I'll ditto SoCal's sentiments completely. A warm welcome to all! And now you all have a shot at the stash box. Keep Posting!
T
T
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Desires and Enlightenment
Desires and Enlightenment
People encountering Nichiren Buddhism for the first time are often surprised by the stance taken toward desire which seems to contradict prevailing images of Buddhism. For many, Buddhism is associated with asceticism, and indeed there are many schools and traditions which stress the need to eliminate desire and sever all attachments.
Needless to say, a life controlled by desires is miserable. In Buddhist scriptures, such a way of life is symbolized by "hungry demons" with giant heads and huge mouths, but narrow, constricted throats that make real satisfaction unattainable. The deliberate horror of these images grew from Shakyamuni Buddha's sense of the need to shock people from their attachment to things--including our physical existence--that will eventually change and be lost to us. Real happiness does not lie here, he sought to tell them.
The deeply ingrained tendencies of attachments and desire (in Japanese bonno) are often referred to by the English translation "earthly desires." However, since they also include hatred, arrogance, distrust and fear, the translation "deluded impulses" may in some cases be more appropriate.
But can such desires and attachments really be eliminated? Attachments are, after all, natural human feelings, and desires are a vital and necessary aspect of life. The desire, for example, to protect oneself and one's loved ones has been the inspiration for a wide range of advances-from the creation of supportive social groupings to the development of housing and heating. Likewise, the desire to understand humanity's place in the cosmos has driven the development of philosophy, literature and religious thought. Desires are integral to who we are and who we seek to become.
In this sense, the elimination of all desire is neither possible nor, in fact, desirable. Were we to completely rid ourselves of desire, we would end up undermining our individual and collective will to live.
The teachings of Nichiren thus stress the transformation, rather than the elimination, of desire. Desires and attachments are seen as fueling the quest for enlightenment. As he is recorded as teaching: "Now Nichiren and others who chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo . . . burn the firewood of earthly desires and behold the fire of enlightened wisdom. . . ."
In the same vein, the Universal Worthy Sutra states: "Even without extinguishing their earthly desires or denying the five desires, they can purify all of their senses and eradicate all of their misdeeds."
Nichiren's approach has the effect of popularizing, humanizing and democratizing Buddhism. In other words, by making the aspirations, dreams and frustrations of daily life the "fuel" for the process of enlightenment, Nichiren opens the path of Buddhist practice to those who had traditionally been excluded by the demands of a meditative withdrawal from the world, those, for example, who wish to continue playing an active role in the world.
It is thus not a coincidence that this attitude toward desires should be central to the Mahayana tradition of Buddhism, with its emphasis on the role of lay practitioners. For people living in the midst of ever-changing, stressful realities, those challenges are a far more effective spur to committed Buddhist practice than an abstract goal of "enlightenment" through severing of all desires and attachments.
Overcoming problems, realizing long-cherished goals and dreams--this is the stuff of daily life from which we derive our sense of accomplishment and happiness. SGI President Ikeda has emphasized the importance not of severing our attachments, but of understanding and, ultimately, using them.
Often the faith experiences of SGI members describe events and changes that seem at first glance to be focused on the external, material side of life. But such "benefits" are only part of the story. Buddhism divides the benefits of practice into the "conspicuous" and the "inconspicuous." The new job, the conquest of illness, the successful marriage and so on are not separate from a deep, often painstaking process of self-reflection and inner-driven transformation. And the degree of motivation generated by desires can lend an intensity to our practice which ultimately reaps spiritual rewards. Bonno soku bodai--literally, "Earthly desires are enlightenment"--is a key tenet of Nichiren Buddhism. Through our Buddhist practice, even the most mundane, deluded impulse can be transformed into something broader and more noble, and our desires quite naturally develop from self-focused ones to broader ones concerning our families, friends, communities and, ultimately, the whole world.
In this way, the nature of desire is steadily transformed--from material and physical desires to the more spiritually oriented desire to live the most fulfilling kind of life.
As SGI President Ikeda says: "I believe in the existence of another kind of human desire: I call it the basic desire, and I believe that it is the force that actively propels all other human desires in the direction of creativity. It is the source of all impelling energy inherent in life; it is also the longing to unite one's life with the life of the universe and to draw vital energy from the universe."
(from: http://www.sgi.org/english/Buddhism/more/more09.htm )
Desires and Enlightenment
People encountering Nichiren Buddhism for the first time are often surprised by the stance taken toward desire which seems to contradict prevailing images of Buddhism. For many, Buddhism is associated with asceticism, and indeed there are many schools and traditions which stress the need to eliminate desire and sever all attachments.
Needless to say, a life controlled by desires is miserable. In Buddhist scriptures, such a way of life is symbolized by "hungry demons" with giant heads and huge mouths, but narrow, constricted throats that make real satisfaction unattainable. The deliberate horror of these images grew from Shakyamuni Buddha's sense of the need to shock people from their attachment to things--including our physical existence--that will eventually change and be lost to us. Real happiness does not lie here, he sought to tell them.
The deeply ingrained tendencies of attachments and desire (in Japanese bonno) are often referred to by the English translation "earthly desires." However, since they also include hatred, arrogance, distrust and fear, the translation "deluded impulses" may in some cases be more appropriate.
But can such desires and attachments really be eliminated? Attachments are, after all, natural human feelings, and desires are a vital and necessary aspect of life. The desire, for example, to protect oneself and one's loved ones has been the inspiration for a wide range of advances-from the creation of supportive social groupings to the development of housing and heating. Likewise, the desire to understand humanity's place in the cosmos has driven the development of philosophy, literature and religious thought. Desires are integral to who we are and who we seek to become.
In this sense, the elimination of all desire is neither possible nor, in fact, desirable. Were we to completely rid ourselves of desire, we would end up undermining our individual and collective will to live.
The teachings of Nichiren thus stress the transformation, rather than the elimination, of desire. Desires and attachments are seen as fueling the quest for enlightenment. As he is recorded as teaching: "Now Nichiren and others who chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo . . . burn the firewood of earthly desires and behold the fire of enlightened wisdom. . . ."
In the same vein, the Universal Worthy Sutra states: "Even without extinguishing their earthly desires or denying the five desires, they can purify all of their senses and eradicate all of their misdeeds."
Nichiren's approach has the effect of popularizing, humanizing and democratizing Buddhism. In other words, by making the aspirations, dreams and frustrations of daily life the "fuel" for the process of enlightenment, Nichiren opens the path of Buddhist practice to those who had traditionally been excluded by the demands of a meditative withdrawal from the world, those, for example, who wish to continue playing an active role in the world.
It is thus not a coincidence that this attitude toward desires should be central to the Mahayana tradition of Buddhism, with its emphasis on the role of lay practitioners. For people living in the midst of ever-changing, stressful realities, those challenges are a far more effective spur to committed Buddhist practice than an abstract goal of "enlightenment" through severing of all desires and attachments.
Overcoming problems, realizing long-cherished goals and dreams--this is the stuff of daily life from which we derive our sense of accomplishment and happiness. SGI President Ikeda has emphasized the importance not of severing our attachments, but of understanding and, ultimately, using them.
Often the faith experiences of SGI members describe events and changes that seem at first glance to be focused on the external, material side of life. But such "benefits" are only part of the story. Buddhism divides the benefits of practice into the "conspicuous" and the "inconspicuous." The new job, the conquest of illness, the successful marriage and so on are not separate from a deep, often painstaking process of self-reflection and inner-driven transformation. And the degree of motivation generated by desires can lend an intensity to our practice which ultimately reaps spiritual rewards. Bonno soku bodai--literally, "Earthly desires are enlightenment"--is a key tenet of Nichiren Buddhism. Through our Buddhist practice, even the most mundane, deluded impulse can be transformed into something broader and more noble, and our desires quite naturally develop from self-focused ones to broader ones concerning our families, friends, communities and, ultimately, the whole world.
In this way, the nature of desire is steadily transformed--from material and physical desires to the more spiritually oriented desire to live the most fulfilling kind of life.
As SGI President Ikeda says: "I believe in the existence of another kind of human desire: I call it the basic desire, and I believe that it is the force that actively propels all other human desires in the direction of creativity. It is the source of all impelling energy inherent in life; it is also the longing to unite one's life with the life of the universe and to draw vital energy from the universe."
(from: http://www.sgi.org/english/Buddhism/more/more09.htm )
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The Lotus Sutra
The Lotus Sutra
The teachings of Shakyamuni, the historical founder of Buddhism, are recorded in an enormous body of texts, known as sutras. The manner in which the philosophy of Buddhism is presented within the sutras varies widely. This can be explained by a number of factors. During the some 50 years over which Shakyamuni shared his teachings with the people of his day, he traveled widely throughout India. Rather than expound his philosophy in a systematic manner, his teaching mainly took the form of dialogue. Meeting with people from a wide range of backgrounds--from ministers of state to unlettered men and women--he sought to respond to their questions and doubts. Most of all, he sought to provide answers to the fundamental questions of human existence: Why is it that we are born and must meet the inevitable sufferings of illness, aging and death?
The sutras were compiled in the years following the death of Shakyamuni; it is thought that the Lotus Sutra was compiled between the first and second century C.E. In Sanskrit it is known as the Saddharmapundarika-sutra (lit. "correct dharma white lotus sutra"). Like many Mahayana sutras, the Lotus Sutra spread through the "northern transmission" to Central Asia, China, Korea and Japan. Originally entering China in the third century C.E., the Lotus Sutra is said to have been translated into several different versions of the Chinese, of which three complete versions are extant. The fifth-century translation of Kumarajiva (344-413 C.E.) is considered to be particularly outstanding; its philosophical clarity and literary beauty are thought to have played a role in the widespread veneration of this sutra throughout East Asia.
The title of the Lotus Sutra in Kumarajiva's translation, Myoho-renge-kyo, contains the essence of the entire sutra, and it was on the basis of this realization that Nichiren (1222-1282 C.E.) established the invocation of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo as his core Buddhist practice.
The Lotus Sutra is considered the sutra that fulfills the purpose for Shakyamuni's advent in the world, expressed in these words: "At the start I took a vow, hoping to make all persons equal to me, without any distinction between us." In other words, the purpose of Shakyamuni's advent was to enable all people to attain the same state of perfect enlightenment that caused him to be known as "Buddha," or "awakened one."
The Lotus Sutra contains a number of concepts that were revolutionary both within the context of Buddhist teachings and within the broader social context of the time. Many of these are not stated explicitly but are implied or materialized in the dramatic and even fantastic-seeming events portrayed in the text. Much of the genius of later scholars of the sutra, such as T'ien-t'ai (538-597 C.E.), lay in their ability to extract and systematize these principles.
A core theme of the sutra is the idea that all people equally and without exception possess "Buddha nature." The message of the Lotus Sutra is to encourage people's faith in their own Buddha nature, their own inherent capacity for wisdom, courage and compassion. The universal capacity for enlightenment is demonstrated through the examples of people for whom this possibility had traditionally been denied, such as women and people who had committed evil deeds.
In many sutras a number of Shakyamuni's senior disciples are condemned as people who have, through arrogant attachment to their intellectual abilities and their self-absorbed practice, "scorched the seeds of their own enlightenment." The profundity of Shakyamuni's teachings in the Lotus Sutra, however, awakens in them the spirit of humility and compassion. They realize that all people are inextricably interlinked in their quest for enlightenment, and that if we desire happiness ourselves, it is imperative that we work for the happiness of others.
In this sutra, moreover, Shakyamuni demonstrates that he actually attained enlightenment in the infinite past, not in his current lifetime as had been assumed by his followers. This illustrates, through the concrete example of his own life, that attaining enlightenment does not mean to change into or become something one is not. Rather, it means to reveal the inherent, "natural" state that already exists within.
As Daisaku Ikeda has written, the Lotus Sutra is ultimately a teaching of empowerment. It "teaches us that the inner determination of an individual can transform everything; it gives ultimate expression to the infinite potential and dignity inherent in each human life."
(from: http://www.sgi.org/english/Buddhism/more/more01.htm )
The Lotus Sutra
The teachings of Shakyamuni, the historical founder of Buddhism, are recorded in an enormous body of texts, known as sutras. The manner in which the philosophy of Buddhism is presented within the sutras varies widely. This can be explained by a number of factors. During the some 50 years over which Shakyamuni shared his teachings with the people of his day, he traveled widely throughout India. Rather than expound his philosophy in a systematic manner, his teaching mainly took the form of dialogue. Meeting with people from a wide range of backgrounds--from ministers of state to unlettered men and women--he sought to respond to their questions and doubts. Most of all, he sought to provide answers to the fundamental questions of human existence: Why is it that we are born and must meet the inevitable sufferings of illness, aging and death?
The sutras were compiled in the years following the death of Shakyamuni; it is thought that the Lotus Sutra was compiled between the first and second century C.E. In Sanskrit it is known as the Saddharmapundarika-sutra (lit. "correct dharma white lotus sutra"). Like many Mahayana sutras, the Lotus Sutra spread through the "northern transmission" to Central Asia, China, Korea and Japan. Originally entering China in the third century C.E., the Lotus Sutra is said to have been translated into several different versions of the Chinese, of which three complete versions are extant. The fifth-century translation of Kumarajiva (344-413 C.E.) is considered to be particularly outstanding; its philosophical clarity and literary beauty are thought to have played a role in the widespread veneration of this sutra throughout East Asia.
The title of the Lotus Sutra in Kumarajiva's translation, Myoho-renge-kyo, contains the essence of the entire sutra, and it was on the basis of this realization that Nichiren (1222-1282 C.E.) established the invocation of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo as his core Buddhist practice.
The Lotus Sutra is considered the sutra that fulfills the purpose for Shakyamuni's advent in the world, expressed in these words: "At the start I took a vow, hoping to make all persons equal to me, without any distinction between us." In other words, the purpose of Shakyamuni's advent was to enable all people to attain the same state of perfect enlightenment that caused him to be known as "Buddha," or "awakened one."
The Lotus Sutra contains a number of concepts that were revolutionary both within the context of Buddhist teachings and within the broader social context of the time. Many of these are not stated explicitly but are implied or materialized in the dramatic and even fantastic-seeming events portrayed in the text. Much of the genius of later scholars of the sutra, such as T'ien-t'ai (538-597 C.E.), lay in their ability to extract and systematize these principles.
A core theme of the sutra is the idea that all people equally and without exception possess "Buddha nature." The message of the Lotus Sutra is to encourage people's faith in their own Buddha nature, their own inherent capacity for wisdom, courage and compassion. The universal capacity for enlightenment is demonstrated through the examples of people for whom this possibility had traditionally been denied, such as women and people who had committed evil deeds.
In many sutras a number of Shakyamuni's senior disciples are condemned as people who have, through arrogant attachment to their intellectual abilities and their self-absorbed practice, "scorched the seeds of their own enlightenment." The profundity of Shakyamuni's teachings in the Lotus Sutra, however, awakens in them the spirit of humility and compassion. They realize that all people are inextricably interlinked in their quest for enlightenment, and that if we desire happiness ourselves, it is imperative that we work for the happiness of others.
In this sutra, moreover, Shakyamuni demonstrates that he actually attained enlightenment in the infinite past, not in his current lifetime as had been assumed by his followers. This illustrates, through the concrete example of his own life, that attaining enlightenment does not mean to change into or become something one is not. Rather, it means to reveal the inherent, "natural" state that already exists within.
As Daisaku Ikeda has written, the Lotus Sutra is ultimately a teaching of empowerment. It "teaches us that the inner determination of an individual can transform everything; it gives ultimate expression to the infinite potential and dignity inherent in each human life."
(from: http://www.sgi.org/english/Buddhism/more/more01.htm )
"You must never think that any of the eighty thousand sacred teachings
of Shakyamuni Buddha's lifetime or any of the Buddhas and bodhisattvas
of the ten directions and three existences are outside yourself. Your
practice of the Buddhist teachings will not relieve you of the
sufferings of birth and death in the least unless you perceive the
true nature of your life."
(WND, 3)
On Attaining Buddhahood in This Lifetime
Written to Toki Jonin in 1255
of Shakyamuni Buddha's lifetime or any of the Buddhas and bodhisattvas
of the ten directions and three existences are outside yourself. Your
practice of the Buddhist teachings will not relieve you of the
sufferings of birth and death in the least unless you perceive the
true nature of your life."
(WND, 3)
On Attaining Buddhahood in This Lifetime
Written to Toki Jonin in 1255
"Your illness is surely not due to karma, but even if it were, you could rely on the power of the Lotus Sutra to cure it. ... You also are a practitioner of the Lotus Sutra, and your faith is like the waxing moon or the rising tide. Be deeply convinced, then, that your illness cannot possibly persist, and that your life cannot fail to be extended! Take care of yourself, and do not burden your mind with grief."
(The Bow and Arrow - The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, page 656) Selection source: SGI President Ikeda's speech, Seikyo Shimbun, February 6th, 2006
(The Bow and Arrow - The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, page 656) Selection source: SGI President Ikeda's speech, Seikyo Shimbun, February 6th, 2006
Faith and Reason
Faith and Reason
Faith, or belief, and reason are commonly seen as being fundamentally in opposition to each other. Many people regard any kind of belief--and religious belief in particular--as some sort of paralysis of the faculty of reason, an intellectual crutch. Currently, however, this presumption of a sharp opposition between belief and reason, which has been the hallmark of modern thought, is being re-examined.
Twentieth-century philosophers such as Ludwig Wittgenstein and Josie Ortega y Gasset have pointed out that each of us lives, acts and thinks within a system of beliefs that is largely unconscious but without which we would be incapable of any thought or action. "Our beliefs are already operating in the depths of our lives when we begin to think something," writes Ortega y Gasset. Reason, in this sense, is founded on belief. If belief is the foundation of life, we don't really have a choice of whether to believe or not. We can choose, however, what to believe, what the substance of our faith will be.
Within the Buddhist tradition, the relationship between faith and reason has been the subject of sustained inquiry since ancient times. While this tradition has always held that the Buddha's enlightenment cannot be grasped or expressed in its entirety by reason or language, Buddhism has consistently held that reason and language should be highly valued.
While the Buddha's enlightenment may transcend the realm of reason, it is not irrational, nor does it resist rational examination. Faith in the Buddha's teaching is in fact the basis for a mode of intellectual examination which enlists not only analytical capacities but also seeks to develop the intuitive wisdom found in the deepest spiritual strata of the human being. Learning and knowledge can serve as the portal to wisdom; but it is wisdom that enables us to use knowledge in the most humane and valuable way. The confusion of knowledge and wisdom, arguably, is at the root of our societal distortions.
Nichiren likewise developed and presented his teachings very rationally. He is well known for his scholarship and his willingness to debate. Many of his important writings take the form of a dialectic question and answer in which doubts are presented, responded to and resolved.
Sraddha, prasada and adhimukti are three Sanskrit terms translated in the Lotus Sotra as "faith" or "belief." Sraddha, defined as the first stage of Buddhist practice, means "to arouse faith" and also "to possess curiosity about." The term thus includes the meaning of a sense of awe or wonder that seems to be at the root of all religious sentiment.
Prasada expresses the idea of purity and clarity. It could be said that, from the perspective of Buddhism, the proper purpose of faith is to cleanse the mind in order to enable our inherent wisdom to shine forth.
Adhimukti literally means intent, that is, the orientation of one's mind or will. This is the mental attitude of deepening one's understanding, cultivating and polishing one's life toward perfecting the sublime state of prasada. Faith thus purifies reason, strengthens it and elevates it and is an engine for continuous self-improvement. Daisaku Ikeda has defined faith as "an open, seeking mind, a pure heart and a flexible spirit."
The above terms can be contrasted with bhakti, another Sanskrit term for faith. Bhakti, originally meaning "to become part of," is a faith associated with a practice of surrender to--and unification with--a transcendent deity. This term is seldom, if ever, used in Buddhist texts.
The modern age seems convinced that intellect is an independent faculty, operating independently from feeling or belief. Yet it is becoming clearer that many trends, such as efforts to exert technological mastery over nature, rest on highly subjective beliefs or value judgements.
What is called for now is new unification of belief and reason encompassing all aspects of the human being and society, including the insights achieved by modern science. This must be an attempt to restore wholeness to human society, which has been rent asunder by extremes of reason artificially divorced from belief and irrational religious fanaticism.
This synthesis must grow from a dialogue based on mutual respect. Both sides must approach this dialogue, not with the desire to establish dominion over the other, but with a spirit of learning, of mining deeper and richer veins of truth. This will only be possible if all participants keep firmly in view the goal of human happiness. Does a particular position, approach or belief advance the human condition, or does it drive it back? Only on this basis can a dialogue between faith and reason produce true and lasting value for humankind.
(from: http://www.sgi.org/english/Buddhism/more/more04.htm )
Faith and Reason
Faith, or belief, and reason are commonly seen as being fundamentally in opposition to each other. Many people regard any kind of belief--and religious belief in particular--as some sort of paralysis of the faculty of reason, an intellectual crutch. Currently, however, this presumption of a sharp opposition between belief and reason, which has been the hallmark of modern thought, is being re-examined.
Twentieth-century philosophers such as Ludwig Wittgenstein and Josie Ortega y Gasset have pointed out that each of us lives, acts and thinks within a system of beliefs that is largely unconscious but without which we would be incapable of any thought or action. "Our beliefs are already operating in the depths of our lives when we begin to think something," writes Ortega y Gasset. Reason, in this sense, is founded on belief. If belief is the foundation of life, we don't really have a choice of whether to believe or not. We can choose, however, what to believe, what the substance of our faith will be.
Within the Buddhist tradition, the relationship between faith and reason has been the subject of sustained inquiry since ancient times. While this tradition has always held that the Buddha's enlightenment cannot be grasped or expressed in its entirety by reason or language, Buddhism has consistently held that reason and language should be highly valued.
While the Buddha's enlightenment may transcend the realm of reason, it is not irrational, nor does it resist rational examination. Faith in the Buddha's teaching is in fact the basis for a mode of intellectual examination which enlists not only analytical capacities but also seeks to develop the intuitive wisdom found in the deepest spiritual strata of the human being. Learning and knowledge can serve as the portal to wisdom; but it is wisdom that enables us to use knowledge in the most humane and valuable way. The confusion of knowledge and wisdom, arguably, is at the root of our societal distortions.
Nichiren likewise developed and presented his teachings very rationally. He is well known for his scholarship and his willingness to debate. Many of his important writings take the form of a dialectic question and answer in which doubts are presented, responded to and resolved.
Sraddha, prasada and adhimukti are three Sanskrit terms translated in the Lotus Sotra as "faith" or "belief." Sraddha, defined as the first stage of Buddhist practice, means "to arouse faith" and also "to possess curiosity about." The term thus includes the meaning of a sense of awe or wonder that seems to be at the root of all religious sentiment.
Prasada expresses the idea of purity and clarity. It could be said that, from the perspective of Buddhism, the proper purpose of faith is to cleanse the mind in order to enable our inherent wisdom to shine forth.
Adhimukti literally means intent, that is, the orientation of one's mind or will. This is the mental attitude of deepening one's understanding, cultivating and polishing one's life toward perfecting the sublime state of prasada. Faith thus purifies reason, strengthens it and elevates it and is an engine for continuous self-improvement. Daisaku Ikeda has defined faith as "an open, seeking mind, a pure heart and a flexible spirit."
The above terms can be contrasted with bhakti, another Sanskrit term for faith. Bhakti, originally meaning "to become part of," is a faith associated with a practice of surrender to--and unification with--a transcendent deity. This term is seldom, if ever, used in Buddhist texts.
The modern age seems convinced that intellect is an independent faculty, operating independently from feeling or belief. Yet it is becoming clearer that many trends, such as efforts to exert technological mastery over nature, rest on highly subjective beliefs or value judgements.
What is called for now is new unification of belief and reason encompassing all aspects of the human being and society, including the insights achieved by modern science. This must be an attempt to restore wholeness to human society, which has been rent asunder by extremes of reason artificially divorced from belief and irrational religious fanaticism.
This synthesis must grow from a dialogue based on mutual respect. Both sides must approach this dialogue, not with the desire to establish dominion over the other, but with a spirit of learning, of mining deeper and richer veins of truth. This will only be possible if all participants keep firmly in view the goal of human happiness. Does a particular position, approach or belief advance the human condition, or does it drive it back? Only on this basis can a dialogue between faith and reason produce true and lasting value for humankind.
(from: http://www.sgi.org/english/Buddhism/more/more04.htm )
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"Therefore, I say to you , my disciples, try practicing as the Lotus
Sutra teaches, exerting yourselves without begrudging your lives! Test
the truth of Buddhism now!"
(WND, 583-84)
The Selection of the Time
Written to Yui in 1275
Sutra teaches, exerting yourselves without begrudging your lives! Test
the truth of Buddhism now!"
(WND, 583-84)
The Selection of the Time
Written to Yui in 1275
"You must never think that any of the eighty thousand sacred teachings
of Shakyamuni Buddha's lifetime or any of the Buddhas and bodhisattvas
of the ten directions and three existences are outside yourself. Your
practice of the Buddhist teachings will not relieve you of the
sufferings of birth and death in the least unless you perceive the
true nature of your life."
(WND, 3)
On Attaining Buddhahood in This Lifetime
Written to Toki Jonin in 1255
of Shakyamuni Buddha's lifetime or any of the Buddhas and bodhisattvas
of the ten directions and three existences are outside yourself. Your
practice of the Buddhist teachings will not relieve you of the
sufferings of birth and death in the least unless you perceive the
true nature of your life."
(WND, 3)
On Attaining Buddhahood in This Lifetime
Written to Toki Jonin in 1255
The votaries of the Lotus Sutra be well.
Those who espouse the highest teaching in the king of all sutras know that the pure truth of the Lotus Sutra makes it king.
Listen to Tom and So Cal my friends. They speak truth and we share this truth in our hearts and minds.
Sin is bullcrap but right action or wrong action for you is real. Be good and fill your hearts with goodness.
Chant Nam Myoho Renge Kyo with the trees forever!
BOG
Those who espouse the highest teaching in the king of all sutras know that the pure truth of the Lotus Sutra makes it king.
Listen to Tom and So Cal my friends. They speak truth and we share this truth in our hearts and minds.
Sin is bullcrap but right action or wrong action for you is real. Be good and fill your hearts with goodness.
Chant Nam Myoho Renge Kyo with the trees forever!
BOG
G
Guest
BushyOldGrower said:The votaries of the Lotus Sutra be well.
Those who espouse the highest teaching in the king of all sutras know that the pure truth of the Lotus Sutra makes it king.
Listen to Tom and So Cal my friends. They speak truth and we share this truth in our hearts and minds.
Sin is bullcrap but right action or wrong action for you is real. Be good and fill your hearts with goodness.
Chant Nam Myoho Renge Kyo with the trees forever!
Sup BOG -
~ BloodyPuzzy say hey from way back when on the HT chat rooms ~ dude the good old days man !!!! Peace bro !!!
Hi BOG! Welcome ThunderBolts! VERY glad to see you two!
Hi BOG! Welcome ThunderBolts! VERY glad to see you two!
"Genuine, wholehearted struggles in the realm of faith abound with joy. Those who battle tenaciously against obstacles and negative functions can polish themselves and attain an expansive state of life. The Nirvana Sutra says that those who continually exert themselves for the sake of Buddhism can attain a 'diamond-like body.'"
SGI Newsletter No. 6714, LECTURES ON “THE OPENING OF THE EYES” <FINAL INSTALMENT> [20] Enjoying Infinite Benefit throughout Eternity —The Boundless Joy of a Life of Unceasing Challenge Based on the Mystic Law, translated Feb. 1st, 2006
Hi BOG! Welcome ThunderBolts! VERY glad to see you two!
"Genuine, wholehearted struggles in the realm of faith abound with joy. Those who battle tenaciously against obstacles and negative functions can polish themselves and attain an expansive state of life. The Nirvana Sutra says that those who continually exert themselves for the sake of Buddhism can attain a 'diamond-like body.'"
SGI Newsletter No. 6714, LECTURES ON “THE OPENING OF THE EYES” <FINAL INSTALMENT> [20] Enjoying Infinite Benefit throughout Eternity —The Boundless Joy of a Life of Unceasing Challenge Based on the Mystic Law, translated Feb. 1st, 2006
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Wisdom
Wisdom
A Buddha is characterized as a person of profound wisdom. The idea of wisdom is core to Buddhism. But wisdom can be a vague and elusive concept, hard to define and harder to find. How does one become wise? Is wisdom something that we can actively develop, or must we merely wait to grow wiser as we grow older? Perhaps it is because wisdom is such an indistinct concept that it has lost value as a relevant ideal in modern society, which has instead come to place great store in information and the attainment of knowledge.
Josei Toda, second president of the Soka Gakkai, characterized the confusion between knowledge and wisdom as one of the major failings of modern society.
His critique is starkly demonstrated in the astonishing progress of technology in the last century. While scientific and technological development has shown only a mixed record of alleviating human suffering, it has triumphed remarkably in its ability and efficiency in unleashing death and destruction.
Toda likened the relationship between knowledge and wisdom to that between a pump and water. A pump that does not bring forth water (knowledge without wisdom) is of little use.
This is not to deny the importance of knowledge. But knowledge can be utilized to generate both extreme destructiveness and profound good.
Wisdom is that which directs knowledge toward good--toward the creation of value.
Buddhist teachings, such as the concept of the five kinds of wisdom, describe and analyze in detail the dynamics of wisdom and how it manifests at different levels of our consciousness.
When wisdom is functioning in our life, it has the effect of enabling us to overcome the ingrained perspectives of our habitual thinking and arrive at a fresh and holistic view of a given situation. We are able to make a broad assessment of facts, perceive the essence of an issue and steer a sure course toward happiness.
Buddhism also likens wisdom to a clear mirror that perfectly reflects reality as it is. What is reflected in this mirror of wisdom is the interrelatedness and interdependence of our life with all other life. This wisdom dispels our delusions of separateness and awakens in us a sense of empathetic equality with all living things.
The term "Buddha" describes a person who freely manifests this inherent wisdom. And what causes this wisdom to well forth in our lives is compassion.
Buddhism sees the universe, and life itself, as an embodiment of compassion--the interweaving of the "threads" of interdependent phenomena, giving rise to and nurturing life in all its wonderful and varied manifestations.
It teaches that the purpose of human life is to be an active participant in the compassionate workings of the universe, enriching and enhancing life's creative dynamism.
Therefore, it is when we act with compassion that our life is brought into accord with the universal life force and we manifest our inherent wisdom. The action of encouraging and sharing hope with others awakens us to a larger, freer identity beyond the narrow confines of our ego. Wisdom and compassion are thus inseparable.
Central to Buddhist practice is self-mastery, the effort to "become the master of one's mind." This idea implies that the more profoundly we strive to develop an altruistic spirit, the more the wisdom of the Buddha is aroused within us and the more powerfully we can, in turn, direct all things--our knowledge, our talents and the unique particularities of our character--to the end of creating happiness for ourselves and others.
Speaking at Tribhuvan University in Nepal in 1995, SGI President Daisaku Ikeda commented, "To be master of one's mind means to cultivate the wisdom that resides in the inner recesses of our lives, and which wells forth in inexhaustible profusion only when we are moved by a compassionate determination to serve humankind, to serve people."
If human history is to change and be redirected from division and conflict toward peace and an underlying ethic of respect for the sanctity of all life, it is human beings themselves who must change. The Buddhist understanding of compassionate wisdom can serve as a powerful basis for such a transformation.
(from: http://www.sgi.org/english/Buddhism/more/more19.htm )
Wisdom
A Buddha is characterized as a person of profound wisdom. The idea of wisdom is core to Buddhism. But wisdom can be a vague and elusive concept, hard to define and harder to find. How does one become wise? Is wisdom something that we can actively develop, or must we merely wait to grow wiser as we grow older? Perhaps it is because wisdom is such an indistinct concept that it has lost value as a relevant ideal in modern society, which has instead come to place great store in information and the attainment of knowledge.
Josei Toda, second president of the Soka Gakkai, characterized the confusion between knowledge and wisdom as one of the major failings of modern society.
His critique is starkly demonstrated in the astonishing progress of technology in the last century. While scientific and technological development has shown only a mixed record of alleviating human suffering, it has triumphed remarkably in its ability and efficiency in unleashing death and destruction.
Toda likened the relationship between knowledge and wisdom to that between a pump and water. A pump that does not bring forth water (knowledge without wisdom) is of little use.
This is not to deny the importance of knowledge. But knowledge can be utilized to generate both extreme destructiveness and profound good.
Wisdom is that which directs knowledge toward good--toward the creation of value.
Buddhist teachings, such as the concept of the five kinds of wisdom, describe and analyze in detail the dynamics of wisdom and how it manifests at different levels of our consciousness.
When wisdom is functioning in our life, it has the effect of enabling us to overcome the ingrained perspectives of our habitual thinking and arrive at a fresh and holistic view of a given situation. We are able to make a broad assessment of facts, perceive the essence of an issue and steer a sure course toward happiness.
Buddhism also likens wisdom to a clear mirror that perfectly reflects reality as it is. What is reflected in this mirror of wisdom is the interrelatedness and interdependence of our life with all other life. This wisdom dispels our delusions of separateness and awakens in us a sense of empathetic equality with all living things.
The term "Buddha" describes a person who freely manifests this inherent wisdom. And what causes this wisdom to well forth in our lives is compassion.
Buddhism sees the universe, and life itself, as an embodiment of compassion--the interweaving of the "threads" of interdependent phenomena, giving rise to and nurturing life in all its wonderful and varied manifestations.
It teaches that the purpose of human life is to be an active participant in the compassionate workings of the universe, enriching and enhancing life's creative dynamism.
Therefore, it is when we act with compassion that our life is brought into accord with the universal life force and we manifest our inherent wisdom. The action of encouraging and sharing hope with others awakens us to a larger, freer identity beyond the narrow confines of our ego. Wisdom and compassion are thus inseparable.
Central to Buddhist practice is self-mastery, the effort to "become the master of one's mind." This idea implies that the more profoundly we strive to develop an altruistic spirit, the more the wisdom of the Buddha is aroused within us and the more powerfully we can, in turn, direct all things--our knowledge, our talents and the unique particularities of our character--to the end of creating happiness for ourselves and others.
Speaking at Tribhuvan University in Nepal in 1995, SGI President Daisaku Ikeda commented, "To be master of one's mind means to cultivate the wisdom that resides in the inner recesses of our lives, and which wells forth in inexhaustible profusion only when we are moved by a compassionate determination to serve humankind, to serve people."
If human history is to change and be redirected from division and conflict toward peace and an underlying ethic of respect for the sanctity of all life, it is human beings themselves who must change. The Buddhist understanding of compassionate wisdom can serve as a powerful basis for such a transformation.
(from: http://www.sgi.org/english/Buddhism/more/more19.htm )
The Selection of the Time / WND pg. 538 (continued)
The Selection of the Time / WND pg. 538 (continued)
Question: When it comes to those who maintain that the Lotus Sutra is superior to the True Word teachings, should they try to make use of these commentaries by Jikaku, or should they reject them?
Answer: Shakyamuni Buddha laid down a rule for future conduct when he said that we should "rely on the (132) Law and not upon persons." Bodhisattva Nagarjuna says that one should rely on treatises that are faithful to the sutras, but not rely on those that distort (133) the sutras. T'ien-t'ai states, "That which accords with the sutras is to be written down and made available. But put no faith in anything that in word (134) or meaning fails to do so." And the Great Teacher Dengyo says, "Depend upon the preachings of the Buddha, and do not put faith in traditions handed (135) down orally."
If one attends to such statements in the sutras, treatises, and commentaries, then one should not make dreams a basis for evaluating the Buddhist teachings. Rather, one should pay particular attention to those sutras and treatises that make clear the relative superiority of the Lotus Sutra and the Mahavairochana Sutra.
As for the assertion that the eye-opening ceremony for wooden and painted images cannot be carried out without the use of True Word mudras and mantras, this is the sheerest nonsense! Are we to suppose that, before the True Word school appeared on the scene, wooden and painted Buddhist images could not be consecrated? In the period before the appearance of the True Word school, there were wooden and painted images in India, China, and Japan that walked about or preached (136) the teachings or spoke aloud. It would rather appear that, since people have begun to use True Word mudras and mantras in consecrating the Buddha images, the effectiveness of the ceremony has been completely lost.
This is a generally acknowledged point. I would merely like to say that when it comes to determining the truth of the Great Teacher Jikaku's assertions there is no need for me, Nichiren, to cite any outside evidence to refute them. We have only to examine Jikaku's own interpretations to understand the truth of the matter.
Question: How do we come to understand it?
Answer: We understand it when we realize that the source of Jikaku's delusion was the dream that he had after he had written his commentaries asserting that the True Word teachings are superior to the Lotus Sutra. If his dream had been an auspicious one, then we would have to conclude that Jikaku was correct in claiming that the True Word teachings are superior. But can a dream of shooting the sun be called auspicious? Just try to find, anywhere in all the five thousand or seven thousand volumes of Buddhist scriptures or in the three thousand and more volumes of non-Buddhist literature, any evidence suggesting that to dream ofshooting the sun is an auspicious occurrence!
Let us look at a few pieces of evidence. King Ajatashatru dreamed that the moon was falling out of the sky. When he consulted his high minister Jivaka, the latter said, "This is a sign of the Buddha's passing." And when Subhadra (137) also dreamed that the sun was falling from the sky, he said to himself, "This is a sign of the Buddha's passing!" When the asuras fought with the lord Shakra, they first of all shot arrows at the sun and moon. The evil rulers King Chieh of the Hsia dynasty and King Chou of the Yin dynasty in ancient China are both said to have repeatedly shot arrows at the sun, and both destroyed themselves and brought an end to their dynasties.
Lady Maya dreamed that she conceived the sun and thereafter gave birth to Prince Siddhartha, [who in time became the Buddha Shakyamuni]. For this reason, the Buddha's name as a (138) child was Sun Seed. Japan or Nihon [meaning "source of the sun"] is so called because it is the land of the Sun Goddess. In light of these examples, Jikaku's dream must mean that he used his two commentaries as arrows to shoot at the Sun Goddess, the Great Teacher Dengyo, Shakyamuni Buddha, and the Lotus Sutra. I, Nichiren, am an ignorant man, and I know nothing about the sutras and treatises. But I do know this much: anyone who would conclude from such a dream that the True Word teachings are superior to the Lotus Sutra will surely in this present life destroy his nation and ruin his family, and after his death will fall into the Avichi hell.
We in fact have a piece of evidence to settle the matter. If, when Japan and the Mongol forces engaged in combat (139), the prayers of the True Word priests had proved effective and Japan had won victory on that account, then we might be persuaded that the True Word school is worthy of respect. But at the time of the Jokyu Disturbance, though a considerable number of True Word priests prayed for the victory of the imperial forces and invoked curses on the forces of the Kamakura shogunate, the leader of the latter, the acting administrator [Hojo Yoshitoki], emerged victorious. As a result, the Retired Emperor Gotoba was exiled to the province of Oki, and his sons were exiled to the island of Sado and to another province. (140) Such was the effect of the True Word prayers for victory. In the end, the True Word prayers were like the cries of the fox that give him away, and the curses, as the Lotus Sutra (141) says, "rebound upon the originator." The three thousand priests of Mount Hiei were also attacked by the Kamakura (142) troops and forced to submit.
Now the Kamakura government is at the height of power. Therefore, the True Word priests of To-ji, Mount Hiei, Onjo-ji, and the seven major temples of Nara, along with those priests of the Lotus school who have forgotten the teachings of their own school and instead slander the Law, have all made their way east to the Kanto region, where they bow their heads, bend their knees, and seek in various ways to win over the hearts of the warriors. They are in turn assigned positions as superintendents or chief officials of various temples and mountain monasteries, where they proceed to follow the same evil doctrines that earlier brought about the downfall of the imperial forces, using them to pray for the peace and safety of the nation!
The shogun and his family, along with the samurai who are in their service, very likely believe that as a result of such prayers the nation will actually become peaceful and secure. But so long as they employ the services of priests who invite grave disaster by ignoring the Lotus Sutra, the nation will in fact face certain destruction.
When I think how pitiful it would be if the nation were to be destroyed, and how lamentable would be the loss of life involved, I feel that I must risk my own life in order to make the truth of the situation clear. If the ruler desires the security of the nation, he should question the manner in which things are proceeding and try to discern the truth. But instead, all he does is listen to the calumnies of others and in one way or another treat me with animosity.
In past ages, when there were those who slandered the Law, Brahma, Shakra, the gods of the sun and moon, the four heavenly kings, and the deities of the earth, all of whom have sworn to defend the Lotus Sutra, would look on with disapproval. But because there was no one to proclaim the matter aloud, they would be forgiving, as one would be with an only child who misbehaves, at times pretending not to notice such slander, at times administering a mild reproof. Now that I am present to make clear the matter, however, I can only be amazed that the ruler should continue to listen to persons who slander the Law. Yet he does so, and on the contrary, even goes so far as to persecute the rare individual who attempts to enlighten him and rescue him from error. Not for just one or two days, one or two months, or even one or two years, but for a number of years on end now, I have met with greater difficulties than the sticks and staves that Bodhisattva Never Disparaging was obliged to face, and have encountered more fearful opposition than the murderous attacks inflicted on the monk Realization of Virtue.
During this period, the two great kings Brahma and Shakra, the gods of the sun and moon, the four heavenly kings, the gods of stars, and the deities of the earth have manifested their anger in various ways and again and again (143) have delivered reprimands. And yet the attacks on me have only worsened. Finally, heaven in its wisdom has made the situation known to the sages of neighboring countries, enlisting them (144) to add to the reprimands, and has caused the great evil spirits to enter the nation and deceive the people's hearts, inciting them to rebel against their (145) own rulers.
It is only reasonable to assume that, whether good or evil, the greater the portents, the greater will be the occurrences to follow. Now we have seen huge comets of a magnitude never known before in the 2,230 or more years since the Buddha's passing, and have experienced earthquakes such as were never encountered before during that time. In China and Japan in the past, sages of outstanding wisdom and ability have from time to time appeared. But none, as an ally of the Lotus Sutra, has faced such powerful enemies within his country as have I, Nichiren. From the facts present before your very eyes, it should be apparent that Nichiren is the foremost person in the entire land of Jambudvipa.
In the seven hundred and more years since Buddhism was first introduced to Japan, there have been five thousand or seven thousand volumes of sutras read, and eight or ten schools (146) propounded. The people of wisdom who have appeared have been as numerous as rice and hemp seedlings, and those who have spread the teachings widely have been as plentiful as bamboo plants and rushes. And yet of all the various Buddhas, there is none more highly revered, and none whose name is more widely called upon, than the Buddha Amida.
This practice of invoking the name of the Buddha Amida was advocated by Eshin in his work Essentials of Rebirth in the Pure Land, and as a result, one-third of the people of Japan became believers in the Nembutsu, the calling on the name of Amida. When Yokan wrote Ten Conditions for Rebirth in the Pure Land and The Rituals of the Assembly for Rebirth in the Pure Land, two-thirds of all the people of this country became followers of the Nembutsu. And when Honen wrote The Nembutsu Chosen above All, then everyone alike in this nation became a Nembutsu devotee. Thus those people who chant the name of the Buddha Amida these days are by no means disciples of only one person.
This thing called the Nembutsu is a daimoku or chant based on the Two-Volumed, Meditation, and Amida sutras, which are provisional Mahayana sutras. If the daimoku of provisional Mahayana sutras is widely propagated and spread abroad, it must be a prelude to the propagation of the daimoku of the true Mahayana sutra, must it not? People who have a mind for such concerns should consider this matter carefully. If the provisional sutras are spread abroad, then the true sutra will surely be spread abroad. If the daimoku of the provisional sutras is spread abroad, then the daimoku of the true sutra will also surely be spread abroad.
In all the seven hundred and more years from the time of Emperor Kimmei to the present emperor [Go'uda], such a thing has never been seen or heard of, namely, a wise man who urges others to chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo and who chants it himself. When the sun rises, the stars go into hiding. When a worthy king appears, foolish kings perish. When the true sutra is spread widely, the provisional sutras will cease to circulate, and when a man of wisdom chants Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, those ignorant of it will follow after him as shadows follow a form and echoes follow a sound.
There can be no room to doubt that I, Nichiren, am the foremost votary of the Lotus Sutra in all of Japan. Indeed, from this we may assume that, even in China and India and throughout Jambudvipa, there is no one who can stand side by side with me.
Notes:
131. The Toto area is one of the three areas into which Mount Hiei is divided, the two others being Saito and Yokawa. The Toto, the main area, encompasses Kompon Chudo (Shikan-in), the origin of the later established Enryaku-ji, and other large buildings. Jikaku founded Soji-in in this area in 851 as a center for esoteric practice.
132. Nirvana Sutra.
133. The Commentary on the Ten Stages Sutra.
134. Profound Meaning.
135. Outstanding Principles.
136. Tradition has it that a five-foot image of the Buddha made by Udayana, a king of Kaushambi in India during Shakyamuni's time, walked about, and that a painting of the Buddha by Kashyapa Matanga preached the sutras. In Japan Genko Era Biographies relates how an image of Bodhisattva Maitreya in a temple of Yamato Province alerted a guard when it was about to be stolen, and how an image of the Buddha Medicine Master enshrined at Teiden-ji temple in Totomi Province called out to be rescued from the bottom of a river, and thus was saved.
137. Subhadra was the last disciple of Shakyamuni Buddha, converted immediately before the Buddha's passing. According to Great Perfection of Wisdom, Subhadra had a dream in which all people were deprived of their eyesight, the sun fell from the sky, the seas ran dry, and Mount Sumeru was toppled by a great wind. He awoke, seized with fear. When Subhadra could not determine the meaning of the dream, a heavenly being appeared and told him that the Buddha would enter nirvana that night. Subhadra accordingly went to Shakyamuni to receive instruction in his teachings.
138. "Sun Seed" is another name for Shakyamuni, which appears in the Sutra of the Collected Stories of the Buddha's Deeds in Past Lives. When Shakyamuni was born, his father had a Brahman make a prophecy concerning the child's future. At that time the Brahman named the baby Sun Seed.
139. A reference to the Mongol invasion of 1274, a year before The Selection of the Time was written.
140. The retired emperors Juntoku and Tsuchimikado, the sons of Gotoba, were exiled to the island of Sado and to Tosa Province, respectively.
141. Lotus Sutra, chap. 25.
142. The priests of Mount Hiei had also performed esoteric prayer rituals for the defeat of the Kamakura shogunate.
143. The Daishonin refers to the natural disasters that ravaged Japan at this time. They are enumerated in his Rationale for Writing "On Establishing the Correct Teaching for the Peace of the Land."
144. This refers to the Mongol invasion.
145. Such rebellions are represented by the unsuccessful coup d'etat staged by Hojo
Tokisuke against his younger half brother, Regent Hojo Tokimune, in 1272.
146. The eight schools (Three Treatises, Dharma Characteristics, Flower Garland, Dharma Analysis Treasury, Establishment of Truth, Precepts, Tendai, and True Word), plus the Zen and Pure Land.
(to be continued)
The Selection of the Time / WND pg. 538 (continued)
Question: When it comes to those who maintain that the Lotus Sutra is superior to the True Word teachings, should they try to make use of these commentaries by Jikaku, or should they reject them?
Answer: Shakyamuni Buddha laid down a rule for future conduct when he said that we should "rely on the (132) Law and not upon persons." Bodhisattva Nagarjuna says that one should rely on treatises that are faithful to the sutras, but not rely on those that distort (133) the sutras. T'ien-t'ai states, "That which accords with the sutras is to be written down and made available. But put no faith in anything that in word (134) or meaning fails to do so." And the Great Teacher Dengyo says, "Depend upon the preachings of the Buddha, and do not put faith in traditions handed (135) down orally."
If one attends to such statements in the sutras, treatises, and commentaries, then one should not make dreams a basis for evaluating the Buddhist teachings. Rather, one should pay particular attention to those sutras and treatises that make clear the relative superiority of the Lotus Sutra and the Mahavairochana Sutra.
As for the assertion that the eye-opening ceremony for wooden and painted images cannot be carried out without the use of True Word mudras and mantras, this is the sheerest nonsense! Are we to suppose that, before the True Word school appeared on the scene, wooden and painted Buddhist images could not be consecrated? In the period before the appearance of the True Word school, there were wooden and painted images in India, China, and Japan that walked about or preached (136) the teachings or spoke aloud. It would rather appear that, since people have begun to use True Word mudras and mantras in consecrating the Buddha images, the effectiveness of the ceremony has been completely lost.
This is a generally acknowledged point. I would merely like to say that when it comes to determining the truth of the Great Teacher Jikaku's assertions there is no need for me, Nichiren, to cite any outside evidence to refute them. We have only to examine Jikaku's own interpretations to understand the truth of the matter.
Question: How do we come to understand it?
Answer: We understand it when we realize that the source of Jikaku's delusion was the dream that he had after he had written his commentaries asserting that the True Word teachings are superior to the Lotus Sutra. If his dream had been an auspicious one, then we would have to conclude that Jikaku was correct in claiming that the True Word teachings are superior. But can a dream of shooting the sun be called auspicious? Just try to find, anywhere in all the five thousand or seven thousand volumes of Buddhist scriptures or in the three thousand and more volumes of non-Buddhist literature, any evidence suggesting that to dream ofshooting the sun is an auspicious occurrence!
Let us look at a few pieces of evidence. King Ajatashatru dreamed that the moon was falling out of the sky. When he consulted his high minister Jivaka, the latter said, "This is a sign of the Buddha's passing." And when Subhadra (137) also dreamed that the sun was falling from the sky, he said to himself, "This is a sign of the Buddha's passing!" When the asuras fought with the lord Shakra, they first of all shot arrows at the sun and moon. The evil rulers King Chieh of the Hsia dynasty and King Chou of the Yin dynasty in ancient China are both said to have repeatedly shot arrows at the sun, and both destroyed themselves and brought an end to their dynasties.
Lady Maya dreamed that she conceived the sun and thereafter gave birth to Prince Siddhartha, [who in time became the Buddha Shakyamuni]. For this reason, the Buddha's name as a (138) child was Sun Seed. Japan or Nihon [meaning "source of the sun"] is so called because it is the land of the Sun Goddess. In light of these examples, Jikaku's dream must mean that he used his two commentaries as arrows to shoot at the Sun Goddess, the Great Teacher Dengyo, Shakyamuni Buddha, and the Lotus Sutra. I, Nichiren, am an ignorant man, and I know nothing about the sutras and treatises. But I do know this much: anyone who would conclude from such a dream that the True Word teachings are superior to the Lotus Sutra will surely in this present life destroy his nation and ruin his family, and after his death will fall into the Avichi hell.
We in fact have a piece of evidence to settle the matter. If, when Japan and the Mongol forces engaged in combat (139), the prayers of the True Word priests had proved effective and Japan had won victory on that account, then we might be persuaded that the True Word school is worthy of respect. But at the time of the Jokyu Disturbance, though a considerable number of True Word priests prayed for the victory of the imperial forces and invoked curses on the forces of the Kamakura shogunate, the leader of the latter, the acting administrator [Hojo Yoshitoki], emerged victorious. As a result, the Retired Emperor Gotoba was exiled to the province of Oki, and his sons were exiled to the island of Sado and to another province. (140) Such was the effect of the True Word prayers for victory. In the end, the True Word prayers were like the cries of the fox that give him away, and the curses, as the Lotus Sutra (141) says, "rebound upon the originator." The three thousand priests of Mount Hiei were also attacked by the Kamakura (142) troops and forced to submit.
Now the Kamakura government is at the height of power. Therefore, the True Word priests of To-ji, Mount Hiei, Onjo-ji, and the seven major temples of Nara, along with those priests of the Lotus school who have forgotten the teachings of their own school and instead slander the Law, have all made their way east to the Kanto region, where they bow their heads, bend their knees, and seek in various ways to win over the hearts of the warriors. They are in turn assigned positions as superintendents or chief officials of various temples and mountain monasteries, where they proceed to follow the same evil doctrines that earlier brought about the downfall of the imperial forces, using them to pray for the peace and safety of the nation!
The shogun and his family, along with the samurai who are in their service, very likely believe that as a result of such prayers the nation will actually become peaceful and secure. But so long as they employ the services of priests who invite grave disaster by ignoring the Lotus Sutra, the nation will in fact face certain destruction.
When I think how pitiful it would be if the nation were to be destroyed, and how lamentable would be the loss of life involved, I feel that I must risk my own life in order to make the truth of the situation clear. If the ruler desires the security of the nation, he should question the manner in which things are proceeding and try to discern the truth. But instead, all he does is listen to the calumnies of others and in one way or another treat me with animosity.
In past ages, when there were those who slandered the Law, Brahma, Shakra, the gods of the sun and moon, the four heavenly kings, and the deities of the earth, all of whom have sworn to defend the Lotus Sutra, would look on with disapproval. But because there was no one to proclaim the matter aloud, they would be forgiving, as one would be with an only child who misbehaves, at times pretending not to notice such slander, at times administering a mild reproof. Now that I am present to make clear the matter, however, I can only be amazed that the ruler should continue to listen to persons who slander the Law. Yet he does so, and on the contrary, even goes so far as to persecute the rare individual who attempts to enlighten him and rescue him from error. Not for just one or two days, one or two months, or even one or two years, but for a number of years on end now, I have met with greater difficulties than the sticks and staves that Bodhisattva Never Disparaging was obliged to face, and have encountered more fearful opposition than the murderous attacks inflicted on the monk Realization of Virtue.
During this period, the two great kings Brahma and Shakra, the gods of the sun and moon, the four heavenly kings, the gods of stars, and the deities of the earth have manifested their anger in various ways and again and again (143) have delivered reprimands. And yet the attacks on me have only worsened. Finally, heaven in its wisdom has made the situation known to the sages of neighboring countries, enlisting them (144) to add to the reprimands, and has caused the great evil spirits to enter the nation and deceive the people's hearts, inciting them to rebel against their (145) own rulers.
It is only reasonable to assume that, whether good or evil, the greater the portents, the greater will be the occurrences to follow. Now we have seen huge comets of a magnitude never known before in the 2,230 or more years since the Buddha's passing, and have experienced earthquakes such as were never encountered before during that time. In China and Japan in the past, sages of outstanding wisdom and ability have from time to time appeared. But none, as an ally of the Lotus Sutra, has faced such powerful enemies within his country as have I, Nichiren. From the facts present before your very eyes, it should be apparent that Nichiren is the foremost person in the entire land of Jambudvipa.
In the seven hundred and more years since Buddhism was first introduced to Japan, there have been five thousand or seven thousand volumes of sutras read, and eight or ten schools (146) propounded. The people of wisdom who have appeared have been as numerous as rice and hemp seedlings, and those who have spread the teachings widely have been as plentiful as bamboo plants and rushes. And yet of all the various Buddhas, there is none more highly revered, and none whose name is more widely called upon, than the Buddha Amida.
This practice of invoking the name of the Buddha Amida was advocated by Eshin in his work Essentials of Rebirth in the Pure Land, and as a result, one-third of the people of Japan became believers in the Nembutsu, the calling on the name of Amida. When Yokan wrote Ten Conditions for Rebirth in the Pure Land and The Rituals of the Assembly for Rebirth in the Pure Land, two-thirds of all the people of this country became followers of the Nembutsu. And when Honen wrote The Nembutsu Chosen above All, then everyone alike in this nation became a Nembutsu devotee. Thus those people who chant the name of the Buddha Amida these days are by no means disciples of only one person.
This thing called the Nembutsu is a daimoku or chant based on the Two-Volumed, Meditation, and Amida sutras, which are provisional Mahayana sutras. If the daimoku of provisional Mahayana sutras is widely propagated and spread abroad, it must be a prelude to the propagation of the daimoku of the true Mahayana sutra, must it not? People who have a mind for such concerns should consider this matter carefully. If the provisional sutras are spread abroad, then the true sutra will surely be spread abroad. If the daimoku of the provisional sutras is spread abroad, then the daimoku of the true sutra will also surely be spread abroad.
In all the seven hundred and more years from the time of Emperor Kimmei to the present emperor [Go'uda], such a thing has never been seen or heard of, namely, a wise man who urges others to chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo and who chants it himself. When the sun rises, the stars go into hiding. When a worthy king appears, foolish kings perish. When the true sutra is spread widely, the provisional sutras will cease to circulate, and when a man of wisdom chants Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, those ignorant of it will follow after him as shadows follow a form and echoes follow a sound.
There can be no room to doubt that I, Nichiren, am the foremost votary of the Lotus Sutra in all of Japan. Indeed, from this we may assume that, even in China and India and throughout Jambudvipa, there is no one who can stand side by side with me.
Notes:
131. The Toto area is one of the three areas into which Mount Hiei is divided, the two others being Saito and Yokawa. The Toto, the main area, encompasses Kompon Chudo (Shikan-in), the origin of the later established Enryaku-ji, and other large buildings. Jikaku founded Soji-in in this area in 851 as a center for esoteric practice.
132. Nirvana Sutra.
133. The Commentary on the Ten Stages Sutra.
134. Profound Meaning.
135. Outstanding Principles.
136. Tradition has it that a five-foot image of the Buddha made by Udayana, a king of Kaushambi in India during Shakyamuni's time, walked about, and that a painting of the Buddha by Kashyapa Matanga preached the sutras. In Japan Genko Era Biographies relates how an image of Bodhisattva Maitreya in a temple of Yamato Province alerted a guard when it was about to be stolen, and how an image of the Buddha Medicine Master enshrined at Teiden-ji temple in Totomi Province called out to be rescued from the bottom of a river, and thus was saved.
137. Subhadra was the last disciple of Shakyamuni Buddha, converted immediately before the Buddha's passing. According to Great Perfection of Wisdom, Subhadra had a dream in which all people were deprived of their eyesight, the sun fell from the sky, the seas ran dry, and Mount Sumeru was toppled by a great wind. He awoke, seized with fear. When Subhadra could not determine the meaning of the dream, a heavenly being appeared and told him that the Buddha would enter nirvana that night. Subhadra accordingly went to Shakyamuni to receive instruction in his teachings.
138. "Sun Seed" is another name for Shakyamuni, which appears in the Sutra of the Collected Stories of the Buddha's Deeds in Past Lives. When Shakyamuni was born, his father had a Brahman make a prophecy concerning the child's future. At that time the Brahman named the baby Sun Seed.
139. A reference to the Mongol invasion of 1274, a year before The Selection of the Time was written.
140. The retired emperors Juntoku and Tsuchimikado, the sons of Gotoba, were exiled to the island of Sado and to Tosa Province, respectively.
141. Lotus Sutra, chap. 25.
142. The priests of Mount Hiei had also performed esoteric prayer rituals for the defeat of the Kamakura shogunate.
143. The Daishonin refers to the natural disasters that ravaged Japan at this time. They are enumerated in his Rationale for Writing "On Establishing the Correct Teaching for the Peace of the Land."
144. This refers to the Mongol invasion.
145. Such rebellions are represented by the unsuccessful coup d'etat staged by Hojo
Tokisuke against his younger half brother, Regent Hojo Tokimune, in 1272.
146. The eight schools (Three Treatises, Dharma Characteristics, Flower Garland, Dharma Analysis Treasury, Establishment of Truth, Precepts, Tendai, and True Word), plus the Zen and Pure Land.
(to be continued)
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"There can be no room to doubt that I, Nichiren, am the foremost votary of the Lotus Sutra in all of Japan. Indeed, from this we may assume that, even in China and India and throughout Jambudvipa, there is no one who can stand side by side with me."
Payaso so great to see you stop by and so glad to hear nam myoho renge kyo has surfaced in your life. Last time I saw you post it was a nice story about your travels. I believe you were hanging with Wallyduck last I heard. How bout a little info on some of your latest adventures Ill chant for your safe travels tonight ..... great to see you post here.
nam myoho renge kyo
Ill chant for your safe travels tonight ..... great to see you post here.nam myoho renge kyo
Hi Chris!!!!!!
Hi Chris!!!!!!
The real blessing is hearing heartfelt and sincere words, such as your post (and PM)! Our relationship from the infinite past becomes more clear now than when we first met, doesn't it? What joy to know you Brother! You have put a smile on my face and a VERY warm spot in my heart. Thank you so much! You have no idea what your message meant to me!
Let's all keep chanting!
Nam-myoho-renge-kyo!
Thomas
Hi Chris!!!!!!
The real blessing is hearing heartfelt and sincere words, such as your post (and PM)! Our relationship from the infinite past becomes more clear now than when we first met, doesn't it? What joy to know you Brother! You have put a smile on my face and a VERY warm spot in my heart. Thank you so much! You have no idea what your message meant to me!
Let's all keep chanting!
Nam-myoho-renge-kyo!
Thomas
"In all the seven hundred and more years from the time of Emperor Kimmei to the present emperor [Go'uda], such a thing has never been seen or heard of, namely, a wise man who urges others to chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo and who chants it himself. When the sun rises, the stars go into hiding. When a worthy king appears, foolish kings perish. When the true sutra is spread widely, the provisional sutras will cease to circulate, and when a man of wisdom chants Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, those ignorant of it will follow after him as shadows follow a form and echoes follow a sound."
G
Guest
Nam-myoho-renge-kyo!
Many thanks for the excellent links. I spoke to my brother about chanting and I can visualize my chant reflecting off the universe and penetrating my heart. Slowly but surely, I am more enlightened everyday.
Nam-myoho-renge-kyo! Nam-myoho-renge-kyo!
Many thanks for the excellent links. I spoke to my brother about chanting and I can visualize my chant reflecting off the universe and penetrating my heart. Slowly but surely, I am more enlightened everyday.
Nam-myoho-renge-kyo! Nam-myoho-renge-kyo!
- Status
