Monthly Archives: February 2018

LS32

Day 30

Day 30 covers all of Chapter 26, Dhāraṇīs

Having last month concluded the chapter with the Buddha’s response, we start again at the top.

Thereupon Medicine-King Bodhisattva rose front his seat, bared his right shoulder, joined his hands together towards the Buddha, and said to him:

“World-Honored One! How many merits will be given to the good men or women who keep, read, recite, understand or copy the Sūtra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma?”

The Buddha said to him:

“Suppose some good men or women make offerings to eight hundred billion nayuta Buddhas, that is, as many Buddhas as there are sands in the River Ganges. What do you think of this? Are the merits given to them many or not?”

“Very many, World-Honored One!”

The Buddha said: “More merits will be given to the good men or women who keep, read or recite· even a single gāthā of four lines of this sūtra, understand the meanings of it or act according to it.”

See Discussing the Matter of Propagation

LS32, d16b, LS Introduction

Discussing the Matter of Propagation

The Lotus Sutra frequently maintains that it should be propagated far and wide and instructs the Bodhisattvas how to undertake this task. … [O]ther sutras deal with this matter very briefly at the end of the book. In the Lotus Sutra, on the other hand, chapters discussing the matter of propagation account for four-sevenths of the total number. Indeed, the great emphasis on propagation is one of the most marked characteristics of the Lotus Sutra.

Introduction to the Lotus Sutra

Basics

A Common-Sense Religion

Quote

A common-sense religion, Buddhism is concerned first not with abstracts beyond human ken but with the world of actual experience and with enabling human beings to live well in it. To this end the Buddha presented the teachings of the seals of the Law, dependent origination, and the Four Noble Truths.

Basic Buddhist Concepts

Daily Dharma

Daily Dharma – Feb. 23, 2018

The arrogant bhikṣus, bhikṣuṇis, upāsakas and upāsikās, that is, the four kinds of devotees who had abused him and caused him to be called Never-Despising, saw that he had obtained great supernatural powers, the power of eloquence, and the great power of good tranquility. Having seen all this, and having heard the Dharma from him, they took faith in him, and followed him.

The Buddha tells this story of Never-Despising Bodhisattva in Chapter Twenty of the Lotus Sūtra. Earlier in the sūtra, when the Buddha came out of his meditation to teach the Wonderful Dharma, five thousand of those gathered to hear him stood up and walked away. The Buddha did not stop them, and described them as arrogant: believing they knew something they did not. The arrogance of those who abused Never-Despising Bodhisattva, whose practice was to declare his respect for all beings, was rooted in their not seeing the Buddha’s wisdom in him and believing that they were superior to him. We can only learn from those we respect, and create misery only for ourselves when we despise.

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

LS32

Day 29

Day 29 covers all of Chapter 25, The Universal Gate of World-Voice-Perceiver Bodhisattva.

Having last month continued the listing of benefits for those who call his name, we learn of the merits to be earned by keeping the name of World-Voice-Perceiver Bodhisattva.

“Endless-Intent! Suppose a good man or woman keeps the names of six thousand and two hundred million Bodhisattvas, that is, of as many Bodhisattvas as there are sands in the River Ganges, and offers drink, food, clothing, bedding and medicine to them throughout his or her life. What do you think of this? Are his or her merits many or not?”

Endless-Intent said, “Very many. World-Honored One!”

The Buddha said:

“Anyone who keeps the name of World-Voice-Perceiver Bodhisattva and bows and makes offerings to him even for a moment, will be given as many merits as to be given to the good man or woman as previously stated. The merits will not be exhausted even after hundreds of thousands of billions of kalpas. Endless-Intent! Anyone who keeps the name of World-Voice-Perceiver Bodhisattva will be given these benefits of innumerable merits and virtues.”

See Perceiver of Our Voices

LS32, d29b, LS Introduction

Perceiver of Our Voices

In this world, we have many problems and sorrows, and since we are not able to overcome them ourselves, we complain about them loudly. When World-Voice-Perceiver hears our voices, he immediately discerns what our problem is, solves it, and leads us towards enlightenment. That is the reason for his name. In Asia, millions of people chant his name sincerely for delivery from their troubles.

Introduction to the Lotus Sutra

buddhaseed

Equal to the Whole Lotus Sutra

Quote

[T]he Lotus Sutra was expounded in accordance with the Buddha’s true heart and intention. In Chapter 21 of the Lotus Sutra is says:

“All the teachings of the Tathāgata, all the unhindered, supernatural powers of the Tathāgata, all the treasury of the hidden core of the Tathāgata, and all the profound achievements of the Tathāgata are revealed and expounded explicitly in this sutra.” (Murano, p.294)

Thus, the Lotus Sutra is equal to the Buddha himself.

The Buddha is also included in the five characters of Myo Ho Ren Ge Kyo, which is the Chinese title of the Lotus Sutra. Nichiren Shōnin said:

“A name has virtue representing its body.” (Jissh ō-shō, WNS2, p.4).

Therefore, the five [Chinese] characters of the Odaimoku are equal to the whole Lotus Sutra.

Buddha Seed: Understanding the Odaimoku

Daily Dharma

Daily Dharma – Feb. 22, 2018

I always expound the Dharma.
I do nothing else.
I am not tired of expounding the Dharma
While I go or come or sit or stand.
I expound the Dharma to all living beings
Just as the rain waters all the earth.

The Buddha makes this declaration in Chapter Five of the Lotus Sūtra. It is normal for us humans to become worn out, frustrated or annoyed as we try to benefit others. Often, other people do not want our help, or when they take our help, they do not progress as fast as we want them to. Sometimes there are only a few people we want to help, and may actually wish harm on those we blame for our problems. The Buddha gives us a different example. He gets his energy from creating benefit. It does not drain him. He sees that all beings want to improve themselves, no matter how perversely they may go about it. He knows that all beings are worthy of receiving the Buddha Dharma.

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

LS32

Day 28

Day 28 covers all of Chapter 24, Wonderful-Voice Bodhisattva, and concludes the Seventh Volume of the Sutra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma.

Having last month learned of the samadhi practiced by Wonderful-Voice Bodhisattva, we conclude Chapter 24, Wonderful-Voice Bodhisattva.

Thereupon Wonderful-Voice Bodhisattva-mahāsattva made offerings to Śākyamuni Buddha and to the stupa of Many-Treasures Buddha, [benefited the living beings of the Sahā World,] and left for his home world[, accompanied by the eighty-four thousand Bodhisattvas]. As they passed through the [one hundred and eight billion nayuta] worlds, the ground of those worlds quaked in the six ways; lotus-flowers of treasures rained down; and hundreds of thousands of billions of kinds of music were made. Having reached his home world, accompanied by the eighty-four thousand Bodhisattvas who surrounded him, he came to Pure-Flower-Star-King-Wisdom Buddha. He said to the Buddha:

“World-Honored One! I went to the Sahā-World and benefited the living beings there. I saw Śākyamuni Buddha and the stupa of Many-Treasures Buddha. I bowed and made offerings to them. I also saw Mañjuśrī Bodhisattva, the Son of the King of the Dharma. [I also saw] Medicine-King Bodhisattva, Endeavor-Power-Obtainer Bodhisattva, Brave-In-Giving Bodhisattva, and others. I also caused these eighty-four thousand Bodhisattvas to obtain the ability to practice the samadhi by which they could transform themselves
into any other living being.”

When [Śākyamuni Buddha] expounded this chapter of the Coming and Going of Wonderful-Voice Bodhisattva, forty-two thousand gods obtained the truth of birthlessness, and Flower-Virtue Bodhisattva obtained the ability to practice the samadhi for the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma.

[Here ends] the Seventh Volume of the Sūtra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma.

See The Lotus Sutra and Nichiren

LS32, LS Introduction

The Lotus Sutra and Nichiren

Throughout the long history of admiration for the Lotus Sutra, there were many readers and devotees who contributed to its propagation. But only Nichiren devoted his life to reading the Lotus Sutra to such a profound extent, putting both his body and soul into understanding it.

Nichiren suffered numerous religious persecutions which jeopardized even his life. Thanks to these ordeals, however, he gained a deeper understanding of the Lotus Sutra, through which he was able to enter the realm of Buddhist Truth. The life-long experience of religious persecutions is unique to this saint, amounting to special ordeals worse than most ordinary men could endure.

Nichiren himself was aware of this, which is why he said, “Nichiren alone is able to read the words of the Sutra.”

Introduction to the Lotus Sutra