Monthly Archives: July 2019

LS32

Day 7

Day 7 concludes Chapter 3, A Parable, and begins Chapter 4, Understanding by Faith.

Day 7 Text with annotationsPlay MP3

Having last month begun the Parable of the Rich Man and His Poor Son, we meet the poor son.

“World-Honored One! At that time the poor son, who had worked at various places as a day worker, happened to come to the house of his father. Standing by the gate of the house, he saw his father in the distance. His father was sitting on a lion-like seat, putting his feet on a jeweled footstool. Brāhmaṇas, kṣatriyas, and householders surrounded him respectfully. He was adorned with a necklace of pearls worth ten million. The secretaries and servants were standing on either side of him, holding insect-sweepers made of white hairs. Above him was a jeweled awning, from which streamers of flowers were hanging down. Perfume was sprayed and beautiful flowers were strewn on the ground. He was exhibiting treasures and engaging in trade. Adorned with these various things, he looked extraordinarily powerful and virtuous.

“Seeing the exceedingly powerful father, the poor son was frightened. He regretted that he had come there. He thought, ‘Is he a king or someone like a king? This is not the place where I can get something by labor. I had better go to a village of the poor, where I can work to get food and clothing easily. If I stay here any longer, I shall be forced to work.’

“Having thought this, the poor son ran away.

The Spring Writings of Kanta Tsukamoto Shonin offers this on Encouraging the Poor Son:

Even if we meet the teaching of the Lotus Sutra, which makes us awaken our Buddha-nature, most of us do not study or understand it because it is a difficult teaching and is too noble, and we run away just like the son when he saw the rich man. After all, we alone are responsible for making our lives empty or fruitless, because we are unaware of our ability or potential. Even though we tend to be like this, the Eternal Buddha always wishes to lead and support all of us, as his children, with great compassion. In order to make us awaken the Buddha-nature, He leads us according to our natures, capacities and circumstances, and dispatches someone to us to give us various advice, even if it takes a long time. It is just like the rich man who approached his son wearing dirty clothing, to encourage him.

Spring Writings

Blog

One Buddha Land

Did Chih-i believe in the Western paradise of Amitābha and hope to reach it after his death?

The question came up while I was making my way through “A Buddhist Kaleidoscope: Essays on the Lotus Sutra,” edited by Gene Reeves and published in 2002 by Kōsei Publishing.

The suggestion that Chih-i believed in rebirth in the Western Pure Land comes from Lucia Dolce’s essay, “Between Duration and Eternity: Hermeneutics of the ‘Ancient Buddha’ of the Lotus Sutra in Chih-i and Nichiren.” (Aren’t titles of academic essays just so precious?)

Here’s the context in Dolce’s discussion of One Buddha-land (p:232-233):

According to Nichiren, in the second section of the Lotus Sutra Śākyamuni speaks of this Sahā world as the original land, a pure Buddha realm compared to which the other lands of the ten directions are mere conventional worlds. In Chih-i’s exegesis the “original land” is the land in which the original Buddha attained enlightenment, therefore the realm of only one type of Buddha. This “Sahā world of the original time” contrasts with the Sahā world where human beings live, which retains the characteristics of a “trace-land.” For Nichiren, on the contrary, there is only one Sahā world. Vulture Peak, the place where the Lotus Sutra is taught, represents both this world of ours and the most perfect world, the only possible “paradise.” There is no other reality, neither for humanity, nor for the Buddha. Whereas Chih-i apparently believed in the Western paradise of Amitābha and hoped to reach it after his death*, Nichiren considered the assembly on Vulture Peak a symbol of those who, having received the teachings of the Lotus Sutra, are able to transform our Sahā world into a “resplendent land.”

* Dolce’s note supporting the idea that Chih-i “apparently” longed for Amida’s Western paradise: Cf. Tetsuei Satō, Tendai daishi no kenkyū, 556-59.

I understand that centuries before Nichiren, the Tendai school adopted the Invocation of Amida’s Name. As the monk Chingen of Yokawa on Mount Hiei wrote in his “Miraculous Tales of the Lotus Sutra from Ancient Japan“:

“In the fourteenth year of Shōwa [848], Jikaku returned to Japan [from China]. It is said that Jikaku’s efforts were responsible for half of the transmission of the Law to Japan. He introduced the Invocation of Amida’s Name, the Hokke Repentance Rites, the Kanjō Consecration Rites, and the Shari Relics Meeting.” (Page 34)

According to Chinden, Jikau, on his deathbed, “told Priest Enjun to recite and pay his respects to the Hokekyō [Lotus Sutra] which preaches the great and fair knowledge of Amida.”

One can understand why Nichiren lamented what he considered to be the most deplorable false doctrine of Grand Master Jikaku, who denigrated the Lotus Sūtra and regarded the Shingon teaching to be supreme. (See translator’s note to Jikaku Daishi no Koto, Concerning Grand Master Jikaku, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Doctrine 3, Page 215.)

So, back to my question: Did Chih-i believe in the Western paradise of Amitābha and hope to reach it after his death?

Next

21days, Universal Sage

21 Days: Purifying Their Six Sense Organs

From The Sutra of Contemplation of the Dharma Practice of Universal Sage Bodhisattva (Reeves, p410):

Then, with one voice from different mouths, the bodhisattvas will have followers purify their six sense organs.

One will say, “You should reflect on the Buddha.”
Another will say, “You should reflect on the Dharma.”
Another will say, “You should reflect on the monastic community.”
Another will say, “You should reflect on morality.”
Another will say, “You should reflect on generosity.”
Another will say, “You should reflect on the heavens.”

“These six methods express an aspiration to become a buddha. They give birth to bodhisattvas. Before the buddhas, you should now confess your past sins and sincerely repent.

d19b, d20b, Lecture on Lotus Sutra

Practicing and Changing Our Lives

Four leaders of the Bodhisattvas who emerged from the ground are named, and they are Superior-Practice, Limitless-Practice, Pure-Practice, and Steadily-Established-Practice. I think it is important to note that practice lies at the heart of their names. In Nichiren’s writing titled Shoho Jiso Sho we are encouraged to practice and endeavor because without practice and without study there really is no such thing as Buddhism. At the heart of Buddhism is making great effort at practicing and changing our lives, something that does not happen without concerted continued effort.

Lecture on the Lotus Sutra

WONS

Slandering Mahāyāna Sūtras

“[Also, he who slights, hates, envies, and bears a grudge against those who read, recite, copy and uphold this sūtra] … will fall into the Hell of Incessant Suffering upon death.”

The meaning of the above citations is quite clear. Yet, how they need my words of explanation! According to the Lotus Sūtra, slandering the Mahāyāna sūtras is more sinful than committing the five rebellious sins, such as killing one’s own parents, countless times. Therefore, such sinners will fall into the Hell of Incessant Suffering, from which they will never be able to escape.

Risshō Ankoku-ron, Treatise on Spreading Peace Throughout the Country by Establishing the True Dharma, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Doctrine 1, Page 133

Daily Dharma

Daily Dharma – July 31, 2019

Having thought this, he said to his children as he had thought, ‘Come out quickly!’ He warned them with these good words out of his compassion towards them, but they were too much engrossed in playing to hear the words of their father. They were not frightened or afraid. They did not wish to come out. They did not know what a fire was, what a house was, and what they would lose. They ran about happily. They only glanced at their father occasionally.

This passage is part of the Parable of the Burning House, told by the Buddha in Chapter Three of the Lotus Sūtra. In this story, he compares us living in this world of conflict to children playing in a dangerous house. As the children in the story were too distracted by their games to hear their father’s warnings, we are often too distracted by the attachments of our world to hear the voice of the Buddha.

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

LS32

Day 6

Day 6 continues Chapter 3, A Parable

Day 6 Text with annotationsPlay MP3

Having last month completed today’s portion of Chapter 3, A Parable, we return to the top and Śāriputra saying the father cannot be accused of lying when he gave the larger carts to this children.

“The children rode in the large carts, and had the greatest joy that they had ever had because they had never expected to get them. Śāriputra! What do you think of this? Do you think that the rich man was guilty of falsehood when he gave his children the large carts of treasures?”
Śāriputra said:

“No, World-Honored One! He saved his children from the fire and caused them to survive. [Even if he had not given them anything,] he should not have been accused of falsehood because the children should be considered to have already been given the toys [they had wished to have] when they survived. He saved them from the burning house with the expedient. World-Honored One! Even if he had not given them the smallest cart, he should not have been accused of falsehood because he thought at first, ‘I will cause them to get out with an expedient.’ Because of this, he should not. Needless to say, he was not guilty of falsehood when he remembered his immeasurable wealth and gave them the large carts in order to benefit them.”

The Introduction to the Lotus Sūtra offers this on the three carts:

From the theoretical standpoint, [The Parable of the Burning House] explains the relationship between the Three Vehicles and the One Vehicle. The three toy carts – the sheep-cart, deer-cart, and bullock-cart – respectively represent the Sravaka-Vehicle of the “hearers,” the Pratyekabuddha-Vehicle of the “private Buddhas,” and the Bodhisattva-Vehicle of those who serve and enlighten others. The large white bullock cart which is given to each of the children symbolizes the One Buddha Vehicle. The rich man first offered his children three kinds of carts as expedients, but in the end he gave each of them an identical large white bullock-cart. Obviously the Buddha told this parable to illustrate that the One Vehicle is true and the three are mere expedients. The differences between the One Vehicle and the Three Vehicles, which were discussed theoretically in Chapter Two, are now explained in a graphic story that anyone can understand and remember.

Introduction to the Lotus Sutra

21days, Innumerable

21 Days: Innumerable Instructions

The final quote from the The Sutra of Innumerable Meanings collected during my 21-Day Retreat (Reeves, p49):

At that time, the Buddha spoke to the great one Magnificently Adorned Bodhisattva and the other eighty thousand bodhisattva great ones: “You should deeply respect this sutra, practice it as the Dharma, transform everyone everywhere with it, and continue to diligently promulgate it. You should protect it carefully day and night, enabling the living to obtain the benefits of the Dharma. This is truly great kindness and great compassion. Using the divine power of your vows, you should protect this sutra and not let anyone put doubts or other obstacles in its way. Then you should have it practiced widely in Jambudvipa, and have all the living observe, read, recite, copy, and make offerings to it without fail. Because of this, you will be able to attain supreme awakening quickly.”

Lotus Seeds

The Inexpressible True Nature of Reality

Quote

The practice of chanting Namu Myoho Renge Kyo expresses our deep faith and joy in the inexpressible true nature of reality, which embraces all things without exception. Ultimately, Namu Myoho Renge Kyo expresses the realization that we ourselves are the embodiments of the Wonderful Dharma, and thus capable of transforming every aspect of our lives into the life of a Buddha.

Lotus Seeds

WONS

When the ‘World Is Dreadful and Evil’

[I]n both the Shō-hoke-kyō (Chinese translation of the
Lotus Sūtra by Dharmaraksa) and Myō-hoke-kyō (Kumārajīva’s Chinese translation of the Lotus Sūtra) the Buddha has precisely defined the time for the spread of this sūtra to be when the “world is dreadful and evil, the future Latter Age, the Latter Age when the dharma is about to be extinguished,” or “the last (fifth) five-hundred-year period after the death of the Buddha.”

Had there not been three kinds of strong enemies against the practicer of the Lotus today, who would believe in the Buddha? Had there not been Nichiren, who would be the practicer of the Lotus Sūtra to prove the Buddha’s prediction?

Kaimoku-shō, Open Your Eyes to the Lotus Teaching, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Doctrine 2, Page 57