In December 2014 I was invited to Las Vegas by then Bishop Shokai Kanai of the Nichiren Order of North America. He suggested that I do a presentation on the Parable of the Skillful Physician and His Sick Children found in Chapter 16 of the Lotus Sutra. On many occasions I have been asked to share my experiences as a hospital chaplain. It seemed like a good opportunity to combine both and so I began writing this book. This book is the second volume in my series “Studying the Lotus Sutra”. In this book as in all the books of this series I take one portion of the Lotus Sutra and examine it more deeply. This book focuses on the parable found in Chapter XVI of the Lotus Sutra; The Physician and His Ill Children. As I write about this parable I am tying to do so in a way that brings the stories told over 2500 years ago into our contemporary lives. I hope that through this little effort of mine a door will open for you to have a greater sense of connection to the Sutra.
Nichiren teaches that as we take Myoho Renge Kyo by mouth as needed we need to manifest this through Namu, our devotion. Namu isn’t in name only. It also must be manifest in action and behavior. As we continue to take Myoho Renge Kyo through Namu, as needed, we begin to see results, the poisons of false teachings and unskillful previous causes begins to be cured. We see results in our lives. This ideally will motivate us to even deeper faith, even more devotion and actions based in devotion and the cycle continues.
Those who avoid the truth and wisdom of the story and believe the entry into enlightenment lies solely in rationality or intellectual understanding have ignored or failed to take to heart the countless times the Buddha says enlightenment is by faith alone. The stories are the entry way to the heart of the sutra, the heart of the Buddha.
As we grow in our faith and learn better applications of Buddhism to our lives, we obtain a degree of inner wisdom that we can use to guide us in making wise choices in life. This greater integration of Buddhism and the Lotus Sutra into our lives allows more moments when we manifest the innate Buddha wisdom residing at the core of our lives.
Acedia, the idea of not caring or being curious about one’s life, is one of the ills curable by our faith in and practice of the Lotus Sutra. It can be a cure, though, only if we are willing to dig deep into our lives with honesty.
Whether our words are a formal prayer doesn’t mean they are not indeed a prayer. Our words become the manifestation of what is in our heart and so are indeed a prayer and the beginning of the prayer of action based upon faith. Faith that remains internal is merely ideology and theory. Faith that is manifest in action reveals the true depth of that faith and the true nature of that faith.
Illness is not just the sicknesses that lead us to medical practitioners. It is also the many illnesses that rob us of the joy that is possible in each of our lives.
When a person is willing to delve into his weaknesses and troubles while ignoring those of others, the real benefit of Buddhist practice will appear. Buddhism, at the core, is not a religious doctrine that subscribes to the practices of judgment. Facing inward is where Buddhism invites us to direct our energy.
Until a person works on his individual enlightenment and self-improvement, the ability to fulfill our bodhisattva vow to enable all others to attain enlightenment will remain out of reach. It will continue to be a challenge to show the benefit of practice to others if the benefit isn’t manifest in one’s life. Self-work is critical and fundamental to Buddhism.
Acedia is a word we could use more often, although no one would have the foggiest idea what we’re saying. Having no interest or concern about one’s condition – in other words to be unable look at one’s problems and see the work that needs doing – is acedia. It is much easier to see the problems of others. It is easier to do that than to look at our personal issues and weaknesses.
Reducing suffering and avoiding suffering are not the same. Buddhism is not about avoiding. It is a teaching that enables us to manage better our responses to suffering.
