There once was a poor woman named Golden Pearl Lady who donated a gold coin for gilding a statue of the Buddha. For this merit, her body retained a golden hue through numerous existences for as long as 91 kalpa (aeons). Her husband, a gold beater, is the Buddha’s disciple Kāśyapa in this life and … Continue reading The Great Merit of Believing in a Line or Verse of Lotus Sūtra
In working my way through Masaharu Anesaki’s book, “Nichiren, The Buddhist Prophet,” in preparation for serializing publication of the book here, I’ve had to contend with the author’s penchant for “accurately” giving the dates of events. After all, accuracy matters when you are a “Professor of the Science of Religion at the Imperial University of … Continue reading Calendar: East Meets West
The Spring Equinox, the day on which Higan is celebrated, falls on March 20 this year. This article is reprinted from the Sacramento Nichiren Buddhist Church March 2016 newsletter. Higan is the practice of leaving our deep attachments in order to reach the world of enlightenment. Specifically, Higan is a practice comprised by six components. … Continue reading The Meaning of Higan
It is said in the Lotus Sūtra, fascicle 7 (chapter 23), “It will spread throughout the world in the fifth 500-year period after the death of the Buddha lest it should be lost.” It means that the Lotus Sūtra will spread in the period after the destruction of the pure dharma predicted in the Sūtra … Continue reading When Great Monks Are Haunted by a Devil’s Spirit
The fifth 500-year period, the period of destruction of the pure dharma referred to in the Sūtra of the Great Assembly, is without doubt today. After the destruction of the pure dharma, however, the great pure dharma of “Namu Myōhō Renge Kyō,” the gist of the Lotus Sūtra, should spread widely among all the people … Continue reading The Fifth 500-Year Period
Devadatta was a grandson of King Siṃhahanu, a son of King Dropodana who was an uncle of Śākyamuni Buddha, and an elder brother of Venerable Ānanda. His mother was a daughter of Suprabuddha. As a member of the Wheel-turning Noble King’s clan, Devadatta was a man of distinguished background in the continent of Jambudvīpa. Prior … Continue reading Devadatta
[T]he Lotus Sūtra declares itself superior to the Nirvana Sūtra while it is stated in the Nirvana Sūtra: “In the Lotus Sūtra 8,000 śrāvakas are guaranteed to attain Buddhahood in the future. It is as if a great harvest had been reaped in autumn and stored for winter, leaving nothing more than gleaning for the … Continue reading Lotus Sūtra Superiority to the Nirvana Sūtra
It is preached in the “Life Span of the Buddha” chapter of the Lotus Sūtra, “The scriptures that I, the Buddha, expound are all for the purpose of emancipating all living beings. For this purpose I guide them in various ways, sometimes speaking of myself, sometime of others. Sometimes I present myself, sometimes others. Sometimes … Continue reading Manifestations of the Lord Teacher Śākyamuni Buddha
King Ajātaśatru’s skin disease was caused by committing the five rebellious sins and the sin of slandering the True Dharma. When the Buddha entered the Moon Love Meditation emitting rays of a pure light that shone on the body of the king, the rash of Ajātaśatru disappeared instantly and his remaining life span of three … Continue reading Curing a Light Skin Disease and Living Long
Great events are foreshadowed by great omens. The birth of the Buddha, His first preaching, and His death were paralleled by omens, good or bad, as great as never seen before or after. It was because the Buddha was the greatest sage of all. When the Buddha was born, according to various sūtras, rays of … Continue reading These Are Not Ordinary Omens, Good or Bad