Category Archives: Innumerable

21days, Innumerable

Day 16 of 21

Continuing with the fifth and sixth stages of the Ten Blessings in the Sutra of Innumerable Blessings, we move from all “living beings” to the “good sons or daughters” who have progressed this far.

First the dragon’s newborn child:

[E]ven though they still have attachments and afflictions and have not distanced themselves from affairs of ordinary men, they will reveal the way of great bodhisattvas. Extending a day to a hundred eons or shortening a hundred eons to a day, bringing joy to other living beings, they will convince them. Good sons, these good sons or good daughters are just like the son of a dragon who can make clouds appear and cause rain to fall seven days after he is born. Good sons, this is called the fifth amazing power of blessing of this sutra.

Then the king’s heir:

[E]ven though they still have afflictions, they will teach the Dharma to living beings, separating them from afflictions of life and death and enabling them to cut off all suffering. After hearing it, living beings will put it into practice, and become no different from the Buddha-Tathagata with respect to the blessings of the Dharma, the blessings of the fruit, and the blessings of the Way.

Suppose a king, due to travel or being ill, leaves the management of the affairs of the country to a prince, though the prince is only a child. Then the prince, by order of the great king, will lead all the government officials according to the Dharma and propagate good policies, so that every citizen of the country follows his orders exactly, as if the king himself were governing.

It is the same with good sons or good daughters embracing this sutra. During the Buddha’s lifetime or after his extinction, even though they themselves cannot yet live in the first stage of immobility, these good sons will teach and promulgate the Dharma as the Buddha did, and if living beings, hearing them, practice it wholeheartedly, they will cut off afflictions and attain the blessings of the Dharma, the blessings of the fruit, and the blessings of the Way. Good sons, this is called the sixth amazing power of blessing of this sutra.

Day 15 of 21Day 17 of 21

21days, Innumerable

Day 15 of 21

Continuing with the fourth stage of the Ten Blessings in the Sutra of Innumerable Blessings, we find ourselves in a transition between “living beings” who help Bodhisattvas and beginner Bodhisattvas.

Living beings:

[T]hey will become brave, and, even though they cannot yet save themselves, they will save others. Together with bodhisattvas they will become part of the entourage of the buddha-tathagatas, who will always preach the Dharma to them. Hearing it, they will receive and embrace the Dharma in accord with their capacities and never oppose it. Moreover, they will teach it for people everywhere as occasion demands.

A beginner Bodhisattva who hears this sutra:

[T]hough not yet able to realize ultimate truth, or shake the three-thousand-great-thousand-fold world, or turn the great Dharma wheel with a thunderous buddha-voice, this bodhisattva will be admired by all the four groups and the eight guardians of Buddhism, and great bodhisattvas will be in his entourage. Entering deeply into the secret Dharma of the buddhas, he will explain it without errors or mistakes. He will always be protected by the buddhas and especially showered with affection, because he is a beginner in learning. Good sons, this is called the fourth amazing power of blessing of this sutra.

Between these two perspectives on the fourth blessing, we learn where Bodhisattvas come from:

The Buddha is the king; this sutra is his wife; their coming together results in the birth of their child, a bodhisattva.

Day 14 of 21Day 16 of 21

21days, Innumerable

Day 14 of 21

Continuing with the second and third stages of the Ten Blessings in the Sutra of Innumerable Blessings, we consider what accrues “if living beings can hear this sutra even once, even only one verse or phrase…”

[T]hey will master a hundred thousand myriad meanings. Yet in an innumerable number of eons they will not be able to explain the Dharma they received and embraced. Why is this? It is because the meanings of this sutra are innumerable.

Good sons, suppose that from one seed a hundred million seeds grow, and from each of those hundred million seeds another hundred million seeds grow, and this is repeated so that the seeds become innumerable. This sutra is like this. From one teaching a hundred thousand meanings grow, and from each of these hundred thousand meanings a hundred million meanings grow, and this is repeated so that the meanings become unlimited and innumerable. This being the case, this sutra is called Innumerable Meanings. Good sons, this is called the second amazing power of blessing of this sutra.

Not being able to explain the Dharma received seems pointless until you get to the next blessing.

[T]hey will master a hundred thousand myriad meanings. Even though they still have afflictions, it will be as if they do not. Even though they move through birth and death, they will not know fear. They will have compassion and sympathy for all the living. They will be brave in following all the teachings.

Just as a powerful man can easily shoulder and hold heavy things, the same is true of anyone who embraces this sutra. They can bear well the heavy treasure of unexcelled awakening and carry the living out of the way of birth and death on their backs. Even though they cannot yet save themselves, they will be able to save others. Just as the captain of a ferry who has to rest on this shore due to serious illness and inability to control his four limbs can cross over with a good solid ship that has everything needed to cross over to the other shore, one who embraces this sutra, though staying on this shore of ignorance, old age, and death due to the hundred and eight kinds of serious bodily illnesses with which he is afflicted in the five states of existence, can be saved from birth and death through practicing this powerful Great Vehicle Sutra of Innumerable Meanings as it is taught, saving living beings. Good sons, this is called the third amazing power of blessing of this sutra.

Even though they cannot yet save themselves, they will be able to save others. That is a real blessing.

Day 13 of 21Day 15 of 21

21days, Innumerable

Day 13 of 21

Yesterday outlined stages associated with the Ten Blessings springing from the Sutra of Innumerable Blessings, beginning with the first blessing, which had no requirements (Reeves, p42):

“Good son, would you rather hear how this sutra has ten amazing powers of blessing or not?”

Magnificently Adorned Bodhisattva said: “We want to hear!”

The Buddha said: “Good sons, first, this sutra leads a not-yet-awakened bodhisattva to aspire to awakening, leads one without human kindness to aspire to kindness, leads one with a murderous heart to aspire to great compassion, leads one who is jealous to aspire to respond with joy, leads one with attachments to aspire to impartiality, leads one who is greedy to aspire to generosity, leads one who is full of arrogance to aspire to be moral, leads one who is angry to aspire to patience, leads one who is lazy to aspire to perseverance, leads one who is distracted to aspire to meditation, leads one who is ignorant to aspire to wisdom, leads one who lacks concern for saving others to aspire to saving others, leads one who commits the ten evils to aspire to do ten good things, leads one who is willful to aspire to let things be, leads one who is prone to backsliding to aspire to never retreat, leads one who commits faulty acts to aspire to being faultless, and leads one who suffers from afflictions to aspire to detachment. Good sons, this is called the first amazing power of blessing of this sutra.”

Before the aspirant hears this sutra even once, even only one verse or phrase, …

Day 12 of 21Day 14 of 21

21days, Innumerable

Day 12 of 21

The Sutra of Innumerable Meanings has three chapters, the last of which is called variously Ten Beneficial Effects, Ten Merits or Ten Blessings. Over the next few days I’m going to focus on these Blessings (Reeves), but before I start I want to underscore the graduated scale and the focus of these blessings.

  • Blessing 1 comes with the sutra. It simply leads to certain outcomes. The rest require specific attitudes and actions.
  • Blessing 2 and 3: If living beings can hear this sutra even once, even only one verse or phrase …
  • Blessing 4 begins the same as 2 and 3 with “living beings” and then adds: If a bodhisattva can hear this sutra, even one phrase or verse, once, twice, ten times, a hundred times, a thousand or ten thousand times, a million or ten million times, or an unquantifiable, innumerable number of times, like the number of sands of the Ganges…
  • Blessing 5 and 6 continue the focus on Bodhisattva behavior: If good sons or good daughters, either during the Buddha’s lifetime or after his extinction, receive and embrace, read, recite, and copy this profound and unexcelled Great Vehicle Sutra of Innumerable Meanings …
  • Blessing 7 shifts focus beyond the Bodhisattva: If good sons or good daughters are able to hear this sutra either during the Buddha’s lifetime or after his extinction, and rejoice, have faith, and gain an unprecedented consciousness; if they receive and embrace, read, recite, copy, and explain the sutra, and practice it as it teaches; if they aspire to become awakened; if they cause all good roots to sprout, show great compassion, and want to relieve all living beings of suffering…
  • Blessing 8: If good sons or good daughters, either during the Buddha’s lifetime or after his extinction, find anyone who has received this sutra …
  • Blessing 9: If good sons or good daughters, receiving this sutra either during the Buddha’s lifetime or after his extinction, dance for joy, attain the unprecedented, receive and embrace, read and recite, copy and make offerings to this sutra, and everywhere explain its meaning through analysis for the sake of living beings…
  • Blessing 10: If good sons or good daughters, receiving this sutra either during the Buddha’s lifetime or after his extinction, greatly rejoice from experiencing such an unprecedented thing, receive and embrace, read and recite, copy, and make offerings to this sutra on their own accord, practice as it teaches, and also lead many monks and laypeople to receive and embrace, read and recite, copy, and make offerings to this sutra, explain it, and practice it in accord with the Dharma…

I’m inspired by this progression from no effort (1), to effort for oneself (2 and 3), to aspiring to be a Bodhisattva (4,5 and 6), to beginning the Bodhisattva practice (7 and 8), fulfilling the Bodhisattva practice (9) and finally “greatly rejoice from experiencing” practice for oneself and all living beings (10).

This is a road map for the aspirant.

Day 11 of 21Day 13 of 21

WONS, 21days, Innumerable

Day 10 of 21

When we open the Lotus Sūtra, we can see its teachings as clearly as looking at our face in a mirror. It is similar to recognizing the color of grasses and trees as the sun rises. It is stated in the Sūtra of Infinite Meaning, “The truth has not been revealed during the first forty years or so.”

Sennichi-ama Gozen Gohenji, A Reply to My Lady Nun Sennichi, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Faith and Practice, Volume 4, Page 145-146

The quote about truth not being revealed in the first 40 years of Śākyamuni’s teaching is used throughout Nichiren’s writings to support the revelation in Chapter 2, Expedients, of the Lotus Sutra:

“Śāriputra! I also expound various teachings to all living beings only for the purpose of revealing the One Buddha-Vehicle. There is no other vehicle, not a second or a third. Śāriputra! All the present Buddhas of the worlds of the ten quarters also do the same….”

With that I mind, I think it is useful to read the context in which the Buddha says, “[A]fter more than forty years the truth has not yet been revealed.”

Using the Reeves translation:

At that time Magnificently Adorned Bodhisattva spoke once again to the Buddha: “World-Honored One, the Dharma preached by the World-Honored One is inconceivable. The ability and nature of living beings is also inconceivable. And the gateway to the Dharma of emancipation is also inconceivable. Though we no longer have doubts about any of the Dharma preached by the Buddha, out of fear that various living beings will be perplexed, we repeatedly ask the World-Honored One about it.

“For the more than forty years since the Tathagata attained the Way, for the sake of the living you have continued to preach—the meaning of the four modes of all things, the meaning of suffering, the meaning of emptiness, of impermanence, of no enduring self, the absence of greatness, the absence of pettiness, non-arising, non-extinction, one character, absence of character, Dharma nature, Dharma character, being originally empty and quiet, non-coming, non-going, non-appearing, and non-disappearing.

“Those who have heard it have obtained the warm Dharma, the highest Dharma, the best Dharma in the world. They have obtained fruits of a stream-enterer, fruits of being a once-returner, fruits of being a nonreturner, fruits of being an arhat, and the pratyekabuddha way. They have aspired to become awakened. They have ascended the first stage, the second stage, and the third stage, and reached the tenth stage.

“In what sense is what you preached in the past, the meaning of all the buddhas, different from what you preach today? One hears that if bodhisattvas practice only the profound and unexcelled Great Vehicle Sutra of Innumerable Meanings, without fail they will soon attain unexcelled awakening. Is that true? Please, World-Honored One, out of compassion and pity for all, analyze this for the sake of living beings everywhere, and leave no doubt in the minds of all those in the present and future who hear the Dharma.”

Then the Buddha said to Great Adornment Bodhisattva: “Good, good! Great and good son, you have raised good questions for the Tathagata about the subtle and wonderful meaning of the profound and unexcelled Great Vehicle. You should know that you will greatly enrich many, pleasing human and heavenly beings, and relieving living beings from suffering. This is the truth of great compassion, a truth that is not in vain. For this reason you will surely and quickly attain unexcelled awakening. You will also enable all living beings in the present and future to accomplish unexcelled awakening.

“Good sons, after sitting upright for six years under the bodhi tree at the place of the Way, I could attain supreme awakening. With the eyes of a buddha I could understand that not all the teachings could be proclaimed. Why was that? I knew that the natures and the desires of living beings were not the same. As their natures and their desires were not the same, I taught the Dharma in various ways. I used the power of skillful means to teach the Dharma in various ways. And after more than forty years the truth has not yet been revealed. This is why there are differences in the way living beings take the Way and why they do not attain unexcelled awakening quickly.

“Good sons, the Dharma is like water that washes away dirt. Just as the water in a well, a pond, a stream, a river, a valley, a ditch, or a great sea is equally effective in washing away all kinds of dirt, so Dharma water effectively washes away the filth that afflicts living beings.

“Good sons, the nature of water is the same, but a stream, a river, a well, a pond, a valley stream, a ditch, and a great sea are distinct and different from each other. The nature of the Dharma is like this. There is equal effectiveness and no differentiation in washing away the waste of afflictions, but the three teachings, the four fruits, and the two ways are not one and the same.

“Good sons, though the water washes equally well, a well is not a pond, a pond is not a stream or a river, and a valley stream or a ditch is not a sea. Just as the Tathagata, the world’s hero, is free in the Dharma, all of the teachings in his sermons are like this. Though early, middle, and late teachings equally wash away the delusions of living beings, the beginning is not the middle, and the middle is not the end. Teachings at the beginning, in the middle, and at the end are the same in expression but different in meaning.

As a bonus, I offer this quote from Ichidai Goji Keizu, Genealogical Chart of the Buddha’s Lifetime Teachings in Five Periods (Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Doctrine 3, Page 242):

The Sūtra of Infinite Meaning states: “The Buddha has been preaching various teachings through expedient means in order to lead all the people to the True Dharma. For forty years or so till today – (three weeks for preaching the Flower Garland Sūtra, 12 years for the Āgama sūtras, 30 years for the Hōdō sūtras and the Wisdom Sūtra, totaling 42 years; the Treatise on the Dharma World, too, states 42 years) – the truth has not been revealed” (in chapter 2, “Preaching”). The sūtra also preaches: “By means of the pre-Lotus sūtras, one will never attain supreme Buddhahood no matter how long one practices his training. Why? Because the great direct way to enlightenment is not preached in those sūtras, hence one encounters many difficulties in walking in steep and dangerous ways” (chapter 3, “Ten Merits”). It further preaches, “There is no suffering in practicing the great direct way” (chapter 3, “Ten Merits”).

I hope to touch on these topics in the final days of this 21-day stay-cation retreat.

Day 9 of 21Day 11 of 21

21days, Innumerable, Universal Sage

Day 9 of 21

The practice of the Sutra of Contemplation of the Dharma Practice of Universal Sage Bodhisattva, unlike the Sutra Innumerable Meanings, is not limited to Great Bodhisattvas or modeled after them. This practice is for “any monks, nuns, laymen, laywomen, the eight kinds of guardians, gods, dragons and others, or any other living beings.” Underscoring this universal nature is the choice of principals in this teaching – Ananda, Maha-Kashyapa and Maitreya Bodhisattva, speaking in once voice, with Ananda as the leader.

Using the Reeves translation, we set the stage with this:

Then the three great leaders spoke to the Buddha in one voice: “World-Honored One, after the extinction of the Tathagata, how can living beings aspire to be bodhisattvas, follow the Great Vehicle sutras, the Expansive Teaching, and think about the world of one truth correctly? How can they keep from losing their aspiration for unexcelled awakening? Without cutting off their and renouncing the five desires, how can they purify their sense organs and completely rid themselves of their sins? With the natural pure eyes received at birth from their parents, and without leaving the world of the five desires, how can they see past their hindrances?”

The Buddha said to Ananda: “Listen carefully! Listen carefully! Consider what I am about to say and remember it well! Long ago, on Holy Eagle Peak and in other places, the Tathagata has already thoroughly explained the way of one truth. But now in this place, for all living beings and others in the future who want to practice the unsurpassable Dharma of the Great Vehicle, and for those who want to learn the practice of Universal Sage and to follow the practice of Universal Sage, I will now teach this method of contemplation. For all those who are able to see Universal Sage, as well as for those who do not see him, I will now explain in detail how to eliminate evils.

“Ananda, Universal Sage Bodhisattva was born in the east, in the Land of Pure Wonder. I have already described the nature of his land at length in the Flower Garland Sutra. Now I will briefly explain it again in this sutra.

“Ananda, if any monks, nuns, laymen, laywomen, the eight kinds of guardians, gods, dragons and others, or any other living beings, recite the Great Vehicle, study the Great Vehicle, aspire to the Great Vehicle, want to see the material body of Universal Sage Bodhisattva, want to see the Stupa of Abundant Treasures Buddha, want to see Shakyamuni Buddha and the buddhas who embody him, or want to gain purity of the six senses, they should learn this contemplation.

“The blessings of this contemplation will eliminate their hindrances and allow them to see the excellent and wonderful form of the Buddha. Even though they have not yet entered into concentration, just because they recite and embrace the Great Vehicle they will devote themselves to studying it and putting it into practice, and after keeping their attention continuously on the Great Vehicle for one day, or for three weeks, they will be able to see Universal Sage.

“Those who have heavy hindrances will see him after seven weeks. Those who have heavier hindrances will see him after one lifetime. Those who have still heavier hindrances will see him after two lifetimes. And those who have yet heavier hindrances will see him after three life times. Thus past actions have a variety of consequences. They are not always the same. This is why I teach in a variety of ways.”

Here’s hoping I see Universal Sage at the end of three weeks at the conclusion of this 21-day stay-cation retreat.

Trivia point: The first chapter of the Sutra of Innumerable Meanings includes a lengthy verse section detailing the merits of Śākyamuni. Among these is his height.

The Threefold Lotus Sutra by Bunno Kato, Yoshiro Tamura, and Kojiro Miyasaka with revisions by W. E. Soothill, Wilhelm Schiffer, and Pier P. Del Campana says “He reveals his body, Ten feet six inches in height…”

The BDK English Tripitaka translation by David W. Chappell, Joseph M. Longan, Terry Yamada and Tsugunari Kubo says “Your manifestation is nearly sixteen feet tall…”

The Lotus Sutra by Gene Reeves says “He shows his body: Sixteen feet tall…”

Did Threefold Lotus Sutra translators separate the ten and the six and then translate that into feet and inches or did they see something the others missed? All of these translations are working from Kumārajīva’s Chinese.

In the end, I’m not happy with the Threefold Lotus Sutra translation. It is awkward – and perhaps error prone – and just generally not pleasing to read aloud. I have been using it in my 32 day practice this cycle but I will set it aside and pick up Reeves when I start the next cycle.

Day 8 of 21Day 10 of 21

21days, Innumerable

Day 8 of 21

Programming note: Having completed a week of daily recitation of the Sutra of Innumerable Meanings and the Sutra of Contemplation of the Dharma Practice of Universal Sage Bodhisattva, it’s time to start offering quotes each day from the portions of these sutras that stand out to me.

And back to our program….

The opening of the Sutra of Innumerable Meanings begins with a long list of Bodhisattvas present at Rajagriha on Holy Eagle Peak (remember, this occurs just before the start of the Lotus Sutra) and then proceeds to explain just how great these guys are. To quote the Reeves translation:

Moreover, knowing well the abilities, natures, and desires of all, with incantations and unobstructed eloquence, [these Bodhisattvas] obediently and skillfully turn the Dharma wheel of the buddhas.

First, they have small drops of moisture fall to dampen the dust of desire, and by opening the gateway of nirvana, fanning the wind of liberation, and ridding themselves of the heat of worldly passions, they bring about the cooling quality of the Dharma.

Next, raining down the profound teaching of the twelve causes and conditions, pouring it on the ferocious, intense rays of suffering – ignorance, old age, illness, death, and so on – they pour out the unexcelled Great Vehicle, soak the good roots of all the living with it, scatter seeds of goodness over the field of blessings, and everywhere bring forth sprouts of awakening.

With wisdom as bright as the sun and the moon, and timely use of skillful means, they make the enterprise of the Great Vehicle prosper and grow, and lead many to attain supreme awakening quickly. Always living in the blessedness of a reality that is fine and wonderful, with immeasurable great compassion, they save the living from suffering.

They are truly good friends of living beings, an excellent field of blessings for the living. Without having to be asked, they teach living beings. They are a place of tranquil happiness for living beings, a place of salvation, a place of protection, and a place of great reliance.

I find this incredibly encouraging, thinking of these “good friends.”

It is worth noting that the only mention of the arhats in the audience is this list:

Those monks included Great Wisdom Shariputra, Divine Power Maudgalyayana, Wisdom Life Subhuti, Maha-Katyayana, Maitrayani’s son Purna, Ajnata-Kaundinya, Divine Eye Aniruddha, Precept-Keeping Upali, Attendant Ananda, Buddha’s son Rahula, Upananda, Revata, Kapphina, Vakkula, Acyuta, Svagata, Dhuta Maha-Kashyapa, UruvilvaKashyapa, Gaya-Kashyapa, and Nadi-Kashyapa. There were twelve thousand monks such as these. All were arhats, unconstrained by bondage or faults, free from attachments and truly liberated.

Unlike in the Lotus Sutra, these monks play no role in this teaching. This is, as the Lotus Sutra says, “the Dharma for Bodhisattvas, the Dharma Upheld by the Buddhas.”

Day 7 of 21Day 9 of 21

Innumerable

Search Background and Commentary for Innumerable Meanings Sutra