Monthly Archives: August 2020

LS32

Day 30

Day 30 covers all of Chapter 26, Dhāraṇīs

Day 30 Text with annotationsPlay MP3
Having last month concluded Chapter 26, Dhāraṇīs, we return to Medicine-King Bodhisattva and question about the merits to be given to the good men or women who practice the Lotus Sūtra.

Thereupon Medicine-King Bodhisattva rose front his seat, bared his right shoulder, joined his hands together towards the Buddha, and said to him:
“World-Honored One! How many merits will be given to the good men or women who keep, read, recite, understand or copy the Sūtra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma?”

The Buddha said to him:

“Suppose some good men or women make offerings to eight hundred billion nayuta Buddhas, that is, as many Buddhas as there are sands in the River Ganges. What do you think of this? Are the merits given to them many or not?”

“Very many, World-Honored One!”

The Buddha said: “More merits will be given to the good men or women who keep, read or recite· even a single gāthā of four lines of this sūtra, understand the meanings of it or act according to it.”

See Mystic Syllables

Vasubandhu, d1b

Fifteen Meanings of One Who Is Worthy

As for “all of them were arhats,” the term “arhat” means “one who is worthy.” The fifteen meanings of one who is worthy should be known. What are these fifteen?

1) One who is worthy receives food and bedding, honor, and reverence; 2) one who is worthy leads the great assembly in giving guidance to all [living beings]; 3) one who is worthy enters such places as cities and villages; 4) one who is worthy overcomes all heretical systems; 5) one who is worthy quickly surveys all phenomena (dharmas) with wisdom; 6) one who is worthy teaches the Dharma untiringly and in good physical condition in accordance with the truth (Dharma); 7) one who is worthy sits tranquilly in a secluded forest, does not accumulate or gather food, clothing, or possessions, and is satisfied with little; 8) one who is worthy intently practices good conduct and does not become attached to any meditation; 9) one who is worthy carries out the noble practice of emptiness; 10) one who is worthy carries out the noble practice of signlessness; 11) one who is worthy carries out the noble practice of wishlessness; 12) one who is worthy suppresses [their desire for] the tranquility of worldly meditation; 13) one who is worthy has produced the superior qualities of all the supernatural powers; 14) one who is worthy has realized the superior merits of the supreme meaning; and 15) with their knowledge of true reality, one who is worthy [knows] the merits that those of the same group have attained in order to benefit all living beings.

Vasubandhu's Commentary on the Lotus Sutra, p 98
WONS

A Life Dedicate to the Lotus Sūtra

From the time I began preaching the teaching of the Lotus Sūtra, I have resolved to dedicate my life to the Lotus Sūtra and spread my name in the Pure Land of Buddhas in all the worlds throughout the universe. Thus, I have been prepared to meet with persecution.

Ichinosawa Nyūdō Gosho, A Letter to Lay Priest Ichinosawa, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Volume 6, Followers I, Page 161

Daily Dharma

Daily Dharma – Aug. 31, 2020

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

Blog

Purifying the Great Outdoors

20200830_kaji-kito-service

The new normal.

Attended the monthly Kaji Kito service at the Sacramento Nichiren Buddhist Church. The masked crowd was given a socially distanced purification prayer by Rev. Kenjo Igarashi. Judging by California’s revised guidelines it will be at least five weeks before services will again be allowed inside. The grass in the courtyard between the Social Hall and the Temple is already showing signs of wear and Rev. Igarashi, who serves as the church gardener in his spare time, is worried that the grass will not survive.

I wish I were able to detail Rev. Igarashi’s Dharma talk but I didn’t record it. The subject, however, was about the need for religion to meet the needs of individual before focusing on wider goals. This was the subject of Rev. Igarashi’s Lecture published in the church’s November/December 2016 newsletter. After discussing Nichiren Shonin and his various forms of prayer for differing purposes, Rev. Igarashi writes:

However, I personally think that we must first attempt to practice what I like to call “rissho anshin” or “establishing one’s peace of mind”, before embarking on a path to help others. We cannot expect someone who is suffering or unhappy with his or her life to have the capacity to pray for world peace. However, we can use the teachings of the Lotus Sutra, or the “right teaching” as Nichiren Shonin called it, to work towards attaining happiness, after which we can pray for peace within one’s family, the country, and then the world. Thus, we can take small steps that would allow us to ultimately practice what Nichiren Shonin stated in his Rissho Ankoku Ron.

Focusing on Rissho Anshin Before Rissho Ankoku

LS32

Day 29

Day 29 covers all of Chapter 25, The Universal Gate of World-Voice-Perceiver Bodhisattva.

Day 29 Text with annotationsPlay MP3
Having last month considered the merits to be given to those who bow and make offerings to World-Voice-Perceiver, we consider how World-Voice-Perceiver Bodhisattva goes about this Sahā-World.

Endless-Intent Bodhisattva said to the Buddha:

“World-Honored One! How does World-Voice-Perceiver Bodhisattva go about this Sahā-World? How does he expound the Dharma to the living beings? What expedients does he employ?”

The Buddha said to Endless-Intent Bodhisattva:

“Good man! In a certain world, World-Voice-Perceiver Bodhisattva takes the shape of a Buddha and expounds the Dharma to those who are to be saved by a Buddha. He takes the shape of a Pratyekabuddha and expounds the Dharma to those who are to be saved by a Pratyekabuddha. He takes the shape of a Śrāvaka and expounds the Dharma to those who are to be saved by a Śrāvaka. He takes the shape of King Brahman and expounds the Dharma to those who are to be saved by King Brahman. He takes the shape of King Śakra and expounds the Dharma to those who are to be saved by King Śakra. He takes the shape of Freedom God and expounds the Dharma to those who are to be saved by Freedom God. He takes the shape of Great-Freedom God and expounds the Dharma to those who are to be saved by Great-Freedom God. He takes the shape of a great general in heaven and expounds the Dharma to those who are to be saved by a great general in heaven. He takes the shape of Vaiśravaṇa and expounds the Dharma to those who are to be saved by Vaiśravaṇa. He takes the shape of the king of a small country and expounds the Dharma to those who are to be saved by the king of a small country. He takes the shape of a rich man and expounds the Dharma to those who are to be saved by a rich man. He takes the shape of a householder and expounds the Dharma to those who are to be saved by a householder. He takes the shape of a prime minister and expounds the Dharma to those who are to be saved by a prime minister. He takes the shape of a brahmana and expounds the Dharma to those who are to be saved by a brāhmana. He takes the shape of a bhikṣu, a bhikṣunī, an upāsakā or an upāsikā and expounds the Dharma to those who are to be saved by a bhikṣu, a bhikṣunī, an upāsakā or an upāsikā. He takes the shape of a wife and expounds the Dharma to those who are to be saved by the wife of a rich man, of a householder, of a prime minister, or of a brāhmana. He takes the shape of a boy or a girl and expounds the Dharma to those who are to be saved by a boy or a girl. He takes the shape of a god, a dragon, a yakṣa, a gandharva, an asura, a garuda, a kiṃnara, a mahoraga, a human being or a nonhuman being and expounds the Dharma to those who are to be saved by one or another of these living beings. He takes the shape of Vajra-Holding God and expounds the Dharma to those who are to be saved by Vajra-Holding God.

“Endless-Intent! This World-Voice-Perceiver Bodhisattva does these meritorious deeds. He takes various shapes, walks about many worlds, and saves the living beings [of those worlds]. 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.”

See Princess Miao-shan

LS32, d29b, b4today

Princess Miao-shan

While both the concept of appealing for help by calling the name of the bodhisattva and the idea that Kwan-yin takes on many forms remained important elements in Kwan-yin devotion and religious practices, a great many other stories, extra-canonical stories, especially stories of embodiments of Kwan-yin, attracted popular attention in China. The most common of these stories to come down to the present day is the story of Princess Miao-shan. Taught to them by their mothers and grandmothers, it has had much influence on how Kwan-yin is perceived and understood by Chinese Buddhists.

Miao-shan (meaning “wonderfully good”) was the third daughter of King Miao-chuang. She was naturally attracted to Buddhism, keeping a vegetarian diet from a young age, reading Buddhist scriptures during the day, and meditating at night. Having no sons, the King hoped to choose an heir from among his sons-in-law. When Miao-shan became old enough to marry, unlike her two older sisters who had married men chosen by their father, she refused to be married to anyone. angered her father so much that he found a variety of ways in which to punish her. For a while, for example, she was made to do hard work in the garden. When those tasks were completed, she was allowed to go to the White Sparrow nunnery, where she underwent further trials designed to discourage her from becoming a nun. But she persevered. So the King burned down the temple, killing the five hundred nuns who lived there, and he had Miao-shan executed for disobedience.

While her body was being protected by a mountain spirit, Miao-shan’s spirit traveled to a purgatory, where she was able to save many beings by preaching the Dharma to them. Returning to earth, she went to Fragrant Mountain, meditated for nine years, and became fully awakened.

By this time her father the King had become very ill with a mysterious incurable disease. Disguised as a wandering monk, Miao-shan went to her father and told him that there was only one thing that could save him – a medicine that was made from the eyes and hands of someone who had never felt anger. And she even told him where such a person could be found. There she secretly offered her own eyes and hands to be turned into medicine, which was taken by the King, curing him of his disease.

The King then went to Fragrant Mountain to give thanks to the one who had saved him. There he immediately recognized the ascetic without eyes or hands as his own daughter. Overwhelmed with remorse, the King and his entire family converted to Buddhism. And Miao-shan was transformed into her real form – Kwan-yin with a thousand arms and eyes. Soon after this, Miao-shan died and her remains were placed in a pagoda.

Buddhism for Today, p279-280
Vasubandhu, d1b

The Accomplishment of Seven Types of Merit

The Commentary [on Chapter One, Introductory] says: The gateway to this sutra begins with an introduction that reveals the accomplishment of seven types of merit. 1) [The merit] accomplished in the opening statement; 2) [the merit] accomplished with the gathering of the great assembly; 3) [the merit] accomplished when the Tathāgata wants to teach the Dharma; 4) [the merit] accomplished when the comportment by which [the Tathāgata] teaches the Dharma accords with his station; 5) [the merit] accomplished when he establishes the ground to teach; 6) [the merit] accomplished when the assembly wants to hear about the event; 7) [the merit] accomplished by Bodhisattva Mañjuśrī.

Vasubandhu's Commentary on the Lotus Sutra, p 95-96
d29b, WONS

Voice Perceiver Universal Gate

The chapter “Bodhisattva Voice Perceiver” is also known as the chapter “Universal Gate.” Since the first half of this chapter tells of the merits of a person who pays homage to the Bodhisattva World Voice Perceiver (Avalokiteśvara), this chapter is named “Voice Perceiver.” It is also named “Universal Gate” since the latter half tells of the merits of a person who takes refuge with the Lotus Sūtra which the Bodhisattva Voice Perceiver maintains.

Nichinyo Gozen Gohenji, Response to My Lady Nichinyo, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Faith and Practice, Volume 4, Page 133-134

Daily Dharma

Daily Dharma – Aug. 30, 2020

Anyone who wishes to expound this sūtra
Should give up jealousy, anger, arrogance,
Flattery, deception and dishonesty.
He should always be upright.

The Buddha sings these verses to Mañjuśrī in Chapter Fourteen of the Lotus Sūtra in which he describes the peaceful practices of a Bodhisattva. The way we live our lives can either reinforce our delusions or help us gain more clarity about how things really are. In these verses, the Buddha advises against these actions not because he will think less of us when we do them, but because when we find ourselves behaving these ways it is because we are not seeing things for what they are.

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