Category Archives: d26b

Daily Dharma, d26b

Daily Dharma – Sept. 12, 2022

For many hundreds of thousands of billions of asaṃkhyas of kalpas, I studied and practiced the Dharma difficult to obtain, and [finally attained] Anuttara-samyak-saṃbodhi. Now I will transmit the Dharma to you. Propagate it with all your hearts, and make it known far and wide!

The Buddha entrusts his highest teaching to all those gathered to see him in Chapter Twenty-Two of the Lotus Sūtra. He had already explained how difficult it is to believe and practice this highest teaching, and all the trouble it took for him to reach it. He also realizes that this teaching is not something he can keep for himself, and is meaningful only when it was shared with others. This is yet another example of the Buddha showing us how to live with the beings we want to benefit. We realize that our treasure is not what we keep for ourselves, but what we have in common with others. We are diminished not by what we lose, but by attempting to hold on to our delusions.

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

Daily Dharma, d26b

Daily Dharma – Sept. 3, 2022

The Buddhas joyfully display
Their immeasurable, supernatural powers
Because [the Bodhisattvas from underground]
[Vow to] keep this sūtra after my extinction.

The Buddha sings these verses to Superior-Practice Bodhisattva (Jōgyo, Viśiṣṭacārītra) in Chapter Twenty-One of the Lotus Sūtra. Superior-Practice is the leader of the Bodhisattvas who came up from underground in Chapter Fifteen when the Buddha asked who would continue to keep and practice this sūtra after his physical extinction in this world. Nichiren saw himself as the embodiment of Superior-Practice, and all of us who are determined to lead all beings to enlightenment through this Wonderful Dharma as embodiments of the Bodhisattvas who came up from underground. The powers of the Buddhas only seem supernatural to those who are mired in delusion and ignorance. They are nothing more than turning the poison of anger into the medicine of energy; the poison of isolation into the medicine of compassion; the poison of attachment into the medicine of wisdom.

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

Daily Dharma, d26b

Daily Dharma – June 3, 2022

Anyone who understands why the Buddhas expound [many] sūtras,
Who knows the position [of this sūtra in the series of sūtras],
And who expounds it after my extinction
According to its true meaning,
Will be able to eliminate the darkness
Of the living beings of the world where he walks about,
Just as the light of the sun and the moon
Eliminates all darkness.

The Buddha sings these verses to Superior-Practice Bodhisattva (Jōgyo, Viśiṣṭacārītra) in Chapter Twenty-One of the Lotus Sūtra. The superiority of the Lotus Sūtra does not disparage the Buddha’s expedient teachings. The Lotus Sūtra leads all beings to enlightenment. Other teachings could only reach a limited audience. When we as Bodhisattvas who are determined to benefit all beings expound this highest expression of the Buddha’s wisdom, and do not limit ourselves to saving only a few, then we become the light that limits the darkness of ignorance, fear and violence in this world of conflict.

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

history, d20b, d26b

Nichi Ren

The word “Nichi” of Nichiren comes from the following passage from Chapter 21, “The Supernatural Powers of the Tathāgata,” of the Lotus Sūtra: Nyo nichi gak-kō myō. Nō jo sho yū myō. Shin nin gyō se-ken. Nō metsu shu jō an: Just like the sun and the moon can dispel darkness, such a person practicing in the world can dispel the fundamental darkness of all living beings.

“Ren” is derived from Chapter 15, “The Appearance of Bodhisattvas from Underground,” of the Lotus Sūtra: Fu sen se ken bō. Nyo ren ge zai sui: They are untainted by the ways of the world, just as a lotus flower in the water. The name of “Nichiren” appears [written] for the first time in the Record of Seeing Fudo and Aizen Myoo, Fudō-Aizen Kanken-ki, dated June 25, 1254.

History and Teachings of Nichiren Buddhism, p 139
d26b, WONS

The Indispensable Dharmas Summed Up by the Four Phrases

It is preached in the 21st chapter on the “Divine Powers of the Buddha” in the Lotus Sūtra, fascicle 7: “In short, all the teachings of the Buddha, all the unhindered, divine powers of the Buddha, all the stores of the secret lore of the Buddha, and all the profundities of the Buddha are revealed and explained in this sūtra.” Grand Master T’ien-t’ai explains this in his Words and Phrases of the Lotus Sūtra saying, “These four are the gist of the Lotus Sūtra.”

QUESTION: What are the indispensable dharmas summed up by the four phrases?

ANSWER: They are the honzon (most venerable one), kaidan (precept dais) and the five-character daimoku, which Śākyamuni Buddha had practiced in the eternal past upon attaining enlightenment with the true aspect of all phenomena, and which is now preached in the 16th chapter on “The Life Span of the Buddha” in the Lotus Sūtra. They had been kept in secrecy during the years Śākyamuni preached the pre-Lotus sūtras ever since He attained Buddhahood for the first time in this world under the bodhi tree, through the preaching of the theoretical section of the Lotus Sūtra, until He began revealing the eternal life of the Buddha in the 15th chapter, “Appearance of Bodhisattvas from Underground,” in the essential section of the sūtra.

Lord Śākyamuni Buddha did not teach these great secret dharmas to such great bodhisattvas as Samantabhadra and Mañjuśrī, attendants of the Buddha throughout the past, present and future, not to speak of other disciples below them. Therefore, the formality of preaching these secret dharmas was quite different from that of preaching the pre-Lotus sūtras and the 14 chapters in the theoretical section of the Lotus Sūtra. It took place in the land of eternal, tranquil light, with the Eternal Buddha as the lord preacher completely equipped with the three bodies (Dharma, Reward and Accommodative Bodies) of a Buddha, and the listeners were of one body with the Buddha.

Appropriate for such an occasion, in order to enhance the attainment of Buddhahood in the eternal past the Buddha especially called out from the bottom of the land of eternal tranquil light the four bodhisattvas such as Superior Practice Bodhisattva who had been disciples of the Original Śākyamuni Buddha since the eternal past, and He entrusted them with these three great secret dharmas. Precept Master Tao-hsien stated, “As the doctrines to be transmitted were those which had been attained in the eternal past, they were entrusted to the disciples of the Eternal Buddha ever since the eternal past.”

Sandai Hiho Honjo-ji, The Transmission of the Three Great Secret Dharmas, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Doctrine 2, Page 286-287

history, d25b, d26b

The Specific Transmission and the General Transmission

Nichiren Buddhism considers Chapter 21 as specifically transmitting the spreading of daimoku in the Latter Age of the Degeneration of the Dharma to the bodhisattvas from underground represented by Superior Practice Bodhisattva. Then in Chapter 22, “Transmission,” the Buddha charges all the members of the assembly with spreading the Lotus Sūtra and all other sūtras in the buddhaless world. The former is called the “specific transmission,” the latter the “general transmission.” A deep analysis of these academic distinctions is not necessary. To answer the message of the Lotus Sūtra, we should think of this transmission as coming directly to us. Receiving this transmission, we must ourselves commit to becoming teachers of the Dharma and messengers of the Tathāgata and put this transmission into action.

History and Teachings of Nichiren Buddhism, p 94
LS32, d26b, b4today

Repaying the Grace of the Buddhas

The Buddha’s teachings are said to number eighty-four thousand, and among them there is not one that is useless. All his teachings are sacred. The Buddha freely preached the Law according to the occasion and the mental and spiritual capacities of his listeners. It may safely be said that within his teachings there are ways of preaching suitable for all kinds of people.

The Buddha taught the bodhisattvas: “If there are people who do not believe in the Lotus Sutra when you preach directly to them, you may choose any of my teachings, not limiting yourselves to the sutra.” Indeed, the Lotus Sutra is the culmination of all the Buddha’s teachings and therefore supreme among the many Buddhist sutras. But we must not become exclusive and rigid in our adherence to the Lotus Sutra. Nichiren did not hold only to this sutra but, in order to commend it, freely used quotations from many other sutras. We need to do so still more in the present world. If we exert every effort to lead others thus to the Righteous Law, we shall have repaid the grace of the buddhas. This is our greatest return for the buddhas’ grace.

Buddhism for Today, p346-347
LS32, d25b, d26b, b4today

The Complete Union of Understanding and Faith

We should not study the Lotus Sutra for the sake of learning alone. It is not enough to have understood the sutra intellectually. We cannot be saved in the true sense, nor save the whole of society, until we proceed from understanding to faith and reach the mental state of complete union of understanding and faith.

In chapter 21 the Buddha taught that putting all his sermons in the previous twenty chapters together, the truth penetrating all these chapters is one and one alone. From this chapter, we clearly realize that the teaching shown in the Law of Appearance is entirely united with the teaching shown in the Law of Origin; understanding this, we can deepen our devotion to these two Laws.

Reading through this chapter, it may seem that no important teaching is stated in it, only the mysterious and wonderful divine power of the Tathāgata. That is what makes the chapter hard to understand. The absolute power of the Tathāgata is symbolized by his mysterious phenomena, and each such phenomenon includes the meaning of forming a complete union between the Law of Appearance and the Law of Origin.

Buddhism for Today, p324
elements, d26b

The Specific Transmission of Myō Hō Ren Ge Kyō

The final eight chapters [of the Lotus Sutra] speak of the transmission of the sutra to the bodhisattvas. In “The Divine Power of the Tathāgata” (chapter 21), the Buddha declares: “The divine powers of buddhas are so infinite and boundless that they are beyond thought and expression. Even if I, by these divine powers … were to declare the merits of this sutra, I should still be unable to reach the end of those [merits]. Essentially speaking, all the laws belonging to the Tathāgata, all the sovereign, divine powers of the Tathāgata, all the mysterious, essential treasuries of the Tathāgata, … all are proclaimed, displayed, revealed, and expounded in this sutra” (MFH, 52a; TLS, p. 298). Nichiren called this the “specific transmission” (beppuzoku) because it was made specifically to the bodhisattva Eminent Conduct and the other bodhisattvas who had sprung up from the earth. It was upon his understanding of this chapter that he selected the five syllables of the title of the Lotus Sutra (myō, hō, ren, ge, and kyō) and encouraged their chanting, because he thought of himself as a reincarnation of Eminent Conduct (Bodhisattva Viśiṣṭacāritra).

Source elements of the Lotus Sutra, p 201-202
d26b, WONS

Definitely and Without a Doubt

In the Lotus Sūtra, after forty some years [wherein the other sūtras taught that women could not attain Buddhahood,] a woman at last attained Buddhahood; and even Devadatta, who was called an icchantika who broke the five rebellious sins, attained Buddhahood. Thus, there is no doubt that in this evil age those monks, laymen, nuns, and laywomen who are icchantika because they have broken the five rebellious sins and slandered the Dharma, will all attain Buddhahood through the Lotus Sūtra. Moreover, we must trust these words from fascicle seven of the Lotus Sūtra:

After my passing
He who upholds this sūtra
Will attain the Buddha Way
Definitely and without a doubt.

Minobu-san Gosho, Mt. Minobu Letter, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Volume 5, Page 131