As the late Rev. Ryusho Jeffus points out in his Lecture on the Lotus Sutra, “Nichiren teaches that faith comes from practice and study.” The three are the legs of the stool we sit upon before the Gohonzon. The Sutra of Contemplation of the Dharma Practice of Universal Sage Bodhisattva is a manual for putting our faith in the Lotus Sutra into practice.
At the start of the sutra, Ānanda, Mahākāśyapa and Maitreya address the Buddha:
“ ‘World-honored One! After you have passed away, O Tathāgata, how do living beings produce the bodhisattva mind, practice in accordance with the comprehensive sutras of the Great Vehicle, and, with right mindfulness, bring their thoughts into the realm of one reality? How do they avoid losing sight of the aspiration for ultimate enlightenment? Moreover, without cutting off worldly passions and without abandoning the five desires, how do they achieve purity of the sense faculties and eliminate accumulated impurities? Without giving up the five desires, how can they still become capable of seeing events and things free from encumbrance with the pure natural eyes received from their parents at birth?’
“The Buddha addressed Ānanda:
“ ‘Hear me clearly, and consider this well! In the past, on Mount Vulture Peak and at other places, the Tathāgata has already expounded the one genuine path from many perspectives. And now, at this place, for the benefit of all living beings in the future who wish to follow the Supreme Way that is the Great Vehicle—and who wish to learn and follow the practice of Universal Sage, I will now expound the method for that, which I have kept in mind.’ ”
What does this practice involve?
“[I]nternalize the Great Vehicle sutras, recite the Great Vehicle sutras, reflect on the Great Vehicle’s principle, be mindful of the Great Vehicle’s application, revere and render service to those who keep faith with the Great Vehicle, regard all people in the same manner as buddhas would regard them, and regard each living thing in the same manner as would a mother or father.”
We are told in the Sutra of the Contemplation of Universal Sage that this is the same practice that all Buddhas have performed:
“When our aspiration for enlightenment was awakened in the past, we all supremely endeavored to never lose sight of it, in the very same manner as you. These Great Vehicle sutras are the buddhas’ treasury, the essence of past, present, and future buddhas in all of the ten directions, and the seed from which the tathāgatas of the past, present, and future come forth.”
And through our study and practice and especially our faith we are rewarded:
“One who keeps faith with these sutras is an embodiment of a buddha and is one who does a buddha’s work. You should know that such a person is an ambassador of the buddhas, is clothed in the garments of the buddhas, the World-honored Ones, and is a true and genuine Dharma successor of the buddha tathāgatas.”
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