Monthly Archives: April 2023

LS32

Day 31

Day 31 covers Chapter 27, King Wonderful-Adornment as the Previous Life of a Bodhisattva.

Day 31 Text with annotationsPlay MP3

Having last month considered a king called Wonderful-Adornment and his wife and two sons, we consider the reaction of the two sons when that Buddha expounded the Sūtra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma.

“Thereupon that Buddha expounded the Sūtra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma, wishing to lead King Wonderful-Adornment also out of his compassion towards all living beings. The two sons, Pure-Store and Pure-Eyes, came to their mother, joined their ten fingers and palms together, and said, ‘Mother! Go to Cloud-Thunderpeal-Star-King-Flower-Wisdom Buddha! We also will go to attend on him, approach him, make offerings to him, and bow to him because he is expounding the Sūtra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma to all gods and men. Hear and receive [the sūtra]!’

“The mother said to them, ‘[Yes, I will. But] your father believes in heresy. He is deeply attached to the teachings of brahmanas. Go and tell him to allow us to go [to that Buddha]! ‘

“Pure-Store and Pure-Eyes joined their ten fingers and palms together, and said to their mother, ‘We were born in this family attached to wrong views although we are sons of the King of the Dharma.’

“The mother said to them, ‘Show some wonders to your father out of your compassion towards him! If he sees [the wonders], he will have his mind purified and allow us to go to that Buddha.’

The Daily Dharma from March 2, 2023, offers this:

The mother said to them, ‘Show some wonders to your father out of your compassion towards him! If he sees [the wonders], he will have his mind purified and allow us to go to that Buddha.’

These lines are from a story told by the Buddha in Chapter Twenty-Seven of the Lotus Sūtra. The two sons of King Wonderful-Adornment have asked their mother for permission to leave home and follow the Buddha Cloud-Thunderpeal-Star-King-Flower-Wisdom. The wonders in the story are beyond the capacity of human beings, but they show the King that another way of living is possible, and induce him to seek the teaching of that Buddha. Even if we cannot develop supernatural powers, there are wonders we can develop in our practice. We can learn the value of respecting all beings. We can control our desires and not be devastated by life’s tragedies. We can share “even a word or phrase,” as Nichiren put it, of the teaching and bring great benefit to others. In our normal lives, changed by our practice, we too can purify the minds of others.

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

Tendai Lotus

Four Interpretations of Conditioned Co-arising

Q: Is there any textual evidence for these four interpretations of Conditioned Co-arising?

A: The Saddharma-smṛtyupasthāna Sūtra says that an artist paints all shapes by distributing the five colors. There are incalculable beautiful and ugly pictures. The basis for these images is discovered in the hand of the artist. The Ying lo Ching says that ignorance is the condition for volitional activity. Thus the Twelvefold [Links of Conditioned Co-arising] arise, and so forth until rebirth, [which is] the condition for decay and death, and thus the Twelvefold [Links of Conditioned Co-arising] arise again. This is evidence for Twelvefold Conditioned Co-arising conceptually understood as arising and perishing. The Suvarṇaprabhāsa Sūtra says, “The essential mark of ignorance is that of fundamentally lacking self[-nature]; it has existence only as the confluence of deluded conceptualizations concerning that which conditionally co-arises. … Thus I explain it, and I call it ignorance. Volitional activity, consciousness, name and form, the six senses, contact, experience, passion, attachment, existence, rebirth, decay and death, deluded sorrows, multifarious suffering, and karmic deeds are beyond conceptual understanding. The cycle of birth and death is limitless; revolving transmigration never rests. Fundamentally there is no arising, nor is there any confluence of immoral thoughts or creation of mental activity.” This is evidence for Twelvefold Conditioned Co-arising conceptually understood as neither arising nor perishing. The Avataṃsaka Sūtra says, “The mind, like a skillful painter, creates the various aggregates. In all the world there is nothing that does not follow the creations of the mind.” The Ratnagotravibhāga says, “There are four obstacles for those who dwell in the undefiled realm: conditions, marks, rebirth, and destruction. ‘Conditions’ refers to fundamental ignorance, which becomes the condition for volitional activity. ‘Marks’ refers to the combination of ignorance and volitional activity, which causes further rebirth. ‘Rebirth’ refers to the combination of fundamental ignorance and undefiled deeds, which causes the rebirth of the three types of mind-born bodies. ‘Destruction’ refers to the three types of mind-born bodies as the conditions for birth and death, which is an inconceivable transformation.” This is evidence for Twelvefold Conditioned Co-arising beyond conceptual understanding yet arising and perishing. The Mahāparinirvāṇa Sūtra says, “Twelvefold Conditioned Co-arising is called the Buddha nature.” This is evidence for Twelvefold Conditioned Co-arising as beyond conceptual understanding and neither arising nor perishing.

Tendai Lotus School Teachings, p 76-77
Daily Dharma, d15b

Daily Dharma – April 11, 2023

Great-Eloquence! Now I will collect the Buddhas of my replicas who are now expounding the Dharma in the worlds of the ten quarters.

The Buddha makes this declaration to Great-Eloquence Bodhisattva in Chapter Eleven of the Lotus Sūtra. In the story, a large tower has sprung up from underground. From inside, the voice of Many-Treasures Buddha proclaims the truth of the Lotus Sutra that Śākyamuni Buddha is teaching. Before the Buddha can open the door to this tower and allow the congregation to see this Buddha, Śākyamuni must summon all the other Buddhas in the other worlds throughout the universe. We often say of others, “They live in their own world.” We are surrounded by as many worlds as there are people in our lives. When we summon their Buddha-Nature using our Buddha-Nature, we open doors to treasures we can barely imagine.

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

LS32

Day 30

Day 30 covers all of Chapter 26, Dhāraṇīs

Day 30 Text with annotationsPlay MP3

Having last month considered the Dhāraṇīs offered by Vaiśravaṇa Heavenly-King, we consider the Dhāraṇīs offered by World-Holding Heavenly-King.

Thereupon World-Holding Heavenly-King, accompanied by thousands of billions of nayutas of gandharvas who were surrounding him respectfully, came to the Buddha, joined his hands together, and said to him, “World-Honored One! I also will protect the keeper of the Sūtra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma with dhārānis, with divine spells.”

Then he uttered spells,” Akyanei (1), kyanei (2), kuri (3), kendari (4), sendari (5), matōgi (6), jōguri (7), furoshani (8), atchi (9).”

[He said to the Buddha:]

“World-Honored One! These dhārānis, these divine spells, have already been uttered by four thousand and two hundred million Buddhas. Those who attack and abuse this teacher of the Dharma should be considered to have attacked and abused those Buddhas.”

See The Dhārāṇis Bridge

Kern, d26b, Blog

Dedication to the Lotus Sutra

This is another in a series of weekly blog posts comparing and contrasting the Sanskrit and Chinese Lotus Sutra translations.

At the conclusion of the opening prose section of Chapter 21, The Supernatural Powers of the Tathāgatas, Senchu Murano’s English translation of Kumārajīva’s Chinese Lotus Sutra offers this advice:

Therefore, keep, read, recite, expound and copy this sūtra, and act according to the teachings of it with all your hearts after my extinction! In any world where anyone keeps, reads, recites, expounds or copies this sūtra, or acts according to its teachings, or in any place where a copy of this sūtra is put, be it in a garden, in a forest, under a tree, in a monastery, in the house of a person in white robes, in a hall, in a mountain, in a valley, or in the wilderness, there should a stupa be erected and offerings be made to it because, know this, the place [where the stupa is erected] is the place of enlightenment. Here the Buddhas attained Anuttara-samyak-saṃbodhi. Here the Buddhas turned the wheel of the Dharma. Here the Buddhas entered into Parinirvana.”

H. Kern’s English translation of the 11th century Nepalese Sanskrit Lotus Sutra however redirects the focus from the sutra itself back to the Buddha:

Therefore, young men of good family, you should, after the complete extinction of the Tathāgata, with reverence keep, read, promulgate, cherish, worship it. And wherever on earth, young men of good family, this Dharmaparyāya shall be made known, read, written, meditated, expounded, studied or collected into a volume, be it in a monastery or at home, in the wilderness or in a town, at the foot of a tree or in a palace, in a building or in a cavern, on that spot one should erect a shrine in dedication to the Tathāgata. For such a spot must be regarded as a terrace of enlightenment; such a spot must be regarded as one where all Tathāgatas &c. have arrived at supreme, perfect enlightenment; on that spot have all Tathāgatas moved forward the wheel of the law; on that spot one may hold that all Tathāgatas have reached complete extinction.

Back in Chapter 3, in Kumārajīva’s telling, the Buddha emphasizes that the One Vehicle, the Sutra of the Lotus Flower, is the object of worship:

This vehicle is
The purest and most wonderful.
This is unsurpassed by any other vehicle
In all the worlds.
This vehicle is approved with joy by the Buddhas.
All living beings should extol it.
They should make offerings to it,
And bow to it.

Again in Chapter 10, in Kumārajīva’s telling:

“Medicine-King! Erect a stupa of the seven treasures in any place where this sūtra is expounded, read, recited or copied, or in any place where a copy of this sūtra exists! The stupa should be tall, spacious and adorned. You need not enshrine my śarīras in the stupa. Why not? It is because it will contain my perfect body.”

As the Introduction to the Lotus Sutra offers:

One of the special concepts of the Lotus Sutra is that a place where the Lotus Sutra is expounded is itself the Place of Enlightenment. This means that anywhere we accept, believe, recite, and practice the Lotus Sutra is the Place of Enlightenment. It is not necessary for us to erect temples, fine buildings, or monuments in select holy places.

“Dedication to the Tathāgata” misdirects our focus away from the Wonderful Dharma of the Lotus Flower Sutra.

Next: The Advanced Transmission of the Lotus Sutra

Tendai Lotus, d3b

Ten Suchlikes Are Identical To ‘All Dharmas’

Q: Are the Ten Suchlikes merely Dharma teachings concerning causality, or do they also include other Dharma teachings?

A: Whether of cause or result, whether of the world or its inhabitants, all [teachings] are contained in these [Ten Suchlikes] and are beyond conceptual understanding. An expansion of this [teaching] fills the entire universe. If one does not know it, on what basis can one transcend [this triple world]?

Q: Why is this so?

A: The Ten Suchlikes are identical to “all dharmas.” All dharmas are identical to the three virtuous qualities [of Buddhahood]. The three virtuous qualities are identical to reality. Reality is identical to a single mind. If this meaning is understood, the vast sermons during [the last] eight years [of Śākyamuni’s life] do not go beyond one single thought. [The Bodhisattvas who welled up out of the earth, as explained in the fifteenth chapter of the Lotus Sutra, praised Śākyamuni] for fifty short aeons, but it seemed to pass in a moment. For example, the sermons of the Buddha in his one life [of eighty years] are innately present in the mind, and the activity of Buddhas in the ten directions [in saving sentient beings] is clearly observable. The basic nature of the universe can be easily perceived, and the expositions taught in accordance [with the capabilities of sentient beings] all point to the reality of the innate potential [for Buddhahood]. This is explained in detail in the commentary [the Fa-hua hsüan-I (Profound Meaning of the Lotus Sutra)].

Daily Dharma, d5b

Daily Dharma – April 10, 2023

I shall become a Buddha without fail.
I shall be respected by gods and men.
I will turn the wheel of the unsurpassed Dharma,
And teach Bodhisattvas.

These verses are spoken by Śāriputra, regarded as the wisest of the Buddha’s disciples, at the beginning of Chapter Three of the Lotus Sūtra. His words come not from conceit, but from joy. How does our view of the problems in the world change when we have the assurance that we will become Buddhas? How does our view of others change when we know that they too will become Buddhas? For one thing, we might spend less effort demanding respect and more giving respect.

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 concluded Chapter 25, The Universal Gate of World-Voice-Perceiver Bodhisattva, we return to the top and consider the question of Endless-Intent Bodhisattva.

Thereupon Endless-Intent Bodhisattva rose from his seat, bared his right shoulder, joined rus hands together towards the Buddha, and said, “World-Honored One! Why is World-Voice-Perceiver Bodhisattva called World-Voice-Perceiver?”
The Buddha said to Endless-Intent Bodhisattva:

“Good man! If many hundreds of thousands of billions of living beings hear [the name of] World-Voice-Perceiver Bodhisattva and call his name with all their hearts when they are under various sufferings, World-Voice-Perceiver Bodhisattva will immediately perceive their voices, and cause them to emancipate themselves [from the sufferings]. Those who keep the name of this World-Voice-Perceiver Bodhisattva will not be burned when they are put into a conflagration [because they are protected] by, the supernatural powers of this Bodhisattva. Those who call his name will be able to take ground when they are washed by an inundation. Suppose hundreds of thousands of billions of living beings are crossing an ocean in order to obtain gold, silver, lapis lazuli, shell, agate, coral, amber pearl, and other treasures, and suppose the ship carrying them is blown to the country of rākṣasa-devils by a storm. If one of the crew calls the name of World-Voice-Perceiver Bodhisattva, all the crew will be saved from the attacks of the rākṣasas. Because of this, [this Bodhisattva] is called World-Voice-Perceiver.

The Daily Dharma from Dec. 29, 2022, offers this:

The Buddha said to Endless-Intent Bodhisattva: “Good man! If many hundreds of thousands of billions of living beings hear [the name of] World-Voice-Perceiver Bodhisattva and call his name with all their hearts when they are under various sufferings, World-Voice-Perceiver Bodhisattva will immediately perceive their voices, and cause them to emancipate themselves [from the sufferings].”

The Buddha gives this description of World-Voice-Perceiver Bodhisattva (Kuan-Yin, Kannon, Kanzeon, Avalokitesvara) to Endless-Intent Bodhisattva in Chapter Twenty-Five of the Lotus Sūtra. World-Voice-Perceiver is the embodiment of compassion, a living manifestation of the desire that all beings be happy and free from suffering. By calling the name of this Bodhisattva, we awaken the compassion within ourselves. We become this Bodhisattva and remove our fear of suffering. With this awakening we can be fully present for those in this world of conflict who are suffering and liberate ourselves from the delusion and isolation of our own suffering.

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

Blog

Baby Buddhas

20230409_rev.igarashi-edwin-alexis-web
Following the Hanamatsuri service at the Sacramento Nichiren Buddhist Church, Rev. Igarashi holds Edwin as his mother, Alexis, snaps a photo.
20230409_edwin-richard-web
Richard holds his son, Edwin, who has been given the ladle used to bathe the baby Buddha during the Hanamatsuri service at the Sacramento Nichiren Buddhist Church.
20230409_three-generations
Three generations of Nichiren Buddhists celebrating the birth of the Buddha (April 8th) at the Sacramento Nichiren Buddhist Church.
Tendai Lotus

The Meaning of the Twelvefold Conditioned Co-arising

Reality is unchanging and inherently has no marks of coming or going. The nature of phenomena is to conform to habitual tendencies and function in the realm of distinctions. Therefore Twelvefold Conditioned Co-arising revolves and creates karma, and the causes and results of the three ways [of craving, karma, and suffering] alternate without rest. If one is deluded concerning this reality, this inflames the cycle of birth and death. If one understands this meaning, the bonds of suffering are severed forever.

Tendai Lotus School Teachings, p 74