Once one sees the true nature of life and the futility of craving, the next step is to realize that if craving were given up then one would be free from suffering. This is the true meaning of nirvāṇa, the extinguishing of the flames of passionate greed or craving. Zhiyi spoke of this as the elimination of deluded views and attitudes that puts an end to transmigration within the six lower realms. From the perspective of the Hinayāna teachings, the arhats, pratyekabuddhas and even the buddhas who accomplish this are not reborn anywhere after death, not even in a pure land. They are simply gone, beyond the reach of conditioned existence and suffering. In life they attain nirvāṇa, the extinction of the greed, hatred, and delusion, and upon death they are said to attain parinirvāṇa or “final nirvana” whereby they are no longer even subject to physical pain and infirmity. While there may be śrāvakas, pratyekabuddhas, bodhisattvas, and buddhas as individuals, they have no lands or worlds of their own, but simply live in the human world (or some of the others in the case of bodhisattvas) until they attain final nirvāṇa. Then they are gone forever. This is why the attainment of final nirvāṇa is referred to as reducing the body to ashes and annihilating consciousness and also why the Hinayāna teachings are only said to expound the six lower realms and not the realms of the four noble states.
Open Your Eyes, p168Monthly Archives: May 2020
Only the Lotus Sūtra Reveals True Meaning of pre-Lotus sūtras
[I]t is against the will of the Buddha to interpret the pre-Lotus sūtras according to the words of those sūtras. This is so because, as stated in the third fascicle of the Annotations on the Words and Phrases of the Lotus Sūtra, the whole truth is not revealed in the pre-Lotus sūtras. It is further said in the tenth fascicle of the Commentary on the Profound Meaning of the Lotus Sūtra that only the Lotus Sūtra reveals the true meaning of the pre-Lotus as well as the meaning of the Lotus Sūtra, the sole purpose of the Buddha appearing in this world.
Nijō Sabutsu Ji, Obtaining Buddhahood by the Two Vehicles, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Doctrine 3, Page 228
Daily Dharma – May 8, 2020
The father thought, ‘These sons are pitiful. They are so poisoned that they are perverted. Although they rejoice at seeing me and ask me to cure them, they do not consent to take this good medicine. Now I will have them take it with an expedient.’
The Buddha gives this description as part of the Parable of the Wise Physician in Chapter Sixteen of the Lotus Sūtra. In the story, the physician’s children have mistakenly taken poison, yet refuse the remedy their father provides for them. The children are just like us as we cling to our attachments and delusions and refuse the good medicine of the Buddha Dharma. This refusal can be for many reasons. The children may think the remedy is worse than the poison. They may be holding out for another remedy that may be even more pleasant. They may enjoy being poisoned. They may not trust that their father can cure them. As the father in the story faked his death to bring the children to their right minds, the Buddha seems to disappear from our lives so that we may learn to accept the teaching he provides for us. And as the father reappeared to the children once they took the remedy, the Buddha reappears to us when we practice his teaching.
The Daily Dharma is produced by the Lexington Nichiren Buddhist Community. To subscribe to the daily emails, visit zenzaizenzai.com
Day 16
Day 16 concludes Chapter 11, Beholding the Stūpa of Treasures, and completes the Fourth Volume of the Sūtra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma.
Having last month witnessed the Buddhas of the 10 directions traveling to the Sahā World, we witness the purification of additional lands in order to seat all of Śākyamuni Buddha’s replicas.
Śākyamuni Buddha again purified two hundred billion nayuta more worlds of each of the eight quarters [neighboring the expanded world] to seat all the Buddhas of his replicas. The hells, the regions of hungry spirits, the regions of animals, and the regions of asuras [of those worlds] were eliminated; and the gods and men [of those worlds] were removed to other worlds. The ground of those purified worlds became lapis lazuli. The worlds were adorned with jeweled trees five hundred yojanas tall. The trees were adorned with branches, leaves, flowers and fruits. Under the trees were lion-like seats of treasures five yojanas tall, adorned with great treasures. The great oceans, rivers, the Mucilinda Mountains, the Maha-Mucilinda Mountains, the Surrounding Iron Mountains, the Great Surrounding Iron Mountains, the Sumeru Mountains, and all the other great mountains [of those worlds] were eliminated, and all those worlds were amalgamated into one Buddha-world [that is, into the world of Śākyamuni Buddha]. The jeweled ground of this [expanded] world was even. Jeweled curtains and canopies adorned with streamers were hung over this [expanded] world; the incense of great treasures, burned; and jeweled flowers of heaven, strewn over the ground.
Thereupon the Buddhas of the replicas of Śākyamuni Buddha in the worlds of the east, who were expounding the Dharma in those worlds numbering hundreds of thousands of billions of nayutas, that is, as many as there are sands in the River Ganges, came [to this expanded world]. So did the Buddhas of the worlds of the nine other quarters. They sat on the seats [under the jeweled trees]. [The Sahā-World and] the four hundred billion nayuta worlds of each of the eight quarters[, which were amalgamated into one Buddha world,] were filled with those Buddhas, with those Tathāgatas.
The Symbolism of Chapter 11
Buddhism for Today, p 147-148Like Chapter 2, [Chapter 11] relates stories that sound strange at first. As already explained in the Introduction, the Lotus Sutra often represents abstract ideas in the form of concrete images in order to help people grasp them. This entire chapter is a case in point.
First, we must explain the description of the Stupa of the Precious Seven springing from the earth. This Stupa symbolizes the buddha nature that all people possess. Buddha-nature (the stupa) springing from the earth implies unexpectedly discovering one’s buddha-nature in oneself (the earth), which one had been predisposed to regard as impure. Hence the title of this chapter, “Beholding the Precious Stupa.”
In this Stupa is the Tathāgata Abundant Treasures, who symbolizes the absolute truth that was realized by the Tathāgata Sakyamuni. This truth never changes, and it has existed throughout the universe forever. The truth is revealed in the form of the various teachings of the Buddha, and it guides people everywhere. This is symbolized by the buddhas who have emanated from the Buddha and who are preaching the Law in worlds in all directions.
When the Tathāgata Abundant Treasures within the Precious Stupa shares half his throne with Sakyamuni Buddha, saying, “Sakyamuni Buddha! Take this seat!” Abundant Treasures testifies that all the teachings of the Tathāgata Sakyamuni are true. This testimony is delivered by truth itself. It may be difficult to understand the idea of the truth itself testifying to the truth, but in brief, this means that all that Sakyamuni Buddha has said is sure to come true eventually. To come true eventually is to testify that what the Buddha said is the truth. There can be no testimony more definite than this.
There is a deep meaning in the image of the Tathāgata Abundant Treasures as the truth and the Tathāgata Sakyamuni as its preacher sitting side by side cross-legged on the lion throne in the Stupa of the Precious Seven. This symbolizes the fact that were it not for a person who preaches the truth, ordinary people could not realize it, and that a preacher of the truth is as much to be honored as the truth itself.
Lastly, the great assembly reflected thus: “The Buddhas are sitting aloft and far away. Would that the Tathāgata by his transcendent powers might cause us together to take up our abode in the sky.” Then immediately Sakyamuni Buddha, by his transcendent powers, transferred the great assembly to the sky. This signifies that if people discover their buddha-nature in themselves, they will be able immediately to make their abode in the world of the buddhas.
In this chapter, grasping the meaning of the text as a whole is more important than understanding the meaning of specific verses or words.
Craving Suffering
The second noble truth teaches that the true root of suffering is the craving for happiness itself. This craving is the result of the unrealistic expectation that life should be a source of unchangeable happiness as discussed under the first noble truth. Craving is what transforms the occasionally painful process of life into an ongoing cycle of agony and unbearable suffering at worst or a life of subtle agitation and anxiety at best. Thus, while external circumstances can indeed bring about uncomfortable or tragic experiences, it is the internal craving that turns mere pain into suffering. Indeed, craving can even spoil pleasant circumstances with its incessant demands and impoverished outlook on life. All of this is not to deny or denigrate the experiences of those who have or are experiencing affliction, exploitation, or tragedy. The point is that when one lets craving compound painful circumstances with emotional suffering or lets craving spoil even pleasant circumstances, then one has truly given up one’s power and is destined for a life determined by the forces of greed, anger and ignorance which are naturally generated in reaction to suffering.
Open Your Eyes, p166-167Facial Expression of the Ten Realms
QUESTION: I do not dare question what the Lotus Sūtra says and how T’ien-t’ai and his disciple Chang-an interpreted it regarding the “mutual possession of ten realms.” However, they sound as though they are calling fire, “water,” and black, “white.” It is hard to understand although I believe this is what the Buddha preached. Now, no matter how many times we look at each other’s faces, we see only a human being, not anything of other realms. It is the same with our own face. How is it possible to believe in the “mutual possession of the ten realms” doctrine?
ANSWER: As we often look at each other’s faces, we notice our facial expression changes from time to time. It is full of delight, anger, or calm sometimes; but other times it changes to greed, ignorance, or flattery. Anger represents hells; greed—hungry spirits; ignorance—beasts; flattery—asura demons; delight—gods; and calm—men. Thus, we see in the countenance of people six realms of illusion, from hells to the realm of gods. We cannot see four realms of holy ones (śrāvaka, pratyekabuddha, bodhisattvas, and Buddhas), which are hidden from our eyes. Nevertheless, we must be able to see them, too, if we look for them carefully.
Kanjin Honzon-shō, A Treatise Revealing the Spiritual Contemplation and the Most Verable One, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Doctrine 2, Page 134-135
Daily Dharma – May 7, 2020
He said to them, ‘Do not be afraid! Do not go back! You can stay in that great city, and do anything you like. If you enter that city, you will be peaceful. If you go on afterwards and reach the place of treasures, then you can go home.
This is part of the Parable of the Magic City, told by the Buddha in Chapter Seven of the Lotus Sūtra. In the story, a guide is leading a group of travelers through a dangerous road to a city of treasures. Halfway through the trip, the travelers, overcome by their fear and fatigue, consider giving up their journey and returning to their previous lives. The guide makes a resting place for them where they can relax before continuing. When the travelers mistake this resting place for their destination, the guide makes the city disappear so that they will keep moving towards the true treasures. The Buddha compares himself to the guide, us to the travelers, the magic city to that place we all want where even our unspoken desires are met, and his enlightenment to the city of treasures. To see the world as it is and find true happiness, we need to let go of our delusions and keep faith in our guide and his highest teaching.
The Daily Dharma is produced by the Lexington Nichiren Buddhist Community. To subscribe to the daily emails, visit zenzaizenzai.com
Day 15
Day 15 concludes Chapter 10, The Teacher of the Dharma, and opens Chapter 11, Beholding the Stūpa of Treasures.
Having last month considered how one should expound the sutra, we consider the Buddha’s vow to help the teacher of the Dharma.“Medicine-King! Although I shall be in another world [after my extinction], I will manifest men and women [by my supernatural powers], dispatch them [to the expounder of the Dharma], and have them collect people to hear the Dharma from him. I also will manifest monks, nuns and men or women of faith [by my supernatural powers], dispatch them, and have them hear the Dharma from them. These people manifested [by my supernatural powers] will hear the Dharma [from him], receive it by faith, follow it, and not oppose it. If he lives in a retired place, I will dispatch gods, dragons, demigods, gandharvas, asuras, and others to him, and have them hear the Dharma from him. Although I shall be in another world, l will cause him to see me from time to time. If he forgets a phrase of this sūtra, I will tell it to him for his complete [understanding].”
The Daily Dharma from May 25, 2019, offers this:
My body is pure and indestructible.
I will appear in any of many thousands of billions of worlds
During many hundreds of millions of kalpas,
And expound the Dharma to the living beings.
The Buddha sings these verses to Medicine-King Bodhisattva in Chapter Ten of the Lotus Sūtra. We can hear these lines and assume that the body of the Buddha is somehow a permanent version of the man who lived in this world of conflict 2500 years ago. The body of the Buddha takes many forms. We can see it in his teachings: the Wonderful Dharma he left for us. We can see it in every raindrop, every mountain, every smile and snarling face that comes into our lives. We can see it in the capacity we and all beings have to shed our delusions and live peacefully. The Buddha is always leading us to our better selves, whether we realize it or not.
The Daily Dharma is produced by the Lexington Nichiren Buddhist Community. To subscribe to the daily emails, visit zenzaizenzai.com
Praising the Lotus Sutra
People frequently ask me how does chanting Namu Myoho Renge Kyo work or how do we practice the Lotus Sutra. The Buddha gives us many clues to just what practicing the Lotus Sutra entails. Fundamentally, though, praising the Lotus Sutra is key. Think about this: You do not praise things you don’t like, at least not normally. When you praise something, you are expressing your gratitude. Modern science has done studies that show that people who are able to express gratitude increase their overall sense of well-being and happiness. This is where it starts for us as Buddhists in our practice of the Lotus Sutra.
Lecture on the Lotus Sutra