Tag Archives: LS19

LS32

Day 19

Day 19 concludes Chapter 14, Peaceful Practices, and begins Chapter 15, The Appearance of Bodhisattvas from Underground.

Day 19 Text with annotationsPlay MP3
Having last month considered how this Sutra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma is the most excellent and profound, we consider the Parable of the Jewel in the Top-Knot in gāthās.

I will tell you a parable.
A wheel-turning-holy-king was powerful.
Some of his soldiers
Distinguished themselves in war.
He was glad to honor them.
He gave them elephants or horses,
Vehicles or ornaments,
Paddy fields or houses,
Villages or cities,
Garments or various treasures,
Menservants or maidservants,
Or other valuables.

He took a brilliant gem
Out of his top-knot
And gave it to the bravest man
Who had done the most difficult feats.

I am like the king.
I am the King of the Dharma.
I have the great power of patience
And the treasury of wisdom.
I save all living beings in the world by the Dharma
Out of my great compassion towards them.

The people were under the pressure
Of various sufferings.
They were fighting with the Maras
In order to emancipate themselves
From suffering.
Because I saw all this,
I expounded various teachings to them.
I expounded many sūtras with skillful expedients.

Now I know that they can understand the Sutra
Of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma.
Therefore, I expound it to them lastly
Just as the king took the brilliant gem
Out of his top-knot
And gave it [to the bravest man lastly].

This is the most honorable sūtra.
It is superior to all the other sūtras.
I kept it [in secret]
And refrained from expounding it.
Now is the time to do so.
Therefore, I expound it to you now.

Anyone who seeks
The enlightenment of the Buddha
And wishes to expound this sūtra
In peaceful ways after my extinction,
Should practice
These four sets of things.

See A Practice Leading to a Rewarding Life

stories, LS32, d19b

A Practice Leading to a Rewarding Life

The Sutra teaches that there have been many kinds of Buddhist teachings and sutras in the past. Now the supreme Dharma Flower Sutra is to be preached. Why now?

Indeed, this same question has to be faced by any religion that claims to have a special revelation, even just a special beginning. Usually, the answer is some kind of great evil, terrible pollution, or awful sin, something extremely negative that makes some kind of special intervention necessary. But not in the Dharma Flower Sutra. Here it is because of the goodness, that is, because of the merit, of many of his followers that the king at last gives the great jewel to one of them.

The king understands his responsibility to be one of rewarding people for, and according to, the merit of the good they have done. That is, he is looking for the good in people and for the good things they have done. What the Dharma Flower Sutra teaches is that we too should be about the business of seeking out the good in other people and rewarding it where possible. It is very easy to be critical of others, to find fault with them, especially perhaps when it comes to those to whom we are the closest, such as those in our families and those with whom we work every day. For those who would be followers of the Dharma Flower Sutra, while it is important to understand the teaching of buddha-nature, understanding or accepting the idea of universal buddha-nature is nowhere near as important as actually embodying that idea in everyday life by seeing and respecting the buddha-nature in those around us.

Such a practice is likely to lead to a happier and more rewarding life for all involved. Thus, it is not accidental that this parable, which might at first seem unrelated to the first part of the chapter, is actually quite closely related to the whole idea of practice that leads to a rewarding life. The theme of the parable is not just the withholding of the jewel, but rewarding others with all kinds of treasures, including, and especially, the greatest treasure one has to give. T1is is a practice that leads to a trouble-free life, that is, to a life that is relatively free of worries, in part because one has many friends and few if any enemies.

In the prose section of this chapter, it is said that the radiance of the wisdom of those who follow the Dharma Flower Sutra will shine like the sun. The point is that one can see nothing in darkness. All there is, is a lack of light. If we provide light, even a very little light, darkness will disappear. That is why the radiance of the wisdom of one who follows the Sutra is like the radiance of the sun – it lights up the world, bringing happiness both to others and to oneself.

The Stories of the Lotus Sutra, p183-184
LS32

Day 19

Day 19 concludes Chapter 14, Peaceful Practices, and begins Chapter 15, The Appearance of Bodhisattvas from Underground.

Day 19 Text with annotationsPlay MP3
Having last month considered the Parable of the Priceless Gem in the Top-Knot, we consider how this Sutra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma is the most excellent and profound.

“Mañjuśrī! This Sutra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma is the most excellent and profound teaching of all the Tathāgatas. Therefore, I expound it lastly just as the powerful king gave the brilliant gem lastly, the one which he had kept [in his topknot) for a long time.

“Mañjuśrī! This Sutra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma is the treasury of the hidden core of the Buddhas, of the Tathāgatas. It is superior to all the other sūtras. I kept it [in secret] and refrained from expounding it for the long night. Now I expound it to you today for the first time.”

Thereupon the World-Honored One, wishing to repeat what he had said, sang in gāthās:

Be patient, and compassionate
Towards all living beings,
And then expound this sūtra
Praised by the Buddhas!

Anyone who keeps this sūtra
In the latter days after my extinction
Should have compassion towards laymen and monks
And towards those who are not Bodhisattvas.
He should think:
‘They do not hear this sūtra.
They do not believe it.
This is their great fault.
When I attain the enlightenment of the Buddha,
I will expound the Dharma to them
With expedients
And cause them to dwell in it.’

See The Real Superiority of this Sutra Lies in Its Comprehensiveness

stories, LS32, d19b

The Real Superiority of this Sutra Lies in Its Comprehensiveness

The final verse portion of the chapter says that the Buddha has taught many sutras as skillful means, and when he knows that people have gained sufficient strength from them, he at last and for their sake teaches the Dharma Flower Sutra. In other words, it is because other sutras have been taught and people have gained strength from them that the Buddha is at last able to teach the Dharma Flower Sutra. Other sutras and teachings prepare and open the way for the teachings of the Dharma Flower Sutra.

This means, of course, that while followers of the Dharma Flower Sutra may think it is the greatest of sutras, they should not disparage other sutras or other teachings, just as is taught in the four trouble-free practices in the early part of the chapter.

Yet in what way is the Lotus Sutra superior to or better than other sutras? In this story, this is not explicit, but if we look below the surface, we may find an answer to this question.

The jewel in the topknot is very valuable, but we are not told in what way it is more valuable than other valuable things. The text says that the Dharma Flower Sutra is “supreme,” the “greatest,” the “most profound,” the “highest.” But there are only a couple of hints or suggestions as to how it is supreme among sutras. One hint is that the Sutra, like the jewel in the topknot, is withheld to the last. But, surely, merely being last is not necessarily a great virtue and would not automatically make this Sutra any better than any other. The second thing we are told is that the Dharma Flower Sutra “can lead all the living to comprehensive wisdom.” Thus, we may think, the reason that being last is important in this case is because being last makes it possible for the Dharma Flower Sutra to take account of what has come before and be more inclusive than earlier sutras. While much use is made here of what are basically spatial metaphors, such as highest, or most profound, what is suggested here is that the real superiority of this Sutra lies in its comprehensiveness. And this is not so much a matter of repeating doctrine and ideas found in earlier sutras as it is a matter of having a positive regard both for the earlier sutras and for those who teach or follow them, and thus being more comprehensive.

This is why three of the four practices urged on bodhisattvas at the beginning of the chapter involve having a generous, respectful, positive, helpful attitude toward others. Rather than reject other teachings and sutras, the Dharma Flower Sutra teaches that all sutras should be regarded as potentially leading to the larger, more comprehensive, more inclusive wisdom of the Lotus Sutra itself.

The Stories of the Lotus Sutra, p181-182
LS32

Day 19

Day 19 concludes Chapter 14, Peaceful Practices, and begins Chapter 15, The Appearance of Bodhisattvas from Underground.

Day 19 Text with annotationsPlay MP3
Having last month considered Chapter 14, Peaceful Practices, and what a Bodhisattva should do when the teachings are about to be destroyed, we consider the Parable of the Priceless Gem in the Top-Knot.

“Mañjuśrī! I will tell you a parable. Suppose a powerful wheel-turning-holy-king demanded surrender of the kings of smaller countries by threat of force. They did not obey his demand. He led soldiers, and went and suppressed them. He was very glad to see that some soldiers distinguished themselves in war. According to their merits, he gave them paddy fields, houses, villages, cities, garments or ornaments; or various treasures such as gold, silver, lapis lazuli, shell, agate, coral or amber; or elephants, horses, vehicles, menservants, maidservants or subjects. But he did not give a brilliant gem which he was keeping in his top-knot to anyone because the gem on the head of the king was the only one [in the world]. If he had given it to anyone, the followers of the king would have been much surprised.

“Mañjuśrī! I am like the king. I obtained the world of the Dharma by my powers of dhyāna-concentration and of wisdom, and became the king of the triple world. But the kings of the Maras did not assent to my demand for surrender to me. Therefore, my army led by generals, that is, by sages and saints, fought with them. I was glad to see that some distinguished themselves [in war]. In order to cause them to rejoice, I expounded many sūtras to the four kinds of devotees. I gave them the treasures of the Dharma such as dhyāna-concentrations, emancipations, the roots without āsravas, and the powers without āsravas, and also the city of Nirvana, telling them that they had already attained extinction. Although I led them [by giving these things to them) and caused them to rejoice, [ did not expound to them the Sutra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma.

“Mañjuśrī! When he saw a soldier of extraordinary merit, the wheel-turning-holy-king joyfully gave that soldier the unbelievably precious gem, which he had kept in his top-knot for a long time and had not given to anyone. I am like the king. I am the great king of the Dharma in the triple world. I expound the Dharma and teach all living beings. Because I see that my soldiers led by generals, that is, by sages and saints, have already obtained extraordinary merits in their fight with the Mara of the five aggregates, with the Mara of illusions, and with the Mara of death, and that they have already eliminated the three poisons, left the triple world, and destroyed the nets of the Maras, I now expound this Sutra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma with great joy. This sūtra leads all living beings to the knowledge of all things. I did not expound it before because, if I had done so, many people in the world would have hated it and few would have believed it.

See Worthy of the Jewel in His Topknot

stories, LS32, d19b

Worthy of the Jewel in His Topknot

In [the Parable of the Priceless Gem in the Top-Knot], we are told, the jewel kept in the king’s topknot represents the Dharma Flower Sutra. Here the symbolic meaning of “jewel” is quite different from that in the story in Chapter 8 of the “hidden jewel,” where the jewel symbolizes the potential that lies dormant within all living beings to become awakened. The main point here, once more, is to describe symbolically the relationship between earlier forms of Buddhism and the Mahayana, or Great Vehicle, and to explain why the Dharma Flower Sutra was not taught earlier. Here, the Dharma Flower Sutra is seen as the crowning achievement of the Buddha and Buddhism. The Buddha has given many gifts and treasures, many sutras, many practices, and so on, but there is one that stands above all the others – the Wonderful Dharma Flower Sutra.

It is important, however, to see here that the earlier or “lesser” rewards really are, first and foremost, rewards. There is no suggestion that the earlier teachings of the shravaka way are wrong or bad or even misleading. Just as in the very first parable in the Lotus Sutra, the parable of the burning house, it is by pursuing the three small vehicles that the children are led to the great vehicle; here too there is no hint of going from bad to good, or from wrong to right, or from false to true. It is the case that the Dharma Flower Sutra proclaims itself to be better in some sense than other sutras, but this is a relative difference. The holy wheel-rolling king rewarded his soldiers with all sorts of good and valuable things before deciding that one was worthy of the jewel in his topknot.

The Stories of the Lotus Sutra, p180-181
LS32

Day 19

Day 19 concludes Chapter 14, Peaceful Practices, and begins Chapter 15, The Appearance of Bodhisattvas from Underground.

Day 19 Text with annotationsPlay MP3
Having last month concluded today’s portion of Chapter 15, The Appearance of Bodhisattvas from Underground, we return to today’s portion of Chapter 14, Peaceful Practices, and what a Bodhisattva should do when the teachings are about to be destroyed.

“Again, Mañjuśrī! A Bodhisattva-mahāsattvas who keeps this Sutra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma in the latter days after [my extinction] when the teachings are about to be destroyed, should have great loving-kindness towards laymen and monks, and great compassion towards those who are not Bodhisattvas. He should think: ‘They do not know that the Tathāgata expounded expedient teachings according to the capacities of all Jiving beings. They do not hear, know or notice it, or ask a question about it or believe or understand it. Although they do not ask a question about this sūtra, or believe or understand it, I will lead them and cause them, wherever they may be, to understand the Dharma by my supernatural powers and by the power of my wisdom when I attain Anuttara-samyak-saṃbodhi.’

“Mañjuśrī! A Bodhisattva-mahāsattvas who performs this fourth set of [peaceful] practices after my extinction, will be able to expound the Dharma flawlessly. Bhikṣus, bhikṣunīs, upāsakās, upāsikās, kings, princes, ministers, common people, brāhmanas and householders will make offerings to him, honor him, respect him, and praise him. The gods in the sky will always serve him in order to hear the Dharma from him. When someone comes to his abode located in a village, in a city, in a retired place or in a forest, and wishes to ask him a question, the gods will protect him day and night for the sake of the Dharma so that the hearer may rejoice because this sūtra was, is, and will be protected by the supernatural powers of the past, present and future Buddhas.

“Mañjuśrī! It is difficult to hear even the title of this Sutra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma [even if you try to do so, walking about] innumerable worlds. Needless to say, it is more difficult to see, keep, read and recite this sūtra.

Whenever I get to this point in my cycle through the Lotus Sutra I consider how fortunate I am to have heard the title of this sutra.

LS32

Day 19

Day 19 concludes Chapter 14, Peaceful Practices, and begins Chapter 15, The Appearance of Bodhisattvas from Underground.

Day 19 Text with annotationsPlay MP3

Having last month witnessed the arrival of the Bodhisattvas from underground, we meet the leaders of those bodhisattvas and conclude today’s portion of Chapter 15, The Appearance of Bodhisattvas from Underground.

Those Bodhisattvas had four leaders: 1. Superior-Practice, 2. Limitless-Practice, 3. Pure-Practice, and 4. Steadily-Established-Practice. These four [great] Bodhisattvas were the highest leaders [of those Bodhisattvas]. In the presence of the great multitude, they joined their hands together towards Śākyamuni Buddha, looked up at him, and inquired after him saying:

“World-Honored One! Are you in good health? Are you peaceful or not? Are the living beings, whom you are to save, ready to receive your teachings or not? Do they not fatigue you?’

Thereupon the four great Bodhisattvas sang in gāthās:

World-Honored One, are you peaceful?
Are you in good health?
Are you not tired
With teaching the living beings?
Are they ready
To receive your teaching,
Or are they not?
Do they not fatigue you?

Nichiren offered this observation about the four great leaders of the Bodhisattvas who emerged from the earth:

These four great bodhisattvas neither presented themselves at the seat of enlightenment under the bodhi tree where Śākyamuni Buddha attained Buddhahood for the first time, nor rushed to the vicinity of the Hiraṇyavati River when the Buddha passed away. During the eight years when the Buddha preached the Lotus Sūtra on Mt. Sacred Eagle, moreover, they were neither among those holy people such as Bodhisattvas Mañjuśrī and Maitreya who assisted Him in preaching the preface and main discourse of the theoretical section, nor among such great bodhisattvas as Avalokiteśvara and Wonderful Voice who vowed to spread the sūtra after the death of the Buddha at the assembly in the epilogue of the essential section. Upholding solely this one great secret dharma, they retired to their true abode underground, not once reappearing in the world even after the death of the Buddha, for 2,000 years in the Ages of the True Dharma and Semblance Dharma. This was, after all, because the Buddha entrusted to them the propagation of this one great secret dharma solely in the Latter Age of Degeneration.

Soya Nyūdō-dono-gari Gosho, A Letter to Lay Priest Lord Soya, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Doctrine 3, Pages 160.

LS32

Day 19

Day 19 concludes Chapter 14, Peaceful Practices, and begins Chapter 15, The Appearance of Bodhisattvas from Underground.

Day 19 Text with annotationsPlay MP3

Having last month considered the question poised by the Bodhisattva-mahāsattvas, more than eight times the number of the sands of the River Ganges, who had come from the other worlds, we witness the arrival of the Bodhisattvas from underground.

When he had said this, the ground of the Sahā-World, which was composed of one thousand million Sumeru-worlds, quaked and cracked, and many thousands of billions of Bodhisattva-mahāsattvas sprang up from underground simultaneously. Their bodies were golden-colored, and adorned with the thirty-two marks and with innumerable rays of light. They had lived in the sky below this Sahā-World. They came up here because they heard these words of Śākyamuni Buddha. Each of them was the leader of a great multitude. The Bodhisattvas included those who were each accompanied by attendants as many as sixty thousand times the number of the sands of the River Ganges. Needless to say, [they included those who were each accompanied by less attendants, for instance,] fifty thousand times, forty thousand times, thirty thousand times, twenty thousand times or ten thousand times the number of the sands of the River Ganges, or by attendants just as many of the sands of the River Ganges, or by attendants as many as a half, or a quarter of the number of the sands of the River Ganges, or by attendants as many as the sands of the River Ganges divided by a thousand billion nayuta, a billion, ten million, a million, ten thousand, a thousand, a hundred, ten, five, four, three or two attendants, or only by one attendant. [The Bodhisattvas] who preferred a solitary life came alone. The total number of the Bodhisattvas was innumerable, limitless, beyond calculation, inexplicable by any parable or simile.

Those Bodhisattvas who appeared from underground, came to Many-Treasures Tathāgata and Śākyamuni Buddha both of whom were in the wonderful stūpa of the seven treasures hanging in the sky. They [joined their hands together] towards the two World-Honored Ones, and worshipped their feet with their heads. Then they [descended onto the ground and] came to the Buddhas sitting on the lion-like seats under the jeweled trees, bowed to them, walked around them from left to right three times, joined their hands together respectfully, and praised them by the various ways by which Bodhisattvas should praise Buddhas. Then they [returned to the sky,] stood to one side, and looked up at the two World-Honored ones with joy. A period of fifty small kalpas elapsed from the Bodhisattva-mahāsattvas’ springing up from underground till the finishing of the praising of the Buddhas by the various ways by which Bodhisattvas should praise Buddhas. All this while Śākyamuni Buddha sat in silence. The four kinds of devotees also kept silence for the fifty small kalpas. By his supernatural powers, however, the Buddha caused the great multitude to think that they kept silence for only half a day. Also by the supernatural powers of the Buddha, the four kinds of devotees were able to see that the skies of many hundreds of thousands of billions of worlds were filled with those Bodhisattvas.

See A Teaching That Sprang Up From The Earth

LS32, d19b, d20b, b4today

A Teaching That Sprang Up From The Earth

Buddhism differs distinctively from other religions. Though all have fine teachings, there is no clear evidence of another case in which the founder of a religion attained his own supreme enlightenment and established his own religion. Some religions proclaim that their founders were sent by God. Others declare that God gave a revelation to the founder or that God descended from heaven to this world.

Unlike these religions, the teaching of Buddhism is the truth that Lord Sakyamuni, who was born as a human being like all of us and experienced human suffering and worry, aspired to enlightenment, practiced ascetic disciplines, and attained enlightenment after six years of spiritual effort. The process through which he attained his enlightenment can be clearly seen. Therefore, we can feel confident that we are sure to reach supreme enlightenment eventually if only we follow the Buddha’s teachings and traverse the same path. It is also sure that because this teaching is one that sprang up out of the earth (actual life), we who actually live in this world can follow it. Chapter 15 makes this point emphatically.

Buddhism for Today, p177-178