It is clearly stated in the Lotus Sūtra that the true intent of the Buddha has completely been preached in it. The second chapter on “Expedients” declares, “Now is the time to expound the wisdom of the Buddha.” The sixteenth chapter on “The Life Span of the Buddha” states, “I have always been contemplating how I should lead all people into the Supreme Way, enabling them to become Buddhas promptly.” The twenty-first chapter on “Divine Powers of the Buddha” states, “In sum, the teachings of the Buddha are all revealed and clearly expounded in this sūtra.”
These statements of the Buddha clearly show that the enlightenment of Śākyamuni Buddha is revealed in this sūtra without reservation. Moreover, the Buddha of Many Treasures and Buddhas in manifestation in the worlds all over the universe gathered together in the courtyard on Mt. Sacred Eagle to validate the words of Śākyamuni Buddha: “Of all the Buddhist scriptures, which have already been preached, now being preached and will be preached in the future…” deciding that no sūtras are as difficult to understand and put faith in as the Lotus Sūtra, supreme of all scriptures.
Shugo Kokka-ron, Treatise on Protecting the Nation, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Doctrine 1, Page 70
The [perverted] people think:
“This world is in a great fire.
The end of the kalpa [of destruction] is coming.”
In reality this world of mine is peaceful.
The Buddha sings these verses in Chapter Sixteen of the Lotus Sūtra. Here he draws a stark contrast between how those caught in the web of delusion see the world and how things really are. The world is constantly changing. When we expect the world to be as we want it, rather than as it is, any change is frightening. We assume that the world is falling apart and will sweep us along in its demise. When we practice the Wonderful Dharma of the Lotus Sūtra, we know that we and all beings will become enlightened. The change in the world is part of our practice. We know how it will turn out and there is no fear. Only peace.
The Daily Dharma is produced by the Lexington Nichiren Buddhist Community. To subscribe to the daily emails, visit zenzaizenzai.com
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.
Having last month concluded today’s portion of Chapter 10, The Teacher of the Dharma, we return to 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 the question of Ānanda, Rahula the other Śrāvakas.
Thereupon Ānanda and Rāhula thought, ‘We are always thinking: How glad we shall be if we are assured of our future Buddhahood!’ They rose from their seats, came to the Buddha, worshipped his feet with their heads, and said to him:
“World-Honored One! We think that we also are qualified to be assured [of our future Buddhahood]. Only you, the Tathāgata, are our refuge. We are known to all gods, men and asuras of the world. Ānanda always protects the store of the Dharma as your attendant. Rāhula is your son. If you assure us of our future attainment of Anuttara-samyak-saṃbodhi, the wishes not only of us but also of others will be fulfilled.”
Thereupon the two thousand disciples [composed of the two kinds of Śrāvakas]: the Śrāvakas who had something more to learn and the Śrāvakas who had nothing more to learn, also rose from their seats, bared their right shoulders, came to the Buddha, joined their hands together with all their hearts, looked up at the WorldHonored One, begged him just as Ānanda and Rāhula did, and stood to one side of the place.
Available on AmazonWhen I first picked up Fire in the Lotus and saw that it devoted four chapters to Nichiren Shoshu and Soka Gakkai, I assumed it was going to be another homage to President Daisaku Ikeda. Instead I found a reasoned exploration of Nichiren Buddhism and its many varieties. If anything, Daniel Montgomery walks a doctrinal line established by Professor Senchu Murano (1908-2001), who translated the Lotus Sutra in 1974 for Nichiren Shu. Montgomery was the editor of the Second Edition revision of Murano’s translation.
Fire in the Lotus was published in 1991. As a result it does not address the excommunication of Soka Gakkai members by Nichiren Shoshu on Nov. 28, 1991. It also discusses groups such as Nichijo Shaka’s Buddhist School of America that have since disappeared. But on a whole, it stands up well today.
That’s not to say that I don’t have any complaints. Montgomery erroneously conflates the Parable of the Priceless Gem of Chapter 8, The Assurance of Future Buddhahood of the Five Hundred Disciples, with the Parable of the Priceless Gem in the Top-Knot of Chapter 14, Peaceful Practices.
Another parable in the Sutra treats the matter from a different angle. A young man became drunk after an evening of carousing and passed out. A wealthy friend had to leave him there, but decided first to do him a favour. He took a valuable jewel and placed it in the drunken man’s topknot. Surely, he reasoned, when his friend woke up, he would notice the jewel, use it to pay any expenses, and still have plenty left over for whatever he wanted.
But this did not happen. When the drunken man got up the next day, it never occurred to him that he was now wealthy. First he was thrown out of the inn for not paying his bill. Then things went from bad to worse. He wandered from place to place, doing odd jobs when he could and living from hand to mouth.
Years later, his wealthy friend ran into him and was shocked by his appearance. ‘What happened to you?’ he asked. ‘How did you lose all your money?’
‘What money? I never had any. You know that.’
The money from the jewel I left in your topknot. I left it for you so that you could pay your expenses, invest the rest, and go into business for yourself.’
The poor man dug into his topknot and, sure enough, there was the priceless jewel! It had been there all along. He had been a rich man, carrying a fortune with him wherever he went, but he had never known it.
So it is, says the Buddha, with everyone. The priceless jewel, the Buddha nature, lies within us untapped. The only difference between the Buddha and us is that he knows this, has unraveled his topknot, and exposed the jewel of the Buddhahood. (Page 50)
Then there’s the question of how one writes the Daimoku in English. For most of the book, Montgomery uses Namu Myoho Renge Kyo. But occasionally Soka Gakkai’s spelling with Nam sneaks in. It is understandable when Montgomery is quoting a Nichiren Shoshu or a Soka Gakkai source, but then it pops up unexpectedly:
Even more extraordinary is the story of Nisshin Nabekamuri, the ‘pot-wearer’ (1407-88). A representative of Toki Jonin’s Nakayama School, he arrived in Kyoto at the age of 22, and promptly set to work writing a thesis in imitation of Nichiren’s, which he called, ‘Establish the Right Law and Rule the Country’. When he finished it he presented it to Shogun Ashikaga Yoshinori, which was a mistake. The Shogun had once been an ordained monk on Mount Hiei, and had inherited a bitter hatred for Nichiren Buddhism. He decided to break Nisshin for his impertinence. The young priest was arrested and tortured. Nisshin was not tortured only once, but daily for two years. The Shogun took a perverse delight in watching the sufferings of the priest; he supervised the daily tortures by fire, rack, sword, and whatever else he could think of. Nothing would make Nisshin stop chanting, Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. Finally the Shogun ordered that a metal pot be jammed over his head to keep him quiet, but from underneath the pot could still be heard, Nam-myoho-renge-kyo! Nam-myoho-renge-kyo!
Nisshin’s ordeal might have continued indefinitely had not the cruel Shogun been assassinated one day while watching a theatrical performance. Nisshin was released, and the pot was removed from his head. He rebuilt his temple, which had been destroyed, took up his drum, and went back to the street corners to chant, Nam-myoho-renge-kyo! Nam-myoho-renge-kyo! Never one to avoid a challenge, he is said to have triumphed in 60 religious debates in the course of his 65-year career. (Page 161-162)
One assumes Montgomery got this version of the tale from Nichiren Shoshu/Soka Gakkai materials, but the inconsistency grates.
Montgomery has something of pattern of picking up material whole. For example, in discussing Shariputra’s dislike for women he quotes from Buddha-Dharma: New English Edition, published by the Numata Center for Buddhist Translation in 1984.
However, there is a delightful Sanskrit story that even Shariputra met his match when he encountered a woman saint in heaven and asked her, ‘Now that you have the ability, why don’t you change yourself into a man?’ Instead of answering him, she turned him into a woman and asked him if he felt any different.
That “delightful Sanskrit story” is actually the Vimalakīrti Sūtra and the “saint in heaven” is actually a goddess who has been living in Vimalakīrti’s room for 12 years. Here’s Burton Watson’s translation of the exchange:
Shariputra said, “Why don’t you change out of this female body?
The goddess replied, “For the past twelve years I have been trying to take on female form, but in the end with no success. What is there to change? If a sorcerer were to conjure up a phantom woman and then someone asked her why she didn’t change out of her female body, would that be any kind of reasonable question?”
“No,” said Shariputra. “Phantoms have no fixed form, so what would there be to change?”
The goddess said, “All things are just the same—they have no fixed form. So why ask why I don’t change out of my female form?”
At that time the goddess employed her supernatural powers to change Shariputra into a goddess like herself, while she took on Shariputra’s form. Then she asked, “Why don’t you change out of this female body?”
Shariputra, now in the form of a goddess, replied, “I don’t know why I have suddenly changed and taken on a female body!”
The goddess said, “Shariputra, if you can change out of this female body, then all women can change likewise. Shariputra, who is not a woman, appears in a woman’s body. And the same is true of all women—though they appear in women’s bodies, they are not women. Therefore the Buddha teaches that all phenomena are neither male nor female.”
Then the goddess withdrew her supernatural powers, and Shariputra returned to his original form. The goddess said to Shariputra, “Where now is the form and shape of your female body?”
Shariputra said, “The form and shape of my female body does not exist, yet does not not exist.”
The goddess said, “All things are just like that—they do not exist, yet do not not exist. And that they do not exist, yet do not not exist, is exactly what the Buddha teaches.”(Page 90-91)
All things considered, Fire in the Lotus is an excellent addition to any library devoted to Nichiren and the Lotus Sutra.
Question: Why do you discuss [the concept of] no-truth in both Hinayāna and Mahāyāna?
Answer: The Ta chih tu lun [Treatise on the Great Perfection of Wisdom] says, “I am not criticizing the nirvāṇa attained in the mind of the sage, but the attachment to nirvāṇa among those who have not yet attained [enlightenment] which gives rise to vain speculation [prapañca].”622 It is like arousing attachments when coming in contact with [the concept of] non-Being [and mistaking it for nothingness]. Therefore one destroys [the notion of one truth] by saying “no-truth.”
Question: If this is so, then one should criticize both the attainment and non-attainment of the Hinayānist, and one should criticize both the attainment and non-attainment of the Mahāyānist.
Answer: This is not the case. Those of the Hinayāna have distinct delusions which should be removed and a distinct reality which they should manifest. Therefore though it is said that they have attainment, this should be criticized. The Middle Path is not like this. Why then should its attainment be criticized?
Question: If so, then the Middle Path alone should be the one real truth, and should not be called “no-truth.”
Answer: It is necessary to say “no-truth” for the sake of those who have not fulfilled attainment, and in their attachments give rise to delusion. For those who have real attainment, there is [a positive truth]; for those [lost] in vain speculation, there is none.623
The Shakusen kōgi refers to the Ta chih tu lun, fascicle 1.12, but the closest passage I could find in this section were the verses on prapañca, which read in part, “If one relies on one’s own mistaken views, one will give rise to all sorts of vain speculations.” These are verses which illustrate the fourth siddhānta. return
623
The section on the subtlety of objects continues for a couple of pages in a section titled “Exposing the Harmony of All Objects.” Here Chih-i discusses the relationship between all of the above subjects, such as which parts of twelvefold conditioned co-arising correspond to which parts of the ten such-likes, and so forth. This illustrates the integrated nature, or interrelatedness, of all these aspects of objective reality, thus manifesting Chih-i’s basic theme of variety within a single reality. This is the last part of the section on subtle objects, but it is not included in my translation because of its length and repetitiveness. Chih-i’s point is already clear. return
Grand Master T’ien-t’ai interprets the two letters of Chih and kuan (concentration and insight) in the Great Concentration and Insight: “I call kuan the wisdom of the Buddha and Chih the insight of the Buddha.” This (interpretation), however, refers to the wisdom and insight of the Buddha in the theoretical section, not the ultimate wisdom and insight of the Buddha at the highest stage of Supreme Enlightenment. For the Great Concentration and Insight is based on the ten realms, the ten aspects, the 3,000 realms of existence, the triple truth and the threefold contemplation, which Grand Master T’ien-t’ai attained, and these thoughts are the real intention of the theoretical section in the first half of the Lotus Sūtra. Therefore, we should remember that the Great Concentration and Insight is the wisdom and insight of the Buddha in the theoretical section.
Risshō Kanjō, A Treatise on Establishing the Right Way of Meditation, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Doctrine 2, Page 228
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.
Subhūti, Mahā-Kātyāyana, Mahā-Kāśyapa, and Mahā-Maudgalyāyana, all disciples of the Buddha, speak these lines in Chapter Four of the Lotus Sūtra as they explain their story of the wayward son. They compare the father’s treasure house in the story to the Buddha’s enlightenment. Until they had been led by the Buddha’s expedient teachings, they could not even imagine themselves as enlightened, any more than the wayward son in the story could imagine the contents of his father’s treasure house.
The Daily Dharma is produced by the Lexington Nichiren Buddhist Community. To subscribe to the daily emails, visit zenzaizenzai.com
Having last month considered the reaction of Pūrṇa to the teaching he has heard about the future attainment of Anuttara-samyak-saṃbodhi, we learn of Pūrṇa’s past lives.
Thereupon the Buddha said to the bhikṣus:
“Do you see this Pūrṇa, the son of Maitrāyanī? I always praise him, saying that he is the most excellent expounder of the Dharma. I also praise him for his various merits. He strenuously protects my teachings, and helps me propagate them. He shows the Way to the four kinds of devotees, teaches them, benefits them and causes them to rejoice. He explains my right teachings perfectly, and gives great benefits to those who are performing brahma practices’ with him. No one except the Tathāgata excels him in eloquence. Do not say that he protects only my teachings and helps me propagate them! In his previous existence he also protected the right teachings of nine thousand million Buddhas and helped them propagate their teachings. Under those Buddhas also he was the most excellent expounder of the Dharma. He clearly understood the truth of the Void expounded by those Buddhas, and obtained the four kinds of unhindered eloquence. He always expounded the Dharma clearly and purely, with no doubtfulness. Although he had the supernatural powers of Bodhisattvas, he performed brahma practices throughout his previous existence. Therefore, the people of the world of the Buddha [under whom he performed brahma practices] thought that he was a Śrāvaka. He benefited many hundreds of thousands of living beings with this expedient, and also caused innumerable, asaṃkhya people to aspire for Anuttara-samyak-saṃbodhi. He did the work of the Buddha, that is, taught all living beings so that the world of the Buddha might be purified.
To say that “all truth cannot be explained” means that all dharmas are inherently, naturally, and eternally quiescent. How can reality [”all truth”] be in disorder and obstructed?619 The one truth is [actually] no [truth]; all truth is at rest. Each and every [truth] is [ultimately] inexpressible.
To not explain it is crude; [for truth itself] to be inexpressible is subtle. For the inexpressibility [of the truth] to be inexpressible is subtle. This subtlety is also subtle, because this is the limit of verbal expression. If one consistently applies this inexpressibility, then the arising of arising is inexpressible, and the non-arising of non-arising is inexpressible.620 The first inexpressibility is crude; the inexpressibility of the non-arising of non-arising is subtle. If the crude is different from the subtle, this is relative and not integrated. The crude and subtle are non-dual; this is the absolute subtlety.621
With regard to the teachings of five flavors, the milk teaching is one part crude no-truth, and one part subtle no-truth. The cream teaching is one part crude no-truth. The curds teaching is three parts crude no-truth, and one part subtle no-truth. The butter teaching is two parts crude no-truth, and one part subtle no-truth. This Lotus Sūtra is only the one subtle no-truth.
This refers to the section in the Mahāparinirvāṇa Sūtra, which illustrates the inexpressibility of emptiness by arguing that one cannot accurately explain with words the arising or non-arising of anything. The section says in part, “Good sons. The non-arising of arising is inexpressible. The arising of arising is inexpressible. The arising of non-arising is also inexpressible. The non-arising of non-arising is also inexpressible. Arising is also inexpressible. Non-arising is also inexpressible.” return
621
In this section Chih-i is again straining to verbally explain that which, as he takes pains to point out, is inherently inexpressible. Truth or reality, with whatever terms one wishes to utilize, is beyond adequate verbal expression. Even the term “one truth,” though more accurate than most to the ultimate “state” of reality, must denied and called “no truth” if one becomes attached to the term “truth.” The same applies in turn for the term “no truth” or whatever verbal expression one uses. return
Lady Vaidehi, mother of King Ajātaśatru in ancient India, read the Sūtra of Meditation on the Buddha of Infinite Life and reached the higher spiritual state of Recognizing the Immutable Reality of All Existences. Nevertheless, as the Buddha declared in the Lotus Sūtra that he would now “honestly discard the expedients,” Lady Vaidehi was forced to return to her original status as an ordinary woman unless she put faith in the Lotus Sūtra. Therefore, even a person of great virtue is worthless without the Lotus Sūtra and even a person of extreme evil is not necessarily doomed. This is because if the one vehicle teaching of the Lotus Sūtra is practiced, anyone can attain Buddhahood just as Devadatta did. This is solely because the phrase in the Lotus Sūtra, “not even one will fail to attain Buddhahood,” was not spoken in vain.
Sennichi-ama Gohenji, A Reply to Sennichi-ama, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Volume 7, Followers II, Pages 160
