Monthly Archives: October 2021

Daily Dharma

Daily Dharma – Oct. 13, 2021

The gods, men and asuras in the world think that I, Śākyamuni Buddha, left the palace of the Śākyas, sat at the place of enlightenment not far from the City of Gayā, and attained Anuttara-samyak-saṃbodhi [forty and odd years ago]. To tell the truth, good men, it is many hundreds of thousands of billions of nayutas of kalpas since I became the Buddha.

The Buddha makes this proclamation in Chapter Sixteen of the Lotus Sutra. This was the first time he revealed himself not as the temporal Siddhartha Gautama, the man who left home and became enlightened, but as the Ever-Present Buddha Śākyamuni who has been alive for innumerable eons helping beings to become enlightened and will continue that existence for twice that time into the future. This is the highest teaching of the Buddha, the purpose of all his expedient teachings that came before, and the Wonderful Dharma that is most difficult to believe and understand. When we comprehend the existence of this Ever-Present Buddha for even the blink of an eye, we gain more clarity about the world than through any of the Buddha’s other teachings.

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

LS32

Day 29

Day 29 covers all of Chapter 25, The Universal Gate of World-Voice-Perceiver Bodhisattva.

Day 29 Text with annotationsPlay MP3
Having last month considered examples of World Voice Perceiver’s protections, we conclude Chapter 25, The Universal Gate of World-Voice-Perceiver Bodhisattva.

World-Voice-Perceiver will save
All living beings from misfortunes
And from innumerable sufferings of the world
By the wonderful power of his wisdom.

He has these supernatural powers.
He employs various expedients with his wisdom.
In the ten quarters there is no ksetra
In which he does not appear at all.

Hell, the region of hungry spirits, and the region of animals,
That is the [three) evil regions will be eliminated.
The sufferings of birth, old age, disease and death
Will gradually be eliminated.

He sees the truth of all things and their purity.
He sees all things with his great wisdom.
He sees all things with loving-kindness and compassion.
Think of him constantly! Look up at him constantly!

All darkness is dispelled by the light of his wisdom
As spotless and as pure as the light of the sun.
The light destroys the dangers of wind and fire,
And illumines the whole world brightly.

His precepts out of his loving-kindness brace us up as thunderbolts.
His wishes out of his compassion are as wonderful as large clouds.
He pours the rain of the Dharma as sweet as nectar,
And extinguishes the fire of illusions.

Suppose you are in a law-court for a suit,
Or on a battlefield, and are seized with fear.
If you think of the power of World-Voice-Perceiver,
All your enemies will flee away.

His wonderful voice [comes from] his perceiving the voice of the world.
It is like the voice of Brahman, like the sound of a tidal wave.
It excels all the other voices of the world.
Therefore, think of him constantly!

Do not doubt him even at a moment’s thought!
The Pure Saint World-Voice-Perceiver is reliable
When you suffer, and when you are confronted
With the calamity of death.

By all these merits, he sees
All living beings with his compassionate eyes.
The ocean of his accumulated merits is boundless.
Therefore, bow before him!

Thereupon Earth-Holding Bodhisattva rose from his seat, proceeded to the Buddha, and said to him:

“World-Honored One! Those who hear of his supernatural powers by which he opened the universal gate without hindrance, and which are expounded in this chapter of World-Voice-Perceiver Bodhisattva, know this, will be able to obtain not a few merits.”

When the Buddha expounded this chapter of the Universal Gate, the eighty-four thousand living beings in the congregation began to aspire for the unparalleled Anuttara-samyak-saṃbodhi.

See Causes of Misunderstanding World-Voice-Perceiver Bodhisattva

history

The First Teaching

The Four Seals of the Dharma: (1) All phenomena are impermanent. In other words, they change. (2) All existences are without a self; they do not have an unchanging essence. (3) Nirvāṇa is quiescent. The state that is without delusion is peaceful and tranquil. (4) All phenomena are suffering. …

Five Aggregates: Five accumulations that are the elements comprising the world of phenomena. (1) Form: All matter. (2) Feeling: The sensory functions. (3) Perception: The unified functioning of the sensory organs. Imagination. Perceiving that which is reflected in one’s mind. (4) Volition: Connecting representations and internal consciousness. The power of formation. (5) Consciousness: Unifying all the functions of consciousness. Self-reflective awareness.

No-self: The insight that a self does not exist on an absolute level. One of Buddhism’s basic theories regarding the perception of reality.

History and Teachings of Nichiren Buddhism, p 17
WONS

One Day and Night in the Hell of Burning Heat

The sixth of the eight major hells is the Hell of Burning Heat, which is located beneath the Hell of Great Wailing and is the same size. Various types of sufferings exist in this hell. Placed in the Jambudvīpa (the world), a tiny flame of fire in this hell, as small as a bean, will burn anything completely in no time, not to speak of the bodies of sinners, which are as soft as cotton. The intensity of heat from this hell fire is such that in the eyes of sinners in this Hell of Burning Heat, the fires in the five hells mentioned above will seem like snow. For instance in the human world, flames of hot iron and copper are hotter than those of firewood.

Suppose 1,600 years in the human world correspond to one day and night in the Paranirmitavaśavartin Heaven, the sixth heaven in the realm of desire, where the life span of heavenly beings is 1,600 years. Suppose 1,600 years in the Paranirmitavaśavartin Heaven are equal to one day and night in the Hell of Burning Heat, the sinners in this hell live as long as 1,600 years.

Ken Hōbō-shō, A Clarificaton of Slandering the True Dharma, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Doctrine 3, Pages 109-110.

Daily Dharma

Daily Dharma – Oct. 12, 2021

This is indeed inexplicable yet precious. If Devadatta does not become a Buddha, the numerous evil people who were induced by him to enter into his evil comradeship would never be able to escape the torment of the Hell of Incessant Suffering. It is solely due to the great favor of the Lotus Sutra that all of Devadatta’s comrades, too, are allowed to be Buddhas.

Nichiren wrote this passage in his Treatise on Prayers (Kitō-shō). Devadatta was a cousin of the Buddha who was jealous of the Buddha’s accomplishments. He tried to set those who followed the Buddha against each other, and even tried several times to kill the Buddha. In the Lotus Sūtra, even Devadatta is assured of becoming a Buddha, opening the path of enlightenment even to those as perverse and deluded as him. When we learn to see even those who cause great harm as being capable of becoming enlightened, then it changes not only how we treat them, but how we see the world.

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

LS32

Day 28

Day 28 covers all of Chapter 24, Wonderful-Voice Bodhisattva, and concludes the Seventh Volume of the Sutra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma.

Day 28 Text with annotationsPlay MP3
Having last month considered Wonderful-Voice Bodhisattva’s decision to go the Saha World and the advice he received from Pure-Flower-Star-King-Wisdom Buddha, we consider the omen created by Wonderful-Voice Bodhisattva.

Wonderful-Voice Bodhisattva said to the Buddha “World-Honored One! I can go to the Sahā-World by your powers, by your supernatural powers of traveling, and by your merits and wisdom which adorn me.”

Thereupon Wonderful-Voice Bodhisattva entered into a samadhi. He did not rise from his seat or make any other movement. By the power of this samadhi, he caused eighty-four thousand lotus flowers of treasures to appear in a place not far from the seat of the Dharma situated on Mt. Gṛdhrakūṭa. Those flowers had stalks of jambunada gold, leaves of silver, stamens of diamond, and calyxes of kimsuka treasures.

Thereupon Mañjuśrī, the Son of the King of the Dharma, having seen these lotus-flowers, said to Śākyamuni Buddha:

“World-Honored One! What does this omen mean? Tens of millions of lotus-flowers have appeared. They have stalks of jambunada gold, leaves of silver, stamens of diamond, and calyxes of kimsuka treasures.”

Thereupon Śākyamuni Buddha said to Mañjuśrī:

“This means that Wonderful-Voice Bodhisattva-mahāsattva, surrounded by eighty-four thousand Bodhisattvas, is coming from the World of Pure-Flower-Star-King-Wisdom Buddha to this Sahā World in order to make offerings to me, attend on me, bow to me, make offerings to the Sūtra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma, and hear it.”

See A Bodhisattva Who Watches Over the Lotus Sūtra’s Female Devotees

history

The Right Path

The Noble Eightfold Path: (1) Right View of the Dharma: Working to not fall into biased or partial views. (2) Right Thought Regarding the Dharma: That which is the basis of, for example, judgments and decisions. The karma or action of thought. This is one of the three karmas. (3) Right Speech about the Dharma: Words and actions in accordance with the Dharma. The karma of speech, another of the three karmas. (4) Right Action: Carrying out properly and acting in accordance with the Dharma. This is restrictive. It is the karma of deeds, the last of the three karmas.
(5) Right Living: Making the Dharma one’s life. Maintaining a rhythm in daily life and not falling into laziness. (6) Right Effort to Practice the Dharma: Maintaining the precepts and rules for discipline while properly engaging in religious training. (7) Right Mindfulness regarding the Dharma: Maintaining one’s consciousness in a proper state. (8) Right Concentration: Properly maintaining one’s mind in a receptive state for the Dharma. This is meditative concentration.

History and Teachings of Nichiren Buddhism, p 16-17
WONS

In Service to the Lotus Sūtra

In the 25th chapter on the “Universal Gate of World-Voice-Perceiver Bodhisattva” in the Lotus Sūtra it is said that “the curse will return to the originators.” So, when we think about this, the Lotus Sūtra is the great way which allows us to receive benefit through punishment. Minamoto Yoritomo was able to destroy the Heike through the virtue of his constant recitation of the Lotus Sūtra, and that is definitely evidence that people will gain benefit in the present life.

The reason I, Nichiren, could discern this truth is due to the favors that I received from my parents and teachers. However, my parents have already died. The late Venerable Dōzen-bō was my teacher but, since I propagated the Lotus Sūtra, he was afraid of Steward Tōjō Kagenobu, a Pure Land believer, and made a show of hating me as an enemy though in his heart he must have been sympathetic to me. Later, I heard that he seemed to have faith in the Lotus Sūtra a little bit, but I do not know how he felt about it when he died. I am very much concerned about it. I hope that he has not fallen into hell, but I doubt that he could rid himself of the suffering of life and death. I am filled with regrets when I think of him wandering in the intermediate state between the present and future lives. When Steward Tōjō Kagenobu tried to kill me in rage, you and Gijō-bō escorted me safely away from Seichōji Temple. So even though you did not do anything specifically for the sake of the Lotus Sūtra, I regard this as a service to the Lotus Sūtra, and I am sure that you both will cut the chain of life and death.

Honzon Mondō Shō, Questions and Answers on the Honzon, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Doctrine 2, Page 271-272

Daily Dharma

Daily Dharma – Oct. 11, 2021

The arrogant bhikṣus, bhikṣuṇis, upāsakas and upāsikās, that is, the four kinds of devotees who had abused him and caused him to be called Never-Despising, saw that he had obtained great supernatural powers, the power of eloquence, and the great power of good tranquility. Having seen all this, and having heard the Dharma from him, they took faith in him, and followed him.

The Buddha tells this story of Never-Despising Bodhisattva in Chapter Twenty of the Lotus Sūtra. Earlier in the sūtra, when the Buddha came out of his meditation to teach the Wonderful Dharma, five thousand of those gathered to hear him stood up and walked away. The Buddha did not stop them, and described them as arrogant: believing they knew something they did not. The arrogance of those who abused Never-Despising Bodhisattva, whose practice was to declare his respect for all beings, was rooted in their not seeing the Buddha’s wisdom in him and believing that they were superior to him. We can only learn from those we respect, and create misery only for ourselves when we despise.

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

LS32

Day 27

Day 27 concludes Chapter 23, The Previous Life of Medicine-King Bodhisattva.

Day 27 Text with annotationsPlay MP3
Having last month considered the merits for those who hear this chapter, we conclude today’s portion of Chapter 23, The Previous Life of Medicine-King Bodhisattva.

“Therefore, Star-King-Flower! I will transmit this chapter of the Previous Life of Medicine-King Bodhisattva to you. Propagate this chapter throughout the Jambudvipa in the later five hundred years after my extinction lest it should be lost, and lest Mara the Evil One, the followers of Mara, gods, dragons, yakṣas, and kumbha]das should take advantage [of the weak points of the people of the Jambudvipa].

“Star-King-Flower! Protect this sūtra by your supernatural powers! Why is that? It is because this sūtra is a good medicine for the diseases of the people of the Jambudvipa. The patient who hears this sūtra will be cured of his disease at once. He will not grow old or die.

“Star-King-Flower! Strew blue lotus flowers and a bowlful of powdered incense to the person who keep this sūtra when you see him! After strewing these things [to him], you should think, ‘Before long he will collect grass [for his seat], sit at the place of enlightenment, and defeat the army of Mara. He will blow the conch-shell horn of the Dharma, beat the drum of the great Dharma, and save all living beings from the ocean of old age, disease and death.’

“In this way, those who seek the enlightenment of the Buddha should respect the keeper of this sūtra whenever they see him.”

When the Buddha expounded this chapter of the Previous Life of Medicine-King Bodhisattva, eighty-four thousand Bodhisattvas obtained the dharanis by which they could understand the words of all living beings. Many-Treasures Tathāgata in the stupa of treasures praised Star-King-Flower Bodhisattva, saying:

“Excellent, excellent, Star-King-Flower! You obtained inconceivable merits. You asked this question to Śākyamuni Buddha, and benefited innumerable living beings.”

See The Life of a Dharma Flower