Category Archives: d14b

Daily Dharma, d14b

Daily Dharma – Aug. 23, 2019

Anyone who keeps
The Sūtra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma
Should be considered to have given up his pure world and come here
Out of his compassion towards all living beings.

The Buddha declares these verses to Medicine-King Bodhisattva in Chapter Ten of the Lotus Sūtra. He reminds us that as Bodhisattvas, we are no longer concerned with getting into a paradise where all our desires are met. This also means that we were not sent into this world of conflict (Sahā) so that we could be tested to see whether we are worthy of getting into that paradise. Instead, we are Bodhisattvas, beings who through our great resolve to benefit all beings, have with great courage chosen to immerse ourselves in the misery of this world, because we know there is no other way to create benefit and lead all beings to the Buddha’s enlightenment.

The Daily Dharma is produced by the Lexington Nichiren Buddhist Community. To subscribe to the daily emails, visit zenzaizenzai.com

Daily Dharma, d14b

Daily Dharma – Aug. 9, 2019

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.

The Daily Dharma is produced by the Lexington Nichiren Buddhist Community. To subscribe to the daily emails, visit zenzaizenzai.com

d14b, WONS

The Sin of Abusing Upholders of the Lotus Sūtra

Preaching the sin of abusing upholders of the Lotus Sūtra, “The Teacher of the Dharma” chapter of the Lotus Sūtra states, “Suppose a person with evil intent keeps speaking ill of the Buddha in His presence for as long as a kalpa (aeons), his sin is rather light. Suppose a person utters a word to curse lay persons or monks who read and recite the Lotus Sūtra, his sin is extremely grave.”

The sin of cursing just one upholder of the Lotus Sūtra is as serious as this. How much more serious the sin of writing books, causing people all over Japan to curse the upholders of the Lotus Sūtra! How much more serious the sin of discouraging practicers of the Lotus Sūtra by designating this sūtra the teaching through which not even one out of 1,000 persons would be able to attain Buddhahood!

Shugo Kokka-ron, Treatise on Protecting the Nation, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Doctrine 1, Page 30

d14b, WONS

The Merit of Helping the Practicer of the Lotus Sūtra

Two boys named Tokushō and Mushō donated “rice cakes” made of sand to Śākyamuni Buddha, who was practicing “begging for alms.” Upon their death they were reborn as Emperor who governed one-third of the Jambudvīpa according to the Buddha Dharma. Bodhisattva Māṇava attained Buddhahood as merit for offering five stems of lotus flowers to Burning Light Buddha. He is none other than Śākyamuni Buddha.

It is preached in the “Teacher of the Dharma” chapter of the Lotus Sūtra, fascicle 4, “If a person who seeks the Buddha Dharma presses his palms together in My presence and extols Me with numerous verses of praise for as long as a kalpa (aeon), he will gain innumerable merits because of these praises of the Buddha. If he praises the upholder of this sūtra, his good fortune will be even greater.” This means that the merit of helping the practicer of the Lotus Sūtra, who is given the cold shoulder by the people in the Latter Age of Degeneration, is greater than giving offerings to the Buddha for aeons.

If you are wondering who would have said such an outrageous thing, it was stated by our Lord Preacher Śākyamuni Buddha Himself. It is up to you whether or not to believe this.

Ueno-dono Gohenji, Reply to Lord Ueno, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Followers II, Volume 7, Page 3-4

d7b, d9b, d10b, d14b, d17b, WONS

Could Lotus Sūtra Words Prove To Be Empty?

If those words of the sūtra prove to be empty, Venerable Śāriputra will not be Flower Light Buddha, as stated in the Lotus Sūtra. Likewise, Venerable Kāśyapa will not be Light Buddha, Venerable Maudgalyāyana will not be Tamalapatra-candana Fragrance Buddha, Ānanda will not be Mountain Sea Wisdom Supernatural Power King Buddha, Bhikṣunī Mahā-Prajāpatī will not be Gladly Seen by All Living Beings Buddha, and Yaśodharā will not be Endowed with Ten Million Glowing Marks Buddha. The teaching of the “3,000 dust-particle kalpa” expounded in the “Parable of Magic City” chapter will be a useless discussion; and that of the “500 (million) dust-particle kalpa” in “The Life Span of the Buddha” chapter will be a lie. Probably Lord Śākyamuni will fall into the Hell of Incessant Suffering; the Buddha Many Treasures will be burnt in the fire in the Hell of Incessant Suffering; Buddhas in manifestation in all the worlds in the universe will fall into the eight horrible hells; and all the bodhisattvas will be tortured with 136 kinds of torment. How could such things happen? They will never happen, as I am sure that all the people in Japan will come to chant “Namu Myōhōrengekyō.”

Hōon-jō, Essay on Gratitude, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Doctrine 3, Pages 58-59.

Daily Dharma, d14b

Daily Dharma – March 23, 2019

The good men or women who keep, read, recite, expound and copy even a phrase of the Sūtra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma, and offer flowers, incense, necklaces, incense powder, incense applicable to the skin, incense to burn, canopies, banners, streamers, garments and music to a copy of this sūtra, or just join their hands together respectfully towards it, should be respected by all the people of the world.

The Buddha declares these lines to Medicine-King Bodhisattva at the beginning of Chapter Ten of the Lotus Sūtra. The notion of respect appears in many parts of this Sūtra. These lines tell us that we should be respected by people of the world, even though sometimes we are not. It is more important for us to respect each other, and everyone who practices the Wonderful Dharma in any way. It is also important that we respect ourselves, knowing that we are working for the benefit of all beings.

The Daily Dharma is produced by the Lexington Nichiren Buddhist Community. To subscribe to the daily emails, visit zenzaizenzai.com

d14b, Lecture on Lotus Sutra

The Great Secret Practice of Rahula

It is the ordinary day-to-day practice that each of us performs that is actually the great secret practice of Rahula. It isn’t fame or acquiring a big name that is required to attain enlightenment. It isn’t being famous that will lead others to practice the Lotus Sutra. It is our practice of the Lotus Sutra in our everyday lives that will enable countless others just like us to ultimately take faith in the Lotus Sutra. We should not be discouraged, instead we can look at Rahula who will become Walking-On-Flowers-Of-Seven-Treasures Buddha and we too can walk on the flowers of the seven treasures of Myoho-Renge-Kyo.

Lecture on the Lotus Sutra

d14b, d15b, WONS

The Evergreen Lotus Sūtra

In winter … trees appear dead, but pine and oak trees do not wither; grasses die, but chrysanthemums and bamboos remain unchanged. The same is true with the Lotus Sūtra, which will remain forever helping people even after other sūtras all disappear. Śākyamuni Buddha declared in the tenth chapter on “The Teacher of the Dharma” of the Lotus Sūtra that the Lotus Sūtra was supreme of all the sūtras He had preached, was preaching, and would be preaching. Moreover, in the eleventh chapter on the “Appearance of the Stupa of Treasures” the Buddha of Many Treasures attested the Lotus Sūtra to be true; and in the twenty-first chapter on “The Divine Powers of the Buddha” Buddhas manifested in various worlds all over the universe also verified the truth of the Lotus Sūtra by touching the Brahma Heaven with their tongues. Their sole purpose was to have the dharma of the Lotus Sūtra last forever in this world.

Shugo Kokka-ron, Treatise on Protecting the Nation, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Doctrine 1, Page 25

LS32, d14b, d26b, LS Introduction

Place of Enlightenment

One of the special concepts of the Lotus Sutra is that a place where the Lotus Sutra is expounded is itself the Place of Enlightenment. This means that anywhere we accept, believe, recite, and practice the Lotus Sutra is the Place of Enlightenment. It is not necessary for us to erect temples, fine buildings, or monuments in select holy places.

Introduction to the Lotus Sutra

LS32, d14b, LS Introduction

Buddhas One and All

[Chapter 10, The Teacher of the Dharma,] opens with Sakyamuni speaking to a Bodhisattva named Medicine-King in the presence of eighty thousand great beings:

Medicine-King! Do you see the many human beings, nonhuman beings, monks, nuns, laymen, and laywomen in this congregation, who are seeking the goals for Sravakahood and Pratyekabuddhahood or the enlightenment of the Buddha? If any of them rejoice in my presence, even for one moment’s thought, at hearing a verse or a phrase of the Lotus Sutra, I can assure them all of their future Buddhahood. Even after my extinction, if they rejoice for one moment’s thought at hearing a verse or a phrase of the Lotus Sutra, I can assure them all of their future attainment of supreme-perfect-enlightenment. Moreover, if anyone keeps, reads, recites, expounds, and copies even a verse or a phrase of the Sutra, and respects a scroll of the Sutra just as he respects me, and makes offerings to it, he or she should be considered to have already made offerings to ten billion Buddhas in a previous existence, and will surely become a Buddha in a future life.

These words of the Buddha introduce a new development in the teachings of the Lotus Sutra. Up until Chapter 10, only “hearers” had been assured of their future Buddhahood. This statement, on the other hand, indicates that not only the “hearers,” but all other people in the congregation are also assured of future Buddhahood. What is more, the account goes on to say that even after the Buddha’s extinction, anyone who rejoices at hearing the Sutra will be assured of his or her future Buddhahood. Furthermore, these words tell us that after the Buddha’s extinction, the Lotus Sutra should be written on a scroll, and we should respect it and make offerings to it.

Introduction to the Lotus Sutra