Chanting Growers Group

[Guest]

Hey Buddies!

Hey Buddies!

Babbabud
How absolutely awesome! My heartfelt prayers go to your continued moves forward in receiving your Gohonzon. I am so very excited for you.

So Cal,
As always so happy to see you and read your posts

PTD
And as always appreciation for your continual posts. My silence does not mean that I am not here. My challenges are great...and for the first time find myself and My Gohonzon alone on this one.

Always with love to you all, Southern Girl

 

[Babbabud]

thank you

thank you

Thank you all for the great words of encouragement. Meeting new ppl is not always easy for me.

 

[PassTheDoobie]

Mr. Toda often said he was certain that if the founders of the major world religions, Shakyamuni, Jesus, Muhammad, and so forth, were able to get together in one room for a discussion, they would quickly arrive at a common understanding. The sectarian differences that have emerged later in the histories of religions were not there in the minds of the founders. If religions can return to the founder’s spirit, they can regain their original universal and humanistic orientation. This is the focus of the interfaith and intercivilizational dialogues that we of the SGI are promoting throughout the world out of a desire for peace.

[From SGI Newsletter 6533. SGI President Ikeda's speech at a conference commemorating June 6, the birthday of Tsunesaburo Makiguchi, founding president of the Soka Gakkai, held at the Makiguchi Memorial Hall in Hachioji, Tokyo, on June 6, 2005.)

 

[SoCal Hippy]

Hello everyone

Hello everyone

Can't wait to hear how your experience at the SGI mtg you will be attending Babba. Wow! That is so cool. I was similar to you, and scared to death to go to a mtg of Buddhists 3 decades ago. But now its such a golden memory and I am sure yours will be also. All down to earth people and you will fit in just fine

SG, thanks for chiming in; not sure what you are going thru but hang in there and I will send you some daimoku. PTD, thanks for keepin up the posts here. Alot of times you submit something that I need desperately at a critical time and I appreciate that. Must be some kinda karmic connection there, ya think? Been missin Avid's posts, come back and share some more of your insights. I always enjoy and gain alot.

Watched some news last nite and got the 'right' version on FoxNet's, 'SpinZone'. A mother whose son was killed in Iraq was leading a protest outside Bush's ranch in Texas. Then today I read this essay on empathy by Daisaku Ikeda; thought I would share. If only the world leaders had 'Empathy'

I am a man and I hate war too! My only son is now 18; a critical age should a draft be reinstated. Take care everyone!

Nam Myoho Renge Kyo

The power of empathy


By DAISAKU IKEDA
Special to The Japan Times

http://www.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/geted.pl5?eo20050809a1.htm

August is a time when questions of war and peace seem to hang in the
heavy summer air like the feverish trilling of the cicadas -- this
year, in particular, as it marks the 60th anniversary of the end of
World War II, which came to a close with Japan's surrender on Aug.
15, 1945.

What has humanity learned from the cataclysmic events of those years
and in the decades since? The continuing fact of war, the carefully
planned slaughter of humans by fellow humans, makes it tempting to
answer: very little. Now, as then, it is ordinary people --
especially mothers and children -- who bear the brunt of the
appalling physical and mental suffering wrought by war.

So many of the young men of my generation were incited by the
militarist government to march proudly into battle and give their
lives. The families left behind were praised for their sacrifices to
protect the home front and as "military mothers" -- a term deemed to
carry high honor. But, in reality, what a devastating tumult of pain,
grief and misery swirled in the depths of their hearts! A mother's
love, a mother's wisdom, is too great to be fooled by such empty
phrases as "for the sake of the nation."

One incident from that time is still vivid in my mind. It happened
one early morning in the spring of 1945, after a sleepless night
taking cover from the air raids that were by then a regular
occurrence. Around dawn, about a hundred B-29s flew away, heading
into the eastern horizon. Although they were the planes of the enemy,
they were a magnificent sight, and I watched them until they were
tiny dots in the sky.

Just then someone shouted, "Hey! What's that?" Something was falling
from the sky. It was a parachute. A plane must have been hit, and now
an enemy soldier was dropping toward us. The soldier landed in a
field some 200 or 300 meters away. From what I heard later, as soon
as he landed, a group of people ran up to him and began beating him
with sticks. Someone also dashed up with a Japanese sword,
threatening to kill him. Beaten nearly senseless, he was eventually
led away by the military police, with his arms tied behind his back
and his eyes blindfolded.

When I got back and told my mother, she said, "How awful! His mother
must be so worried about him."

My mother was a very ordinary woman, in many ways the product of the
era in which she was born and raised. But looking back, I am struck
by her ability, as a mother, to empathize with the sufferings of a
fellow mother -- an "enemy" mother separated by thousands of
kilometers of physical distance and by the high walls of political
ideology.

Women are, in my view, natural peacemakers. As givers and nurturers
of life, through their focus on human relationships and their
engagement with the demanding work of raising children and protecting
family life, they develop a deep sense of empathy that cuts through
to underlying human realities.
When the war's end came on Aug. 15, there was a widespread sense that
the inevitable had finally happened, that the defeat that had clearly
become unavoidable had finally arrived. And there was a widespread,
if largely unvoiced, sense of relief. No one at the time could bring
themselves to come out and say, "I'm glad Japan lost," but that was,
I am sure, the sentiment in many hearts.

My mother had often expressed her disgust with the war and her wish
that it would soon be over. I remember her diminutive figure as she
prepared dinner that night with an almost girlish excitement: "How
bright it is! Now we can keep the lights on!"

Her greatest wish was for the safe return of her four sons, my elder
brothers, all sent to the front in China and Southeast Asia. Over the
next two years my brothers returned home, one by one. In their
tattered uniforms, they were a pathetic sight. All returned except my
eldest brother, Kiichi. We hadn't heard a word from him since he
reported having left China for Southeast Asia. From time to time, my
mother would tell us that she'd seen Kiichi in a dream, and that he'd
told her that he would soon return.

Eventually, on May 30, 1947, we received the news of Kiichi's death
in the form of a letter brought by an elderly local official. We had
moved after having been burned out of our home, and apparently it had
been difficult to track us down. My mother bowed politely and
accepted the letter. She turned her back to us, shuddering with
grief. One of my other brothers went to pick up Kiichi's cremated
remains. I couldn't bear to look at my mother as she stood clasping
the small white box that held all that was left of her eldest child.
I felt, in the depths of my being, the tragedy and cruel waste of war.

Surely no era can rival the 20th century in the number of mothers
throughout the world forced to shed bitter tears of pain and sorrow.
Women and mothers are the greatest victims of war -- wars started
virtually without exception by men.

To end the human institution of war, to relegate it to history with
such barbarous practices as slavery -- at one time also considered
natural, inevitable, "part of human nature" -- we must establish
respect for the inviolable dignity of human life as the core value of
our age. Rather than turning away from the staggering scale and depth
of misery caused by war, we must strive to develop our capacity to
empathize and feel the sufferings of others.

It is up to ordinary people -- each of us -- to voice their
abhorrence of violence and war. Men and women who know the brutal
reality of war, who know that war strips people of their very
humanity, must unite in a new global partnership for peace. Women are
powerful protagonists in this effort. Their voices, concerns, wisdom
and insights must be brought to the fore in all spheres of society.

By extending and deepening the solidarity that grows from an
empathetic recognition of our shared humanity -- the universal desire
to protect ourselves and those we love from harm -- I believe we will
be able to make the 21st century a century of life. In such an era,
the prayers for peace of all mothers -- the earnest yearning of all
humankind -- will finally be answered.


Daisaku Ikeda is president of Soka Gakkai International, and founder
of Soka University and the Toda Institute for Global Peace and Policy
Research.

The Japan Times: Aug. 9, 2005

(C) All rights reserved

 

[Babbabud]

SoCal thanks so much for the encouraging words. Great to see you. Great post

 

[PassTheDoobie]

Life of Nichiren Daishonin

Life of Nichiren Daishonin

Chapter 12 (pp. 97-110):
Transferring the Heritage

Even as the Atsuhara persecution was taking place, Shijo Kingo was getting into difficulties again in Kamakura. The Daishonin had repeatedly warned him not to be boastful or arrogant and to take every precaution lest his jealous comrades in Lord Ema's employ attack him in the middle of the night, but that was exactly what happened. The skilled Kingo drove them off, news of which prompted the Daishonin to write him again. He said:

It is a matter of rejoicing that your usual prudence and courage, as well as your firm faith in the Lotus Sutra, enabled you to survive unharmed.

When one comes to the end of his good fortune, no strategy whatsoever will avail. When one's blessings are exhausted, even his retainers will no longer follow him. You survived because you still possess good fortune. Moreover, in the Zokurui chapter, the heavenly gods pledged to protect the votary of the Lotus Sutra.... Never doubt that all gods protect those who embrace the Lotus Sutra.... Therefore, you must summon up the power of faith more than ever. (MW-1, 245-46)

Nanjo Tokimitsu soon fell into disfavor with the government for having protected many of the farmer believers who might otherwise have been rounded up and detained during the Atsuhara incident. The year after the persecution, the Hojo regime had the taxes on Tokimitsu's estate raised to the point of nearly forcing him into destitution: Tokimitsu had to pay so much that he could not even afford a horse.

Seeing the difficulty that his samurai follower was undergoing and seeing also that his faith was not being shaken in the least, Nichiren Daishonin wrote a letter of praise to Tokimitsu and gave him the title of Ueno the Wise. One of his letters to Tokimitsu. delineated two types of faith-one that is temporarily as brilliant as fire but soon lapses, and one that continues onward like the flow of a river:

Today there are people who have faith in the Lotus Sutra. The belief of some is like a fire while that of others is like water. When the former listen to the teachings, their passion flares up like fire, but when by themselves, they are inclined to discard their faith. To have faith like water means to believe continuously without ever regressing. Since you pay frequent visits to me regardless of the difficulties, your belief is comparable to flowing water. It is worthy of great respect! (MW-2,296)

The Daishonin during his later years seems to have been most involved in training the young priests who had come to Mount Minobu. to learn Buddhism. Most outstanding among them was Renzo-bo Nichimoku, later to become the third high priest. He was barely twenty years old at the time of the inscription of the Dai-Gohonzon, but already he had been a believer and a resident at Minobu for three years. Legend has it that each day Nichimoku would descend the mountain slopes for a bucket of water. On the way back up, he would carry the bucket on his head. After years of doing so, he found that the top of his head had developed a depression where the bucket rested on it.

Lay followers like Shijo Kingo, Nanjo Tokimitsu, Toki Jonin, Soya Kyoshin and Ota Jomyo continued to make visits to Mount Minobu, but the journey that the aged Abutsu-bo made in 1278 appears to have been his last. He died in March 1279 at the age of ninety-one. In a letter addressed to his wife, Sennichi-ama the Daishonin wrote: "Some may wonder where the spirit of the late Abutsu-bo may be at this moment. But by using the bright mirror of the Lotus Sutra to reflect his image, I Nichiren, can see him among the assembly on Eagle Peak, seated within the Treasure Tower of Taho Buddha and facing toward the east, [toward the Buddhas Shakyamuni and Taho]" (MW-6,297).

Abutsu-Bo had bequeathed his legacy of faith to his son, Tokuro Moritsuna, and on July 2, 1279, the son brought Abutsu-bo's ashes to be laid to rest at Mount Minobu. The son came again the next year to pay homage to his father's grave.

The Daishonin's writings in the last years of his life contained no new or lengthy revelations, being mostly letters of encouragement to lay believers. Among them, however, were some important works which elucidated the Daishonin's Buddhism. "The Ultimate Teaching Affirmed by All Buddhas throughout the Three Existences," addressed to Sairen-bo in October 1279, and "On the Three Great Secret Laws," given to Ota Jomyo on April 8, 1282, remain indispensable to the study of his thought.

In "The Ultimate Teaching Affirmed by All Buddhas throughout the Three Existences," Nichiren Daishonin said that all the earlier teachings of Shakyamuni were but steps leading to the great revelations of the Lotus Sutra, the true and essential teaching affirmed by all the Buddhas. He added, however, that this true teaching came to life only within the Buddhism of Nichiren Daishonin.

"On the Three Great Secret Laws" provided him with an opportunity to define the substance of the true teaching handed down to the Bodhisattvas of the Earth in the Jinriki [Supernatural Powers of the Thus Come One] (twenty-first) chapter of the Lotus Sutra. He said it consisted of the Three Great Secret Laws which the Daishonin had revealed during his lifetime-the object of worship, the invocation and the sanctuary. He wrote in part:

These Three Great Secret Laws I, Nichiren, have certainly inherited directly from Shakyamuni Buddha, the World-Honored One of Great Enlightenment and the lord of teachings, in person as the head of the Bodhisattvas of the Earth more than two thousand years ago. What I, Nichiren, am doing now does not deviate in the slightest from the bequeathal that took place at Eagle Peak, nor does it differ from the actual phase of the three great principles gleaned from the Juryo chapter. (Gosho Zenshu, p. 1023)

He explained these three laws. He said: (1) the object of worship means the Buddha of absolute freedom who has existed since time without beginning; (2) the invocation refers to the chanting of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo for both oneself and others (in contrast to the self-oriented practice taught by T'ien-t'ai and his followers); and (3) the high sanctuary should be built in a place of magnificent beauty, like the pure land of Eagle Peak.

It was this last, the construction of a sanctuary, which would insure the survival of the Dai-Gohonzon-coupled with the pure flow of the Daishonin's teachings throughout the future. Of course, his training of disciples was meant to guarantee the latter, but even the Daishonin lamented that the seeking spirit was lapsing in places away from Mount Minobu. His health deteriorating, the Daishonin could do nothing outside the confines of his center at Minobu.

Meanwhile, the Mongols attempted another invasion of Japan in 1281. This time the forces came in even more massive and awesome numbers: 140,000 Mongol and Korean troops, and more than 4,000 battleships. The strategy was the same-to land in Kyushu, take the government headquarters at Dazaifu and sweep northward to engulf the entire country.

The Japanese had been preparing for a second invasion for years. Around 1276 the government enjoined the samurai to build stone ramparts along the coast of northern Kyushu and to drive piles into the sea to prevent the Mongol battleships from landing. Some warriors grew so anxious that they gathered at Hakata hoping to invade Korea, but this plan never materialized. In July 1279 the Mongols dispatched envoys again, but they, too, were beheaded.

The stage was set for a massive confrontation. The first wave of 40,000 troops left Korea and quickly overran Tsushima and lid islands in May They were supposed to rendezvous with another force of 100,000 men sailing from southern China and together descend on Kyushu, as in the previous invasion. But the troops from China were delayed, and the stone ramparts prevented the first force from entering the bay at Hakata. The groups joined up in June, but before they could organize a full-scale invasion a terrible storm struck on the night of July 30. All but about two hundred of the warships were sunk; only about one-fifth of the troops were able to return home.

Though nature had once again turned back the invaders, the cost to Japan was tremendous. The warriors entrusted with the task of defending the homeland had to raise so much money that many were forced to sell their fiefs. As a result, the system by which the Kamakura government bought the warriors' support by granting them fiefs was undermined, and the Kamakura regime itself was destined to an early death.

If Nichiren Daishonin wrote any comments on the second invasion, they have not survived the centuries. At any rate, by 1281, the Daishonin's health was already declining rapidly, and he found it increasingly difficult to carry on the many activities to which he had grown accustomed, including the writing of letters.

In the best of times, the area around Mount Minobu was never very warm, and a minor glacial epoch in the thirteenth century made the conditions even worse. It was bitingly cold. Food was another problem. Following the custom of Buddhist monks in those days, the Daishonin abstained from eating fish and meat, and the food provided by his disciples and believers did not render all the nutrition he needed. In addition, from 1277 through 1278 he was bothered by chronic diarrhea. In a letter he wrote to Shijo Kingo in October (intercalary) 1278, he reported:

1, Nichiren, am not as healthy as others, and in addition, I dwell in this remote mountain forest. This year was especially difficult, with widespread epidemics and famine in spring and summer, which worsened in autumn and winter. My sickness grew worse again, too, but you prescribed various medicines and sent them to me along with quilted silk clothes. Thanks to your remedies, I improved steadily; I have now recovered and feel much better than before. (MW-1, 225)

The cure evidently did not last long, for in November 1281 he wrote Ikegami Munenaga that the diarrhea had returned. By this time, the Daishonin knew that he could not live much longer. As early as the previous May he had written the Ikegami brothers of his condition, saying:

Already I have been expounding this doctrine for no less than twenty-nine years. The past seven or eight years my strength has ebbed markedly with each year and I have suffered from illness, perhaps because my body has been weakened and my mind exhausted by the debates in which I have engaged daily, the persecutions which have assailed me every month, and the two exiles to which I have been subjected. Still, I have been able to survive until now. Since the first month of this year, however, I have felt fatigued and ill, and it now seems that my life is drawing to a close. In addition, I have already reached the age of sixty. If, with one chance out of ten, I were somehow able to make it through this year, I do not know how it would be possible to survive the following year or two. (Gosho Zenshu, p. 1105)

In December, he wrote the mother of Nanjo Tokimitsu, lamenting, "I have never taken a step out of this mountain forest from the seventeenth day of the sixth month in the eleventh year of Bun'ei (1274), when I retired here, through the eighth day of the twelfth month this year" (Ibid., p. 1583) In January 1282 he wrote a letter to Nanjo Tokimitsu, thanking him for his gifts of rice and noting:

Thin are the garments I wear and sparse the food I have, and I am no better than the Kankucho bird [which is tortured by the cold in the Snow Mountains] during the night. In the daytime I can never even for a single moment contain my desire to go down to the village. The voice reciting the sutra has all but ceased and the seeking spirit has faltered. (Ibid., p. 1585)

When spring came in 1282, the warm weather enabled the Daishonin to regain his health. He wrote that he felt like he had "captured a tiger" and was "riding a hon." His vitality returned, but he and his disciples knew that it would last only until autumn. As summer waned, he was urged to go to the hot springs at Hitachi (presently Ibaraki Prefecture), and he accepted the advice. Before setting out on September 8, he wrote the "Document for Entrusting the Law That Nichiren Propagated throughout his Life." In this he named Nikko Shonin as his legitimate successor:

I Nichiren, transfer all of the teachings I have propagated throughout my life to Byakuren Ajari Nikko, who should be the supreme leader for propagating true Buddhism. When the sovereign accepts this Law, the high sanctuary of Hommon-ji temple should be erected at the foot of Mount Fuji. Simply wait for the time to come. This is the actual high sanctuary of true Buddhism. Above all, my disciples should observe this document.

The ninth month of the fifth year of Koan (1282), cyclical sign mizunoe-uma.--Nichiren

The order of heritage: from Nichiren to Nikko (Gosho Zenshu, p. 1600)

Thus, the Daishonin ensured the perpetuation of his teachings in their entirety. He also named the place where the sanctuary should be constructed, whereas before he had only said a spot of great splendor. As for his successor, it appears that by 1280 or earlier he had already decided upon Nikko Shonin. In 1280, he had transferred his document, "The Hundred and Six Comparisons," to Nikko Shonin, proclaiming: "As the teacher of the True Cause (13) [and the teacher of the Buddhism of sowing], I, Nichiren, hereby respectfully incorporate my teachings in this writing and transfer it to my immediate disciple, Nikko, [who is to save the people of the Latter Day of the Law for ten thousand years and more into the future]" (Gosho Zenshu, p. 854).

The central message of this document was the declaration that the Buddhism of sowing, or the Buddhism which implants the seed of Buddhahood in the lives of all people, is the highest form of Buddhism.

After leaving Mount Minobu, Nichiren Daishonin traveled northward around Mount Fuji and, sensing that death was imminent, shunned the hot springs in favor of a trip to the home of Ikegami Munenaka. in which is presently Ota Ward of Metropolitan Tokyo. There he took final measures to ensure the perpetuity of his teachings. On October 8, he named six priests as seniors. They were Nissho, Nichiro, Nikko, Niko, Nitcho and Nichiji. On October 13, he drafted a second transfer document, called the "Document for Entrusting Minobu-san." He declared:

I transfer Shakyamuni Buddha's teachings of fifty years to Byakuren Ajari Nikko, who should become the chief priest of Minobu-san Kuon-ji temple. Those priests and lay believers who disregard this will be slanderers of the Law.

The thirteenth day of the tenth month in the fifth year of Koan (1282), cyclical sign mizunoe-uma

At Ikegami Musashi Province Nichiren (Gosho Zenshu, p. 1600)

It was the last thing he would ever write. As he and his disciples chanted Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, Nichiren Daishonin breathed his last early on the same morning, October 13, 1282, three years and one day after the inscription of the Dai-Gohonzon.

Hearing the news, disciples and followers rushed to the Ikegami residence, where the Daishonin's body had been placed in a coffin. The next evening at eight o'clock, a formal funeral was conducted. At midnight, everyone bid farewell to their revered master and committed his body to cremation. As an expression of utmost respect, a funeral procession was held in the manner befitting a deceased worthy samurai, with the lay believers taking virtual charge.

A life of passionate commitment to the welfare and happiness of all humanity had come to a close after sixty-one years, but Nichiren Daishonin lived on-in the hearts of his disciples and followers, in the teachings he left behind, in the Dai-Gohonzon he bestowed upon all humanity throughout the world and in the gratitude of the millions of people who would find solace and fulfillment through the practice of his teachings in the Latter Day of the Law. His life and achievements proved to be in accord with the stanzas of eternity which conclude the Juryo (sixteenth) chapter of the Lotus Sutra:

Because of the befuddlement of ordinary people,
though I live, I give out word I have entered extinction.
For if they see me constantly,
arrogance and selfishness arise in their minds.
Abandoning restraint, they give themselves up to the five desires (14)
and fall into the evil paths of existence.
Always I am aware of which living beings
practice the way, and which do not,
and in response to their needs for salvation
I preach various doctrines for them.
At all times I think to myself:
how can I cause living beings
to gain entry into the unsurpassed way
and quickly acquire the body
of a Buddha?

(The Lotus Sutra, pp. 231-32)

13. Teacher of the True Cause: Another name for the Buddha of kuon ganjo. Although Shakyamuni revealed his enlightenment in the remote past of gohyaku-jintengo, he did not clarify the cause that led him to Buddhahood. The original cause for the enlightenment of all living beings is the Law of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. The Buddha who directly reveals and himself embodies the Law of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo is called the Buddha of kuon ganjo, that is, Nichiren Daishonin. His Buddhism is called the "Buddhism of sowing" because it plants the original seed of Buddhahood in the lives of all people.

14. Five desires: Here, earthly desires stimulated by the five sensory organs: eyes, ears, nose, tongue and skin.

 

[SoCal Hippy]

Gosho for the Day

Gosho for the Day

"Concerning prayer, there are conspicuous prayer and conspicuous
response, conspicuous prayer and inconspicuous response, inconspicuous
prayer and inconspicuous response, and inconspicuous prayer and
conspicuous response. But the only essential point is that, if you
believe in this sutra, all your desires will be fulfilled in both the
present and the future."

(WND, 750)
Letter to the Lay Priest Domyo
Written to the lay priest Domyo on August 10, 1276

from the writings of Nichiren Daishon

 

[Babbabud]

How awesome to be so aware of your place , purpose and timing in the world.

 

[PassTheDoobie]

Bud: It's going to be the same for you. That's a promise only you can keep. Never regress, and you're there. The point is in HOW EASY IT IS TO REGRESS!

SoCal: Great post! You always post things that I need to read as well. Think of how many lifetimes we have already been together my brother. Thirty years as soul-mate friends. So many "It's a blur!"'s, that I can't count them! Thank you!

I know you won't mind me adding this for clarity:

(WND, 750) Letter to the Lay Priest Domyo

Background

Little is known about the lay priest Domyo, the recipient of this letter. He may have been a retainer of the lay nun Myoichi or of Indo Saburo Saemon Sukenobu, who was an elder brother of Nissho, one of the Daishonin's six senior disciples. In any event, Domyo had evidently requested the lay nun Myoichi to carry a letter to the Daishonin asking him to pray for Domyo's father, who was ill.

In this reply, the Daishonin clarifies the relationship between prayer and its resulting benefit. "Conspicuous prayer" means prayer offered with a clear objective or purpose. "Inconspicuous prayer" means prayer offered without a pressing need, that is, simply chanting the daimoku continually. "Conspicuous response" indicates the immediately perceptible fulfillment of one's prayers. "Inconspicuous response" indicates benefit that may not become manifest immediately, but is evident over the course of time, such as the gradual purification of one's life.

The Daishonin stresses that the important thing is simply to maintain strong faith in the Gohonzon.

 

[PassTheDoobie]

The Entity of the Mystic Law / WND pg.426 (conclusion)

The Entity of the Mystic Law / WND pg.426 (conclusion)

Question: During the Thus Come One's lifetime, who was able to realize the lotus of the entity of the Law?

Answer: During the period of the four flavors and three teachings that preceded the Lotus Sutra, there were persons of the three vehicles, the five vehicles, the seven expedient means, and the nine worlds, and the bodhisattvas of the provisional perfect teaching, as well as the Buddha of this teaching. But with the exception of the Buddha of the "Life Span" chapter of the essential teaching, neither any of these persons nor the Buddha of the theoretical teaching had so much as heard the name of the lotus of the entity expounded in the essential teaching, much less realized it.

During the first forty and more years of his teaching life, the Buddha did not make clear the doctrine of the lotus of unsurpassed enlightenment that reveals the replacement of the three vehicles with the one vehicle. That is why the Immeasurable Meanings Sutra says, "They will in the end fail to gain unsurpassed enlightenment," by which it means that the lotus of the replacement of the three vehicles with the one vehicle, which the Buddha revealed in the theoretical teaching, was never ex-pounded in the period before the preaching of the Lotus Sutra. Much less, then, did he reveal the lotus of the entity, that of "opening the near and revealing the distant," of "the true identity that is difficult to conceive," of "the fusion of reality and wisdom," and of "originally inherent and not created." How could Maitreya and the others, who were taught and converted by the Buddha in his transient status, have had any understanding of such things?

Question: How do we know that the bodhisattvas of the perfect teaching expounded before the Lotus Sutra, or the bodhisattvas of the perfect teaching set forth in the theoretical teaching of the Lotus Sutra, were not enlightened to the lotus of the entity of the essential teaching?

Answer: The bodhisattvas of the perfect teaching expounded before the Lotus Sutra did not understand the lotus of the theoretical teaching of the Lotus Sutra, and the bodhisattvas of the perfect teaching set forth in the theoretical teaching did not understand the lotus of the essential teaching.

T'ien-t'ai says, "Even successors of the Buddha of the provisional teachings do not know people who have received instruction from the Buddha of the theoretical teaching, and people taught by that Buddha do not know people who have received instruction from the Buddha of the essential teaching (36)." The Great Teacher Dengyo explains, "This is a direct way, but it is notthe great direct way." He also says, "Because they have not yet understood the great direct way to enlightenment (38)." The point being made in these passages is clear.

The bodhisattvas of the teachings preached before the Lotus Sutra or of the theoretical teaching have, in a certain sense, eradicated delusion and gained understanding of truth. Nevertheless, in the light of the essential teaching, they have gained only a temporary cutting off of delusion, not the kind that extends beyond a certain dimension. Therefore, it is said that they have in fact not yet cut off delusion.

Thus, although it is said that the bodhisattvas had already gained entrance [to enlightenment] through the various sutras, the term "gained entrance" is simply applied here in a temporary manner as a means of disparaging the achievement of the people of the two vehicles. Therefore, even the great bodhisattvas of the pre-Lotus Sutra teachings and the theoretical teaching arrive at the realization of the lotus of the Buddha only when they are exposed to the essential teaching, and achieve a true cutting off of delusion only when they hear the teachings of the "Life Span" chapter.

The Great Teacher T'ien-t'ai, commenting on the passage in the "Emerging from the Earth" chapter in which a period of time measuring fifty small kalpas is, through the Thus Come One's supernatural power, made to seem to the members of the assembly as though it were no more than half a day, says: "To the awakened ones, what seemed like a short period of time was understood to be a long one lasting fifty small kalpas; but to those who were still deluded, the long period (39) seemed to be as short as half a day."

Miao-lo in turn explains this comment by saying: "The bodhisattvas have already freed themselves from ignorance, and so they are referred to here as the 'awakened ones.' The ordinary beings of the assembly, however, have not yet advanced beyond the rank of (40) worthy persons, and thus they are (41) referred to as the 'deluded ones.'"

The meaning of these passages is quite clear. It indicates that the bodhisattvas of the pre-Lotus Sutra teachings and of the theoretical teaching were in fact still deluded, and only the Bodhisattvas of the Earth were worthy of being called awakened ones.

Nevertheless, at the present time there are certain persons of the Tendai school who, when they discuss the essential teaching and the theoretical teaching, declare that there is no difference between the two, and in interpreting the passages under discussion, they assert that the people taught and converted by the Buddha in his transient status are to be included in the category of "awakened ones." This is a gross error of interpretation. Since the meaning of the sutra passage and the annotations regarding it is perfectly clear, I do not see how anyone could put forward such an unreasonable assertion.

If we examine the passage in the "Emerging from the Earth" chapter, we see that it states that the Bodhisattvas of the Earth praised the Thus Come One for a period of fifty small kalpas, but to the members of the assembly on Eagle Peak who had been taught by the Buddha in his transient status, this seemed like no more than half a day.

T'ien-t'ai in his explanation introduces the terms "awakened ones" and "deluded ones." He explains that, because the assembly members who had been taught by the Buddha in his transient status were deluded ones, they accordingly believed that the interval of time was no more than half a day, though this was a mistaken interpretation of the facts. The Bodhisattvas of the Earth, on the other hand, were the awakened ones, and they therefore viewed the interval of time as being fifty small kalpas in duration, which was the correct interpretation of the facts.

Miao-lo proceeds to comment on this by saying that the bodhisattvas who had freed themselves from ignorance were the awakened ones, and those who had not yet freed themselves from ignorance were the deluded ones. It is perfectly clear that this is what the above quotations mean. There are some scholars who say that some among the bodhisattvas taught by the Buddha in his transient status had attained the first stage of security or advanced beyond it in the course of bodhisattva practice and hence had already freed themselves from ignorance. They say so because they were taught that the various sutras that preceded the Lotus Sutra offer a means of attaining Buddhahood, when in fact they do not offer any such means.

Those who have received either the teachings prior to the Lotus Sutra or the theoretical teaching may in a certain sense attain the stage of perfect enlightenment, but when seen in terms of the true Buddha of the "Life Span" chapter of the essential teaching, such people are still in the company of the deluded or in the rank of worthy persons. The three bodies of the Buddha as they appear in the provisional teachings have not yet escaped from the realm of impermanence, and they are therefore in effect phantom Buddhas such as one would see in a dream.

As long as those who have received the teachings prior to the Lotus Sutra or the theoretical teaching have not yet received instruction in the essential teaching, they are to be described as people who have not yet extirpated illusion. But once they have received such a teaching, they qualify for the first stage of security.

Miao-lo comments as follows: "When the Buddha proceeds beyond his transient status and reveals his true identity, all the listeners enter the first (42) stage of security." This may be contrasted to what has been said above about such people being in the rank of worthy persons. People who have received the teachings prior to the Lotus Sutra or the theoretical teaching are in the category of the deluded. They are Buddhas and bodhisattvas who have not yet freed themselves from ignorance. How true! How true!

Therefore, we understand that, once the "Life Span" chapter of the essential teaching had been revealed, all those in the assembly on Eagle Peak became enlightened to the lotus of the entity. Those of the two vehicles, the icchantikas, or persons of incorrigible disbelief (43), and the determinate groups, as well as women and evil men, all gained an awakening to the lotus of the eternal Buddha.

The Great Teacher Dengyo, explaining the lotus of the "one great reason" [why the Buddhas appear in the world], writes: "The 'one great matter,' the heart and core of the Lotus Sutra, is the revelation of the lotus. The word 'one' signifies that it is the one reality. The word 'great' signifies that it is broad and all encompassing in nature. And the word 'matter' refers to the working of the essential nature of phenomena. This one great reason or 'ultimate matter' is the truth or the teaching, the wisdom, and the practice of the perfect teaching, or the Dharma body, the wisdom, and the emancipation of the perfect teaching. Through this, the persons of the one vehicle, those of the three vehicles, those of the determinate groups, those of the indeterminate group, those who believe in Buddhist teachings, those who believe in non-Buddhist teachings, those who have no desire to become Buddhas, and those who are unable to believe in the correct teachings - all of these beings, every one of them, are brought to the realm of the wisdom penetrating all phenomena. Thus, this 'one great reason' opens the door of Buddha wisdom to all beings, shows it, causes them to awaken to it, and induces them to enter into it, and all of them attain (44) Buddhahood."

Thus we may say that the so-called evil people such as women, icchantikas, those of the determinate groups, and persons of the two vehicles, all at Eagle Peak, were able to gain an awakening to the lotus of the entity of the Mystic Law.

Question: In our present age, the period of the Latter Day of the Law, who has obtained the lotus of the entity?

Answer: Observing the situation in the world today, we would have to say that, although there are many people who are destined to fall into the great Avichi hell, there is no one who has obtained the lotus of the Buddha. The reason is that people put their faith in the expedient means of the provisional teachings that cannot lead to enlightenment, and slander the lotus of the truth, the entity of the Lotus Sutra.

The Buddha states, "If a person fails to have faith but instead slanders this sutra, immediately he will destroy all the seeds for becoming a Buddha in this world. . . . When his life comes to (45) an end he will enter the Avichi hell." T'ien-t'ai comments on this as follows: "This [Lotus] sutra opens the seeds of Buddhahood inherent in the beings of each of the six paths. But if one slanders the sutra, then the seeds (46) will be destroyed."

I, Nichiren, would like to say this. The Lotus Sutra is linked to the seeds of Buddhahood inherent in the beings of each of the Ten Worlds. But if one slanders this sutra, then it means that one is destroying the seeds of Buddhahood in the beings of each of the Ten Worlds. Such a person is certainly bound to fall into the hell of incessant suffering. When might he manage to get out of hell again?

But those who follow the teachings of Nichiren honestly discard the mis-taken doctrines of the provisional teachings and the incorrect theories of the mistaken teachers, and, with all sincerity, put their faith in the correct teaching and the correct doctrines of the correct teacher. Accordingly they are able to gain the lotus of the entity and to manifest the mystic principle of the entity of the Land of Eternally Tranquil Light. This is because they put their faith in the golden words of the Buddha indicated in the "Life Span" chapter of the essential teaching and chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo.

Question: The great teachers such as Nan-yüeh, T'ien-t'ai, and Dengyo employed the Lotus Sutra to spread widely the perfect teaching of the one vehicle, but they did not recite Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. Why is that? Does this mean that they did not know about the lotus of the entity, or that they failed to understand it?

Answer: It is said that the Great Teacher Nan-yüeh was an incarnation of Bodhisattva Perceiver of the World's Sounds, and that the Great Teacher T'ien-t'ai was an incarnation of Bodhisattva Medicine King (47). If so, then they were present on Eagle Peak when the Buddha preached the "Life Span" chapter of the essential teaching, and at that time they became enlightened to the lotus of the entity. But when they appeared in the world [as Nan-yüeh and T'ien-t'ai, respectively], they knew it was not the right time to spread the Mystic Law. Therefore, for the words "Mystic Law" they substituted the term "concentration and insight" and instead engaged in the meditation on the three thousand realms in a single moment of life and in the practice of the threefold contemplation in a single mind. But even these great teachers recited Nam-myoho-renge-kyo as their private practice, and in their hearts they understood these words to be the truth.

Thus the Great Teacher Nan-yüeh in his Method of Repentance through (48) the Lotus Sutra employs the words Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. The Great Teacher T'ien-t'ai employs the words Nam-byodo-daie-ichijo-myoho-renge-kyo (49), Keishu-myoho-renge-kyo (50), and Kimyo-myoho-renge-kyo (51). And the document concerning the vow (52) taken by the Great Teacher Dengyo on his deathbed carries the words Nam-myoho-renge-kyo.

Question: The evidence you have presented is perfectly clear. But if these men understood the truth, as the evidence indicates that they did, then why did they not spread a knowledge of it abroad?

Answer: There are two reasons. First of all, the proper time to do so had not yet arrived. Second, these men were not the persons entrusted with the task of doing so.

It is the five characters of Myoho-renge-kyo that are the great pure Law that will be spread widely in the Latter Day of the Law. And it is the great bodhisattvas who sprang up from the earth in numbers equal to the dust particles of a thousand worlds to whom this was entrusted. It was for this reason that those such as Nan-yüeh, T'ien-t'ai, and Dengyo, though in their hearts they clearly perceived the truth, left it to the leader and teacher of the Latter Day to spread it widely, while they themselves refrained from doing so.

Cover Letter

Question: The lotus of the entity of the Mystic Law is difficult to understand, and therefore metaphor is used to make its meaning clear. But is there any example in the sutras to support such a practice?

Answer: The sutra says, "[They are] unsoiled by worldly things like the lotus flower in the water. Emerging from the earth . . .". Here we see that the Bodhisattvas of the Earth are the lotus of the entity of the Mystic Law, and that the lotus is being used here as a simile. But I will write to you about this again at some future time.

This teaching represents the ultimateprinciple of the entire Lotus Sutra. It is the ultimate purpose of the Thus Come One Shakyamuni's advent, as well as the heart and core of the Lotus Sutra, which was entrusted to the great bodhisattvas who sprang up out of the earth so that they might spread it widely in the Latter Day of the Law. Only when the ruler of our nation has shown himself to have faith may this doctrine be revealed. But until then it should remain a secret teaching. I, Nichiren, have just completed transmitting it to you, Sairen-bo.

Nichiren

Background

From the cover letter, it is clear that this treatise was addressed to Sairen-bo, one of Nichiren Daishonin's followers. However, it does not bear the date or the name of the place where it was written. One view is that it was authored in the tenth year of Bun'ei (1273), at Ichinosawa on Sado Island, when the Daishonin was in exile.

Sairen-bo was a learned scholar of the Tendai school and had been living in exile on Sado for some unknown reason. Reply to Sairen-bo reveals that he converted to the Daishonin's teachings in the second month of 1272.

The Entity of the Mystic Law explains the great benefit of having faith in the Gohonzon. When examined in terms of the concept of teaching, practice, and proof, this treatise corresponds to proof, while The Opening of the Eyes and The Object of Devotion for Observing the Mind are related to teaching and practice, respectively. "Teaching" means the Buddha's teaching, and "practice" means the practice that accords exactly with the teaching. "Proof " means the merit resulting from the practice of the teaching.

Opening of the Eyes establishes a five-fold comparison, a system of comparative classification of all of Shakyamuni Buddha's teachings, and demonstrates the superiority of the Lotus Sutra over all the other sutras. Ultimately it clarifies the supremacy of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo among all the Buddhist teachings, and accordingly it corresponds to "teaching." Object of Devotion for Observing the Mind states that embracing faith in the Gohonzon is in itself enlightenment. Upholding the Mystic Law amounts to completing all the practices in which the Buddhas engaged and acquiring all the benefits and virtues that they obtained through these practices. Therefore, it corresponds to "practice." Entity of the Mystic Law corresponds to "proof," because it reveals that by believing in the Mystic Law one can manifest oneself as the entity of Myoho-renge-kyo.

In this treatise, Nichiren Daishonin uses the question-and-answer format to make his teaching more accessible to his contemporary and later followers. Its contents are divided into six parts. The first part teaches that the beings of the Ten Worlds and their environments, that is, all things and phenomena in the universe, are entities of Myoho-renge-kyo. Concerning this view, a question is posed: "If the entity of all living beings is the Mystic Law in its entirety, then are all the actions and their results that are associated with the nine worlds, from the world of hell up to that of bodhisattvas, in effect entities of the Mystic Law?" In reply to this question, the Daishonin states that, just as Buddhahood is the functioning of the Mystic Law, so likewise are the nine worlds of illusion and suffering. This is explained from the viewpoint of the defiled aspect and the pure aspect, both of which constitute the functioning of a single Law, that is, the Mystic Law.

The second part reveals from a more profound standpoint that actually only those who believe in the Mystic Law are entities of the Mystic Law. The Daishonin states, "The Buddha who is the entity of Myoho-renge-kyo, of the 'Life Span' chapter of the essential teaching, . . . is to be found in the disciples and lay believers of Nichiren." In the third part, citing T'ien-t'ai's Profound Meaning of the Lotus Sutra, the Daishonin discusses the lotus of the entity and also uses the lotus figuratively. The lotus flower was used as a metaphor to explain the lotus of the entity, since the entity of the Law itself is difficult to understand. He clarifies the lotus of the entity that inherently exists and is not created, and identifies it as the supreme single Law that simultaneously possesses both cause and effect. He also says that a sage perceived the reality of this Law and named it Myoho-renge. This is what the lotus of the entity means. The lotus blooms and produces seeds at the same time and so represents the simultaneity of cause and effect, which is the expression of the Mystic Law.

In the following three parts, the treatise describes those who have become enlightened to the lotus of the entity. The fourth part reveals that Shakyamuni Buddha became enlightened to the lotus of the entity numberless major world system dust particle kalpas in the past. Shakyamuni Buddha himself declared in the "Life Span" chapter of the Lotus Sutra, "It has been immeasurable, boundless hundreds, thousands, ten thousands, millions of nayutas of kalpas since I in fact attained Buddhahood."

Next, this treatise asserts that the passage in the "Expedient Means" chapter on the true aspect of all phenomena and the passage in the "Supernatural Powers" chapter on the transmission of the essence of the Lotus Sutra both contain perfect elucidations of the lotus of the entity. Then the treatise explains that the title "Myoho-renge-kyo" itself, appearing at the beginning of each of the twenty-eight chapters of the Lotus Sutra, represents the lotus of the entity. In response to the question regarding who was able to obtain the lotus of the entity during Shakyamuni Buddha's lifetime, the fifth part singles out those who received instruction from the Buddha of the "Life Span" chapter of the essential teaching.

The sixth and last part clarifies who is able to obtain the lotus of the entity in the present Latter Day of the Law. This part also makes clear what Law it is that enables the people of the Latter Day to realize the lotus of the entity and to attain Buddhahood. Clarification of this point is found in the passage that states: "But those who follow the teachings of Nichiren . . . are able to gain the lotus of the entity and to manifest the mystic principle of the entity of the Land of Eternally Tranquil Light. This is because they put their faith in the golden words of the Buddha indicated in the 'Life Span' chapter of the essential teaching and chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo." "The Buddha indicated in the 'Life Span' chapter" means the advocate of the teaching implicit in the depths of the "Life Span" chapter.

Subsequently this treatise explains why the Mystic Law was not propagated in the Former and Middle Days. It identifies Nam-myoho-renge-kyo as the great pure Law that is to spread in the Latter Day. Nan-yüeh and T'ien-t'ai of China and Dengyo of Japan employed the recitation of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo as their private practice, but they did not spread this practice to other people. The treatise sets forth two reasons for this fact: "First of all, the proper time to do so had not yet arrived. Second, these men were not the persons entrusted with the task of doing so."

Then, in conclusion, the Daishonin writes, "It was for this reason that those such as Nan-yüeh, T'ien-t'ai, and Dengyo, though in their hearts they clearly perceived the truth, left it to the leader and teacher of the Latter Day to spread it widely, while they themselves refrained from doing so."

Notes

36. Possibly a rephrasing of a passage in The Annotations on "The Words and Phrases of the Lotus Sutra."
37. A Commentary on the Immeasurable Meanings Sutra.
38. Ibid.
39. The Words and Phrases of the Lotus Sutra.
40. The rank of worthy persons, according to the T'ien-t'ai school, corresponds to the ten stages of faith, the first ten of the fifty-two stages of bodhisattva practice.
41. On "The Words and Phrases."
42. On "The Profound Meaning."
43. The determinate groups refer to the first three of the five natures, a doctrine set forth by the Dharma Characteristics school dividing human beings into five groups according to their inborn religious capacity. They are those predestined to be voice-hearers, those predestined to be cause-awakened ones, and those predestined to be bodhisattvas. These three are called the determinate groups, because the state they will achieve is predetermined.
44. Essay on the Protection of the Nation.
45. Lotus Sutra, chap. 3.
46. This appears in On "The Words and Phrases."
47. According to the T'ien-t'ai school's tradition, Nan-yüeh and his disciple T'ien-t'ai were said to have been incarnations of Bodhisattva Perceiver of the World's Sounds and Bodhisattva Medicine King, respectively, because they attained a great awakening through the "Perceiver of the World's Sounds" chapter and the "Medicine King" chapter of the Lotus Sutra.
48. This work, in which the words Nam-myoho-renge-kyo appear, was actually authored by T'ien-t'ai.
49. These words mean single-minded devotion to the one vehicle, that is, Myoho-renge-kyo of the great impartially-perceiving wisdom.
50. These words mean "I bow my head before Myoho-renge-kyo."
51. These words mean "I dedicate my life to Myoho-renge-kyo."
52. Reference is to The Record of Transmission at Hsiu-ch'an-ssu Temple.

 

[SoCal Hippy]

Human Revolution Vol 1

Human Revolution Vol 1

"The Thousand Mile Journey"

Toda cleared his throat and spoke in a low voice.
"According to Nagarjuna's Treatise on the Great Perfection of
Wisdom, Shakyamuni renounced secular life at age nineteen and
attained Buddhahood at thirty. He taught for fifty years following
his enlightenment. His sutras are divided into five periods,
according to when he taught them, and eight teachings, according to
their content.

"When you take an overall view of Shakyamuni's Buddhism, comparing
the different sutras of the five periods and eight teachings, you'll
find that Myoho-renge-kyo, the Lotus Sutra, is the highest of his
teachings, the core and the foundation of his Buddhism. Without
understanding the Lotus Sutra, you'll never grasp the essence of
what he taught. Besides that, to understand the difference between
the two main currents of Buddhism—Shakyamuni's Buddhism and Nichiren
Daishonin's Buddhism—you have to base your studies on the Lotus
Sutra." Everyone nodded, as though they understood.

People who can accurately distinguish the truths and errors, the
depths and superficialities of 'a particular Buddhist school, or
religion in generall, are rare indeed. In fact, they hardly exist.
Many people criticize religion arbitrarily, but if asked about the
basic principles for evaluating religions they don't have a clue.
They do not even know the difference between Shakyamuni and the
mythical Buddha Amida. As long as public religious ignorance goes
unchallenged, we can neither right the present confusion of thought
nor uproot the source of misery. The person who can open others'
eyes to the truths and fallacies of religions is a great leader.

Though the sutras clearly establish its superiority, the ultimate
teaching was never widely propagated. The fault lies with
incompetent religious leaders and their corrupt priests, both now
and in the past. Maybe they didn't know the Lotus Sutra was supreme.
Maybe they did but were bound too tightly to their own misguided
schools. In any case, they displayed no seeking spirit whatsoever,
saved no one from unhappiness—they merely took advantage of
people. No one in society has ever carried on a more unproductive
existence than these priests. Toda continued his lecture.

"Buddhism is in chaos today because those blinded by Shakyamuni's
Buddhism confuse it with the Daishonin's. The twenty-eight chapters
of Myoho-renge-kyo are Shakyamuni's Buddhism. Nam-myoho-renge-kyo is
the Buddhism of Nichiren Daishonin. You've got to understand that
fully—it's the most crucial point."

The three men whose eyes had been glued to their books looked up
simultaneously.

"So, then... " Toda took a sip of water from the glass on his
desk. "Ahh, mountain water's good, isn't it? Well...what is the
essence of Myoho-renge-kyo? In 'The Record of the Orally Transmitted
Teachings,' the Daishonin states:

"'Myo indicates the nature of enlightenment, while Ho indicates
darkness or delusion. The oneness of delusion and enlightenment is
indicated by myoho, the Mystic Law. Renge expresses the two
principles - cause and effect. It also indicates the oneness of
cause and effect. Kyo means the words and speech, sounds and voices
of all living beings. Chang-an states, "The voice does the Buddha's
work and is therefore called kyo." Kyo also signifies that life
spans the three existences—past, present and future. All things are
myoho, all things are renge all things are kyo.

Renge indicates the Buddha's body surrounded by the eight honored
ones on the eight petaled lotus. You should ponder this well.'"
Toda read, bending his face close to the fine print of the Gosho.
"You may find that a bit obscure, but in essence, the Daishonin is
saying Myoho-renge-kyo is the ultimate Law, or truth, of the
universe; and the core of this universal Law is Myoho-renge-kyo. The
phenomena of the universe, changing endlessly from moment to moment,
are all Myoho-renge kyo. In contemporary language, I suppose you
could call it universal life."

At this point, Kitagawa broke in.
"If that's the case, then, where do we human beings fit in? Are we
governed by this universal Law?"

"No, that's not it. The Daishonin explains precisely what you're
asking about in the Gosho 'The Entity of the Mystic Law.' I was just
coming to it."

Toda again peered at the Gosho and read:
Question: What is the entity of Myoho-renge-kyo?
Answer: All beings and their environments in any of the Ten Worlds
are themselves entities of Myoho-renge-kyo.
Question: If so, then is it possible to say that all living beings,
such as ourselves, are entities of the Mystic Law in its entirety?
Answer: Of course. The sutra says: "This reality [the true aspect of
all phenomena] consists of the appearance, nature... and their
consistency from beginning to end (WND, 417).

Toda continued explaining: "You may find this a little unclear, too,
but briefly, the Ten Worlds are classifications of life: ten
distinct life-conditions, from Hell through Buddhahood. All life in
the universe possesses these Ten Worlds. Subject is the entity of
life itself, while object refers to the environment, the realm in
which life functions."

He tried hard to make them grasp the theory of life expounded in the
Gosho, translating it into modern terms. He was utterly confident
that the rise of this flawless Buddhism would bring complete and
everlasting fulfillment to the billions of people in the world.

Toda probed deeper into the theory of life, backing up his
explanations With quotations from several Buddhist sources. He did
so to make it plain that he was not merely sporting his own
opinions, something he scrupulously avoided.

"The passage we just read is followed by: 'The Great Teacher Nan-
yueh says, "Question: What does Myoho-renge-kyo represent? Answer:
Myo Indicates that all living beings are myo, or mystic. Ho
indicates that all living beings are ho, or the Law." T'ien-t'ai
also says, "The Law of all living beings is mystic"' (WNO, 417).
"In short, we human beings are entities of Myoho-renge-kyo. We
embody the wonder and mystery of life — the harmony of flesh and
bones, the division of cells, nerve function, you name it. Our lives
function according to the universal Law. The body produces vitamins,
regulates sugars and manufactures hormones — a regular
pharmaceutical factory!

"Ultimately, myoho is our fundamental life force itself. You may
think that's far-fetched, but it's not. The Daishonin says so
explicitly in 'The Record of the Orally Transmitted Teachings.'
That's what makes him so great."

Toda picked up the Gosho. "It's right here." He flipped the pages,
holding the book up to his face. He half rose to get nearer the
light. "Here, I'll read it for you. Where is it?"

Fujisaki stood and took the opened book from Toda. He read, standing
under the electric light.
(HR Vol. 1, p.108-111)

'"Thus Come One' means Shakyamuni and in general indicates all
Buddhas of the ten directions and three existences. Specifically it
refers to the original Buddha eternally endowed with the three
enlightened properties. Now, in terms of Nichiren and his
followers, 'Thus Come One' generally refers to all living beings and
specifically to the disciples and followers of Nichiren Daishonin.
Thus the Buddha eternally endowed with the three enlightened
properties is the votary of the Lotus Sutra in the Latter Day of the
Law" (GZ, 752).

"There, that's far enough!"

Toda stopped him. His voice was intense and passionate. He had only
three listeners, but he'd grown as heated as though he were
lecturing to an immense crowd.

"The Daishonin states here in the 'The Record of the Orally
Transmitted Teachings' that all humankind is the Buddha, or in other
words, the entity of Myoho-renge-kyo. That's the same thing he says
in 'The Entity f the mystic Law, with we just read. We are Buddhas
and the entity of Myoho-rengc-kyo. It's true. That's what he aches.
We can think whatever we please, but it's just our own arbitrary
view, and as such, it's bound to be mistaken. The Daishonin declares
that all humankind is the Buddha, regardless of what you or I think.
That inability to believe is the real stupidity of human beings.
That's why we get trapped in the cycle of the sx lower worlds and
cannot attain lasting happiness. It's an old, old story
"The Daishonin goes on to explain that the honorable name of the
votary of the Lotus Sutra in the Latter Day of the Law is Nam-myoho-
renge-kyo. In terms of the Person, the entity of Myoho-renge-kyo is
we common mortals of the Latter Day of the Law. Specifically, it is
Nichiren Daishonin. In terms of the Law, the life of the universe
itself is the entity of Myoho-renge-kyo.

"Therefore, we can say that our lives embody the supreme Law and are
one with the life of the universe. Buddha is life itself!

"Well, we finished our first lecture. Tonight is New Year's.
Iwamori, how about some sake?"

Iwamori brought out the bottle he'd put away earlier and hastily
tore off the wrapper. "This is not just any sake, it's the best. Got
it specially for tonight," he said.

In a room adjoining the silent hall, they heated the sake and
exchanged cups. Their laughter rang out well into the evening.
"About that lecture... is it really true that human beings are all
Buddhas? It just doesn't seem possible," protested Iwamori, who was
showing the effects of the sake.

"I must say, Iwamori would make a very strange Buddha," Kitagawa
teased.

"What about you, Kitagawa?" Fujisaki demanded. "You do not strike me
as much of a Buddha, either. Maybe a decadent one."

Everyone burst out laughing. Toda laughed, too. "What a sad group of
Buddhas!"

Iwamori interrupted Toda's joking with great earnestness. "But I
cannot possibly imagine myself as a Buddha."

At this everyone shrieked with laughter.

"Do not worry, Iwamori," Toda said. "We're called ordinary ignorant
human beings because we cannot wholeheartedly believe what the
Daishonin teaches. But if we practice for all we're worth, we'll
become Buddhas, every last one of us. There's no doubt about it.
When you embrace the Gohonzon and dedicate yourself to faith,
practice and study, you'll no longer be an ordinary, troubled human
being. That's the power of the Daishonin's Buddhism. Look at it this
way; you couldn't even begin to understand the achievements of
Einstein without some background in scientific research and
experimentation, could you? It's the same way with Buddhism."

The conversation drifted back to the Lotus Sutra. The fire glowed in
the brazier. Though they shivered, they didn't feel the cold. The
night wore on. Lost in their discussion, they forgot the passing of
time.

The next morning, January 2, they were able to meet with the sixty-
third high priest, Nichiman. Then they chanted to the Dai-Gohonzon
in the Treasure House, for the first time in two and a half years.
Toda never stirred throughout gongyo. He seemed to be unaware of
everything around him. Two and a half years... how many times, in
that foul, dark prison, had he seen it in his dreams? In his
solitary cell, the radiance of the Gohonzon had enfolded him in its
warmth.

He was chanting strongly and steadily. "I've come back!" he cried
out in his heart. Toda gave thanks for having weathered that time of
bitter trials, and he renewed his commitment to kosen-rufu.

In that moment, far away, he felt both past and future vanish.
Nothing existed but the Gohonzon and he, Josei Toda, and the sense
of life's eternity that flowed between them. In an instant he
understood. Eternity exists in an individual moment. The
continuation of one moment—that is eternity, and the origin and
entity of that moment is Nam-myoho-renge-kyo.

As the doors of the altar closed, he came to himself. His whole body
overflowed with indescribable joy.

It was a fine day.
(HR Book One, pg111-13)

 

[Babbabud]

No regression here. Moving forward each next moment

Force recoils
But
The time comes
When there is nothing to do
Except act consciously
With courage

Each next moment ...here it is .... going forward ..never back

Nam myoho renge kyo!!

 

[Babbabud]

As soon as I finished posting the above post the Local SGI district manager called to invite me to the next meeting at his house on Wednesday of this next week. I made it very clear that I want to recieve my gohonzon asap .... I could see the smile on his face right through the phone
So as I said .... forward

 

[PassTheDoobie]

Another wonderful post SoCal. Thank you! Again, if you have access, please share the "garden of life' chapter of 'The Human Revolution'.

Bud! So this Wednesday is when your first meeting will be? I would give anything to be able to attend. I am sure many of us are sending you sincere Daimoku for this to be an unforgettable experience for you. I am sure you are going to blow them away with your faith! Forward!

Much love and respect to all.

T

 

[PassTheDoobie]

PS: Bud, my stonegirl has been kicking my ass for continually forgetting to convey her heartfelt congratulations and deepest wishes for a deep and continuous practice of the Daishonin's Buddhism with your Gohonzon. I was supposed to tell you that as soon as we read it and apologize for neglecting to extend her wishes to you sooner. I look forward to that time in the future when our two families get together someday!

 

[PassTheDoobie]

The Essentials for Attaining Buddhahood / WND pg. 746

The Essentials for Attaining Buddhahood / WND pg. 746

The "Expedient Means" chapter in volume one of the Lotus Sutra states, "The wisdom of the Buddhas is infinitely profound and immeasurable." A commentary says that the riverbed of reality is described as "infinitely pro-found" because it is boundless, and that the water of wisdom is described as "immeasurable" because it is hard to (1) fathom.

Is not the meaning of the sutra and the commentary that the way to Buddhahood lies within the two elements of reality and wisdom? Reality means the true nature of all phenomena, and wisdom means the illuminating and manifesting of this true nature. Thus when the riverbed of reality is infinitely broad and deep, the water of wisdom will flow ceaselessly. When this reality and wisdom are fused, one attains Buddhahood in one's present form.

The sutras expounded prior to the Lotus Sutra cannot lead to Buddhahood because they are provisional and expedient teachings that separate reality and wisdom. The Lotus Sutra, however, unites the two as a single entity. The sutra says that the Buddhas open the door of Buddha wisdom to all living beings, show it, cause them to awaken to it, and induce them to enter its path. By realizing this Buddha wisdom (2), one attains Buddhahood

This inner enlightenment of the Buddha is far beyond the understanding of voice-hearers and pratyekabuddhas. This is why the "Expedient Means" chapter goes on to say, "Not one of the voice-hearers or pratyekabuddhas is able to comprehend it." What then are these two elements of reality and wisdom? They are simply the five characters of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. Shakyamuni Buddha called forth the Bodhisattvas of the Earth and entrusted to them these five characters that constitute the essence of the sutra. This is the teaching that was transferred to the bodhisattvas who had been the disciples of the Buddha since the remote past.

The Lotus Sutra states that Bodhisattva Superior Practices and the others will appear in the first five hundred years of the Latter Day of the Law to propagate the five characters, the embodiment of the two elements of reality and wisdom. The sutra makes this perfectly clear. Who could possibly dispute it? I, Nichiren, am neither Bodhisattva Superior Practices nor his envoy, but I precede them, spreading the five characters to prepare the way. Bodhisattva Superior Practices received the water of the wisdom of the Mystic Law from the Thus Come One Shakyamuni and causes it to flow into the wasteland of the people's lives in the evil world of the latter age. This is the function of wisdom. Shakyamuni Buddha transferred this teaching to Bodhisattva Superior Practices, and now Nichiren propagates it in Japan. With regard to the transfer of teachings, it is divided into two categories: general and specific. If you confuse the general with (3) the specific even in the slightest, you will never be able to attain Buddhahood and will wander in suffering through endless transmigrations of births and deaths.

For example, the voice-hearers in Shakyamuni Buddha's lifetime received the seeds of Buddhahood from Shakyamuni in the distant past when he was the sixteenth son of the Buddha Great Universal Wisdom Excellence. Therefore, they could not attain enlightenment by following Amida, Medicine Master, or any other Buddha. To illustrate, if a family member brings home water from the ocean, the entire family can use it. But were they to refuse even a single drop of that water and instead go looking for water from some other ocean, it would be terribly misguided and foolish. In the same way, to forget the original teacher who had brought one the water of wisdom from the great ocean of the Lotus Sutra and instead follow another would surely cause one to sink into the endless sufferings of birth and death.

One should abandon even one's teacher if he or she is misguided, though there will be cases where this is not necessary. One should decide according to the principles both of the world and of Buddhism. Priests in the Latter Day of the Law are ignorant of the principles of Buddhism and are conceited, so they despise the correct teacher and fawn on patrons. True priests are those who are honest and who desire little and yet know satisfaction. Volume one of The Words and Phrases of the Lotus Sutra states: "Those who have yet to attain the truth should humble themselves before the highest principle, which is comparable to heaven, and feel abashed before all the sages. Then they will be monks with a sense of shame. When they manifest insight and wisdom, then they will be true monks."

The Nirvana Sutra states: "If even a good monk sees someone destroying the teaching and disregards him, failing to reproach him, to oust him, or to punish him for his offense, then you should realize that that monk is betraying the Buddha's teaching. But if he ousts the destroyer of the Law, reproaches him, or punishes him, then he is my disciple and a true voice-hearer." You should etch deeply in your mind the two words "see" and "disregard" in the phrase "sees someone destroying the teaching and disregards him, failing to reproach him." Both teacher and followers will surely fall into the hell of incessant suffering if they see enemies of the Lotus Sutra but disregard them and fail to reproach them. The Great Teacher Nan-yüeh says that they "will fall into hell along with those evil persons (4)." To hope to attain Buddhahood without speaking out against slander is as futile as trying to find water in the midst of fire or fire in the midst of water. No matter how sincerely one believes in the Lotus Sutra, if one is guilty of failing to rebuke slander of the Law, one will surely fall into hell, just as a single crab leg will ruin a thousand pots of lacquer. This is the meaning of the passage in the sutra, "Because the poison has penetrated deeply and their minds no longer function (5) as before."

The sutra states, "Those persons who had heard the Law dwelled here and there in various Buddha lands, constantly reborn in company with (6) their teachers," and "If one stays close to the teachers of the Law, one will speedily gain the bodhisattva way. By following and learning from these teachers one will see Buddhas as numerous (7) as Ganges sands." A commentary says, "Originally one followed this Buddha and for the first time conceived the desire to seek the way. And by following this Buddha again, one will reach the stage where there is no retrogression (8)." Another commentary says, "In the beginning one followed this Buddha or bodhisattva and formed a bond with him, and so it will be through this Buddha or bodhisattva that one will attain one's goal." (9) Above all, be sure to follow your original teacher so that you are able to attain Buddhahood. Shakyamuni Buddha is the original teacher for all people, and moreover, he is endowed with the virtues of sovereign and parent. Because I have expounded this teaching, I have been exiled and almost killed. As the saying goes, "Good advice grates on the ear." But still I am not discouraged. The Lotus Sutra is like the seed, the Buddha like the sower, and the people like the field. If you deviate from these principles, not even I can save you in your next life.

With my deep respect,

Nichiren

The third day of the eighth month in the second year of Kenji (1276), cyclical sign hinoe-ne

To Soya

Background

This letter is addressed to Soya, a lay follower who lived in Soya Village in Shimosa Province. His full name and title were Soya Jiro Hyoe-no-jo Kyoshin, and he is thought to have been an officer of the high court of the Kamakura shogunate. He had converted to Nichiren Daishonin's teachings around 1260 and became one of the leading believers in the area, together with Toki Jonin and Ota Jomyo.

In 1271, Soya became a lay priest and was given the Buddhist name Horen Nichirai by the Daishonin. Horen built two temples and lived at one of them until he died in 1291 at the age of sixty-eight.

In this letter, the Daishonin first quotes the "Expedient Means" chapter of the Lotus Sutra and states, "The way to Buddhahood lies within the two elements of reality and wisdom." Reality indicates the ultimate truth that the Law permeates all phenomena in the universe. Wisdom, on the other hand, means the ability to perceive and understand this truth. When this wisdom exists - when the "water of wisdom" fills the "riverbed of reality"- it is known as the fusion of reality and wisdom. This is enlightenment. In other words, one illuminates and manifests the Law in one's own life.

The Daishonin stresses that Nam-myoho-renge-kyo is the Law that unites both reality and wisdom; it is the seed of Buddhahood for all people in the Latter Day. This Law is to be propagated by Bodhisattva Superior Practices at the beginning of the Latter Day. The Daishonin states that he is the first one to embark on this great mission, by which he is really indicating that he is the original teacher who will lead all people to enlightenment.

Next, he points out that any teacher or disciple who ignores those who commit slander of the Law will fall into hell. This amounts to a compassionate warning about the responsibility believers have to protect the Buddha's teaching.

Notes

1. This commentary is based on passages from The Profound Meaning of the Lotus Sutra and The Annotations on "The Profound Meaning of the Lotus Sutra."
2. The wording of the Japanese text has been expanded for clarity. In the "Expedient Means" chapter of the Lotus Sutra, Shakyamuni reveals the "one great reason" why the Buddhas make their advent in the world. He says it is to enable all people to realize their inherent Buddha wisdom.
3. The general refers to an overall or surface view, and the specific, to a deeper, more sharply delineated view. In the "Entrustment" chapter of the Lotus Sutra, Shakyamuni makes a general transfer of the sutra to all the bodhisattvas present, but in the "Supernatural Powers" chapter, he specifically transfers the essence of the sutra, or the Mystic Law, to Bodhisattva Superior Practices and the other Bodhisattvas of the Earth.
4. This phrase is found in a passage from On the Peaceful Practices of the Lotus Sutra, which reads: "If there should be a bodhisattva who protects evil persons and fails to chastise them . . . then, when his life comes to an end, he will fall into hell along with those evil persons."
5. Lotus Sutra, chap. 16.
6. Ibid., chap. 7.
7. Ibid., chap. 10.
8. Profound Meaning.
9. The Annotations on "The Words and Phrases of the Lotus Sutra."

 

[Babbabud]

Today was an awesome family day . We spent the day out on the boat riding our www.skyski.com . It was a great day. Many trainwreck joints and lots of happy smiling faces
Nam myoho renge kyo !!

 

[Guest]

Hey Babbabud!
So happy you are going through such a time of joy in your life. The highs are always great! Once you receive your Gohonzon there will be plenty more. Best as always to you, Southern Girl

 

[SoCal Hippy]

Hey Babbabud,

Brought back some nice memories myself of Lake Shasta and its beauty and tranquility. Spent many summers with the family camping there. Such wonderful times. Always wanted to do the 'houseboat' trip there; there is still time in my life to do it and I will.

Nam myoho renge kyo

(10) The World of Buddhas, or Buddhahood.

This is a state of perfect
and absolute freedom in which one realizes the true aspect of all
phenomena or the true nature of life. One can achieve this state by
manifesting the Buddha nature inherent in one's life. From the
standpoint of the philosophy of the mutual possession of the Ten
Worlds, Buddhahood should not be viewed as a state removed from the
sufferings and imperfections of ordinary persons. Attaining Buddhahood
does not mean becoming a special being. In this state, one still
continues to work against and defeat the negative functions of life
and transform any and all difficulty into causes for further
development. It is a state of complete access to the boundless wisdom,
compassion, courage, and other qualities inherent in life; with these
one can create harmony with and among others and between human life
and nature. In the above work, Nichiren states, "Buddhahood is the
most difficult to demonstrate" (358), but he also says, "That ordinary
people born in the latter age can believe in the Lotus Sutra is due to
the fact that the world of Buddhahood is present in the human world"
(358)."
http://www.sgi-usa.org/buddhism/library/sgdb/lexicon.cgi?tid=2494

 

[Guest]

Hey SoCal,
Where the hell have ya been? Nothing too bad here. Just life! Sometimes you get it and sometimes it gets you. Nice to see ya! Southern Girl