Important Matters, p 89Whenever I lead Daimoku chanting (shodai), I preface it with an instruction to chant with great joy and confidence. We should make great effort to avoid chanting in a lazy, gloomy, or distracted manner. The cultivation of one’s inner spirit of joy and confidence enhances our Odaimoku and the Odaimoku enhances our inner spirit. Remember the way we chant and the state of our mind are all causes that have a significant impact on our lives and the benefit of the Odaimoku.
The pace of the chanting should be moderate, not too fast nor too slow. It should be comfortable and allow for easy pronunciation of all the seven characters of Na Mu Myo Ho Ren Ge Kyo. Namu takes one single beat and the remaining characters one beat each. The Raiju-giki suggests a minimum of 300 Odaimoku, though personally I am not a fan of the distraction of counting. Even counting one’s beads and doing three complete sets of 108 beads is a distraction. My advice is to know yourself and chant until you are full. Over time you will learn to discern when you’ve chanted enough. Sometimes the number will be very long and other times it may be as short as 300 repetitions.
Monthly Archives: February 2023
Daily Dharma – Feb. 20, 2023
Why was this bhikṣu called Never-Despising? It was because, every time he saw bhikṣus, bhikṣuṇis, upāsakas or upāsikās, he bowed to them and praised them, saying, ‘I respect you deeply. I do not despise you. Why is that? It is because you will be able to practice the Way of Bodhisattvas and become Buddhas.’
The Buddha gives this description of Never-Despising Bodhisattva in Chapter Twenty of the Lotus Sūtra. The only practice of this Bodhisattva was to show his respect to all people, whether or not they respected him. This practice was so important, the Buddha used it as an example of what he practiced in a previous life to enable him to become enlightened.
The Daily Dharma is produced by the Lexington Nichiren Buddhist Community. To subscribe to the daily emails, visit zenzaizenzai.com
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.
Having last month considered the evil of criticizing those who read and recite this sutra, we consider in gāthās the keeper of the Lotus Sutra.
Thereupon the World-Honored One, wishing to repeat what he had said, sang in gāthās:
If you wish to dwell in the enlightenment of the Buddha,
And to obtain the self-originating wisdom,
Make offerings strenuously to the keeper
Of the Sūtra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma!If you wish to obtain quickly the knowledge
Of the equality and differences of all things,
Keep this sūtra, and also make offerings
To the keeper of this sūtra!Anyone who keeps
The sūtra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma,
Know this, has compassion towards all living beings
Because he is my messenger.
Anyone who keeps
The Sūtra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma
Should be considered to have given up his pure world and come here
Out of his compassion towards all living beings.Know that he can appear wherever he wishes!
He should be considered
To have appeared in this evil world
In order to expound the unsurpassed Dharma.Offer flowers and incense of heaven,
Jeweled garments of heaven,
And heaps of wonderful treasures of heaven
To the expounder of the Dharma!Join your hands together and bow
To the person who keeps this sūtra
In the evil world after my extinction,
Just as you do to me!Offer delicious food and drink,
And various garments to this son of mine,
And yearn to hear the Dharma [from him]
Even if for only a moment!
The Daily Dharma from Sept. 16, 2022, offers this:
Anyone who keeps
The Sūtra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma
Should be considered to have given up his pure world and come here
Out of his compassion towards all living beings.
The Buddha declares these verses to Medicine-King Bodhisattva in Chapter Ten of the Lotus Sūtra. He reminds us that as Bodhisattvas, we are no longer concerned with getting into a paradise where all our desires are met. This also means that we were not sent into this world of conflict (Sahā) so that we could be tested to see whether we are worthy of getting into that paradise. Instead, we are Bodhisattvas, beings who through our great resolve to benefit all beings, have with great courage chosen to immerse ourselves in the misery of this world, because we know there is no other way to create benefit and lead all beings to the Buddha’s enlightenment.
The Daily Dharma is produced by the Lexington Nichiren Buddhist Community. To subscribe to the daily emails, visit zenzaizenzai.com
Direction Thoughts
Important Matters, p 88“Unzo is deep and contemplative thinking… In dokuju (reading and reciting the sutra), whether chanting in shindoku or kundoku [or English], it is difficult to maintain deep and contemplative thought; during shodai, it is easy to maintain deep and contemplative thought.” Raiju-giki
Shutei Hoyo Shiki, page 272
When chanting in non-English, we can become so focused on getting the pronunciation correct that we get distracted. Chanting in English, we can get distracted by pondering what the words mean and trying to assemble a complete understanding. During Odaimoku, or shodai, we can become bored and our mind wander. Doing unzo beforehand helps us maintain our focus and reminds us of our intention. Unless a specific one is given, a suitable unzo is to read Nichiren’s instructions. Failing that, you may simply pause to focus your thoughts.
Daily Dharma – Feb. 19, 2023
You, the World-Honored One, are the light of wisdom.
Hearing from you
That we are assured of our future Buddhahood,
We are as joyful as if we were sprinkled with nectar.
These verses are sung by two thousand of the Buddha’s disciples in Chapter Nine of the Lotus Sūtra. When these followers of the Buddha were told that they would become as enlightened as he was, then many others like them realized that they too had this capacity. The superiority of the Lotus Sūtra lies not in having better explanations of what the Buddha taught, or in some supernatural ability it has to change the world. The superiority of the Lotus Sūtra is its completeness. It leads all beings to the joy of enlightenment.
The Daily Dharma is produced by the Lexington Nichiren Buddhist Community. To subscribe to the daily emails, visit zenzaizenzai.com
Day 13
Day 13 covers all of Chapter 8, The Assurance of Future Buddhahood of the Five Hundred Disciples.
Having last month considered the prediction for Pūrṇa’s Buddha land, 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 Kaundinya
Rules and Cautions for Daily Practice
Important Matters, p 86-87When we recite the sutra we should keep in mind five rules for our recitation:
- Vocal clarity
- Phrase-by-phrase clarity
- Fluency
- Noble-mindedness
- Solemnity and propriety.
There are also three cautions:
- Mindful we are before the gods and Buddhas
- Pray to placate even the spirits of darkness
- Pray to move and delight the people.
When we are in community reciting the sutra, it is said we should do so by the ear. For anyone who has either sung in a choir or played a musical instrument in a band you understand the importance of listening to those around you so that your playing or singing is not just in time or in harmony, but it is also appropriately loud or soft. When we recite in community we are instructed to set aside our personal manner of recitation and concentrate on harmonizing with others. In that way we are all able to enjoy the flavor of the Dharma together.
Daily practice is important as this ensures you gain proficiency in correctly pronouncing the words, adjusting your pace of speaking and tonal quality. In all of this seek to find your own natural style when by yourself. You should not force yourself to be overly ostentatious in your manner of service. If you do not naturally have a deep voice, then do not try to force your voice deeper. I will say, however, that daily practice can help improve your range of voice, which will enable you to better harmonize when in a group setting.
Daily Dharma – Feb. 18, 2023
Anyone who reads this sūtra
Will be free from grief,
Sorrow, disease or pain.
His complexion will be fair.
He will not be poor,
Humble or ugly.
All living beings
Will wish to see him
Just as they wish to see sages and saints.
Celestial pages will serve him.
The Buddha sings these verses in Chapter Fourteen of the Lotus Sūtra. When we cultivate the mind of the Buddha, and bring his teachings to life, we help other beings find true happiness. This is different from our normal pattern of attempting to manipulate what others think about us through bribery, threats, and other forms of coercion. When we help others find their minds, they realize that they share our true mind of joy and peace.
The Daily Dharma is produced by the Lexington Nichiren Buddhist Community. To subscribe to the daily emails, visit zenzaizenzai.com
Day 12
Day 12 concludes Chapter 7, The Parable of the Magic City, and completes the Third Volume of the Sutra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma.
Having last month considered in gāthās the enlightenment of Great-Universal-Wisdom-Excellence Buddha, we consider the sixteen princes.
The sixteen princes renounced the world,
And became śramaṇeras.
They begged the Buddha to expound the teaching
Of the Great Vehicle, saying:
“We and our attendants wish to attain
The enlightenment of the Buddha.
May we have the purest eyes of wisdom
Just as yours!”Knowing the wishes of the [princes who were] young boys
And the practices they performed in their previous existence,
The Buddha taught them the six paramitas
And many supernatural things
With innumerable stories of previous lives
And with various parables and similes.The gāthās of the Sūtra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma
Were sung [by the Buddha] to expound the true teaching,
That is, [to expound] the Way which Bodhisattvas should practice.
The gāthās were as many as there are sands in the River Ganges.Having expounded this sūtra, the Buddha entered a quiet room,
And practiced dhyāna-concentration.
Concentrating his mind, he sat at the same place
For eighty-four thousand kalpas.Seeing him still in dhyāna,
The śramaṇeras wished to expound
The unsurpassed wisdom of the Buddha
To many hundreds of millions of living beings.They each sat on a seat of the Dharma
And expounded this sūtra of the Great Vehicle.
Also after the peaceful extinction of that Buddha,
They proclaimed this sūtra, and helped propagate it.They each saved
Six hundred billions of living beings,
That is, as many living beings
As there are sands in the River Ganges.After the extinction of that Buddha,
Some heard the Dharma [from one of the śramaṇeras].
They were reborn in the world of a Buddha,
Accompanied by [the śramaṇera, that is,] their teacher.Those sixteen śramaṇeras practiced the Way to Buddhahood.
They are now in the worlds of the ten quarters.
They have already attained
Perfect enlightenment [and become Buddhas].Those who heard the Dharma from those śramaṇeras
Are now living under those Buddhas.
To those who are still in Śrāvakahood
[The Buddhas] teach the Way to Buddhahood.I was one of the sixteen śramaṇeras.
You were among those to whom I expounded the Dharma.
Therefore, I now lead you with expedients
To the wisdom of the Buddha.Because I taught you in my previous existence,
I expound the Sūtra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma
In order to lead you into the Way to Buddhahood.
Think it over! Do not be surprised! Do not be afraid!
Skillful Preparation
Important Matters, p 75-80“The Raijitsu-giki states, ‘According to the Makashikan (C. Mohe-zhiguan) the 25 skillful [preparations for meditation] facilitate the realization of the true principle through concrete phenomena.”
Shutei Hoyo Shiki, page 204
Here we focus on actual activities or actions taken in preparation for and during our worship of the Lotus Sutra. Just as singers warm up before a performance or athletes stretch before a race, we too are advised to do certain things to prepare for our Dharma practice. …
Of the seven skillful means taught in Nichiren Shu, five are derived from the Raijitsu-giki.
From the Raijitsu-giki:
1. Displaying the object of worship or Honzon: Nichiren Shu authorizes five ways of representing the Honzon. …
2. Purifying the place of practice: The example for us is found in the Lotus Sutra when the Buddha purifies the land in preparation for the return of his emanations. Numerous times he purifies the land, joins more lands and purifies them and continues to do so until the space is large enough to accommodate the emanations and their retinues.
3. Ritual accoutrements: This would be your prayer beads (juzu) and your prayer book (kyobon). …
4. Cleanliness and vestments: For lay practitioners this would mean properly and neatly dressed. I realize that current fashion has ripped jeans as acceptable for many semi-formal public occasions. I would question the wearing of ripped jeans for service, but fundamentally it is your choice. The operating principle should be to dress as if you had an invitation to see the Buddha. …
5. Offering incense and flowers: These are self-explanatory, but there is something I would like to say. Living in modern cities may make flower offerings challenging. We offer flowers in the same way the gods and heavenly deities rain flowers on the Buddha and those who are attaining enlightenment. They beautify and create a pleasing place for us to attain our enlightenment. It isn’t always possible to have fresh flowers. While cut flowers are ideal, the overarching factor is your heart, your spirit. If you don’t have flowers, then you can’t offer them. On occasions when you desire to have flowers but have no money or access, consider handmaking a paper flower for the service and then cremating it afterward. Do not reuse. …
From Nichiren Shu:
6. Bells and percussion instruments: Lay practitioners may or may not have some of these items. They are not required, although it would be nice if you have a bell. The size of the bell is unimportant. … At home you may or may not have a mokusho or mokugyo. The mokusho is a round flat wooden drum that produces a loud, high-pitch sound, depending upon size. The pitch and loudness allow the sound to be heard above the taiko drums used in temples. …
7. Service Manner: There are many instructions given to priests that dictate virtually every movement, placement of hands and feet, walking, sitting, and rising. Nothing a priest does during a ceremony is without some instruction. … For the lay practitioner, having in your mind the solemn yet joyful activity of honoring the Buddha and his teachings will help you. Always try to sit as erect as possible, whether in a chair, on a cushion or mat, or on the floor. … Having the necessary items arranged in front of you before the service will help you maintain your focus during the service and will allow you to flow smoothly from one part of the ceremony to another. …
In closing this section, please keep in mind these are skillful means. They are not the object. The tools, guidelines, and procedures have been created to help you prepare your body, mind, spirit, and environment so that you may fully and deeply enter the great teaching of the True Dharma of the Lotus Sutra. Nothing bad happens if you get it wrong or if you are unable to do some of these things. The hope is that doing what you can, which may change over time through the causes you make with what you have, will bring you delight and joy.