Monthly Archives: September 2018

Daily Dharma

Daily Dharma – Sept. 17, 2018

Join your hands together and bow
To the person who keeps this sūtra
In the evil world after my extinction,
Just as you do to me!

The Buddha sings these verses to Medicine-King Bodhisattva at the beginning of Chapter Ten of the Lotus Sūtra. By extension he is giving this instruction to all Bodhisattvas and great beings of the universe, and explaining to them that those who keep the Lotus Sūtra are as precious in this world of conflict at the Buddha himself. If we hear these verses with a mind of ego and attachment, we could conclude that we deserve respect and begin to demand it from others. Those who demand respect only generate fear. The Buddha gained respect by respecting all beings. When we treat others as Buddhas, we are certain to have that treatment reflected back towards us.

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

Profound

The P’an-chiao System

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Chih-i’s system is so justifiable and complete that no other Chinese schools could establish its own system of classification without reference to his system. Because of Chih-i ‘s remarkable effort, the P’an-chiao system became one of the major characters of Chinese Buddhism, entailing synthesis and unification of Buddhist schools and theories. In the meantime, this system also serves as a rationale for historical and doctrinal continuity of the Buddha’s teaching career, so that Buddhism is treated as a consistent entity. Our view of this system (that is so essential in Chinese Buddhism) is that this technique of synthesis underlies a typical Chinese episteme of constantly seeking for harmony, whether between nature and humans, or among human beings themselves. This episteme is derived from a holistic view of the universe, unifying everything under a single system.

The Profound Meaning of the Lotus Sutra: Tien-tai Philosophy of Buddhism


beginning

Lessons in Elephant Riding

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[T]he prince asked what conditions were necessary to enable an ascetic to attain his goal. Shakyamuni replied by relating what he had to say to the art of riding an elephant. Shakyamuni said that for success in elephant riding, the following things are needed: faith, good health, honesty, perseverance in striving to improve, and wisdom. In learning to ride an elephant and in learning Buddhism, absolute faith in and respect for the instructor are essential. The student cannot be frank and open unless he trusts his teacher. Health is needed because even a person with the greatest fervor is unable to carry out strenuous training if he is physically weak. Honesty is required: deceit and trickery may seem to produce good results at first, but they inevitably lead to failure. Constant striving is also important since perseverance and steadfastness are vital to any undertaking. Finally, the person must have deep and extensive experience and knowledge enabling him to view the total picture correctly.

When all of these conditions are present, a person does not require long periods to attain eminence or to become enlightened. If he is instructed in the truth in the morning, he will be able to reach his goal by the evening. (Page 146-147)

The Beginnings of Buddhism

LS32

Day 11

Day 11 continues Chapter 7, The Parable of the Magic City

Having last month witnessed the reaction of the Brahman-heavenly-kings of the five hundred billion worlds in the east to the light emitted by Great-Universal-Wisdom-Excellence Buddha, we consider the reaction of the Brahman-heavenly-kings of the five hundred billion worlds in the southeast.

“Bhikṣus! The great Brahman-[heavenly-]kings of the five hundred billion worlds in the southeast, who saw their palaces illumined more brightly than ever, danced with joy. They also wondered why [their palaces were so illumined]. They visited each other and discussed the reason. There was a great Brahman-heavenly-king called Great-Compassion among them. He said to the other Brahmans in gāthās:

Why is it
That we see this light?
Our palaces are illumined
More brightly than ever.

Did a god of great virtue or a Buddha
Appear somewhere in the universe?
We have never seen this [light] before.
Let us do our best to find [the reason].

Let us go even to the end of one thousand billion worlds,
And find the place from where this light has come.
A Buddha may have appeared somewhere in the universe
In order to save the suffering beings.

“Thereupon the Brahman-heavenly-kings of the five hundred billion [ worlds] went to the northwest, carrying flower-plates filled with heavenly flowers, in order to find [the place from where the light had come]. Their palaces also moved as they went. They [reached the Well-Composed World and] saw that Great-Universal-Wisdom-Excellence Tathāgata was sitting on the lion-like seat under the Bodhi tree of the place of enlightenment, surrounded respectfully by gods, dragon-kings, gandharvas, kiṃnaras, mahoragas, men, and nonhuman beings. They also saw that the sixteen princes were begging the Buddha to turn the wheel of the Dharma. Thereupon the Brahman-heavenly-kings worshipped the Buddha with their heads, walked around him a hundred thousand times, and strewed heavenly flowers to him. The strewn flowers were heaped up to the height of Mt. Sumeru. The Brahman-heavenly-kings offered flowers also to the Bodhi-tree of the Buddha. Having offered flowers, they offered their palaces to the Buddha, saying, ‘We offer these palaces to you. Receive them and benefit us out of your compassion towards us!’ In the presence of the Buddha, they simultaneously praised him in gāthās with all their hearts:

Saintly Master, God of Gods!
Your voice is as sweet as a kalavinka’s.
You have compassion towards all living beings.
We now bow before you.
You, the World-Honored One, are exceptional.
You appear only once in a very long time.

No Buddha has appeared
For the past one hundred and eighty kalpas.
The three evil regions are crowded;
And the living beings in heaven, decreasing.

Now you have appeared in this world
And become the eye of all living beings.
As their refuge, you are saving them.
As their father, you are benefiting them
Out of your compassion towards them.
We are now able to see you
Because we accumulated merits
In our previous existence.

“Thereupon the Brahman-heavenly-kings, having praised the Buddha with these gāthās, said, ‘World-Honored One! Turn the wheel of the Dharma and save all living beings out of your compassion towards them!’ Then they simultaneously said in gāthās with all their hearts:

Great Saint, turn the wheel of the Dharma
And reveal the reality of all things!
Save the suffering beings
And cause them to have great joy!

If they hear the Dharma, some will attain enlightenment;
Others will be reborn in heaven.
The living beings in the evil regions will decrease;
And those who do good patiently will increase.

“Thereupon Great-Universal-Wisdom-Excellence Tathāgata gave his tacit consent to their appeal.

The Daily Dharma from May 27, 2018, offers this:

If they hear the Dharma, some will attain enlightenment;
Others will be reborn in heaven.
The living beings in the evil regions will decrease;
And those who do good patiently will increase.

The Brahma-Heavenly-Kings of the Southwest sing these verses to Great-Universal-Wisdom-Excellence Buddha in Chapter Seven of the Lotus Sūtra. They are imploring that Buddha to share his highest teaching with them, and demonstrating that they are ready to receive it. Those living in evil regions are in great difficulty, because they do not know how to keep from reinforcing their delusions and truly benefit themselves. When a Buddha appears to show all beings the world as it is, he helps us to shed our delusions. But we must still come to him and show through our respect for him that we are ready for his teaching.

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

Lotus World

Bodhisattvas

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The pre-Mahayana sutras recognize only two bodhisattvas, Siddhartha Gautama before he attained buddhahood as Shakyamuni Buddha and Maitreya Bodhisattva, who resides in the Heaven of Contentment until he appears as the next Buddha in this world. These sutras leave open the possibility that there might be other bodhisattvas, but none are named. The Mahayana sutras, however, make the bodhisattva the primary ideal of Buddhist practice.

Lotus World: An Illustrated Guide to the Gohonzon

Daily Dharma

Daily Dharma – Sept. 16, 2018

Although the time is ripe for the Lotus Sutra to convert everyone, teachers who propagate it are ordinary teachers while their disciples are wicked and sickened by the three poisons of greed, anger and ignorance. They avoid teachers who preach the True Dharma, befriending teachers who preach false Dharma. Is it not natural then that he who practices the Lotus Sutra, the true teaching of the Buddha, and his disciples and followers and lay followers are persecuted more severely than the three kinds of enemies?

Nichiren wrote this passage in his Treatise on the True Way of Practicing the Teaching of the Buddha (Nyosetsu Shugyō-shō). In our efforts to uphold and practice the Wonderful Dharma of the Lotus Sūtra, we may be surprised to be the targets of anger or aggression from others, especially from others who also practice the Dharma with us. These difficulties will be opportunities for us to practice wisdom and nourish our compassion. We can learn to recognize others’ delusions within our own minds and remain focused on ridding ourselves of the three poisons, rather than attempting to change someone else’s behavior. In this way we become an example for how to live, and allow the Ever-Present Buddha Śākyamuni to work within our hearts.

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

Profound

Chih-i’s Classification System

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Several attempts to establish a system of categorizing the Buddhist Canon had been made as a means to synthesize diverse Buddhist doctrines. However, … there was not a single theory that could perfectly arrange the whole teaching of the Buddha systematically and justifiably until the emergence of Chih-i. He has formulated a systematic classification P’an-chiao, and has made it the primary recourse of justification for the consistency of all the Buddhist doctrines as a whole. His system of classification consists of three aspects.

  1. First, the Buddha’s whole teaching career is arranged in five chronological periods that correspond to the five flavors of dairy products, upon which the doctrines that are expounded in these periods are introduced.
  2. The second aspect is the method the Buddha uses to expound his doctrines in terms of sudden, gradual, indeterminate, and secret, which are related to the five periods.
  3. Finally, based on the chronological arrangement, the Buddha’s teachings are categorized into the Four Teachings. As we have mentioned above, the Fourfold Teaching is discussed throughout the Hsüan-i (Profound Meaning of the Lotus Sūtra) , and it is so significant that it is the primary principle in systematizing Buddhist doctrines and practices. (Page 136)

 
The Profound Meaning of the Lotus Sutra: Tien-tai Philosophy of Buddhism


beginning

Representation of Perfection

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The use of images of the Buddha originated in northwestern India in the first and second centuries. This region received none of the relics that were divided up after Shakyamuni’s death. To take the place of these vital objects of veneration, the people of the northwest had Buddha statues made and, as models in their production, used Greek statues of the Greek gods. The Buddha and bodhisattva statues of the Gandhara style are excellent examples of Greek-influenced Buddhist sculpture. Once the custom of religious sculpture was accepted, it spread to the central parts of India, where art in the Mathura style was produced. Such statues influenced not only Buddhism but Jainism and Brahmanism as well. After the fourth century, Buddhist sculpture was further refined and developed in the elegant Gupta style. It scarcely need be said that Indian Buddhist sculpture directly and indirectly exerted tremendous influence on the arts of China and Japan. (Page 144)

The Beginnings of Buddhism

LS32

Day 10

Day 10 concludes Chapter 6, Assurance of Future Buddhahood, and opens Chapter 7, The Parable of a Magic City.

Having last month heard that the Dharma of the Buddhas did not come into Great-Universal-Wisdom-Excellence Buddha’s mind immediately, we see the reaction of the Buddha’s 16 sons when their father became enlightened after 10 small kalpas.

“Bhikṣus! At the end of the period of ten small kalpas, the Dharma of the Buddhas came into the mind of Great-Universal-­Wisdom-Excellence Buddha. Now he attained Anuttara-samyak-saṃbodhi. Before he left home, he had sixteen sons. The first son was called Accumulated-Wisdom. Each of the sons had various playthings. When the sons heard that their father had attained Anuttara-samyak-saṃbodhi, they gave up the playthings, left home, and came to that Buddha.

“[When they were leaving home,] their mothers saw them off, weeping. Not only the wheel-turning-holy-king, who was their grandfather, but also one hundred ministers and hundreds of thousands of billions of subjects surrounded and followed the princes, wishing to come to the place of enlightenment, to see Great­-Universal-Wisdom-Excellence Tathāgata, to make offerings to that Buddha, respect him, honor him, and praise him.

The Introduction to the Lotus Sūtra offers this:

The story of the sixteen princes is intended to teach that the Bodhisattvas (the princes) must do what Sakyamuni did – save all living beings by teaching the truth. Although the profound wisdom of the Buddha is beyond the reach of Bodhisattvas, they nevertheless share the heart of the Buddha. That heart is a commitment to universal salvation – the act of benefiting others.

In the chapters which follow, we shall see some examples of such acts performed by some of the Bodhisattvas, and the story of the sixteen princes here serves as an introduction to those practices.

Introduction to the Lotus Sutra

Summer Writings

In the Buddha’s Heart

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All Buddhist events, ceremonies and services are included in the Buddha’s heart. The Buddha says in the Lotus Sutra, “How shall I cause all living beings to enter into the unsurpassed way?” Although we may not know the meaning of Buddhist events in detail, they work very well for our lives. It is just like medicine. though the patient does not know the ingredients, as soon as the medicine is taken, it works to cure them. Therefore, if you hold a Buddhist ceremony or service as often as you can, your family and relatives will be able to maintain a good relationship for a long time. Any good relationship cannot last without effort. In other words, an effort to pray for deceased family members and ancestors works to knit our relationships firmly and peacefully.

Summer Writings