Chanting Growers Group

[PassTheDoobie]

The Record of the Orally Transmitted Teachings

The Record of the Orally Transmitted Teachings

Chapter Ten: The Teacher of the Law
Sixteen important points


Point One, concerning the “teacher of the Law”

The Record of the Orally Transmitted Teachings says: The word “Law” (ho) here stands for shoho, the various phenomena of existence. The word “teacher” (shi) indicates that all these various phenomena act directly as our teacher. That is, the varied and numberless phenomena of the three thousand realms can act directly as our teacher and we can become their disciples.

Now Nichiren and his followers, who chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, are the greatest among the teachers of the Law. For when one reaches a realization of the true aspect of all phenomena (shoho), then one will find that everything, from the burning of fierce fires of hell to the effect of attaining Buddhahood, exists in ones life, and that one is a teacher of the Law concerning the principle of three thousand realms in a single moment of life.

Again we may say that the word “Law” in the title “The Teacher of the Law” represents the daimoku, and the word “teacher” represents Nichiren and his followers.

(to be continued)

 

[PassTheDoobie]

"For instance, a person who stumbles and falls to the ground pushes himself up from the ground and rises to his feet again."

(How Those Initially Aspiring to the Way Can Attain Buddhahood through the Lotus Sutra - The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, page 882) Selection source: "Kyo no Hosshin", Seikyo Shimbun, December 13th, 2005

 

[PassTheDoobie]

The Record of the Orally Transmitted Teachings (continued)

The Record of the Orally Transmitted Teachings (continued)

Chapter Ten: The Teacher of the Law
Sixteen important points


Point Two, on the persons who “have fulfilled their great vow,”…”because they pity living beings, they are born in this evil world so they may broadly expound this sutra.”

The Record of the Orally Transmitted Teachings says: The “great vow” refers to the propagation of the Lotus Sutra. “Because they pity living beings” refers to all the living beings in the country of Japan. The persons who “are born in this evil world” are Nichiren and his followers. “Broadly” means to expound the sutra throughout the southern continent of Jambudvipa. “This sutra” refers to the daimoku. Now the above passage refers to Nichiren and his followers, who chant the daimoku, Nam-myoho-renge-kyo.


Point Three, on the passage “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 he 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.”

The Record of the Orally Transmitted Teachings says: The practitioner of the Lotus Sutra acts as the “envoy of the Thus Come One.” The “Thus Come One” is Shakyamuni, and “the Thus Come One’s work” is Nam-myoho-renge-kyo.

“Thus Come One” also refers to the living beings of the Ten Worlds and the three thousand realms. Nichiren and his followers, who now chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, are the true envoys.


Point Four, on the passage “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…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.”

The Record of the Orally Transmitted Teachings says: The votaries of the Lotus Sutra, men and women alike, are all Thus Come Ones. [For they exemplify the principle that] earthly desires are enlightenment, and the sufferings of birth and death are nirvana.

Now Nichiren and his followers, who chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, are persons who “lodge in the same place as the Thus Come One.” Therefore, Fu Ta-shih says in his commentary, “Morning after morning we rise up with the Buddha, evening after evening we lie down with the Buddha. Moment by moment we attain the way, moment by moment we reveal our true identity.”

(to be continued)

 

[PassTheDoobie]

The Record of the Orally Transmitted Teachings (continued)

The Record of the Orally Transmitted Teachings (continued)

Chapter Ten: The Teacher of the Law
Sixteen important points


Point Five, on the passage “This storehouse of the Lotus Sutra is hidden deep and far away where no person can reach it.”

The Record of the Orally Transmitted Teachings says: The words “this storehouse of the Lotus Sutra” refer to the daimoku. The words “hidden deep” refer to the esential teaching. The words “far away” refer to the theoretical teaching. “No person can reach it” applies to those who slander the Law. Now Nichiren and his followers, who chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, are not included among the people who “can never reach it.”


Point Six, on the passage “These persons conjured up by magic will listen to the Law, believe and accept it, and abide by it without violation.”

The Record of the Orally Transmitted Teachings says: The word “listen” or “hear” indicates the stage of hearing the name and words of the truth. The word “Law” refers to the daimoku. “Believe and accept” means to accept and uphold the Law. To “abide by it without violation” means to abide by and follow the two doctrines, the essential teaching and the theoretical teaching. The passage refers to Nichiren and his followers, the people who now chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo.

(to be continued)

 

[PassTheDoobie]

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.

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.

three categories of action
[三業] (Jpn.: san-go)

1. Also, three types of action. Activities carried out with one's body, mouth, and mind, i.e., deeds, words, and thoughts. Buddhism holds that karma, good or evil, is created by these three types of action-mental, verbal, and physical. Here "action" is the translation of the Sanskrit karman.

From source: The Soka Gakkai Dictionary of Buddhism

 

[PassTheDoobie]

The Record of the Orally Transmitted Teachings (continued)

The Record of the Orally Transmitted Teachings (continued)

Chapter Ten: The Teacher of the Law
Sixteen important points


Point Seven, on the robe, the seat, and the room in the passage “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 Record of the Orally Transmitted Teachings says: The robe, the seat and the room represent the three bodies of the Buddha, the Dharma body, the reward body, and the manifested body; the three truths, the truth of non-substantiality, the truth of temporary existence, and the truth of the Middle Way; and the three categories of action, actions of the body, mouth and mind. Now Nichiren and his followers, who chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, are fulfilling these three rules of preaching represented by the robe, the seat, and the room in each moment of their lives.

The robe is the robe that is “gentle and forebearing” (chapter ten), as well as that which is referred to in the passage that says, “We …will put on the armor of perserverance” (chapter thirteen, Encouraging Devotion).

As for the seat, if one devotes oneself to the practice without begrudging one’s life, then it becomes the seat of “the emptiness of all phenomena’ (chapter ten).

The room is so called because one dwells in “pity and compassion” (ibid.) when one expounds the teachings. It means to have the kind of concern that a mother has for her child. And are we not fulfilling these three rules of preaching in each moment of our lives?

 

[SoCal Hippy]

Happy B'day to the 'little' Doobies!!!

 

[PassTheDoobie]

AND A HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU TOO SIR!

 

[Sleepy]

Thank You, PTD, for reminding me...

i have been selfish this year
i have been unkind to my neighbor this year
i have done things i am not proud of

i will strive to improve myself and my environment.

Wishing you all Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

wishing you all a happy non-denominational celebration as well...

i will continue to have an open mind in the future and to talk less and listen more!

thank you.

 

[SoCal Hippy]

"A woman who embraces the lion king of the Lotus Sutra never fears any
of the beasts of hell or of the realms of hungry spirits and animals.
All the offenses committed by a woman in her lifetime are like dry
grass, and the single character myo of the Lotus Sutra is like a small
spark. When a small spark is set to a large expanse of grass, not only
the grass but also the big trees and large stones will all be
consumed. Such is the power of the fire of wisdom in the single
character myo. Not only will all offenses vanish, but they will become
sources of benefit. This is what changing poison into amrita means".

(WND, 949)
The Drum at the Gate of Thunder
Written to the lay nun Sennichi on October 19, 1278

 

[PassTheDoobie]

"What can we say, then, of persons who are devoting themselves to Buddhism? Surely they should not forget the debts of gratitude they owe to their parents, their teachers, and their country. But if one intends to repay these great debts of gratitude, one can hope to do so only if one learns and masters Buddhism, becoming a person of wisdom."

(On Repaying Debts of Gratitude - The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, page 690) Selection source: "Kyo no Hosshin", Seikyo Shimbun, December 5th, 2005

 

[PassTheDoobie]

The Dragon Gate / WND pg.1002

The Dragon Gate / WND pg.1002

A waterfall called the Dragon Gate exists in China. Its waters plunge a hundred feet, swifter than an arrow shot by a strong warrior. It is said that a great many carp gather in the basin below, hoping to climb the falls, and that any that succeeds will turn into a dragon. Not a single carp, however, out of a hundred, a thousand, or even ten thousand, can climb the falls, not even after ten or twenty years. Some are swept away by the strong currents, some fall prey to eagles, hawks, kites, and owls, and others are netted, scooped up, or even shot with arrows by fishermen who line both banks of the falls ten cho wide. Such is the difficulty a carp faces in becoming a dragon.

There were once two major warrior clans in Japan, the Minamoto and the Taira. They were like two faithful watchdogs at the gates of the imperial palace. They were as eager to guard the emperor as humble mountain folk are to admire the full moon on the fifteenth night of the eighth month as it rises from behind the mountains. They marveled at the elegant parties of the court nobles and their ladies, just as monkeys in the trees are enraptured by the sight of the moon and the stars glittering in the sky. Though of low rank, they longed to find some way to mingle in court circles. But even though Sadamori of the Taira clan (1) rushed the rebellion of Masakado, he was still not admitted to court. Nor were any of his descendants, including Masamori. Not until the time of Masamori's son, Tadamori, were any of the Taira clan granted permission to enter the court. The next in line, Kiyomori, and his son Shigemori, not only enjoyed life among court nobles, but saw the moon rise when Kiyomori's daughter became the emperor's consort, and the sun appear when his grandson became emperor.

Attaining Buddhahood is no easier than for men of low status to enter court circles, or for carp to climb the Dragon Gate. Shariputra, for example, practiced bodhisattva austerities for sixty kalpas in order to attain Buddhahood, but finally could persevere no longer and slipped back into the paths (2) of the two vehicles. Even some of those who formed ties with the Lotus Sutra in the days of the Buddha Great Universal Wisdom Excellence sank into the sufferings of birth and death for the duration of major world system dust particle kalpas. Some others who received the seeds of Buddhahood in the even more remote past suffered for the length of numberless major world system dust particle kalpas. All these people practiced the Lotus Sutra, but when harassed in one way or another by the devil king of the sixth heaven, who had taken possession of their rulers and other authorities, they backslid and forsook their faith, and thus wandered among the six paths for countless kalpas.

Until recently these events seemed to have had no bearing on us, but now we find ourselves facing the same kind of ordeal. My wish is that all my disciples (3) make a great vow. We are very fortunate to be alive after the wide-spread epidemics that occurred last year and the year before. But now with the impending Mongol invasion it appears that few will survive. In the end, no one can escape death. The sufferings at that time will be exactly like what we are experiencing now. Since death is the same in either case, you should be willing to offer your life for the Lotus Sutra. Think of this offering as a drop of dew rejoining the ocean, or a speck of dust returning to the earth. A passage from the third volume of the Lotus Sutra reads, "We beg that the merit gained through these gifts may be spread far and wide to everyone, so that we and other living beings all together (4) may attain the Buddha way."

With my deep respect,
Nichiren

The sixth day of the eleventh month

Reply to Ueno the Worthy

I write this letter in deep gratitude for your dedication throughout the events at Atsuhara.

Background

This letter was written at Minobu in the eleventh month of the second year of Koan (1279) to young Nanjo Tokimitsu, the steward of Ueno Village in Suruga Province. Tokimitsu embraced the Daishonin's teaching quite early in life and revered Nikko Shonin as his personal teacher.

It is a reply to a report by Tokimitsu about his role in protecting the Daishonin's followers in the Atsuhara area, who were being persecuted by authorities associated with the Kamakura government. Tokimitsu used his influence to protect other believers, sheltering some in his own home and negotiating for the release of others who had been imprisoned. The Daishonin honored him for his courage by calling him "Ueno the Worthy." In the ninth month of 1279, the government arrested on false charges twenty farmer believers, who all refused to recant their allegiance to the Daishonin, and on the fifteenth of the tenth month three of these farmers were beheaded.

The last paragraph of this letter hints at the anxiety gripping Japan in the wake of epidemics and rumors of war. The Daishonin emphasizes that, since death is inevitable, life should be devoted only to the loftiest ambition -enlightenment.

The Dragon Gate mentioned in this letter appears in Chinese folklore and, though it has not been conclusively identified, is thought to refer to a waterfall or rapids on the middle reaches of the Yellow River.

Notes:

1. The lineage of the Taira clan:

. Sadamori (10th century)
. Masamori (11th century)
. Tadamori (1096-1153)
. Kiyomori (1118-1181)
Shigemori (1138-1179)
Tokuko (daughter) 0 (1155-1213)
Emperor Takakura (1161-1181)

Emperor Antoku
(1178-1185)
2. This story is found in The Treatise on the Great Perfection of Wisdom. Once when Shariputra was practicing the bodhisattva way, a Brahman begged him for his eye. Shariputra gave it to him, but the Brahman was so revolted by its smell that he dropped and crushed it. Seeing this, Shariputra dis-continued his bodhisattva practice, fell back to the Hinayana practice, and therefore was unable to attain Buddhahood.
3. This means the vow to attain Buddhahood oneself and at the same time to lead others to Buddhahood.
4. Lotus Sutra, chap. 7.

 

[Babbabud]

Sorry for not dropping in or keeping up. Ive been really sick with first strepthroat and then straight into the flu. Went to the Doc first time in many many years. They wanted me on I V for dehydration but i refused hospital. Nice to be able to actually read the posts. I did log on a few times but really couldnt even concentrate on the screen. Feel like after 6 days of being down ive finally turned the corner. You are all in my thoughts everyday .
nam myoho renge kyo!!

 

[PassTheDoobie]

Bud, I'll add your health to the list:

BOG's safe trip,
sleepys leg,
Mrs.G's mom,
SG's dad,
Marley's safe trip,
Blatant's granny
always2the left's mara,
SoCal's devilish time of the year,
my three sick kitties
my missing friends,

and the eventual yet guaranteed manifestation of enlightenment for all of us chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo!

This can be a very fucked up time of year for many. Everyone stay safe and take extra good care of yourself. No accidents!

I am enjoying good fortune beyond my wildest dreams. I wish I could share the details! I know it is thanks to you all. I bow in obiesance to all of you. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

T

 

[SoCal Hippy]

Gosho quote

Gosho quote

"This person as he advances through the world" means that the first
five hundred years of the Latter Day of the Law will witness the
advent of Bodhisattva Superior Practices, who will illuminate the
darkness of ignorance and earthly desires with the light of the five
characters of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. In accordance with this passage,
Nichiren, as this bodhisattva's envoy, has urged the people of Japan
to accept and uphold the Lotus Sutra. His unremitting efforts never
slacken, even here on this mountain.

(WND, 993)
Letter to Jakunichi-bo
Written to Jakunichi-bo Nikke on September 16, 1279

 

[Sleepy]

wow, i am humbled...

happy to hear you are enjoying good fortune.

Get Well Soon, Babba!

 

[always2theLeft]

i just wanted to say thanks to everyone who helped me on this site. (not just with growing weed), but since ive discovered this amazing thread and started reading Nichiren, ive actualy stopped drinking and made peace with many of my enemies. I can honestly say i feel better today then i have inmy entire life, and ive barely scratched the surface of Buddhism. maras ass is thoroughly kicked.
safe and hapyp holidays to you all.
nam-myoho-renge-kyo!

 

[PassTheDoobie]

Congrats Always! Keep kicking ass!

Congrats Always! Keep kicking ass!

"Neither the pure land nor hell exists outside oneself; both lie only within one's own heart."

(Hell Is the Land of Tranquil Light - The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, page 456) Selection source: "Kyo no Hosshin", Seikyo Shimbun, December 9th, 2005

 

[PassTheDoobie]

"Strengthen your faith day by day and month after month. Should you slacken in your resolve even a bit, devils will take advantage."

(On Persecutions Befalling the Sage - The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, page 997) Selection source: "Kyo no Hosshin'', Seikyo Shimbun, December 6th, 2005

 

[Babbabud]

No backsliding...... forward....
nam myoho renge kyo !! Like the roar of the lion !!