For some time I’ve wanted to add a physical reminder of the Lotus Sutra to my altar. Yes, the Gohonzon Mandala and the Stupa with the Daimoku between Two Buddhas represent the Ceremony in the Sky from the Lotus Sutra. But I wanted to anchor all that to the ground.
Sunday, Rev. Igarashi eye-opened statues of Samantabhadra (Universal Sage) and Mañjuśrī for me to add to my altar. For me, this works on several levels.
At the very simplest level, Mañjuśrī represents the first chapter of the Lotus Sutra and Samantabhadra represents the final chapter.
But Samantabhadra and Mañjuśrī are also present on the Mandala Gohonzon. Samantabhadra is to the left of the Daimoku and Mañjuśrī to the right in the second row. They appear directly beneath Śākyamuni and Many Treasures Buddha in the top row.
When placed on either side of Nichiren they represent the division of the Lotus Sutra between the Shakumon – the Trace Gate of the first 14 chapters – and the Honmon – the Original Gate of the final 14 chapters. Nichiren represents the Honge Bosatsu – the Buddha’s original disciples who rose from out of the earth – and Samantabhadra and Mañjuśrī represent the disciples of the historical Śākyamuni. Nichiren represents the Bodhisattvas from Underground who are tasked with propagating the Lotus Sutra in Chapter 21; Samantabhadra and Mañjuśrī represent the Bodhisattvas who are tasked with propagating the Lotus Sutra in Chapter 22.
In Nikkyō Niwano’s autobiography Lifetime Beginner, he describes a stairway leading to the lobby of the main auditorium at the Rissho Kosei-kai headquarters in Japan:
At the head of the stairs are three large lacquer paintings. The picture to the viewer’s right is of the Bodhisattva Manjushri riding on the back of a lion. This picture serves to remind the viewer of the need to abandon ordinary wisdom and to clad ourselves in the wisdom of Manjushri, which is based on the elemental meaning of Buddhism. The picture to the viewer’s left shows the Bodhisattva Maitreya riding a white ox. This picture is included to remind the viewer that, like this bodhisattva of compassion, we must abandon selfishness and strife and cultivate a merciful heart. The picture in the middle is of the Bodhisattva Universal Virtue, who is riding a white elephant with six tusks. The tusks represent the six sense organs—eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, and mind. The white elephant symbolizes immense strength applied to the purification of the six senses. … Briefly, the message of the three pictures is this: first, understand the essence of the Buddha’s Law by means of superior wisdom; second, effect a spiritual revolution on the basis of Buddhist articles of faith; third, carry out religious disciplines at all costs for the sake of the perfection of the character.
Substitue Nichiren for Maitreya and all of that applies to these statues on my alter.
