Category Archives: WONS

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Dependent and Principal Rewards

Wherever there are dependent rewards such as plants, trees and land, there exist living beings known as principal rewards. Therefore, Grand Master Miao-lê comments in the tenth fascicle of the Annotations on the Words and Phrases of the Lotus Sūtra, “Both principal and dependent rewards always preach the Lotus Sūtra.” He also comments in his Diamond Scalpel, “The ultimate reality is the truth throughout all things (of the Universe), and all things consist of ten reality aspects such as appearance, nature, entity, etc. The ten reality aspects are equipped in each of the ten realms, consisting of principal and dependent rewards.” Furthermore, he comments, “Dependent and principal rewards of Avīci Hell all exist in the mind of the Buddha, and both dependent and principal rewards of the Buddha exist in one thought of an ordinary person.” Seeing these annotations, there is no doubt about three thousand conditions existing in one thought. Therefore, the appearance of the Universe is not different from the five letters of myō hō renge and kyō. As for Śākyamuni Buddha and the Buddha of Many Treasures, when functions of the five letters save people, they appear as two Buddhas nodding at each other as they did when “The Appearance of a Stupa of Treasures” chapter was expounded.

Shohō Jisso-shō, Treatise on All Phenomena as Ultimate Reality, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Faith and Practice, Volume 4, Page 75

WONS

Planting the Seed of Buddhahood

[I]n the Latter Age of Degeneration, all Buddhist teachings both Hinayāna and Mahāyāna, expedient and true Mahāyāna, and exoteric and esoteric teachings remain, but no one attains Buddhahood by practicing them. People in this Sahā World all commit the sin of slandering the True Dharma. In this adverse condition only five characters of Myō, Hō, Ren, Ge, and Kyō should be forced on them in order to plant the seed of Buddhahood. For instance, Never-Despising Bodhisattva preached teachings of the Lotus Sūtra for self-conceited priests and was persecuted. My disciples are in the favor able condition, able to put faith in the five characters to attain Buddhahood, but many others in Japan are not. Therefore, we have to forcibly spread the five characters of Myō, Hō, Ren, Ge, and Kyō among them to sow the seed of Buddhahood.

Hokke Shuyō Shō, Treatise on the Essence of the Lotus Sūtra, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Doctrine 2, Page 214

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All Those Who Hear This Sūtra Will Become Buddhas Without Fail

It is preached in the Lotus Sūtra, “Expedients” chapter, “If there are those who hear the Dharma, not even one will fail to attain Buddhahood.” Although this phrase consists of only ten Chinese characters, it means that reading a line of the Lotus Sūtra has the same merit as reading all the holy teachings that Śākyamuni Buddha preached in his lifetime. Therefore, Grand Master Miao-lê states in his Commentary on the Profound Meaning of the Lotus Sūtra, “In spreading the teaching of the Lotus Sūtra, when we consider the meaning of just one doctrine, we must consider the entire scriptures of the Buddha preached in his lifetime from the beginning to the end.”

The “beginning” here means the Flower Garland Sūtra while the “end” means the Nirvana Sūtra. The Flower Garland Sūtra was preached by four great Bodhisattvas — Hoe, Kudokulin, Kongōban, and Kongozō — upon the request of a bodhisattva called Gedatsugatsu. It was preached in the presence of the Buddha, who had just attained enlightenment. I do not know how many fascicles it consisted of at the time it was housed in India, the Dragon King Palace, or the Tuṣita Heaven, but when it was translated into Chinese and transmitted to Japan, there existed three editions of 60 fascicles, 80 fascicles, and 40 fascicles. Regarding the Nirvana Sūtra, too, we do not know how many fascicles it consisted of in India, the Dragon King Palace, and elsewhere but in Japan there are several editions in 40, 36, 6, and 2 fascicles. Beside these two sūtras, the Āgama sūtras, the sūtras preached in the third of the five periods of the Buddha’s teaching (according to T’ien-t’ai), and the Wisdom Sūtra are said to be more than 5,000 or 7,000 fascicles.

Even if one can’t read or listen to all these voluminous scriptures of Buddhism, if just one character or phrase of the Lotus Sūtra is read, the merit received is equivalent to reading the entire set of sūtras without missing even a single character. For instance, the words for India or Japan consist of merely two Chinese characters each, but included in these two characters are all of the lands, great mountains, plants, people and animals in the five regions of India, 16 major states, 500 medium states, 10,000 minor states and numerous tiny states. Taking another example, a mirror which is as small as one centimeter, two centimeters, three centimeters, four centimeters, or five centimeters square, can reflect people a meter or two meters tall, or a mountain as high as 10, 20, 100, or 1,000 meters. Therefore, as we read a phrase in the, “Expedients” chapter of the Lotus Sūtra, it is stated that all those who hear this sūtra will become Buddhas without fail.

Sennichi-ama Gohenji, A Reply to Sennichi-ama, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Volume 7, Followers II, Pages 158-159

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Phrases of Nichiren Daishōnin

  • You should quickly bring your mind to faith and follow the sole good of the True Vehicle. If the country does not decline, our safety is secured and we will be able keep our mind tranquil. (Risshō-ankoku-ron)
  • The treasures of the body are superior to treasures in a store house. The spiritual treasures are superior to the treasures of body. I advise you to accumulate spiritual treasures. (Sushun Tennō Gosho)
  • My head is the head of my father and mother. My legs are the legs of my father and mother. My ten fingers are the ten fingers of my father and mother. My mouth is the mouth of my father and mother. (Bōjikyōji)
  • Yesterday, it happened to others. Today, it happens to oneself. Flowers bear fruit. Likewise, a young bride will become a mother-in-law. Will you not neglect faith and chant Namu-myōhō-renge-kyō? (Jakunichi-bō Gosho)
  • Arrows fly with the bow’s power. Men’s acts are the results of women’s power. When we see smoke arising, we find fire. When we see men, we find women. (Toki-ama Gozan Gosho)
  • Mishaps come from our mouth and ruin us. Happiness comes from our mind and adorns us. Those who believe the Lotus Sutra necessarily gather happiness from afar. (Omosu-dono Nyōbō Gohenji)
  • Pray to the Lotus Sutra wishing for longevity such as that of a crane or a turtle, and for happiness as when the moon is waxing and the tide is rising. (Toki-dono-ama Sho)
  • A lamp glows when fed with oil. Grasses and trees grow thick when it rains. People will prosper without fail when they do good acts. (Ueno-dono Gohenji)
  • All living beings should respect three things: master, teacher and parents.
    (Kaimoku-shō)
  • Consider this in your deliberations: Because of the principle that life is impermanent, those who are born never fail to die. (Matsuno-dono Gohenji)
  • With Nichiren’s boundless compassion, Namu-myōhō-renge-kyō will spread beyond the ten thousand year period and into the boundless future. (Hō-onjō)
  • Strive to carry out the two ways of practice and learning. Without practice and learning, Buddhism will cease to exist. (Shohō-jissō-shō)
  • Disciples of the Buddha should not fail to feel grateful for the Four Favors received from parents, people, nation, and Buddhism and repay them. (Kaimoku-shō)
  • Even though no specific reason may exist, the occasion of our death is certain to happen. (Kyōdai-shō)
  • To study Buddhism, first of all we must know the time. (Senji-shō)
  • Hell exists in the mind of those who have contempt for their father and treat their mother like a fool. (Omosudono Nyōbō Gohenji)
  • You may have become ill because of the compassion of the Buddha. This illness may cause you to become aware of faith. (Myōshin-ni Gozen Gohenji)
  • Though parents bring up as many as ten children, children do not sustain their one mother. The Buddha says, parents are always mindful of their children, but children do not worry about their parents. (Gyōbu-saemon-no-jō Nyōbō Gohenji).
  • Some people recite the Lotus Sutra only with their mouths. They read the words of the sutra, but not the mind of the sutra. Even if they read the mind of the sutra, they read it without the experience of the sutra. (Tsuchi-no-rō Gosho)
  • When things go well, we should regard it as a miracle. When things go badly, we should regard it as a matter of course. (Shōnin-gonanji)
Easy Readings of the Lotus Sutra
WONS

Three Kinds of Messengers

The Lotus Sūtra can be viewed differently, depending on the recipient’s ability, on the era and country in which it is preached, and on the people who spread it. However, even bodhisattvas at the highest rank almost equal to the Buddha do not seem to understand this, much less ordinary people in the Latter Age of Degeneration. When I think about it, there are three kinds of messengers. One is extremely wise, another is neither simple-minded nor wise, and the last is very simple-minded but honest and dependable.

Of these three, the first one has wisdom so that mistakes are not made. Although the second one is not as wise as the first, wisdom is present. This messenger might add arbitrary words to the master’s; making this messenger the most dangerous of all. The third one lacks any wisdom and thus does not think about adding words. Also, since this messenger is extremely honest, the words of the master are transmitted accurately; therefore, this messenger may be a superior to the second type. In fact, in some cases the third one is better than the first messenger. The first messenger is compared to the four ranks of bodhisattva leaders after the death of the Buddha in India, the second messenger is compared to Buddhist masters in China, and the third messenger is compared to ordinary people in the Latter Age of Degeneration who are simple-minded but honest.

Zui-jii Gosho, The Sūtra Preached in Accordance to [the Buddha’s] Own Mind, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Faith and Practice, Volume 4, Page 155

WONS

Counting Practicers of the Lotus Sūtra

In China, Grand Master T’ien-t’ai defeated the Northern and Southern ten masters and was revered as a great master during the reign of the Ch’ên dynasty. As stated in the Effects of T’ien-t’ai on the Buddhist Schools, he was superior to various masters and was outstanding in T’ang China.

In Japan, Grand Master Dengyō defeated the six schools of Nara in debate and was appointed the first Grand Master in Japan. Throughout India, China, and Japan these three were the only persons who deserved to be called “the first among all the people.” Therefore, it is said in the Outstanding Principles of the Lotus Sūtra:

“The Buddha Śākyamuni has stated that it is easy to keep provisional sūtras preached before the Lotus Sūtra and hard to uphold the Lotus Sūtra. It is the way of a brave man to challenge the hard and leave the easy. Grand Master T’ien-t’ai, therefore, spread the teaching of the Lotus Sūtra in China, believing in and practicing the teaching of Śākyamuni Buddha. Our men of Mt. Hiei follow Grand Master T’ien-t’ai and propagate the Lotus Sūtra throughout Japan.”

During the 1,800 years after the extinction of the Buddha Śākyamuni there has been only one practicer of the Lotus Sūtra in China, and one in Japan, two in all. Adding the Buddha Śākyamuni to them, there have been three in all.

A non-Buddhist scripture says: “A sage appears once in one thousand years. A man of wisdom appears once in five hundred years. The Yellow River, with its tributaries of Wei and Ching, will be half clear in five hundred years. It will take one thousand years to be all clear.” This is true indeed.

Hōon-jō, Essay on Gratitude, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Doctrine 3, Pages 28.

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Giving Benefit to People After the Buddha’s Extinction

However, (if I may quote passages from the Lotus Sūtra as proof), it is stated in the “Appearance of Bodhisattvas from Underground” chapter that Maitreya Bodhisattva having wondered what the Buddha stated, said to Him, “If beginning bodhisattvas hear these words of Yours after Your extinction they may not believe in them and commit the sin of slandering the dharma.” It means that if the Buddha had not expounded the chapter on “The Life Span of the Buddha” to reveal His eternity, ordinary people in the Latter Age would fall into evil realms such as hell by having doubts and slandering the dharma. In the same chapter, the Buddha says, “I’m leaving this excellent medicine here.” Although this chapter seems to have been intended to benefit people in the past when the Buddha was alive, it is clear from this statement that the Buddha’s true intention is to give benefit to people after His extinction. Benefiting those in the past is intended to show an example of the past for the people after His extinction.

Hokke Shuyō Shō, Treatise on the Essence of the Lotus Sūtra, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Doctrine 2, Page 212

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Serving a Teacher Without Fail

Truly, in order to attain Buddhahood we must serve a teacher without fail. In fascicle four of the Annotations on the Great Concentration and Insight, Grand Master Miao-lê points out: “If there is a disciple who finds fault with his teachers, whether it is true or not, his mind will be ruined and he will lose the merit of the Dharma.”

Minobu-san Gosho, Mt. Minobu Letter, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Volume 5, Page 126-127

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The Manifestation of the Lotus Sūtra

QUESTION: In the second chapter of the Lotus Sūtra, fascicle 1, “Expedients, it is preached, “All phenomena as ultimate reality” means the principle into which all existing things: their appearances, natures, entities, powers, activities, primary causes, environmental causes, effects, rewards and retributions all from the beginning to end are united in one.” What does this mean?

ANSWER: It means that the whole world is divided into ten realms from the bottom of hell to the top of Buddhas and everything in the ten realms without exception is the manifestation of the Lotus Sūtra.

Shohō Jisso-shō, Treatise on All Phenomena as Ultimate Reality, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Faith and Practice, Volume 4, Page 74-75

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Teaching According to a Person’s Capacity

Venerable Śāripūtra tried to teach a smith the practice of meditating on a skeleton to realize the impurity of the body, and a laundryman the practice to obtain a stable mind by counting the number of breaths. His disciples, however, learned little about the Buddha’s teaching in 90 days. Instead, they cultivated wrong views and became icchantika, ones who have no goodness in their nature and, therefore, no possibility of becoming Buddhas. Then the Buddha taught the smith the practice of counting the number of breaths and the laundryman that of meditating on a skeleton, and they understood the teaching immediately. Even Śāriputra, who was reputed as the wisest man, made a mistake in teaching according to a person’s capacity. Needless to say, it is not easy for ignorant, ordinary, and unenlightened masters in the Latter Age of Degeneration to decipher a person’s capacity.

However, such an ordinary master, who cannot discern an individual’s capacity, should solely teach the Lotus Sūtra to his disciples.

Kyō Ki Ji Koku Shō, Treatise on the Teaching, Capacity, Time and Country, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Doctrine 3, Page 250