Monthly Archives: May 2021

LS32

Day 8

Day 8 concludes Chapter 4, Understanding by Faith, and closes the second volume of the Sutra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma.

Day 8 Text with annotationsPlay MP3
Having last month considered why the Śrāvakas did not care for the wisdom of the Buddha, we consider how the Śrāvakas are not what they were then.

Today we are not what we were then.
We have obtained
What we did not expect
To obtain
Just as the poor son obtained
The innumerable treasures.

World-Honored One!
We have attained enlightenment, perfect fruit.
We have secured pure eyes
With which we can see the Dharma-without-āsravas.

We observed the pure precepts of the Buddha
In the long night.
Today we have obtained the effects and rewards
[Of our observance of the precepts].
We performed the brahma practices for long
According to the teachings of the King of the Dharma.
Now we have obtained the great fruit
Of the unsurpassed Dharma-without-āsravas.

We are Śrāvakas in this sense of the word.
We will cause all living beings
To hear the voice telling
Of the enlightenment of the Buddha.

We are Arhats
In the true sense of the word.
All gods and men,
All Maras and Brahmans
In the worlds
Should make offerings to us.

You, the World-Honored One, are the great benefactor.
By doing this rare thing,
You taught and benefited us
Out of your compassion towards us.

No one will be able to repay your favors
Even if he tries to do so
For many hundreds of millions of kalpas.
No one will be able to repay your favors
Even if he bows to you respectfully,
And offers you his hands, feet or anything else.

No one will be able to repay your favors
Even if he carries you on his head or shoulders
And respects you from the bottom of his heart
For as many kalpas
As there are sands in the River Ganges,
Or even if he offers you
Delicious food, innumerable garments of treasures,
Many beddings, and various medicines,
Or even if he erects a stupa-mausoleum
Made of the cow-head candana,
And adorns it with treasures,
Or even if he covers the ground
With garments of treasures
And offers them to the Buddha
For as many kalpas
As there are sands in the River Ganges.

See Not Only the Śrāvaka But Also Śākyamuni Buddha Is Within Us

Foundations

Gaining Entrance to the Lotus Throne

Those who are originally transformed and have entered the Lotus Throne are one extreme. Those who have not yet entered are, like the skillful means [to lead them to enter Buddhahood], without end. Those in the middle are also like this. Some [enter] by means of [the teachings of] the Avataṃsaka Sūtra, the Vaipulya, or the Prajn͂āpāramitā Sūtras; others enter the Lotus Throne by advancing from the Shared to the Distinct, from the shared to the Perfect, from the Distinct to the Perfect, and so forth. These are no different from the original entering [of the Lotus Throne by the Buddha]. These are the other extreme. Those who have not yet entered [the Lotus Throne] should “brew” the four flavors [from milk to butter] and then all will achieve [the ghee of] entrance to the Lotus Throne by means of this Lotus Sūtra.

Foundations of T'ien T'ai Philosophy, p 249
d27b, WONS

The Mt. Sumeru of All Sūtras

It is said in the Lotus Sūtra, fascicle 7 (chapter 23), “Mt. Sumeru is the greatest of mountains. Likewise, this Lotus Sūtra is supreme of all sūtras.” This means that the Lotus Sūtra transmitted to Japan is like Mt. Sumeru while all other sutras, that is 5,000 or 7,000 fascicles of pre-Lotus Sūtras such as the Flower Garland, Great Wisdom, and Great Sun Buddha Sūtras; the Sūtra of Infinite Meaning, which was preached at the same time as the Lotus Sūtra; and post-Lotus Sūtras such as the Nirvana Sūtra, as well as all the Buddhist sutras in India, the dragon’s palace, the heavens of the Four Heavenly Kings, Trāyastriṃsá Heaven, the sun and moon, and all the worlds in the universe are like earth mountains, black mountains, Small Surround ing Iron Mountains and Great Surrounding Iron Mountains, which encircle Mt. Sumeru.

Senji-shō, Selecting the Right time: A Tract by Nichiren, the Buddha’s Disciple, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Doctrine 1, Page 246-247

Daily Dharma

Daily Dharma – May 8, 2021

I am like the father. It is many hundreds of thousands of billions of nayutas of asaṃkhyas of kalpas since I became the Buddha. In order to save the [perverted] people, I say expediently, ‘I shall pass away.’ No one will accuse me of falsehood by the [common] law.

The Buddha gives this explanation in Chapter Sixteen of the Lotus Sūtra. In the story of the Physician and his children, the father leaves and sends word that he has died when his children refuse to take the antidote he has prepared for them. He gave his children no choice but to accept what they already had and make the effort to improve themselves and set aside their deluded minds. In the same way, when we take the Buddha for granted, and close our eyes to the Wonderful Dharma he has given us, he disappears. It is only when we open our eyes and see clearly this world and ourselves in it that we can recognize the Buddha and how he is always leading us.

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

LS32

Day 7

Day 7 concludes Chapter 3, A Parable, and begins Chapter 4, Understanding by Faith.

Day 7 Text with annotationsPlay MP3
Having last month considered the reaction of the men living the life of wisdom to the news that Śāriputra will become a Buddha, we consider the Parable of the Rich Man and His Poor Son.

“World-Honored One! Allow us to explain our understanding by telling a parable. Suppose there lived a man [in a certain country]. When he was a little boy, he ran away from his father. [The boy] lived in another country for a long time, say, for ten, twenty or fifty years. As time passed by, he became poorer. He wandered about all directions, seeking food and clothing.

“While wandering here and there, he happened to walk towards his home country. At that time his father stayed in a city [of that country]. He had been vainly looking for his son ever since. He was now very rich. He had innumerable treasures. His storehouses were filled with gold, silver, lapis lazuli, coral, amber and crystal. He had many servants, clerks, and secretaries. He also had countless elephants, horses, carts, cows, and sheep. He invested his money in all the other countries, and earned interest. He dealt with many merchants and customers.

“The poor son, having wandered from town to town, from country to country, from village to village, came to the city where his father was living. The father had been thinking of him for more than fifty years since he had lost him, but never told others [that he had a missing son]. He was alone, pining for his son. He thought, ‘I am old and decrepit. I have many treasures. My storehouses are filled with gold, silver, and other treasures. But I have no son [other than the missing one]. When I die, my treasures will be scattered and lost. I have no one to transfer my treasures to. Therefore, I am always yearning for my son.’ The father thought again, ‘If I can find my son and give him my treasures, I shall be happy and peaceful, and have nothing more to worry about.’

“World-Honored One! At that time the poor son, who had worked at various places as a day worker, happened to come to the house of his father. Standing by the gate of the house, he saw his father in the distance. His father was sitting on a lion-like seat, putting his feet on a jeweled footstool. Brāhmaṇas, kṣatriyas, and householders surrounded him respectfully. He was adorned with a necklace of pearls worth ten million. The secretaries and servants were standing on either side of him, holding insect-sweepers made of white hairs. Above him was a jeweled awning, from which streamers of flowers were hanging down. Perfume was sprayed and beautiful flowers were strewn on the ground. He was exhibiting treasures and engaging in trade. Adorned with these various things, he looked extraordinarily powerful and virtuous.

See A World Filled with Poor Sons

Foundations

The Inducements to the Message of the Lotus Sūtra

Some person has said that from the very first [sermons in the] Deer Park, are all inducements to the [ultimate teaching of the] Lotus Sūtra. These words are not acceptable. There is a limited period587 of explanation because all [the sermons] since the sermon on the seat of enlightenment [the Avataṃsaka Sūtra] are inducements to [the message of] the Lotus Sūtra. Therefore as light illumines other lands, the Buddhas of the present all [preach] the sudden [teachings] and expose [its meaning] gradually.

Mañjuśrī follows previous Buddhas also by utilizing the sudden [Teaching] and exposing it gradually. Alas, this [forty-five year period of Śākyamuni’s life] is a very limited period of inducements [to the Lotus Sūtra].

[The Buddha] has performed the skillful means of the Lotus Sūtra for the sake of sentient beings since the time of Mahābhijfiājfiānābhibhu.588 It should be known that it [the inducements to the Lotus Sūtra] is not limited to [the Buddha’s] approaching and taking the seat of enlightenment [and preaching the Avataṃsaka Sūtra]. Even this is a limited period.

[The Buddha] has performed the skillful means of the Lotus Throne for the sake of sentient beings since the time of his original attainment of Buddhahood.589 Even this is a limited period. [The Buddha] has performed the skillful means of the Lotus Throne for the sake of sentient beings since the time of his original practices on the bodhisattva Path [even before attaining Buddhahood]. The text [of the Lotus Sūtra] says, “I originally made a vow that I would universally lead all sentient beings to attain this same path.”590 Thus should it be known. The inducements [to the message of the Lotus Sūtra] are certainly not limited to the present.

Foundations of T'ien T'ai Philosophy, p 248-249
587Lit. “close” or “near.” In this context it refers to the forty-five years of
the historical Buddha Śākyamuni’s life as a “limited” time compared to the immeasurable eons in which the Buddha has actually been preaching the Dharma. The Buddha has been preaching and performing “inducements” to the true message, finally and fully revealed only in the Lotus Sūtra, from the incalculable past and will continue into the far distant future. return

588
The Tathāgata Supreme in Great Penetrating Wisdom. The Lotus Sūtra speaks of this Buddha of the immeasurable past as an example of one who preached the Lotus Sūtra. See the first part of the chapter “On the Magical Castle.” Hurvitz, Lotus Sūtra, 145, translates this section as follows: “At that time, that Buddha, entertaining the śramaṇeras’ entreaty, when twenty thousand kalpas had passed, in the midst of the fourfold multitude finally preached this scripture of the Great Vehicle named the Lotus Blossom of the Fine Dharma, a Dharma taught to bodhisattvas, one which Buddhas keep in mind… . That Buddha preached this scripture for eight thousand kalpas, never resting or tiring. When he had finished preaching this scripture, straightaway he entered a quiet room, where he remained in dhyāna concentration for eighty-four thousand kalpas…” return
589
Explained in the Lotus Sūtra to have occurred immeasurable eons ago. For example, in the chapter “On the Life-span of the Tathāgata” the Buddha claims that “since in fact I achieved Buddhahood it has been incalculable, limitless hundreds of thousands of myriads of millions of nayutas of kalpas” (Hurvitz, Lotus Sūtra, 237). return
590
This is a paraphrase from verses in the second chapter “On Expedient Means.” Hurvitz, Lotus Sūtra, 35, translates this context as follows: “Śāriputra, be it known that formerly I a vow, wishing to cause all multitudes to be just like me, no different. In keeping with my former vow, all is now fulfilled, for I have converted all living beings, causing them to enter into the Buddha Path.” return
WONS

The Sequence of Spreading the Dharma

[W]e should realize the sequence of spreading the Dharma. In a country where Buddhism has not yet been transmitted, there are people who have never heard the Buddha’s teachings. In a country where Buddhism has spread, there are people who believe in the teachings. We should be aware of the teachings previously spread, then spread the teaching that is one level above it.

If Hinayāna or provisional Mahāyāna teachings have previously been taught, true Mahāyāna teaching should be spread. If the true Mahāyāna teaching has been taught, neither Hinayāna nor provisional Mahāyāna should be spread. We should abandon the rubble and pick up the golden gem. Do not give up the golden gem to get pieces of tile and pebbles.

Kyō Ki Ji Koku Shō, Treatise on the Teaching, Capacity, Time and Country, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Doctrine 3, Page 100

Daily Dharma

Daily Dharma – May 7, 2021

They will not think
Of any other food [than the two kinds of food:]
The delight in the Dharma, and the delight in dhyāna.

The Buddha sings these verses in Chapter Eight of the Lotus Sūtra, speaking of the future lives of those who practice the Wonderful Dharma. In the existence we occupy now, it is difficult to imagine any other ways we could live. When the Buddha shows us the world as it is, he is not just opening our eyes to what is in front of us now. He shows us innumerable possibilities far better than anything we could dream up ourselves. To reach these other worlds, we only need to shed our attachment to our delusions and have faith in the path the Buddha opens to his enlightenment.

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

LS32

Day 6

Day 6 continues Chapter 3, A Parable

Day 6 Text with annotationsPlay MP3
Having last month concluded today’s portion of Chapter 3, A Parable, we begin again with children riding in the large carts.

“The children rode in the large carts, and had the greatest joy that they had ever had because they had never expected to get them. Śāriputra! What do you think of this? Do you think that the rich man was guilty of falsehood when he gave his children the large carts of treasures?”
Śāriputra said:

“No, World-Honored One! He saved his children from the fire and caused them to survive. [Even if he had not given them anything,] he should not have been accused of falsehood because the children should be considered to have already been given the toys [they had wished to have] when they survived. He saved them from the burning house with the expedient. World-Honored One! Even if he had not given them the smallest cart, he should not have been accused of falsehood because he thought at first, ‘I will cause them to get out with an expedient.’ Because of this, he should not. Needless to say, he was not guilty of falsehood when he remembered his immeasurable wealth and gave them the large carts in order to benefit them.”

See The Father of All

Foundations

Sitting on the Lotus Blossom Throne

The Tathāgatas of past, present, and future intrinsically lead sentient beings to be exposed to the Buddha’s knowledge and insight and attain the patience which comes from [realizing the truth of] non-arising. [The Buddha] appears in this world through the conditioned co-arising of his great deeds.

The Saddharmapuṇḍarīka-sūtra-upadeśa says, “The meaning of the lotus blossom arising out of the water cannot be exhausted. Those of the Hinayāna are detached from the muddy and defiled waters [of secular life]. Therefore the Tathāgata enters into and sits among the great crowd of people. It is like all bodhisattvas who sit on lotus flowers [in the pure land] and listen to the preaching of the unsurpassed pure wisdom.”585 They never sit on the leaves of the lotus. Thus all of these bodhisattvas hear the preaching of the one perfect way, are enlightened concerning the one perfect result [of Buddhahood], dwell in the realm of the [lotus] flower-king, and like the Buddha Vairocana sit on the Lotus Blossom Throne [of enlightenment]. This is the intention of the Buddha.

[Bodhisattvas of good faculties] already enter the Lotus Throne when they first see the [Buddha] body and first hear the one truth.586 The Sudden Teaching is exposed gradually for the sake of those who have not yet entered [the Lotus Throne of enlightenment]. Various skillful means assist in manifesting the supreme meaning to explain all of [the understandings of] the two truths, at times as one, at times as many, at times as beyond conceptual thought. [The methods and teachings are] various and not the same, but they are all skillful means for the sake of attaining the Lotus Throne. The Tathāgata is eternally quiescent yet his transformations fill the universe. Truly he does not discriminate, such as first [deliberately] planning and then taking action, in working to save others. With his innate powers of goodness and compassion, [the Buddha spontaneously] leads all sentient beings to enter [the Lotus Throne of enlightenment].

Foundations of T'ien T'ai Philosophy, p 248
585
See the Saddharmapuṇḍarīka-sūtra-upadeśa, T. 3a10-15. return
586
The Fa hua hsüan i shih ch’ien [Annotations on The Profound Meaning of the Lotus Sutra]says that this refers to the bodhisattvas of clever faculties in the Avataṃsaka Sūtra. Thus this sentence refers to the preaching of the Avataṃsaka Sūtra immediately after the Buddha’s enlightenment in which he directly explained the content of his enlightenment. Those with ears to hear were able to understand, but most were not able to comprehend what the Buddha was saying. Thus the Buddha went to the Deer Park and preached the Hinayāna Tripiṭaka Teaching. return