Understanding Colored by Causes and Conditions

When I originally wrote my post about Lesson 9 I concluded with this:

As for the remainder of this third point, I must admit that I don’t fully understand what Nikkyō Niwano is attempting to say when he suggests there is a difference between understanding through knowledge and understanding through inspiration.

Buddhism is a teaching that we can understand through reason. For knowledge, it is enough to understand something by reason, but in religion it is not enough to understand by reason alone. When understood, the knowledge must inspire man. It must generate faith, which will spontaneously cause one to wish to act for the benefit of other people and of society in general.

When understanding develops into service to society and to other people, we can call it faith or religion. A true religion has this kind of power. Where does inspiration, the foundation of this power, come from? Inspiration comes not from theories but from the contact of one’s spirit with other spirits. When we meet a person of great character and listen to his words, our hearts are touched with joy. We ardently determine to emulate him even at the risk of our lives. The ability to give us such determination is the greatness of Sakyamuni as the appearing Buddha. When we take as the universal truth the words of Sakyamuni Buddha, whom we revere as the ideal human being, we receive a great power, which is beyond mere understanding and which gives us strength and uplifts us.

This is why the Buddha’s disciples were eager to hear the Buddha’s words, “You will become buddhas,” directly from his lips. Such words were a stronger encouragement to them than the support of ten million people. “Be pleased to say a word to us ! If you should say something to us, we would sacrifice ourselves for your teachings and would follow them to the end. We would never turn away or be neglectful in our practice. So be pleased to say a word to us!” Thus were the disciples asking Sakyamuni.

This innocent and trusting attitude shows true faith. The disciples’ manner of asking is a good example for our religious lives, so we should bear it well in mind. The understanding of the Buddha’s teachings gained by reading books and listening to preaching is still shallow. If we do not have a sense of being inspired or the feeling of flying straight to Sakyamuni’s arms of great compassion, our understanding will not produce the power to save others as well as ourselves.

Does “inspiration” require interpretation through the writings of Nikkyo Niwano? Should “inspiration” be limited to the interpretation of Daisaku Ikeda? I find inspiration in many places and balk at the suggestion that blinders are necessary in order to safely navigate the path. I much prefer the advice of Nichiren in Ichidai Goji Keizu, Genealogical Chart of the Buddha’s Lifetime Teachings in Five Periods, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Doctrine 3, Page 244:

The Nirvana Sūtra, the “Four Reliances” chapter, preaches the “Four Reliances” in person and in dharma. The former is the four ranks of bodhisattvas upon whom Buddhists relied on for guidance after the death of the Buddha, and the latter is the four standards which Buddhists must follow: (1) to follow the true teaching, not persons; (2) to follow the meaning of the teaching, not the words; (3) to follow the wisdom of the Buddha, not the knowledge of the people; and (4) to follow the Lotus Sūtra, which is the true teaching, not the pre-Lotus sūtras. These are the basic teaching in practicing Buddhism.

In hindsight, I’m truly embarrassed by this outburst. Nothing in Nikkyō Niwano’s discussion of inspiration implied what I suggested.

In re-reading this section of the book, I realized how my past fixation with Soka Gakkai’s deification of Daisaku Ikeda had made it impossible to understand the message.

Buddhism is a teaching that we can understand through reason. For knowledge, it is enough to understand something by reason, but in religion it is not enough to understand by reason alone. When understood, the knowledge must inspire man. It must generate faith, which will spontaneously cause one to wish to act for the benefit of other people and of society in general.

What’s most telling about my own misunderstanding, is what I left off of the section I quoted.

Worshiping the Buddha’s image and repeating the title of the Lotus Sutra are not mere idol worship and magical incantations. The purpose of these actions is nothing other than the merging of ourselves with the mind of Sakyamuni, whom we revere as our teacher and our parent, and through him with the great salvation of the Eternal Original Buddha.

How is this different from the quote I published the same day from Ryuei McCormick’s book Lotus Seeds:

Unlike previous Buddhist forms of contemplation, which depended upon one’s own ability to perceive the true nature of reality, Nichiren Shonin taught that the true nature of reality makes itself known to us as the Eternal Shakyamuni Buddha in the form of Namu Myoho Renge Kyo. In other words, Buddhahood is not some thing that we cultivate through our own self-conscious efforts. Rather, the true nature of reality is conveyed to us by the spiritual presence of the Eternal Buddha within our lives, which we awaken to through our faith in Namu Myoho Renge Kyo. All of this unfolds naturally when we focus our whole being upon the Gohonzon and chant Namu Myoho Renge Kyo.

The purpose of attending the  34-week Rissho Kosei-kai in North America (RKINA) advance course on the Threefold Lotus Sutra is to gain a better understanding of the Lotus Sutra. Along the way I am afforded a better understanding of how my own causes and conditions color that perception.

RETURN TO LESSON 9

On the Journey to a Place of Treasures