Lotus SeedsOf the Six Perfections – generosity, discipline, patience, energy, meditation, and wisdom – the perfection of wisdom is accomplished when our views are in accord with the reality or the world as it truly is. That is, we have insight into the dynamic and interdependent nature of all things. The perfection of wisdom is expressed through our faith in the Wonderful Dharma, which enables us to have confidence and trust in our Buddha-nature – our capacity to view life with the insight and wisdom of the Buddha.
Category Archives: 800years
800 Years: The Practice of Faith
History and Teachings of Nichiren Buddhism, p 129The six degrees of identity consist of six degrees of practice, ranging from shallow to deep. However, in terms of the substance of reality that is manifested, there is no difference from one stage to another. Therefore, we call it “Identity.”
The stages of the six degrees of identity are:
- 1. Identity in principle
- All beings have buddha-nature. The presence of buddha-nature always remains. Every single form, every single fragrance, is nothing but the middle way.
- 2. Verbal identity
- Understanding the above teachings by listening to good friends and reading the sutras.
- 3. Identity in contemplative practice
- Cultivating practices according to the teachings.
- 4. Identity in outer appearances
- Manifesting harmony in outer appearances.
- 5. Identity of partial realization
- Partially destroying fundamental Ignorance and partially seeing reality.
- 6. Ultimate identity
- The complete fulfillment of wisdom, the elimination of all ignorance, and manifesting an original Dharma-body
800 Years: Accepting in Faith
There is nothing we teach that is not the truth, and the value of what we teach is equivalent to that of the Dharma taught by all the Buddhas in the sutras. The far-reaching merit of the Lotus Sutra transforms all those who hear it, understand it, accept it in faith, and practice it into teachers of Dharma who share their insight and joy with others in order to help them realize the truth of the ultimate dimension and cross to the shore of freedom.
Peaceful Action, Open Heart, p126800 Years: Feeling This Teaching Vividly
Buddhism for Today, p267-268The merits preached in the first half of chapter 17 are those of faith. In the latter half of chapter 17 and the former half of chapter 18 the same merits are preached. However, beginning with the latter half of chapter 18, the merits preached are those that appear in our personal affairs or in our daily lives.
Some people may think, “We need not pay attention to such merits. If we thoroughly study the ‘one chapter and two halves’ as the core of the Lotus Sutra, understand them truly, and believe deeply in the eternity of the Buddha’s life, we can do without the rest.” That would be quite an acceptable attitude if indeed they could practice as perfectly as they think. If so, their faith would be perfect. However, is there such a person in ten thousand or even a hundred thousand? In actuality it is very hard to practice perfectly what we think.
For ordinary people, the ideal state of mind seems infinitely far from their present situation and quite alien to their actual lives when they first hear it taught. But when this ideal is expounded in a way that is based on familiar problems in their daily lives, they will feel the teaching vividly. Here lies the first important function of the concluding part of the Lotus Sutra.
800 Years: Keeping the Six Perfections in Mind through Faith
Lotus SeedsThe Six Perfections – generosity, discipline, patience, energy, meditation, and wisdom – help us to be honest about our practice. If our life no longer reflects the awakened way of the Six Perfections, then it is possible that our faith in Namu Myoho Renge Kyo is fading; we may not be dedicating ourselves to its practice and keeping it in our hearts. If we find ourselves slipping into negative habits and qualities such as stinginess, lack of integrity, impatience, laziness, anxiety, and foolishness instead of manifesting the good qualities of the Six Perfections, we should examine our practice to ensure that we have not made it an empty routine or habit. By keeping the Six Perfections in mind, we will be able to honestly examine ourselves, recognize if we have turned from the world of Buddhahood to the lower worlds, and rededicate ourselves to Namu Myoho Renge Kyo. In this way, we do not depend upon the Six Perfections as the cause to attain Buddhahood; rather we take faith in Namu Myoho Renge Kyo as the primary cause that will enable us to attain Buddhahood and thereby manifest the Six Perfections naturally and joyfully.
800 Years: The Large Snow-Covered Mountain of the Lotus Sūtra
[T]hose who have a fever can cool off lying beside a great body of cold water, but they will only continue to suffer if they lie by the side of a small body of water. Likewise, those who suffer from the five rebellious sins and sins of slandering the True Dharma and those who have no faith in Buddhism cannot cool the fever of their grave sins by lying beside a small body of water, that is, such sūtras as the Āgama sūtras, the Flower Garland Sūtra, the Sūtra of Meditation on the Buddha of Infinite Life, and the Great Sun Buddha Sūtra. If they lie on the large snow-covered mountain of the Lotus Sūtra, they can definitely cool even the fever of five rebellious sins and sins of slandering the True Dharma, and those of having no faith in Buddhism.
Hōon-jō, Essay on Gratitude, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Doctrine 3, Pages 50-51
800 Years: The Practices of Bodhisattvas
Arriving at the story of Never Despising Bodhisattva in Chapter 20, we enter the Lotus Sutra’s many lessons on how one who has faith in the sutra should act, beginning with the simplest practice: respect.
As Nichiren writes in “The ‘Emperor Sushun’ Letter”:
“A wise man named Confucius of China is said to have thought over what he intended to say nine times before he uttered a word. It is also said that Tan, the Duke of Chou, interrupted washing his hair, or having a meal, three times in order to see visitors without keeping them waiting. How much more you who have faith in Buddhism should take these examples to heart! Otherwise you will regret it later. Please do not bear a grudge against me. This is the teaching of the Buddha. The essence of Buddhism is the Lotus Sūtra, and the gist of practicing the Lotus Sūtra is shown in the “Never-Despising Bodhisattva” chapter. Contemplate why the Never-Despising Bodhisattva stood on the street to bow to passersby. The true purpose of Śākyamuni Buddha appearing in this world was to teach us how to behave ourselves on a daily basis.
Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Faith and Practice, Volume 4,
Page 124
In The Stories of the Lotus Sutra, Gene Reeves underscores the importance of showing respect in our daily practice:
The Stories of the Lotus Sutra, p216-217“Over and over again in the Dharma Flower Sutra we are encouraged to ‘receive, embrace, read, recite, copy, teach, and practice’ the Dharma Flower Sutra. Thus, the fact that Never Disrespectful Bodhisattva did not read or recite sutras is quite interesting. I think it is an expression of the general idea in the Dharma Flower Sutra that, while various practices are very important, what is even more important is how one lives one’s life in relation to others. The references to bodhisattvas who do not follow normal monastic practices, including reading and recitation of sutras, but still become fully awakened buddhas indicates that putting the Dharma into one’s daily life by respecting others, and in this way embodying the Dharma, is more important than formal practices such as reading and recitation.”
This practice can have real-world beneficial effects, as Thich Nhat Hanh explains in Peaceful Action, Open Heart:
Peaceful Action, Open Heart, p146“This bodhisattva removes the feelings of worthlessness and low self-esteem in people. “How can I become a Buddha? How can I attain enlightenment? There is nothing in me except suffering, and I don’t know how to get free of my own suffering, much less help others. I am worthless.” Many people have these kinds of feelings, and they suffer because of them. Never Disparaging Bodhisattva works to encourage and empower people who feel this way, to remind them that they too have Buddha nature, they too are a wonder of life, and they too can achieve what a Buddha achieves. This is a great message of hope and confidence. This is the practice of a bodhisattva in the action dimension. This is the practice of the Lotus Sutra.”
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800 Years: Our Mind of Faith
Before I leave Chapter 19 and the purification of the six sense organs of the teacher of the dharma, I want to linger over the mental transformation that comes from our progression in faith.
In “Dannotsu Bō Gohenji, Response to a Follower,” Nichiren writes:
“Please remember that the service to your lord itself is practicing the teaching of the Lotus Sūtra. Interpreting the scriptural statement in the Lotus Sūtra (“The Merits of the Teacher of the Dharma” chapter), Grand Master T’ien-t’ai, therefore, states in his Great Concentration and Insight, “All the activities and daily work of the people in the secular world do not contradict the truth preached by the Buddha.” Please contemplate the spirit of this scriptural statement again and again.”
Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Faith and Practice, Volume 4, Page 131
This is the transformation of the mind of faith. As explained in the Introduction to the Lotus Sutra:
“[Among] the teachings of the purification of the six sense-organs, especially important are the words in the section on purification of the mind: ‘When they expound the scriptures of non-Buddhists, or give advice to the government, or teach ways to earn a livelihood, they will always be in accord with the right teachings of the Buddha.’ ‘To give advice to the government’ means to enter into the realm of politics and administration. ‘To teach ways to earn a livelihood’ refers to the realms of industry, economics, and our daily work. Theories of politics and economics belong to the ever-changing secular world. Buddhism, on the other hand, belongs to the eternal world, which lies beneath the transitory. Buddhist teachings and the common law (social rules) are distinct. … However, in the teachings of the Lotus Sutra, the Dharma cannot ignore the rules of society. On the contrary, the Dharma (truth) is the basis for social rules. Human society cannot function properly, even in politics or economics, unless it is in accord with the basic law of the universe. This law is what is meant by Dharma.”
Or as Thich Nhat Hanh offers in Peaceful Action, Open Heart:
Peaceful Action, Open Heart, p126“Having received this great merit, with our mind faculty transformed, any thought we have, any concept we entertain – all have the flavor of the Buddhadharma. Even though we may not yet have realized perfect wisdom or put an end to all our mental afflictions, with a purified mind faculty every thought, every calculation, every deduction, every word we speak is in accord with the Buddhadharma. There is nothing we teach that is not the truth, and the value of what we teach is equivalent to that of the Dharma taught by all the Buddhas in the sutras. The far-reaching merit of the Lotus Sutra transforms all those who hear it, understand it, accept it in faith, and practice it into teachers of Dharma who share their insight and joy with others in order to help them realize the truth of the ultimate dimension and cross to the shore of freedom.”
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800 Years: Faith in the Daimoku
The Lotus Sūtra preaches in chapter 2, “Expedients,” of the first fascicle that to have the opportunity to hear teachers of this sūtra is rare even during innumerable kalpa (aeons) of time. The sūtra also states in chapter 14, “Peaceful Practices,” of the fifth fascicle that it is difficult to hear even the title of the Lotus Sūtra in the innumerable countries. The above indicates how difficult it is for us to meet the Lotus Sūtra, and problems involved to even hear the title of the Lotus Sūtra. Therefore, the Suśānta Buddha and the Buddha of Many Treasures, who appeared in the world before the time of Śākyamuni Buddha did not even mention the title of the Lotus Sūtra. Even Śākyamuni Buddha, who appeared in this world to expound the Lotus Sūtra, did not reveal its title for 42 years, until at the age of 72 He finally chanted the Sūtra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma and expounded the sūtra for the first time in India. Nothing, however, not even the name of the sūtra was heard in such large countries as China, or Japan. Nothing about this sūtra was heard of for over 1,000 years after the extinction of the Buddha. Finally, after 1,350 years or so, only the title of the Lotus Sūtra was made known.
This is why the opportunity to encounter the Lotus Sūtra is compared to uḍumbara flowers, which are said to blossom only once in 3,000 years. The difficulty is also compared to the story of a one-eyed turtle finding a floating piece of wood in the ocean in order to dry its shell once in innumerable kalpa (aeons). Suppose that one sets up a needle on the earth and throws a poppy seed down from the palace of the King of the Mahā-brahman Heaven high up in the sky in such a way as the tip of the needle pierces through the seed. This is almost impossible, yet it is even more difficult to encounter the Lotus Sūtra after the passing of the Buddha. Suppose one sets up a needle on top of Mt. Sumeru and throws a piece of string on a windy day from another Mt. Sumeru standing too far to see. It is impossible to thread the needle set up on the first Mt. Sumeru. It is, however, even more difficult to experience the daimoku of the Lotus Sūtra.
Therefore, you should realize that being able to chant the daimoku of this sūtra is an experience more wonderful than a blind person gaining his eyesight and seeing his parents for the first time and rarer than a man being captured by a mighty enemy and being released by a special pardon to be reunited with his wife and children.
Hokke Daimoku Shō, Treatise on the Daimoku of the Lotus Sūtra, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Faith and Practice, Volume 4, Page 38-39
800 Years: The Cleansing Power of Faith
Original Enlightenment and the Transformation of Medieval Japanese BuddhismAs in much of medieval Tendai thought and various schools of Kamakura Pure Land, Zen, and other traditions, no direct causal connection is drawn in Nichiren’s thought between good deeds or the cultivation of virtue and the realization of enlightenment. … Nichiren did not stress observance of the precepts as necessary to liberation: the merit of keeping precepts is already contained within the daimoku. Moreover, he claimed that one who chants the daimoku cannot be drawn by evil acts into the lower realms of transmigration. Nichiren also participated in the discourse of the “realization of Buddhahood by evil persons” (akunin jōbutsu), usually in teachings to his warrior followers:
Whether or not evil persons (akunin) of the last age attain Buddhahood does not depend on whether their sins are light or heavy but rests solely upon whether or not they have faith in this sūtra. You are a person of a warrior house, an evil man involved day and night in killing. Up until now you have not abandoned the household life [to become a monk], so by what means will you escape the three evil paths? You should consider this well. The heart of the Lotus Sūtra is that [all dharmas] in their present status are precisely the Wonderful [Dharma], without change of original status. Thus, without abandoning sinful karma, one attains the Buddha Way.
This does not mean that Nichiren’s teaching legitimates evildoing, or that his community lacked for moral guidelines. His letters and other writings show that, in making personal decisions or advising his followers, Nichiren drew on a variety of ethical sources. Prominent among these is Confucian social morality, with its emphasis on the virtues of benevolence, righteousness, good faith, loyalty, and filial piety. Other ethical sources for Nichiren were generic Buddhist morality, including the virtues of almsgiving, forbearance, and equanimity; and the emerging warrior ethos, with its emphasis on courage and personal honor. However, such values are not central to Nichiren’s formal doctrine, which does not explicitly articulate a set of ethical principles. Only faith in the Lotus Sūtra and the rebuking of “slander of the Dharma” are specifically enjoined as necessary to salvation.