Journey of the Path to Righteousness, p 46You need to understand the meaning of Kyo-On Rosho in regard to the chanting of Odaimoku. I will explain. On of Kyo-On is the sound of the chanting of Odaimoku. The voice chanting Odaimoku should be one of respectfulness and reverence. It is a voice of both humility and joy. The sound of Odaimoku should be cheerful. It should not be sorrowful or grim.
When Nichiren Daishonin stood on the rocky ledge of Mt. Kiyosumi at Asahigamori, he faced the rising sun in a dignified manner and chanted the Odaimoku (Namu Myōhō Renge Kyō, Namu Myōhō Renge Kyō …) in a cheerful voice from the bottom of his abdomen upward.
Monthly Archives: September 2020
The Living Reality of Buddhism
The Focus of Devotion is the means by which we can express and personify Buddhahood, the goal of Buddhist practice. By using images such as the mandala, the mind is given a focus, as well as something to motivate, inspire, and even challenge it. The Focus of Devotion also serves as a reminder that Buddhism is not about abstract principles and theories. Instead, it is a living reality that awakens us from within our own minds and hearts.
Lotus SeedsThe Realm of Buddhas Inherent in Their Minds
The doctrine of the “mutual possession of the ten realms” is not explained in any sūtras expounded during forty years or so of the Buddha’s preaching except in the Lotus Sūtra. Since the “mutual possession of the ten realms” doctrine is not preached, believers of those sūtras do not know about the realm of Buddhas inherent in their minds.
Unaware of the realm of Buddhas in their minds, they do not know of other Buddhas outside of their minds either. Namely, practicers of expedient sūtras preached in the pre-Lotus period of forty years or so do not know of Buddhas. Even if they see Buddhas, they merely see Buddhas in other worlds, not real Buddhas.
Practicers of the two teachings, śrāvaka and pratyekabuddha, are unaware of the Buddha within their own minds, so they cannot become Buddhas. Bodhisattvas of the pre-Lotus sūtras, unaware of the “mutual possession of the ten realms,” themselves deny the attainment of Buddhahood by practicers of śrāvaka and pratyekabuddha teachings. Thus, they are unable to fulfill their vow of saving all people. These bodhisattvas do not see the Buddha. Likewise, ignorant people do not know the “mutual possession of the ten realms,” so the Buddha realm inherent in them is not revealed. As a result, the Buddha of Infinite Life will not come to welcome them at the last moment of life, and Buddhas will not come to help them upon request. They are like the blind who cannot see their own shadow.
Now in the Lotus Sūtra, it was clarified that the Buddha realm is inherently possessed by even those in the unenlightened nine realms, enabling those who had listened to the expedient pre-Lotus sūtras–bodhisattvas, Two Vehicles (śrāvaka and pratyekabuddha ), and those in the six realms of illusion–all to see for the first time the Buddha realm in themselves. It was the first time that those people were able to become true Buddhas, true bodhisattvas and true śrāvaka and pratyekabuddha. It was the first time that bodhisattvas and śrāvaka and pratyekabuddha attained Buddhahood and ignorant people were able to be reborn in the Pure Land. Regardless, during or after the lifetime of the Buddha, the true, trustworthy teacher (“good friend”) of all the people is the Lotus Sūtra. Tendai scholars in general assert that one can achieve enlightenment through pre-Lotus sūtras, but I, Nichiren, do not accept it. Having no time to discuss this thoroughly in this book, I merely mention it here briefly. I hope to discuss it in detail someday.
Shugo Kokka-ron, Treatise on Protecting the Nation, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Doctrine 1, Page 60-61
Daily Dharma – Sept. 22, 2020
Anyone who protects this sūtra
Should be considered
To have already made offerings
To Many-Treasures and to me.
The Buddha makes this declaration to all those assembled to hear him teach the Dharma in Chapter Eleven of the Lotus Sūtra. In the story, Many-Treasures Buddha has just appeared to confirm the truth of the sūtra, and the Buddha has asked who will protect and preserve this sūtra after his extinction. By considering anyone who defends the meaning of the Lotus Sūtra to be one who has been personally present before these Buddhas, the Buddha invites us to consider not just our previous lives, but our current lives. We repay these Buddhas for this wonderful teaching by bringing it to life ourselves. As Nichiren wrote, “even if only a word or phrase, spread it to others.”
The Daily Dharma is produced by the Lexington Nichiren Buddhist Community. To subscribe to the daily emails, visit zenzaizenzai.com
Day 17
Day 17 covers all of Chapter 12, Devadatta, and opens Chapter 13, Encouragement for Keeping this Sutra.
Having last month repeated in gāthās the king’s search and the teacher he finds, we consider Devadatta’s role and the prediction of his future buddhahood.
The Buddha said to the bhikṣus:
“The king at that time was a previous life of myself. The seer at that time was a previous life of Devadatta. Devadatta was my teacher. He caused me to complete the six pāramitās. He caused me to have loving-kindness, compassion, joy and impartiality. He caused me to have the thirty-two major marks and the eighty minor marks [of the Buddha]. He caused me to have my body purely gilt. He caused me to have the ten powers and the four kinds of fearlessness. He caused me to know the four ways to attract others. He caused me to have the eighteen properties and supernatural powers [of the Buddha]. He caused me to have the power of giving discourses. I attained perfect enlightenment and now save all living beings because Devadatta was my teacher.”
He said to the four kinds of devotees:
“Devadatta will become a Buddha after innumerable kalpas.’ He will be called Heavenly-King, the Tathāgata, the Deserver of Offerings, the Perfectly Enlightened One, the Man of Wisdom and Practice, the Well-Gone, the Knower of the World, the Unsurpassed Man, the Controller of Men, the Teacher of Gods and Men, the Buddha, the World-Honored One. The world of that Buddha will be called Heavenly-Way. That Buddha will live for twenty intermediate ka]pas. He will expound the Wonderful Dharma to all living beings. [Hearing the Dharma from him,] as many living beings as there are sands in the River Ganges will obtain Arhatship; another group of innumerable living beings will aspire for the enlightenment of cause-knowers; and another group of living beings as many as there are sands in the River Ganges will aspire for unsurpassed enlightenment, obtain the truth of birthlessness, and reach the stage of irrevocability. After the Parinirvana of Heavenly-King Buddha, his right teachings will be preserved in that world for twenty intermediate kalpas. During that time a stupa of the seven treasures sixty yojanas tall and forty yojanas wide and deep will be erected to enshrine the śarīras of his perfect body. Gods and men will bow to the wonderful stupa of the seven treasures and offer various flowers, incense powder, incense to burn, incense applicable to the skin, garments, necklaces, banners, streamers, jeweled canopies, music and songs of praise [to the stupa]. [By doing all this,] innumerable living beings will attain Arhatship; another group of innumerable living beings will attain Pratyekabuddhahood; and another group of inconceivably numerous living beings will aspire for Bodhi and reach the stage of irrevocability.”
He said to the bhikṣus:
“Good men or women in the future who hear this chapter of Devadatta of the Sūtra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma with faithful respect caused by their pure minds, and have no doubts [about this chapter], will not fall into hell or the region of hungry spirits or the region of animals. They will be reborn before the Buddhas of the worlds of the ten quarters. They will always hear this sūtra at the places of their rebirth. Even when they are reborn among men or gods, they will be given wonderful pleasures. When they are reborn before the Buddhas, they will appear in lotus-flowers.”
See A Rival Teacher?
A Rival Teacher?
The Stories of the Lotus Sutra, p149Some scholars believe that stories of Devadatta’s evil deeds were invented later to discredit the leader of a group that was a rival to the main Buddhist organization, a Buddhist saint whose rival organization lasted for several centuries and probably only died with the death of Buddhism in India, long after the time of the Buddha. (See Reginald A. Ray’s Buddhist Saints in India, pp 162-78)
Ho-On
Journey of the Path to Righteousness, p 47-48Ho-On (the Sound of the Dharma) means “the sound of itself” if you vocally chant it, as with “Namu Myōhō Renge Kyō.” Because of this we say this is the “focus of the mind” with the voice of ” Namu Myōhō Renge Kyō.” We position our mind on the sound of “Namu Myōhō Renge Kyō.” We should chant with mind, voice, and Gassho posture being in a complete state of oneness. We should also, after all, chant wholeheartedly. It is with our heart and our soul that we chant the Odaimoku. Bishop Yukawa told us “chant in the mouth, chant in the heart, chant in the abdomen, and chant in the head.”
Do not think about being grateful or the meaning of the Odaimoku when you chant. Instead, recite the Odaimoku wholeheartedly, listen to that Odaimoku and be attuned with others. Don’t merely chant: devote yourself to it, and become of one mind, of like mind.
Seeing the Reasons for Occurrences in the World
T’ien-t’ai has this to say in his Words and Phrases of the Lotus Sūtra: “Looking at heavy rainfall, one can tell the size of the dragon which causes it; looking at the abundance of lotus flowers, one can tell the depth of the pond.” Miao-lê explains it in his Annotations on the Words and Phrases of the Lotus Sūtra: “Only wise men can foretell what is going to happen; only snakes know the way of snakes.” When the sky is blue, the land is bright, so those who know the Lotus Sūtra can see the reasons for occurrences in the world.
Kanjin Honzon-shō, A Treatise Revealing the Spiritual Contemplation and the Most Verable One, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Doctrine 2, Page 164
Daily Dharma – Sept. 21, 2020
True practicers of Buddhism should not rely on what people say, but solely on the golden words of the Buddha.
Nichiren wrote this passage in his Treatise on the True Way of Practicing the Teaching of the Buddha (Nyosetsu Shugyō-shō). We may take this to mean that we should not listen to anything that others tell us and dogmatically adhere to a fixed teaching. Another interpretation involves learning to see the world as the Buddha does. Where people often speak from their own delusion and selfish desires, the Buddha speaks only to lead us to his enlightenment and help us to remove our attachments. When we look for the Buddha in all parts of our lives, we can learn to appreciate anything we hear from anybody as teaching us to become enlightened.
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 considered in gāthās the story of the Saintly Master, the World-Honored One, Who had passed away a long time ago, we hear the Buddha ask in gāthās who will protect and keep this sūtra.(The Buddha said to the great multitude.)
Who will protect
And keep this sūtra,
And read and recite it
After my extinction?
Make a vow before me to do this!Many-Treasures Buddha,
Who had passed away a long time ago,
Made a loud voice like the roar of a lion
According to his great vow.Many-Treasures Tathāgata and I
And the Buddhas of my replicas,
Who have assembled here,
Wish to know who will do [all this].My sons!
Who will protect the Dharma?
Make a great vow
To preserve the Dharma forever!Anyone who protects this sūtra
Should be considered
To have already made offerings
To Many-Treasures and to me.Many-Treasures Buddha vowed to go
About the worlds of the ten quarters,
Riding in the stūpa of treasures,
In order to hear this sūtra [directly from the expounder].Anyone [who protects this sūtra] also
Should be considered to have already made offerings
To the Buddhas of my replicas, who have come here
And adorned the worlds with their light.Anyone who expounds this sūtra
Will be able to see me,
To see Many-Treasures Tathāgata,
And to see the Buddhas of my replicas.