The Stories of the Lotus Sutra, p266-267As we see in Chapter 12 of the Dharma Flower Sutra, there are two stories, both of which suggest the importance of enabling by seeing. The first is ostensibly a story about Devadatta, someone whom everyone, at least in the Buddhist world, knows is the epitome of evil. But in Chapter 12 we find none of this, which everyone knows already. Instead we find the Buddha telling a story about a previous life in which Devadatta was his teacher. We may think this story is mainly about Devadatta, but, more importantly, it is a story about the Buddha, especially about the Buddha’s ability to see the bodhisattva in Devadatta. The Buddha enables Devadatta by assuring him that he too is to become a buddha.
The second story in Chapter 12 is about the dragon princess who becomes a buddha in an instant. Present are two men, Shariputra, who thinks that it is impossible for a woman to become a buddha, and Accumulated Wisdom Bodhisattva, who thinks it is crazy to think that a little girl could become awakened suddenly. What the dragon princess says to them is very interesting. “Just watch,” she says, “use your holy powers to watch me become a buddha even more quickly than it took for Shakyamuni Buddha to take a jewel from my hand.” (LS 283) In a sense, a little girl becomes a buddha for them, but she can do this only if they used their “holy powers,” their vision, to allow her to be a buddha for them, to open themselves to her being a buddha for them.
Normally we think of Buddha Dharma as coming from the Buddha. This is correct, of course. But it is also essential to see that the Dharma, and therefore the Buddha, can come to us from many sources – if we open ourselves to it.
The title of the English version of the autobiography of the founder of Rissho Kosei-kai, Nikkyo Niwano, is Lifetime Beginner. The term “beginner” has connotations of being inexperienced or green. The implication of this is, of course, that one always needs to be learning, always needs to be open to new experience, new stories, new ideas. It is easy to think of this remarkable man as being self-taught, which in a sense he was. But he was self-taught only by learning from others, a great variety of others. He learned, for example, about Buddhist teachings from Buddhist scholars, including some very famous Buddhist scholars, but he also learned about Buddhism, and received the Buddha Dharma from ordinary members of Rissho Kosei-kai. He was a lifetime learner. The importance of being open to others, of learning from them, even of seeing the Buddha in them, is something we might learn from the story ofWonderful Voice Bodhisattva.
Monthly Archives: October 2020
Protective Blessings and Flower Portents
Before today’s Oeshiki Service at the Sacramento Nichiren Buddhist Church my son, Richard, and his girlfriend, Alexis, had Rev. Kenjo Igarashi bless Richard’s new truck. This is the second vehicle Rev. Igarashi has protected for Richard. The protective boundary prayer is marked by water, saki, salt and rice. Alexis wants to have her brother get his car protected next.
Inside, the church was decorated with blossoming cherry trees for the Oeshiki Service, the memorial service marking the passing of Nichiren on Oct. 13, 1282. Rev. Igarashi explained that Nichiren’s life can be summarized by the four characters of Ren Shou Ou Shi. Ren – Lotus – recalls the Lotus Flowers that bloomed on Feb. 16, 1222, when Nichiren was born. Ou – Cherry – recalls the unseasonable cherry blossoms that bloomed at the temple when Nichiren died. Rev. Igarashi also explained that Oeshiki is a celebration, a happy recognition of the benefits bestowed on us by Nichiren’s efforts to spread the teaching of the Lotus Sutra.
Viewing the Lotus Sutra from the Avatamsaka Sutra
I’ve spoken before of perspective in viewing the Lotus Sutra. Nichiren and T’ien T’ai examined the Lotus Sutra from the perspective of the Buddha’s highest teaching and used that perspective to interpret the provisional teachings. A very different result occurs when the perspective is shifted so that other sutras are used to view the Lotus Sutra.
Here’s a quote from Thich Nhat Hanh’s Peaceful Action, Open Heart:
Peaceful Action, Open Heart, p126When our mind faculty and our other sense faculties have been transformed and purified as a result of the merit we have received from hearing, understanding, and practicing this wonderful Dharma, then we need hear only one gatha or one line of the Sutra to understand all sutras and teachings. We do not need to study the entire Tripitaka in order to understand the Buddhadharma. One gatha contains all other gathas, one teaching reveals the deep meaning of all other teachings, just as the truth of impermanence contains the truth of no-self and the truth of interbeing.
A follower of Nichiren would have no problem with that observation. But then Thich Nhat Hanh goes on:
This is the meaning of the Avatamsaka Sutra: the one contains the all.
Repeatedly in Thich Nhat Hanh’s Peaceful Action, Open Heart, he returns to the Avatamsaka Sutra [the Flower Garland Sutra]. In discussing Chapter 21, The Supernatural Powers of the Tathāgatas, when the Buddha emitts rays of light with an immeasurable variety of colors from his pores, Thich Nhat Hanh writes:
Peaceful Action, Open Heart, p129-130Then there is the image of the rays of light emitted by the Buddha. “Light” in Buddhist sutras is a metaphor for awakened understanding. The world of the Avatamsaka Sutra is a world of light. The Buddha is light; beams of light stream out from each pore of his body. His light of mindfulness is very strong, and with that source of light the Tathagata is able to illuminate all the world-spheres, as if by shining the beam of a powerful lamp into them. With the light of his great spiritual power the Buddha can see clearly whatever phenomenon the light of his mindfulness rests upon.
We also have the source of this light in our own consciousness. When we develop our capacity for mindfulness and allow it to shine within us and around us, we are able to see many things that we cannot ordinarily perceive. When the light of mindfulness, of awakened understanding, illuminates a leaf, a blade of grass, or a cloud, we are able to see all the wonders of that phenomenon and the multidimensional world of the Avatamsaka Sutra is opened up to us in an amazing way. And just like the Buddha, thanks to mindfulness we too can perform miracles.
Suppose there is someone who lives very mindfully, dwelling in concentration. She comes home, goes out, stands, sits, speaks, chops vegetables, washes pots, carries out all the activities of daily life in mindfulness and concentration. In all her actions of body, speech, and mind she shines the light of mindfulness. When others encounter her they are able to get in touch with that mindfulness, and they are influenced by it. Touched by the light of her mindfulness, the seed of mindfulness in their own consciousness begins to sprout, and naturally they also begin to cultivate mindfulness in their activities as she does. This is a true miracle that any one of us can realize.
The light of mindfulness of those around us – a brother or sister, parent or teacher, spouse or partner – shines out onto us, and thanks to that we also begin to cultivate mindfulness and shine it out toward others. What is a Buddha? A Buddha is nothing other than the light of mindfulness, and that light, wherever it shines, is able to show us the wonderful truth, the ultimate dimension of whatever it illuminates. Those who are touched by the light of mindfulness in turn shine the light of their mindfulness upon other people and objects. Just as the Buddha’s rays of light, when they reached all the other world-spheres, caused the countless Buddhas to emit their light, when we live mindfully we shine that light broadly all around us and help others get in touch with and shine their light of mindfulness as well.
Another example of this comes in Thich Nhat Hanh’s discussion of Chapter 28, The Encouragements of the Bodhisattva Universally Worthy. Thich Nhat Hanh writes:
Peaceful Action, Open Heart, p203Universally Worthy is the last bodhisattva mentioned in the Lotus Sutra, and his role here is to protect and preserve the Sutra, to “broadly propagate it and cause it never to perish.” However, this brief chapter is not extensive enough to reveal the full dimension of Samanta-bhadra, who is called the bodhisattva of Great Action. So we can use elements from other sutras, such as the Avatamsaka Sutra, in which the great action of Samanta-bhadra is explicated more fully, to complete the chapter on this bodhisattva in the Lotus Sutra.
Clearly Thich Nhat Hanh uses the Lotus Sutra to illustrate his teaching rather than using the Lotus Sutra as the basis of his teaching. The difference is not subtle.
- Viewing the Lotus Sutra from the Inside Out
- Stretching the Truth to Pull Meaning Out of the Lotus Sutra
- Viewing the Lotus Sutra from the Avatamsaka Sutra
- Errata
- Thich Nhat Hanh’s Practice
The Six Causes of Sickness
The Great Concentration and Insight also lists the six causes of sickness: 1. lack of harmony among the four constituent elements of the material world (the earth element, the water element, the fire element and the wind element); 2. lack of moderation in eating and drinking; 3. inconsistent practice of sitting meditation; 4. problems caused by a demon; 5. actions of a heavenly demon; and 6. karmic retribution. It is preached in the Sūtra on the Great Extinction, “There are three categories of people with illness who are difficult to heal: in the first place are those who slandered the Mahāyāna sūtras; in the second place are those who committed the five rebellious sins; and in the third place are icchantika (those who do not have goodness in mind and therefore have no possibility of attaining Buddhahood). These three kinds of illnesses are the most serious of all types of diseases in the world.” The Nirvana Sūtra also preaches, “If one commits an evil act in this world, one will inevitably go to hell in the next world. However, if one gives offerings to the Three Treasures (Buddha, Dharma, and Saṃgha), one will receive a lighter form of retribution such as headaches, sore eyes, and backaches in this world instead of going to hell in the next world.” Interpreting this, the Great Concentration and Insight states, “Even if one committed a serious sin, for which one is destined to go to hell, one may be able to atone for the sin by enduring a lesser form of suffering in this world. This is the case when one becomes ill as it is due to a past sin being atoned for in this world.”
Ōta Nyūdō-dono Gohenji, A Reply to Lay Priest Lord Ōta, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Volume 6, Followers I, Page 33
Daily Dharma – Oct. 25, 2020
Medicine-King! I will tell you.
The Sūtra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma
Is the most excellent sūtra
That I have ever expounded.
The Buddha sings these verses to Medicine-King Bodhisattva in Chapter Ten of the Lotus Sūtra. Our founder Nichiren explained that the superiority of the Lotus Sūtra lay not in its being more powerful than other Sūtras, but that it leads all beings, without exception, to the Buddha’s own enlightenment. Other teachings distinguish between those who can follow the Buddha Dharma and those who cannot. But this teaching assures everyone who hears it that they will 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 heard the Buddha ask in gāthās who will protect and keep this sūtra, we consider the easy and difficult tasks.
Good men! Think this over clearly!
It is difficult
[To expound this sūtra].
Make a great vow to do this!It is not difficult
To expound all the other sūtras
As many as there are sands
In the River Ganges.It is not difficult
To grasp Mt. Sumeru
And hurl it to a distance
Of countless Buddha-worlds.It is not difficult to move [a world]
[Composed of] one thousand million Sumeru-worlds
With the tip of a toe
And hurl it to another world.It is not difficult
To stand in the Highest Heaven
And expound innumerable other sūtras
To all living beings.It is difficult
To expound this sūtra
In the evil world
After my extinction.It is not difficult
To grasp the sky,
And wander about with it
From place to place.It is difficult
To copy and keep this sūtra
Or cause others to copy it
After my extinction.It is not difficult
To put the great earth
On the nail of a toe
And go up to the Heaven of Brahman.It is difficult
To read this sūtra
Even for a while in the evil world
After my extinction.It is not difficult
To shoulder a load of hay
And stay unburned in the fire
At the end of the kalpa [of destruction].It is difficult
To keep this sūtra
And expound it to even one person
After my extinction.It is not difficult
To keep the store
Of eighty-four thousand teachings
Expounded in the sūtras
Composed of the twelve elements,
And expound it to people,
And cause the hearers to obtain
The six supernatural powers.It is difficult
To hear and receive this sūtra,
And ask the meanings of it
After my extinction.It is not difficult
To expound the Dharma
To many thousands of billions of living beings
As many as there are sands
In the River Ganges
So that they may be able
To obtain the benefits:
Arhatship and the six supernatural powers.It is difficult
To keep
This sūtra
After my extinction.
Two Buddhas Seated Side By Side offers this on the The Six Difficult and Nine Easy Acts
Stretching the Truth to Pull Meaning Out of the Lotus Sutra
In Peaceful Action, Open Heart, Thich Nhat Hanh describes the lessons of the appearance of the Stupa of Treasures:
Peaceful Action, Open Heart, p102-103When all his transformation bodies had arrived, the Buddha simply spread his hands and the door of the jeweled Stupa opened. Just like that, you arrive at the ultimate dimension from the historical dimension. The door is open. All the transformation Buddhas, the bodhisattvas, and the heavenly beings hovering in the space above Mount Gṛdhrakūṭa could see inside the Stupa very clearly. These beings were able to touch the ultimate dimension very easily, because they were no longer caught in outer appearances or dualistic concepts. But all the shravakas down below on the mountain itself could not yet see in. These disciples had only just begun to taste the flavor of the Mahayana, and the work of freeing themselves from attachment to the outer signs and appearances of reality had not yet been realized. They were still caught in ideas of existence and nonexistence, one and many, coming and going, and these dualistic concepts were a kind of glue that held them close to the surface of the Earth.
So once again the fourfold assembly appealed to their teacher, “Can you raise us up so that we can see inside the stupa?” Using his supernatural power Shakyamuni lifted everyone up to the level where they could look directly into the Stupa and see the ultimate Buddha, Prabhutaratna. “Lifting everyone up” here means helping them free themselves of attachment to the outer signs of reality. When we read accounts of miraculous events in Mahayana sutras, we need to be able to look past the mere words and fantastic images in order to receive the true message.
Several points here need to be addressed. The Lotus Sutra does not say, as Thich Nhat Hanh suggests, that transformation Buddhas, the bodhisattvas, and the heavenly beings are hovering in the sky at the time the door to the stupa is opened. In fact, the transformation Buddhas are clearly seated on lion thrones under jeweled trees of the expanded, purified Buddha land. And the idea that Many Treasures is the “ultimate Buddha” flies in the face of Chapter 16 and the revelation of the eternal life of Śākyamuni.
Here’s the relevant portion from Hurvitz:
Lotus Blossom of the Fine Dharma, p171At that time Śākyamunibuddha, seeing that the buddhas who were emanations body had all arrived, and seeing how each, seated on a lion throne, was hearing that the buddhas together wished to open the jeweled stūpa, straightway rose from his seat and rested in midair. All the four assemblies, rising with palms joined, single-mindedly beheld the Buddha. Thereupon with his right finger Śākyamunibuddha opened the door of the seven-jeweled stūpa, which made a great sound as of a bar being pushed aside to open the gate of a walled city. At that very moment all the assembled multitude saw the Thus Come One Many Jewels in the jeweled stūpa, seated on a lion throne, his body whole and undecayed, as if [he were] entered into dhyāna concentration. They also heard his words: “Excellent! Excellent, O Śākyamunibuddha! Happily have you preached this Scripture of the Dharma Blossom. It is to listen to this scripture that I have come here.”
At that time, the four assemblies, seeing a buddha passed into extinction for incalculable thousands of myriads of millions of kalpas speaking such words as these, sighed in admiration at something that had never been before, and scattered clusters of divine jeweled flowers over the buddha Many Jewels and Śākyamunibuddha. The buddha Many Jewels, in his jeweled stūpa, then gave half his seat to Śākyamunibuddha, speaking these words: “O Śākyamunibuddha, will you take this seat?” At that very moment Śākyamunibuddha, entering that stūpa, sat on half that seat, his legs crossed.
At that time, the great multitude, seeing the two Thus Come Ones in the seven-jeweled stūpa on the lion throne, seated with legs crossed, all thought: “The buddhas sit high up and far off. We wish that the Thus Come One, with his power of supernatural penetration, would enable the lot of us together to dwell in open space.” At that very moment Śākyamunibuddha, with his power of supernatural penetration, touched the great multitudes, so that they were all in open space, and with a great voice proclaimed universally to the fourfold assembly: “Who can broadly preach the Scripture of the Blossom of the Fine Dharma in this Sahā Land? Now is the very time!
Thich Nhat Hanh continues his telling of what happened in the stupa:
Peaceful Action, Open Heart, p103Then Prabhūtaratna smiled and said, “Shakyamuni, it’s wonderful that you are now teaching the Lotus Sutra.” He made room on his lion throne and invited Shakyamuni to come and sit with him. This is a very beautiful and poetic way of revealing the teaching. The ultimate Buddha and the historical Buddha sit together and become one. When we know how to read the Sutra in this way we can understand its deeper meaning. Imagine the ultimate Buddha Prabhūtaratna sitting there, inviting the historical Buddha Shakyamuni into his jeweled stupa. The two Buddhas sitting there—are they one Buddha or different Buddhas?
To consider Many Treasures the “ultimate” Buddha just doesn’t work for me. Of course going in the opposite direction is equally absurd. I’m reminded of Senchu Murano’s interpretation of the events later in the stupa when the Buddha reveals is eternal lifespan in Chapter 16:
Seeing all this, Prabhutaratna was shocked. He felt ashamed of his ignorance of the fact that the Buddha sitting next to him was his Original Buddha. He tried to change the seats, but Sakyamuni checked him, saying, “You are now the State Guest of the World-State of the Eternal Sakyamuni. You are now representing all the Buddhas of the past, present and future.” Prabhutaratna understood Sakyamuni, and remained at his seat, motionless.
Later in the book, when discussing Chapter 23, The Previous Life of Medicine-King Bodhisattva, Thich Nhat Hanh again elaborates beyond the actual text:
Seen with Joy by All Living Beings progressed well in his spiritual practice and was able to realize the freedom and insight of the ultimate dimension and attain the “samadhi that displays all manner of physical bodies.” He no longer identified his physical body as himself and could manifest various emanation bodies in order to help many kinds of people – if he needed to manifest as a child he became a child, if he needed to become a woman he took female form. If he needed to be a businessman, he could manifest as a businessman. He always appeared in the most appropriate form for the situation, which allowed him to bring about a feeling of joy for the people he encountered. He was not caught by the idea that the body is a fixed, permanent self. He was able to manifest himself in many transformation bodies, just as the Buddha and Avalokiteśvara do, in order to help various kinds of living beings.
Unlike Avalokiteśvara in Chapter 25 and Wonderful Voice Bodhisattva is Chapter 24, there is no mention in Chapter 27 that Seen with Joy by All Living Beings [Gladly-Seen-By-All-Beings] Bodhisattva actually demonstrated his ability gained when he “obtained the samadhi that displays all manner of physical bodies.” For Thich Nhat Hanh, however, gaining this ability makes it possible for Seen with Joy by All Living Beings to end his life in a fiery tribute to the Dharma, something all other commentators I have read have avoided suggesting.
On the other hand, I enjoy Thich Nhat Hanh’s assertion that we all have transformation bodies:
Peaceful Action, Open Heart, p104If we look deeply into ourselves, we see that, like Shakyamuni, we also have many transformation bodies that are always active everywhere in the cosmos. At this very moment I am in my home country, helping the young monastics and laypeople. I am present in the form of books and tapes that have been brought into Vietnam so that people there can enjoy the teaching and practice. Right now I am in Vietnam, in England, in the United States, and in many other places, because my teaching has been able to go far and wide. My transformation bodies have even gone into prison to help inmates learn the art of mindfulness and the practice of walking and sitting meditation. When you have the eyes of signlessness and are not caught by mere appearance, you will be able to recognize me in my transformation bodies, in many other forms and places. All of us have many transformation bodies: our actions, our contributions, our very way of being penetrates the entire cosmos.
Thich Nhat Hanh works very hard to pull his meaning out of the words of the Lotus Sutra, but that effort too often requires distorting the actual meaning of this teaching.
- Viewing the Lotus Sutra from the Inside Out
- Stretching the Truth to Pull Meaning Out of the Lotus Sutra
- Viewing the Lotus Sutra from the Avatamsaka Sutra
- Errata
- Thich Nhat Hanh’s Practice
A Shadow in the Dark
We do not see a shadow in the dark. Man does not see a flight path of a bird in the air. We do not see the path of a fish in the sea. We do not see everyone in the world reflected on the moon. However, a person with “heavenly eyes” sees all these. The scene of the chapter “Appearance of a Stupa of Treasures” exists in the mind of Lady Nichinyo. Though ordinary people do not see it, Śākyamuni Buddha, the Buddha of Many Treasures and Buddhas throughout the universe recognize it. I, Nichiren, also can see it. How blessed are you!
Nichinyo Gozen Gohenji, Response to My Lady Nichinyo, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Faith and Practice, Volume 4, Page 138
Daily Dharma – Oct. 24, 2020
The written words of the Lotus Sutra express in a visible and tangible form the Brahma’s voice of the Buddha, which is invisible and intangible, so that we can see and read them with our eyes. The Buddha’s pure and immaculate voice, which had disappeared, is resuscitated in the form of written characters for the benefit of humankind.
Nichiren wrote this passage in his Treatise on Opening the Eyes of Buddhist Images, Wooden Statues or Portraits (Mokue Nizō Kaigen no Koto). Living in this world, 2500 years after the Buddha Śākyamuni walked the Earth, it is difficult to hear his voice leading us to enlightenment and encouraging us to let go of our attachments. In the Lotus S̄ūtra we have an instrument for creating the Buddha’s voice in our own time. This is his highest teaching. It brings all beings to liberation, whether they are clever or dull, stupid or wise, focused or distracted. It reminds us of our true nature as Bodhisattvas who chose this life out of our determination to benefit all beings. It shows us how to transform the poison of suffering into the medicine of compassion, and the poison of ignorance into the medicine of wisdom.
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 the Buddha’s explanation for the arrival of the Stupa of Treasures, we conclude today’s portion of Chapter 11, Beholding the Stūpa of Treasures.Thereupon Great-Eloquence Bodhisattva, resorting to the supernatural powers of [Śākyamuni] Tathāgata, said to him, “World-Honored One! We wish to see that Buddha.”
The Buddha said to Great-Eloquence Bodhisattva-mahāsattvas:
“Many-Treasures Buddha made another great vow: ‘If a Buddha wishes to show me to the four kinds of devotees when my stūpa of treasures appears before him in order that l may be able to hear the Sūtra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma [directly from him], he must call back all the Buddhas of his replicas who will be expounding the Dharma in the worlds of the ten quarters at that time. Then I will show myself [to the four kinds of devotees].’ Great-Eloquence! Now I will collect the Buddhas of my replicas who are now expounding the Dharma in the worlds of the ten quarters.”
Great-Eloquence said to him, “World-Honored One! We also wish to see the Buddhas of your replicas, bow to them, and make offerings to them.”
Thereupon the Buddha emitted a ray of light from the white curls [between his eyebrows, and faced the east]. The congregation saw the Buddhas of five hundred billion nayuta worlds, that is, as many worlds as there are sands in the River Ganges, in the east. The ground of those worlds was made of crystal. Those worlds were adorned with jeweled trees and garments, and filled with many thousands of billions of Bodhisattvas. Jeweled curtains were stretched and jeweled nets were hung over those worlds, where the Buddhas were expounding the Dharma with loud and wonderful voices. The congregation also saw that many thousands of billions of Bodhisattvas, with whom those worlds were filled, were expounding the Dharma to the living beings of those worlds.
The Buddha also illumined the worlds of the south, west, north, the four intermediate quarters, zenith, and nadir, with rays of light emitted from the white curls [between his eyebrows]. The worlds of those quarters looked like those of the east.