Monthly Archives: December 2020

WONS

The Dharma Jewel of Ichinen Sanzen

The concepts of attaining enlightenment by the Two Vehicles and the Eternal Buddha are vital to the Lotus Sūtra. Although these concepts can scarcely be found in other sūtras, it is not at all uncommon in the Lotus Sūtra. The doctrine of Ichinen Sanzen, or the “Three Thousand Existences in One Thought,” is the rarest and the most miraculous. This theory is revealed neither in the Flower Garland nor Great Sun Buddha Sūtras. Moreover, the founders of the eight Buddhist sects, except for Grand Master T’ien-t’ai, did not know even its name. The great philosophers Nāgārjuna and Vasubandhu of India knew it, but locked this important dharma jewel of Ichinen Sanzen deep within their hearts instead of writing it down for others to see.

Shōjō Daijō Fumbetsu-shō, The Differences between Hinayāna and Mahāyāna Teachings, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Doctrine 2, Page 193

Daily Dharma

Daily Dharma – Dec. 30, 2020

T’ien’tai, therefore, makes clear that all things and phenomena in the ten realms are manifestations of the ultimate reality. Since ultimate reality is another name of the Lotus Sutra, what he states is that all things and phenomena are equal to the Lotus Sutra.

Nichiren wrote this as part of his letter to monk Sairen-bō in his Treatise on All Phenomena as Ultimate Reality (Shohō-Jissō Shō). This was another way of Nichiren expressing his understanding that the Buddha’s highest wisdom is not something that takes us out of this world, but is found within the everyday experiences of our lives. Even the realms of anger, greed, fear, hostility, calm and pleasure are part of the Buddha’s pure land. The practice of the Wonderful Dharma is not to escape from these difficult places, but to use them to benefit all beings. To be caught up in them is to be deluded about their evanescent nature. To see them for what they are is to know the joy of enlightenment.

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

LS32

Day 14

Day 14 covers all of Chapter 9, The Assurance of Future Buddhahood of the Śrāvakas Who Have Something More to Learn and the Śrāvakas Who Have Nothing More to Learn, and opens Chapter 10, The Teacher of the Dharma.

Day 14 Text with annotationsPlay MP3
Having last month concluded Chapter 9, we hear the World-Honored One address Medicine-King Bodhisattva in the presence of the eighty thousand great men as we open today’s portion of Chapter 10, The Teacher of the Dharma.

Thereupon the World-Honored One said to Medicine-King Bodhisattva in the presence of the eighty thousand great men:

“Medicine-King! Do you see the innumerable gods, dragon­kings, yakṣas, gandharvas, asuras, garuḍas, kiṃnaras, mahoragas, men, and nonhuman beings, and [the four kinds of devotees:] bhikṣus, bhikṣunīs, upāsakās, and upāsikās, and those who are seeking Śrāvakahood or Pratyekabuddhahood or the enlightenment of the Buddha in this great multitude? If in my presence any of them rejoices, even on a moment’s thought, at hearing even a gāthā or a phrase of the Sūtra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma, I will assure him of his future Buddhahood, saying to him, ‘You will be able to attain Anuttara-samyak-saṃbodhi.’ ”

The Buddha said to Medicine-King:

“If after my extinction anyone rejoices, even on a moment’s thought, at hearing even a gāthā or a phrase of the Sūtra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma, I also will assure him of his future attainment of Anuttara-samyak-saṃbodhi. If anyone keeps, reads, recites, expounds and copies even a gāthā of the Sūtra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma, and respects a copy of this sūtra just as he respects me, and offers flowers, incense, necklaces, incense powder, incense applicable to the skin, incense to burn, canopies, banners, streamers, garments and music to it, or just joins his hands together respectfully towards it, Medicine-King, know this, he should be considered to have appeared in the world of men out of his compassion towards all living beings, although he already made offerings to ten billion Buddhas and fulfilled his great vow under those Buddhas in a previous existence.

See An Emissary of the Buddha

stories, LS32, d14b

An Emissary of the Buddha

[W]ith “bodhisattva” being associated in our minds with such great ones as Maitreya and Manjushri, it may be very difficult for us to believe that we are capable of being bodhisattvas. We are too young, we may think, or too old or too stupid or too tired or too lazy or too selfish or too something else to be a bodhisattva! It’s impossible, we may feel. This is where Chapter 10, and the idea of the teacher of the Dharma, comes in. It may be hard for me to believe that I can be a bodhisattva, but not as difficult to believe that I might be a good man or good woman who is able “even in secret, to teach to one person even one phrase of the Dharma Flower Sutra” and, therefore, be an emissary of the Buddha, one who does the Buddha’s work. In other words, Chapter 10 gives us what may be perceived to be a more attainable goal.

What’s more, the gender gap so often prevalent in Buddhist texts is broken through here. Not only buddhas, but all of the famous, great mythical bodhisattvas are male, almost always dressed as Indian princes. But “any good son or good daughter,” the text says, who privately explains even a phrase of the Sutra to a single person is a messenger of the Buddha, one who does the Buddha’s work.

The Stories of the Lotus Sutra, p126-127
Peaceful Action, d26b, d27b

The Sphere of Devotion, Faith, and Gratitude

Chapter 23 of the Lotus Sutra, “The Former Affairs of the Bodhisattva Medicine King,” introduces us to another great bodhisattva, Bhaisajyaraja, Medicine King. Bhaisaiya means medicine, raja means king. Just like Sadaparibhuta, this bodhisattva is also a model of enlightened action. Medicine King realizes the teachings of the Lotus Sutra in another sphere of action, the sphere of devotion, faith, and gratitude. Without faith it is not possible for human beings to live. Without love we cannot truly realize our full humanity. We practice the Dharma not only to gain knowledge but to transform ourselves into someone who is capable of love, affection, and gratitude. Medicine King represents this aspect. The bodhisattvas in the Lotus Sutra are the arms and hands of the Buddha, carrying out the various actions of the Buddha. Just as Bodhisattva Sadaparibhuta has a specific role to play, Medicine King Bodhisattva has another role to play.

Peaceful Action, Open Heart, p154
WONS

Only in Heaven Are Babies Born Clothed

Of the six realms, only in heaven are babies born clothed. In this world, people such as Śānavāsa and Nun Senbyaku emerged from their mothers’ womb fully clothed. This is not only because they had given clothing to revered people, but also because they had the karma of offering pure, thick clothing to their parents, masters and the Three Treasures.

Śānavāsa was born fully clothed because he had once given clothing to a naked Pratyekabuddha. Also Gautami had the virtue of giving gold-embroidered clothing to the Buddha, and according to the Lotus Sūtra she became Issai Shujō Kiken Buddha.

Since you have given clothing to the venerated Lotus Sutra, you will not only avoid the eight hells of ice in the next life, but also avoid hardship in this life. Your overflowing virtue will be given to your sons and daughters, and you will experience joy upon joy, and happiness upon happiness.

Otā-dono Nyōbō Go-henji, A Response to the Wife of Lord, Nyonin Gosho, Letters Addressed to Female Followers, Page 144-146

Daily Dharma

Daily Dharma – Dec. 29, 2020

Medicine-King Bodhisattva and Medicine-Superior Bodhisattva have already obtained those great merits. Because they planted the roots of virtue under many hundreds of thousands of billions of Buddhas [in their previous existence], they obtained those inconceivable merits. All gods and men in the world should bow to those who know the names of these two Bodhisattvas.

The Buddha gives this explanation to the great multitude gathered to hear him in Chapter Twenty-Seven of the Lotus Sūtra. These two Bodhisattvas had been brothers under a great King in their previous life. They used wonders to lead their parents to a Buddha who was teaching the Wonderful Dharma in that world. By knowing the story of these two Bodhisattvas, we also know about the Wonderful Dharma and the Ever-Present Buddha who leads us through all our lives to his enlightenment. When we realize that through our practice we are worthy of respect from all beings, including ourselves, there is no need to demand respect from anyone. We are secure in our assurance of enlightenment.

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

LS32

Day 13

Day 13 covers all of Chapter 8, The Assurance of Future Buddhahood of the Five Hundred Disciples.

Day 13 Text with annotationsPlay MP3
Having last month heard the prediction for Pūrṇa’s future buddhahood gāthās, we consider the prediction for the twelve hundred Arhats.

Thereupon the twelve hundred Arhats, who had already obtained freedom of mind, thought:

“We have never been so joyful before. How glad we shall be if we are assured of our future Buddhahood by the World-Honored One just as the other great disciples were!”

Seeing what they had in their minds, the Buddha said to Maha-Kāśyapa:

“Now I will assure these twelve hundred Arhats, who are present before me, of their future attainment of Anuttara-samyak-saṃbodhi one after another. My great disciple Kauṇḍinya Bhikṣu, who is among them, will make offerings to six billion and two hundred thousand million Buddhas, and then become a Buddha called Universal-Brightness, 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 others of the five hundred Arhats, including Uruvilvā-Kāśyapa, Gaya­Kāśyapa, Nadī-Kāśyapa, Kālodāyin, Udāyin, Aniruddha, Revata, Kapphina, Bakkula, Cunda, and Svāgata, also will attain Anuttara-samyak-saṃbodhi, and become Buddhas also called Universal-Brightness.”

Thereupon the World-Honored One, wishing to repeat what he had said, sang in gāthās:

Kauṇḍinya Bhikṣu will see
Innumerable Buddhas.
After asaṃkhya kalpas from now,
He will attain perfect enlightenment.

He will emit great rays of light [from his body].
He will have all supernatural powers.
His fame will spread over the worlds of the ten quarters.
Respected by all living beings,
He will expound unsurpassed enlightenment to them.
Therefore, he will be called Universal-Brightness.

His world will be pure.
The Bodhisattvas [of that world] will be brave.
They will go up to the tops of wonderful, tall buildings,
And then go out into the worlds of the ten quarters.
There they will make the best offerings
To the Buddhas of those worlds.

After making offerings, they will have great joy.
They will return to their home world in a moment.
They will be able to do all this
By their supernatural powers.

[Universal-Brightness] Buddha will live for sixty thousand kalpas.
His right teachings will be preserved twice as long as his life;
And the counterfeit of them, also twice as long as his right teachings.
When his teachings are eliminated, gods and men will be sad.

The five hundred bhikṣus
Will become Buddhas one after another.
They also will be called Universal-Brightness.
One who has become a Buddha will say to another:
“You will become a Buddha after my extinction.
[The living beings of] the world
To be saved by that Buddha
Will be like those whom I am teaching today.”

The beauty of the worlds [of those Buddhas],
And the supernatural powers [of those Buddhas],
And the number of the Bodhisattvas and Śrāvakas [of those worlds],
And the number of kalpas of the lives [of those Buddhas],
Of their right teachings, and of the counterfeit of them,
Will be the same [as in the case of Kauṇḍinya].

Kāśyapa! Now you have heard of the future
Of the five hundred Arhats
Who have freedom of mind.
All the other Śrāvakas also will [become Buddhas].
Tell this to the Śrāvakas
Who are not present here!

See Incorporating the Shravaka Vehicle into the One Vehicle

stories, LS32, d5b, d13b

Incorporating the Shravaka Vehicle into the One Vehicle

It is, I believe, unfortunate that the Lotus Sutra includes the Mahayana practice of referring to the twenty or so traditional Buddhist sects of that time with the demeaning term “Hinayana,” meaning “inferior,” “lesser,” or “small.” But we should understand that the Sutra teaches that this lesser way is sufficient to save people, as it is the attraction of the lesser vehicles that saves the children from the burning house. Consistent with this, whenever in this Sutra there is a description of a more or less paradise-like, future world, there are plenty of shravakas in it. Rather than reject “Hinayana” teachings and methods, the Dharma Flower Sutra seeks to incorporate them into the One Vehicle.

What’s more, teachings about the shravaka way in this Sutra should not be understood as being merely, or even primarily, about monks living many centuries ago. These teachings are for us as well. It is we ourselves, above all, who should not be arrogant or lazy, or feel too comfortable with what we have achieved or too worn-out to do anything more. It is we who need always to remember that we have entered a way that is very difficult and comes to no final end in life.

The Stories of the Lotus Sutra, p64-65
Peaceful Action, d26b, d29b

Enjoying the Journey

In the opening scene of [Chapter 23], one of the bodhisattvas from another part of the cosmos, Beflowered by the King of Constellations, asks the Buddha, “World-Honored One, how does the bodhisattva Medicine King travel in the saha world?” In the Chinese Vietnamese version of the Sutra, this passage reads “What is his business in the saha world?” But it is not really a matter of doing business; a better understanding of this passage would be, “How is that bodhisattva enjoying his journey in the world?” In the chapter on Avalokiteshvara in the Vietnamese version of the Lotus Sutra we see the phrases “enjoying a trip” and “enjoying a stay.” So the great bodhisattvas are those who know how to be at ease and enjoy their travels in the saha world.

We have to learn how to enjoy ourselves as we journey through this saha world. When we understand this, we will be more at ease and not think of our life as being some kind of task that we must accomplish. We do not have to scheme or hurry. We will be able to offer our service and work because we enjoy it. We can work without attachment to outcome. We can perform all our actions – organizing a retreat, building a Sangha, working with prisoners – in a spirit of freedom, liberation, and joy, rather than being bound up by notions of achieving a certain level of success or attainment.

Peaceful Action, Open Heart, p153-154