Tendai Lotus School Teachings, p 119The conscious mind is dark and depressed; it has wandered from the right path and does not improve. The nature of the mind is to be noisy and cluttered, and it rejects the jeweled vehicle instead of accepting it. This is due to the dominance of cravings, which obstruct the sun of wisdom like a dark cloud, and the prevalence of the cycle of birth and death, which causes the boat of contemplation to sink in the sea of suffering. Thus the three wisdoms are hidden of themselves, and the three virtuous qualities are not manifest because of this. Therefore practice is required.
Monthly Archives: April 2023
Daily Dharma – April 21, 2023
Because we are your messengers,
We are fearless before multitudes.
We will expound the Dharma.
Buddha, do not worry!
In Chapter Thirteen of the Lotus Sūtra, innumerable Bodhisattvas sing these verses before the Buddha from whom they had come to hear the Wonderful Dharma. The Buddha had asked who would continue to spread and practice his highest teaching after his extinction. These Bodhisattvas vowed to uphold this teaching through all obstacles, particularly those created by people who were so attached to their delusions that they would slander and persecute anyone who keeps this Lotus Sūtra. The fearlessness of these Bodhisattvas comes from their certainty that this Sūtra leads all beings to enlightenment, and their compassionate resolve to benefit everyone.
The Daily Dharma is produced by the Lexington Nichiren Buddhist Community. To subscribe to the daily emails, visit zenzaizenzai.com
Day 6
Day 6 continues Chapter 3, A Parable
Having last month repeated in gāthās the Parable of the Burning House, we conclude today’s portion of Chapter 3, A Parable
The children saw their father
Sitting in peace.
They came to him,
And said:
“Give us
The three kinds of jeweled carts
That you promised us!
You said:
“Come out, and I will give you
The three kinds of carts as you like.”
Now is the time for that.
Give them to us now!”He was a very rich man.
He had many storehouses.
He made many large carts
Adorned with treasures,
Such as gold, silver,
Lapis lazuli, shell and agate.[The carts] were beautifully adorned.
Railings were put around them.
Bells were hanging on the four sides
With ropes of gold.[The carts] were roofed
With nets of pearls.
Garlands of golden flowers
Were hanging on all sides.Other ornaments of fabrics
Of divers colors
Encircled the bodies of the carts.
Bedding was made of soft cloth.
[The bedding] was covered
With the most wonderful woolen fabrics.
They were bright, white, pure and clean,
Worth hundreds of thousands of millions.Large white bullocks,
Fat, stout, powerful,
And beautiful in their build,
Were yoked to the jeweled carts.
The carts were also guarded
By many attendants.[The rich man] gave to each of his children
One of these wonderful carts.
The children
Danced with joy.They drove these jeweled carts
In all directions.
They were happy and delighted.
Nothing could stop their joy.(The Buddha said to Śāriputra:)
I am like the father.
I am the Saint of Saints.
I am the father of the world.All living beings are my children.
They are deeply attached
To the pleasures of the world.
They have no wisdom.The triple world is not peaceful.
It is like the burning house.
It is full of sufferings.
It is dreadful.There are always the sufferings
Of birth, old age, disease and death.
They are like flames
Raging endlessly.I have already left
The burning house of the triple world.
I am tranquil and peaceful
In a bower in a forest.
The Purpose of the Four Samādhis
Tendai Lotus School Teachings, p 105-106The four types of regulating and rectifying bring about the illumination of perfect quiescence in one life. The five categories of preparatory practices train one’s uncontrolled physical, verbal, and mental actions. Though one experiences craving, one nevertheless can gain enlightenment concerning bodhi-wisdom. By contemplating [the cycle of] birth and death one is awakened to Nirvāṇa. One crosses over this realm of delusion on the raft of practice, and thus completes this doctrine. Where else can one seek the torch of wisdom [that illumines] this dark room? …
Q: What is the list of names [of the Four Samādhis]?
A: (1) The Constantly Sitting Samādhi; (2) the Constantly Walking Samādhi; (3) the Half-walking and Half-sitting Samādhi; and (4) the Neither-walking-nor-sitting Samādhi. …Q: What is the interpretation of the names?
A: “Samādhi” refers to regulating, rectifying, and concentrating.
Q: What is regulated to justify calling it “regulating and rectifying”?
A: Physical, verbal, and mental [activity] are regulated and rectified.
Q: How do you know that “samādhi” means regulating and rectifying?
A: The Ta Chih tu lun says, “A good mind dwells in one place without moving. This is called samādhi.”
Q: What is the meaning of this treatise passage?
A: “One place” refers to the Dharma realm. In [the state of] cessation and contemplation one can concentrate without wavering. With these four practices as conditions, one contemplates the mind, and with these conditions one regulates and rectifies [physical, verbal, and mental activity]. Therefore it is called “samādhi.”
Daily Dharma – April 20, 2023
Medicine-King! Although many laymen or monks will practice the Way of Bodhisattvas, they will not be able to practice it satisfactorily, know this, unless they see, hear, read, recite, copy or keep this Sūtra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma or make offerings to it.
The Buddha gives this explanation to Medicine-King Bodhisattva in Chapter Ten of the Lotus Sūtra. For us to aspire to benefit all beings is rare and wonderful. However, without the guidance of the Buddha, our efforts to benefit others can degenerate into expectations of separate benefits for ourselves. In the Lotus Sūtra, the Buddha explains the limitations of his previous teachings, assures us of our capacity for enlightenment and how he is always helping us, and gives examples of great Bodhisattvas whose experience we can apply to our own lives.
The Daily Dharma is produced by the Lexington Nichiren Buddhist Community. To subscribe to the daily emails, visit zenzaizenzai.com
Day 5
Day 5 begins Chapter 3, A Parable
Having last month considered the Parable of the Burning House, we conclude today’s portion of Chapter 3, A Parable.
“Thereupon the rich man thought, ‘This house will be burned down soon by this great fire. If they and I do not get out at once, we shall be burned. I will save them from this danger with an expedient.
“An idea came to his mind that his children would be attracted by the various toys which they wished to have. He said to them, ‘The toys you wish to have are rare and difficult to obtain. You will be sorry if you do not get them now. There are sheep-carts, deer carts, and bullock-carts outside the gate. You can play with them. Come out of this burning house quickly! I will give you any of them according to your wishes.’
“Hearing of the toys from their father, the children rushed quickly out of the burning house, pushing one another, and striving to be first, because they thought that they could get what they each wished to have. The rich man, who saw them having come out safely and sitting in the open on the crossroad with no more hindrance, felt relieved and danced with joy. They said to their father, ‘Father! Give us the toys! Give us the sheep-carts, deer-cart and bullock-carts you promised us!’
“Śāriputra! Then the rich man gave each of them a large cart of the same size. The cart was tall, wide and deep, adorned with many treasures, surrounded by railings, and having bells hanging on the four sides. A canopy adorned with rare treasures was fixed on the top of it. Garlands of flowers, tied with jeweled ropes, were hanging from the canopy. In the cart were quilts spread one on another, and a red pillow. The cart was yoked with white bullocks. The color of the skin of the white bullocks was bright; their build, beautiful and stout; and their pace, regular. They could run as swift as the wind. The cart was guarded by many attendants. [This great rich man gave one of these carts to each of his children] because his wealth was so immeasurable that his various storehouses were full [of treasures]. He thought, ‘My treasures are limitless. I should not give inferior, smaller carts to them. They are all my children. Therefore, I love them without partiality. I have a countless number of these large carts of the seven treasures. I gave one of these to each of my children equally. There should be no discrimination. The large carts are numerous enough to be given to all the people of this country. Needless to say, I can give them to my sons. [Therefore, I did.]’
See Burning Craving
The Correct Understanding of the Two Truths
Tendai Lotus School Teachings, p 86-87Q: What are the names of the Two Truths?
A: First, the mundane truth; and second, the real truth.
Q: What is the meaning of the mundane and real truths?
A: If one discusses the meaning succinctly, [one can say] merely that the crux of the nature of reality is the real truth, and the Twelvefold Conditioned Co-arising of ignorance is the mundane truth. If [the meaning is] discussed extensively, there are seven categories of the Two Truths. Each of these categories of Two Truths also has three categories, so all together there are twenty-one [interpretations of] the Two Truths. If one utilizes the first category of the Two Truths, one can destroy all mistaken sayings and exhaust all attachments, as the fire at the end of an era burns up [everything] and does not leave even a mustard seed behind. How much more so [are the effective results of] expanding on the later interpretations of the Two Truths, which go beyond the limits of language and are not within the capacity of human feelings to fathom!
Daily Dharma – April 19, 2023
Thereupon Universal-Sage Bodhisattva said to the Buddha:
“World-Honored One! If anyone keeps this sūtra in the defiled world in the later five hundred years after [your extinction], I will protect him so that he may be free from any trouble, that he may be peaceful, and that no one may take advantage [of his weak points].”
Universal-Sage Bodhisattva (Fugen, Samantabhadra) makes this vow to the Buddha in Chapter Twenty-Eight of the Lotus Sutra. In this world of conflict, it can seem like very few people are practicing the Buddha Dharma with us. Nichiren compared those beings alive in this world of conflict to the amount of soil in the whole earth, while those who keep and practice the Lotus Sūtra are like the dirt under a fingernail. The vow of Universal-Sage reminds us that innumerable beings support our practice and that in turn, we support them with our practice.
The Daily Dharma is produced by the Lexington Nichiren Buddhist Community. To subscribe to the daily emails, visit zenzaizenzai.com
Day 4
Day 4 concludes Chapter 2, Expedients, and completes the first volume of the Sūtra of the Lotus flower of the Wonderful Dharma.
Having last month considered those who have already attained the enlightenment of the Buddha, we consider how all Buddhas teach the Dharma for just one purpose.
The World-Honored Ones in the future
Will be countless in number.
Those Tathāgatas also
Will expound the Dharma with expedients.The Tathāgatas save all living beings
With innumerable expedients.
They cause all living beings to enter the Way
To the wisdom-without-āsravas of the Buddha.
Anyone who hears the Dharma
Will not fail to become a Buddha.Every Buddha vows at the outset:
“I will cause all living beings
To attain the same enlightenment
That I attained.”The future Buddhas will expound many thousands
Of myriads of millions of teachings
For just one purpose,
That is, for the purpose of revealing the One Vehicle.The Buddhas, the Most Honorable Bipeds,
Expound the One Vehicle because they know:
“All things are devoid of substantiality.
The seed of Buddhahood comes from dependent origination.”The Leading Teachers expound the Dharma with expedients
After realizing at the place of enlightenment:
“This is the abode of the Dharma and the position of the Dharma.
The reality of the world is permanently as it is.”Gods and men are making offerings
To the present Buddhas of the worlds of the ten quarters.
The Buddhas as many as there are sands in the River Ganges
Who appeared in these worlds,
Are expounding the Dharma
For the purpose of giving peace to all living beings.They know the Highest Truth of Tranquil Extinction.
They have the power to employ expedients.
Although they expound various teachings,
Their purpose is to reveal the Buddha-Vehicle.Knowing the deeds of all living beings,
And their thoughts deep in their minds,
And the karmas they have done in their previous existence,
And their desires, natures, and powers to make efforts,
And also knowing whether each of them is keen or dull,
The Buddhas expound the Dharma according to their capacities,
With various stories of previous lives, parables, similes and discourses,
That is to say, with various expedients.I also do the same.
I show the enlightenment of the Buddha
With various teachings
In order to give peace to all living beings.I know the natures and desires of all living beings
By the power of my wisdom.
Therefore, I expound various teachings expediently,
And cause all living beings to rejoice.
The Daily Dharam from April 11, 2022, offers this:
Every Buddha vows at the outset:
“I will cause all living beings
To attain the same enlightenment
That I attained.”
The Buddha sings these verses in Chapter Two of the Lotus Sūtra. The Buddha holds nothing back from us. There is nothing hidden or secret in his teachings. He is not threatened by anyone who reaches his wisdom, since he knows this is the potential we all have in us. By his example we can discern between the knowledge that separates from others, and that which unites us with our fellow beings.
The Daily Dharma is produced by the Lexington Nichiren Buddhist Community. To subscribe to the daily emails, visit zenzaizenzai.com
The Body of a Bodhisattva of the Perfect Teaching
Tendai Lotus School Teachings, p 84Q: If the Tripiṭaka Bodhisattva does retrogress, but the Bodhisattvas of the other Three Teachings do not, then why does it say in the Suvarṇaprabhāsa Sūtra that those in the Ten Stages are afraid of tigers, wolves, and lions?
A: If one is killed by an evil friend, one can fall into hell. If one is killed by an evil elephant, one does not fall into hell. Thus for [a Bodhisattva of] the Perfect Teaching to have a physical body means that he can ascend or transcend the Ten Stages within this life. This means that though one has already destroyed all passions and has no karma for falling into hell, one still has a physical body that cannot avoid evil beasts. The physical body of Bodhisattvas of the other Teachings cannot ascend the Ten Stages within one life.