Chanting Growers Group

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five practices
[五種の修行] (Jpn.: goshu-no-shugyo)

Five kinds of practice described in the "Teacher of the Law" (tenth) chapter of the Lotus Sutra. They are to embrace, read, recite, expound, and transcribe the Lotus Sutra. The "Teacher of the Law" chapter says that one who embraces, reads, recites, expounds, and transcribes even a single verse of the sutra will attain Buddhahood without fail. In this chapter, Shakyamuni says to the bodhisattva Medicine King: "You should understand that such persons [who carry out the five practices] have already offered alms to a hundred thousand million Buddhas and in the place of the Buddhas have fulfilled their great vow, and because they take pity on living beings they have been born in this human world. Medicine King, if someone should ask what living beings will be able to attain Buddha-hood in a latter-day existence, then you should show him that all these people in a latter-day existence are certain to attain Buddhahood." Various categories of five practices are set forth in Buddhism.


six sense organs
[六根] (Jpn.: rokkon; Skt.: shad-indriya)

Also, six sensory organs. The eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, and mind. The contact of the six sense organs with their corresponding six objects gives rise to the six consciousnesses-sight, hearing, smell, taste, touch, and thought. In Hinayana Buddhism, the six sense organs are regarded as the source of earthly desires. The Lotus Sutra says that one can purify the workings of the six sense organs by embracing and reciting the sutra. With the six sense organs purified, one is free of attachment to and delusion about their corresponding objects-color and form, sound, odor, taste, texture, and phenomena. The Sanskrit word indriya means faculty, faculty of sense, sense organ, or power.


ten stages of faith
[十信] (Jpn.: jisshin)

The first ten of the fifty-two stages of bodhisattva practice described in the Jeweled Necklace Sutra. They are (1) arousing pure faith, (2) ever-mindfulness, (3) assiduousness, (4) concentration, (5) wisdom, or perceiving the non-substantiality of all things, (6) keeping the precepts, (7) directing previously acquired good fortune toward attaining enlightenment, (8) guarding the mind against earthly desires, (9) discarding attachments, and (10) making efforts to fulfill one's vows. There are differing descriptions of the content and order of the ten stages of faith.


"Teacher of the Law" chapter
[法師品] (Jpn.: Hosshi-hon)

The tenth chapter of the Lotus Sutra. In it, Shakyamuni Buddha addressed Bodhisattva Medicine King, and through him the eighty thousand bodhisattvas. In contrast to the preceding chapters, which reveal that the voice-hearer disciples will attain Buddhahood in the future, the "Teacher of the Law" and the ensuing four chapters deal with the practice and propagation of the Lotus Sutra after Shakyamuni Buddha's death. Shakyamuni accordingly addresses these chapters not to his voice-hearer disciples but to the great bodhisattvas who work to save the people as the Buddha's emissaries, praising the great benefit of embracing and teaching the sutra. One who hears even a single verse or phrase of it and devotes to it even a single moment of rejoicing, he declares, will without fail attain supreme enlightenment. Moreover, one who secretly teaches to another even a single phrase of the sutra should be regarded as the Buddha's envoy, sent to carry out his work. This chapter sets forth the so-called "three rules of preaching" of the Lotus Sutra. These are to enter the room of the Thus Come One, to put on the robe of the Thus Come One, and to sit in the seat of the Thus Come One. The room of the Thus Come One means profound compassion; his robe, a gentle and forbearing heart; and his seat, the ability to perceive the non-substan-tiality of all phenomena. This chapter also mentions the five practices of the Lotus Sutra: to embrace, read, recite, expound, and copy it.

From source: The Soka Gakkai Dictionary of Buddhism

 

[PassTheDoobie]

The Record of the Orally Transmitted Teachings

The Record of the Orally Transmitted Teachings

Chapter Nineteen: Benefits of the Teacher of the Law

Four important points


Point One, regarding the benefits of the Teacher of the Law

The record of the Orally Transmitted Teachings says: The words “Teacher of the Law” mean the teacher of the Law who carries out the five practices. The word “benefits” (kudoku) means the reward that is represented by the purification of the six sense organs. In general we may say that now Nichiren and his followers, who chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, are carrying out the purification of the six sense organs. Hence, they are acting as teachers of the Law of Myoho-renge-kyo and possess great virtue (toku). *

The element ku in the word kudoku means good fortune or happiness. It also refers to the merit achieved by wiping out evil, while the element toku or doku refers to the virtue one acquires by bringing about good. Thus the word kudoku refers to attain Budhahood in ones present form. It also means the purification of the six sense organs. You should understand that to practice the Lotus Sutra as the sutra itself directs is to carry out purification of the six sense organs.

* The Chinese character for virtue, toku, also means happiness.

Point Two, regarding the purification of the six sense organs

The Record of the Orally Transmitted Teachings says: [With regard to the eight hundred eye benefits obtained by those who uphold the Lotus Sutra], the term “eye benefits” means the ability to see that those who do not believe in the Lotus Sutra will fall into the hell of incessant suffering, and that those that do believe in it will attain Buddhahood. By upholding the Lotus Sutra, one can obtain eight hundred eye benefits. The word “eye” refers to the Lotus Sutra. [As the Universal Worthy Sutra says], “The Great Vehicle sutras are…the eyes of the Buddhas.”

Now when Nichiren and his followers chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, they are obtaining these eye benefits. And the same applies to the benefits associated with the ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind.


Point Three, on the simile of the pure bright mirror in the passage “If one upholds the Lotus Sutra / his body will be very pure, / like purple lapis lazuli-- / living beings will all delight to see it. / And it will be like a pure bright mirror / in which forms and shapes are all reflected.”

The Record of the Orally Transmitted Teachings says: In this famous passage in the Lotus Sutra the simile of the mirror is employed. The sutra passage is saying that persons whose six sense organs are pure will be like lapis lazuli or like a bright mirror in which one sees the major world system (or the thousand-millionfold world).

Now when Nichiren and his followers chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, they see and understand the ten thousand phenomena as though these were reflected in a bright mirror. The bright mirror is the Lotus Sutra. And in particular it is the “Treasure Tower” chapter. Or again we may say that is the bright mirror of our single mind [of faith].

The passage as a whole employs these two similes of lapis lazuli and a bright mirror. It has begun by saying that his body will be very pure. But since the body and the mind in the end are not two different things, this virtue of purity must apply to both of them.

[In the phrase “pure bright mirror”], “pure” means a purity that stands in contrast to impurity, and “bright” means a brightness that stands in contrast to lack of brightness, that is, darkness, or ignorance. The word “mirror” represents the single mind. [From another viewpoint], “pure” represents the truth of temporary existence, “bright” represents the truth of non-substantiality, and “mirror” represents the Middle Way. In the phrase “in which forms and shapes are all reflected,” the word all refers to the Ten Worlds.

Ultimately, then, the pure bright mirror represents the truth that the two elements of body and mind are the entity of Myoho-renge-kyo. The pure bright mirror is the mind of faith. And [for the bodhisattva in his pure body] to view the major world system is to see in it the three realms of existence.


Point Four, on the words “While these persons uphold this sutra / they will dwell safely on rare ground.”

The Record of the Orally Transmitted Teachings says: The words “these persons” refer to the votaries of the Lotus Sutra who are among the various people in the country of Japan. The words “rare ground” refer to the principle and actual fact of manifesting the original state [of enlightenment] as revealed in the “Life Span” chapter. They also recall the pronouncement made in the chapter “Distinctions in Benefits,” “The Buddha preaches a rarely encountered Law.” In particular, they refer to Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. Now the “rare ground” occupied by Nichiren and his followers, who chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, is the object of devotion, the bright mirror to be broadly disseminated in the Latter Day of the Law.

Generally speaking, the benefits gained from purification of the six sense organs that are described in this chapter correspond to the ten stages of faith and the stage of resemblance to enlightenment, the fourth of the six stages of practice. The bodhisattva Constant Exertion who is the member of the assembly addressed in this chapter represents the third of the ten stages of faith, that of assiduousness or exertion. One should understand, however, that, in the Latter Day of the Law, it is the votaries of the Lotus Sutra who act as the bodhisattva Constant Exertion. Of such persons who uphold the Lotus Sutra the sutra itself says, “This is what is meant by “diligence” (chapter eleven, Treasure Tower).

 

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The Oneness of BODY and MIND

The Oneness of BODY and MIND

The Greek philosopher Anaxagoras (500-426 B.C.) envisioned a principle called mind that provides matter with its order. He viewed all reality as dualistic--of two--consisting of mind and matter.

Rene Descartes, the seventeenth-century French philosopher and mathematician who famously observed, "I think, therefore I am" (Latin: Cogito, ergo sum), drew a strict distinction between mind and body. To Descartes, mind was an immaterial substance responsible for rational thought, imagination, feeling and will. Body was of the material realm. All matter was subject completely to the laws of physics, except for the body which was also influenced by the human mind, or will, though distinct from it. Descartes’ mind-body dualism laid the groundwork in Western thought for the separation of theology and science, of materialism and spiritualism, of body and mind. It supported the distinction in science between physical phenomena or illnesses and those of a mental or emotional nature.

The idea of body-mind separation still exists to some degree, but it is a distinction that has begun to blur as science and medicine have progressed. The discipline of mind-body medicine, until only recently rejected by mainstream medicine, is now becoming part of that mainstream.

Within the last quarter century it has been established that certain kinds of cells in blood and body, called "Natural Killer" cells (NK), play an important role in fighting cancers and virus infections by killing the abnormal or infected cells. An increase in the body’s NK level means a higher probability of defeating such diseases. There is growing evidence that mood and temperament affect the concentration of NK cells in a person’s system. A recent Indian State University study titled "The Effect of Mirthful Laughter on Stress and Natural Killer Cell Cytotoxicity" confirms the effect of humor and laughter in reducing stress and boosting the body’s ability to fight disease. Its implications are stated as follows: "This study indicates that laughter has the potential to reduce stress and temporarily improve NK activity in a sample of healthy women. As low NK activity has been linked to poorer prognosis, humor may be a useful complementary therapy in the care of persons with cancer, but more research is needed to determine the effect of laughter on NK activity in persons with cancer" (see: http://web.indstate.edu/nurs/mary/abst.htm. Such research seems to confirm pioneering work on the effects of humor on health done by Dr. Norman Cousins and others, and attests to the growing scientific awareness of the mind-body connection.

We also see many clear day-to-day examples of the connection between mind and body. For instance, when we are surprised or frightened, our faces turn pale. This is because fear causes blood vessel to constrict, decreasing the flow of blood to the skin. Also, emotional stress is thought to contribute to the formation of certain kinds of digestive ulcers--lesions of the lining of the stomach, duodenum or intestine.

The above examples illustrate how a spiritual change can bring about a physical change. But even more obvious are examples in which a physical change brings about a change in the mind or spirit. A simple toothache can change our entire outlook, making us irritable or even surly. Another obvious example of a physical change having a spiritual effect is the drinking of alcohol. A chemical that directly affects the body’s metabolism, alcohol can make an otherwise shy person outgoing, or even confrontational.

An even more direct example is that of physical injury to the brain, which can cause a person to undergo a complete and permanent change in temperament and behavior, depending on what specific part of the brain is damaged.

The fact is that every human feeling, every thought, has some sort of physical manifestation--even if only a subtle electro-chemical change in the brain or nervous system.

The "oneness of body and mind’ is a core concept in Buddhism. "Body" here indicates physical phenomena, literally, that which can be seen. "Mind" means spiritual and mental phenomena, which are invisible. "Oneness" does not mean that body and mind are absolutely identical. It is a translation of a Chinese term meaning "not two," or non-duality. This is itself a contraction of a longer term meaning "two but not two." This means that, while body and mind--physical and spiritual--are clearly two distinct classes of phenomena, they are both aspects of the same thing. They are both rooted in the common source of life itself, in the ultimate reality or law of life.

In the "Record of the Orally Transmitted Teachings," Nichiren Daishonin states that the word "Nam" of "Nam-myoho-renge-kyo," which derives from the Sanskrit language, is translated into Chinese as two characters, one meaning "devotion:" and the other, "life." He further states that "devotion" indicates the physical aspect, or body, and "life" indicates the spiritual aspect, or "mind." Then he continues, "This oneness of body and mind is the single ultimate principle" (Gosho Zenshu, p. 708) This suggests that the highest principle of Buddhism is the reality that we can manifest in our beings, in our bodies and minds, the fundamental enlightenment inherent to all life. This fundamental enlightenment is also called the Buddha nature, the Mystic Law, or Myoho-renge-kyo. When we devote ourselves to this Law through Buddhist practice, we tap into the source of cosmic life-force from which the physical and spiritual aspects of life arise. In this way, we enrich, harmonize and revitalize our physical and spiritual selves, our bodies and our minds.

In his writing "Opening the Eyes of Wooden and Painted Images," Nichiren Daishonin states, "One’s thoughts are expressed in one’s voice. The mind represents the spiritual aspect, and the voice, the physical aspect. A person can know another’s mind by listening to the voice. This is because the physical aspect reveals the spiritual aspect" (WND, 86)

When we seriously pray, for and feel concern for others (mind), our words and actions (body) toward them can uplift their spirits (mind), which can in turn lead to a positive change in their physical health and also in their own words and actions (body). At the same time, applying our voice and actions in this way enhances and develops our own spiritual state. When we continue to chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo with a strong prayer for our own happiness and that of others, and consistently speak and act to achieve those ends, we are living the principle of oneness of body and mind.

August 2000
Living Buddhism
Page 6

By Shin Yatomi, SGI-USA vice Study Department chief, partly based on Yasashii Kyogaku (Easy Buddhist Study), published by the Seikyo Press in 1994.

 

[Babbabud]

Nice read Thomas . If you check the boards you can see this in action in the "pray for sleepy " thread...... many many ppl love and respect sleepy and are sending their good vibes and daimoku to him. Im sure this will help sleepy heal more quickly in mind and body Hope everyone has had a great weekend and is feeling well. I thank you all for the daily encouragement...
nam myoho renge kyo

 

[PassTheDoobie]

"This oneness of body and mind is the single ultimate principle" (Gosho Zenshu, p. 708) This suggests that the highest principle of Buddhism is the reality that we can manifest in our beings, in our bodies and minds, the fundamental enlightenment inherent to all life. This fundamental enlightenment is also called the Buddha nature, the Mystic Law, or Myoho-renge-kyo. When we devote ourselves to this Law through Buddhist practice, we tap into the source of cosmic life-force from which the physical and spiritual aspects of life arise. In this way, we enrich, harmonize and revitalize our physical and spiritual selves, our bodies and our minds.

Mystic that you should say that, Bud! I just specifically posted that article for sleepy to read! Nam-myoho-renge-kyo to you sleepy! You are causing others to chant the Daimoku, whether you are aware of it or not!

Then WHAT CIRCUMSTANCE IS THERE THAT CANNOT BE OVERCOME! NONE, BROTHER, NONE!!! Manifest and then share with us this actual proof! Please!

You are never alone,

Thomas

 

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Deliberately Creating the Appropriate Karma

Deliberately Creating the Appropriate Karma

For years, I felt confused by what I saw as a dichotomy in the teachings of Nichiren Daishonin’s Buddhism. In his writings, Nichiren Daishonin assures us that based upon our Buddhist practice, we will enjoy “peace and security” in this lifetime and “good circumstances” in our next (The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, p.681). He also states that it is because of our countless good deeds in the remote past that we are able to take faith in the Gohonzon in this existence.

If it were true that our connection to the Mystic Law of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo extends deep into the infinite past, as both the Lotus Sutra and Nichiren Daishonin indicate, then why, I wondered, were so many of my fellow SGI members struggling with such extreme difficulties and problems? Where was all this good fortune we had supposedly accumulated?

The “Teacher of the Law” chapter of the Lotus Sutra offers a profound explanation: “Medicine King… you should understand that such persons have already offered alms to a hundred thousand million Buddhas and in the place of the Buddhas have fulfilled their great vow, and because they take pity on living beings they have been born in this human world… Medicine King, you should understand that these persons voluntarily relinquish the reward due them from their pure deeds and, in the time after I have passed into extinction, because they pity living beings, they are born in this evil world so they can broadly expound this sutra” (The Lotus Sutra, trans. Burt Watson, pp. 161-62).

In his Commentaries on the Words and Phrases of the Lotus Sutra, the Chinese Buddhist scholar Miaolo used the phrase “deliberately creating the appropriate karma,” (WND, 243) to describe this concept.

In “The Opening of the Eyes,” Nichiren Daishonin also addresses this concept: “The more government authorities rage against me, the greater my joy. For Instance, there are certain Hinayana bodhisattvas not yet freed from delusion, who draw evil karma to themselves by their own compassionate vow. If the see their father and mother have fallen into hell and are suffering greatly, they will deliberately create the appropriate karma in hopes that they too may fall into hell and share in and take their suffering upon themselves. Thus suffering is a joy to them” (WND, 243).

When SGI President Ikeda visited Sonia Ghandi in India after the assassination of her husband, Prime Minister Rajiv Ghandi, he told her “I really hope that you can change your sad destiny into a cause for realizing an important mission in India.” This conversation is captured in the book The wisdom of the Lotus Sutra, vol. 2(p.184). Here he also explains that the greatness of Rajiv Gandhi arose from his love for the people of India.

He writes: “Not even the terrorist bombing that took his life (in May 1991) could have destroyed the love for the people that burned in Rajiv Gandhi’s heart. I believe people have a mission to fulfill that transcends life and death. The lives of people who embrace a mission to which they can wholeheartedly dedicate themselves and even be willing to die for are the most sublime” (Ibid., p. 184).

The most important thing to remember as practitioners of Nichiren Daishonin’s Buddhism - especially when facing difficulties and problems - is that we possess a profound mission as Bodhisattvas of the Earth. Instead of simply viewing our unfortunate circumstances as “bad karma,” our struggles, no matter how difficult, are in fact the soil for our great mission to take root.

“To simply view your sufferings as ‘karma’ is backward-looking,” writes President Ikeda in The Wisdom of the Lotus Sutra (pp. 208-209). “We should have the attitude: ‘These are sufferings I took on for the sake of my mission. I vowed to overcome these problems through faith.”

“When we understand this principle of ‘deliberately creating the appropriate karma,” he continues, “our frame of mind is transformed; what we had previously viewed as destiny, we come to see as mission. There is absolutely no way we cannot overcome sufferings that are the result of a vow that we ourselves made.”

The problem is that if we are deluded in our view of life and are overcome with complain and suffering as a result of our problems, we might forget our original vow to save others by overcoming our suffering. And then we might not be able to conquer our own suffering either.

In The New Human Revolution, President Ikeda tells the SGI members in Brazil, man of whom were desperately poor and isolated in a new and vastly different country, that in addition to making tenuous efforts, their “daimoku must also be a pledge.”

“Prayer in Nichiren Daishonin’s Buddhism means to chant daimoku based on a pledge or vow. At its very core, this vow is to attain kosen-rufu.

“You may think you have just happened to come to Brazil as a result of your respective circumstances. But this is not the case, “he continues. “You have been born as Bodhisattvas of the Earth in order to achieve kosen-rufu in Brazil, to lead the people of this country to happiness and to create an eternal paradise in this land. Indeed, you have been chosen by Nichiren Daishonin to be here” (The New Human Revolution, vol. 1, p.251).

It is the same for us, irrespective of where we live or our present circumstances. Once we determine to overcome our sufferings as a way to help others understand the greatness of this Buddhism and thereby lead as many people to happiness as possible, then we will be fulfilling the compassionate vows that we ourselves made in the infinite past. To make this kind of determination and advance with courage is what is most important.

“When you realize your great mission as Bodhisattvas of the Earth and dedicate your lives to kosen-rufu, the sun that has existed within you since time without beginning will begin to shine forth. All offenses you have committed in past lifetimes will vanish like mist, and you will embark upon wonderful lives permeated by deep joy and happiness” (Ibid., p.254)

(source) : Living Buddhism
Buddhist Concepts for Today’s Living (28)

 

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Lessening One's Karmic Retribution:

The principle that, through one's faith and practice of the True Law, he or she can experience the effects of bad karma from the past to a lesser degree. In general, Buddhism attributes one's present sufferings to his past karma, asserting that one must suffer retribution for every negative cause he has made in the past. In contrast, the Hatsunaion Sutra states, "It is due to the blessings obtained by protecting the Law that one can diminish in this lifetime his suffering and retribution." As this passage shows, due to the fortune accumulated through faith and practice, one can experience to a lesser degree the effects of his bad karma from the past which would otherwise cause him great suffering, or one can diminish in a shorter period his negative karmic retribution which would otherwise torment him over a longer period of time, perhaps several lifetimes. Nichiren Daishonin states in his "Tenju Kyoju Honmon" (Lessening One's Karmic Retribution), "If one's heavy karma from the past is not expiated within this lifetime, he must undergo the sufferings of hell in the future, but if he experiences extreme hardship in this life, the sufferings of hell will vanish instantly. When he dies, he will obtain the blessings of Rapture and Tranquility, as well as those of the three vehicles and the supreme vehicle."

Source: Dictionary of Buddhist Terms and Concepts

 

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Changing Poison Into Medicine:

The transformation of inherently earthly desires into enlightenment through the virtue of the Mystic Law. In the Daichido Ron, Nagarjuna compares the Lotus Sutra to "a great physician who changes poison into medicine," for the Lotus Sutra opens the possibility of Buddhahood to people of the two vehicles of Learning and Realization, who in the provisional teachings were condemned as those who had scorched the seeds of Buddhahood. In the "Shimon Butsujogi" (On First Hearing the Teaching of the Supreme Vehicle), Nichiren Daishonin interprets Nagarjuna's statement broadly to mean that, by the power of the Mystic Law, one can transform the three paths of earthly desires, karma and suffering into the three virtues of the property of the Law, wisdom and emancipation.

Source: Dictionary of Buddhist Terms and Concepts

 

[PassTheDoobie]

On Curing Karmic Disease / WND pg. 631

On Curing Karmic Disease / WND pg. 631

I see from your letter that you have been stricken with a painful affliction. On the one hand, knowing that you are in agony grieves me, but on the other, I am delighted. The Vimalakirti Sutra states: "At that time the wealthy Vimalakirti thought to himself, 'I am ill, lying on my bed, [yet why does the World-Honored One, man of great compassion, not take pity on me]?' . . . At that time the Buddha said to Manjushri, 'Go visit Vimalakirti, and inquire after his illness.'" The Nirvana Sutra says, "At that time the Thus Come One . . . assumed the appearance of one who is ill in body and lay on his right side like a sick man." The Lotus Sutra states, "[The Thus Come One is well and happy], with few ills and (1) few worries." The eighth volume of Great Concentration and Insight states: "Vimalakirti lay on his sickbed in Vaishali, making his illness a pretext to promote the teachings . . . Through his death, the Thus Come One taught the eternity [of life], and through illness, the power [of Buddhism]." It also says: "There are six causes of illness: (1) disharmony of the four elements; (2) improper eating or drinking; (3) inappropriate practice of seated meditation; (4) attack by demons; (5) the work of devils; and (6) the effects of karma."

The Nirvana Sutra reads: "There are three types of people whose illness is extremely difficult to cure. The first is those who slander the great vehicle; the second, those who commit the five cardinal sins; and the third, icchantikas, or persons of incorrigible disbelief. These three categories of illness are the gravest in the world."

It also states: "One who creates evil karma in this life . . . will surely suffer in hell. . . But by making offerings to the three treasures, one avoids falling into hell and receives the retribution in this life, in the form of afflictions of the head, eye, or back." Great Concentration and Insight states, "Even if one has committed grave offenses . . . the retribution can be lessened in this life. Thus, illness occurs when evil karma is about to be dissipated." In his Treatise on the Great Perfection of Wisdom, Bodhisattva Nagarjuna says: "Question: . . . [Answer]: If that is so, then none of the sutras, from the Flower Garland to the Wisdom sutras, is a secret teaching, but the Lotus Sutra is secret. . . [The Lotus Sutra is] like a great physician who can change poison into medicine." T'ien-t'ai explained the quotation further, saying: "This can be likened to a skilled physician who can change poison into medicine. . . That persons of the two vehicles were given the prophecy of their enlightenment in this sutra means that it can change poison into medicine. This is what Great Perfection of Wisdom means when it says, 'The various sutras are not secret teachings; only the (2) Lotus Sutra is secret.'" Great Concentration and Insight says, "The Lotus Sutra can cure them [illnesses], which is why it is called myo, or wonderful." Miao-lo says, "Because it can cure what is thought to be incurable, it is called myo, (3) or wonderful."

The Nirvana Sutra states: "King Ajatashatru of Rajagriha was wicked by nature . . . He killed his father, and thereafter, in a fit of remorse, he developed a high fever. . . Because of the fever from remorse, boils broke out over his entire body. They were foul and evil-smelling, so that none could come near. At that time his mother, Vaidehi, tried to help by applying various medicines, but this only made the boils worse; there appeared to be no hope of recovery. The king said to his mother, 'These boils have their origin in the mind; they do not arise from the four elements. Though people say that there is a physician who can cure them, that could not possibly be . . .' Then the World-Honored One, the compassionate and merciful teacher, entered into (4) the moon-loving meditation for the king's sake. Upon entering meditation, he emitted a brilliant ray of light. This ray of clear coolness fell upon the body of the king, and instantly the boils were healed."

The Lotus Sutra of the Wonderful Law, which is the great wisdom of equality, says in its seventh volume: "This sutra provides good medicine for the ills of the people of Jambudvipa. If a person who has an illness is able to hear this sutra, then his illness will be wiped out and he will know neither (5) old age nor death."

In light of the above quotations, it would seem that your illness cannot have originated in anything other than the six causes of disease. I will set aside the first five causes for the moment. Illnesses of the sixth, which result from karma, are the most difficult to cure. They vary in severity, and one cannot make any fixed pronouncements, but we know that the gravest illnesses result from the karma created by slandering the Lotus Sutra. Even Shen Nung, Huang Ti, Hua T'o, and Pien Ch'üeh (6) threw up their hands, and Water Holder (7), Water Carrier, Jivaka, and Vimalakirti likewise kept silent. Such illnesses can only be cured by the good medicine of the one Buddha Shakyamuni's Lotus Sutra, as that sutra itself explains.

The Nirvana Sutra, referring to the Lotus Sutra, states: "Even the offense of slandering this correct teaching [will be eradicated] if one repents and professes faith in the correct teaching. . . No teaching other than this correct teaching can save or protect one. For this reason one should take faith in the correct teaching." The Great Teacher Ching-hsi (8) said, "The Nirvana Sutra is itself pointing to the Lotus Sutra and (9) saying that it is the ultimate." He further said: "It is like the case of a person who falls to the ground, but who then pushes himself up from the ground and rises to his feet again. Thus, even though one may slander the correct teaching, one will eventually be saved from the evil paths." (10)

Bodhisattva Vasubandhu was originally a scholar of Hinayana Buddhism. In an effort to prevent Mahayana Buddhism from spreading throughout the five regions of India, he wrote five hundred treatises on Hinayana. Later, however, he encountered Bodhisattva Asanga and abandoned his erroneous views on the spot. Facing Asanga, he said that, in order to eradicate this offense all at once, he wanted to cut out his own tongue. Asanga stopped him, saying, "Vasubandhu, use that tongue to praise Mahayana." Vasubandhu immediately wrote five hundred Mahayana treatises in which he refuted Hinayana. He also made a vow that, as long as he lived, he would never place the Hinayana teachings on his tongue. In this way he eradicated his past offense and was later reborn in the heaven (11) where Bodhisattva Maitreya dwells.

Bodhisattva Ashvaghosha, a native of eastern India, was thirteenth among the successors of the Buddha's teachings. At one time Ashvaghosha had been a leader of Brahmanism. When he debated with the Buddhist monk Punyayashas over the validity of their respective teachings, however, he quickly realized the superiority of Buddhist teachings. Ashvaghosha was prepared to behead himself in order to pay for his past offense, saying, "I have been my own worst enemy, leading myself to hell." But Punyayashas admonished him, saying, "Ashvaghosha, do not behead yourself! Use that head and mouth to praise Mahayana." Ashvaghosha soon thereafter wrote The Awakening of Faith in the Mahayana, in which he refuted Brahmanism and Hinayana. This marked the beginning of the spread of Mahayana Buddhism in India.

The Great Teacher Chi-tsang of Chia-hsiang-ssu temple was among the most outstanding scholars in China. He was the founder of the Three Treatises school, and lived on Mount Hui-chi in Wu. Believing that none could equal him in knowledge, he raised the banner of his pride to its highest. He challenged the Great Teacher T'ien-t'ai to discuss the meaning of the passage that states, "Among the sutras I have preached, now preach, and will preach, [this Lotus Sutra is the most difficult to believe and the most difficult to understand (12)]." In the debate Chi-tsang was soundly defeated and thereupon renounced his misguided beliefs. In order to expiate his serious offense of slander of the correct teaching and of those who uphold it, he gathered more than one hundred eminent scholars and begged the Great Teacher T'ien-t'ai Chih-che to lecture to them. Chi-tsang used his body as a bridge for the Great Teacher T'ien-t'ai to climb [onto the preaching platform], supporting T'ien-t'ai's feet with his head. Moreover, he served T'ien-t'ai for seven years, cutting firewood and drawing water for him. He ceased giving lectures of his own, dispersed his followers, and in order to purge himself of his great conceit, refrained from reciting the Lotus Sutra. After the Great Teacher T'ien-t'ai's death, Chi-tsang had an audience with the emperor of the Sui dynasty to pay his respects. As he was leaving, he clutched His Majesty's knees and tearfully bade him farewell. Sometime later, Chi-tsang looked into an old mirror and, seeing his reflection, condemned himself for his past errors. All these many acts of penitence were done to eradicate his karmic disease.

The Lotus, the wonderful sutra of the single vehicle, is the golden words (13) of the three kinds of Buddhas. Likened to a bright jewel, it ranks highest among all the sutras that "I have preached, now preach, and will preach." There are passages in the Lotus Sutra that say, "Among the sutras, it [the Lotus Sutra] holds the highest place," and "[Among those sutras] the Lotus (14) is the foremost!" The Great Teacher Dengyo said that [the Lotus school is] the school founded by the Buddha (15) himself.

I have made a thorough study of the various True Word sutras, such as the Mahavairochana, Diamond Crown, and Susiddhikara, but have found nothing written in them to compare with the above passages of the Lotus Sutra. The claim [that these sutras are superior to the Lotus] appears to be no more than a prejudiced view held by Shan-wu-wei, Chin-kang-chih, Pu-k'ung, Kobo, Jikaku, and Chisho. From this we realize that the true intent of the Buddhas Shakyamuni and Mahavairochana lay just in the supremacy of the Lotus Sutra. When the three great teachers Kobo, Jikaku, and Chisho, the founders of the True Word teachings in Japan, went to China during the T'ang dynasty, they inherited from Hui-kuo and Fa-ch'üan the deceptions and delusions originally held by the three Tripitaka masters Shan-wu-wei, Chin-kang-chih, and Pu-k'ung. When on returning to Japan they propagated the Lotus Sutra and the True Word teachings, they hid the brilliant moon of the Lotus Sutra, the supreme vehicle that surpasses all the other sutras of the past, present, and future, and showed the firefly glimmer of the True Word (16) mandalas of the two realms. Not only that, but they slandered the Lotus Sutra, saying that it was a work of "childish theory" and belonged to "the region of darkness." These comments, however, were like a dagger turned against those who made them. It is not the Lotus but the Mahavairochana Sutra that is filled with childish theory and is in the region of darkness. The founders of the True Word teachings were warped to begin with. So how could their disciples and followers be upright? Contamination at the source of a river will pollute its entire length. Because of this, the Land of the Sun has had a long, dark night, and the Sun Tree is now about to be blighted by an (17) alien frost.

Although you were not in the mainstream of the True Word school, you were still a retainer of a patron of that teaching. You lived for many years in a house whose family was devoted to an erroneous doctrine, and month after month your mind was infected by the teachers of error. Though huge mountains may crumble and the great seas dry up, this offense of yours will not easily pass away. However, because of the influence of karmic bonds and the compassion with which you are imbued in this lifetime, you met me, a priest of humble learning, when you least expected it, and you determined to reform your ways. Therefore, though at the moment your offense has brought on these boils from which you suffer, in the future you will be spared worse suffering.

King Ajatashatru suffered from severe boils because he committed the five cardinal sins and slandered the correct teaching. But his boils disappeared instantly when the light produced by the Buddha's moon-loving meditation illuminated his body. And, though it had been predicted that the king had only twenty-one days left to live, his life span was extended by forty years. In deep appreciation, he earnestly requested one thousand arhats to record the golden words of the Buddha's entire (18) lifetime, thus spreading the Buddha's teachings into the ages of the Former, Middle, and Latter Days of the Law.

Your boils have resulted from only one offense - slandering the correct teaching. The Mystic Law you now embrace surpasses the moon-loving meditation. How could your boils possibly not be healed and your life span not extended? If these words of mine prove untrue, you should shout: "The Buddha, the eye of the entire world, is a great liar, and the Lotus, the wonderful sutra of the single vehicle, is a scripture of clever flourishes. The World-Honored One should give me proof if he cares about his good name. All the sages and worthies should come to protect me if they do not want to be false to their vows."

A letter cannot convey all that one would like to say, and words cannot fully express what is in the heart. The rest will have to wait until the next time we meet.

With my deep respect,
Nichiren

The third day of the eleventh month

Reply to the lay priest Ota


Background

This letter is a reply to Ota Jomyo's report that he was suffering from a skin disease. Written in the eleventh month of the first year of Kenji (1275), it was sent from Minobu to Ota Jomyo, who lived in Shimosa Province. One of the Daishonin's most devout believers, Ota was a government official who was converted to the Daishonin's teachings by Toki Jonin. Around 1278, Ota received tonsure and was given the Buddhist name Myonichi (Wonderful Sun).From the content of another letter sent to him by the Daishonin, it appears that he and the Daishonin were the same age.

In this letter, citing T'ien-t'ai's Great Concentration and Insight, Nichiren Daishonin refers to the six causes of illness and declares that diseases resulting from one's karma are the most difficult to cure, but that even those can be recovered from with the "good medicine of the Lotus Sutra."

Notes

1. Lotus Sutra, chap. 15. This is the answer to a question addressed to Shakyamuni Buddha by the Bodhisattvas of the Earth: "Is the World-Honored One comfortable, with few illnesses, few worries?"
2. The Profound Meaning of the Lotus Sutra.
3. The Annotations on "Great Concentration and Insight."
4. Moon-loving meditation: Here the boundless compassion of the Buddha is compared to moonlight, which releases one from anxiety and brings about peace of mind.
5. Lotus Sutra, chap. 23.
6. Shen Nung and Huang Ti were two of the Three Sovereigns, legendary ideal rulers of ancient China who were skilled in medical matters. Hua T'o was a physician of the Later Han dynasty, said to have been especially skillful in surgical operations. Pien Ch'üeh was a physician of the Spring and Autumn period (770-403 BCE) in China.
7. Water Holder and Water Carrier were father and son. Said to have been excellent physicians, they are described in the Golden Light Sutra.
8. Another name for Miao-lo. Ching-hsi was the name of Miao-lo's birthplace.
9. The Annotations on "The Words and Phrases of the Lotus Sutra."
10. Ibid.
11. The story is detailed in Chi-tsang's Annotations on The One-Hundred-Verse Treatise. The heaven where Maitreya is said to live is the Tushita heaven, the fourth of the six heavens in the world of desire. Vasubandhu is said to have been reborn in this heaven and to be expounding the Law to the heavenly beings there.
12. Lotus Sutra, chap. 10.
13. Shakyamuni Buddha, Many Treasures Buddha, and the Buddhas of the ten directions.
14. The first quotation is from chapter 23; the second, from chapter 10.
15. Adapted from a passage in The Outstanding Principles of the Lotus Sutra.
16. The Womb Realm mandala, described in the Mahavairochana Sutra, and the Diamond Realm mandala, described in the Diamond Crown Sutra.
17. The Land of the Sun refers to Japan, and the Sun Tree is an ancient name for Japan that appears in a Chinese document.
18. Reference is to the First Buddhist Council, which began the task of compiling the Buddha's teachings. With the support of King Ajatashatru, this council was convened in the Cave of the Seven Leaves near Rajagriha in Magadha shortly after the Buddha's passing.

 

[PassTheDoobie]

Your boils have resulted from only one offense - slandering the correct teaching. The Mystic Law you now embrace surpasses the moon-loving meditation. How could your boils possibly not be healed and your life span not extended? If these words of mine prove untrue, you should shout: "The Buddha, the eye of the entire world, is a great liar, and the Lotus, the wonderful sutra of the single vehicle, is a scripture of clever flourishes. The World-Honored One should give me proof if he cares about his good name. All the sages and worthies should come to protect me if they do not want to be false to their vows."

 

[PassTheDoobie]

The Two Kinds of Illness / WND pg. 919

The Two Kinds of Illness / WND pg. 919

The illnesses of human beings may be divided into two general categories, the first of which is illness of the body. Physical diseases comprise one hundred and one disorders of the earth element, one hundred and one of the water element, one hundred and one of the fire element, and one hundred and one of the wind element, for a total of (1) four hundred and four maladies. These illnesses can be cured with the medicines prescribed by skilled physicians (2) such as Water Holder, Water Carrier, Jivaka, and Pien Ch'üeh (3).

The second category is illness of the mind. These are the three poisons (4) and the eighty-four thousand illnesses. Only a Buddha can cure them; thus they are beyond the healing powers of (5) the two deities and the three ascetics, not to mention those of Shen Nung (6) and Huang Ti.

Illnesses of the mind differ greatly in severity. The three poisons and the eighty-four thousand illnesses that afflict ordinary people of the six paths can be treated by the Buddha of the Dharma Analysis Treasury, Establishment of Truth, and Precepts schools, which derive from the Tripitaka teaching of Hinayana. However, if one tries to use the Hinayana teachings to cure the three poisons and eighty thousand illnesses that arise from slandering the Mahayana sutras, such as the Flower Garland, Wisdom, and Mahavairochana sutras, these illnesses will merely become worse and never be cured. They can be treated only with the Mahayana teachings. Moreover, if one attempts to use the Flower Garland, Wisdom, and Mahavairochana sutras, or the teachings of the True Word and Three Treatises schools to cure the three poisons and eighty thousand illnesses that arise when the practitioners of the various Mahayana sutras oppose the Lotus Sutra, those sicknesses will become all the more serious. To illustrate, the flames emitted by burning wood or coal can easily be extinguished by water, but if one pours water over a fire produced by burning oil, it will only burn more intensely, the flames mounting still higher.

The epidemics that have been raging in Japan since last year cannot be categorized within the four hundred and four illnesses of the body. Thus they are beyond the healing powers of Hua T'o (7) and Pien Ch'üeh. Nor do they correspond to any of the eighty-four thousand diseases that can be treated with the Hinayana or provisional Mahayana teachings. For this reason, the prayers offered by the priests of the schools based on those teachings not only fail to end the epidemics, but rather aggravate them all the more. Even if the epidemics should subside this year, they will surely break out again in years to come. Probably they will come to an end only after something dreadful has happened.

The Lotus Sutra says, "Though he might practice the art of medicine and by its methods cure someone's disease, the person would grow sicker from some other malady and perhaps in the end would die. . . it would only make his condition worse (8).” The Nirvana Sutra states: "At that time King Ajatashatru of Rajagriha . . . boils broke out over his entire body. . . . [The king said to his mother], 'These boils have their origin in the mind; they do not arise from the four elements. Though people say that there is a physician who can cure them, that could not possibly be.'" Miao-lo said, "Wise men can perceive the cause of things, as snakes know the way of snakes (9)."

The present epidemics are like the virulent boils of King Ajatashatru that could not be cured by anyone but the Buddha. They can only be eliminated by the Lotus Sutra.

I developed diarrhea on the thirtieth day of the twelfth month of last year, and up until the third or fourth day of the sixth month of this year, it grew more frequent by the day and more severe by the month. Just when I was thinking that it must be my immutable karma, you sent me good medicine. Since taking it, my complaint has diminished steadily and is now a mere one-hundredth fraction of its former intensity. I wonder if Shakyamuni Buddha has entered into your body to help me, or perhaps the Bodhisattvas of the Earth have bestowed upon me the good medicine of Myoho-renge-kyo. (10) Chikugo-bo will explain all this to you in more detail.

Postscript: Your messenger arrived at the hour of the dog (7:00-9:00 PM) on the twenty-fifth day of this month. The things you have sent me are beyond counting. Please convey my appreciation to Toki for his offering of a summer robe. Also please tell your wife how saddened I am at the passing of her grandfather.

With my deep respect,
Nichiren

The twenty-sixth day of the sixth month

Reply to Nakatsukasa Saemon-no-jo


Background

This letter was written at Minobu and sent to Shijo Kingo in Kamakura in the first year of Koan (1278). Its content closely resembles that of another letter, The Treatment of Illness, written to Toki Jonin on the same date. Indeed, the opening passage is virtually identical to the one in The Treatment of Illness (p. 1111).

The Daishonin's life at Minobu was by no means easy. Winters were bitterly cold, and his shelter was inadequate. Food was another problem. Moreover, for nearly the entire first half of 1278, he had suffered from debilitating and chronic diarrhea. Shijo Kingo, who was well versed in the art of healing, had prescribed a medicine and sent it to the Daishonin, along with other offerings. This letter expresses the Daishonin's appreciation for Kingo's offerings.

The Daishonin refers to two kinds of illness: illness of the body, which arises primarily from physical causes, and illness of the mind, which arises from the three poisons. He explains that, although illness of the body can be cured by sufficiently skilled physicians, illness of the mind cannot; only Buddhism provides a remedy for such disorders. He also attributes the epidemics then ravaging Japan to slander of the Lotus Sutra. Neither the Hinayana nor provisional Mahayana teachings will be able to stem them, he says. Faith in the Lotus Sutra alone will eradicate the offense of slander and remove the people's suffering.

Notes

1. Earth, water, fire, and wind were regarded by ancient Indians as the constituent elements of all things. In terms of the human body, earth corresponds to flesh, bone, skin, and hair; water, to blood and sweat; fire, to body temperature; and wind, to the function of breathing. The number "one hundred and one" indicates not an exact number of illnesses, but rather simply a great many.
2. Water Holder and Water Carrier are father and son, both excellent physicians mentioned in the Golden Light Sutra. At one time, an epidemic broke out and spread throughout their country. Water Holder was too old to provide treatment, but Water Carrier mastered the medical arts and, in his father's stead, saved the people from the ravages of the epidemic.
3. Pien Ch'üeh was a physician of the Spring and Autumn period (770-403 BCE) in China. In his boyhood he studied the medical arts and is said to have been skilled in treating almost any kind of disease.
4. "Eighty-four thousand illnesses" here simply means a great many. Hereafter these are referred to as either eighty-four thousand or eighty thousand illnesses. These illnesses arise from the three poisons inherent in human life.
5. The two deities refer to Shiva and Vishnu, and the three ascetics to Kapila, Uluka, and Rishabha. For three ascetics, see also Glossary.
6. Shen Nung and Huang Ti are two of the Three Sovereigns, legendary ideal rulers of ancient China. According to Records of the Historian, they are also said to have been skilled in medical matters, and were revered as the patron deities and inventors of medicine.
7. Hua T'o was a physician of the Later Han (25-220), said to have been especially skilled in surgery. When acupuncture and medicine proved ineffectual, he would give the patient narcotics and perform surgery. He devised a system of physical exercises that he himself practiced. As a result, he is said to have been active and vigorous even at the age of one hundred.
8. Lotus Sutra, chap. 3.
9. The Annotations on "The Words and Phrases of the Lotus Sutra."
10. Chikugo-bo is another name for Nichiro (1245-1320), one of the Daishonin's six senior priest-disciples

 

[PassTheDoobie]

The Treatment of Illness / WND pg. 1111

The Treatment of Illness / WND pg. 1111

Reply to the lay priest Toki.
Nichiren

I have received the unlined robe you sent me through the offices of (1) Saemon. Please inform all those who sent me various offerings that I have received everything he listed. I also wish to acknowledge receipt of the various offerings from the lay priest Ota shown on the list you made. I have written the other part of the teaching I will discuss here in my letter to Saemon. I hope you will ask him to show it to you.

Your letter says that the epidemics are raging all the more fiercely. The illnesses of human beings may be divided into two general categories, the first of which is illness of the body. Physical diseases comprise one hundred and one disorders of the earth element, one hundred and one imbalances of the water element, one hundred and one disturbances of the fire element, and one hundred and one disharmonies of (2) the wind element, a total of four hundred and four maladies. These illnesses do not require a Buddha to cure them. Skilled physicians such as Water Holder (3)and Water Carrier, Jivaka, and (4) Pien Ch'üeh prescribed medicines that never failed to heal physical sickness.

The second category is illness of the mind. These illnesses arise from the three poisons and are of eighty-four thousand kinds. They are beyond the (5) healing powers of the two deities and the three ascetics [of Brahmanism] or the six non-Buddhist teachers. Medicines prescribed by Shen Nung and (6) Huang Ti are even less effective.

Illnesses of the mind differ greatly in severity. The eighty-four thousand kinds of illnesses of the mind that arise from the three poisons and that afflict ordinary people of the six paths can be treated by the Buddha of Hinayana and his teachings in the Agama sutras, or by the scholars and teachers of the Dharma Analysis Treasury, Establishment of Truth, and Precepts schools. However, if these Hinayana practitioners, in following their teachings, should turn against the Mahayana, or, even though they may not oppose Mahayana Buddhism, if the Hinayana countries think themselves equal to the Mahayana countries, the people will be plagued by sickness. If one attempts to cure such illnesses with Hinayana Buddhism, they will only become worse. They can be treated only by the votaries of the Mahayana sutras. Even within the Mahayana, if adherents of the Flower Garland, Profound Secrets, Wisdom, Mahavairochana, and other provisional Mahayana sutras confuse the inferior with the superior, and insist that the teachings of their schools are equal to or even surpass the Lotus Sutra, and if the ruler and others in high positions come to accept their assertion, then the three poisons and eighty-four thousand illnesses will all arise. Then, if those followers should try to cure these illnesses with the provisional Mahayana sutras on which they rely, the sicknesses will become all the more serious. Even if they try to use the Lotus Sutra, their efforts will fail because, although the sutra itself is supreme, the practitioners are persons who hold distorted views.

Further, the Lotus Sutra itself is divided into two distinct categories, the theoretical teaching and the essential teaching. One is as different from the other as fire is from water or heaven from earth. The difference is even greater than that between the Lotus Sutra and the sutras that preceded it. These sutras and the theoretical teaching of the Lotus Sutra are certainly different, but still they have some points of similarity. Among the eight teachings expounded by the Buddha, the perfect teaching of the earlier sutras and that of the theoretical teaching are (7) similar to each other. When the Buddha expounded the pre-Lotus Sutra and the theoretical teachings, he assumed different guises such as the inferior manifested body, the superior manifested body, the reward body, and the Dharma body, yet he invariably depicted himself as having attained enlightenment for the first time in this world. The difference between the theoretical and the essential teachings is that in the former the Buddha is described as having first attained enlightenment during his life [in India], while in the latter he is the Buddha who attained enlightenment in the remote past. This difference is like that between a one-hundred-year-old man and a one-year-old baby. The disciples of these two Buddhas are also as different as fire is from water, to say nothing of the difference (8) between their lands. One who confuses the essential teaching with the theoretical teaching would not have the sense to distinguish fire from water. The Buddha drew a distinct line between the two in his preaching, but during the more than two thousand years since his passing, no one in the three countries of India, China, and Japan -or for that matter, in the entire land of Jambudvipa - has clearly understood the difference. Only T'ien-t'ai in China and Dengyo in Japan generally differentiated between the two. And the precept of the perfect and immediate enlightenment, in which the essential teaching is distinguished from the theoretical (9), still remained to be clarified. In the final analysis, T'ien-t'ai and Dengyo perceived it in their hearts but did not reveal it for three reasons: first, the proper time had not yet come; second, the people had no capacity to accept it; and third, neither had been entrusted with the mission of propagating it. It is today, in the Latter Day of the Law, that the Bodhisattvas of the Earth will appear and propagate it.

The Latter Day of the Law is the proper time for the spread of the essential teaching, so the followers of Hinayana, provisional Mahayana, and the Lotus Sutra's theoretical teachings will receive no benefit from their teachings, even though they are not guilty of any fault. These teachings can be likened to medicines compounded for use in springtime that are ineffective if taken in the fall, or at least not as effective as they are in spring or summer. What is worse, these people are deluded as to the relative superiority of Hinayana and Mahayana, or of the provisional and true teachings. And because the rulers of Japan of previous ages believed in these sutras, and erected temples and donated fields and farmland to the schools they espoused, if the followers of these teachings today were to admit the truth of my assertion that their teachings are inferior, they would have no way to justify themselves and would in consequence lose the support of the ruler. For this reason, they become enraged, slandering the sutra of the true teaching and doing harm to its votary. The ruler, too, accepting the groundless accusations of the followers of these schools, persecutes the votary because he wishes to side with the majority, because he cannot bear to abandon the teachings honored by the rulers of the previous ages, because he is simply ignorant, or because he despises the votary of the true teaching. As a result, the gods who guard the true teaching, such as Brahma, Shakra, the gods of the sun and moon, and the four heavenly kings, punish the country, and the three calamities and seven disasters occur on an unprecedented scale. Hence the epidemics that have broken out this year as well as last year and in the Shoka era (10).

Question: If, as you have stated, the benevolent deities inflict punishment on this country because it does harm to the votary of the Lotus Sutra, then epidemics should attack only the slanderers. Why is it that your own disciples also fall ill and die?

Answer: Your question is reasonable. Nevertheless, you are aware of only one side of the situation and not the other. Good and evil have been inherent in life since time without beginning. According to the provisional teachings and the schools based on them, both good and evil remain in one's life through all the stages of the bodhisattva practice up to the stage of near-perfect enlightenment. Hence people at the stage of near-perfect enlightenment or below have faults of some kind, [but not those at the highest stage]. In contrast, the heart of the Lotus school is the doctrine of three thousand realms in a single moment of life, which reveals that both good and evil are inherent even in those at the highest stage of perfect enlightenment. The fundamental nature of enlightenment manifests itself as Brahma and Shakra, whereas the fundamental darkness manifests itself as the devil king of the sixth heaven. The benevolent deities hate evildoers, and evil demons hate good people. Because we have entered the Latter Day of the Law, it is natural that evil demons should be everywhere in the country, just like tiles, stones, trees, and grasses. Good demons are few because sages and worthies are rare in this world. One would therefore expect to find more victims of the epidemic among Nichiren's followers than among the believers of Nembutsu, or priests of the True Word, Zen, and Precepts schools. For some reason, however, there is less affliction and death among Nichiren's followers. It is indeed mysterious. Is this because we are few in number, or because our faith is strong?

Question: Has there ever in the past been such a terrible outbreak of epidemics in Japan?

Answer: During the reign of Emperor Sujin, the tenth ruler after Emperor Jimmu, epidemics swept Japan, claiming the lives of more than half the populace. But when Emperor Sujin had the people in each province worship the Sun Goddess and other deities, the epidemics ceased completely. Hence the name Sujin, which literally means "worshiping the gods." That was before Buddhism had been introduced to the country. The thirtieth, thirty-first, and thirty-second rulers in the imperial line, along with many of their ministers, died of smallpox and other epidemic diseases. Prayers were once again offered to the same deities, but this time to no avail.

During the reign of the thirtieth ruler, Emperor Kimmei, Buddhist sutras, treatises, and priests were sent from the state of Paekche to Japan, as well as a gilded bronze statue of Shakyamuni Buddha, the lord of teachings. The Great Minister Soga (11) urged that the statue be worshiped. But the Chief Minister Mononobe and other ministers, along with the common people, joined in opposing the worship of the Buddha, saying that, if honor were paid to him, it would enrage the native deities who then would bring ruin upon Japan. The emperor was still trying to decide which opinion to follow when the three calamities and seven disasters struck the nation on a scale never known before, and great numbers of the populace died of disease.

The Chief Minister Mononobe seized this opportunity to appeal to the emperor. As a result, not only were the Buddhist priests and nuns disgraced, but the gilded bronze statue of Shakyamuni Buddha was placed upon burning coals and destroyed, and the Buddhist temple was likewise burned. At that time, the chief minister contracted a disease and died, and the emperor also passed away. The Great Minister Soga, who worshiped the Buddha, also fell ill.

The minister Moriya, the chief minister's son, declared that the three successive emperors as well as his own father had died in the epidemic solely because homage had been paid to the Buddha. "Let it be known," he declared, "that Prince Shotoku, Soga no Umako, and the others who revere the Buddha are all enemies of my father and of the deceased emperors!" Hearing this, the imperial princes Anabe and (12) Yakabe, along with their ministers and thousands of retainers, all joined forces with Moriya. Not only did they burn images of the Buddha and their temples, but a battle broke out, and Moriya was killed in the fighting. For a period of thirty-five years after Buddhism had first been brought to this country, not a year passed without seeing the three calamities and seven disasters, including epidemics. But after Mononobe no Moriya was killed by Soga no Umako and the gods were overpowered by the Buddha, the disasters abruptly ceased.

Outbreaks of the three calamities and seven disasters that occurred thereafter were for the most part due to confusion within Buddhism itself. But these would affect only one or two persons, or one or two provinces, one or two clans, or one or two areas. Such disasters occurred because of the curse of the gods, because Buddhism was slandered, or because of the people's distress.

The three calamities and seven disasters of these past thirty years or more, however, are due solely to the fact that the entire country of Japan hates me, Nichiren. In province after province, district after district, and village after village, everyone from the ruler on down to the common people seethes in anger against me such as the world has never seen. This is the first time that the fundamental darkness has erupted in the lives of ordinary people caught (13) in the illusions of thought and desire. Even if they pray to the gods, the Buddha, or the Lotus Sutra, these calamities will only be aggravated. But it is different when the votary of the Lotus Sutra offers prayers to the essential teaching of the Lotus Sutra. In the final analysis, unless we succeed in demonstrating that this teaching is supreme, these disasters will continue unabated.

The Great Teacher T'ien-t'ai in his Great Concentration and Insight described the ten objects of meditation and the ten meditations, but no one after him practiced them. In the days of Miao-lo and Dengyo some people practiced them to an extent but encountered few difficulties because there were no powerful opponents. The three obstacles and four devils described in Great Concentration and Insight will not arise to obstruct those who practice the pro-visional sutras. But now each and every one has risen to confront me. They are even more powerful than the three obstacles and four devils that T'ien-t'ai, Dengyo, and others had to face.

There are two ways of perceiving the three thousand realms in a single moment of life. One is theoretical, and the other, actual. What T'ien-t'ai and Dengyo practiced was theoretical, but what I practice now is actual. Because what I practice is superior, the difficulties attending it are that much greater. The doctrine of T'ien-t'ai and Dengyo was the three thousand realms in a single moment of life of the theoretical teaching, while mine is that of the essential teaching. These two are as different as heaven is from earth. You should grasp this deeply when the time comes to face death.

With my deep respect,
Nichiren

The twenty-sixth day of the sixth month


Background

This letter was originally thought to have been written in 1282, but it now seems more likely that it was 1278. The month and the day of the letter is exactly the same as that on a letter written to Saemon, commonly known as Shijo Kingo, which may very well be the letter mentioned in the first paragraph.

This letter was a reply to Toki Jonin, who had anxiously written about the rampant epidemic. The Daishonin first classifies all diseases into two categories, physical and mental. Physical illness, he says, can be cured by skilled physicians. However, illnesses of the mind, he adds, are more complicated. Those that arise from the three poisons can be treated with the Hinayana teachings, but those caused by slandering the correct or "essential" teaching can be cured only with the essential teaching. The Daishonin uses this term to indicate the Law of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo that, he says, lies in the depths of the "Life Span" chapter of the Lotus Sutra.

In the Latter Day of the Law, he says, evil demons prevail, attacking the votaries of the Lotus Sutra. "One would therefore expect," the Daishonin tells Toki Jonin, "to find more victims of the epidemic among Nichiren's followers than among" the believers of the other schools. "However," he adds, "there is less affliction and death among Nichiren's followers."

In closing, the Daishonin points to the way to end the epidemic. The only way to do so is to demonstrate clearly that "this teaching" of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo is supreme. By this, he means participating in and winning public debate on the relative superiority of the Buddha's teachings. Then he clarifies the difference between the three thou-sand realms in a single moment of life expounded by T'ien-t'ai and Dengyo and what he himself expounds. He identifies this doctrine as Nam-myoho-renge-kyo.

Notes

1. Saemon is another name for Shijo Kingo. "My letter to Saemon" mentioned later in this paragraph refers to The Two Kinds of Illness, dated the twenty-sixth day of the sixth month, 1278.
2. Earth, water, fire, and wind were regarded as the constituent elements of allthings, according to ancient Indian belief. In the case of the human body, earth corresponds to flesh, bone, skin, and hair; water, to blood and other liquids; fire, to body temperature; and wind, to the function of breathing. "One hundred and one" in each case here does not necessarily indicate anexact number but simply a great many.
3. A father and son, both excellent physicians, mentioned in the Golden Light Sutra. According to that sutra, they lived countless kalpas ago. At one time, an epidemic broke out and spread throughout their country. Water Holder was too old to perform medical treatment, but Water Carrier mastered the medical arts and, in his father's place, saved the people.
4. Pien Ch'üeh was a physician of the Spring and Autumn period (770-403 BCE) in China. In his boyhood he learned the medical arts and is said to have been skilled in treating almost all diseases.
5. Shiva and Vishnu.
6. Two of the Three Sovereigns, legendary ideal rulers of ancient China. They were also said to have been skilled in medical matters and were revered as patron deities and the inventors of certain medicines, according to Records of the Historian.
7. The perfect teaching of the theoretical teaching is closer to that of the pre-Lotus Sutra teachings than that of the essential teaching. The first two teachings explain, as does the essential teaching, that people can become Buddhas in this life, but, unlike the essential teaching, they never reveal the seed of Buddhahood. More-over, the Buddha who preached the first two teachings is the one who attained enlightenment in his life in India, while the Buddha who expounded the essential teaching is the one who did so countless kalpas ago.
8. These two Buddhas are the Buddha of the theoretical teaching and that of the essential teaching. Though they both refer to Shakyamuni, they express the two different positions he assumes in the theoretical and essential teachings, as is mentioned in this paragraph. The land of the Buddha of the theoretical teaching is held to be some-where apart from this saha world, and the Buddha appears in the saha world only temporarily to expound the Law and save people. In contrast, the essential teaching reveals that the saha world itself is the land where the Buddha has always dwelt since his original enlightenment.
9. The term "essential teaching" has two meanings: the essential teaching of Shakyamuni's lifetime, or the latter fourteen chapters of the Lotus Sutra, as contrasted with the theoretical teaching, or the first fourteen chapters; and the essential teaching of the Latter Day of the Law, or Nichiren Daishonin's Buddhism of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. When the "essential teaching" is defined in this latter sense, the entire twenty-eight-chapter Lotus Sutra is regarded as the theoretical teaching. Both here and in the following paragraph, the Daishonin uses the term "essential teaching" to indicate Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. As explained in The Selection of the Time, Dengyo established the precepts of the perfect and immediate enlightenment based on Shakyamuni's Lotus Sutra. In speaking of the precept that "still remained to be clarified," the Daishonin indicates the Law of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo.
10. That is, in 1259.
11. Soga no Iname (d. 570), an official who engaged in a struggle for power with the Chief Minister Mononobe no Okoshi, leader of the conservative faction at court.
12. Anabe (d. 587), also called Anahobe, was a son of Emperor Kimmei, and his mother was the daughter of Soga no Iname. According to The Chronicles of Japan and other sources, he could not ascend the throne upon the death of Emperor Bidatsu, and made another attempt to seize power at the death of Emperor Yomei, conspiring with Mononobe no Moriya. However, he is said to have been killed by Soga no Umako, who supported another crown prince, Hatsusebe (Emperor Sushun). Yaka-be (d. 587), one of Prince Anabe's closest friends, was also killed along with Anabe.
13. The fundamental darkness is said to usually erupt in the lives of those who have overcome the first two of the three categories of illusions, that is, the illusions of thought and desire and the illusions numerous as the particles of dust and sand. In this case, however, the Daishonin points out that quite unusually, the fundamental darkness has erupted in the lives of ordinary people caught in the first of the illusions.

 

[Sleepy]

If i may...

If i may...

i don't want to take the wind out of your sails...you are a prolific writer.

i just wanted to 'pop' in and express my sincere thanks to everyone here...

recently i underwent a very painful procedure. the operation itself took four and 1/2 hours. i am now home in my comfort zone. this is my 5th major procedure in 6 years.

i feel that i am improving physically at a rate faster than last time because i have met people here i would have never met anywhere else. i am not really 'religious' in the classicaly defined sense of the word, by any stretch, but i am convinced that the positive thoughts and genuine kindness that originate here are reaching me.

thank you from the bottom of my heart to anyone who has chanted for me, or has sent a positive thought in my direction. be it a prayer, or whatever, i have been 'blessed/touched'...

as i write this, i am overcome with good feelings.

this has never happened to me. ever.

even though i hurt physically, it doesn't matter.

you fine folks make me feel superfine on the inside.

combined with the special love i recieve from my family here at home and my family at International Cannagraphic Forums, i am already healed.

my physical body will take longer, but i am a patient man. i have been through it before and will probably go through it at least one more time...

thanks again. if anyone says it doesn't work, wait until you really need it, it works, honest.

peace to all my friends and family who read this.

 

[redbone]

Thank you Eveyone: For reminding me of the path...

 

[BushyOldGrower]

Back on track

Back on track

Babba does have something growing that's BIG! It is a sign to me but I saw the signs right from the start and its clear to me that I have found the truth despite myself. Faith in the power of Nam Myoho Renge Kyo is limited only by ourselves. Anything seems possible. Even changing ourselves hence our world. I still think we will need the help of our sky brothers and that they are reading this.

I was sidetracked for a time going back in buddhism because of my natural skepticism and out of respect for my son. Maybe as I get closer I hesitate but in any event I have pushed onward in my studies to page. 250 at the end of the opening of the eyes (1) in Writings of Nichiren by Soka Gakkai. I found this...

Hail to the Buddhas! Three-bodied Thus Come Ones! Open the door to, show me, cause me to awaken to, and to enter into the wisdom and insight of all the Buddhas. You who are like space and who have freed yourself from form! Oh, sutra of the White Lotus of the Correct law! Cause me to enter into, to be everywhere within, to dwell in, and to rejoice in you. Oh, Adamantine Protector! Oh, empty, aspect-free, and desire-free sutra!

I like that because this is the heart of the Lotus Sutra this found in India teaches the correct law of nam myoho renge kyo. Shariputra is referred to as "all living beings" and so all living beings will be saved. All of us equal to each other sharing in this oneness.

I know it's true. BOG

 

[PassTheDoobie]

Hi sleepy, BOG and redbone!

Hi sleepy, BOG and redbone!

Sleepy! Hearing the good news of your high spirits and now understanding the true nature of the malady that afflicted you, there is no wind taken from my sails, as reading your post has them full and billowing in the perfect breeze that is the Law of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo! I wasn’t trying to be prolific, but wanted to make sure you had the opportunity to see some of the Daishonin’s teaching pertaining to illness.

I was so very happy to “feel” you getting better and to know that you are using the strategy of the Lotus Sutra (chanting the Daimoku) to battle the obstacles that you are facing. Congratulations! When you say, “thanks again. if anyone says it doesn't work, wait until you really need it, it works, honest.” you are praising the Law and sharing it with others. That is shakubuku, and doing shakubuku through your life experience is the process of keeping the promise that you made!

Congratulations! You sir, are a TRUE Bodhisattva of the Earth. To take suffering and turn it to joy that can be shared with others is what a Buddha does. Well done; and please continue! Be aware that the Devil of the Sixth Heaven will not be pleased with your profound progress and may seek to prey upon you through your inherent fundamental darkness (as fundamental darkness is inherent in all things).

Do not be swayed! Capitalize on this moment and set in your mind what you know in your heart to be true. Continue to seek the understandings that add to your faith to see you through those difficult times. We are always here to help in any way we can, but the positive influences that you attribute to others actually originate in yourself!

Try and remember that!

Redbone! Thanks for dropping in and I hope the path that you are reminded of is the path of the Bodhisattva of the Earth chanting the Daimoku of the Latter Day of the Law. Please join us as we seek enlightenment in our present form—and in that process achieve the Kosen Rufu (world peace) that is guaranteed to be accomplished through these efforts in the future.

BOG! We miss you dude! “Faith in the power of Nam Myoho Renge Kyo is limited only by ourselves. Anything seems possible. Even changing ourselves hence our world.” are words of praise for the Law that can only be spoken by a Bodhisattva of the Earth. You have the power to influence so many people positively! We need you here. I pray that you can somehow feel the Daimoku I send to you everyday!

Please convey a heartfelt “HOW ARE YOU?” to your wife and son from all of us. We are all brothers and sisters. I have other karmic siblings that I have not heard from in some time. Through faith and prayer, I am encouraged to know that I will be hearing from them soon one day. Please help me pray for our extended family everyone. Pray for the mercy of the Law to make our differences become the source of Buddha Wisdom with which we are able to share and encourage each other.

Everyday!

My deepest and most humble respect for all of you! I bow in obeisance to you all. You are all affecting and changing my life in the most wonderful manner!

Thank you from the bottom of my heart!

T

 

[Babbabud]

Great to see you posting here

Great to see you posting here

Bog its great to see you post here and share your feelings . Both you and Thomas write so well its wonderful to read your beautiful post. I wake up each morning and this is of course the first place I check in to. Would also be great to see our brother Avid drop in and say high and not keep so much distance. I love all you guys and cant imagine not having the encouragement I recieve from you all
Nam myoho renge kyo

 

[BushyOldGrower]

I fear Avid is dismayed by the racism shown on the site. I tend to be understanding even toward racists in an attempt to make them see sense but it could look like I tolerate and even condone racist and hateful attitudes. I don't but people aren't perfect and at all levels we must assist our brothers even when they dwell in darkness.

Please chant that our good friend Avid will reconsider and understand that there is no color here. I understand how a person feels if they feel isolated without others understanding their frustration and anger toward such ignorant attitudes.

Avid is a very intelligent man of high moral character who I look up to just like Tom and Babba and all of the people who frequent this thread. I am back despite myself.

Now we must work to keep our community strong so that we can continue to promote love and peace through individual enlightenment.

Thanks Tom. BOG

 

[PassTheDoobie]

Thanks BOG. Tom

 

[PassTheDoobie]

It would sure be appreciated if someday, someone out there would take the time to index what we've already covered. Content that is already in place, as far as definitions, terms, specific gosho, quotes, etc. Not our coments and banter, but the authoritative resources. Anyone game to take that on? I have tried three times.

I get too busy with everything else and it's never gotten done. We don't need to be repetitive and I don't want to make the cause of not respecting Gypsy's server space.

Help! It'll be a good cause! I feel cheesy asking, but if I don't it will never happen.

And it needs to.

Thanks (hopefully?)