtras without learning about other Sūtras.

In support of this, Grand Master T’ien-t’ai stated in his Profound Meaning of the Lotus Sūtra, “When attempting to spread various sūtras other than the Lotus Sūtra, the essential part of the teaching will not be lost even if a doctrinal analysis of all the teachings of the Buddha is not rendered. When attempting to spread the Lotus Sūtra, however, the essence of the teaching may be lost if a doctrinal analysis is not made.” It is preached in the Lotus Sūtra (chapter 2, “Expedients”), “Although the Buddhas expound various teachings, it is for the purpose of leading the people into the world of the One Buddha Vehicle.” “Various teachings” here refer to all the pre-Lotus Sūtras. “For the purpose of leading the people into the world of the One Buddha Vehicle” means to expound all the scriptures of Buddhism to reveal the Lotus Sūtra.

Ichidai Shōgyō Tai-i, Outline of All the Holy Teachings of the Buddha, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Doctrine 3, Pages 81.

Yesterday, on Day 17 of 100 I mentioned my joy at having this opportunity to learn more about Buddhism in general through the lens of the Lotus Sūtra. And then I got to the above quote in the same letter and immediately underscored one cannot correctly understand the teaching of the Lotus Sūtra without learning the pre-Lotus Sūtras.

Speaking only for myself – keeping in mind the Simile of the Herbs – my search for knowledge of Buddhism has led me to a greater appreciation of the Lotus Sūtra. And as I consider whether my experience applies to others, I wonder whether a lack of basic understanding of Buddhism inhibits the spread of the Lotus Sūtra. Americans or any other people from non-Buddhist lands are at a great disadvantage when compared with, say, Japanese. People immersed in the various flavors of the lesser vehicles have a vast head start on appreciating the majesty of the Lotus Sūtra promise.

The purpose of the Tripitaka teaching is to emancipate people from the Six Realms of the triple world. As a result, because the teaching reveals no place but the triple world to attain emancipation, śrāvaka and pratyekabuddha are unaware of the existence of the Pure Land where bodhisattvas are born. They also do not know that they still possess other evil passions and attachments besides the delusions in view and thought. Śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas believe they will eliminate the cause of being reborn in the triple world if they do away with the delusions in view and thought and that they will exist in a void where there is no body or mind, since they will have transformed the body to ashes and annihilated consciousness. Thus it is said that men of the two Vehicles cannot be saved by the Tripitaka teaching, and that they will never be able to become Buddhas without the teaching of the Lotus Sūtra.

Ichidai Shōgyō Tai-i, Outline of All the Holy Teachings of the Buddha, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Doctrine 3, Pages 72.

This is an excellent example of what I was hoping to learn during this 100 days of studying Nichiren’s writings. This survey of the teachings of the Buddha helps in understanding how all of the rivers lead to the ocean of the Lotus Sūtra.