Two Buddhas, p197The “six perfections” systematize the practices required of Mahāyāna bodhisattvas to achieve buddhahood: giving, good conduct, perseverance, effort, meditation, and wisdom, in the Kubo and Yuyama translation. Traditionally, each perfection was said to require a hundred eons to complete, one eon being explained, for example, as the time required for a heavenly goddess to wear away great Mount Sumeru, the axis mundi, if she brushes it lightly with her sleeve once every hundred years. Such was the vast effort that Śākyamuni was said to have expended over staggering lengths of time in order to become the Buddha; the perfections represent his “causes” or “causal practices” and form the model for bodhisattva practice more generally. The wisdom, virtue, and power that he attained in consequence are his “resulting merits” or “effects.” Nichiren’s claim here is that all the practices and meritorious acts performed by Śākyamuni over countless lifetimes to become the Buddha, as well as the enlightenment and virtuous attributes he attained in consequence, are wholly contained within the daimoku and are spontaneously transferred to the practitioner in the act of chanting it.
Monthly Archives: March 2020
Followers of the Character ‘Kyō’ of the Lotus Sūtra
Speaking of all the phenomena embraced in the five Chinese characters of Myō, Hō, Ren, Ge, and Kyō, the character Kyō is the king of all sūtras because it contains all the Buddhist sūtras in this single character. During 50 years or so after the Buddha appeared in this world, He preached the 80,000 Holy Teachings. In the period when the human life span was 100 years, He passed away at midnight on February 15 at the age of 80. During the summer season of 90 days, from April 8 to July 15, 1,000 arhats assembled in a place to write down what the Buddha had expounded during His lifetime and to compile the scriptures. Afterwards, during the Age of the True Dharma, the first 1,000 years after the extinction of the Buddha, the Buddhist scriptures spread throughout India, but they were not yet introduced to China. Then in the 15th year of the Age of the Semblance Dharma, during the reign of Emperor Hsiao-ming of Later Han China (67 A.D.), the Buddhist scriptures were brought to China for the first time. By the time of Emperor Hsüan-tsung of the T’ang dynasty (730), the number of translators who came from India amounted to 176 and the total of sūtras, precepts, and discourses they brought numbered as many as 1,076 in 5,048 fascicles and 480 satchels. These scriptures are all followers of the character “kyō” of the Lotus Sūtra.
Hokke Daimoku Shō, Treatise on the Daimoku of the Lotus Sūtra, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Faith and Practice, Volume 4, Page 39-40
Daily Dharma – March 15, 2020
Make offerings to World-Voice-Perceiver Bodhisattva with all your hearts! This World-Voice-Perceiver Bodhisattva-mahāsattva gives fearlessness [to those who are] in fearful emergencies. Therefore, he is called the ‘Giver of Fearlessness’ in this Sahā-World.
The Buddha gives this description of World-Voice-Perceiver Bodhisattva (Kannon, Kanzeon, Avalokitesvara) to Endless-Intent Bodhisattva in Chapter Twenty-Five of the Lotus Sūtra. World-Voice-Perceiver is the embodiment of compassion. When we make offerings to compassion, we show how much we value it. In this world of conflict, we are taught to value aggression and violence rather than compassion. Those who do not dominate others are judged as targets for domination. If we clear away the delusion of our self-importance, and see other beings as worthy of happiness just as we are, we find ways for everyone to benefit together.
The Daily Dharma is produced by the Lexington Nichiren Buddhist Community. To subscribe to the daily emails, visit zenzaizenzai.com
Day 30
Day 30 covers all of Chapter 26, Dhāraṇīs
Having last month received Medicine-King Bodhisattva’s dhārāni spells, we receive Brave-In-Giving Bodhisattva’s dhārāni spells.
Thereupon Brave-In-Giving Bodhisattva said to the Buddha:
“World-Honored One! I also will utter dhārānis in order to protect the person who reads, recites and keeps the Sūtra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma. If he keeps these dhārānis, this teacher of the Dharma will not have his weak points taken advantage of by any yakṣa, rākṣasa, pūtana, kṛtya, kumbhāṇḍa or hungry spirit.”
Then he uttered spells before the Buddha:
“Zarei (1), makazarei (2), ukki (3), mokki (4), arei (5), arahatei (6), netsureitei (7), netsureitahatei (8), ichini (9), ichini (10), shichini(11), netsureichini (12), netsurichihachi (13).”
[He said to the Buddha:]
“World-Honored One! These dhārānis, these divine spells, have already been uttered by as many Buddhas as there are sands in the River Ganges. Those Buddhas uttered them with joy. Those who attack and abuse this teacher of the Dharma should be considered to have attacked and abused those Buddhas.”
See Mystic Syllables
Mystic Syllables
Buddhism for Today, p389This chapter declares how with mystic syllables nonhuman beings representing the spiritual world, who are deeply moved by the teachings of the Lotus Sutra, vow to protect the teachings and their preachers.
First two bodhisattvas, Medicine King and Courageous Giver, vow to guard and protect the preachers of the Lotus Sutra. Their vows are only to be expected, for these two bodhisattvas are the disciples and messengers of the Buddha. Next two Brahma heavenly kings, the Divine King Vaiśravaṇa and the Divine King Domain Holder, vow to protect the sutra. The vows of these two non-Buddhist divine kings signify that the Buddha’s teachings comprehend all other teachings and infuse religious life into them.
Following this, ten female rākṣasas and the Mother of Demon Sons vow to protect the Lotus Sutra. These female demons with one voice declared before the Buddha that if anyone harassed the preachers of the sutra, they would protect the preachers and rid them of such persecution. Their declaration bears witness to the fact that the Buddha-mind is found even in these demons. Conversely, the teachings of the Lotus Sutra can be said to have the power to enable even these demons to become buddhas.
The All-Encompassing Lotus Sutra
Two Buddhas, p196-197Nichiren grounded his reasoning in his understanding that the Lotus Sūtra, and specifically its title, is all-encompassing. In a famous passage, he explained that simply by upholding the daimoku, one can gain the merit of the entire bodhisattva path: “The Sūtra of Immeasurable Meanings states: ‘Even if one is not able to practice the six perfections, they will spontaneously be fulfilled.’ The Lotus Sūtra states, ‘They wish to hear the all-encompassing way. …’ The heart of these passages is that Śākyamuni’s causal practices and their resulting merits are inherent in the five characters myō-hō-ren-ge-kyō. When we embrace these five characters, he will spontaneously transfer to us the merits of his causes and effects.”
The Second Seal of the Law
Various terms were used at different times to indicate the meaning of the second seal of the Law: in Sanskrit, anatman (devoid of self) in primitive Buddhist scriptures and shunyata (void, emptiness) in Mahayana texts; and in Chinese, by the Zen Buddhists, wu (not). But all of these terms mean the absence of any fixed self or permanent nature, not utter nonexistence. The second seal of the Law expresses the ultimate goal of Buddhism as the attainment of the state in which realization of the impermanence and transience of all things liberates human beings from attachments of all kinds and enables them to act free and unhindered in accordance with the Law.
Basic Buddhist Concepts
Eliminate These Five Kinds of Mistakes
The Collection Concerning the Immediate Attainment of Buddhahood [by Grand Master Jikaku] further states:
“First, speaking of the gist of the Lotus Sūtra, it is preached that various Buddhas have appeared in this world for the one important purpose and that all the people have the Buddha-nature. People will be able to attain Buddhahood if they hear and practice the teaching of the Lotus Sūtra. For what reason has the Buddha expounded the Three Inherent Potentials of the Buddha-nature (innate Buddha-nature, ‘wisdom’ to develop the innate Buddha-nature, and virtuous deeds which enable one to develop ‘wisdom’)? It is said in the first fascicle of the Dependent-Origination section of the Treatise on the Buddha-nature by Bodhisattva Vasubandhu that the Buddha insisted on the existence of the Buddha-nature in all the people for the purpose of helping them eliminate five kinds of mistakes and obtain five kinds of merit. The five kinds of mistakes are despicable mind, conceit, attachment to delusion, slandering the True Dharma and attachment to self-interest. On the other hand, the five kinds of merit are diligence, respect, wisdom, intelligence, and great compassion. It is ‘despicable’ to harbor doubts about the Buddha-nature in oneself and fail to aspire to Buddhahood; it is called ‘conceit’ to think that one has the Buddha-nature and can aspire to Buddhahood by oneself; it is the ‘attachment to delusion’ to believe that all things have substance though they actually exist only through conditions; it is ‘slandering the True Dharma’ to speak ill of the pure wisdom and virtue of all things; and it is called ‘attachment to self -interest’ to think only about oneself without compassion for all the people. We should eliminate these five kinds of mistakes, know the existence of the Buddha-nature in ourselves, and aspire to Buddhahood.”
Nizen Nijō Bosatsu Fu-sabutsu Ji, Never-Attaining Buddhahood by the Two Vehicles and Bodhisattvas in the Pre-Lotus Sūtras, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Doctrine 3, Page 223
Daily Dharma – March 14, 2020
I now expound this Sūtra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma with great joy. This sūtra leads all living beings to the knowledge of all things. I did not expound it before because, if I had done so, many people in the world would have hated it and few would have believed it.
The Buddha makes this declaration to Mañjuśrī Bodhisattva in Chapter Fourteen of the Lotus Sūtra. It can be difficult to imagine anyone hating the Buddha’s teachings. We sometimes notice that the true opposite of affection and devotion is not enmity and distrust. It is indifference. When we hear the Buddha’s teaching and do not make it part of our lives, it is because we are so attached to our peculiar ignorance and misery that we are afraid to live any other way. The Buddha shows us that it is possible to exist in harmony with the world rather than in conflict. It is only when we practice his teachings that we can believe them.
The Daily Dharma is produced by the Lexington Nichiren Buddhist Community. To subscribe to the daily emails, visit zenzaizenzai.com
Day 29
Day 29 covers all of Chapter 25, The Universal Gate of World-Voice-Perceiver Bodhisattva.
Having last month considered in gāthās World-Voice-Perceiver Bodhisattva supernatural powers, we conclude Chapter 25, The Universal Gate of World-Voice-Perceiver Bodhisattva.
World-Voice-Perceiver will save
All living beings from misfortunes
And from innumerable sufferings of the world
By the wonderful power of his wisdom.He has these supernatural powers.
He employs various expedients with his wisdom.
In the ten quarters there is no ksetra
In which he does not appear at all.Hell, the region of hungry spirits, and the region of animals,
That is the [three) evil regions will be eliminated.
The sufferings of birth, old age, disease and death
Will gradually be eliminated.He sees the truth of all things and their purity.
He sees all things with his great wisdom.
He sees all things with loving-kindness and compassion.
Think of him constantly! Look up at him constantly!All darkness is dispelled by the light of his wisdom
As spotless and as pure as the light of the sun.
The light destroys the dangers of wind and fire,
And illumines the whole world brightly.His precepts out of his loving-kindness brace us up as thunderbolts.
His wishes out of his compassion are as wonderful as large clouds.
He pours the rain of the Dharma as sweet as nectar,
And extinguishes the fire of illusions.Suppose you are in a law-court for a suit,
Or on a battlefield, and are seized with fear.
If you think of the power of World-Voice-Perceiver,
All your enemies will flee away.His wonderful voice [comes from] his perceiving the voice of the world.
It is like the voice of Brahman, like the sound of a tidal wave.
It excels all the other voices of the world.
Therefore, think of him constantly!Do not doubt him even at a moment’s thought!
The Pure Saint World-Voice-Perceiver is reliable
When you suffer, and when you are confronted
With the calamity of death.By all these merits, he sees
All living beings with his compassionate eyes.
The ocean of his accumulated merits is boundless.
Therefore, bow before him!Thereupon Earth-Holding Bodhisattva rose from his seat, proceeded to the Buddha, and said to him:
“World-Honored One! Those who hear of his supernatural powers by which he opened the universal gate without hindrance, and which are expounded in this chapter of World-Voice-Perceiver Bodhisattva, know this, will be able to obtain not a few merits.”
When the Buddha expounded this chapter of the Universal Gate, the eighty-four thousand living beings in the congregation began to aspire for the unparalleled Anuttara-samyak-saṃbodhi.