Chanting Growers Group

[Babbabud]

Thomas post #1925 is so on the money brother. Its amazing how things happen, I missed an evening group chant 3 weeks ago and all have been cancelled since, for various reasons all being very understandable. I love to do my own gonyo but the group thing really works for me and pumps me up each week. No matter how strong our resolve its amazing the things that can happen. So great to know that no matter how far we fall our gohonzon is always there for us. The difference in my life since i stepped away from the old teachings are amazing. I still find many things beyond my words though To those of you that followed our outdoor thread ..... what more proof could anyone need ... give chanting a try... we have been blessed with all things that we chanted for and more..... and it just keeps on coming
nam myoho renge kyo

 

[PassTheDoobie]

"Certainly, it’s difficult for us, ordinary people, to readily bring forth compassion, but we can summon courage instead. When we courageously practice and spread the Law of compassion, those very efforts are equivalent to our having taken compassionate action. And such efforts will naturally lead to the development of infinite, positive human relationships based on compassion, spreading from one person to another. Our challenge lies in infusing the realm of fundamental darkness with the warm, life-affirming current of compassion and working dauntlessly to create a world where people have compassion for each other based on the Buddhist teaching of dependent origination—the principle of the interconnection of all things. By doing so, we can truly carry on the legacy of Buddhism that originates from Shakyamuni and further build on it into the future."

SGI Newsletter No. 6652, SGI President Ikeda’s Study Lecture Series, LECTURES ON “THE OPENING OF THE EYES, ” [18] The Sovereign, Teacher, and Parent of the Buddhism of Sowing, Of the Latter Day of the Law—Part 1—Spreading the Fragrant Breeze of Compassion in a Defiled Age, translated Nov. 29th, 2005

 

[PassTheDoobie]

devil
[魔] (Jpn.: ma; Skt.: mara; Pali.: mara)

A personification of evil. The Sanskrit word mara also means killing, death, pestilence, or obstacle, and in China it was translated as "robber of life." In Buddhist scriptures, Mara is the name of a devil king who rules over numerous devils who are his retinue. He is described as the great evil enemy of Shakyamuni Buddha and his teachings. When Shakyamuni entered into meditation under the bodhi tree, Mara attempted to prevent him from attaining enlightenment but failed. After Shakyamuni's enlightenment, he also tried to induce the Buddha to abandon his intent to preach. Mara is identified with the devil king of the sixth heaven. The sixth heaven is the highest heaven in the world of desire, or the Heaven of Freely Enjoying Things Conjured by Others, and its ruler delights in manipulating others to submit to his will. In Buddhism, devils indicate those functions that block or hinder people's effort to complete their Buddhist practice.


Heaven of Freely Enjoying Things Conjured by Others
[他化自在天] (Jpn.: Takejizai-ten; Skt.: Paranirmita-vasha-vartin)

Also, sixth heaven. In ancient Indian cosmology, the sixth and highest of the six heavens in the world of desire. Its dwellers make free use of things conjured by others for their own pleasure, hence the name of this heaven. Their life span is sixteen thousand years, one day of which is equal to sixteen hundred human years. Their life span is therefore equal to about 9.3 billion human years. The Heaven of Freely Enjoying Things Conjured by Others is the abode of the devil king, called Mara in Sanskrit, and therefore it is known as the Heaven of Mara or the Heaven of the Devil. The devil king abiding in this sixth heaven at the top of the world of desire is often referred to as the devil king of the sixth heaven. He is said to harass practitioners of Buddhism himself or through his subordinates to dissuade them from practice and prevent their attaining Buddhahood.


devil king of the sixth heaven
[第六天の魔王] (Jpn.: dairokuten-no-mao)

Also, devil king or heavenly devil. The king of devils, who dwells in the highest or the sixth heaven of the world of desire. He is also named Freely Enjoying Things Conjured by Others, the king who makes free use of the fruits of others' efforts for his own pleasure. Served by innumerable minions, he obstructs Buddhist practice and delights in sapping the life force of other beings. One of the four devils.


four devils
[四魔] (Jpn.: shi-ma)

Four evil or debilitating functions described in Buddhist scriptures as afflicting practitioners and obstructing their practice. They are (1) the devil of the five components (Skt skandha-mara ), or hindrances arising from the five components of life; (2) the devil of earthly desires (klesha-mara), hindrances arising from earthly desires; (3) the devil of death (also called the devil death, mrityumara), the hindrance arising from the death of oneself or another practitioner; and (4) the heavenly devil (devaputra-mara), hindrances attributed to the workings of the devil king of the sixth heaven. The Sanskrit word mara means devil, obstacle, killing, death, or pestilence. Together with the three obstacles of earthly desires, karma, and retribution, the four devils are referred to as the "three obstacles and four devils."


three obstacles and four devils
[三障四魔] (Jpn.: sansho-shima)

Various obstacles and hindrances to the practice of Buddhism. They are listed in the Nirvana Sutra and The Treatise on the Great Perfection of Wisdom. The three obstacles are (1) the obstacle of earthly desires, or obstacles arising from the three poisons of greed, anger, and foolishness; (2) the obstacle of karma, obstacles due to bad karma created by committing any of the five cardinal sins or ten evil acts; and (3) the obstacle of retribution, obstacles caused by the negative karmic effects of actions in the three evil paths. In a letter he addressed to the Ikegami brothers in 1275, Nichiren states, "The obstacle of earthly desires is the impediments to one's practice that arise from greed, anger, foolishness, and the like; the obstacle of karma is the hindrances presented by one's wife or children; and the obstacle of retribution is the hindrances caused by one's sovereign or parents" (501).

The four devils are (1) the hindrance of the five components, obstructions caused by one's physical and mental functions; (2) the hindrance of earthly desires, obstructions arising from the three poisons; (3) the hindrance of death, meaning one's own untimely death obstructing one's practice of Buddhism, or the premature death of another practitioner causing one to doubt; and (4) the hindrance of the devil king, who is said to assume various forms or take possession of others in order to cause one to discard one's Buddhist practice. This hindrance is regarded as the most difficult to overcome. T'ien-t'ai (538-597) states in Great Concentration and Insight: "As practice progresses and understanding grows, the three obstacles and four devils emerge in confusing form, vying with one another to interfere... . One should be neither influenced nor frightened by them. If one falls under their influence, one will be led into the paths of evil. If one is frightened by them, one will be prevented from practicing the correct teaching."


fundamental darkness
[元品の無明] (Jpn.: gampon-no-mumyo)

Also, fundamental ignorance or primal ignorance. The most deeply rooted illusion inherent in life, said to give rise to all other illusions. Darkness in this sense means inability to see or recognize the truth, particularly, the true nature of one's life. The term fundamental darkness is contrasted with the fundamental nature of enlightenment, which is the Buddha nature inherent in life. According to the Shrimala Sutra, fundamental darkness is the most difficult illusion to surmount and can be eradicated only by the wisdom of the Buddha. T'ien-t'ai (538-597) interprets darkness as illusion that prevents one from realizing the truth of the Middle Way, and divides such illusion into forty-two types, the last of which is fundamental darkness. This illusion is only extirpated when one attains the stage of perfect enlightenment, the last of the fifty-two stages of bodhisattva practice. Nichiren (1222-1282) interprets fundamental darkness as ignorance of the ultimate Law, or ignorance of the fact that one's life is essentially a manifestation of that Law, which he identifies as Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. In The Treatment of Illness, Nichiren states: "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" (1113). Nichiren thus regards fundamental darkness as latent even in the enlightened life of the Buddha, and the devil king of the sixth heaven as a manifestation or personification of life's fundamental darkness. The Record of the Orally Transmitted Teachings reads, "Belief is a sharp sword that cuts off fundamental darkness or ignorance."


compassion
[悲・慈悲] (Pali.: karuna; Skt.: karuna; Jpn.: hi or jihi)

In Buddhism, altruistic action that seeks to relieve living beings from their sufferings and give ease and delight to them. An outstanding characteristic of bodhisattvas is a mind of pity and compassion that seeks to save others even at the risk of their own lives. A Buddha is revered as one who shares in the torments of all living beings and strives to release all beings from suffering and bring them happiness. The Nirvana Sutra says, "The varied sufferings of all living beings-all these the Thus Come One himself undergoes as his own sufferings."


dependent origination
[縁起・因縁] (Pali.: pati-ccha-samuppada; Skt.: pratitya-samutpada; Jpn.: engi or innen)

Also, dependent causation or conditioned co-arising. A Buddhist doctrine expressing the interdependence of all things. It teaches that no beings or phenomena exist on their own; they exist or occur because of their relationship with other beings and phenomena. Everything in the world comes into existence in response to causes and conditions. That is, nothing can exist independent of other things or arise in isolation. The doctrine of the twelve-linked chain of causation is a well-known illustration of this idea.

From source: The Soka Gakkai Dictionary of Buddhism

 

[Babbabud]

Thomas your post are so appreciated
nam myoho renge kyo

 

[PassTheDoobie]

Your appreciation is most appreciated, Bud. I hope eveyone has enjoyed the gosho, "The Opening of the Eyes". Maybe our eyes are opened a little more to the reason so many consider and appreciate the Daishonin as the Buddha of the Latter Day of the Law.

Next up: the Devadatta Chapter of the Lotus Sutra.

T

 

[PassTheDoobie]

"Devadatta" chapter
[提婆達多品] (Jpn.: Daibadatta-hon)

The twelfth chapter of the Lotus Sutra. It teaches that both women and evil persons are capable of attaining Buddhahood, something generally denied in the provisional, or pre-Lotus Sutra, teachings, as well as the principle of attaining enlightenment in one's present form without completing many kalpas of practice. In the first half of the chapter, Shakyamuni discloses that in a past life he was a king who renounced his throne to seek the truth. For one thousand years, he served a seer named Asita, who in turn taught him the Lotus Sutra. This seer, he explains, is none other than Devadatta. He then prophesies that, in the distant future, Devadatta will attain enlightenment as a Buddha called Heavenly King. Devadatta had tried on several occasions to kill Shakyamuni and foment disunity within the Buddhist Order and is said to have fallen into hell alive. The prediction of his future enlightenment indicates that even the most depraved person has the potential to become a Buddha.

At this point in the "Devadatta" chapter, a bodhisattva named Wisdom Accumulated is about to return to his original land when Shakyamuni urges him to stay a while and listen to the discourse of Bodhisattva Manjushri. Manjushri relates how he has preached the Lotus Sutra in the palace of a dragon king and converted innumerable beings, and Wisdom Accumulated asks him if there is anyone there who applies the sutra in practice and gains Buddhahood quickly. Manjushri replies that the eight-year-old daughter of the dragon king has attained the stage of non-regression and is capable of readily achieving the supreme Buddha wisdom. Wisdom Accumulated and Shariputra both challenge this; Wisdom Accumulated on the grounds that Buddhahood requires the practice of austerities spanning many kalpas, and Shariputra for the same reason and also because women are said to possess the five obstacles and to be incapable of attaining enlightenment. By now the dragon king's daughter has appeared in front of them. After presenting a jewel to Shakyamuni Buddha, she at once transforms herself into a male and instantaneously perfects the bodhisattva practice. Acquiring the thirty-two features and eighty characteristics of a Buddha, she appears in a land to the south called Spotless World, where she preaches the Lotus Sutra to all beings in the ten directions. Her attainment of Buddhahood shows not only that women can reach enlightenment but also-because she attained enlightenment while remaining a dragon-that one can become a Buddha in one's present form.

The enlightenment of evil people, represented by Devadatta, and that of women, represented by the dragon king's daughter, illustrate the universal possibility of Buddhahood that the sutra teaches. In Kumarajiva's translation of the Lotus Sutra, the "Devadatta" chapter is an independent chapter, but in both the Lotus Sutra of the Correct Law by Dharmaraksha and the Supplemented Lotus Sutra of the Wonderful Law by Jnanagupta and Dharmagupta, it is included as part of the preceding chapter, "Treasure Tower." Thus these two versions of the Lotus Sutra each consist of only twenty-seven chapters.


Devadatta (Skt, Pali)
[提婆達多] (Jpn.: Daibadatta)

A cousin of Shakyamuni who, after Shakyamuni's enlightenment, first followed him as a disciple but later became his enemy. Devadatta was a younger brother of Ananda (an elder brother according to another account). His father was Dronodana (or Amritodana). In Buddhist scriptures, he is described as a man of utmost evil who tried to kill Shakyamuni Buddha and disrupt his Order. When both were young, before Shakyamuni embarked on a religious life, Devadatta is said to have beaten to death a white elephant that had been given to him by Shakyamuni. Devadatta was also a rival for the hand of Yashodhara, whom Shakyamuni eventually married. Later Devadatta renounced secular life and became one of Shakyamuni's disciples.

In his arrogance, however, he grew jealous of Shakyamuni and sought to usurp the Buddha's position. He fomented a schism in the Buddhist Order, luring away a number of monks. He also goaded Ajatashatru, prince of Magadha, into overthrowing his father, Bimbisara, a patron of Shakyamuni, and ascending the throne in his stead. With the new king supporting him, Devadatta made several attempts on Shakyamuni's life and caused a schism in his Order. As a result of his misdeeds, Devadatta is said to have fallen into hell alive. In the "Devadatta" (twelfth) chapter of the Lotus Sutra, however, Shakyamuni reveals that in some past existence he himself had learned the Lotus Sutra from a seer named Asita, and that this seer was Devadatta. He also predicts that Devadatta will attain enlightenment in the future as a Buddha named Heavenly King. Nichiren (1222-1282) takes this prediction to illustrate the principle that even evil persons have the potential for enlightenment.


dragon king's daughter
[竜女] (Jpn.: ryunyo)

Also, dragon girl or naga girl. The eight-year-old daughter of Sagara, one of the eight great dragon kings said to dwell in a palace at the bottom of the sea. According to the "Devadatta" (twelfth) chapter of the Lotus Sutra, the dragon girl conceived the desire for enlightenment when she heard Bodhisattva Manjushri preach the Lotus Sutra in the dragon king's palace. When Manjushri asserts that she is capable of quickly attaining the Buddha wisdom, Bodhisattva Wisdom Accumulated challenges him, saying that even Shakyamuni attained enlightenment only after fulfilling the bodhisattva practice for many kalpas, and that she cannot become a Buddha so easily. Just then the dragon girl appears in front of the assembly and praises Shakyamuni Buddha. Shariputra then speaks to her, saying that women are subject to the five obstacles and are incapable of attaining Buddhahood. At that moment, she offers a jewel to the Buddha, transforms herself into a male, and instantaneously perfects the bodhisattva practice. She then appears in a land to the south called Spotless World and manifests the state of Buddhahood without changing her dragon form. With the thirty-two features and eighty characteristics of a Buddha, she preaches the Lotus Sutra to all living beings there.

The dragon girl's enlightenment has important implications. First, it refutes the idea of the time that women could never attain enlightenment. Second, it reveals that the power of the Lotus Sutra enables all people equally to attain Buddhahood in their present form, without undergoing kalpas of austere practices. Perhaps the social circumstances in which the Lotus Sutra was compiled did not allow the dragon girl to be depicted as attaining Buddhahood without first becoming a male. But the transformation occurred instantaneously, not in the next life, and in this respect differs significantly from that of other, provisional teachings, which hold that a woman must be reborn as a man and then practice bodhisattva austerities for innumerable kalpas in order to become a Buddha.


dragon deity
[竜神] (Skt.: naga; Pali.: naga; Jpn.: ryujin)

Also, dragon god. A deification of the dragon, one of the eight kinds of nonhuman beings held to be guardians of Buddhism. Dragon deities are said to have various powers, such as the ability to cause rain. The Sanskrit naga means snake or serpent. According to Indian mythology, naga-demons with human faces and serpent-like lower extremities inhabited the waters or lived under the earth. Their ruler, naga-raja (serpent-king), was feared as a huge poisonous being on the one hand and worshiped as the god who caused rain to fall on the other. When Buddhist scriptures were translated into Chinese, naga was rendered in Chinese as lung, or dragon. Hence the terms dragon gods, dragon kings, and the naga girl, or dragon girl.


From source: The Soka Gakkai Dictionary of Buddhism

 

[PassTheDoobie]

Asita
[阿私仙人] (Skt; Jpn Ashi-sennin)

A seer mentioned in the "Devadatta" (twelfth) chapter of the Lotus Sutra and referred to as a former incarnation of Devadatta. According to this chapter, when Shakyamuni was a king in a past existence, he renounced the throne to seek the Law. At that time, a seer named Asita came to the retired king and said: "I have a great-vehicle text called the Sutra of the Lotus of the Wonderful Law. If you will never disobey me, I will expound it for you." Overjoyed, the former king served the seer, carrying firewood, drawing water, and making a couch of his own body for the seer to sleep on. One thousand years passed, and the king finally received instruction in the Lotus Sutra from the seer. In the "Devadatta" chapter, having related this story, Shakyamuni identifies the king with himself, and the seer with Devadatta. Moreover, he says that Devadatta acted as a "good friend" to him, or one who leads other people to the correct teaching, and that he was thus able to attain enlightenment. He then predicts that Devadatta will become a Buddha named Heavenly King. Kumarajiva's Chinese translation of the Lotus Sutra carries the name of this seer, but his name does not appear in the extant versions of the Sanskrit text.


Manjushri (Skt)
[文殊師利菩`・文殊菩`] (Jpn.: Monjushiri-bosatsu or Monju-bosatsu)

A bodhisattva who appears in the sutras as the leader of the bodhisattvas and is regarded as symbolic of the perfection of wisdom. Sutras depict him as one of the two bodhisattvas who attend Shakyamuni Buddha, the other being Samantabhadra, or Universal Worthy. Manjushri is generally shown in Buddhist art riding a lion at the Buddha's left, and represents the virtues of wisdom and enlightenment. Shakyamuni's right-hand attendant, Bodhisattva Universal Worthy, shown riding a white elephant, represents the virtues of truth and practice. According to the Flower Garland Sutra, Manjushri lives on Mount Clear and Cool in the east, which came to be identified with Mount Wut'ai in China. Belief in Manjushri flourished in China from the Eastern Chin dynasty (317-420) and in Japan from the Heian period (794-1185).


Shariputra (Skt)
[舎利弗] (Pali.: Sariputta; Jpn.: Sharihotsu)

One of Shakyamuni Buddha's ten major disciples, known as foremost in wisdom. Shariputra means "son of Shari" (Shari was his mother). Shariputra is also known as Upatishya (Pali Upatissa). Born to a Brahman family in Nalaka in the suburbs of Rajagriha, the capital of Magadha, he was a close friend of Maudgalyayana from childhood. Together they had both become followers of Sanjaya Belatthiputta, a skeptic and one of the six non-Buddhist teachers. Not long after Shakyamuni attained enlightenment, Shariputra happened to meet Ashvajit, a disciple of Shakyamuni, at Rajagriha. Ashvajit taught him about the law of causation, and Shariputra was so impressed by the implication of this doctrine and by Ashvajit's noble bearing that he became Shakyamuni's disciple. Maudgalyayana followed his friend into the Buddhist Order, and the two brought all of Sanjaya's 250 disciples with them. From early on in Shakyamuni's preaching life, both were reckoned by the Buddha as his foremost disciples. Shariputra in particular was esteemed by the Buddha so highly as to be regarded by him as his successor. He fell ill, however, and died several months before Shakyamuni in his native village, Nalaka. In the Lotus Sutra, Shariputra alone constitutes the first of the three groups of voice-hearers to have grasped the Buddha's teaching, for he understood the Buddha's intention on hearing him preach the true aspect of all phenomena in the "Expedient Means" (second) chapter of the sutra. The "Simile and Parable" (third) chapter predicts that he will in a future existence become a Buddha named Flower Glow.


Wisdom Accumulated
[智積] (Jpn.: Chishaku)

(Skt Prajnakuta) A bodhisattva mentioned in the "Devadatta" (twelfth) chapter of the Lotus Sutra. In this chapter, Bodhisattva Manjushri relates how he has preached the Lotus Sutra in the palace of the dragon king and converted innumerable beings. Bodhisattva Wisdom Accumulated, a follower of the Buddha Many Treasures, wishes to know if there is anyone who applies the sutra in practice and gains Buddhahood quickly. Manjushri replies that the eight-year-old daughter of the dragon king has attained the stage of non-regression and is capable of readily achieving the Buddha wisdom. Wisdom Accumulated challenges him on the grounds that Buddhahood requires the practice of austerities over a period of countless kalpas. At that time, the dragon king's daughter appears, and Wisdom Accumulated and the other members of the assembly see the dragon girl become a Buddha in the space of an instant. Wisdom Accumulated silently believes and accepts what he has witnessed.


cause-awakened one
[縁覚] (Jpn.: engaku; Skt.: pratyekabuddha)

Also, self-awakened one. One who perceives the twelve-linked chain of causation, or the truth of causal relationship. Cause-awakened one also means those who, in an age when there is no Buddha, realize on their own the truth of impermanence by observing natural phenomena. Because their awakening is self-gained, cause-awakened ones are also called self-awakened ones. Together with voice-hearers, they constitute the persons of the two vehicles. Unlike bodhisattvas, they seek their own emancipation without thought of preaching for and instructing others.

The Sanskrit term pratyekabuddha means "independently enlightened one" or "individually enlightened one." In the early Chinese translations of Buddhist scriptures, it was rendered cause-awakened one, which implies one enlightened through perceiving causal relationship. The Treatise on the Meaning of the Mahayana, written by Hui-yüan (523-592), describes pratyekabuddha as one who perceives the twelve-linked chain of causation or who awakens to the truth by observing natural phenomena such as the scattering of blossoms or the falling of leaves. Later the term was rendered as self-awakened one. In The Words and Phrases of the Lotus Sutra, T'ien-t'ai (538-597) distinguishes these two types of pratyekabuddha: cause-awakened ones and self-awakened ones. Mahayana, which upholds practice to benefit others, referred to the vehicle of pratyekabuddha, or the teaching that leads one to the state of pratyekabuddha, as Hinayana (Lesser Vehicle), because it concerns only one's own salvation. The realm of cause-awakened ones is also viewed as a condition of life, in which one perceives the transience of life in the six paths and strives to free oneself from the six paths by seeking eternal truth through one's own effort. This realm or state constitutes the eighth of the Ten Worlds.


six paramitas
[六波羅蜜] (Jpn.: roku-haramitsu or ropparamitsu)

Six practices required of Mahayana bodhisattvas in order to attain Buddhahood. The Sanskrit word paramita is interpreted as "perfection" or "having reached the opposite shore," i.e., to cross from the shore of delusion to the shore of enlightenment. The six paramitas are (1) almsgiving (Skt dana ), which includes material almsgiving, almsgiving of the Law, and almsgiving of fearlessness (meaning to remove fear and give relief ); (2) keeping the precepts (shila); (3) forbearance (kshanti), or to bear up patiently and continue one's Buddhist practice under all opposition and hardships; (4) assiduousness (virya), to practice the other five paramitas ceaselessly, with utmost physical and spiritual effort; (5) meditation (dhyana), to focus the mind and contemplate the truth with a tranquil mind; and (6) the obtaining of wisdom (prajna), which enables one to perceive the true nature of all things.

From source: The Soka Gakkai Dictionary of Buddhism

 

[PassTheDoobie]

The Lotus Sutra Translated by Burton Watson

The Lotus Sutra Translated by Burton Watson

Chapter Twelve: Devadatta

At that time the Buddha addressed the bodhisattvas, the heavenly and human beings, and the four kinds of believers saying: "Immeasurable kalpas in the past, I sought the Lotus Sutra without ever flagging. During those many kalpas, I constantly appeared as the ruler of a kingdom who made a vow to seek the unsurpassed bodhi. His mind never wavered or turned aside, and in his desire to fulfill the six paramitas he diligently distributed alms, never stinting in heart, whether the gift was elephants or horses, the seven rare articles, countries, cities, wife, children, maidservants, or his own head, eyes, marrow and brain, his own flesh and limbs. He did not begrudge even his own being and life. At that period the human life span was immeasurably long. But for the sake of the Law this king abandoned his kingdom and throne, delegated the government to the crown prince, sounded drums and sent out proclamations, seeking the Law in four directions and saying, 'Who can expound the Great Vehicle for me? To the end of my life I will be his provider and servant!'

"At that time there was a seer who came to the king and said, "I have a Great Vehicle text called the Sutra of the Wonderful Law. If you will never disobey me, I will expound it for you.'

"When the king heard these words of the seer, he danced for joy. At once he accompanied the seer, providing him with whatever he needed, picking fruit, drawing water, gathering firewood, setting out meals, even offering his own body as a couch and seat, never stinting in body or mind. He served the seer in this manner for a thousand years, all for the sake of the Law, working diligently acting as a provider and seeing to it that the seer lacked for nothing."

At that time the World-Honored One, wishing to state his meaning once more, spoke in verse form, saying:

I recall those departed kalpas of the past
when in order to seek the great Law,
though I was the ruler of a worldly kingdom,
I was not greedy to satisfy the five desires
but instead struck the bell, crying in four quarters,
"Who possesses the great Law?
If he will explain and preach it for me
I will be his slave and servant!"
At that time there was a seer named Asita
who came and announced to this great King,
"I have a subtle and wonderful Law,
rarely known in this world.
If you will undertake religious practice
I will expound it for you."
When the king heard the seer's words
his heart was filled with great joy.
Immediately he accompanied the seer,
providing him with whatever he needed,
gathering firewood, fruit and wild rice,
presenting them at appropriate times with respect and reverence.
Because the wonderful Law was then his thoughts
he never flagged in body or mind.
For the sake of living beings everywhere
he diligently sought the great Law,
taking no heed for himself
or for the gratification of the five desires.
Therefore the ruler of a great kingdom
through diligent seeking was able to acquire this Law
and eventually to attain Buddhahood,
as I will now explain to you.

The Buddha said to his monks: "The king at that time was I myself, and this seer was the man who is now Devadatta. All because Devadatta was a good friend to me, I was able to become fully endowed with this six paramitas, pity, compassion, joy, and indifference, with the thirty-two features, the eighty characteristics, the purple-tinged golden color, the ten powers, the four kinds of fearlessness, the four methods of winning people, the eighteen unshared properties, and the transcendental powers and the power of the way. The fact that I have attained impartial and correct enlightenment and can save living beings on a broad scale is all due to Devadatta who was a good friend."

Then the Buddha said to the four kinds of believers: "Devadatta, after immeasurable kalpas have past, will attain Buddhahood. He will be called Heavenly King Thus Come One, worthy of offerings of right and universal knowledge, perfect parity and conduct, well gone, understanding the world, on itself worthy, trainer of people, teacher of heavenly and human beings, Buddha, World-Honored One. This world will be called Heavenly Way, and at the same time Heavenly King Buddha will abide in the world for twenty medium kalpas, broadly preaching the Wonderful Law for the sake of living beings. Living beings numerous as Ganges sands will attain the fruit of arhatship. Immeasurable numbers of living beings will conceive that desire to become pratyekabuddhas, living beings numerous as Ganges sands will conceive a desire for the unsurpassed way, will gain that truth of birthless-ness, and will never regress. After Heavenly King Buddha enters parinirvana, his Correct Law will endure in the world for twenty medium kalpas. The relics from his whole body will be housed in a tower built of the seven treasures, sixty yojanas in height and forty yojanas in width and depth. All the heavenly and human beings will take assorted flowers, powdered incense, incense for burning, paste incense, clothing, necklaces, steamers and banners, jeweled canopies, music and songs of praise that offer them with obeisance to the wonderful seven- jeweled tower. Immeasurable numbers of living beings will attain the fruits of arhatship, numerous living beings will become enlightened as pratyekabuddhas, and unimaginable numbers of living beings will conceive a desire for bodhi and will reach the level of no regression."

The Buddha said to the monks: "In future ages if there are good men or good women who, on hearing the Devadatta Chapter of the Lotus Sutra of the Wonderful Law, believe and revere it with pure hearts and harbor no doubts or perplexities, they will never fall into hell or the realm of hungry spirits or of beasts, but will be born in the presence of the Buddhas of the ten directions, and in the place where they are born they will constantly hear this sutra. If they are born among human or heavenly beings, they will enjoy exceedingly wonderful delights, and if they are born in the presence of the Buddha, they will be born by transformation from lotus flowers."

At that time there was a bodhisattva who was among the followers of Many Treasures World-Honored One from the lower region and whose name was Wisdom Accumulated. He said to Many Treasures Buddha, "Shall we return to our homeland?"

Shakyamuni Buddha said to Wisdom Accumulated, 'good man, wait a little while. There is a bodhisattva named Manjushri here whom you should see. Debate and discuss the wonderful Law with him, and then you may return to your homeland."

At that time Manjushri was seated on a thousand-pedaled lotus blossom big as a carriage wheel, and the bodhisattvas who had come with them were also seated on jeweled lotus blossoms. Manjushri had emerged in a natural manner from the palace of the dragon king Sagara in the great ocean and was suspended in the air. Proceeding to Holy Eagle Peak, he descended from the lotus blossom and, having entered the presence of the Buddhas, bowed his head and paid obeisance to the feet of the two World-Honored Ones. When he had concluded these gestures of respect, he went to where Wisdom Accumulated was and exchanged greetings with him, and then retired and sat at one side.

Bodhisattva Wisdom Accumulated questioned Manjushri, saying, "When you went to the palace of the dragon king, how many living beings did you convert?"

Manjushri replied, "The number is immeasurable, incapable of calculation. The mouth cannot express it, the mind cannot have fathom it. Wait a moment and there will be proof."

Before he had finished speaking, countless bodhisattvas seated on jeweled lotus blossoms emerged from the Ocean proceeded to Holy Eagle Peak, where they remained suspended in the air. These bodhisattvas all had been converted and saved by Manjushri. They had carried out all the bodhisattva practices and discussed and expounded the six paramitas with one another. Those who had originally been voice-hearers expounded the practices of the voice-hearer when they were in the air, but now all were practicing the Great Vehicle principle of emptiness.

Manjushri said to Wisdom Accumulated, "The work of teaching and converting carried out in the ocean was as you can see."

At that time Bodhisattva Wisdom Accumulated recited these verses of praise:

Of great wisdom and virtue, brave and stalwart,
you have converted and saved immeasurable beings.
Now those in this great assembly,
as well as I myself, have all seen them.
You expound the principle of the true entity,
open up the Law of the single vehicle,
broadly guiding the many beings,
causing them quickly to attain bodhi.

Manjushri said, "When I was in the ocean I constantly expounded the Lotus Sutra of the Wonderful Law alone."

Bodhisattva Wisdom Accumulated questioned Manjushri, saying, "This sutra is a profound, subtle and wonderful, a treasure among sutras, a rarity in the world. Are there perhaps any living beings who, by earnestly and diligently practicing this sutra, have been able to attain Buddhahood quickly?"

Manjushri replied, "There is the daughter of the dragon king Sagara, who has just turned eight. Her wisdom has keen roots and she is good at understanding the root activities and of living beings. She has mastered the dharanis, has been able to accept and embrace all the store house of profound secrets preached by the Buddhas, has entered deep into meditation, thoroughly grasping the doctrines, and in the space of an instant conceived the desire for bodhi and reached the level of no regression. Her eloquence knows no hindrance, and she thinks of living beings with compassion as though they were her own children. She is fully endowed with blessings, and when it comes to conceiving in mind and expounding by mouth, she is subtle, wonderful, comprehensive and great. Kind, compassionate, benevolent, yielding, she is gentle and refined in will, capable of attaining bodhi."

Bodhisattva Wisdom Accumulated said, "When I observe Shakyamuni Thus Come One, I see that for immeasurable kalpas he carried out harsh and difficult practices, accumulated merit, piling up virtue, seeking the way to the bodhisattva without ever resting. I observe that throughout the thousand-million fold world there is not a single spot tiny as a mustard seed where this bodhisattva failed to sacrifice body and life the sake of living beings. Only after he had done that was he able to complete the bodhi way. I cannot believe that this girl in the space of the instant could actually achieve correct enlightenment."

Before his words had come to an end, the dragon king's daughter suddenly appeared before the Buddha, bowed her head in obeisance, and then retired to one side, reciting these verses of praise:

He profoundly understands the signs of guilt and good fortune
and illuminates the ten directions everywhere.
His subtle, wonderful pure Dharma body
is endowed with the thirty-two features;
the eighty characteristics
adorn his Dharma body.
Heavenly and human beings gaze up in awe,
dragons and spirits all pay honor and respect;
among all living beings,
none who do not hold him in reverence.
And having heard his teachings, I have attained bodhi -
the Buddha alone can bear witness to this.
I unfold the doctrines of the Great Vehicle
to rescue living beings from suffering.

At that time Shariputra said to the dragon girl, "You suppose that in this short time you have been able to attain the unsurpassed way. But this is difficult to believe. Why? Because a woman's body is soiled and defiled, not a vessel for the Law. How could you attain the unsurpassed bodhi? The road to Buddhahood is long and far-reaching. Only after one has spent immeasurable kalpas pursuing austerities, accumulating deeds, practicing all kinds of paramitas, can one finally achieve success. Moreover, a woman is subject to the five obstacles. First, she cannot become a Brahma heavenly king. Second, she cannot become the king Shakra. Third, she cannot become a devil king. Fourth, she cannot become a wheel-turning sage king. Fifth, she cannot become a Buddha. How then could a woman like you be able to attain Buddhahood so quickly?"

At that time the dragon girl had a precious jewel worth as much as the thousand-million-fold world which she presented to the Buddha. The Buddha immediately excepted it. The dragon girl said to Bodhisattva Wisdom Accumulated to the venerable one, Shariputra, "I presented the precious jewel and the World-Honored One accepted it - was that not quickly done?"

They replied, "Very quickly!"

The girl said, "employ your supernatural powers and watch me attain Buddhahood. It shall be even quicker than that!"

At that time the members of the assembly all saw the dragon girl in the space of an instant change into a man and carry out all the practices of a bodhisattva, immediately proceeding to the Spotless World of the south, taking a seat on a jeweled lotus, and attaining impartial and correct enlightenment. With the thirty-two features and the eighty characteristics, he expounded the wonderful Law for all living beings everywhere in the ten directions.

At that time in the saha world the bodhisattvas, voice-hearers, gods, dragons and others of the eight kinds of guardians, human and non-human beings all from a distance saw the dragon girl become a Buddha and preach the law to all the human and heavenly beings in the assembly at that time. Their hearts were filled with great joy and all from a distance paid reverent obeisance. Immeasurable living beings, hearing the Law, understood it and were able to reach the level of no regression. Immeasurable living beings received prophecies that they would gain the way. The Spotless World quaked and trembled in six different ways. Three thousand living beings of the saha world remained on the level of no regression. Three thousand living beings conceived a desire for bodhi and received prophecies of enlightenment. Bodhisattva Wisdom Accumulated, Shariputra and all the other members of the assembly silently believed and accepted these things.

 

[SoCal Hippy]

excerpts from "On the Treasure Tower" Gosho

excerpts from "On the Treasure Tower" Gosho

"...The appearance of the treasure tower indicates that on hearing
the Lotus Sutra the three groups of voice-hearers perceived for the
first time the treasure tower within their own lives. Now Nichiren's
disciples and lay supporters are also doing this. In the Latter Day
of the Law, no treasure tower exists other than the figures of the
men and women who embrace the Lotus Sutra. It follows, therefore,
that whether eminent or humble, high or low, those who chant Nam-
myoho- renge-kyo are themselves the treasure tower, and, likewise,
are themselves the Thus Come One Many Treasures. No treasure tower
exists other than Myoho-renge-kyo. The daimoku of the Lotus Sutra is
the treasure tower, and the treasure tower is Nam-myoho-renge-kyo...

Abutsu-bo is therefore the treasure tower itself, and the treasure
tower is Abutsu-bo himself. No other knowledge is purposeful...

You may think you offered gifts to the treasure tower of the Thus
Come One Many Treasures, but that is not so. You offered them to
yourself...

Faith like yours is so extremely rare that I will inscribe the
treasure tower especially for you. You must never transfer it to
anyone but your son. You must never show it to others unless they
have steadfast faith. This is the reason for my advent in this
world...You and your wife should worship this treasure tower
privately..."

March 13, 1272

 

[PassTheDoobie]

A really good reason to open your heart and mind to this particular teaching:

A really good reason to open your heart and mind to this particular teaching:

The Buddha said to the monks: "In future ages if there are good men or good women who, on hearing the Devadatta Chapter of the Lotus Sutra of the Wonderful Law, believe and revere it with pure hearts and harbor no doubts or perplexities, they will never fall into hell or the realm of hungry spirits or of beasts, but will be born in the presence of the Buddhas of the ten directions, and in the place where they are born they will constantly hear this sutra. If they are born among human or heavenly beings, they will enjoy exceedingly wonderful delights, and if they are born in the presence of the Buddha, they will be born by transformation from lotus flowers."

 

[PassTheDoobie]

Devadatta was the foremost good friend to the Thus Come One Shakyamuni. In this age as well, it is not one's allies but one's powerful enemies who assist one's progress. We find examples before our very eyes. The Hojo clan in Kamakura could not have firmly established itself as the ruler of Japan had it not been for the challenges posed by Yoshimori and the Retired Emperor of (19) Oki. In this sense these men were the best allies the ruling clan could have. For me, Nichiren, my best allies in attaining Buddhahood are Kagenobu, the priests Ryokan, Doryu, and Do-amidabutsu, and Hei no Saemon and the lord of Sagami. I am grateful when I think that without them I could not have proved myself to be the votary of the Lotus Sutra.

The Actions of the Votary of the Lotus Sutra / WND pg. 763

 

[PassTheDoobie]

The Record of The Orally Transmitted Teachings

The Record of The Orally Transmitted Teachings

Chapter Twelve: Devadatta
Eight important points


Point One, concerning Devadatta

Volume eight of Words and Phrases says, “His original state is pure and cool, but in manifested form he showed himself as Fever of Heavenly Beings*.”

The Record of the Orally Transmitted Teachings says: Devadatta in his original state is the bodhisattva Manjushri. Therefore his original state is described as “pure and cool.” In his manifest form he is called Devadatta, hence it is said that he showed himself as Fever of Heavenly Beings.

“Pure and cool” is indicative of water and stands for the principle that the sufferings of birth and death are none other than nirvana. Fever of Heavenly Beings is indicative of fire and stands for the principle that earthly desires are none other than enlightenment. Now when Nichiren and his followers chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, they are showing that earthly desires are enlightenment and the sufferings of birth and death are nirvana.

Devadatta is another name for Myoho-renge-kyo. In a past existence he was the seer Asita. The seer Asita is another name for myoho, the Wonderful Law. The syllable “a” in Asita means “not” or “without.” The Law without self** is myoho, the Wonderful Law. Thus volume eight of Words and Phrases says, “One takes the Law that is without self and cleanses living beings with it.”

The seer Asita is another name for the three thousand worlds of the Dharma-realm. Therefore it is described as being “without self.” You should think about this principle of three thousand realms in a single moment of life.

*In China the name Devadatta was translated as Fever of Heavenly Beings.
**The name Asita is transliterated as Ashi in Japanese, which Nichiren interpreted as “without self.”


Point Two, on the passage ”At that time there was a seer who came to the king and said, ‘I have a great Vehicle text called The Sutra of the Lotus of the Wonderful Law. If you will never disobey me, I will expound it for you.’”

The Record of the Orally Transmitted Teachings says: With regard to this expounding of the Lotus Sutra, one should understand the meaning [of the passage “if you will never disobey me, I will expound it for you’*] to be: “You never disobey me, and so you are qualified to expound it.” The character for “ if” can also be read as the pronoun “you.”

Commenting on this [in volume eight of Words and Phrases], T’ien-t’ai says, “The king will receive the teaching and honor and practice it.” Now Nichiren’s followers chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo; they do not disobey him, and so they are qualified to expound the Law. The seer Asita here represents Nam-myoho-renge-kyo.

*The sentence consists of seven characters: If [you will] never disobey me, will expound [it] for [you]. Nichiren reads the character for “if” as “you,” and reconstructs the sentence as follows: You never disobey me, [and so you] are qualified to expound [it].


Point Three, on the passage “At once he [the king] accompanied the seer, providing him with whatever he needed, picking fruit, drawing water, gathering firewood, setting out meals…He served the seer in this manner for a thousand years, all for the sake of the Law, working diligently, acting as a provider and seeing to it that the seer lacked for nothing.”

The Record of the Orally Transmitted Teachings says: “Picking fruit’ applies to the earthly desire or defilement of foolishness. “Drawing water” applies to the earthly defilement of greed. “Gathering firewood” applies to the earthly defilement of anger. “Setting out meals” applies to the earthly defilement of arrogance.

In this passage, the eight kinds of services performed by the king for the seer Asita are listed. The king did not carry out any other actions outside of these in order to receive the transmission of Myoho-renge-kyo.

Now when Nichiren and his followers chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, they are carrying out such acts of service for a period of “a thousand years.” Such services represent the principle of three thousand realms in a single moment of life. This is what is needed to overcome greed, anger, foolishness, and arrogance.

(to be continued)

 

[always2theLeft]

hello again, ive deceided to persue this a little more and im going to buy a copy of thelotus sutra, but there seems to be alot of copies Would u recomend Burton Watson's? it seems to be the most original.
Peace, left

 

[Babbabud]

Hello again alway2theleft I would reccomend " The Writings of Nicheren Daishonin from the Soka Gakkai . It can be obtained here ... http://www.sgi-usa.org/Merchant2/me...e_Code=SOS&Product_Code=1100&Category_Code=B1
Or the http://www.sgi-usa.org/buddhism/library/SokaGakkai/Study/LectLS/Lectur01.htm where you can pretty much browse all you want. Lots of great info online here. Including "The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin. By the way if you do a search on it you will find it all on line to use at your leisure. The "search" is at the bottom of the page... if you dont find it any other way just type the title into the search and the whole book will show up. Great to see you stopping in. Hope my post doesnt confuse Im a bit ripped with a stiff neck today

 

[PassTheDoobie]

http://www.sgi-usa.org/buddhism/library/Buddhism/LotusSutra/

Always! Hey dude! Glad to hear that! Above is the link to online access to Burton Watson's translation of the 'Lotus Sutra'. Yes, stick to Watson's translation.


http://www.sgi-usa.org/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=SOS&Category_Code=S

The above will get you into the book store at www.sgi-usa.org. There you can purchase many different books. You asked about the 'Lotus Sutra', and Bud responded with info on 'The Writings Of Nichiren Daishonin'.

I would pick 'The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin', as Bud suggested.

Congratulations on your seeking spirit, Always! Ask anything and everything you are curious or confused about. We will do our best to help. Good luck!

T

 

[PassTheDoobie]

The Record of the Orally Transmitted Teachings (continued)

The Record of the Orally Transmitted Teachings (continued)

Chapter Twelve: Devadatta
Eight important points


Point Four, on the words “Because the Wonderful Law was in his thoughts / he never flagged in body or mind.”

The Record of the Orally transmitted Teachings says: These two words “body” and “mind” refer to the transmission of the teaching that our body and our mind are the Wonderful Law. Now Nichiren and his followers chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, and thus attain Buddhahood in their present form. “Never flagging in body or mind” refers to their embodiment of the principle of three thousand realms in a single moment of life.


Point Five, on the passage, “Manjushri said, ‘When I was in the ocean I constantly expounded the Lotus Sutra of the Wonderful Law alone.’”

The Record of the Orally Transmitted Teachings says: “I” refers to Manjushri. The “ocean” is the ocean of sufferings of birth and death. The word “alone” or “only” corresponds to that in the passage “There is only the Law of the one vehicle” (chapter two, Expedient Means). The word “constantly” or “always” corresponds to that in the passage “I am always here, preaching the Law” (chapter sixteen, Life Span). Myoho-renge-kyo is the words and sounds of the Dharma-realm. The passage refers to Nichiren and his followers, who now chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo.

The ocean of the sufferings of birth and death is none other than the great ocean of the true aspect or reality. “I” represents the wisdom of the Dharma-realm, which is personified in Manjushri.


Point Six, on the passage “There is the daughter of the dragon king Sagara, who has just turned eight. Her wisdom has keen roots and she is good at understanding the root activities and deeds of living beings. She has mastered the dharanis, [that is, has gained to power to memorize the Buddha’s teachings], has been able to accept and embrace all the storehouse of profound secrets preached by the Buddhas, has entered deep into meditation, thoroughly grasped the doctrines, and in the space of an instant conceived the desire for bodhi and reached the level of no regression. Her eloquence knows no hindrance, and she thinks of living beings with compassion as though they were her own children. She is fully endowed with blessings, when it comes to conceiving in mind and expounding by mouth, she is subtle, wonderful, comprehensive, and great. Kind, compassionate, benevolent, yielding, she is gentle and refined in will, capable of attaining bodhi.”

The Record of the Orally Transmitted Teachings says: Age eight is symbolic of the eight volumes of the Lotus Sutra. Devadatta stands for the world of hell, and the dragon king’s daughter stands for the world of Buddhahood. Thus together they represent the mutual possession of the Ten Worlds, that is, the hundred worlds and the thousand factors, or the principle of three thousand realms in as single moment of life.

Or again we may say that the age eight represents the eight volumes of the Lotus Sutra and the eight sufferings that we undergo because of our earthly desires. We should understand, therefore, that the attainment of Buddhahood embodied in the Lotus Sutra is symbolized by the age eight of the dragon girl. The eight sufferings are none other than the eight volumes of the Lotus Sutra, and the eight sufferings and the eight volumes are personified in the dragon girl who is eight years old.

One interpretation reads the words “age eight” as the opening of a jewel. The age or jewel is the single mind of the dragon girl. The eight stands for the opening of her mind to the three thousand realms. The three thousand realms are the eight volumes of the Lotus Sutra. Thus the words “age eight” are representative of “the opening of the door of Buddha Wisdom.”

The passage from the words “her wisdom has keen roots” on down to the words “she is…capable of attaining bodhi” describes how she has accepted and taken faith in the Lotus Sutra. The words “when it comes to conceiving in mind or expounding by mouth” relate to the work of the mouth or verbal actions. The words “she is gentle and refined in will” refer to the work of the will or mental actions. The words “she…has been able to accept and embrace all the storehouse of profound secrets…has entered into deep meditation” refer to the work of the body or physical actions. Since these three categories of action are none other than the three virtues of the Dharma body, wisdom, and emancipation, they represent the Dharma nature, or the three truths.

Again we may say that the words “conceiving in mind” stand for a single moment of life, and the words “expounding by mouth” stand for the three thousand realms. The words “has been able to accept and embrace all” describe how the dragon girl has accepted and embraced the Lotus Sutra. The word “age” or jewel is a wish-granting jewel, namely, the wonderful Law. The word “eight” or opening reveals that the body and mind of the dragon girl are the Wonderful Law.

(to be continued)

 

[PassTheDoobie]

three thousand realms in a single moment of life
[一念三千] (Jpn.: ichi-nen-sanzen)

Also, the principle of a single moment of life comprising three thousand realms. "A single moment of life" (ichinen) is also translated as one mind, one thought, or one thought-moment. A philosophical system established by T'ien-t'ai (538-597) in his Great Concentration and Insight on the basis of the phrase "the true aspect of all phenomena" from the "Expedient Means" (second) chapter of the Lotus Sutra. The three thousand realms, or the entire phenomenal world, exist in a single moment of life. The number three thousand here comes from the following calculation: 10 (Ten Worlds) 10 (Ten Worlds) 10 (ten factors) 3 (three realms of existence). Life at any moment manifests one of the Ten Worlds. Each of these worlds possesses the potential for all ten within itself, and this "mutual possession," or mutual inclusion, of the Ten Worlds is represented as 102, or a hundred, possible worlds. Each of these hundred worlds possesses the ten factors, making one thousand factors or potentials, and these operate within each of the three realms of existence, thus making three thousand realms.

The theoretical teaching (first half ) of the Lotus Sutra expounds the ten factors of life. It also sets forth the attainment of Buddhahood by persons of the two vehicles (voice-hearers and cause-awakened ones), which signifies the mutual possession of the Ten Worlds. The essential teaching (latter half ) of the sutra reveals the true cause (the eternal nine worlds), the true effect (eternal Buddhahood), and the true land (the eternal land or realm of the environment). T'ien-t'ai unified all these concepts in one system, three thousand realms in a single moment of life.

Volume five of Great Concentration and Insight reads: "Life at each moment is endowed with the Ten Worlds. At the same time, each of the Ten Worlds is endowed with all Ten Worlds, so that an entity of life actually possesses one hundred worlds. Each of these worlds in turn possesses thirty realms, which means that in the one hundred worlds there are three thousand realms. The three thousand realms of existence are all possessed by life in a single moment. If there is no life, that is the end of the matter. But if there is the slightest bit of life, it contains all the three thousand realms... . This is what we mean when we speak of the 'region of the unfathomable.'"

"Life at each moment" means life as an indivisible whole that includes body and mind, cause and effect, and sentient and insentient things. A single moment of life is endowed, as stated above, with the three thousand realms. The relationship of these two elements is not such that one precedes the other, or that they are simultaneous in the sense that one is included in the other. Actually they are non-dual or, as T'ien-t'ai put it, "two [in phenomena] but not two [in essence]." The provisional teachings stated that all phenomena arise from the mind, or that they are subordinate to the mind. The Lotus Sutra clarifies that the true aspect is inseparable from all phenomena, and that all phenomena, just as they are, are in themselves the true aspect. When T'ien-t'ai stated, "The three thousand realms of existence are all possessed by life in a single moment... . But if there is the slightest bit of life, it contains all the three thousand realms," he is referring to the non-duality of "a single moment of life" and the "three thousand realms."

"The three thousand realms in a single moment of life" is classified into two as the theoretical principle and the actual embodiment of this principle. These are respectively termed the "theoretical three thousand realms in a single moment of life" and the "actual three thousand realms in a single moment of life." The theoretical principle is based on the theoretical teaching of the Lotus Sutra, which expounds the equality of Buddhahood and the nine worlds. Both, it points out, are manifestations of the true aspect. The theoretical teaching also reveals the mutual possession of the Ten Worlds based on the principle that persons of the two vehicles, who were denied Buddhahood in the provisional teachings, also possess innate Buddhahood and can attain it. Strictly speaking, however, the theoretical teaching reveals only the hundred worlds and, multiplying by the ten factors of life, the thousand factors, and does not reveal their eternal nature. Only when supported by the essential teaching (the latter half ) of the Lotus Sutra, can the theoretical teaching be said to expound theoretically, as a possibility, the three thousand realms in a single moment of life.

On the other hand, the essential teaching reveals Shakyamuni's enlightenment in the remote past (the true effect, eternal Buddhahood), the eternal life of his disciples, the Bodhisattvas of the Earth (the true cause, the eternal nine worlds), and the eternity of the saha world (the true land). These explain the eternal Ten Worlds and the eternal three realms of existence, and thus "the actual three thousand realms in a single moment of life."

Despite its comprehensive view, the essential teaching does not go on to reveal the practice that enables one to embody directly this principle of three thousand realms in a single moment of life. Though the sutra says, "If there are those who hear the Law, then not a one will fail to attain Buddhahood," it does not identify what the Law is. That is why Nichiren (1222-1282) defined the entire Lotus Sutra-both the theoretical and the essential teachings-as representing "the theoretical three thousand realms in a single moment of life."

In contrast, Nichiren embodied his life embracing the three thousand realms in a single moment, or the life of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, in the mandala known as the Gohonzon and established the practice for attaining Buddhahood. That practice is to chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo with faith in the Gohonzon. In Nichiren's teaching, this is the practice for "observing the mind," i.e., observing one's own mind and seeing Buddhahood in it. For this reason, his teaching is summarized in the phrase "embracing the Gohonzon is in itself observing one's mind" or "embracing the Gohonzon is in itself attaining Buddhahood."

He states in a 1273 letter known as Reply to Kyo'o, "I, Nichiren, have inscribed my life in sumi ink, so believe in the Gohonzon with your whole heart. The Buddha's will is the Lotus Sutra, but the soul of Nichiren is nothing other than Nam-myoho-renge-kyo" (412), and in his 1273 treatise The Object of Devotion for Observing the Mind: "Showing profound compassion for those unable to comprehend the gem of the doctrine of three thousand realms in a single moment of life, the Buddha wrapped it within the five characters [of Myoho-renge-kyo], with which he then adorned the necks of the ignorant people of the latter age" (376).

Nichikan (1665-1726), the twenty-sixth chief priest of Taiseki-ji temple, interpreted the above passage of volume five of Great Concentration and Insight from the viewpoint of Nichiren's teaching. Nichikan defined "life at each moment" as the life of the eternal Buddha, or Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, which is inscribed down the center of the Gohonzon; he further interpreted "endowed with the Ten Worlds" as the Buddhas, bodhisattvas, and other figures inscribed on both sides of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo in the Gohonzon. These represent the principles of the mutual possession of the Ten Worlds, the hundred worlds and the thousand factors, and the three thousand realms. According to Nichikan, the sentence "The three thousand realms of existence are all possessed by life in a single moment" refers to the "region of the unfathomable," which he interprets as the object of devotion that embodies the principle of three thousand realms in a single moment of life. This is not to be viewed simply as an external object but as something that exists in the life of a person with faith in the object of devotion. Without faith, the object of devotion endowed with the three thousand realms does not exist within one's life. This, Nichikan stated, is the ultimate meaning of T'ien-t'ai's doctrine.

From source: The Soka Gakkai Dictionary of Buddhism

 

[PassTheDoobie]

greed, anger, foolishness, and arrogance

greed, anger, foolishness, and arrogance

greed
[貪・貪欲・愛] (Skt.: raga; Jpn.: ton or ton'yoku or ai; Pali.: raga)
1. One of the three poisons, the three sources of vice and suffering, the other two being anger and foolishness. T'ien-t'ai (538-597) says in The Words and Phrases of the Lotus Sutra, "Because greed increases in intensity, famine arises."

anger
[瞋恚・瞋] (Skt.: dvesha; Pali.: dosa; Jpn.: shinni or shin)
1. In Buddhism, one of the three poisons, or three sources of vice and suffering, the other two being greed and foolishness. In Buddhism, anger refers particularly to malice born of hatred and is regarded as a great obstacle to Buddhist practice. It is seen as preventing one's heart from turning to goodness and as destroying the good roots of benefit accumulated through Buddhist practice. T'ien-t'ai (538-597) says in The Words and Phrases of the Lotus Sutra, "Because anger increases in intensity, armed strife occurs." Buddhism emphasizes the practice of compassion and forbearance.
See also: dvesha
dvesha (Skt)
[瞋恚・瞋] (Pali.: dosa; Jpn.: shinni or shin)
1. Also, pratigha or krodha. Hatred, dislike, anger, repugnance, aversion, or enmity. Dvesha, or anger, is one of the three poisons, or the three sources of vice and suffering, the other two being raga (greed) and moha (foolishness).

foolishness
[愚癡・癡・無明] (Skt.: moha; Pali.: moha; Jpn.: guchi or chi or mumyo)
1. One of the three poisons, or the three sources of vice and suffering, the other two being greed and anger. It is also interpreted as delusion, illusion, ignorance, or error, and indicates the unenlightened state that causes one to take the false for the true and the seeming for the real, and thus prevents one from perceiving the true nature of things or from discerning the truth.
See also: three poisons
three poisons
[三毒] (Jpn.: san-doku)
1. Greed, anger, and foolishness. The fundamental evils inherent in life that give rise to human suffering. In The Treatise on the Great Perfection of Wisdom, the three poisons are regarded as the source of all illusions and earthly desires. The three poisons are so called because they pollute people's lives and work to prevent them from turning their hearts and minds to goodness. The Words and Phrases of the Lotus Sutra by T'ien-t'ai speaks of the three poisons as the underlying cause of the three calamities of famine, war, and pestilence, stating: "Because anger increases in intensity, armed strife occurs. Because greed increases in intensity, famine arises. Because foolishness increases in intensity, pestilence breaks out. And because these three calamities occur, earthly desires grow more numerous and powerful than ever, and false views increasingly flourish." In the "Simile and Parable" (third) chapter of the Lotus Sutra, Shakyamuni says to Shariputra, "He [the Thus Come One] is born into the threefold world, a burning house, rotten and old, in order to save living beings from the fires of birth, aging, sickness, and death, care, suffering, stupidity, misunderstanding, and the three poisons; to teach and convert them and enable them to attain supreme perfect enlightenment."

arrogance
[慢] (Skt.: mana; Jpn.: man; Pali.: mana)
1. In Buddhism, a function of the mind that obstructs Buddhist practice and the way to enlightenment. Arrogance means to hold oneself to be higher than and to look down upon others, and therefore hinders correct judgment. Buddhism discerned the functions and pitfalls of an arrogant mind, and various Buddhist writings define seven, eight, and nine types of arrogance. A number of figures representing arrogance appear throughout the Buddhist scriptures as well, such as the five thousand arrogant persons in the Lotus Sutra and the Great Arrogant Brahman in The Record of the Western Regions. Expressions such as "the banner of arrogance" and "the banner of pride" are also found in Buddhist writings.

From source: The Soka Gakkai Dictionary of Buddhism

 

[PassTheDoobie]

eight sufferings
[八苦] (Jpn.: hakku)
1. Eight kinds of universal suffering. They are the four sufferings of birth, aging, sickness, and death, plus the suffering of having to part from those whom one loves, the suffering of having to meet with those whom one hates, the suffering of being unable to obtain what one desires, and the suffering arising from the five components that constitute one's body and mind.

Dharma body
[法身] (Skt.: dharma-kaya; Jpn.: hosshin)
1. Also, body of the Law. The dharma of dharma-kaya means Law, and kaya, body. One of the three bodies-the Dharma body, the reward body, and the manifested body. The Dharma body means the essence of Buddhahood, the ultimate truth or Law, and the true nature of the Buddha's life. It also means a Buddha per se, whose body is the Law itself. A Buddha of this kind is referred to as the Buddha of the Dharma body or the Buddha in his body of the Law.
See also: three bodies
three bodies
[三身] (Skt.: trikaya; Jpn.: san-jin)
1. Three kinds of body a Buddha may possess. A concept set forth in Mahayana Buddhism to organize different views of the Buddha appearing in the sutras. The three bodies are as follows: (1) The Dharma body, or body of the Law (Skt dharma-kaya ). This is the fundamental truth, or Law, to which a Buddha is enlightened. (2) The reward body (sambhoga-kaya), obtained as the reward of completing bodhisattva practices and acquiring the Buddha wisdom. Unlike the Dharma body, which is immaterial, the reward body is thought of as an actual body, although one that is transcendent and imperceptible to ordinary people. (3) The manifested body (nirmanakaya), or the physical form that a Buddha assumes in this world in order to save the people. Generally, a Buddha was held to possess one of the three bodies. In other words, the three bodies represented three different types of Buddhas-the Buddha of the Dharma body, the Buddha of the reward body, and the Buddha of the manifested body.

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

Dharma nature
[法性] (Jpn.: hossho)
1. The unchanging nature inherent in all things and phenomena.
See also: essential nature of phenomena
essential nature of phenomena
[法性] (Jpn.: hossho; Skt.: dharmata)
1. Also, Dharma nature. The unchanging nature inherent in all things and phenomena. It is a concept equal to the "true aspect" (Jpn jisso) of all phenomena, or "the true aspect of reality" (shinnyo). In Buddhism, the term dharma means both phenomena and the truth underlying them. A Buddha is defined as one who is enlightened to the essential nature of phenomena, and an ordinary person as one who is ignorant of this nature. Hence both enlightenment and ignorance, or darkness, originate from one source, the essential nature of phenomena.

emancipation
[解脱] (Jpn.: gedatsu; Skt.: moksha or mukti or vimoksha or vimukti)
1. Also, liberation or release. Release from delusions and earthly desires that leads to the attainment of freedom. It also means release from transmigration in the world of suffering. There are various stages of emancipation, but emancipation at its ultimate stage is the same as nirvana.

three truths
[三諦] (Jpn.: san-tai)
1. Also, threefold truth, triple truth, or three perceptions of the truth. The truth of non-substantiality, the truth of temporary existence, and the truth of the Middle Way. The three integral aspects of the truth, or ultimate reality, formulated by T'ien-t'ai (538-597) in The Profound Meaning of the Lotus Sutra and Great Concentration and Insight. The truth of non-substantiality means that phenomena have no existence of their own; their true nature is non-substantial, indefinable in terms of existence or nonexistence. The truth of temporary existence means that, although non-substantial, all things possess a temporary reality that is in constant flux. The truth of the Middle Way means that the true nature of phenomena is that they are neither non-substantial nor temporary, though they display attributes of both. The Middle Way is the essence of things that continues either in a manifest or a latent state. According to T'ien-t'ai's explanation, the Tripitaka teaching and the connecting teaching do not reveal the truth of the Middle Way and therefore lack the three truths. The specific teaching reveals the three truths but shows them as being separate from and independent of one another; that is, it does not teach that these three are inseparable aspects of all phenomena. This view is called the separation of the three truths. The perfect teaching views the three as an integral whole, each possessing all three within itself. This is called the unification of the three truths.

From source: The Soka Gakkai Dictionary of Buddhism

 

[PassTheDoobie]

The Record of the Orally Transmitted Teaching (continued)

The Record of the Orally Transmitted Teaching (continued)

Chapter Twelve: Devadatta
Eight important points


Point Seven, on the passage “Before his words had come to end, the dragon king’s daughter suddenly appeared before the Buddha, bowed in obeisance, and then retired to one side, reciting these verses of praise:”

The Record of the Orally Transmitted Teachings says: This passage makes it perfectly clear that ignorance is none other than the Dharma nature, or enlightenment. For that reason, before Bodhisattva Wisdom Accumulated had even finished voicing his criticism, the dragon girl replied to him through her verses of praise in fourteen lines.

The viewpoint expressed in the bodhisattva’s criticism is that of the specific teaching expounded specifically for bodhisattvas, which is a view characterized by ignorance. The reply of the dragon girl represents the viewpoint of the perfect teaching, which is the viewpoint of the Dharma nature. Wisdom Accumulated represents fundamental darkness or ignorance, and the dragon girl represents a woman who has realized the Dharma nature. Hence we see that ignorance is inseparable from the Dharma nature and that the dharma nature is inseparable from ignorance.

Now when Nichiren and his followers chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, they represent the moment referred to in the sutra as “Before his words had come to an end,” that is, the moment when the previous affair, the criticism of the bodhisattva, is just coming to an end, and the subsequent affair, the reply of the dragon girl, is just beginning. The moment, then, is one in which ignorance and the Dharma nature exist simultaneously. Such is the moment when Nam-myoho-renge-kyo is chanted.

The reason Bodhisattva Wisdom Accumulated is said to represent fundamental darkness lies in the words “I cannot believe” in his statement “I cannot believe that this girl in the space of an instant could actually achieve correct enlightenment” (chapter twelve). Not to believe is to harbor doubt and perplexity, and doubt and perplexity are symptomatic of fundamental darkness or ignorance. The reason the dragon girl is said to represent the Dharma nature, or enlightenment, is the passage in which she says, “I unfold the doctrines of the Great Vehicle / to rescue living beings from suffering” (ibid.)

As for the dragon girl, her father is a dragon and she is his eight-year-old daughter. The two words “dragon girl” imply that both father and daughter attain Buddhahood at the same time. That is why the passage says, “[Then] the dragon king’s daughter [suddenly appeared before the Buddha].” Since it has said that she is the dragon king’s daughter, we know that the dragon king is her father, and she is his eight-year-old daughter. Thus the daughter is shown attaining Buddhahood in this chapter, while the attainment of Buddhahood by her father, the dragon king, has already been implied in the “Introduction” chapter, as seen in the passage that says that, at the assembly at which the Lotus Sutra was preached, “there were eight dragon kings.” However we may say that both father and daughter attained Buddhahood simultaneously, since the “Introduction” chapter serves as an introduction to all the chapters in the Lotus Sutra.

“And having heard his teachings, I have attained bodhi.” (chapter twelve)—these are the words of the dragon girl when she rebukes Wisdom Accumulated. And therefore she goes on to say that only the Buddha can testify to this fact: “And having heard his teachings, I have attained bodhi-- / the Buddha alone can bear witness to this.” When she speaks of “rescuing living beings from suffering,” however, she is speaking of rescuing women in particular. The verses of praise in fourteen lines express the doctrine of three thousand realms in a single moment of life. The words “He profoundly understands the signs of guilt and good fortune / and illuminates the ten directions everywhere” (ibid.) refer to the Ten Worlds.

This passage on how the eight-year-old dragon girl attained Buddhahood is particularly noteworthy because it refers to the ancestors of the rulers who uphold the Lotus Sutra. The first human sovereign of Japan was Emperor Jimmu. Emperor Jimmu was the son of Ugayafuki-aezu-no-mikoto, the fifth of the five generations of earthly deities. The mother of Ugayafuki-aezu-no-mikoto was Princess Toyotama, the daughter of the dragon king Sagara and an elder sister of the eight-year-old dragon girl. Therefore we know t5hat the ancestors of the rulers of Japan were votaries of the Lotus Sutra, a fact of profound significance, a fact of profound significance!

Therefore this one chapter titled “Devadatta” is a vital sword to be worn at the waist everywhere throughout the world. It is a secret Law to cut down the foes of ignorance and earthly desires and to sever the bonds of birth and death, longing and attachment. Emperor Kao-tsu, founder of the Han dynasty, had his three-foot sword, but it cannot compare to this one-word sword of wisdom. Myo, or wonderful, the one-word sword of wisdom, can sever bonds the bonds of birth and death and earthly desires.

Devadatta represents fiery flames, the dragon girl represents a giant reptile, and Manjushri represents the sword of wisdom. An orally transmitted teaching says that all these three elements are represented in the form of the wisdom king Immovable [the fire in the flames surrounding him, the reptile in the dragon that winds itself around the sword, and the sword of wisdom in the sword he holds.]

Devadatta also represents the principle that our earthly desires are none other than enlightenment. The dragon girl represents the principle that the sufferings of birth and death are none other than nirvana. The name Manjushri can be translated as Wonderful Virtue. This Wonderful Virtue contains within it both earthly desires and the sufferings of birth and death. In this chapter it serves as the element that acts to convert others to the truth.

(to be continued)