Tao-sheng Commentary on the Lotus Sutra, p205-206“Śāriputra! Suppose there lived a very rich man [great elder] in a certain country, in a certain village, in a certain town. He was old [advanced in years]. His wealth was immeasurable. He had many paddy fields, houses, and servants.”
The Buddha is certainly in charge of them, and rules over them, being the one whom they pay respect to: he is “the elder”
[The Buddha] reincarnated himself and advanced to the later stage of his life in order to set forth the doctrine of the three vehicles.
In preaching the Dharma, [the Buddha] uses wisdom-life as its source: it is “wealth.” li is inexhaustible and limitless: it is “incalculable.”
Transformative teaching removes their defilements and produces shoots of the Tao in them; it is “fields.” They come to reside in it [Tao]: it is “house.” They comply with the teaching in their conduct: they are “servants.” There is no place where it does not exist: it is “many.”
All posts by John Hughes
Higan: Absorbed in Profound Samadhi
Today is the sixth day of Higan week, the three days before the equinox and the three days after. As explained in a Nichiren Shu brochure:
For Buddhists, this period is not just one characterized by days with almost equal portions of light and dark. Rather, it is a period in which we strive to consciously reflect upon ourselves and our deeds.
The today we consider the Perfection of Meditation. For this Spring Higan week I’m using Hsuan Hua‘s commentary on the Lotus Sutra in which he discusses Maitreya’s questions about what he sees in Chapter 1 after the Buddha illuminates 18,000 worlds in the east. (See this explanation.)
Hsuan Hua Lotus Sutra Commentary, pv2, p272-274The Pāramitā of Samādhi
I see those renouncing desire
Dwelling in solitude,
Immersing themselves in profound samādhi,
And attaining the five spiritual powers.
I also see Bodhisattvas
Settled in dhyāna, with palms joined,
Praising the Dharma Kings
In thousands upon thousands of verses.Maitreya Bodhisattva saw them absorbed in profound samadhi and developing the five spiritual powers. The five spiritual powers are the heavenly eye, the heavenly ear, the knowledge of others’ thoughts, the knowledge of past lives, and the ability to travel anywhere at will. They had not attained the spiritual power of freedom from all outflows because only [fourth-stage] Arhats and Bodhisattvas of equivalent awakening and wondrous awakening can attain freedom from all outflows. Because these were Bodhisattvas of new resolve, they had attained only five of the six spiritual powers.
Where do these five spiritual powers come from? They come from the cultivation of samādhi, from the recitation of sūtras, and from upholding mantras. If you can meditate single-mindedly every day, you can attain them. You can also attain them by reciting sūtras. For example, Great Master Zhiyi continuously recited the Dharma Flower Sūtra until he awakened. When he reached the line “This is true vigor. This is called a true Dharma offering” in the chapter “The Account of Bodhisattva Medicine King’s Past Lives,” he entered the Dharma Flower samādhi and experienced a supreme state. He saw that the Dharma assembly at Vulture Peak had not yet dispersed and that Śākyamuni Buddha was still there teaching the Dharma. So you can also become awakened by reciting sūtras. However, you must recite with a sincere mind. Don’t recite on the one hand but have deluded thoughts on the other hand, thinking, “So-and-so has a lot of money. I’ve got to think of a way to get some money out of him for my own use.” You will not become awakened by reciting sūtras this way, because you are not being mindful of the sūtras if you are thinking about money. In addition, you can also single-mindedly recite mantras to become awakened.
Myōhō Renge Kyō Promise for March 22, 2025
Any son of mine who expounds Myōhō Renge Kyō
Should be gentle, patient and compassionate
Towards all living beings.
He should not be lazy.
Tao-sheng: The Buddha’s Doctrine Explained Analogically
Tao-sheng Commentary on the Lotus Sutra, p205“Śāriputra! Suppose there lived a very rich man in a certain country, in a certain village, in a certain town.
From this phrase on [the Buddha’s] doctrine is explained analogically. There are seven segments, in total, illustrating li. The first segment relates the frequent occurrence of calamities and various misfortunes in the house. In the second is shown that only those who are awakened to these calamities and misfortunes are Buddhas. The third tells that the Buddha, having been awakened himself, has great compassion (Mahākaruṇā) arising in him, [and that he means] to rescue all children. In the fourth, as he will later offer the happiness of the three vehicles, he first talks about the dreadful happening in the house. Fifth, [the Buddha] offers them the happiness of the three vehicles. Sixth, [the Buddha] provides them with the utmost happiness of the One Vehicle, which is true and real. Seventh, it turns out that the three carts [the Buddha] promised earlier are not to be given at the end, [the promise] being empty and false.
A country refers to a place where cities are located. The multitudinous beings are situated in the cities of the three realms (triloka); we call them the country. The first segment [begins here]. A city-state refers to the supreme ultimate. The ultimate is analogized as the city-state. [The Buddha’s] limited approach to men is compared to “a municipality,” which is synonymous with a city. The Buddha in accordance with doctrine follows [varying] existential situations (shih); thus all kinds of names have been created.
Higan: These Heroic Cultivators
Today is the fifth day of Higan week, the three days before the equinox and the three days after. As explained in a Nichiren Shu brochure:
For Buddhists, this period is not just one characterized by days with almost equal portions of light and dark. Rather, it is a period in which we strive to consciously reflect upon ourselves and our deeds.
The today we consider the Perfection of Energy. For this Spring Higan week I’m using Hsuan Hua‘s commentary on the Lotus Sutra in which he discusses Maitreya’s questions about what he sees in Chapter 1 after the Buddha illuminates 18,000 worlds in the east. (See this explanation.)
Hsuan Hua Lotus Sutra Commentary, pv2, p171-172The Pāramitā of Vigor
These four lines praise the pāramitā of vigor. Maitreya said, “I also see Bodhisattvas / Advancing with heroic vigor, / Going far into the mountains / To contemplate the Buddha’s Path.” How vigorous are they? They study the Buddhadharma, foregoing meals and sleep. They are not like some people who go without eating but make up for it by sleeping more, thinking, “I haven’t eaten, so I can’t cultivate. I’ll sleep a little more instead.” When others are not sleeping, they are asleep. That is not heroic vigor. Those with heroic vigor will go without eating because they forget about food altogether. They do not deliberately refrain from eating to show others that they are cultivating. They simply forget about eating and sleeping; they forget about everything. What do they think of? They focus only on their cultivation and study of the Buddhadharma. These heroic cultivators often cultivate in remote mountains and valleys, investigating the principles of the Dharma there.
Myōhō Renge Kyō Promise for March 21, 2025
“The Buddha assented to the appeal of the śramaṇeras, but it was twenty thousand kalpas afterwards that he expounded to the four kinds of devotees the sūtra of the Great Vehicle called Myōhō Renge Kyō, the Dharma for Bodhisattvas, the Dharma Upheld by the Buddhas.’
“When the Buddha completed the expounding of Myōhō Renge Kyō, the sixteen śramaṇeras kept, recited and understood Myōhō Renge Kyō in order to attain Anuttara-samyak-saṃbodhi.
Tao-sheng: Encouraging To Move Toward Speedy Enlightenment
Tao-sheng Commentary on the Lotus Sutra, p205All these teachings of the Buddhas are for the purpose of teaching Bodhisattvas. Śāriputra! Now I will explain this with a parable.
What the Buddha has said up to now is aimed at cutting off the doubts they harbor. Now he mentions those who have intelligence in order to get them to the [main] idea. Intelligence counters stupidity. It was said earlier that men of intelligence, when hearing parables, can have their minds awakened. By this statement, what was said before is further extended to encourage them to move toward a speedy enlightenment.
Higan: The Practice of Bodhisattvas
Today is the Spring Equinox, the middle of Higan week, the three days before the equinox and the three days after. As explained in a Nichiren Shu brochure:
For Buddhists, this period is not just one characterized by days with almost equal portions of light and dark. Rather, it is a period in which we strive to consciously reflect upon ourselves and our deeds.
For this Spring Higan week I’m using Hsuan Hua‘s commentary on the Lotus Sutra in which he discusses Maitreya’s questions about what he sees in Chapter 1 after the Buddha illuminates 18,000 worlds in the east. (See this explanation.)
Hsuan Hua Lotus Sutra Commentary, pv2, p260-261Maitreya Bodhisattva said, “I see in other lands / Bodhisattvas as many as Ganges’ sands, / Through various causes and conditions, / Seeking and cultivating the Buddha’s Path.” In our quest for the Buddha’s Path, we must do deeds that generate merit and virtue, and we must seek wisdom. Do not think you can attain Buddhahood easily. Look! These Bodhisattvas, numbering as many as the grains of sand in the Ganges, cultivated through various causes and conditions. What is meant by “various causes and conditions”? It means that these Bodhisattvas did many good deeds through which they accrued merit and virtue, cultivated many kinds of blessings and wisdom, and studied all the various Buddhadharmas. They did not seek the Buddha’s Path through just one kind of cause and condition.
Myōhō Renge Kyō Promise for March 20, 2025
“Great-Power-Obtainer! What do you think of this? The Never-Despising Bodhisattva at that time was no one but myself. If I had not kept, read or recited Myōhō Renge Kyō or expounded Myōhō Renge Kyō to others in my previous existence, I should not have been able to attain Anuttara-samyak-saṃbodhi so quickly. Because I kept, read and recited Myōhō Renge Kyō, and expounded Myōhō Renge Kyō to others under those past Buddhas, I attained Anuttara-samyak-saṃbodhi quickly.
Tao-sheng: Casting Doubts
Tao-sheng Commentary on the Lotus Sutra, p204But [both the twelve hundred people and the two thousand people] are now quite perplexed because they have heard from you [the Dharma] which they had never heard before.
Formerly they lived on “three,” now they have to take “One.” Both are what the Sage has said, and so are contradictory to each other, Consequently they come to cast doubts on what they heard.