The substance in the Lotus Sūtra is proved to be the Ultimate Truth since it excludes nothing and finds no conflict with anything in the universe. (Vol. 2, Page 14)
The Profound Meaning of the Lotus Sutra: Tien-tai Philosophy of BuddhismMonthly Archives: September 2018
Making Room for Gods to View Shakyamuni’s Death
The … story has to do with the events occurring in the last hours of Shakyamuni’s life at the foot of the twin sala trees in the grove just outside the town of Kushinagara. As Shakyamuni lay down, the twin trees, filled with bloom out of season, shed a rain of flowers on his body. Heavenly mandarava flowers and sandalwood perfume fell from the sky, and divine music played in honor of the Tathagata, the World-honored One.
Shakyamuni turned to Ananda and said that this was not the right way to pay homage to him. The right way was for the monks and nuns of the Order and all the lay believers to trust and understand the Buddha’s Law correctly and to live in accordance with it. Then he exhorted all those present to understand and trust the law and follow it in daily life.
At this time, Shakyamuni said sternly to Upavana, an arhat who was in front fanning him, “Brother, stand aside. Do not stand in front of me.” Finding this command odd, Ananda said to Shakyamuni, “World-honored One, the venerable Upavana has long been your faithful follower and attendant. Why do you order him away at this final moment?”
Then Shakyamuni said, “Ananda, many gods from the universe, the worlds of the ten directions, have gathered here to see the last hour of the Tathagata. Many great gods are gathered here for twelve leagues around the twin sala trees. And they murmur, ‘In the last watches of this night, one of the rare Tathagatas to appear in this world must die. We have come from afar to see the last moments of the Tathagata, but a powerful monk stands in front of him blocking our view.’ ”
This … story, too, reveals Shakyamuni’s supernatural ability to see things—in this case, divinities—that were invisible to his followers and other ordinary human beings.
The Beginnings of BuddhismDay 25
Day 25 covers all of Chapter 20, Never-Despising Bodhisattva, and opens Chapter 21, The Supernatural Powers of the Tathāgatas.
Having last month learned about Powerful-Voice-King Buddha, we meet Never-Despising Bodhisattva.
“There lived arrogant bhikṣus in the age of the counterfeit of the right teachings of the first Powerful-Voice-King Tathāgata, that is, after the end of the age of his right teachings which had come immediately after his extinction. [Those arrogant bhikṣus] were powerful. At that time there lived a Bodhisattva called Never-Despising. He took the form of a bhikṣu.
“Great-Power-Obtainer! Why was this bhikṣu called Never-Despising? It was because, every time he saw bhikṣus, bhikṣunīs, upāsakās or upāsikās, he bowed to them and praised them, saying, ‘I respect you deeply. I do not despise you. Why is that? It is because you will be able to practice the Way of Bodhisattvas and become Buddhas.’
“He did not read or recite sūtras. He only bowed to the four kinds of devotees. When he saw them in the distance, he went to them on purpose, bowed to them, and praised them, saying, ‘I do not despise you because you can become Buddhas.’
When we press our palms together in gassho and bow to greet others, we are seeing the Buddha within them that is part of their true nature. Never-Despising Bodhisattva never met a man or woman he didn’t like. Within every person, he could see the divine Buddha nature or Buddha seed within waiting to be acknowledged and nourished. This is one of the most compelling teachings of Buddhism.
The Pure Land In This Sahā World
Even an evil person can be turned to good with Kai-ye. Why? That is because although our physical form exists in the defiled world, in reality we live with the Buddha in His Pure Land. Therefore, everything is reflected upon and turned toward good. It is because the Sahā World is the Land of tranquil light of the Eternal Buddha. Nichiren Shōnin achieved the state where he was able to see the Buddha’s Pure Land and live in the Pure Land in this human’s Sahā World.
Buddha Seed: Understanding the OdaimokuDaily Dharma – Sept. 30, 2018
Flower-Virtue! Now you see Wonderful-Voice Bodhisattva here and nowhere else. But formerly he transformed himself into various living beings and expounded this sūtra to others in various places.
The Buddha makes this declaration to Flower-Virtue Bodhisattva in Chapter Twenty-Four of the Lotus Sūtra. In their efforts to benefit all beings, Bodhisattvas develop the capacity to adapt themselves to their circumstances. They know they cannot use the same methods to teach everyone. Instead of seeing the beings in our world of conflict as obstacles to getting what we want, we can learn to see them as great teachers who have transformed themselves into what we need to become enlightened. This can also help them to realize their nature as Bodhisattvas, rather than beings stuck in the world of conflict, absorbed in their own gratification.
The Daily Dharma is produced by the Lexington Nichiren Buddhist Community. To subscribe to the daily emails, visit zenzaizenzai.com
Three Kinds of the Twofold Knowledge
Chih-i’s view is that the purpose of the Buddha to refute the views of the three sages is to lead them to realize that the truths they hold are not ultimate, for these truths do not accord with the correct substance. Nevertheless, Chih-i emphasizes that it does not mean these truths are not the Word of the Buddha. They are taught by the Buddha with different kinds of knowledge. It is in this context that Chih-i introduces his system categorizing the knowledge of the Buddha, namely “three kinds of the Twofold Knowledge in terms of the Relative and the Ultimate” (San- Chung Ch’üan-shih Erh-chih). (Vol. 2, Page 3)
The Profound Meaning of the Lotus Sutra: Tien-tai Philosophy of BuddhismThree Types of Superior Wisdom
It is said that in the early part of the night of his enlightenment Shakyamuni attained the first of the three types of superior wisdom: remembrance of one’s former existences, as well as those of others. In the middle part of the night, he attained insight into the future and the eye capable of seeing everything. In the last part of the night he attained the most important wisdom: perfect freedom enabling him to overcome all passions and thus to reach supreme enlightenment. These three types of superior wisdom constitute the last of the six supernatural powers of saving sentient beings attributed to Shakyamuni and to those of his disciples who attained ultimate enlightenment in the same manner as he. Though Shakyamuni was unsurpassed in this respect, each of his disciples had his special ability. For instance, Maudgalyayana is said to have excelled in perfect freedom of activity, whereas Anuruddha was famous for eyes capable of seeing everything. (Page 164)
The Beginnings of BuddhismDay 24
Day 24 concludes Chapter 19, The Merits of the Teacher of the Dharma and closes the Sixth Volume of the Sutra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma.
Having last month completed the eight hundred merits of the nose, we consider the twelve hundred merit of the tongue.
“Furthermore, Constant-Endeavor! The good men or women who keep, read, recite, expound or copy this sūtra, will be able to obtain twelve hundred merit of the tongue. Anything which tastes good, bad, delicious, distasteful, bitter or astringent, will become as delicious as the nectar of heaven and not distasteful when it is put on their tongues. When they expound the Dharma to the great multitude with their tongues, they will be able to raise deep and wonderful voices, to cause their voices to reach the hearts of the great multitude so that the great multitude may be joyful and cheerful. Hearing their speeches given in good order by their deep and wonderful voices, Śakra, Brahman, and the other gods and goddesses will come and listen to them. In order to hear the Dharma, dragons, dragons’ daughters, gandharvas, gandharvas’ daughters, asuras, asuras’ daughters, garuḍas, garuḍas’ daughters, kiṃnaras, kiṃnaras’ daughters, mahoragas, and mahoragas’ daughters also will come to them, respect them, and make offerings to them. Bhikṣus, bhikṣunīs, upāsakās, and upāsikās; and kings, princes, ministers, and their attendants [also will come and hear the Dharma]. The wheel-turning[holy-]kings of small [countries], and the wheel-turning-[holy-]kings of great [countries, each of whom has the] seven treasures and one thousand children, also will come with their [treasures, children and] internal and external retinues, riding in their [movable] palaces, and hear the Dharma. These [good men or women, that is,] Bodhisattvas will expound the Dharma so well that the brahmanas, householders, and people of their country will, throughout their lives, attend on them, and make offering to them. The Śrāvakas, Pratyekabuddhas, Bodhisattvas, and Buddhas also will wish to them. [These good men or women] will expound the Dharma in the places which the Buddhas will face. They will keep all the teaching of the Buddhas and raise deep and wonderful voices of the Dharma.”
The Daily Dharma from April 9, 2018, offers this:
When they expound the Dharma to the great multitude with their tongues, they will be able to raise deep and wonderful voices, to cause their voices to reach the hearts of the great multitude so that the great multitude may be joyful and cheerful. Hearing their speeches given in good order by their deep and wonderful voices, Śakra, Brahman, and the other gods and goddesses will come and listen to them.
The Buddha declares these lines to Constant-Endeavor Bodhisattva in Chapter Nineteen of the Lotus Sūtra, describing those who keep the Lotus Sūtra. When we share the Buddha Dharma with others, it is as if the Buddha’s mind is finding voice in our words. It should then come as no surprise to us that beings of all dispositions will want to hear more of what the Buddha has taught us. When we “practice the sūtra with our bodies,” as Nichiren described, when we make this teaching a part of our lives, then we find the words we need to reach all beings and lead them to the Buddha’s enlightenment.
The Daily Dharma is produced by the Lexington Nichiren Buddhist Community. To subscribe to the daily emails, visit zenzaizenzai.com
Devadatta’s Example
Among the figures inscribed upon the Mandala there is that of Devadatta, of whom we have already spoken as the bitterest enemy of Sakyamuni. Now Devadatta is included in the Mandala as the representative of infernal beings. He fell into the infernal regions through having given rein to anger and fury. But even he was enabled to discard illusions and confusions, and attain to the reality which lay behind his anger and his fury – that is, the Truth. He now became Tenno Buddha without losing his infernal form. Anger and fury, in the first instance, produced the infernal world; but afterwards, as manifestations of the hidden reality behind, they produced the state of Buddhahood. And this resulted simply from the control exercised over them by Devadatta. And if it was thus with Devadatta, why should it be different with us?
Doctrines of Nichiren (1893)Dancing With Joy
The Lotus Sutra mentions dancing as both an expression of joy as well as something to be offered in appreciation for the Dharma. I was thinking about this, as I especially like the images that come to mind when it talks about people dancing with great joy.
When a person dances are they tying to get somewhere? There isn’t really a destination in mind for the purpose of dancing. The goal of dancing isn’t to get from this place to the next. When we dance it is the joy of the steps. It is the pleasure even possibly from not needing to go anywhere but to just enjoy the process.
Dancing as an expression of joy I think is more joyful if we just enjoy the process. And as an expression of joy it can also be an expression of appreciation for the joy in our lives and for the Dharma. An expression of appreciation then becomes gratitude arising from joy.
Our practice is much like dancing in many ways. Our practice while certainly directed towards enlightenment is most importantly about the steps along the way and the joy of those steps, which actually manifest in the dance of and not to enlightenment.
Lotus Path: Practicing the Lotus Sutra Volume 1