Chanting Growers Group

[Guest]

Nam Myoho Renge Kyo!
Blessings to all of you on this new lovely day. Remember me in your prayers today, as I chant for you.

Together there is nothing we cannot accomplish, our faith is a pillar and so is our study.

I chant for our continued consistency and individual growth including the continued propagation of Kosen-rufu.

Nam Myoho Renge Kyo!

 

[scegy]

hey to all, i'm glad that we'r back...it's so lonely to chant by yourself
don't know where to start, PTD you give us a lot to read, feels like homework
so what have i done in the pass month? i'm promoting "thinking" on every step i make, and suprisingly it works, positive energy is very well accepted
question popped in my head, i was always afraid that i'll forget some great ideas that i get in my head...and i always did, but you guys and the sgi kind off changed my life and i sure don't want to loose what i have in my mind lately and the really strange thing is that this is so easy to NOT forget words of wisdome the question....goes specialy to older members, once u started to walk the buddahood life, have u ever stopped practicing?

 

[Babbabud]

Alright scegy so glad to see youve made it back. We all sure missed our home. Scegy im so glad to hear that youve been spending time chanting.
nam myoho renge kyo

 

[always2theLeft]

had quite a scar there for a sec
good to see u guys again
nammyohorengekyo

 

[Guest]

hey to all, i'm glad that we'r back...it's so lonely to chant by yourself
don't know where to start, PTD you give us a lot to read, feels like homework
so what have i done in the pass month? i'm promoting "thinking" on every step i make, and suprisingly it works, positive energy is very well accepted
question popped in my head, i was always afraid that i'll forget some great ideas that i get in my head...and i always did, but you guys and the sgi kind off changed my life and i sure don't want to loose what i have in my mind lately and the really strange thing is that this is so easy to NOT forget words of wisdome the question....goes specialy to older members, once u started to walk the buddahood life, have u ever stopped practicing?

just your presence makes this very much worthwhile, so very pleased to have you back scegy, same to you always2theleft! We made it back and are happy to be here. The feelings are mutual.

Regarding your question scegy, sorry I am not qualified to give you the answer you seek but believe me its not easy to chant day and night and remember to do gongyo day and night and remember your local sgi meetings unless you practice all day everyday. I have issues with consistency myself in everything. I know that I have much work to undertake to meet some of my goals even half way but those obstacles are bringing me patience and teaching me how to be happy even when I usually wouldn't be in individual situations.

Do you realize that if you do not "give into" the devil of the 6th heaven every time, you immediately realize great benefits. We can sometimes find ourselves in different life conditions but remembering Nam Myoho Renge Kyo, really elevates you to the desired status!

If anyone can do it, its you scegy!


I chant for all of you so we can all work this out together! United we are stronger! Can't wait until I return to my weekly meeting in a few, I need to bring this energy and share it with them!

Nam Myoho Renge Kyo!

 

[scegy]

greetings to all
bubba, i've chanted since i know myself, but i've realized that reacently. usually it gave me pain, now it gives me strenght
easy: i can see that the positive wave works wonders in your mind too can say no more
Think

 

[Guest]

easy: i can see that the positive wave works wonders in your mind too can say no more
Think

If you need some extra 'positive waves', together we will make it happen!

Scegy and everyone else whom has not attended a local SGI meeting, please take this post as encouragement for you to please find your local SGI district and contact them to attend the next meeting, in my district we have meetings almost everyday and the days that we are not in session the local culture center is always welcoming.

If you need help finding your local SGI district please send me a private message so that I can help you get connected.


President Toda said: "Those who do not value the organization are practicing self-centered faith. With such faith you cannot expect to receive the truly profound benefits of this practice." Working hard within the organization for people's happiness and welfare is itself truly noble Buddhist practice.

 

[Babbabud]

Right on meeting night. Last week was my daughter in laws birthday so we missed our chanting meeting. The energy I recieve from chanting with and encouraging our group is amazing. I normally leave the meeting floating on a cloud. Amazing what chanting with a group of 20 close friends can make you feel like. Most of the members in our group I have only known for a few months as many are very new and our group has been growing fast. I call them my friends or family because they offer such great encouragement and really do care about my well being. So i really do look forward to each meeting. So awesome to share our chants with other like minded people. I must say wednesdays are the best day of the week. So ill be chanting lots of daimoku for all tonight. We have alot to be thankful for this week. ...........theres no place like home ...theres no place like home........theres no place like home. much love to you all!!
nam myoho renge kyo

 

[Delta9-THC]

hi to pass the,
babba,
always,
easy and screg

Nam-myoho-renge-kyo!


and all those who takes it upon themselves to better ourselves and hopefully our world...
(one day ...eh?)

It has been a stressful time recently but not one im ready to fully understand let alone explain but I feel happy to be back with you and still able .....
my hope has grown greatly in the past months and circumstances have not managed to bend nor break me ..

I feel this new energy all the time in everything ... it I agree can be very overwhelming but I also feel excited and alive from with- in ..SOMETHING IT HAS TAKEN MOST OF MY LIFE TO FIND LET ALONE UNDERSTAND..

I also feel I haven't got as must hate within me I have really let things go no false promises and only what I can justify but its a start

also I know that pass the only has good intentions and will be/is a very good teacher if you have time to listen
Thanks again (and I will be here {checking up on you} he he he he)
Peace

 

[Delta9-THC]

Take Care ~ Out There

 

[solrebl]

mmmh I had a dream about people chanting around their plants, in their garden...Do you guys actually do that?

 

[Guest]

hi to pass the,
babba,
always,
easy and screg

Nam-myoho-renge-kyo!


and all those who takes it upon themselves to better ourselves and hopefully our world...
(one day ...eh?)

It has been a stressful time recently but not one im ready to fully understand let alone explain but I feel happy to be back with you and still able .....
my hope has grown greatly in the past months and circumstances have not managed to bend nor break me ..

I feel this new energy all the time in everything ... it I agree can be very overwhelming but I also feel excited and alive from with- in ..SOMETHING IT HAS TAKEN MOST OF MY LIFE TO FIND LET ALONE UNDERSTAND..

I also feel I haven't got as must hate within me I have really let things go no false promises and only what I can justify but its a start

also I know that pass the only has good intentions and will be/is a very good teacher if you have time to listen
Thanks again (and I will be here {checking up on you} he he he he)
Peace

YOU KNOW IT BUD!

Alright well I must say that, I have enough energy from the meetings and from all of you, that I truely wish I could expound some incredible benefit into you lives, but by saying please feel free to review as many pages as you can muster in this thread because within this thread lies the immeasurable motivation and direction sometimes we may require (usually more than we realize). Capture the essence of these posts and manifest them into your life!

Nam Myoho Renge Kyo!

 

[PassTheDoobie]

Hey Everyone!

Actually, I have a huge favor to ask. I would hope that everyone would put these two Buddhas in their prayers for the repose of the deceased: Mr. Tony Matsuoka, and Mr. Ted Osaki.

George M. Williams, who is the individual that with the support of the Soka Gakkai in Japan, pretty much started the movement in the US to spread the teachings of Nichiren Daishonin, personally introduced Mr. Matsuoka to Nichiren’s teachings. Mr. Matsuoka ultimately became the SGI-USA’s (NSA back then) layperson liaison staff member to the Nichiren Shoshu temple in Los Angeles, Myohoji. All he did all day was chant at the temple and study the Daishonin’s teachings with the Nichiren Shoshu priests. When I met him he was already well along in his years and according to him, had been chanting for nothing except wisdom for the previous twenty years. When the dude explained what I just presented in my last post pertaining to the Oneness of the Person and the Law, he literally took me to another dimension (a very unusual story that I only share at appropriate times with the appropriate people.)

Mr. Osaki was a national leader for the SGI-USA and was based at the time that I got to know him, in Chicago. The thing that most people didn’t know was that while he traveled all over the Central and Eastern regions of the US, encouraging the growing number of “Americans” now practicing the Daishonin’s Buddhism with the SGI-USA, in large group gatherings; when he was in Chicago, if you knew when to hit it, you could pretty much always catch him in his office for a sit-down, one on one chat about “stuff”. I loved that fucking guy with my whole heart, and he touched mine in a way that has lasted all of these years since. It is from Mr. Osaki (who said he got it from Mr. Williams, who got it from President Ikeda) that I got the guidance: Don’t be afraid, Don’t be defeated. Faith! Victory of Gold. I made a determination many years ago to someday found the “Ted Osaki Center for the Development of Youth, and someday I will. Of course now (who’d have ever thunk it that knows me), but I could just hang a sign on my kid’s doors and I will have accomplished the same thing.

Almost everything I share with you all here, is based on their sharing of their understanding with me. Do me a favor and instead of thanking me, chant a big thank you to them. Nam-myoho-renge-kyo!

I am so happy to see Scegy and Always and Bonzo and Delta and Sleepy! Great to see you KushMaster. I LOVE DG’s NEW SIG LINE! It looks a lot like mine, only BOLDER. I chanted about you all and here you are (hello MrsB! And MsG! And Chris! And Natty)! And I am so proud and impressed by the ichinen for the Law that Babbabud and Easy continue to show CONSISTENTLY on these pages. It is quite an honor to be able to do anything that I can to share my understanding with you two. You are all such treasures of the Law! I am so fucking lucky to know you all!

I have a lot more to say, if you won’t mind, and I know that at least scegy has a specific question I have yet to answer. Sorry that I haven’t, but I will. You know the old saying that “Misery loves company”. Well with over eleven pounds of babies inside her, waiting day by day to come out, my wife has kept me busy and gotten lots of company. Keep all that in mind if you wonder where I am from time to time.

I’ll be back at you again shortly! Nam-myoho-renge-kyo!

Thomas

 

[PassTheDoobie]

"..if in a single moment of life we exhaust the pains and trials of millions of kalpas, then instant after instant there will arise in us the three Buddha bodies with which we are eternally endowed. Nam-myoho-renge-kyo is just such a 'diligent' practice."

(Ongi kuden - Gosho Zenshu, page 790, The Record of the Orally Transmitted Teachings, page 214) Selection source: "Kyo no Hosshin", Seikyo Shimbun, May 25th, 2006

 

[Guest]

Now I am sure, this is my place, with all of you.


Like the Roar of a lion, Nam Myoho Renge Kyo!

 

[PassTheDoobie]

Because Buddhism has gradually been turned upside down, the secular world also has been plunged into corruption and chaos. Buddhism is like the body, and society like the shadow. When the body bends, so does the shadow. How fortunate that all of my disciples who follow the Buddha's true intention will naturally flow into the ocean of comprehensive wisdom!

[ A Comparison of the Lotus and Other Sutras, WND Page 1039 ]

 

[PassTheDoobie]

The Record of the Orally Transmitted Teachings Translated by Burton Watson

The Record of the Orally Transmitted Teachings Translated by Burton Watson

Chapter Sixteen: The Life Span of the Thus Come One

Twenty-seven important points


Point One, concerning Chapter Sixteen, The Life Span of the Thus Come One Nam-myoho-renge-kyo.

The Words and Phrases of the Lotus Sutra, volume nine, says: “Thus Come One is a general designation for the Buddhas of the ten directions and the three existences, for the two Buddhas, the three Buddhas,* the Buddha of the essential teaching, and the Buddha of the theoretical teaching. Specifically, it is a special designation for the three Buddhas of the original state. Juryo, or Life Span, refers to an overall reckoning. It indicates an overall reckoning of the benefits of the two Buddhas, the three Buddhas, and all the Buddhas of the ten directions and the three existences. Therefore the chapter is called the Juryo-hon, or [Reckoning of] the Life Span chapter.

The Record of the Orally Transmitted Teachings says: The title of this chapter deals with an important matter that concerns Nichiren himself. This is the transmission described in the “Supernatural Powers” chapter. The Thus Come One is Shakyamuni Buddha or, more generally speaking, all the Buddhas of the ten directions and the three existences. Or, more specifically, it refers to the Buddha of the original state who is eternally endowed with the three bodies.

Now it is the understanding of Nichiren and his followers that, generally speaking, the term “Thus Come One” refers to all living beings. More specifically, it refers to the disciples and lay supporters of Nichiren.

This being the case, the term “eternally endowed with the three bodies” refers to the votaries of the Lotus Sutra in the Latter Day of the Law.

The title of honor for one who is endowed with the three bodies is Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. This is what the three great concerns of actuality** of the “Life Span” chapter refer to.

Speaking in terms of the six stages of practice, the Thus Come One in this chapter is an ordinary mortal who is in the first stage, that of being a Buddha in theory. When one reverently accepts Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, one is in the next stage, that of hearing the name and words of the truth. That is, one has for the first time heard the daimoku. When, having heard the daimoku, one proceeds to put it into practice, this is the third stage, that of perception and action. In this stage one perceives the object of devotion that embodies the three thousand realms in a single moment of life. When one succeeds in overcoming various obstacles of illusion, this is the fourth stage, that of resemblance to enlightenment. When one sets out to convert others, this is the fifth stage, that of progressive awakening. And when one comes at last to the realization that one is a Buddha eternally endowed with the three bodies, then one is a Buddha of the sixth and highest stage, that of ultimate enlightenment.

Speaking of the chapter as a whole, the idea of gradually overcoming illusions is not the ultimate meaning of the “Life Span” chapter. You should understand that the ultimate meaning of this chapter is that ordinary mortals, just as they are in their original state of being, are Buddhas.

And if you ask what is the action and practice carried out by the Buddha eternally endowed with the three bodies, it is Nam-myoho-renge-kyo.


* “The two Buddhas,” or more precisely two kinds of Buddhas, refers to the Buddha of the physical body and the Buddha of the Dharma body, and “the three Buddhas” refers to the three bodies of the Buddhas, that is, the Dharma body, the reward body, and the manifested body. While some Buddhist doctrines describe a Buddha as being one of these three bodies, T’ien-t’ai on the basis of the Lotus sutra states that the Buddha possesses all three.

** Indicates the Three Great Secret Laws of Nichiren’s teaching, that is, the object of devotion (honzon), the invocation (daimoku) of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, and the sanctuary (kaidan).

(to be continued)

 

[PassTheDoobie]

T'ien-t'ai
[天台] (PY.: Tiantai; Jpn.: Tendai)

(538-597) Also known as Chih-i. The founder of the T'ien-t'ai school in China, commonly referred to as the Great Teacher T'ien-t'ai or the Great Teacher Chih-che (Chih-che meaning "person of wisdom"). The name T'ien-t'ai was taken from Mount T'ien-t'ai where he lived, and this, too, became the name of the Buddhist school he effectively founded. He was a native of Hua-jung in Ching-chou, China, where his father was a senior official in the Liang dynasty government (502-557). The fall of the Liang dynasty forced his family into exile. He lost both parents soon thereafter and in 555 entered the Buddhist priesthood under Fa-hsü at Kuo-yüan-ssu temple. He then went to Mount Ta-hsien where he studied the Lotus Sutra and its related scriptures. In 560 he visited Nan-yüeh (also known as Hui-ssu) on Mount Ta-su to study under him, and as a result of intense practice, he is said to have attained an awakening through the "Medicine King" (twentythird) chapter of the Lotus Sutra. This awakening is referred to as the "enlightenment on Mount Ta-su."

After seven years of practice under Nan-yüeh, T'ien-t'ai left the mountain and made his way to Chin-ling, the capital of the Ch'en dynasty, where he lived at the temple Wa-kuan-ssu and lectured for eight years on the Lotus Sutra and other texts. His fame spread, and he attracted many followers. Aware that the number of his disciples who were obtaining insight was decreasing, however, and, in order to further his understanding and practice, he retired to Mount T'ien-t'ai in 575. Thereafter, at the emperor's repeated request, he lectured on The Treatise on the Great Perfection of Wisdom and the Benevolent Kings Sutra at the imperial court in Chin-ling. In 587, at Kuang-che-ssu temple in Chin-ling, he gave lectures on the Lotus Sutra that were later compiled as The Words and Phrases of the Lotus Sutra. After the downfall of the Ch'en dynasty, he returned to his native Ching-chou and there expounded teachings that were set down as The Profound Meaning of the Lotus Sutra in 593 and Great Concentration and Insight in 594 at Yü-ch'yan-ssu temple. The three works mentioned above were all compiled by his disciple Chang-an and became the three major texts of the T'ien-t'ai school. He then returned to Mount T'ien-t'ai, where he died. Other lectures of T'ien-t'ai compiled by Changan include The Profound Meaning of the "Perceiver of the World's Sounds" Chapter and The Profound Meaning of the Golden Light Sutra.

T'ien-t'ai criticized the scriptural classifications formulated by the ten major Buddhist schools of his time, which regarded either the Flower Garland Sutra or the Nirvana Sutra as the highest Buddhist teachings. Instead he classified all of Shakyamuni's sutras into "five periods and eight teachings" and through this classification demonstrated the superiority of the Lotus Sutra. He also established the practice of threefold contemplation in a single mind and the principle of three thousand realms in a single moment of life. Because he systematized the doctrine of what became known as the T'ien-t'ai school, he is revered as its founder, though, according to Chang-an's preface to Great Concentration and Insight, the lineage of the teaching itself began with Hui-wen, who based his teaching on Nagarjuna and transferred it to Nan-yüeh.

Words and Phrases of the Lotus Sutra, The
[法華文句] (Jpn.: Hokke-mongu; Chin.: Fa-hua-wen-chy)

One of T'ien-t'ai's three major works, the others being The Profound Meaning of the Lotus Sutra and Great Concentration and Insight. A ten-volume commentary on the Lotus Sutra, presented originally as a lecture in 587 by T'ien-t'ai, and recorded and compiled by his disciple Chang-an. Each volume consists of two parts. In the section of this work dealing with the "Introduction" (first) chapter of the sutra, T'ien-t'ai divides the Lotus Sutra into three parts: preparation, revelation, and transmission. The teaching of preparation readies people to receive the truth, revelation is the truth that the Buddha imparts, and transmission urges that the truth revealed be handed down for the future. T'ien-t'ai defines the "Introduction" chapter as preparation, the fifteen and a half chapters from the "Expedient Means" (second) chapter through the first half of the "Distinctions in Benefits" (seventeenth) chapter as revelation, and the eleven and a half chapters from the latter half of the "Distinctions in Benefits" chapter through the "Universal Worthy" (twenty-eighth) chapter as transmission. T'ien-t'ai also divides the Lotus Sutra into two parts-the theoretical teaching (first fourteen chapters) and the essential teaching (latter fourteen chapters), and applies the three divisions of preparation, revelation, and transmission to each of these. Within the theoretical teaching, he defines the "Introduction" chapter as preparation, the eight chapters from the "Expedient Means" chapter through the "Prophecies" (ninth) chapter as revelation, and the five chapters from the "Teacher of the Law" (tenth) chapter through the "Peaceful Practices" (fourteenth) chapter as transmission. Concerning the essential teaching, he defines the first half of the "Emerging from the Earth" (fifteenth) chapter as preparation; the one chapter and two halves comprising the latter half of the "Emerging from the Earth" chapter, the entire "Life Span" (sixteenth) chapter, and the first half of the "Distinctions in Benefits" chapter as revelation; and the eleven and a half chapters from the latter half of the "Distinctions in Benefits" chapter through the "Universal Worthy" chapter as transmission.

Subsequently T'ien-t'ai sets forth four guidelines for interpreting the words and phrases of the Lotus Sutra: (1) Causes and conditions; to interpret the words and phrases of the sutra in terms of the causes and conditions that prompted the Buddha to expound them, and to grasp them in terms of the four ways of preaching, or the four ways in which Buddhas expound their teachings. (2) Correlated teachings; to interpret the sutra's words and phrases in correlation with the four teachings of doctrine and the five periods. (3) The theoretical and essential teachings; to interpret the sutra's words and phrases in light of the theoretical and essential teachings of the Lotus Sutra. (4) The observation of the mind; to perceive the truth within one's own mind through the practice of meditation and also to interpret the words and phrases of the sutra from the standpoint of this perception of the truth. Using these four guidelines, T'ien-t'ai explains passages from each chapter of the Lotus Sutra to elucidate profound doctrines of the sutra such as the "replacement of the three vehicles with the one vehicle" and the "revelation of the Buddha's original enlightenment in the remote past."

four ways of preaching
[四悉檀] (Jpn.: shi-shitsudan)

Also, four ways of teaching. Four ways in which Buddhas expound their teachings, explained in The Treatise on the Great Perfection of Wisdom by Nagarjuna (c. 150-250). They are (1) to teach Buddhism in secular terms, explaining to people that it will fulfill their desires, thus arousing their willingness to take faith; (2) to teach according to people's respective capacities, thus enabling them to increase their store of good karma; (3) to help people abandon their illusions and free themselves from the three poisons of greed, anger, and foolishness. This is done by teaching those caught up in greed to recognize the impurity of their attachments, those dominated by anger to practice compassionate acts, and those blinded by the poison of foolishness to perceive the causal law; and (4) to reveal the ultimate truth directly, causing people to realize it. Compared to this way of teaching, the first three are regarded as temporary means.

ten directions
[十方] (Jpn.: jippo)

The entire universe, all physical space. Specifically, the ten directions are the eight directions of the compass-north, south, east, west, northwest, northeast, southeast, and southwest-plus up and down. Buddhist scriptures refer to the existence of Buddha lands in all directions throughout the universe, each with its own Buddha. The expression "the Buddhas of the ten directions" in the sutras indicates these Buddhas. The phrase ten directions often appears with the phrase three existences, meaning past, present, and future existences. "The Buddhas of the ten directions and three existences" thus means all Buddhas throughout space and time.

three existences
[三世] (Jpn.: san-ze)

Past existence, present existence, and future existence. Used to indicate all of time, from the eternal past, through the present, through the eternal future. In Buddhism, they are the three aspects of the eternity of life, linked inseparably by the law of cause and effect. In the sutras, expressions such as "the Buddhas of the three existences" and "the Buddhas of the three existences and ten directions" indicate all Buddhas throughout eternity and boundless space.

theoretical teaching
[迹門] (Jpn.: shakumon)

Also, trace teaching. The first half of the twenty-eight-chapter Lotus Sutra, from the "Introduction" (first) chapter through the "Peaceful Practices" (fourteenth) chapter. In The Words and Phrases of the Lotus Sutra, T'ien-t'ai (538-597) classifies the Lotus Sutra into two parts: the first fourteen chapters, or the theoretical teaching, and the latter fourteen chapters, or the essential teaching. The theoretical teaching takes the form of preaching by a "provisional Buddha," the historical Shakyamuni Buddha depicted as having first attained enlightenment during his lifetime in India. The essential teaching takes the form of preaching by the Buddha who has discarded this provisional status and revealed his true identity as the Buddha who attained enlightenment in the unimaginably remote past. T'ien-t'ai compared the relationship between the Buddha in his true identity and his provisional manifestation, or between their respective teachings, to that of the moon in the sky and its reflection on the surface of a pond.

The core of the theoretical teaching is the "Expedient Means" (second) chapter, which reveals the true aspect of all phenomena and that the ten factors endow all life. The "Expedient Means" chapter also states that the Buddha's sole purpose is to lead all people to Buddhahood, and that the three vehicles of voice-hearers, cause-awakened ones, and bodhisattvas are no more than expedient means to lead people to the one Buddha vehicle. Though the attainment of Buddhahood by voice-hearers and cause-awakened ones was deemed impossible in the earlier teachings, the theoretical teaching of the Lotus Sutra states that they will attain Buddhahood in the future. Also in this part of the sutra, at the urging of the Buddha, countless bodhisattvas vow to propagate the Lotus Sutra after Shakyamuni Buddha's death. They make this vow in the presence of Many Treasures Buddha and all the other Buddhas assembled from throughout the universe.

See also: essential teaching

essential teaching
[本門] (Jpn.: hommon)

Also, original teaching. (1) The teaching expounded by Shakyamuni from the perspective of his true identity as the Buddha who attained enlightenment countless kalpas ago. It consists of the latter fourteen chapters of the Lotus Sutra, from the "Emerging from the Earth" (fifteenth) through the "Universal Worthy" (twenty-eighth) chapters. In The Words and Phrases of the Lotus Sutra, T'ien-t'ai (538-597) classifies the content of the sutra into two parts-the first fourteen chapters, or theoretical teaching (also known as trace teaching), and the latter fourteen chapters, or essential teaching (original teaching). He further explains that Shakyamuni expounded these two teachings from two respectively different identities: The Shakyamuni Buddha who attained enlightenment in India expounded the theoretical teaching, while the Shakyamuni who cast off his transient identity as the Buddha enlightened in that lifetime in India and revealed his true identity as the Buddha who attained enlightenment in the remote past expounded the essential teaching. T'ien-t'ai identified the Buddha of the essential teaching as the true Buddha, and the Buddha of the theoretical teaching as the true Buddha's provisional manifestation, or a provisional Buddha. He respectively compared the relationship between them and between their teachings to that of the moon in the sky and its reflection on the surface of a pond. In contrast with the theoretical teaching, which presents Buddhahood as a potential in the lives of all people, the essential teaching describes it as a reality manifest in the eternal life of the true Buddha. The core of the essential teaching is the "Life Span" (sixteenth) chapter, which reveals Shakyamuni's enlightenment in the distant past. Moreover, it reveals the three mystic principles: the true effect (the original enlightenment that Shakyamuni Buddha attained in the remote past), the true cause (the practice he carried out to attain that enlightenment), and the true land (where the Buddha lives and teaches); together they clarify the reality of the Buddha's enlightenment.

(2) In his writings, Nichiren (1222-1282) sometimes uses the term essential teaching to indicate the essential teaching of the Latter Day of the Law; that is, the teaching of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. The Object of Devotion for Observing the Mind reads: "The essential teaching of Shakyamuni's lifetime and that revealed [by Nichiren] at the beginning of the Latter Day are both pure and perfect [in that both lead directly to Buddhahood]. Shakyamuni's, however, is the Buddhism of the harvest, and this is the Buddhism of sowing. The core of his teaching is one chapter and two halves, and the core of mine is the five characters of the daimoku alone" (370). Nichiren thus identified Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, the teaching he revealed at the "beginning of the Latter Day," as the essential teaching for that age. From this viewpoint, in the same treatise, Nichiren states: "The difference between the theoretical and the essential teachings is as great as that between heaven and earth... . Nevertheless, even the difference between the doctrine of three thousand realms in a single moment of life of the theoretical teaching and that of the essential teaching pales into insignificance" (368). That "difference ... pales into insignificance" when it is compared with the difference between the essential teaching that is the latter half of the Lotus Sutra, and the essential teaching revealed by Nichiren at the beginning of the Latter Day of the Law, or Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. Hence he termed his essential teaching "the unique essential teaching" (Jpn dokuichi-hommon ) in On the Mystic Principle of the True Cause, a writing he gave his immediate successor, Nikko.

See also: fivefold view of revelation

fivefold view of revelation
[五重三段] (Jpn.: goju-sandan)

An analysis of the Buddhist teachings that appears in The Object of Devotion for Observing the Mind, a treatise completed in 1273 by Nichiren. Revelation means the truth that Buddhas impart. A teaching of revelation is preceded by a teaching of preparation, which readies people to receive the truth; and is followed by a teaching of transmission, which urges that the truth revealed be transmitted to posterity. Chinese Buddhist scholars classified the sutras according to these three divisions: preparation, revelation, and transmission. In the above treatise, Nichiren applies the three divisions to (1) all of Shakyamuni's teachings, (2) the threefold Lotus Sutra (the Immeasurable Meanings Sutra, the eight-volume Lotus Sutra, and the Universal Worthy Sutra), (3) the theoretical teaching (first half ) of the Lotus Sutra, (4) the essential teaching (latter half ) of the sutra, and (5) the teaching implicit in the "Life Span" (sixteenth) chapter of the sutra. His purpose in so doing is to show that Nam-myoho-renge-kyo is the very teaching to be practiced and propagated in the Latter Day of the Law.

A summary of the fivefold view of revelation is as follows: (1) From the standpoint of all of Shakyamuni's teachings, preparation is represented by the sutras of the Flower Garland, Agama, Correct and Equal, and Wisdom periods, that is, the pre-Lotus Sutra teachings; revelation is represented by the threefold Lotus Sutra, and transmission by the Nirvana Sutra. (2) From the standpoint of the threefold Lotus Sutra, preparation consists of the Immeasurable Meanings Sutra and the "Introduction" (first) chapter of the Lotus Sutra, revelation extends from the "Expedient Means" (second) chapter through the first half of the "Distinctions in Benefits" (seventeenth) chapter, and transmission includes the second half of the "Distinctions in Benefits" chapter through the "Universal Worthy" (twenty-eighth) chapter and includes the Universal Worthy Sutra. (3) In terms of the theoretical teaching, preparation comprises the Immeasurable Meanings Sutra and the "Introduction" chapter of the Lotus Sutra, revelation extends from the "Expedient Means" chapter through the "Prophecies" (ninth) chapter, and transmission, from the "Teacher of the Law" (tenth) chapter through the "Peaceful Practices" (fourteenth) chapter. (4) From the viewpoint of the essential teaching, preparation comprises the first half of the "Emerging from the Earth" (fifteenth) chapter, revelation includes the second half of the "Emerging from the Earth" chapter, the "Life Span" chapter, and the first half of the "Distinctions in Benefits" chapter (collectively known as "one chapter and two halves"), and transmission extends from the second half of the "Distinctions in Benefits" chapter through the "Universal Worthy" chapter and includes the Universal Worthy Sutra. (5) In terms of the teaching implicit in the "Life Span" chapter, that is, Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, preparation is represented by the teachings of all the Buddhas of the ten directions throughout the three existences; revelation by Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, the Law implicit in the "Life Span" chapter; and transmission by the teachings of all the Buddhas read in the light of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo.

three bodies
[三身] (Skt.: trikaya; Jpn.: san-jin)

Three kinds of body a Buddha may possess. A concept set forth in Mahayana Buddhism to organize different views of the Buddha appearing in the sutras. The three bodies are as follows: (1) The Dharma body, or body of the Law (Skt dharma-kaya ). This is the fundamental truth, or Law, to which a Buddha is enlightened. (2) The reward body (sambhoga-kaya), obtained as the reward of completing bodhisattva practices and acquiring the Buddha wisdom. Unlike the Dharma body, which is immaterial, the reward body is thought of as an actual body, although one that is transcendent and imperceptible to ordinary people. (3) The manifested body (nirmanakaya), or the physical form that a Buddha assumes in this world in order to save the people. Generally, a Buddha was held to possess one of the three bodies. In other words, the three bodies represented three different types of Buddhas-the Buddha of the Dharma body, the Buddha of the reward body, and the Buddha of the manifested body.

On the basis of the Lotus Sutra and the principle of three thousand realms in a single moment of life derived from it, T'ien-t'ai (538-597) maintained that the three bodies are not separate entities but three integral aspects of a single Buddha. From this point of view, the Dharma body indicates the essential property of a Buddha, which is the truth or Law to which the Buddha is enlightened. The reward body indicates the wisdom, or the spiritual property of a Buddha, which enables the Buddha to perceive the truth. It is called reward body because a Buddha's wisdom is considered the reward derived from ceaseless effort and discipline. The manifested body indicates compassionate actions, or the physical property of a Buddha. It is the body with which a Buddha carries out compassionate actions to lead people to enlightenment, or those actions themselves. In discussing the passage in the "Life Span" (sixteenth) chapter of the Lotus Sutra that reads, "You must listen carefully and hear of the Thus Come One's secret and his transcendental powers," T'ien-t'ai, in The Words and Phrases of the Lotus Sutra, interpreted "secret" to mean that a single Buddha possesses all three bodies and that all three bodies are found within a single Buddha.

Dharma body
[法身] (Skt.: dharma-kaya; Jpn.: hosshin)

Also, body of the Law. The dharma of dharma-kaya means Law, and kaya, body. One of the three bodies-the Dharma body, the reward body, and the manifested body. The Dharma body means the essence of Buddhahood, the ultimate truth or Law, and the true nature of the Buddha's life. It also means a Buddha per se, whose body is the Law itself. A Buddha of this kind is referred to as the Buddha of the Dharma body or the Buddha in his body of the Law.

reward body
[報身] (Skt.: sambhoga-kaya; Jpn.: hoshin or hojin)

One of the three Buddha bodies, the other two being the Dharma body and the manifested body. The reward body means a body obtained as a reward of completing bodhisattva practices. As the concept of three bodies developed, questions arose as to which Buddha possessed which body. Amida Buddha and Medicine Master Buddha were categorized as Buddhas of the reward body. Amida, for example, was believed to have been the bodhisattva Dharma Treasury in a past existence, but was reborn as a Buddha in reward for his Buddhist practice. In contrast with this early stage of the doctrine of the three bodies, it was later held that a single Buddha possesses all three bodies; in this sense, the three bodies can be regarded as three properties inherent in a Buddha, the reward body representing the property of wisdom. The Sanskrit word sambhoga-kaya literally means body of enjoyment or bliss body. When sambhoga-kaya was translated into Chinese, it was rendered as "reward body."

manifested body
[応身] (Skt.: nirmana-kaya; Jpn.: ojin)

One of the three bodies of a Buddha, the others being the Dharma body and the reward body. The Sanskrit term nirmana-kaya literally means body of transformation. The manifested body is the physical form that a Buddha assumes in this world in order to save people. In other words, it is the body with which a Buddha carries out compassionate actions to lead people to enlightenment. A Buddha of this kind is called a Buddha of the manifested body. The T'ien-t'ai school distinguishes two types of manifested body: the inferior manifested body, or the Buddha who appears for the sake of ordinary people, persons of the two vehicles, and bodhisattvas who have not yet reached the first stage of development (the forty-first stage of bodhisattva practice); and the superior manifested body, or the Buddha who appears for the sake of bodhisattvas at the first stage of development and beyond.

"Supernatural Powers of the Thus Come One" chapter
[如来神力品] (Jpn.: Nyorai-jinriki-hon)

Abbreviated as the "Supernatural Powers" chapter. The twenty-first chapter of the Lotus Sutra, in which Shakyamuni transfers the essence of the sutra to the Bodhisattvas of the Earth led by Superior Practices. At the beginning of the chapter, the Bodhisattvas of the Earth vow to propagate the sutra widely after Shakyamuni Buddha's death. Then the Buddha, displaying his supernatural powers, states that, although those supernatural powers are vast and great, they are not enough to describe the benefit of the Lotus Sutra. He then declares to Superior Practices and the other Bodhisattvas of the Earth: "To put it briefly, all the doctrines possessed by the Thus Come One, all the freely exercised supernatural powers of the Thus Come One, the storehouse of all the secret essentials of the Thus Come One, all the most profound matters of the Thus Come One-all these are proclaimed, revealed, and clearly expounded in this sutra." (These lines are often referred to as the "four-phrase essence of the Lotus Sutra.") After this statement, he transfers the sutra to Bodhisattva Superior Practices and the other Bodhisattvas of the Earth.

Based on this passage, T'ien-t'ai (538-597) formulated the five major principles of name, essence, quality, function, and teaching. In T'ien-t'ai's interpretation, "All the doctrines possessed by the Thus Come One" indicates name, "all the freely exercised supernatural powers of the Thus Come One" indicates function, "the storehouse of all the secret essentials of the Thus Come One" indicates essence, "all the most profound matters of the Thus Come One" indicates quality, and "all these are proclaimed, revealed, and clearly expounded in this sutra" indicates the teaching. In his 1273 treatise The Object of Devotion for Observing the Mind, Nichiren states that Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, the heart of the "Life Span" (sixteenth) chapter of the Lotus Sutra, is endowed with these five principles. Nichiren thus interprets the five major principles as the attributes of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo.

In The Words and Phrases of the Lotus Sutra, T'ien-t'ai refers to the transfer in the "Supernatural Powers" chapter as the transfer of the essence of the Lotus Sutra. It is also referred to as the specific transfer because it was made specifically to Bodhisattva Superior Practices and to the other Bodhisattvas of the Earth. In contrast, the general transfer of the sutra was made to all the assembled bodhisattvas in the subsequent (twenty-second) chapter, "Entrustment."

Three Great Secret Laws
[三大秘法] (Jpn.: sandai-hiho)

The core principles of Nichiren's teaching. They are the object of devotion of the essential teaching, the daimoku of the essential teaching, and the sanctuary of the essential teaching. Here, "essential teaching" refers to the teaching of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo and not to the essential teaching, or the latter fourteen chapters, of the Lotus Sutra. Nichiren (1222-1282) established these three essential principles to enable people in the Latter Day of the Law to attain Buddhahood. They are called secret because they are implicit in the text of the "Life Span" (sixteenth) chapter of the Lotus Sutra and remained hidden or unknown until Nichiren revealed them. Nichiren regarded them as the vital teaching that Shakyamuni Buddha transferred to Bodhisattva Superior Practices in the "Supernatural Powers" (twenty-first) chapter of the sutra. He regarded his mission as one with that of Bodhisattva Superior Practices.

The Three Great Secret Laws represent Nichiren's embodiment of the Mystic Law, to which he was enlightened, in a form that all people can practice and thereby gain access to that Law within their own lives. He associated the Three Great Secret Laws with the three types of learning set forth in Buddhism-precepts, meditation, and wisdom. Specifically, the object of devotion corresponds to meditation, the sanctuary to precepts, and the daimoku to wisdom. Concerning the three types of learning based on the Lotus Sutra, Dengyo (767-822), in his Questions and Answers on Regulations for Students of the Tendai Lotus School, states, "The spacelike immovable precept, the spacelike immovable meditation, and the spacelike immovable wisdom-these three all together are transmitted under the name 'Wonderful Law.'" The three types of learning based on the Lotus Sutra are called "spacelike" and "immovable" because, like space, which represents the ultimate truth, they are immovable, or imperturbable. Nikko, Nichiren's successor, stated that in Nichiren's teachings the object of devotion corresponds to the spacelike immovable meditation, the sanctuary to the spacelike immovable precept, and the daimoku to the spacelike immovable wisdom.

Nichiren mentions the Three Great Secret Laws in several of his writings (all dated after his near execution at Tatsunokuchi and subsequent exile to Sado Island in 1271), and in a work known as On the Three Great Secret Laws, he offers a detailed definition.

At the core of the Three Great Secret Laws is the One Great Secret Law. This is the object of devotion of the essential teaching, or Nichiren's embodiment in the form of a mandala of the eternal Law of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, which he fully realized and manifested in his life. He writes in The Person and the Law, "Deep in this mortal flesh I preserve the ultimate secret Law inherited from Shakyamuni Buddha, the lord of teachings, at Eagle Peak" (1097). Because embracing this object of devotion called the Gohonzon is the only precept in Nichiren's teaching, the place where it is enshrined corresponds to the place where one vows to observe the Buddhist precepts-the ordination platform, or sanctuary, of the essential teaching. The term precept in Buddhism implies preventing error and putting an end to evil. The daimoku of the essential teaching indicates the invocation or chanting of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo with faith in the object of devotion; it includes chanting the daimoku for oneself and teaching it to others. Thus, both the sanctuary and the daimoku derive from the object of devotion.

Later Nichikan (1665-1726), the twenty-sixth chief priest of Taiseki-ji temple, classified the Three Great Secret Laws into Six Great Secret Laws. First, the object of devotion is viewed in terms of both Person and Law. The Person indicates Nichiren himself, who achieved the enlightenment and virtues of the eternal Buddha and who established the Buddhism of sowing for all people in the Latter Day of the Law. The object of devotion in terms of the Law is the Gohonzon, which embodies Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. Second, the sanctuary also has two aspects, the specified sanctuary and the general sanctuary. The former is the sanctuary to be built at the time of kosen-rufu, or wide propagation, in accordance with Nichiren's instruction. This is the place where the object of devotion Nichiren inscribed for all humanity (commonly known as the Dai-Gohonzon) is to be enshrined when his teaching has been widely spread and established. The general sanctuary is any place where one enshrines the object of devotion and engages in practice. Third, the daimoku of the essential teaching also has two aspects: the daimoku of faith and the daimoku of practice. The former means to believe in the Gohonzon, and the latter means to chant the daimoku and spread it.

According to Nichikan's "Interpreting the Text Based upon Its Essential Meaning," the Six Great Secret Laws are considered a crystallization of the Buddha's eighty-four thousand teachings, the Three Great Secret Laws a crystallization of the Six Great Secret Laws, and the One Great Secret Law a crystallization of the Three Great Secret Laws.

six stages of practice
[六即] (Jpn.: roku-soku)

Also, six identities. Six stages in the practice of the Lotus Sutra formulated by T'ien-t'ai (538-597) in Great Concentration and Insight. They are as follows: (1) The stage of being a Buddha in theory. At this stage one has not yet heard the correct teaching and is ignorant of Buddhism. Nevertheless, a single moment of life is in itself identical to the truth of the matrix of the Thus Come One; in other words, one is a potential Buddha. (2) The stage of hearing the name and words of the truth. At this stage through the spoken or written word one comes to an intellectual understanding that one has the Buddha nature and that all phenomena are manifestations of the Buddhist Law. This may take place through reading or hearing the words of the sutras. (3) The stage of perception and action. Here one perceives the truth [of the Buddha nature] within oneself through practice, the truth and the wisdom to perceive it are in accord with each other, and one's words match one's actions. (4) The stage of resemblance to enlightenment. At this stage, one eliminates the first two of the three categories of illusion and attains purification of the six sense organs. Having advanced this far, one's wisdom resembles that of a Buddha. In terms of the fifty-two stages of practice, this stage corresponds to the first ten stages, the ten stages of faith. (5) The stage of progressive awakening. This is the stage at which one eradicates all illusions except fundamental darkness and awakens progressively to the truth of one's Buddha nature. In terms of the fifty-two stages, it corresponds to the eleventh (the first stage of security) through the fifty-first (the stage of near-perfect enlightenment). (6) The stage of ultimate enlightenment, or the highest stage of practice. At this stage, one finally eliminates fundamental darkness and fully manifests the Buddha nature. This corresponds to the stage of perfect enlightenment, the last of the fifty-two stages.

T'ien-t'ai taught that all people at whatever stage of practice are equally endowed with the potential for Buddhahood. In this way he prevented his disciples from falling into the error of self-deprecation or becoming discouraged. On the other hand, possessing the Buddha nature is not the same as attaining Buddhahood. T'ien-t'ai therefore divided practice into six progressive stages to prevent his disciples from falling into the error of arrogance and relaxing their efforts. In Great Concentration and Insight, he states: "If one lacks faith, one will object that it pertains to the lofty realm of the sages, something far beyond the capacity of one's own wisdom to understand. If one lacks wisdom, one will become puffed up with arrogance and will claim to be the equal of the Buddha."

The Record of the Orally Transmitted Teachings gives Nichiren's (1222-1282) interpretation of the six stages of practice: "Speaking in terms of the six stages of practice, the Thus Come One in this ['Life Span'] chapter is an ordinary mortal who is in the first stage, that of being a Buddha in theory. When one reverently accepts Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, one is in the next stage, that of hearing the name and words of the truth. That is, one has for the first time heard the daimoku. When, having heard the daimoku, one proceeds to put it into practice, this is the third stage, that of perception and action. In this stage, one perceives the object of devotion that embodies the three thousand realms in a single moment of life. When one succeeds in overcoming various illusions and obstacles, this is the fourth stage, that of resemblance to enlightenment. When one sets out to convert others, this is the fifth stage, that of progressive awakening. And when one comes at last to the realization that one is a Buddha eternally endowed with the three bodies, then one is a Buddha of the sixth and highest stage, that of ultimate enlightenment.

"Speaking of the chapter as a whole, the idea of gradually overcoming delusions is not the ultimate meaning of the 'Life Span' chapter. You should understand that the ultimate meaning of this chapter is that ordinary mortals, just as they are in their original state of being, are Buddhas.

"And if you ask what is the action or practice carried out by the Buddha eternally endowed with the three bodies, it is Nam-myoho-renge-kyo."

From source: The Soka Gakkai Dictionary of Buddhism

 

[Babbabud]

NAM MYOHO RENGE KYO!!

 

[Guest]

We who embrace the Mystic Law will not suffer on account of old age or death. As long as we keep the flame of faith alive, the fire of life force will forever burn brightly within us; we can live with great confidence transcending birth and death. Faith is the engine that enables us to live with hope throughout our lives.



Lectures and articles about Nichiren Buddhism: http://sgi-usa.org/buddhism/