The Stories of the Lotus Sutra, p125-126The most important thing about [Chapter 10] is its emphasis on the Dharma teacher. Here we can see that the Sutra attempts to break through the limitations of the threefold shravaka-pratyekabuddha-bodhisattva distinction that had been prominent in earlier chapters of this Sutra and elsewhere in Mahayana Buddhism. According to Chapter 10, anyone – bodhisattva, pratyekabuddha, shravaka, or layperson, man or woman – can be a Dharma teacher.
This important point is certainly not unique to this chapter, but it is emphasized here in a special way: it is not only great bodhisattvas, great leaders, or great people who can teach the Dharma and do the Buddha’s work, but very ordinary people with even a limited understanding and even of limited faith can join in the Buddha’s work, if only by understanding and teaching a little. The point is, of course, that you and I can be Dharma teachers.
Thus the Buddha tells Medicine King Bodhisattva that if anyone wants to know what sort of living beings will become buddhas in the future, he should tell them that the very people before him, that is, all sorts of people, including very ordinary people, will become buddhas.
Category Archives: d14b
Bodhisattvas With Close Relationships with Sahā World
During the first 500 years in the millennium of the Age of the True Dharma, men of śrāvaka all passed away, while in the last 500 years nearly all those bodhisattvas who had come from other worlds went back to their own lands. In the 1,000 years of the Age of the Semblance Dharma, Avalokiteśvara was reincarnated as Nan-yüeh; Medicine King Bodhisattva as T’ien-t’ai or Dengyō; Mañjuśrī as Gyōki, and Maitreya as Great Teacher Fu Hsi to help all the people.
Now in the Latter Age of Degeneration, these bodhisattvas, too, have all retired to their original dwellings. Other heavenly gods and terrestrial deities who are supposed to protect this world have either left it for other places or refused to protect the evil country while remaining in this world. They are also powerless in this world because they have not been fed with the taste of the True Dharma. For instance, nobody except great bodhisattvas with the Dharma Body can enter the three evil realms to save suffering beings because nobody except them are able to bear the great suffering there.
On the other hand, those great bodhisattvas emerged from the great earth in the first place have been in the Sahā World for incalculable aeons; in the second place they have been disciples of Śākyamuni Buddha ever since He was awakened by aspiration for enlightenment in the eternal past; and thirdly they were the first to receive the seed of Buddhahood in this Sahā World. More than any other great bodhisattvas, they have thus had close relationships with this Sahā World from their past lives.
Soya Nyūdō-dono-gari Gosho, A Letter to Lay Priest Lord Soya, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Doctrine 3, Pages 160-161.
Merits of Giving Alms to Practicer of the Lotus Sūtra
It is preached in the “Teacher of the Dharma” chapter of the Lotus Sūtra, fascicle 4: “Suppose a person in search of the Buddha Way comes before me with his hands pressed together in prayer before Me and praises Me for as long as a kalpa (aeon) with numerous verses. Such a person will gain innumerable blessings. A person who glorifies an upholder of this sūtra will gain even more blessings.” This scriptural statement means that the merit of giving alms to a less intelligent practicer of the Lotus Sūtra in the Latter Age of Degeneration who is about to die of starvation is superior to the merit of supporting the Lord Preacher Śākyamuni Buddha for the period of one kalpa.
Matsuno-dono Goshōsoku, Letter to Lord Matsuno, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Volume 7, Followers II, Page 66
Understanding Beyond Theory
Buddhism for Today, p144We can understand the Lotus Sutra in theory, but this kind of understanding is liable to be shaken by any adverse change in our circumstances. The person who can truly understand and believe the sutra from the bottom of his heart is one who is spiritually sensitive to the teaching and who is ripe to bear the fruit of the accumulated karma of his former lives. For that reason, we must continually strive to grasp the teaching of the Lotus Sutra more deeply and must patiently receive and keep it regardless of whatever doubts we may have in our minds or whatever persecution and slander we may suffer from outsiders.
Establish a Firm Faith in the Lotus Sūtra
The Buddha preached the two doctrines … that those who slander the practicer of the Lotus Sūtra will fall into the Hell of Incessant Suffering and those who praise and admire the practicer of the Lotus Sūtra will be rewarded with merit superior to that of those who embrace the Buddha, but they are difficult to understand. Just how, one may wonder, can serving an ordinary person be more meritorious than serving the Buddha? If, however, we say that these two doctrines are false, we call into question the golden words of Śākyamuni Buddha, neglect the testimony of the Buddha of Many Treasures, and negate the proof of the long, wide tongues of the numerous Buddhas in manifestation from all the worlds in the universe. We will then fall into the Avīci Hell. It is as dangerous as riding a wild horse running on the rocks. On the other hand, if we believe in these two doctrines, we will become Buddhas of great Enlightenment. We therefore must establish a firm faith in the Lotus Sūtra during this lifetime. Practicing this sūtra without having a firm faith is like trying to grab hold of a jewel in a mountain of treasures without hands or walking a journey of 1,000 ri (4,000 km) without feet. It is best for us to put faith in the Buddha by observing the objective phenomena.
Hōren-shō, Letter to Hōren, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Volume 6, Followers I, Page 49
Daily Dharma – April 14, 2020
If anyone keeps, reads, recites, expounds and copies even a gāthā of the Sūtra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma, and respects a copy of this sūtra just as he respects me…or just joins his hands together respectfully towards it, Medicine-King, know this, that person should be considered to have appeared in the world of men out of their compassion towards all living beings.
The Buddha declares these lines to Medicine-King Bodhisattva at the beginning of Chapter Ten of the Lotus Sūtra. We might believe that everything happens by chance, or that we were sent into this life by someone who is testing us. This Sūtra awakens us to our existence as Bodhisattvas who asked to be born in this world of suffering out of our vow to benefit all beings.
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Reasons Why the Lotus Sūtra Is Supreme
Now let us compare the merit of worshiping our Lord Preacher Śākyamuni Buddha, not for an hour or two or a day or two but for as long as a kalpa (aeon) by putting the palms of our hands together before Him, looking up at His face with two eyes, bowing our heads and forgetting all other things, as if trying to extinguish the fire in one’s own head, as if a thirsty person thinks of only water and hungry people think of nothing but food—merit of ceaseless devotion to the Buddha as along as a kalpa—to the merit of praising and giving alms to the practicer of the Lotus Sūtra in the Latter Age of Degeneration without sincerity, as if a stepmother praises a stepchild. It is stated in the Lotus Sūtra that the merit of praising or giving alms to the practicer of the Lotus Sūtra in the Latter Age of Degeneration, even if not from a believing heart, is a hundred, thousand, ten thousand, and hundred million times superior to the merit of the physical, verbal and mental devotion to the Buddha for as long as a kalpa. Grand Master Miao-lê interprets this, “His merit is superior to the merit of devoting to a Buddha worthy of the ten epithets for the Buddha.” The ten epithets are the ten titles of the Buddha praising His virtue. Miao-lê is saying that the merit of devoting to the practicer of the Lotus Sūtra is superior to the merit of devoting to the Buddha equipped with the ten epithets. This is one of the 20 reasons why the Lotus Sūtra is supreme among all the Buddhist scriptures enumerated by Grand Master Miao-lê.
Hōren-shō, Letter to Hōren, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Volume 6, Followers I, Page 48-49
‘He Will Be Covered by My Robe’
[I]t is stated in the Concise Chronicle of Japan:
“When Grand Master Dengyō lectured on the Lotus Sūtra for Great Bodhisattva Hachiman in the Jingūji Temple of Usa, the Great Bodhisattva Hachiman declared in a divine message when he had finished listening to the Grand Master: ‘I have been unable to hear the voices of Buddhist sūtras. Fortunately, today I was able to see the venerable Buddhist priest and listen to him speak about the true teaching of the Buddha. Moreover, he has accumulated much merit for me, for which I am deeply grateful. How can I express my gratitude to him? I will donate my treasured robe to him.’ Thereupon, the Shinto priest who received the divine message opened the door of Hachiman’s palace, respectfully held up a purple robe and a purple sash, and made a request of the Grand Master saying, ‘With your great compassion, please accept these donations.’ Surprised at the miraculous event, subordinate Shinto priests all uttered that they had never seen or heard anything as wonderful as this. This robe donated by the Great Bodhisattva Hachiman exists today in the Sannōin Temple on Mt. Hiei.”
… During the second 10-day period of the 11th month in the 20th year of Enryaku (801), Grand Master Dengyō invited more than ten high priests of the seven great temples in Nara representing the six schools of Buddhism to his lecture on the Lotus Sūtra held on Mt. Hiei. Wake no Hiroyo and his brother Matsuna lamented after listening to him speak: “It is regrettable that this wonderful teaching of the One Vehicle doctrine has not spread widely; it is sad that the perfect harmony of the triple truth has not been revealed.” They also sighed: “Both young and old cannot do away with the roundabout way of the provisional teaching to free themselves from the chain of delusion.”
Thereafter, on the 19th day of the first month in the 21st year of Enryaku (802), Emperor Kammu visited the Takaodera Temple, where he ordered the high priests of the six Buddhist schools in Nara and Grand Master Dengyō to meet in debate on their respective theologies. None of the 14 scholar-priests of Nara were able to answer questions, and they later submitted a letter of submission: “Many sūtras and commentaries have been expounded in more than 200 years since the rise of Buddhism through the efforts of Prince Shōitoku. They have been fighting one another for theoretical supremacy without definitely answering which is the supreme teaching. Besides, the teaching of this most wonderful Tendai Lotus School has not been spread.”
Reflecting on this, I believe that the true teaching of the Lotus Sūtra had not been revealed before Grand Master Dengyō. What was meant by the Great Bodhisattva Hachiman must have been this when he said in his divine message that “he had never seen or heard of it.” There is no question about this.
The Lotus Sūtra, fascicle 4 (chapter 10) preaches: “You should know that anyone who expounds even a phrase of the Lotus Sūtra even to one person even in secret after My extinction is My messenger (…) He will be covered by My robe. ” Contemplating this, I believe that as Maitreya Buddha in the future will inevitably expound the Lotus Sūtra, Śākyamuni Buddha sent him a robe through Venerable Kāśyapa. Likewise, the Buddha sent one through the Great Bodhisattva Hachiman to Grand Master Dengyō for expounding the truth of the Lotus Sūtra.
Kangyō Hachiman-shō, Remonstration with Bodhisattva Hachiman, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Doctrine 1, Page 262-264
A Single Thought Becomes the Seed
Buddhism for Today, p139-140If we delight in a single verse or a single word of the Lotus Sutra by a single thought but become no better than we were before, it is of no use. The assurance of our becoming buddhas is conditional on the result of practice over a long period of time. Why then did the Buddha say that he would predict Perfect Enlightenment for anyone who by a single thought delights in a single verse or a single word of the Lotus Sutra? This is because the mind that one raises through delighting in the Lotus Sutra by a single thought will become the seed of his attaining buddhahood. One must incessantly nurture this seed, making it bud by watering it diligently, making it grow, flower, and bear fruit. However, when we understand that we are assured of becoming buddhas if we hear a single verse or a single word of the Lotus Sutra and by a single thought delight in it, we should be inspired with redoubled courage. Such an understanding is a great encouragement to us in this corrupt age. The Buddha referred to this as follows: “Moreover, after the extinction of the Tathāgata, if there be any people who hear even a single verse or a single word of the Wonderful Law-Flower Sutra, and by a single thought delight in it, I also predict them to Perfect Enlightenment.”
Ambassadors of the Tathāgata
Two Buddhas, p132-133Nichiren also stressed to his followers that they themselves are the “ambassadors of the Tathāgata” praised by Śākyamuni Buddha in this chapter, the very people who, in an evil era after the Buddha’s passing, will be able to uphold the sūtra and teach it to others. To one individual, borrowing the sūtra’s language in this passage, he wrote: “It is rare to receive human birth, but you have done so. You have also encountered the buddha dharma, which is difficult to meet. And within the buddha dharma, you have found the daimoku of the Lotus Sūtra and now put it into practice. Truly you have ‘already paid homage to tens of myriads of kotis of buddhas of the past.”
The idea that one is an “ambassador of the Tathāgata” and has “already paid homage to tens of myriads of kotis of buddhas” might seem to contradict another of Nichiren’s claims … that people born into the age of the Final Dharma have never before received the seed of buddhahood. Like most founders of religious movements, Nichiren taught according to his audience and circumstances and did not fully systematize his teachings; this would be one way to account for this apparent inconsistency. But there are also other ways to think about it. Past lives are unknowable, and talk about them by Buddhist teachers is intended to cast light on the present. Thus, we might think of the tension between these two ideas as Nichiren offering his followers alternative perspectives on their practice. To say that one has now received the seed of buddhahood for the very first time engenders gratitude for the rare opportunity of having encountered the daimoku of the Lotus Sūtra; to say that one has served countless buddhas in the past and been dispatched to this world as the Tathāgata’s ambassador invests one’s personal practice with the quality of a noble mission.
Nichiren said of himself that, being an ordinary person steeped in delusion, “my mind is far from that of the Tathāgata’s ambassador.” But because he had endured great trials for the Lotus Sūtra’s sake with his body and chanted its daimoku with his mouth, he continued, “I am like the Tathāgata’s ambassador.” His claim to legitimacy as the teacher of the Lotus Sūtra for the Final Dharma age lay not in superior spiritual attainments, something he never asserted, but in the fact that he had fulfilled the sūtra’s own predictions of the hardships its devotees would encounter in a troubled age after the Buddha’s passing.