Chanting Growers Group

[PassTheDoobie]

Marley Brother--You stay safe on your trip.

Marley Brother--You stay safe on your trip.

Let us know that you got back OK when you return. I think human nature is pretty much always the same, most often people do what is easiest. It is much harder to have a good mind than a bad one. If one does as you are, trying to see the good in the bad, one is already doing much, much, more than most people who just see what their mind tells them they see.

I think that the biggest problem is that when the bad mind is in place, it obstructs the abilty for the person to see and know the good mind. This is what we are referrring to when we talk about the Fundamental Darkness that exists in all life, even the life of a Buddha. However, by looking for the good mind, as you are, you are summoning the higher worlds of your potential life condition. As such, you have the power to influence the environment that you share with those with bad minds. Your life condition is powerful enough to allow you to influence the ones with bad mind to have better minds. Once they have better minds, they may find the fortune and desire to seek good minds themselves. You are a VERY powerful person. Use that power to influence others positively. Teach them about Nam-myoho-renge-kyo.

Have fun on your vacation.

T

 

[SoCal Hippy]

"Kitokyo Okuri Jo"
page 1357 of Gosho Zenshu, in english:

"Consider this, if the believer of the Lotus Sutra does not abandon his
faith, harbor false views, or begrudge his life, and wholeheartedly devotes his
life to the golden words of the Lotus Sutra, then certainly, not only in the
next life, but in this lifetime as well he will overcome severe diffulculty,
prolong his life, realize the great good fortune of unsurpassed enlightenment,
and accomplish the great vow of Kosen-rufu".

 

[BushyOldGrower]

Just dropped in to ask you all to chant a few times for me. I am heading out on the road alone to promote and sell my book. It is my hope that my trip will be fruitful and my safe return by Christmas can be accomplished.

I know that you can help and all I ask is for you to say, "nam myoho renge kyo" because all I ask for is what's right. I believe in karma so what will be, will be.

My friends have offerred to help me market and promote so how could I turn them down. Please remember that wherever I am there will be chanting beads on BOG and that when I travel the Buddha will be with me.

The last trip was to Toronto and it was long but fruitful and entirely worthwhile. This trip will be just as long and hopefully more connections will be made with more good people. Wish me luck but we know where our strength comes from.

I shall return and hopefully even be home for Christmas. That's where we all want to be. Chant for all our brothers stuck in Iraq and Afghanistan because they didn't deserve this for Christmas. It seems they suffer from Bush's karma for now...

BOG My little japanese corvette is heavy with books.

 

[Guest]

Greetings to Everyone

Greetings to Everyone

Just wanted to drop in and say "hey" to you all. Have not been here for any other reason than beating the dragons and living life. Just returned from my youngest son's wedding and do preliminary on putting my father on hospice.My parents will be married 55 years this month and they gave the kids their wedding bands to be married with. It was quite a trip to Tx. Great joy to great sorrow, ended with an incredible ice storm on the day of my return. But always flows with the greatest of protection.
Bog! Best of luck on your journey!
Babba! Such a joyful man you are!
So Cal! Thanks for the comment 10 pages back, it never goes unnoticed! :smile:
PTD! Sending lots of prayers for the babies and Ms Doobie's good health. :friends:
Lots of Love and Fondness to you all, Southern Girl

 

[PassTheDoobie]

Howdy to all!

SoCal! Thanks so much for that post! Trust all is well and you have just been busy.

BOG, I pray for you everyday anyway; I'll just add the safe journey part.

SG--Could Mr.R actually be old enough to be married already? I must be getting old!

I know the Babba's are doing great. I am so honored to know you all! I hope many people reading this thread will start to post with comments, questions, or experiences of faith that they wish to share. We are now finally about half way through reading together what are regarded as Nichiren Daishonin's five most important gosho. Enjoy!

 

[PassTheDoobie]

The Object of Devotion for Observing the Mind / WND pg. 354 (continued)

The Object of Devotion for Observing the Mind / WND pg. 354 (continued)

Question: During the two thousand years of the Former and Middle Days of the Law, the four ranks of bodhisattvas and the teachers constructed images of and built temples and pagodas for Buddhas of other worlds or for the Shakyamuni Buddha of Hinayana, of provisional Mahayana, of the pre-Lotus Sutra teachings, or of the theoretical teaching of the sutra. No one in India, China, or Japan, however, neither rulers nor subjects, revered the object of devotion of the "Life Span" chapter of the essential teaching and the four great bodhisattvas. Though I think I generally understand what you are saying, I have never heard such a thing before, and therefore it startles my ears and perplexes my mind. Will you explain it to me again in greater detail?

Answer: All the teachings that Shakyamuni Buddha expounded during his lifetime - all the eight volumes and twenty-eight chapters of the Lotus Sutra, the first four flavors of teachings that preceded the sutra, and the Nirvana Sutra that came after the Lotus - make an unbroken series of teachings like one perfect sutra. [These teachings can be divided into three parts – preparation (64), revelation, and transmission]. Preparation indicates the part from the Flower Garland Sutra, his first preaching at the place of enlightenment, to the Wisdom sutras; revelation indicates the ten volumes of the Immeasurable Meanings Sutra, the Lotus Sutra, and the Universal Worthy Sutra; and transmission indicates the Nirvana Sutra. The ten volumes of the revelation section likewise can be divided into these three parts. The Immeasurable Meanings Sutra and the "Introduction" chapter of the Lotus Sutra are preparation. The fifteen and a half chapters from the "Expedient Means" chapter to the nineteen-line verse of the "Distinctions in Benefits" chapter are revelation. The remaining eleven and a half chapters and one volume, from the section in the "Distinctions in Benefits" chapter clarifying the four stages of faith for people in the Buddha's lifetime to the Universal Worthy Sutra, are transmission.

The ten volumes of the Immeasurable Meanings Sutra, the Lotus Sutra, and the Universal Worthy Sutra can also be divided into two parts: theoretical (65) and essential. Each part has the three divisions. In the theoretical teaching, preparation comprises the Immeasurable Meanings Sutra and the "Introduction" chapter of the Lotus Sutra, revelation comprises eight chapters, from the "Expedient Means" through the "Prophecies" chapters, and transmission comprises five chapters, from the "Teacher of the Law" to the "Peaceful Practices." The Buddha of the theoretical teaching declared that he first attained Buddhahood in this life. He revealed the hundred worlds and thousand factors inherent in life, but he did not expound their eternal nature. Since the theoretical teaching of the Lotus Sutra thus directly reveals a part of the Buddha's own enlightenment, it excels all the other sutras that the Buddha had preached, now preached, or would preach, and is the correct teaching that is difficult to believe and difficult to understand.

The relationship between Shakyamuni Buddha and his disciples can be traced back to the time when, as the sixteenth son of the Buddha Great Universal Wisdom Excellence, he planted the seeds of Buddhahood in their lives. In Shakyamuni's present lifetime a few of these disciples discovered the seeds when they heard the Flower Garland Sutra and the other teachings of the first four flavors. This was not, however, the Buddha's true intention. Their discovery through these teachings was like poison having a positive effect. Ordinary people and the persons of the two vehicles came to the Lotus Sutra gradually through the first four flavors of teachings. They then revealed the seeds of Buddhahood from within themselves and were able to obtain the fruit of enlightenment.

Among the human and heavenly beings who listened to the eight chapters for the first time in Shakyamuni's days, some took the seeds into their lives by hearing just a single phrase or verse. Some nurtured and harvested the seeds they had received. Others brought their seeds to fruition when they came to the Universal Worthy and Nirvana sutras. Still others appearedin the Former, Middle, or Latter Day of the Law and, through the Hinayana and provisional Mahayana teachings, obtained the fruit of enlightenment of the Lotus Sutra. These last are like the disciples in Shakyamuni's lifetime who discovered their seeds of Buddhahood through the first four flavors of teachings.

Preparation, revelation, and transmission also exist in the fourteen chapters of the essential teaching of the Lotus Sutra. The first half of the "Emerging from the Earth" chapter is preparation. The latter half of this chapter, the "Life Span" chapter, and the first half of the following "Distinctions in Bene-fits" chapter - one chapter and two halves - are revelation. The remainder is transmission.

The Buddha of the essential teaching denies that he first attained Buddhahood in this life. The difference between the theoretical and the essential teachings is as great as that between heaven and earth. The latter reveals the eternity of the Ten Worlds and, further, the realm of the environment. The theoretical teaching, the first four flavors of teachings, the Immeasurable Meanings Sutra, and the Nirvana Sutra were all preached according to the capacities of the people. All these teachings that fall into the three categories (66) of preaching are therefore easy to believe and easy to understand. In contrast, the essential teaching, which transcends the three categories, is difficult to believe and difficult to understand, for it directly reveals the Buddha's own enlightenment. Nevertheless, even the difference between the doctrine of three thousand realms in a single moment of life of the theoretical teaching and that of the essential teaching pales into insignificance [before the ultimate teaching contained in the (67) depths of the "Life Span" chapter]. (68)

The essential teaching [contained in the depths of the "Life Span" chapter] also has its preparation, revelation, and transmission. Shakyamuni Buddha preached the Lotus Sutra in the past as the sixteenth son of the Buddha Great Universal Wisdom Excellence. When he appeared in his present life [in India], he also preached teachings for some fifty years, from the Flower Garland Sutra to the fourteen chapters of the theoretical teaching [of the Lotus Sutra] and the Nirvana Sutra. All these sutras as well as the countless sutras of the Buddhas of the ten directions and the three existences are preparation for revealing [the heart of] the "Life Span" chapter.

All the teachings other than the "one chapter and two halves" are Hinayana in nature and erroneous. Not only do they fail to lead to enlightenment, but also they lack the truth. Those who believe in them are meager in virtue, heavy with defilement, ignorant, poor, solitary, and like birds and beasts [that do not know their own parents].

The first half of the Lotus Sutra and the sutras preceding it contain the perfect teaching, but even this is not the cause for Buddhahood. Much less so are teachings of a Hinayana nature, such as the Mahavairochana Sutra. It is out of the question to think that the scholars and teachers of the seven schools, including the Flower Garland and the True Word, preach the cause for attaining Buddhahood.

These inferior sutras seem to fall within the Tripitaka, connecting, and specific teachings, but actually they are no better than the lowest two. They may maintain that their doctrines are incomparably profound, but nowhere do they clarify when the Buddha planted the seeds of Buddhahood, or when he nurtured and reaped them. These doctrines are no different from Hinayana, which demands that one reduce one's body to ashes and annihilate one's consciousness, for they do not reveal when the Buddha started teaching and when he finished. If a consort of a king were to conceive by a beast, her baby would be inferior to a chandala.

Setting aside these lesser teachings, the eight chapters of the revelation section [the second through the ninth chapters] of the theoretical teaching seem to have been expounded for the sake of the persons of the two vehicles rather than for the ordinary people and bodhisattvas in Shakyamuni's lifetime. From a more profound viewpoint, they are intended for the ordinary people after the Buddha's passing - in the Former, Middle, and Latter Days of the Law - and, in particular, for the ordinary people in the beginning of the Latter Day.

Question: On what authority do you say so?

Answer: The "Teacher of the Law" chapter of the Lotus Sutra states, "Since hatred and jealousy toward this sutra abound even when the Thus Come One is in the world, how much more will this be so after his passing?" The "Treasure Tower" chapter states, "They [the Buddhas] make certain that the Law will long endure. . . [The Thus Come One Many Treasures, I myself ], and these emanation Buddhas who have gathered here, surely know this is our aim." Look at what the "Encouraging Devotion" and "Peaceful Practices" chapters state about the future. The theoretical teaching was preached for the people after Shakyamuni Buddha's passing.

As regards the essential teaching, it was addressed exclusively to the people early in the Latter Day of the Law. On the surface, the Buddha seems to have preached this teaching for the enlightenment of the people of his day; he planted the seeds of Buddhahood in their lives in the remote past [numberless major world system dust particle kalpas ago] and nurtured the seeds through his preaching as the sixteenth son of the Buddha Great Universal Wisdom Excellence [major world system dust particle kalpas ago] and through the first four flavors of teachings and the theoretical teaching in this life. Then with the essential teaching he brought his followers to the stage of near-perfect enlightenment and finally to that of perfect enlightenment.

In actuality, however, the essential teaching bears no resemblance whatsoever to the theoretical teaching. The preparation, revelation, and transmission of the essential teaching are intended entirely for the beginning of the Latter Day of the Law. The essential teaching of Shakyamuni's lifetime and that revealed at the beginning of the Latter Day are both pure and perfect [in that both lead directly to Buddhahood]. Shakyamuni's, however, is the Buddhism of the harvest, and this is the Buddhism of sowing. The core of his teaching is one chapter and two halves, and the core of mine is the five characters of the daimoku alone.

Notes:

64. Preparation indicates a teaching that prepares the way for the revelation of the truth, and that readies people to accept the truth. Revelation is the truth that the Buddha imparts. Transmission indicates the admonishment following revelation, which urges that the truth be transmitted to posterity.
65. The "theoretical teaching" generally means the first half, and the "essential teaching," the second half, of the twenty-eight chapters of the Lotus Sutra. Here the Daishonin includes the Immeasurable Meanings Sutra and the Universal Worthy Sutra with the Lotus Sutra to form what is known as the threefold Lotus Sutra. As described here, the "theoretical teaching" indicates the Immeasurable Meanings Sutra and the first fourteen chapters of the Lotus Sutra, and the "essential teaching," the last fourteen chapters and the Universal Worthy Sutra.
66. "Three categories of preaching" refers to "the sutras I [Shakyamuni] have preached, now preach, and will preach," mentioned in the "Teacher of the Law" chapter of the Lotus Sutra. The Annotations on "The Words and Phrases of the Lotus Sutra" says that the Lotus Sutra stands above "the sutras I have preached" (the provisional sutras), "[the sutra] I now preach" (the Immeasurable Meanings Sutra), and "[the sutras] I will preach" (the Universal Worthy and the Nirvana sutras).
67. The wording has been reordered somewhat in translation.
68. The Daishonin uses the term "essential teaching" here to indicate not the latter half of the Lotus Sutra but the ultimate teaching contained within the "Life Span" chapter, that is, Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. Hereafter this term is used in two different ways. Similarly, the "'Life Span' chapter" and the "one chapter and two halves" are either meant literally or refer to Nam-myoho-renge-kyo that they contain.

(to be continued from pg. 370)

 

[PassTheDoobie]

The Buddha of the essential teaching denies that he first attained Buddhahood in this life. The difference between the theoretical and the essential teachings is as great as that between heaven and earth. The latter reveals the eternity of the Ten Worlds and, further, the realm of the environment. The theoretical teaching, the first four flavors of teachings, the Immeasurable Meanings Sutra, and the Nirvana Sutra were all preached according to the capacities of the people. All these teachings that fall into the three categories (66) of preaching are therefore easy to believe and easy to understand. In contrast, the essential teaching, which transcends the three categories, is difficult to believe and difficult to understand, for it directly reveals the Buddha's own enlightenment. Nevertheless, even the difference between the doctrine of three thousand realms in a single moment of life of the theoretical teaching and that of the essential teaching pales into insignificance [before the ultimate teaching contained in the depths of the "Life Span" chapter]. (68)

68. The Daishonin uses the term "essential teaching" here to indicate not the latter half of the Lotus Sutra but the ultimate teaching contained within the "Life Span" chapter, that is, Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. Hereafter this term is used in two different ways. Similarly, the "'Life Span' chapter" and the "one chapter and two halves" are either meant literally or refer to Nam-myoho-renge-kyo that they contain.

 

[PassTheDoobie]

The Object of Devotion for Observing the Mind / WND pg. 354 (continued)

The Object of Devotion for Observing the Mind / WND pg. 354 (continued)

Question: On what authority do you say [that the essential teaching is meant for the generations of the Latter Day of the Law]?

Answer: The "Emerging from the Earth" chapter states: "At that time the bodhisattvas and mahasattvas who had gathered from the lands of the other directions, greater in number than the sands of eight Ganges Rivers, stood up in the midst of the great assembly, pressed their palms together, bowed in obeisance, and said to the Buddha: 'World-Honored One, if you will permit us in the age after the Buddha has entered extinction to diligently and earnestly protect, embrace, read, recite, copy, and offer alms to this sutra in the saha world, we will preach it widely throughout this land!' At that time the Buddha said to the bodhisattvas and mahasattvas: 'Leave off, good men! There is no need for you to protect and embrace this sutra.'" This statement totally contradicts the Buddha's exhortations in the preceding five chapters from the "Teacher of the Law" [to the "Peaceful Practices"]. In the latter part of the "Treasure Tower" chapter is the passage: "In a loud voice he [Shakyamuni Buddha] addressed all the four kinds of believers, saying, 'Who is capable of broadly preaching the Lotus Sutra of the Wonderful Law in this saha world?'" Medicine King and the other great bodhisattvas, Brahma, Shakra, the gods of the sun and moon, and the four heavenly kings would have followed Shakyamuni's command before anything else even if no other Buddha had supported his exhortations, but Many Treasures Buddha and the Buddhas from throughout the ten directions came to this world to exhort them to propagate the sutra after Shakyamuni's passing. Thus, hearing the Buddha's solemn appeal, the bodhisattvas all pledged, saying, "We (69) care nothing for our bodies or lives," for they desired solely to fulfill the Buddha's will.

[In the "Emerging from the Earth" chapter,] however, the Buddha suddenly reversed himself and forbade all the bodhisattvas, more numerous than the sands of eight Ganges Rivers, from propagating the sutra in this world. We therefore face what appears to be an insoluble contradiction, one that is beyond ordinary understanding.

The Great Teacher T'ien-t'ai Chih-che gave three reasons for Shakyamuni's stopping the bodhisattvas, and three more for his summoning the Bodhisattvas of the Earth. Essentially, the great bodhisattvas taught by the Buddha in his transient status and the great bodhisattvas who gathered from the other worlds were not qualified to inherit the "Life Span" chapter that reveals the eternal Buddha's inner truth. At the dawn of the Latter Day evil people who slander the correct teaching would fill the land, so Shakyamuni Buddha rejected the pledge of these bodhisattvas and instead summoned the multitude of great bodhisattvas from beneath the earth. He entrusted them with the five characters of Myoho-renge-kyo, the heart of the "Life Span" chapter, for the enlightenment of all beings in the land of Jambudvipa. The bodhisattvas taught by the Buddha in his transient status were also unqualified because they had not been the disciples of Shakyamuni Buddha since the time he had first set his mind on and attained enlightenment in the remote past. The Great Teacher T'ien-t'ai states, "[The Buddha said of the Bodhisattvas of the Earth,] 'These are my disciples, destined to propagate (70) my Law.'" Miao-lo says, "The children propagate the Law of the father, (71) and this benefits the world." The Supplement to "The Words and Phrases of the (72) Lotus Sutra" states, "The Law embodied therein [in the Lotus Sutra] is the Law that was realized countless kalpas in the past, and therefore it was entrusted to persons who had been the Buddha's disciples from countless kalpas in the past."

[In the "Emerging from the Earth" chapter] Bodhisattva Maitreya questioned Shakyamuni Buddha as follows: "We ourselves have faith in the Buddha, believing that he preaches in accordance with what is appropriate, that the words spoken by the Buddha are never false, and that the Buddha's knowledge is in all cases penetrating and comprehensive. Nevertheless, in the period after the Buddha has entered extinction, if bodhisattvas who have just begun to aspire to enlightenment should hear these words, they will perhaps not believe or accept them but will be led to commit the crime of rejecting the Law. Therefore, World-Honored One, we beg you to explain so we may put aside our doubts, and so that, in future ages when good men hear of this matter, they will not entertain (73) doubts!" Here Bodhisattva Maitreya was imploring the Buddha to preach the "Life Span" chapter for those to come after his passing.

The "Life Span" chapter states: "Some are completely out of their minds, while others are not. . . . Those children who have not lost their senses can see that this is good medicine, outstanding in both color and fragrance, so they take it immediately and are completely cured of their sickness." The sutra explains that all bodhisattvas, persons of the two vehicles, and human and heavenly beings received the seeds of Buddhahood numberless major world system dust particle kalpas ago. The seeds were nurtured by the preaching of the sixteenth son of the Buddha Great Universal Wisdom Excellence as well as by Shakyamuni Buddha's four flavors of teachings and the theoretical teaching of the Lotus Sutra. Then they finally gained the way when they heard the essential teaching of the Lotus Sutra.

The "Life Span" chapter continues: "Those who are out of their minds are equally delighted to see their father return and beg him to cure their sickness, but when they are given the medicine, they refuse to take it. Why? Because the poison has penetrated deeply and their minds no longer function as before. So although the medicine is of excellent color and fragrance, they do not perceive it as good. The father thinks to himself, 'I must now resort to some expedient means to induce them to take the medicine.' So he says to them: 'I will leave this good medicine here. You should take it and not worry that it will not cure you.' Having given these instructions, he then goes off to another land, where he sends a messenger home to announce . . ."According to the "Distinctions in Benefits" chapter, [the good medicine of the "Life Span" chapter is left for those] "in the evil age of the Latter Day of the Law.”

Question: Who is the messenger mentioned in the passage, "he sends a messenger home to announce"?

Answer: It means the four ranks of sages. They fall into four categories. [First,] most of the four ranks of sages of Hinayana appeared in the first five hundred years of the Former Day of the Law, and [second,] most of those of [provisional] Mahayana came in the second five hundred years. Third, those of the theoretical teaching appeared mainly in the next thousand years, the Middle Day of the Law, and the rest, in the beginning of the Latter Day. Fourth, the four ranks of sages of the essential teaching are the bodhisattvas emerging from the earth, numerous as the dust particles of a thousand worlds, who are certain to appear in the beginning of the Latter Day. When the sutra says, "he sends a messenger home to announce," it refers to the Bodhisattvas of the Earth. "This good medicine" is the heart of the "Life Span" chapter, or Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, which is endowed with name, entity, quality, (74) function, and teaching. Since the Buddha would not entrust this good medicine even to the bodhisattvas of the theoretical teaching, how much less could he have done so to the bodhisattvas of other worlds?

The "Supernatural Powers" chapter states: "At that time the bodhisattvas and mahasattvas who had emerged from the earth, numerous as the dust particles of a thousand worlds, all in the presence of the Buddha single-mindedly pressed their palms together, gazed up in reverence at the face of the Honored One, and said to the Buddha: 'World-Honored One, after the Buddha has entered extinction, in the lands where the emanations of the World-Honored One are present, and in the place where the Buddha has passed into extinction, we will preach this sutra far and wide.'" T'ien-t'ai says, "The great assembly witnessed the Bodhisattvas of the Earth alone making (75) this pledge." Tao-hsien remarks: "As far as transmission goes, this sutra was entrusted solely to the bodhisattvas who had welled up out of the earth. The reason for this is that the Law embodied therein is the Law that was realized countless kalpas in the past, and therefore it was entrusted to persons who had been the Buddha's disciples from countless kalpas in the (76) past."

Bodhisattva Manjushri is a disciple of the Buddha Immovable, who dwells in the Golden-colored World to the east. Bodhisattva Perceiver of the World's Sounds is a disciple of the Buddha Infinite Life in the west. Bodhisattva Medicine King is a disciple of the Buddha Sun Moon Pure Bright (77) Virtue. Bodhisattva Universal Worthy is a disciple of the Buddha Jeweled Dignity. They came to this saha world to help Shakyamuni Buddha teach the people of his day. They were bodhisattvas of the provisional and theoretical teachings, and were not entrusted with the supreme Law, so they could not possibly appear and propagate it in the Latter Day.

[In the "Supernatural Powers" chapter] the sutra states: "At that time the World-Honored One . . . before all these he displayed his great supernatural powers. He extended his long broad tongue upward till it reached the Brahma heaven . . . . The other Buddhas, seated on lion seats underneath the numerous jeweled trees, did likewise, extending their long broad tongues." In no other sutra, whether Hinayana or Mahayana, exoteric or esoteric, is there a passage that describes Shakyamuni Buddha and all the other Buddhas, seated together, extending their tongues to the Brahma heaven.

The Amida Sutra states that Buddhas covered a major world system with their broad long tongues, but lacks the truth that such a gesture would substantiate. The Wisdom Sutra tells how the Buddha's tongue covered a major world system and radiated infinite light when he expounded the prajna (wisdom). Yet this certainly cannot be a proof [comparable to that of the "Supernatural Powers" chapter]. Because these two sutras include provisional teachings, they obscure the Buddha's enlightenment in the remote past.

After the Buddha displayed his ten supernatural powers, he entrusted the five characters of the Mystic Law to the Bodhisattvas of the Earth. As the sutra states: "At that time the Buddha spoke to Superior Practices and the others in the great assembly of bodhisattvas, saying: 'The supernatural powers of the Buddhas, as you have seen, are immeasurable, boundless, inconceivable. If in the process of entrusting this sutra to others I were to employ these supernatural powers for immeasurable, boundless hundreds, thousands, ten thousands, millions of asamkhya kalpas to describe the benefits of the sutra, I could never finish doing so. To put it briefly, all the doctrines possessed by the Thus Come One, all the freely exercised supernatural powers of the Thus Come One, the storehouse of all the secret essentials of the Thus Come One, all the most profound matters of the Thus Come One - all these are proclaimed, revealed, and clearly expounded (78) in this sutra.'" T'ien-t'ai says, "The passage that follows the words 'At that time the Buddha spoke to Superior Practices' constitutes the third stage of the chapter, the transfer of the essence (79) of the Lotus Sutra." Dengyo states: "The 'Supernatural Powers' chapter says, 'To put it briefly, all the doctrines possessed by the Thus Come One . . . are proclaimed, revealed, and clearly expounded in this sutra.' From this it is clear that all the doctrines, all the freely exercised supernatural powers, the storehouse of all the secret essentials, and all the most profound matters possessed by the Buddha as the fruit of his enlightenment - all these are proclaimed, revealed, and clearly expounded in (80) the Lotus Sutra." Demonstrating ten supernatural powers, the Buddha transferred the five characters of Myoho-renge-kyo to the four great bodhisattvas: Superior Practices, Firmly Established Practices, Pure Practices, and Boundless Practices.

[Miao-lo states that] the first five of the ten supernatural powers are meant for those living in Shakyamuni's lifetime, and the last five for the generations (81) after his passing. But in a deeper sense all are intended for future generations. The Buddha confirmed this later in the same chapter, "Because after the Buddha has passed into extinction there will be those who can uphold this sutra, the Buddhas are all delighted and manifest immeasurable supernatural powers."

The following "Entrustment" chapter states: "At that time Shakyamuni Buddha rose from his Dharma seat and, manifesting his great supernatural powers, with his right hand patted the heads of the immeasurable bodhisattvas and mahasattvas and spoke these words: 'Now I entrust it [the Lotus Sutra] to you.'" The Buddha first transferred the Lotus Sutra to the Bodhisattvas of the Earth, and then to the bodhisattvas taught by the Buddha in his transient status, the bodhisattvas of other worlds, Brahma, Shakra, the four heavenly kings, and others. Then "Shakyamuni Buddha caused the Buddhas who were emanations of his body and had come from the ten directions to return each one to his original land, saying, 'The tower of Many Treasures Buddha may (82) also return to its former position.'" After the Bodhisattvas of the Earth had departed, from the "Medicine King" chapter through the Nirvana Sutra, the Buddha transferred the sutra again to the people taught by him in his transient status and to the bodhisattvasfrom other worlds. This was gleaning (83) in order to entrust.

Notes:

69. Lotus Sutra, chap. 13.
70. Words and Phrases.
71. On "The Words and Phrases."
72. A commentary on T'ien-t'ai's Words and Phrases and Miao-lo's On "The Words and Phrases" by Tao-hsien, a priest of the T'ien-t'ai school in China during the T'ang dynasty.
73. Lotus Sutra, chap. 15. In the quotation, the expression "these words" refers to Shakyamuni's declaration that the Bodhisattvas of the Earth are his original disciples.
74. These are the five major principles (see Glossary) formulated by T'ien-t'ai in his Profound Meaning to explain the title of the Lotus Sutra.
75. Words and Phrases.
76. The Supplement to "The Words and Phrases of the Lotus Sutra." See n. 72
77. The Buddha Sun Moon Pure Bright Virtue is described in the "Medicine King" chapter of the Lotus Sutra. When Bodhisattva Medicine King practiced austerities in a previous existence, he expounded the Lotus Sutra. The Buddha Jeweled Dignity, who appears in the next sentence, is described in the "Universal Worthy" chapter of the Lotus Sutra. According to the sutra, Bodhisattva Universal Worthy came to the ceremony of the Lotus Sutra from the Buddha Jeweled Dignity's land in the east.
78. Lotus Sutra, chap. 21.
79. Words and Phrases.
80. Outstanding Principles.
81. On "The Words and Phrases."
82. The quotations from the "Entrustment" chapter describe the conclusion of the Ceremony in the Air, which begins in the "Treasure Tower" chapter.
83. "Gleaning" here means gathering those left behind for the purpose of entrusting the teachings to them. This transfer takes place in the six chapters from the "Medicine King" to the "Encouragements" chapters and in the Universal Worthy and the Nirvana sutras.

(to be continued from pg. 374)

 

[PassTheDoobie]

When the sutra says, "he sends a messenger home to announce," it refers to the Bodhisattvas of the Earth. "This good medicine" is the heart of the "Life Span" chapter, or Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, which is endowed with name, entity, quality, function, and teaching. Since the Buddha would not entrust this good medicine even to the bodhisattvas of the theoretical teaching, how much less could he have done so to the bodhisattvas of other worlds?

five major principles
[五重玄] (Jpn.: goju-gen)

The five viewpoints from which T'ien-t'ai (538-597) interpreted the Lotus Sutra: name, essence, quality, function, and teaching. In The Profound Meaning of the Lotus Sutra, T'ien-t'ai explains that Myoho-renge-kyo, the title of the Lotus Sutra, is not only the name, but also the essence of the sutra, and is endowed with a unique quality, function, and position among all teachings. "Name" signifies the meaning of the title of a sutra. The "Interpretation of the Name" section of Profound Meaning gives a detailed explanation of the title Myoho-renge-kyo and explains why it represents the essence of the Lotus Sutra. "Essence" signifies the ultimate principle of a sutra. The "Clarification of the Essence" section defines the substance of Myoho-renge-kyo to be the true aspect of all phenomena. "Quality" indicates the principal doctrines of a sutra. The section "Elucidation of Quality" defines the principal doctrine of the theoretical teaching (first half ) of the Lotus Sutra to be the replacement of the provisional teachings with the true teaching, and the principal doctrine of the essential teaching (latter half ) to be the revelation of the Buddha's true identity, i.e., his original attainment of enlightenment, as well as the revelation of the true cause and true effect of his enlightenment. This section of Profound Meaning also states that the quality, or main point, of the sutra as a whole is the causality of the supreme vehicle of Buddhahood. "Function" indicates the benefit and power of a sutra. The "Discussion of Function" section says that the theoretical teaching dispels belief in the three vehicles (teachings for voice-hearers, cause-awakened ones, and bodhisattvas) and arouses faith in the one vehicle of Buddhahood, and that the essential teaching denies the Buddha's attainment of enlightenment in this life and arouses faith in his original attainment of enlightenment in the remote past. Moreover, the function of the Lotus Sutra as a whole is to lead all people to Buddhahood. "Teaching" refers to the position and influence of a sutra with respect to other sutras. The section "Evaluation of the Teaching" asserts that the Lotus Sutra encompasses all other teachings, and that its influence permeates all phenomena. This section introduces the systems of classifying the sutras advocated by the three schools of southern China and the seven schools of northern China, and refutes them with T'ien-t'ai's own classification of "five periods and eight teachings," a system that defines Myoho-renge-kyo as the supreme sutra. T'ien-t'ai's five major principles are based on the passage of the "Supernatural Powers" (twenty-first) chapter of the Lotus Sutra that begins the transfer of the essence of the sutra to the Bodhisattvas of the Earth. It reads: "To put it briefly, all the doctrines possessed by the Thus Come One [name], all the freely exercised supernatural powers of the Thus Come One [function], the storehouse of all the secret essentials of the Thus Come One [essence], all the most profound matters of the Thus Come One [quality]-all these are proclaimed, revealed, and clearly expounded in this sutra [teaching]."

From source: The Soka Gakkai Dictionary of Buddhism

 

[Babbabud]

Chants

Chants

Please include mrsG's mother in your chants
Nam myoho renge kyo !!

 

[PassTheDoobie]

MrsG, trust that your mom is in my prayers. The Daishonin has already demonstrated to us that we can effect the health and longevity of our parents. Please have faith in the power of your prayer to help her. Now is the time to trust and challenge the Buddha nature within you to allow you to show actual proof of the power of your prayer.

I will say again what has been the watch words of my practice when faced with such difficulty:

Don't be afraid.
Don't be defeated.
Faith!
Victory of gold.

I have great confidence in your ability to make a difference. You can do it! Please do your best to, at the appropriate time, share Nam-myoho-renge-kyo with her. She is connected to the Law by YOU!

My warmest regards,

T

 

[PassTheDoobie]

The Object of Devotion for Observing the Mind / WND pg. 354 (conclusion)

The Object of Devotion for Observing the Mind / WND pg. 354 (conclusion)

Question: Did the Bodhisattvas of the Earth then appear in Jambudvipa during the two millennia of the Former and Middle Days of the Law to spread the Lotus Sutra?

Answer: No, they did not.

Question: Your answer comes as a surprise. If the Lotus Sutra, especially the essential teaching, is intended primarily for those people living after the Buddha's passing, and the Buddha entrusted the sutra to the Bodhisattvas of the Earth, why did they not appear during the Former and Middle Days of the Law to spread the sutra?

Answer: I will not say.

Question: I am asking you again, what was the reason?

Answer: I will not disclose it.

Question: Once more, what was the reason?

Answer: If I disclose it, all will refuse to believe and, what is worse, will slander the sutra, as in the Latter Day of the Law of Awesome Sound King Buddha. Even my own disciples would slander the sutra if I tried to explain, so I can only keep silent.

Question: Nonetheless, I urge you to answer. Unless you do, you will be guilty of the fault of greed and stinginess.

Answer: Then since I have no choice, I will try to give you a brief explanation. The "Teacher of the Law" chapter states, "[Since hatred and jealousy toward this sutra abound even when the Thus Come One is in the world], how much more will this be so after his passing?" The "Life Span" chapter states, "I will leave this good medicine here." The "Distinctions in Benefits" chapter speaks of "the evil age of the Latter Day of the Law." The "Medicine King" chapter says, "In the last five-hundred-year period you must spread it [the Lotus Sutra] abroad widely throughout Jambudvipa." A passage in the Nirvana Sutra reads, "Suppose that a couple has seven children, one of whom falls ill. Though the parents love all their children equally, they worry most about the sick child."

With the clear mirror of these passages one can guess the Buddha's intent. They show that the Buddha did not appear for the sake of those present during the eight years when he revealed the Lotus Sutra at Eagle Peak, but for those who would come after him in the Former, Middle, and Latter Days of the Law. His advent was specifically for people like us, those living in the beginning of the Latter Day, not for those who lived in the two thousand years of the Former and Middle Days. "The sick child" mentioned in the Nirvana Sutra represents those who slander the Lotus Sutra after the Buddha's passing. The Buddha will now "leave this good medicine here" especially for those who, the sutra says, though the medicine is of excellent color and fragrance, do not perceive it as good.

The Bodhisattvas of the Earth did not appear in the Former or Middle Day of the Law for good reason.

Hinayana and provisional Mahayana were spread in the first millennium, the Former Day of the Law, because the time was not ripe [for the Lotus Sutra] and the people were not ready to embrace it. The four ranks of bodhisattvas in the Former Day led those who had received the seeds of Buddhahood by hearing the Lotus Sutra during Shakyamuni's lifetime to harvest the fruit of Buddhahood through Hinayana and provisional Mahayana teachings. [If the Bodhisattvas of the Earth had spread the Lotus Sutra at that time instead of later,] the people would have reviled it and thereby destroyed all the merit they had accumulated by maturing their seeds. Therefore, the bodhisattvas did not appear then. People of the Former Day are like those in the Buddha's lifetime who gradually matured and attained enlightenment through the first four flavors of teachings.

In the middle and latter part of the Middle Day of the Law, Bodhisattva Perceiver of the World's Sounds was reborn as Nan-yüeh, and Bodhisattva Medicine King as T'ien-t'ai. Preaching the text of the theoretical teaching and employing the meaning of the essential teaching to supplement it, they fully revealed the doctrine of the hundred worlds and thousand factors and of three thousand realms in a single moment of life. They expounded it in principle, but they did not establish the actual practice of the five characters of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo or establish the object of devotion of the essential teaching. The time was not right for propagation, although even then some people had the proper capacity.

Now, in the beginning of the Latter Day of the Law, Hinayana adherents attack the doctrines of Mahayana, and provisional Mahayana believers denounce the true Mahayana teaching. East is mistaken for west, and heaven and earth are turned upside down. The four ranks of bodhisattvas of the theoretical teaching are gone, and all the heavenly gods have deserted the country and no longer lend it protection. At this time the Bodhisattvas of the Earth appear in the world for the first time solely to bring the medicine of the five characters of Myoho-renge-kyo to the ignorant people of the Latter Day. This is what is meant by the words, "Even if one reviles the correct teaching and falls into the evil paths, one can create causes for the eventual attainment of (84) benefit."

You who are my disciples, take this to heart! The countless Bodhisattvas of the Earth were the disciples of Shakyamuni Buddha, the lord of teachings, from the time he first set his mind on and attained enlightenment in the remote past. But they did not come to his place of enlightenment in India, nor did they come to the grove of sal trees when he entered nirvana. They were unfaithful to him. They also failed to appear when the Buddha preached the first fourteen chapters, or the theoretical teaching, of the Lotus Sutra, and they left the assembly when he preached the last six chapters of the essential teaching. They only attended the Buddha during the first eight chapters of the essential teaching. Since these noble bodhisattvas received [the five characters of Myoho-renge-kyo] and made a solemn oath to Shakyamuni Buddha, Many Treasures Buddha, and the Buddhas of the ten directions, is it possible that they will not appear now at the beginning of the Latter Day of the Law? Know this: in the time for the practice of shakubuku the four bodhisattvas appear as worthy rulers who rebuke and convert ignorant rulers, and in the time for the practice of shoju they appear as priests to embrace and spread the correct teaching.

Question: Does the Buddha predict their coming in the Latter Day of the Law?

Answer: The Buddha states, "In the last five-hundred-year period the Lotus Sutra will spread abroad widely throughout Jambudvipa." (85) The Great Teacher T'ien-t'ai predicts, "In the last five-hundred-year period, the mystic way will spread and benefit humankind (86) far into the future." Miao-lo predicts, "The beginning of the Latter Day of the Law will not be without inconspicuous (87) benefit." The Great Teacher Dengyo says, "The Former and Middle Days are almost over, and the Latter (88) Day is near at hand." The latter part of this quotation means that his was not the right time for propagation. The Great Teacher Dengyo, who was living in Japan, foresaw the beginning of the Latter Day of the Law, saying: "Speaking of the age, [the propagation of the true teaching will begin] in the age when the Middle Day of the Law ends and the Latter Day opens. Regarding the land, it will begin in a land to the east of T'ang and to the west of Ka-tsu (89). As for the people, it will spread among people stained by the five impurities who live in a time of conflict. The sutra says, 'Since hatred and jealousy toward this sutra abound even when the Thus Come One is in the world, how much more will this be so after his passing?' There is good reason for this statement." (90)

"A time of conflict" in this commentary refers to the two disasters of internal strife and invasion from the western sea that are occurring at present. At this time the countless Bodhisattvas of the Earth will appear and establish in this country the object of devotion, foremost in Jambudvipa, that depicts Shakyamuni Buddha of the essential teaching attending [the eternal Buddha]. This object of devotion has never appeared in India or China. Its time had not come when Prince Jogu in Japan constructed Shitenno-ji temple, so he could only make a statue of Amida, a Buddha of another world, the object of devotion. When Emperor Shomu erected Todai-ji temple, he enshrined a statue of the Buddha of the Flower Garland Sutra [Vairochana Buddha] as the object of devotion, but could not manifest the true meaning of the Lotus Sutra. The Great Teacher Dengyo almost revealed the truth of the sutra. The time had not yet come, however, and so he built a statue of the (91) Buddha of the Eastern Region, but did not represent the four bodhisattvas of the essential teaching in any form. Ultimately, this was because the revelation of the true object of devotion had been entrusted only to the Bodhisattvas of the Earth. They have been waiting for the right time to emerge from beneath the earth and carry out the Buddha's decree. They did not appear in the Former or Middle Day. But if they do not appear in the Latter Day of the Law, their vows would be outright lies, and the prophecies of Shakyamuni, Many Treasures, and the Buddhas of the ten directions would be no more than froth on the waters.

We have recently experienced great earthquakes, huge comets, and other calamities such as never occurred in the Former or Middle Day. These signs could not be caused by garuda birds, asura demons, or dragon deities. They must foretell the appearance of the four great bodhisattvas. T'ien-t'ai states, "By observing the fury of the rain, we can tell the greatness of the dragon that caused it, and by observing the flourishing of the lotus flowers, we can tell (92) the depth of the pond they grow in." Miao-lo says, "Wise men can perceive the cause of things, as snakes know the (93) way of snakes." When the skies are clear, the ground is illuminated. Similarly, when one knows the Lotus Sutra, one understands the meaning of all worldly affairs.

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. The four great bodhisattvas will protect anyone who embraces the five characters as faithfully as T'ai-kung Wang and the Duke of Chou supported King Wen, and as devotedly as the Four (94) White-Haired Elders served Emperor Hui.

Written by Nichiren.

The twenty-fifth day of the fourth month in the tenth year of Bun'ei (1273), with the cyclical sign mizunoto-tori

Cover Letter

I have received an unlined robe, (95) three sumi inksticks, and five writing brushes.

I have written down some of my thoughts concerning the doctrine of observing the mind. I am sending the (96) treatise to Ota, Kyoshin-bo, and the others. It explains an important matter that concerns me, Nichiren, and must be kept secret. Only those of single-minded faith should be allowed to read it.

The treatise contains many difficult points and few answers. What it reveals, however, has never been heard of before and is bound to startle those who read or hear of it. If you do show it to others, never allow three or four persons to read it together at one time.

In the more than 2,220 years since the Buddha's passing, the heart of this treatise has never been revealed before. Despite the official persecution facing me, I expound it now in the fifth five-hundred-year period, when the time is ripe for its propagation. I hope those who read it will remain firm in their faith so that both teacher and disciples can together reach the pure land of Eagle Peak and behold with reverence the faces of Shakyamuni Buddha, Many Treasures Buddha, and the Buddhas of the ten directions.

With my deep respect,
Nichiren

The twenty-sixth day of the fourth month in the tenth year of Bun'ei (1273), with the cyclical sign mizunoto-tori

Reply to Toki


Notes:

84. On "The Words and Phrases."
85. Here the reading of this sentence from the "Medicine King" chapter of the Lotus Sutra is changed. The sutra passage is generally rendered as follows: "After I have passed into extinction, in the last five-hundred-year period you must spread it abroad widely throughout Jambudvipa." Such a change is possible in rendering the classical Chinese into Japanese.
86. Words and Phrases.
87. On "The Words and Phrases."
88. Essay on the Protection of the Nation.
89. T'ang refers to China, and Katsu to a Tungusic nation that ruled over north-eastern China and northern Korea in the sixth and seventh centuries. "A land to the east of T'ang and to the west of Katsu" indicates Japan according to old maps.
90. Outstanding Principles.
91. The Buddha of the Eastern Region refers to the Buddha Medicine Master.
92. Words and Phrases.
93. On "The Words and Phrases."
94. Emperor Kao-tsu (247-195 BCE), founder of the Han dynasty, tried to disown his son, the future Emperor Hui. Hui's mother persuaded four eminent elders, who lived on Mount Shang, to become his advisers. They were known as Master Tung-yüan, the Scholar Lu-li, Ch'i Li-chi, and Master Hsia-huang. On seeing thesefour elders, the emperor was so impressed by their dignity that he accepted Hui as his successor.
95. An unlined robe for summer use, made of hemp cloth or crinkled silk.
96. Ota is Ota Jomyo, an official employed in the Kamakura shogunate's Office of Legal Affairs. Kyoshin-bo is also known as the lay priest Soya. Together with Toki Jonin, they were leading followers of the Daishonin in Shimosa Province.

End

 

[SoCal Hippy]

Thanks for the reminder PTD:

oso re runa
ma ke runa
shinjin
kin no katchi

This time of yr is the time of devilish functions for me.

Don't be afraid
don't be defeated
faith
victory of gold

Prayer to the Gohonzon (as told to me by PTD yr's ago)

Appreciation to the Gohonzon, for the incredible fortune to have the
Gohonzon: The ability to identify this karma so that I can change it. The
indescribable joy that manifests from the realization that I have the Buddha
nature, and the infinite power that I have as a result. That no matter
what, I will not give up until I manifest this Buddha nature for the sake
of it's display; inviting others through example to do so as well.

Apology to the Gohonzon that for so much benefit derived from my practice,
my eyes are not yet fully "open": As a common mortal I am still deluded,
please help to open them to see things through the eyes of the Buddha. To
understand the nature of my karma that continues to block my way.

Prayer to the Gohonzon for the fullfilment of my Mission as a Bodisattva
of the Earth: That I be able to show actual proof of this mission and the
power of the Law through my victory in overcoming my delusion and the
revealing of my Buddha Nature.

Determination to the Gohonzon that I will in this life time attain my
enlightenment and ease the suffering of those around me: That my benefit
is not about this prayer or obstacle, but the wisdom and lighting of the path
of others that will occur based on my experience and victory.

 

[PassTheDoobie]

Thanks for the reminder SoCal:

This formula for success with ANY prayer was shared with me by the second Buddha I had the honor to know. If one can predicate their perspective as correctly depicted above, there is NO PRAYER THAT CAN GO UNANSWERED. But to genuinely be in the state of mind that honestly reflects such a life condition takes sincere faith. One cannot just say the words, they have to come from the depths of ones life.

No matter what troubles you face, you can overcome them. I promise.

T

 

[PassTheDoobie]

"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 .... Abutsu-bo is therefore the treasure tower itself, and the treasure tower is Abutsu-bo himself. ... 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. You, yourself, are a Thus Come One who is originally enlightened and endowed with the three bodies. You should chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo with this conviction. Then the place where you chant daimoku will become the dwelling place of the treasure tower."

(On the Treasure Tower - The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, page 299) Selection source: SGI President Ikeda's message, Seikyo Shimbun, December 11th, 2005

 

[PassTheDoobie]

The Object of Devotion for Observing the Mind / WND pg. 354

The Object of Devotion for Observing the Mind / WND pg. 354

Background

Nichiren Daishonin completed this work, one of his most important, in the fourth month of 1273, during his exile at Ichinosawa on the island of Sado. It was addressed specifically to Toki Jonin, a leading disciple who lived in Shimosa Province, and its cover letter instructed that because it revealed the Daishonin's ultimate teaching it should be shown only to those with strong faith.

In another of his major works, The Opening of the Eyes, written on Sado Island a year earlier, the Daishonin explains the object of devotion in terms of the Person. He declares that he is endowed with the three virtues of sovereign, teacher, and parent, implying that he is the Buddha of the Latter Day of the Law who leads all people to Buddhahood. In the present work, the Daishonin explains the object of devotion in terms of the Law and declares that the Gohonzon that embodies the Law of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo is the object of devotion in the Latter Day. Faith and practice based on the Gohonzon enable everyone to perceive the Buddha nature in his or her own life and attain Buddhahood.

Four important elements are contained in the full title of this work, The Object of Devotion for Observing the Mind Established in the Fifth Five-Hundred-Year Period after the Thus Come One's Passing. They are the time, the Buddha's teaching, the people's capacity, and the Law. Concerning the time, a Buddha appears in accordance with the deep desire of the people to see him. The time for his advent is defined as the "fifth five-hundred-year period after the ThusCome One's [Shakyamuni's] passing." Concerning the Buddha's teaching, this is indicated by the word "established." In establishing the Gohonzon, Nichiren Daishonin, considering the people's capacity, depicted the essence of the Lotus Sutra, or the Law he perceived. The people's capacity means that "for observing [the true nature of] the mind." The Law is indicated by the phrase "the object of devotion."

Nichiren Daishonin embodied in the object of devotion the state of life he enjoyed as the eternal Buddha so that people could attain the same condition of enlightenment. A description of the Gohonzon in the text includes a depiction of the ceremony of the transmission of the Law: "Myoho-renge-kyo appears in the center of the tower with the Buddhas Shakyamuni and Many Treasures seated to the right and left, and, flanking them, the four bodhisattvas, followers of Shakyamuni, led by Superior Practices" (p. 366).

The text may be broadly divided into four sections. The first section explains the doctrine of three thousand realms in a single moment of life. The Daishonin elucidates this doctrine by referring to the works of the Great Teacher T'ien-t'ai of China, who based his exposition on the Lotus Sutra, and to the works of other Chinese scholars.

The second section discusses the meaning of "observing the mind." T'ien-t'ai established a complex practice of meditation as a means to perceive the true nature of one's own life. This was to observe one's mind, or to perceive all the three thousand realms in a single moment of one's own life.

Here the Daishonin proclaims that the practice of observing one's mind in the Latter Day of the Law is none other than to chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo with firm faith in the true object of devotion, saying: "Shakyamuni's practices and the virtues he consequently attained are all contained within the five characters of Myoho-renge-kyo. If we believe in these five characters, we will naturally be granted the same benefits as he was" (p. 365). This is the principle that embracing the true object of devotion is in itself enlightenment.

The third section describes the Gohonzon, the object of devotion, by classifying the entire body of the Buddhist teachings into three categories: preparation, revelation, and transmission. In terms of the Daishonin's teachings, preparation includes all the teachings of all Buddhas throughout time and space; revelation is Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, the Law implied in the depths of the "Life Span" chapter; and transmission, the teachings of all Buddhas seen in the light of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo.

The Daishonin asserts that Shakyamuni's is the Buddhism of the harvest, meaning that he expounded his enlightenment as an effect only, without revealing the cause. The Daishonin's teaching, however, is called the Buddhism of sowing, for it teaches the cause for attaining enlightenment directly, thus guiding people compassionately in their quest for the ultimate state of life.

In this section, Nichiren Daishonin identifies the object of devotion implied in the "Life Span" chapter as the entity of the Law for propagation in the Latter Day. He states that the Bodhisattvas of the Earth will surely appear in the world to establish this supreme object of devotion.

The fourth section brings the treatise to a close by declaring that the eternal Buddha who appears in the Latter Day of the Law will establish the Gohonzon of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo out of profound compassion for the people of that age, who are ignorant of the principle of three thousand realms in a single moment of life.

 

[PassTheDoobie]

As for the people, it will spread among people stained by the five impurities who live in a time of conflict. The sutra says, 'Since hatred and jealousy toward this sutra abound even when the Thus Come One is in the world, how much more will this be so after his passing?' There is good reason for this statement."


five impurities
[五濁] (Jpn.: go-joku)
1. Also, five defilements. Impurity of the age, of desire, of living beings, of thought (or view), and of life span. The "Expedient Means" (second) chapter of the Lotus Sutra says, "The Buddhas appear in evil worlds of five impurities... . In this evil world of the five impurities those who merely delight in and are attached to the desires, living beings such as this in the end will never seek the Buddha way." (1) Impurity of the age includes repeated disruptions of the social or natural environment. (2) Impurity of desire is the tendency to be ruled by the five delusive inclinations, i.e, greed, anger, foolishness, arrogance, and doubt. (3) Impurity of living beings is the physical and spiritual decline of human beings. (4) Impurity of thought, or impurity of view, is the prevalence of wrong views such as the five false views. (5) Impurity of life span is the shortening of the life spans of living beings. According to The Words and Phrases of the Lotus Sutra, the most fundamental of these five are the impurities of thought and desire, which result in the impurity of living beings and the impurity of life span. These in turn give rise to the impurity of the age.


five false views
[五利使] (Jpn.: go-rishi)
1. According to The Treatise on the Establishment of the Consciousness-Only Doctrine, the five views that, along with the five delusive inclinations, constitute the ten fundamental earthly desires. T'ien-t'ai (538-597) included these ten in the illusions of thought and desire, the first of the three categories of illusion. The five false views are: (1) Though the mind and body are no more than a temporary union of the five components, one regards them as possessing a self that is absolute; and though nothing in the universe can belong to an individual, one views one's mind and body as one's own possession; (2) the belief in one of two extremes concerning existence: that life ends with death, or that life persists after death in some eternal and unchanging form; (3) denial of the law of cause and effect; (4) adhering to misconceptions and viewing them as truth, while regarding inferior views as superior; and (5) viewing erroneous practices or precepts as the correct way to enlightenment.
See also: earthly desires
earthly desires
[煩悩] (Pali.: kilesa; Skt.: klesha; Jpn.: bonno)
1. Also, illusions, defilements, impurities, earthly passions, or simply desires. A generic term for all the workings of life that cause one psychological and physical suffering and impede the quest for enlightenment, including desires and illusions in the general sense. Earthly desires are also referred to as fetters or bonds (Skt samyojana or bandhana ), because they bind people to the realm of delusion and suffering. Buddhism regards them as the fundamental cause for affliction and suffering, and presents various analyses and perspectives on them. The Treatise on the Great Perfection of Wisdom by Nagarjuna says that the three poisons of greed, anger, and foolishness are the most fundamental earthly desires and give rise to all others. The Treatise on the Establishment of the Consciousness-Only Doctrine compiled by Dharmapala (530-561) divides earthly desires into two types, fundamental and derivative.

The ten fundamental desires consist of the five delusive inclinations of greed, anger, foolishness, arrogance, and doubt, and the five false views. Moreover, there are twenty derivative desires that arise from and accompany these fundamental ones. For example, irritability, the tendency to bear grudges, and the desire to inflict harm derive from anger. T'ien-t'ai (538-597) classified earthly desires and set forth the three categories of illusion: (1) illusions of thought and desire, (2) illusions innumerable as particles of dust and sand, and (3) illusions about the true nature of existence.
See also: three categories of illusion; five delusive inclinations
three categories of illusion
[三惑] (Jpn.: san-waku)
1. Also, three illusions. A classification of illusions, established by T'ien-t'ai (538-597): (1) illusions of thought and desire, (2) illusions innumerable as particles of dust and sand, and (3) illusions about the true nature of existence. The illusions of thought and desire are illusions to be eradicated by persons of the two vehicles (voice-hearers and cause-awakened ones) and bodhisattvas. The other two categories of illusions are those that bodhisattvas alone go on to eliminate.

Illusions of thought and desire cause people to suffer in the six paths and the threefold world. Illusions of thought are distorted perceptions of the truth and are primarily mental and learned. They consist of the five false views and the five delusive inclinations. The five false views are as follows: (1) Though the body is nothing but a temporary union of the five components, one mistakenly thinks of the self as a separate or independent entity, and though nothing in the universe can belong to an individual, one mistakenly views that which surrounds one as one's own possession. (2) One erroneously believes either that life is totally annihilated at death without continuance in any form, or that life persists after death in some eternally unchanged form such as a soul. (3) One does not recognize the law of cause and effect. (4) One adheres to misconceptions such as regarding inferior things as superior. (5) One views erroneous precepts or practices as the true way to enlightenment. The five delusive inclinations are greed, anger, foolishness, arrogance, and doubt; they arise in relation to the five false views. Hence in the category of illusions of thought, the five false views are regarded as primary and the five delusive inclinations as secondary. In contrast to the chiefly mental illusions of thought, the illusions of desire are emotional and inborn. These include greed, anger, foolishness, and arrogance and arise in connection with the various affairs and phenomena of the threefold world, not because of distorted perceptions of the truth.

Illusions innumerable as particles of dust and sand are illusions that prevent bodhisattvas from saving others. To save others, bodhisattvas must be well versed in innumerable teachings, both religious and secular. This second category of illusions arises when the bodhisattvas try to master these teachings.

Illusions about the true nature of existence are illusions that prevent bodhisattvas from attaining enlightenment, or from awakening to the truth of the Middle Way. In the specific teaching, these illusions are divided into twelve. In the perfect teaching, they are divided into forty-two, the last and most deeply rooted of which is called fundamental darkness. By eliminating fundamental darkness, one attains Buddhahood. In Great Concentration and Insight, T'ien-t'ai states that the three categories of illusion are eliminated through meditation aimed at perceiving the unification of the three truths in a single mind. Specifically, the illusions of thought and desire are eliminated by perception of the truth of non-substantiality; illusions innumerable as particles of dust and sand are eliminated by perception of the truth of temporary existence; and illusions about the true nature of existence are eliminated by perception of the truth of the Middle Way.
five delusive inclinations
[五鈍使] (Jpn.: go-donshi)
1. Greed, anger, foolishness, arrogance, and doubt. According to The Dharma Analysis Treasury, the five delusive inclinations constitute the most fundamental of illusions or earthly desires. Dharmapala (530-561), an Indian scholar of the Consciousness-Only doctrine, defined the five delusive inclinations and the five false views together as the ten fundamental earthly desires, and T'ien-t'ai (538-597) included them among the illusions of thought and desire, which constitute the first of the three categories of illusion.

From source: The Soka Gakkai Dictionary of Buddhism

 

[PassTheDoobie]

The Lotus Sutra Translated by Burton Watson

The Lotus Sutra Translated by Burton Watson

Chapter Ten: The Teacher of the Law

At that time the World-Honored One addressed Bodhisattva Medicine King. And through him the eighty thousand great men, saying: "Medicine King, do you see in this great assembly the immeasurable number of heavenly beings, dragons kings, yakshas, gandharvas, asuras, garudas, kimnaras, mahoragas, human and nonhuman beings, as well as monks, nuns, laymen and laywomen, those who seek to become voice-hearers, who seek to become pratyekabuddhas, or those seek the Buddha way? Upon these various kinds of beings who in the presence of the Buddha listen to one verse or one phrase of the Lotus Sutra of the Wonderful Law and for a moment think of it with joy I will bestow on all of them a prophecy that they will attain anuttara-samyak-sambodhi.

The Buddha said to Medicine King: "In addition, if after the Thus Come One has passed into extinction there should be someone who listens to the Lotus Sutra of the Wonderful Law, even one verse or one phrase, and for a moment thinks of it with joy, I will likewise bestow on him a prophesy that he will attain anuttara-samyak-sambodhi. Again if there are persons who embrace, read, recite, expound and copy the Lotus Sutra of the Wonderful Law, even only one verse, and look upon this sutra with the same reverence as they would the Buddha, presenting various offerings of flowers, incense, necklaces, powdered incense, paste incense, incense for burning, silken canopies, streamers and banners, clothing and music, and pressing their palms together in reverence, then, 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, if someone should ask what living beings will be able to attain Buddhahood in a latter-day existence, then you should show him all these people in a latter-day existence are certain to attain Buddhahood. Why? Because if good men and good women embrace, read, recite, expound and copy the Lotus Sutra, even one phrase of it, offer various kinds of alms to the sutra, flowers, incense, necklaces, powdered incense, paste incense, incense for burning, silken canopies, streamers and banners, clothing and music, and press their hands together in reverence, then these persons will be looked up to and honored by all the world. Alms will be offered to them such as would be offered to the Thus Come One. You should understand that these persons are great bodhisattvas who have succeeded in attaining anuttara-samyak-sambodhi. Pitying living beings, they have vowed to be born among them where they may broadly expound and make distinctions regarding the Lotus Sutra of the Wonderful Law. How much more so is this true, then, of those who embrace the entire sutra and offer various types of alms to it!

"Medicine King, you should understand that these persons voluntarily relinquish the reward due for 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 may broadly expound this sutra. If one of these good men or good women in the time after I have passed into extinction is able to secretly expound the Lotus Sutra to one person, even one phrase of it, then you should know that de or she is the envoy of the Thus Come One. He has been dispatched by the Thus Come One and carries out the Thus Come One's work. And how much more so those who in the midst of the great assembly broadly expound the sutra for others!

"Medicine King, if there should be an evil person who, his mind destitute of goodness, should for the space of a kalpa appear in the presence of the Buddha and constantly curse and revile the Buddha, that person's offense would still be rather light. But if there were a person who spoke only one evil word to curse or defame the lay persons or monks or nuns who read and recite the Lotus Sutra, then his offense would be very grave.

"Medicine King, these persons who read and recite the Lotus Sutra-you should understand that these persons adorn themselves with the adornments of the Buddhas they are borne upon the shoulders of the Thus Come One. Wherever they may go, one should greet them with bows, with palms pressed single-mindedly together, with reverence and alms, with respect and praise, flowers, incense, necklaces, powdered incense, paste incense, incense for burning, silken canopies, streamers and banners, clothing, delicacies and the making of music. The finest alms that can be offered to a person should be offered to them. Heavenly treasures should be scattered over them, the treasure hoards of heaven should be given them as gifts. Why do I say this? Because these persons delight in expounding the Law. And if one listens to them for even a moment, he will immediately attain the ultimate anuttara-samyak-sambodhi.

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

If you wish to abide in the Buddha way
and successfully gain the wisdom that comes of itself,
you should be constantly diligent in offering alms
to those who embrace the Lotus Sutra.
If you have a wish to quickly obtain
wisdom regarding all species of things,
you should embrace this sutra
and at the same time give alms to those who do so.
If one is capable of embracing
the Lotus Sutra of the Wonderful Law,
know that such a person is an envoy of the Buddha
who thinks with pity of living beings.
Those who are capable of embracing
the Lotus of the Wonderful Law
relinquish their claim to the pure land
and out of pity for living beings are born here.
Know that persons such as these
freely choose where they will be born,
and choose to be born in this evil world
so they may broadly expound the unsurpassed Law.
You should offer heavenly flowers and incense,
robes decked with heavenly treasures,
the wonderful treasure hoards of heaven
as alms to those who preach the Law.
In the evil world following my extinction
if there are those who can embrace this sutra,
you should press your palms together in reverence
and offer alms to them as you would to the
World-Honored One.
The choicest delicacies, all that is sweet and tasty,
along with various types of clothing
you should offer as alms to these Buddha sons
in hopes you may hear a moment of their preaching.
If there are those in a later age
who can accept and embrace this sutra,
they are my envoys sent out among the people
to perform the Thus Come One's work.
If for the space of a kalpa
one should constantly harbor a mind destitute of good
and with angry looks should revile the Buddha,
he will be committing an offense of immeasurable gravity.
But if toward those who read, recite and embrace
this Lotus Sutra
one should even for a moment direct evil words,
his offense will be even greater.
If there is someone who seeks the Buddha way
and during a certain kalpa
presses palms together in my presence
and recites numberless verses of praise,
because of these praises of the Buddha
he will gain immeasurable blessings.
And if one lauds and extols those who uphold this sutra,
his good fortune will be even greater.
For the space of eighty million kalpas,
with the most wonderful shapes and sounds,
with that which is pleasing to smell, taste and touch,
offer alms to the upholders of this sutra!
If you have offered alms in this manner
and have heard the teachings for even a moment,
then you will experience joy and good fortune,
saying, "I have gained great benefit!"
Medicine King, now I say to you,
I have preached various sutras,
and among those sutras
the Lotus is foremost!

At that time the Buddha spoke once more to the bodhisattva and mahasattva Medicine King, saying: "The sutras I have preached number immeasurable thousands, ten thousands millions, 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. Medicine King, this sutra is the storehouse of the secret crux of the Buddhas, it must not be distributed recklessly transmitted to others. It has been guarded by the Buddhas, the World-Honored Ones, and from times past until now has never been openly expounded, and since hatred and jealousy toward this sutra abound even when the Thus Come One is in the world, how much more will this be so after his passing?

"Medicine King, you should know that after the Thus Come One has entered extinction, if there are those who can copy, uphold, read and recite this sutra, offer alms to it and expound it for others, then the Thus Come One will cover them with his robe, and they will also be protected and kept in mind by the Buddhas who are now present in other regions. Such persons possess the power of great faith, the power of aspiration, the power of good roots, you should know that such persons lodge in the same place as the Thus Come One, and the Thus Come One pats them on the head with his hand.

"Medicine King, in any place whatsoever where this sutra is preached, where it is read, where it is recited, where it is copied, or where a roll of it exists, in all such places there should be erected towers made of the seven kinds of gems, and they should be made very high and broad and well adorned. There is no need to enshrine the relics of the Buddha there. Why? Because in such towers the entire body of the Thus Come One is already present. All kinds of flowers, incense, necklaces, silken canopies. Streamers and banners, music and hymns should be offered as alms to these towers. And they should be accorded reverence, honor and praise. If when people see these towers they bow in obeisance and offer alms, then you should know that such persons have all drawn near to anuttara-samyak-sambodhi.

"Medicine King, suppose there is a man who is parched with thirst and in need of water. On an upland plateau he begins digging a hole in search of water, but he sees that the soil is dry and knows that water is still far away. He does not cease his efforts, however, and bit by bit he sees the soil becoming damper, until gradually he has worked his way into mud. Now he is determined in his mind to go on, for he knows that he is bound to be nearing water.

"The way of the bodhisattva is the same as this. As long as a person has not yet heard. Not yet understood. And not yet been able to practice this Lotus Sutra, then you should know that person is still far away from anuttara-samyak-sambodhi. Why? Because all bodhisattvas who attain anuttara-samyak-sambodhi in all cases do so through this sutra. This sutra opens the gate of expedient means and shows the form of true reality. This storehouse of the Lotus Sutra is hidden deep and far away where no person can reach it. But the Buddha, teaching, converting and leading to success the bodhisattvas, opens it up for them.

"Medicine King, if there are bodhisattvas who, on hearing this Lotus Sutra, respond with surprise, doubt and fear, then you should know that they are bodhisattvas who have only newly embarked on their course. And if there are voice-hearers who, on hearing this sutra, respond with surprise, doubt, and fear, then you should know that they are persons of overbearing arrogance.

"Medicine King, if there are good men and good women who, after the Thus Come One has entered extinction, wish to expound this Lotus Sutra for the four kinds of believers, how should they expound it? These good men and good women should enter the Thus Come One's room put on the Thus Come One's robe, sit in the Thus Come One's seat, and then for the sake of the four kinds of believers broadly expound this sutra.

"The Thus Come One's room is the state of mind that shows great pity and compassion toward all living beings. The Thus Come One's robe is the mind that is gentle and forbearing. The Thus Come One's seat is the emptiness of all phenomena. One should seat oneself comfortably therein and after that, with a mind never lazy or remiss, should for the sake of the bodhisattvas and the four kinds of believers broadly expound this Lotus Sutra.

"Medicine King, I will send persons conjured up by magic to other lands to gather together assemblies to listen to the Law, and I will also send monks, nuns, laymen and laywomen conjured up by magic to listen to the preaching of the Law, believe and accept it, and abide by it without violation. If the preachers of the Law are in an empty and silent place, I will at that time send large numbers of heavenly beings, dragons, spirits, gandharvas, asuras, and others to listen to their preaching of the law. Though I should be in another land, from time to time I will make it possible for the preachers of the Law to see my body. If they should forget a phrase of this sutra, I will appear and prompt them so that they are able to recite the text correctly and in full."

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

If you wish to put aside all sloth and remissness,
you must listen to this sutra,
It is hard to get a chance to hear this sutra,
and believing and accepting it too is hard.
If a person is thirsty and wants water
he may dig a hole in the high plateau,
but as long as he sees the soil dry
he knows the water is still far away.
But bit by bit he sees the soil grow damp and muddy
and then he knows for certain he is nearing water.
Medicine King, you should understand
that people are like this-
if they do not hear the Lotus Sutra,
they will be far removed from the Buddha's wisdom,
But if they hear this profound sutra
which defines the Law of the voice-hearer,
if they hear this king of the sutras
and afterward carefully ponder it,
then you should know such persons
are close to the wisdom of the Buddha.
If a person expounds this sutra,
he should enter the Thus Come One's room,
put on the Thus Come One's robe,
sit in the Thus Come One's seat,
confront the assembly without fear
and broadly expand it for them, making distinctions.
Great pity and compassion are the room.
Gentleness and patience are the robe.
The emptiness of all phenomena is the seat,
and from that the position one should expound the Law for them.

If when a person expounds this sutra
there is someone who speaks ill and reviles him
or attacks him with swords and staves, tiles and stones,
he should think of the Buddha and for that reason be patient.
In a thousand, ten thousand, million lands
I will manifest my pure and durable body
and for immeasurable millions of kalpas
will expound the Law for living beings,
If after I have entered extinction
there are those who can expound this sutra,
I will send the four kinds of believers, magically conjured,
monks and nuns
and men and women of pure faith,
to offer alms and cause them to listen to the Law;
they will lead and guide living beings,
assemble them and cause them to listen to the Law.
If someone thinks to do evil to the preachers
with swords and staves or with tiles and stones,
I will dispatch persons magically conjured
who will act to guard and protect them.
If those who expound the Law
are alone in an empty and silent place,
and in that stillness where no human voice sounds
they read and recite this sutra
at that time I will manifest
my pure and radiant body for them.
If they forget a passage or a phrase
I will prompt them so they will be thorough and effective,
If persons endowed with these virtues
should expound to the four kinds of believers
and read and recite the sutra in an empty place,
I will enable all of them to see my body.
And if the expounders are in an empty and silent place
I will send heavenly beings, dragon kings,
yakshas, spirits and others
to be an assembly and listen to the Law.
Persons such as this will delight in expounding the Law,
making distinctions and encountering no hindrance.

Because the Buddhas guard and keep them in mind.
They will be able to bring joy to the great assembly.
If one stays close to the teachers of the Law
he will speedily gain the bodhisattva way.
By following and learning from these teachers
he will see Buddhas as numerous as the Ganges sands.

 

[always2theLeft]

i finally understand karma chameleon

nam myoho renge kyo

 

[PassTheDoobie]

There you go Always! Kick some mara ass, my friend! Let's all kick some mara ass!