QUESTION: What are the differences between Mahāyāna and Hinayana teachings?
ANSWER: Generally speaking, the sūtras preached in the Agon period are Hinayana, while those preached in the Kegon, Hōdō, Hannya and Hokke-Nehan periods are Mahāyāna. In addition, those sūtras which expound the six unenlightened realms of hell, hungry spirits, beasts and birds, asura, human beings, and heavenly beings without expounding the four enlightened realms of śrāvaka, pratyekabuddha, bodhisattvas, and Buddhas are Hinayana while those which expound all the ten realms are Mahāyāna. Other than these two main distinctions, comparing the truthfulness in doctrine between the Lotus Sūtra and other sūtras, those sūtras preached in forty years or so before the Lotus Sūtra are in reality Hinayana although they are commonly called Mahāyāna sūtras; only the Lotus Sūtra is Mahāyāna.
Shugo Kokka-ron, Treatise on Protecting the Nation, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Doctrine 1, Page 13
Mind is called the spiritual aspect while voice is the physical aspect. Therefore the spiritual aspect reveals the physical aspect. But it is also possible to perceive the mind by listening to the voice. In this case, the physical aspect (voice) reveals the spiritual aspect (mind).
Nichiren wrote this passage in his Treatise on Opening the Eyes of Buddhist Images, Wooden Statues or Portraits (Mokue Nizō Kaigen no Koto). This is one of the many instructions Nichiren gives us for how to read the Lotus Sūtra and find the wisdom of the Buddha within it. It is easy to understand how the intentions we have in our minds guide our words and actions. By cultivating the intention to benefit all beings, rather than just focusing on making ourselves happy, we mold our speech and actions to accord with that intention. Finding the mind behind the voice is more difficult. When we look for the Buddha speaking to us in all situations, especially those which are demanding, we bring ourselves closer to the Buddha’s own mind. We bring our speech and actions into harmony with the world as it is.
The Daily Dharma is produced by the Lexington Nichiren Buddhist Community. To subscribe to the daily emails, visit zenzaizenzai.com
The true aspect of reality, the “three thousand realms in a single thought-moment,” is both immanent and bestowed by a transcendent Buddha. As the ontological basis of Buddhahood, it is timeless and originally inherent. As the seed of Buddhahood embodied in the daimoku of the origin teaching, its revelation is dependent upon the particular historical moment that is the beginning of the Final Dharma age. In the moment that it is taught, upheld, or “embraced,” the daimoku, as the “three thousand realms in a single thought-moment in actuality,” embodies the intersection of the timeless realm of original enlightenment with temporal, concrete particulars. (Page 272)
Chih-i illustrates the five meanings of sūtra (in the view concerning the word sūtra as translatable) with reference to the mind contemplation. Each of these five meanings is also scrutinized by Chih-i in terms of words, practice and principle. This is because all speeches and words are caused by mental function; all practices are caused by the mind of thinking; and all doctrines and principles are derived from the mind of wisdom. (Vol. 2, Page 398)
Day 14 covers all of Chapter 9, The Assurance of Future Buddhahood of the Śrāvakas Who Have Something More to Learn and the Śrāvakas Who Have Nothing More to Learn, and opens Chapter 10, The Teacher of the Dharma.
Having last month heard Śākyamuni’s prediction of who will become a Buddha, we consider the consequences of speaking ill of someone who keeps the Lotus Sūtra.
“Medicine-King! An evil man who speaks ill of me in my presence with evil intent for as long as a kalpa is not as sinful as the person who reproaches laymen or monks with even a single word of abuse for their reading and reciting the Sūtra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma.
“Medicine-King! Anyone who reads and recites the Sūtra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma, know this, will be adorned just as I am. I will shoulder him. Wherever he may be, bow to him! Join your hands together towards him with all your heart, respect him, make offerings to him, honor him, and praise him! Offer him flowers, incense, necklaces, incense powder, incense applicable to the skin, incense to burn, canopies, banners, streamers, garments, food and various kinds of music! Make him the best offerings that you can obtain in the world of men! Strew the treasures of heaven to him! Offer him heaps of the treasures of heaven! Why is that? It is because, while he is expounding the Dharma with joy, if you hear it even for a moment, you will immediately be able to attain Anuttara-samyak-saṃbodhi.”
This problem with criticism of those who practice the Lotus Sūtra is a constant concern in Nichiren’s writings. In his “Treatise on Protecting the Nation” he writes:
Preaching the sin of abusing upholders of the Lotus Sūtra, “The Teacher of the Dharma” chapter of the Lotus Sūtra states, “Suppose a person with evil intent keeps speaking ill of the Buddha in His presence for as long as a kalpa (aeons), his sin is rather light. Suppose a person utters a word to curse lay persons or monks who read and recite the Lotus Sūtra, his sin is extremely grave.”
The sin of cursing just one upholder of the Lotus Sūtra is as serious as this. How much more serious the sin of writing books, causing people all over Japan to curse the upholders of the Lotus Sūtra! How much more serious the sin of discouraging practicers of the Lotus Sūtra by designating this sūtra the teaching through which not even one out of 1,000 persons would be able to attain Buddhahood!
Shugo Kokka-ron, Treatise on Protecting the Nation, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Doctrine 1, Page 30
“It is difficult to see a Buddha” – Lotus Sutra, Chapter I
Thinking about this phrase I am always struck by the differing ways this can be interpreted. On the one hand the sutra is specifically referring to how rare it is to encounter a Buddha in one’s lifetime; the fact that Buddhas only physically appear on rare occasions.
Here on this earth we have the historical Buddha who appeared and taught some 2,500 years ago. There is also the prediction of the appearance of Maitreya at some point in the distant future, who will teach for a limited amount of time, numbering supposedly just a few days at most.
Another meaning is we fail to perceive the eternally existing Buddha in the universe. It is difficult for us to look at life and see there is the Buddha present in every moment, in every breath. Of course through our practice and study of the Lotus Sutra we know, at least theoretically, that the Buddha is ever present and never disappears.
Another possible interpretation is that within our own lives it is difficult for us to see the Buddha. Also, that it is difficult for us to see the Buddha in other beings. Sometimes this difficulty is because we don’t want to see the Buddha either in others or ourselves. We may have ingrained in our minds that we are not worthy or that we are incapable of being such a thing as a Buddha. We may even hold that opinion of others also, thinking that there is no way this or that person, with the way they act, or the way they think, that they could be a Buddha.
Since the Lotus Sūtra is the true teaching of Śākyamuni Buddha, anyone who chants even one character of it will not fall into the three evil regions (hell, realm of hungry spirits, and that of animals) even if he commits such serious sins as the ten evil acts,* five rebellious sins,** or four major sins.*** This means that women who believe in the Lotus Sūtra will never fall into the three evil regions because of their sins committed in this world, even if the sun and the moon should not rise in the east, the ground should be turned upside down, oceans should not have low or high tides, cracked stones should stick back together, or the river water should not flow into the sea.
* Ten evil acts: killing living beings, stealing, adultery, lies, harsh words, words causing enmity between two or more persons, idle talk, greed, anger, and false views.
** Five rebellious sins: killing one’s father, one’s mother, an arhat; injuring the Buddha; and disturbing peace among Buddhist monks.
*** Four major sins: killing living beings, stealing, adultery and lying.
Gassui Gasho, A Letter on Menstruation, Nyonin Gosho, Letters Addressed to Female Followers, Page 32
When I saw that some people of little virtue and of much defilement were seeking the teachings of the Lesser Vehicle, I told them, ‘I renounced my family when I was young, and attained Anuttara-samyak-saṃbodhi [forty and odd years ago].’ In reality I became the Buddha in the remotest past as I previously stated. I told them so as an expedient to teach them, to lead them into the Way to Buddhahood.
In Chapter Sixteen of the Lotus Sutra, the Buddha gives this explanation of a parable he tells in Chapter Three. In that story, the foolish children of a wise man were playing in a burning house. The man tried to warn his children of the dangers of the house, but the children were so preoccupied with their games they would not leave. Only when the man promised them better toys outside would the children leave the house. The words used by the wise man were meant to get the children out of the house, even though the toys did not exist. These words were necessary to motivate the children to set aside their delusions. They were not meant to be taken literally. We learn from this explanation how the Buddha uses words, and why we formerly needed his expedient teachings.
The Daily Dharma is produced by the Lexington Nichiren Buddhist Community. To subscribe to the daily emails, visit zenzaizenzai.com
As discussed thus far, the “three thousand realms in one thought-moment” both is the ontological basis on which the realization of Buddhahood can occur and is embodied in the daimoku as the “seed” that provides the condition of that realization. These two meanings of ichinen sanzen can also be distinguished respectively as “principle” (ri) and “actuality” (ji). The two perspectives are further brought out in the two aspects of human relation to the Buddha as described in the Kanjin honzon shō. On the one hand:
Śākyamuni of subtle awakening [myōkaku] is our blood and flesh. Are not the merits of his causes [ practice ] and effects [ enlightenment ] our bones and marrow? . . . The Śākyamuni of our own mind is the ancient Buddha without beginning, who has manifested the three bodies since countless dust-particle kalpas ago (gohyakujindengō).
Yet on the other hand,
For those unable to discern the three thousand realms in one thought moment, the Buddha, arousing great compassion, placed this jewel within the five characters and hung it from the necks of the immature beings of the last age.
In terms of the mind that is related to the meaning “tallying with,” this refers to the mind that is identical to tallying with the contemplation as wisdom. Tallying with the mind that contains objects as truth is taken as tallying with conditions in terms of suiting the abilities of beings. Tallying with the mind of pleasure and desires is taken as tallying with the teaching as expedient means. Tallying with the mind that contains the Siddhānta for Each Person and the Siddhānta of Counteraction is taken as tallying with practice. Tallying with the mind that contains the Siddhānta of the Supreme Truth is taken as tallying with principle. (Vol. 2, Page 398)
