Category Archives: WONS

WONS

Entering the World of the Lotus Sūtra

The minds of living beings dwelling in the nine realms and the six paths are different. For instance, the faces of people, regardless if they are in a small group of a few people or a large group of a hundred or a thousand in number, are all about the same size — about 30 centimeters — but there is no pair of faces completely identical to each other. As their minds are different, their faces, too, are not the same. If the minds of two or ten people are different, how much more so are the differences between the minds of all living beings in the nine realms and the six paths? As a result the inclinations of people are varied as well. Some love to watch flowers while others love the moon. Some like a sour taste while others a bitter taste. Some love the small-sized while others prefer the large-sized. People’s sense of value also differs. Some prefer the good while others indulge in wickedness. People are thus varied and diverse. However, when they enter the world of the Lotus Sūtra, they all become one body and their minds are one. It is like how the many river waters will have the same salty taste upon entering the ocean, or how the many birds become a single golden color upon nearing Mt. Sumeru.

Sennichi-ama Gohenji, A Reply to Sennichi-ama, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Volume 7, Followers II, Pages 159-160

WONS

Spreading Myō, Hō, Ren, Ge, and Kyō in the Latter Age of Degeneration

Śākyamuni Buddha did not feel safe to entrust great bodhisattvas such as Samantabhadra and Mañjuśrī to spread the five Chinese characters of myō, hō, ren, ge, and kyō in the Latter Age of Degeneration. The Buddha, therefore, entrusted the job to the four leaders including Bodhisattva Superior Practice among the numerous bodhisattvas that emerged from the soil. As I contemplate the religious meaning of this, I wonder if Bodhisattva Superior Practice entered your body in order to help me to spread the Lotus Sūtra? Or was it the Buddha’s discretion?

Shijō Kingo-dono Gohenji, Response to Lord Shijō Kingo, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Followers I, Volume 6, Page 142

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Those Who Believe in the Lotus Sūtra Become Naturally Virtuous

The Lotus Sūtra is called “Zui-jii,” namely it expounds the true mind of the Buddha. Since the Buddha’s mind is so great, even if one does not understand the profound meaning of the sūtra, one can gain innumerable merits by just reading it. Just as a mugwort among hemp plants grows straight and a snake in a tube straightens itself, if one becomes friendly with good people, one’s mind, behavior, and words become naturally gentle. Likewise, the Buddha thinks that those who believe in the Lotus Sūtra become naturally virtuous.

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

A Pile of Dung

A pile of dung, even if shaped like sandalwood, will smell like dung when burnt. Piling up lies, even if someone claims them to be the Buddha’s teachings, he will only fall into the Hell of Incessant Suffering.

Hōon-jō, Essay on Gratitude, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Doctrine 3, Pages 31.

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Spreading Lotus Sūtra in the Latter Age of Degeneration

This Sahā World is 7,000 yojana by 7,000 yojana in area, and it includes 80,000 countries. In 2,000 years of the Ages of the True Dharma (shōbō) and Semblance Dharma (zōbō), the Lotus Sūtra did not spread widely. If it does not spread during this Latter Age of Degeneration (Mappō), Śākyamuni Buddha would be a liar, validation of the truth of the Lotus Sūtra by the Buddha of Many Treasures would come to nothing, and broad, long tongues of Buddhas in manifestation throughout the universe to praise the preaching of Śākyamuni Buddha would become as fragile as banana leaves.

Hokke Shuyō Shō, Treatise on the Essence of the Lotus Sūtra, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Doctrine 2, Page 213

WONS

The Enemy of Śākyamuni Buddha

In Buddhism, the Buddha declares that one who sees the enemy of the Lotus Sūtra and keeps silent because he is afraid of persecution, is an enemy of Śākyamuni Buddha. No matter how wise or moral he is, the Buddha warns, such a man is bound to fall into hell; he is like a child who refuses to warn his parents of the attempt on their lives, or a subject who refuses to admonish his king, who is about to be dethroned, because he is afraid of possible persecution.

Myōhō Bikuni Go-henji, A Reply to Nun Myōhō, Nyonin Gosho, Letters Addressed to Female Followers, Page 200-202

WONS

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