Monthly Archives: January 2018

WONS, PhraseADay

Attainment of Buddhahood

MYOICHI AMA GOZEN GOSHOSOKU

Those who believe in the Lotus Sutra are like the winter season for many hardships come incessantly. Winter is surely followed by spring. We have never heard nor seen that winter returned to fall. We have never heard that the believers in the Lotus Sutra go back to ordinary men. The Lotus Sutra says, “All people who listen to this sutra will attain Buddhahood.”

(Background : May, 1275, 53 years old, at Minobu, Showa Teihon, p.1000)

Explanatory note

Nichiren Buddhists believe tomorrow brings improvement. Nichiren Daishonin’s life was full of conStant persecutions. He had strong belief in the Lotus Sutra and believed in the Buddha’s protection; therefore, he never gave up his hope of attaining Buddhahood. His life was the practice of his belief and materialization of his faith. So he earnestly preached to us to have the same belief and hope in the sutra.

At his time, there were unseasonable weather, poor harvests, famines, epidemics, and social disorders. Nichiren sought causes of these natural disasters and social disorders in various sutras. As a result, he wrote “Rissho Ankoku Ron” which says at the end, “Ye men of little faith, turn your minds and trust yourselves at once to the unique truth of the righteous way! Then ye shall see that the triple worlds of the unenlightened will become the Buddhaland.” The disasters and disorders, he said, were caused by the people’s disbelief in the Lotus Sutra.

“Strong spirit to overcome any hardship” – this is Nichiren Daishonin’s foundation throughout his life. His strong spirit came out of “hope” which he always kept during many continuous persecutions. The hope was belief in the Eternal Lord Buddha who was watching and protecting him always.

Compared with Kamakura Era, we today are living in an unbelievably comfortable environment. But this comfortable living has many weak points as if we are standing on thin ice. It will easily melt.
Chapter 12 of the Lotus Sutra says that the Buddha Sakyamuni had accumulated merits by practising austerities in His previous lives for innumerable kalpa. To practice Buddha’s way, we must foresee our long steps to Buddhahood.

We adhere in small matters, and we are joyful or sad only for matters before our eyes. But we must open our eyes wide and keep the “hope” revealed in the Lotus Sutra deep in our minds.

Rev. Kanai

Phrase A Day

Daily Dharma

Daily Dharma – Jan. 28, 2018

The [perverted] people think:
“This world is in a great fire.
The end of the kalpa [of destruction] is coming.”
In reality this world of mine is peaceful.

The Buddha sings these verses in Chapter Sixteen of the Lotus Sūtra. Here he draws a stark contrast between how those caught in the web of delusion see the world and how things really are. The world is constantly changing. When we expect the world to be as we want it, rather than as it is, any change is frightening. We assume that the world is falling apart and will sweep us along in its demise. When we practice the Wonderful Dharma of the Lotus Sūtra, we know that we and all beings will become enlightened. The change in the world is part of our practice. We know how it will turn out and there is no fear. Only peace.

The Daily Dharma is produced by the Lexington Nichiren Buddhist Community. To subscribe to the daily emails, visit zenzaizenzai.com

LS32

Day 3

Day 3 covers the first half of Chapter 2, Expedients.

Having last month considered the depth of the insight of the Tathāgatas in gāthās, we consider that the Dharma is inexplicable by words.

The Dharma cannot be shown.
It is inexplicable by words.
No one can understand it
Except the Buddhas
And the Bodhisattvas
Who are strong in the power of faith.

Even the Buddhas’ disciples who made offerings
To the [past] Buddhas in their previous existence,
[Even the disciples] who eliminated all asravas,
[Even the disciples] who are now at the final stage
Of their physical existence,
Cannot understand [the Dharma].

See The Buddhas Teach Only Bodhisattvas

LS32, d3b, LS Introduction

The Buddhas Teach Only Bodhisattvas

Although the Buddha provided the “hearers,” “private Buddhas,” and Bodhisattvas with three different ways, the essence of the three identities is Bodhisattvahood. Those who don’t realize this fact and hold on to their particular beliefs that they are either arhats (perfect ones) or “private Buddhas” (self-enlightened), are neither true arhats nor true “private Buddhas.” When he is teaching them, the Buddha regards them as being Bodhisattvas. They must be Bodhisattvas at heart even if they are “hearers” or “private Buddhas” in appearance. This is why the sutra says, “The Buddhas teach only Bodhisattvas.”

Introduction to the Lotus Sutra

Lecture on Lotus Sutra

The Perfect Place for Your Enlightenment

Quote

In the Simile of the Herbs, the Dharma rain is falling everywhere, not in only certain places. This place where you practice is the perfect place for your enlightenment. Moving is not the solution, unless you are referring to moving your own life and awakening the inner potential of Buddha within your life. As your life begins to manifest the characteristics of Buddha then your land, your environment will begin to also look like the Buddha’s perfect pure land. You have inherently within your life all the necessary abilities to change your land and your life to one of enlightenment. It is simply a matter of illuminating your life with the Lotus Sutra, or as this parable teaches, water and nourish yourself with the wonderful rain of the Lotus Sutra.

Lecture on the Lotus Sutra

WONS, PhraseADay

Practice in Actions, Voices, and Spirit

TSUCHI-RO GOSHO

Tomorrow, I (Nichiren) will be exiled to Sado Island. In this cold evening, I am thinking of you in the cold dungeon.

My thought is that you have read and practiced the Lotus Sutra with your heart and action, which would save your parents, brothers, sisters, relatives, ancestors, and everyone around you. Other people read the sutra vocally without feeling in their hearts. Even though they might read it with their heart, they do not experience it as the sutra teaches. Compared with them, you are very precious since you are practicing the sutra in your actions, voices, and spirit.

(Background : October 9, 1271, 49 years old, at Echi, Showa Teihon, p.509)

Explanatory note

Nichiren Daishonin believed himself to be the Buddha Sakyamuni’s messenger and conducted his spiritual train. ing in accordance with the teaching of the Lotus Sutra. He put it into practice.

Nichiren said, “We must put into practice the teachings of the Lotus Sutra in all phases of life.” He asserted that it is not true practice if we only understand it with our minds. Instead, he said, we must devote our hearts and souls to the fullest when we read the sutra.
He was a practician of the Lotus Sutra and requested his disciples and believers to be the same.

The above quotation is the opening paragraph of a letter to his disciple Nichiro and who was arrested with Nichiren at the time of the Tatsu-no-kuchi Persecution and who was put into a dungeon. The night before Nichiren’s departure for Sado Island, Nichiren wrote the above letter to him.

Once he is exiled to the island, he might not be able to return to Kamakura. Even in such a circumstance, Nichiren worried about his disciples. We can see his compassion in this letter. He consoled those who were suppressed because of practicing the Lotus Sutra. He praised his disciples who practiced the sutra with their spirit and bodies.
Reflecting on people today, many are ill spiritually. How thoroughly do they understand themselves? How seriously are they seeking the true teaching? Most likely, people try to solve their problems superficially without going to the source. This is just a patchwork. In order to cure sickness of mind and body, we must find spiritual support. We must firmly believe in the Lotus Sutra and devote ourselves to it.

To practice the Lotus Sutra with one’s action, voice, and spirit is to hold it “through three karmas.” We hope to keep our daily lives in accordance with this phrase.

Rev. Ogawa

Phrase A Day

Daily Dharma

Daily Dharma – Jan. 27, 2018

Their tongues will be purified.
Their tongues will not receive anything bad.
Anything they eat will become
As delicious as nectar.

The Buddha sings these verses to Constant-Endeavor Bodhisattva in Chapter Nineteen of the Lotus Sūtra, describing those who keep the Lotus Sūtra. With food and drink it is easy to see how different people will find the same food either delicious or disgusting. Our experience and beliefs shape what we are comfortable putting into our bodies, and whether we do so for the sake of our health or the pleasure that comes from experiencing their flavor. But when we find that something with good flavor is bad for our health, or vice versa, we can change our tastes. This is another example of how the Lotus Sūtra teaches us how to live in the world. We learn to embrace situations we once found frightening or intolerable. We increase our capacity with our focus on benefiting others. As a wise teacher once said, we learn to enjoy problems the way we enjoy ice cream.

The Daily Dharma is produced by the Lexington Nichiren Buddhist Community. To subscribe to the daily emails, visit zenzaizenzai.com

LS32

Day 2

Day 2 completes Chapter 1, Introductory.

Having last month considered the teachings of the last Sun-Moon-Light Buddha, we see what happens when Sun-Moon-Light Buddha emerged from his samādhi.

“Maitreya, know this! There were two thousand million Bodhisattvas in that congregation. They wished to hear the Dharma. They were astonished at seeing the Buddha-worlds illumined by this ray of light. They wished to know why the Buddha was emitting this ray of light.

“At that time there was a Bodhisattva called Wonderful-Light. He had eight hundred disciples. Sun-Moon-Light Buddha emerged from his samādhi, and expounded the sūtra of the Great Vehicle to Wonderful-Light Bodhisattva and others without rising from his seat for sixty small kalpas. It was called the ‘Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma, the Dharma for Bodhisattvas, the Dharma Upheld by the Buddhas.’ The hearers in the congregation also sat in the same place for sixty small kalpas, and their bodies and minds were motionless. They thought that they had heard the Buddha expounding the Dharma for only a mealtime. None of them felt tired in body or mind. Having completed the expounding of this sūtra at the end of the period of sixty small kalpas, Sun-Moon-Light Buddha said to the Brahmans, Maras, śramaṇas, brahmanas, gods, men, and asuras, ‘I shall enter into the Nirvāṇa-without-remainder at midnight tonight.’

See The Great Vehicle

LS32, d4b, d5b, d6b, d9b, d17b, LS Introduction

The Great Vehicle

The Great Vehicle … teaches that there is only one true and perfect enlightenment, that of the Buddha. Anyone who achieves it becomes a Buddha, too. The Lotus Sutra teaches that everyone – whether they be “hearers,” “private Buddhas,” or Bodhisattvas – can attain true perfect enlightenment and become Buddhas. This perfect enlightenment of the Buddha is called anuttara-samyak-sambodhi.

A key idea of the Lotus Sutra is that the three separate vehicles of “hearers,” “private Buddhas,” and Bodhisattvas are united in One Vehicle, the Buddha Vehicle.

Introduction to the Lotus Sutra

Blog

Traveling Altar

Churchville Altar

Churchville Altar and Chair

I don’t have a traveling altar. Until this trip to Rochester to visit my wife’s father and brother I’ve done without an altar. But my current practice of reciting one-32nd of the Lotus Sutra in Shindoku in the morning and the corresponding section in English in the evening prompted me to consider my options. And I like what I’ve come up with.

I’ve created a temporary traveling altar in the basement of my father-in-law’s house on a work table next to the furnace using Omandala and Kishimojin amulets that I purchased from Ryusho Jeffus back in 2016. These normally are displayed on my home altar.

I’m told my chanting softly permeates the first-floor living areas, just loud enough to be heard but not so loud that it intrudes. I imagine it something like the smell of breakfast in the morning spreading around the house.