Monthly Archives: August 2020

WONS

The Intended Audience of the Theoretical Section

The theoretical section of the Lotus Sūtra consists of fourteen chapters, of which eight chapters (2-9) serve as the main discourse. At first glance, these eight chapters seem to be preached primarily for the two categories of Hinayāna sages called śrāvaka and pratyekabuddha and only secondarily for bodhisattvas and ordinary people. On careful examination, they seem primarily reserved for ordinary people after the death of Śākyamuni Buddha, in the Age of the True Dharma, that of the Semblance Dharma, and the Latter Age of Degeneration. These chapters are aimed especially at those people living in the beginning of the Latter Age of Degeneration.

QUESTION: What is your proof for that?

ANSWER: It is stated in the tenth chapter of the Lotus Sūtra, “The Teacher of the Dharma:” “This sūtra has aroused much hatred and jealousy even during the lifetime of the Buddha. How much more can this be expected after His death!” And in the eleventh chapter, “Appearance of the Stupa of Treasures:” “The Buddha of Many Treasures and Buddhas in manifestation (funjin Buddhas) from all the worlds in the universe gathered together to make this dharma live forever. (…) Buddhas in manifestation should remember My (Buddha’s) intention to keep on spreading the dharma forever.” You may find similar statements in the thirteenth chapter, “Encouragement for Upholding This Sūtra, and fourteenth chapter, “Peaceful Practices.” They show that the theoretical section of the Lotus Sūtra is directed to those in the beginning of the Latter Age.

Kanjin Honzon-shō, A Treatise Revealing the Spiritual Contemplation and the Most Verable One, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Doctrine 2, Page 153

Daily Dharma

Daily Dharma – Aug. 2, 2020

It is difficult to keep this sūtra.
I shall be glad to see
Anyone keeping it even for a moment.
So will all the other Buddhas.

The Buddha sings these verses in Chapter Eleven of the Lotus Sūtra. He is well aware of how hard it is to move from expedient teachings to the Wonderful Dharma. We have habits and attachments built up over many lifetimes, and live in a world that does not always support our practice. Still, one cannot underestimate the importance of trying, even for the briefest amount of time, to hold on to this teaching and bring it to life in this world.

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

LS32, Innumerable

Another Innumerable Day Before Day 1

In today’s reading of the Sutra of Innumerable Meanings I was struck by the description of the crowd listening to the sermon. In addition to the expected mahāsattva bodhisattvas, heavenly beings, nāgas, yakṣas, gandharvas, asuras, garuḍas, kiṃnaras, and mahoragas and the various monks, nuns, laymen, and laywomen, this sutra adds another component:

Spontaneously gathered around them—each with retinues that were hundreds of thousands of myriads in number—were leaders of empires great and small: rulers of gold-wheel, silver-wheel, and lesser-wheel domains; kings, princes, and officials of state; and citizens who were noblemen, noble-women, or people of great means.

Later when the benefits of the sutra are detailed “the leaders of empires great and small—rulers of silver-wheel, iron-wheel, and lesser-wheel domains, kings, princes, officials of state, and citizens who were noblemen, noblewomen, or people of great means” are recognized again.

Why, in this sutra, are government officials and wealthy people prominently singled out?

The Sutra of Contemplation of the Dharma Practice of Universal Sage Bodhisattva, which I recited yesterday, we have just Ānanda, Mahākāśyapa and Maitreya singled out in the audience even though this sutra includes instruction specifically designed for “kings, ministers of state, spiritual leaders, people of privilege, wealthy persons, civic leaders, and others of this kind.” In the Lotus Sutra, we have just King Ajatasatru, who was the son of Vaidehi, and no other references to kings and government officials in the audience.

Why are there no shopkeepers or farmers or townspeople, let alone day-laborers or the poor and destitute in the audience?

While I recognize that sutras need to be considered in the context of Indian cultural attitudes, the disregard for those who are not wealthy or powerful just struck me as strange today.

 

d3b, Blog

One Vehicle of Many Means

Having added the “missing” portion of the Lotus Sūtra’s Chapter 5, The Simile of Herbs, I’m continuing my Office Lens housecleaning with quotes I saved from Gene Reeves’ Translator’s Introduction to his 2008 translation of the The Lotus Sutra.

Today’s quote ties nicely to the Buddha’s statement in Simile of the Clay Pots: “O Kāśyapa, there are not three vehicles. There are only beings of severally different modes of conduct, and for that reason three vehicles are designated.”

While the three ways [Pratyekabuddhas, Śrāvakas and Bodhisattvas] can be understood as two, they can also be understood as representative of many ways. “Ever since I became a buddha,” Shakyamuni says at the beginning of chapter 2, “I have used a variety of causal explanations and a variety of parables to teach and preach, and countless skillful means to lead living beings.” The reason the Dharma is so difficult to understand and accept is that a great many teaching devices have been used, among them both the metaphor of the three vehicles and the reality underlying the metaphor, the three different approaches themselves. What makes everything clear, says the Buddha, is an understanding of the one vehicle of many skillful means now being revealed.

While the Lotus Sutra rejects the extreme of pure diversity and the consequent danger of nihilism through use of the one vehicle as the unity in purpose of the many skillful means, it also clearly rejects the opposite extreme of complete unity in which diversity disappears or is relegated to mere illusion. Here diversity is not lamented but regarded as a necessary consequence of the fact that living beings and their situations are diverse. And it is celebrated as the way in which a diversity of people can share the Dharma. Even when the sutra describes a future paradise, it includes shravakas as well as bodhisattvas; the diversity of approaches never disappears. In this sense, as in many others, this sutra teaches a “middle way,” here a middle way between utter diversity and sheer unity.

The infinite variety of ways of teaching have the one purpose of leading all living beings to pursue the goal of becoming a buddha, a goal that everyone without exception can reach, though the time may be very long and the way far from smooth or easy. (Reeves, p12-13)

WONS

The Need for Strong Faith

Let me say this for your sake. I am aware of your longstanding faith, but you must strengthen it. Then you will find the greater protection of the ten female rākṣasa demons. You need not look afar for an example; although all the people in Japan, from the ruler to common people, tried to harm me, I have survived until today due to my firm faith.

If a steerman handled his boat carelessly, everybody in the boat could be killed. No matter how strong a man physically is, he is unable to use his abilities effectively if he lacks faith.

Oto Gozen Go-shōsoku, A Letter to Lady Oto, Nyonin Gosho, Letters Addressed to Female Followers, Page 120-122

Daily Dharma

Daily Dharma – Aug. 1, 2020

Needless to say, so will be the merits of the person
Who keeps this sūtra, gives alms, observes the precepts,
Practices patience, prefers dhyāna-concentrations,
And does not get angry or speak ill of others.

The Buddha sings these verses in Chapter Seventeen of the Lotus Sūtra. In this chapter, he explains that anyone who understands his ever-present existence, even for a moment, will gain the merit of ridding themselves of innumerable delusions. In his previous teachings on the perfections of a Bodhisattva, he showed that our practices of generosity, discipline, patience, enthusiastic perseverance, concentration and wisdom, all these will help us to see the world as it is. Realizing that the Buddha is always here teaching us helps us to look for him. But this realization does not obscure the necessity of putting his teachings into practice so that we may benefit all beings.

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