[A]lthough fishermen and hunters today kill fish and deer daily and the warriors of the Minamoto and Taira clans kill each other annually, they probably will not fall into the Hell of Incessant Suffering so long as they don’t kill their own parents. In fact, with good luck some might encounter the Lotus Sūtra, put faith in it, and manage to become Buddhas.
Suzumono Goshōsoku, A Letter of Gratitude for Various Donations, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Volume 7, Followers II, Page 90
Medicine-King! This sūtra is the store of the hidden core of all the Buddhas. Do not give it to others carelessly! It is protected by the Buddhas, by the World-Honored Ones. It has not been expounded explicitly. Many people hate it with jealousy even in my lifetime. Needless to say, more people will do so after my extinction.
The Buddha makes this declaration to Medicine-King Bodhisattva in Chapter Ten of the Lotus Sūtra. For us who recognize how the Buddha’s teaching transforms our lives and the world, it can be hard to imagine that anyone would reject it. However, there are beings who are so filled with fear and delusion that they mistake the Buddha’s good medicine for poison. While we are committed to leading all beings to enlightenment, we realize that we are not alone in our efforts. The protective deities and the Buddha himself are always working to benefit all beings. In our current capacities, we may not be able to reach everybody immediately. We should not let this discourage us. The least we can do is hope in our hearts for the happiness of all beings, even if they are not accessible to us.
The Daily Dharma is produced by the Lexington Nichiren Buddhist Community. To subscribe to the daily emails, visit zenzaizenzai.com
At the start of the sutra we hear from Ānanda, Mahākāśyapa and Maitreya:
“World-honored One! After you have passed away, O Tathāgata, how do living beings produce the bodhisattva mind, practice in accordance with the comprehensive sutras of the Great Vehicle (Mahayana), and, with right mindfulness, bring their thoughts into the realm of one reality? How do they avoid losing sight of the aspiration for ultimate enlightenment (bodhicitta)? Moreover, without cutting off worldly passions and without abandoning the five desires, how do they achieve purity of the sense faculties and eliminate accumulated impurities? Without giving up the five desires, how can they still become capable of seeing events and things free from encumbrance with the pure natural eyes received from their parents at birth?”
The Buddha addressed Ānanda:
“Hear me clearly! Hear me clearly, and consider this well! In the past, on Mount Vulture Peak and at other places, the Tathāgata has already expounded the one genuine path from many perspectives. And now, at this place, for the benefit of all living beings in the future who wish to follow the Supreme Way that is the Great Vehicle—and who wish to learn and follow the practice of Universal Sage,3 I will now expound the method4 for that, which I have kept in mind. Impurities, in any number, should be eliminated whether one perceives Universal Sage or not. This I will now explain to you, accordingly, in great detail.
Going forward I will focus on each of the senses and their karmic consequences – the sense faculty of sight, the sense faculty of hearing, the sense faculty of smell, the sense faculty of speech and the sense faculty of the body and mind, each of which is detailed in the Sutra of Contemplation of Dharma Practice of Universal Sage.
All without giving up the five desires.
Buddhism established the practice of the Six Paramitas for the Bodhisattva in search of truth. The divisional practice of the Six Paramitas is the following:
This divisional Bodhisattva practice of the Six Paramitas is completely contained within the practice of chanting the Odaimoku. This being so, although not practicing each individual paramita with active cognition and direction, those who chant the Odaimoku and follow the correct teachings of Nichiren are naturally imbued with the paramitas just as a fountain naturally fills its basin with water.
Journey of the Path to Righteousness, p 2
With gratitude, I have received a piece of cloth for a clerical robe and an unlined kimono.
In ancient times there lived a nun named Sembyaku in India, who is said to have been born with her clothes on. As she grew up, it is said, her clothes too, grew in size, and when she became a Buddhist nun, her clothes were transformed into her clerical robe. As she attended a lecture meeting of the Lotus Sūtra, she was ultimately guaranteed to become a Buddha named the Gladly Seen by All Beings Buddha. Moreover, it is preached in the “Teacher of the Dharma” chapter of the Lotus Sūtra that he who spreads the Lotus Sūtra should wear the “robe of compassion and endurance,” namely he should have the gentle mind of compassion as well as the strong mind of perseverance.
Onkoromo narabini Hitoe Gosho, Thank-you Note for a Clerical Robe and an Unlined Kimono, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Volume 6, Followers I, Page 8
Mañjuśrī! A Bodhisattva-mahāsattva who keeps this Sūtra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma in the latter days after [my extinction] when the teachings are about to be destroyed, should have great loving-kindness towards laymen and monks, and great compassion towards those who are not Bodhisattvas. He should think: ‘They do not know that the Tathāgata expounded expedient teachings according to the capacities of all living beings. They do not hear, know or notice it, or ask a question about it or believe or understand it. Although they do not ask a question about this sūtra, or believe or understand it, I will lead them and cause them, wherever they may be, to understand the Dharma by my supernatural powers and by the power of my wisdom when I attain Anuttara-samyak-saṃbodhi.
The Buddha gives this explanation to Mañjuśrī Bodhisattva in Chapter Fourteen of the Lotus Sūtra. Until we reach enlightenment, we may not be able to reach all beings. Rather than blaming them for not having the capacity to learn from us, or blaming ourselves for not being skillful enough to reach them, the Buddha reminds us to be patient and realize there is no hurry to being free from our delusions.
The Daily Dharma is produced by the Lexington Nichiren Buddhist Community. To subscribe to the daily emails, visit zenzaizenzai.com
Day 32 covers Chapter 28, The Encouragement of Universal-Sage Bodhisattva, closing the Eighth Volume of the Sutra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma.
Having last month received the dhārāṇis spells from Universal Sage, we consider Śākyamuni’s reaction to Universal Sage’s vow.Thereupon Śākyamuni Buddha praised him, saying:
“Excellent, excellent, Universal-Sage! You will protect this sūtra so that many living beings may obtain peace and benefits. You have already obtained inconceivable merits and great compassion. You aspired for Anuttara-samyak-saṃbodhi and vowed [to protect this sūtra] by your supernatural powers in the remotest past, and have been protecting this sūtra since then. By my supernatural powers, I will protect anyone who keeps your name.
“Universal-Sage! Anyone who keeps, reads and recites this Sūtra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma, memorizes it correctly, studies it, practices it, and copies it, should be considered to see me, and hear this sūtra from my mouth. He should be considered to be making offerings to me. He should be considered to be praised by me with the word ‘Excellent!’ He should be considered to be caressed by me on the head. He should be considered to be covered with my robe. He will not be attached to worldly pleasures. He will not like to read heretical scriptures or any other writings of heretics. He will not be intimate with heretics, slaughterers, boar-breeders, sheep-breeders, fowl-breeders, dogbreeders, hunters, prostitutes, or any other evil people. He will be upright. He will have correct memory and the powers of merits and virtues. He will not be troubled by the three poisons. He will not be troubled by jealousy, arrogance from selfishness, arrogance from self-assumed attainment of enlightenment, or arrogance from self-assumed acquisition of virtues. He will want little, know contentment, and practice just as you do.
“Universal-Sage! If you see anyone who keeps, reads and recites the Sūtra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma in the later five hundred years after my extinction, you should think, ‘Before long be will go to the place of enlightenment, defeat Mara and his followers, attain Anuttara-samyak-saṃbodhi, turn the wheel of the Dharma, beat the drum of the Dharma, blow the conch-shell horn of the Dharma, send the rain of the Dharma, and sit on the lion-like seat of the Dharma in the midst of the great multitude of gods and men.’
The Stories of the Lotus Sutra, p298-299In East Asian Buddhist temples and art one can find portrayals of many different bodhisattvas, but only five are found over and over again, in nearly all temples and museums. Their Indian names are Avalokiteshvara, Maitreya, Manjushri, Kshitigarbha, and Samantabhadra. In English they commonly called Kwan-yin (from Chinese), Maitreya, Manjushri (both from Sanskrit), Jizo (from Japanese), and Universal Sage. All except Jizo are prominent in the Lotus Sutra, though in different ways. While both Kwan-yin and Universal Sage have entire chapters devoted to them, except for a mention of Kwan-yin as present in the great assembly of Chapter 1, they do not otherwise appear in the rest of the text, while Manjushri and Maitreya appear often throughout the Sutra. In typical Chinese Buddhist temples, where the central figure is a buddha or buddhas, to the right one can see a statue of Manjushri mounted on a lion, and to the left Universal Sage riding on an elephant, usually a white elephant with six tusks.
While both Kwan-yin and Maitreya are said to symbolize compassion and Manjushri usually symbolizes wisdom, Universal Sage is often used to symbolize awakened action, embodying wisdom and compassion in everyday life. Above the main entrance to Rissho Kosei-kai’s Great Sacred Hall, for instance, there is a wonderful set of paintings depicting Manjushri and wisdom on the right, Maitreya and compassion on the left, and in the middle, the embodiment of these in life – Universal Sage Bodhisattva.
I really enjoy Nichiren’s view on the 10 Worlds in our daily lives:
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
Recently I’ve been puzzling over how to see the four higher worlds, what it means to be in the realm of śrāvaka or pratyekabuddha or bodhisattva or buddha.
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Actually, buddhahood is the easiest. That’s where we are every time we chant Namu Myōhō Renge Kyō:
It is said that the merit of all the Buddhist scriptures (except the Lotus Sūtra) is found in the promise that men can become Buddhas after they have done good deeds, which means the attainment of Buddhahood is not certain. In the case of the Lotus Sūtra, however, when one touches it, one’s hands immediately become Buddhas, and when one chants it, one’s mouth instantly becomes a Buddha. For example, when the moon rises above the eastern mountain, its reflection immediately shows on the water. Sound and resonance also occur simultaneously.
Ueno-dono Gozen Gohenji, Reply to My Lady, the Nun of Ueno, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Followers II, Volume 7, Page 58-59
And every time we practice for others as we seek our own enlightenment we enter the realm of bodhisattvas.
As for the other two higher realms, why not describe it like this:
I asked Ryuei Shonin about my idea and this was his response:
All four higher realms involve practice though – but in different ways. I’d put it more like this:
Śrāvaka: When we hear the Dharma and understand the pervasiveness of suffering, begin to eradicate its causes, realize for ourselves the lessening of suffering, and continue to cultivate the eightfold noble path.
Pratyekabuddha: When we deeply contemplate the causal and conditioned nature of phenomena, in particular the causality of our own life in order to free ourselves from habitual patterns.
The difference between the Śrāvaka and Prayekabuddha is that, as it says in the Infinite Meanings and Lotus Sutra, the former practices the four noble truths (and eightfold path) while the latter contemplate the twelve-fold chain of dependent origination. The former are practicing a very practical and relatively simple path laid out by the Buddha (like following the 12 steps if you’re in AA), while the latter are thinking through all the implications of dependent origination for themselves. The latter takes a more philosophical mind and more self-reflection.
Bodhisattvas: The six perfections overlap a great deal with the eightfold path, but what is different is the explicit addition of generosity and patience. However, the Śrāvakas or voice-hearers do also teach the four noble truths to others. The real difference is that bodhisattvas have bodhicitta, a higher aspiration that involves remaining in the world of suffering (requiring patience) to build up the merit and wisdom so that they can attain buddhahood and thereby be able to share the Dharma most effectively with others (which is generosity of course). But note that this does not mean they will necessarily teach more than Śrāvakas. A beginner bodhisattva may not even be as good a teacher as a śrāvaka like Shariputra, but their aspiration is more all-encompassing even if they realize they have to mind their own business and build up their own practice and wisdom before presuming to teach others. We should be careful not to equate bodhisattvas with evangelicals who try to convert others before they have even fully transformed themselves.
Buddhas: One word that Tiantai uses for the Perfect teaching I find very striking – “uncontrived” (J. musa; 無作). What this means is that the Buddha’s actions are spontaneous unselfconscious and thoroughly authentic responses to every situation. Furthermore, as masters of skillful means they appear in and through the other nine worlds.
I like my summary:
But that’s not doctrinal and perhaps potentially misleading.
As Ryuei cautioned during our email exchange:
Bottom line, you can’t and probably shouldn’t try to easily reduce the higher worlds to a simple image or concept like you can with the lower worlds.
Journey of the Path to Righteousness, p 17-18In Buddhism, we say “Zumen Sessoku Kimyou Rai.” Holding the Buddha’s feet in both our hands, as well as the tops of our heads touching the Buddha’s feet, are important posturing for us. Doing so is the most respectable posturing we can make to the Buddha. It is a posturing to abolish personal arrogance and selfishness naturally, thus becoming humble, compliant, and deeply grateful. As we say, “Zange Kimyo.” What this means is that we make a deep and sincere apologetic resolve for all our past wrongdoings and misdeeds, and take refuge in the Buddha.
