The provisional bodhisattvas are not granted the most difficult and crucial mission of spreading the Lotus Sutra in the Latter Age of the Dharma because they represent the theoretical teaching of the Lotus Sutra. … The Bodhisattvas of the Earth, however, represent the essential teaching of the Lotus Sutra. The essential teaching shows that buddhahood is immediate, without beginning or end, and ever-present in the lives of those who have faith in the Eternal Shakyamuni Buddha.
Lotus World: An Illustrated Guide to the GohonzonQuotes
Three Differences of Relative Truth and the Ultimate Truth
By comparing the Lotus Sūtra with other sūtras, three kinds of differences are made by Chih-i in terms of the knowledge that concerns the Relative Truth and the Ultimate Truth as follows:
- From other sūtras, it is known that the Buddha obtained the knowledge that concerns the Ultimate Truth (Shih-chih) upon his enlightenment under the bodhi tree in his present lifetime. From then on, he started applying expedient means, i.e., the knowledge that concerns the Relative Truth (Ch’üan-chih), to teach and transform living beings. However, the Lotus Sūtra reveals the fact that the Buddha had already perfected his knowledge a long time ago, i.e., his original attainment of Buddhahood can be traced back to the incalculable past, and all his later activities are the manifestations derived from this original Buddhahood.
- In other sūtras, disciples of the Two Vehicles (śrāvaka and pratyekabuddha) are excluded from entering the knowledge concerning the Ultimate Truth and from being able to implement the knowledge concerning the Relative Truth. In the Lotus Sūtra, however, it is made clear that in the past, the Lotus Sūtra was repeatedly expounded by the Buddhas, and that innumerable disciples of the Two Vehicles have already been benefited by the Lotus Sūtra. This is to say that they have long ago obtained the knowledge concerning the Ultimate Truth and have also understood the practice of applying the knowledge concerning the Relative Truth.
- There is no single hint in other sūtras about the Buddha’s accomplishment of teaching and transforming living beings before his enlightenment under the bodhi tree, except in the Lotus Sūtra. The Lotus Sūtra reveals the fact that the Twofold Knowledge in terms of the Relative Truth and the Ultimate Truth (Ch’üan-shih Erh-chih) existed ever since the Buddha’s original attainment of Buddhahood long ago, with which the Buddha had already transformed countless bodhisattvas before his enlightenment in this lifetime. (Vol. 2, Page 23-24)
Four Great References
After a stay in Vesali, Shakyamuni and Ananda went northward to the village of Bhanda, then to Hatthi, Amba, Jambu, and then out of the kingdom of the Vajjis to Bhoga, in the land of the Mallas, where, at the Ananda shrine, Shakyamuni preached on the topic of the Four Great References. According to this sermon, the members of the Order are instructed to be critical of all reported teachings; to examine them diligently; to compare them with the scriptures and the genuine teachings; and, on the basis of such comparison, to decide whether they are true. Four kinds of reports to be subjected to such inquiry are cited: words reported as having been heard directly from Shakyamuni himself, words reported as having been heard from a group of elders, words reported as having been heard from several elders, and words reported as having been heard from a single elder. Monks must not accept blindly what has been said but must examine it on the basis outlined above. Today, too, it is important to investigate what is offered as truth in the light of the counsel of trustworthy leaders and authoritative scriptures before accepting it as true. Buddhists are taught to compare an opinion with teachings, reason, and actuality to determine whether it is true. (Page 183)
The Beginnings of BuddhismAfter Death
After death, there are six worlds which we can be reborn in: Hell, Gaki, Chikusho (Animal), Ashura, Human and Heaven, and there is one world in which you can no longer reincarnate – that is, the Buddha World. There are seven worlds to go to after death. Which you choose depends on your life and the level of enlightenment you attained when you were alive. We may advance to the Buddha World, which is the true peaceful place, through our repeated reincarnations. The last teaching to advance to the Buddha World is the Lotus Sutra, which we now believe in. From olden times, the Lotus Sutra has been described as the most difficult teaching to meet and understand, because even to see the Lotus Sutra requires immeasurable years of accumulating merits across many lifetimes.
Summer WritingsThe Flavors of the Five Periods of the Buddha’s Teaching
The Buddha’s teaching is spoken of in five periods, and these five periods are tantamount to the five flavors of dairy products: milk, cream, curdled milk, butter and ghee. The teaching of the Buddha in the five periods is classified into three types: Sudden (Tun), Gradual (Chien), and Indeterminate (Pu-ting).
5.l.1 Classifying the teaching of the Buddha in terms of the Five periods
The first period that is compared with “when the sun rises, it first shines on the highest mountains, is defined as “Sudden” (Tun), and is analogous with the flavor of milk. It is called “Sudden,” because the teaching in this period carries the profound truth (that has been perceived by the Buddha upon his enlightenment under the bodhi tree), namely, the exclusive teaching of Mahāyāna that is for bodhisattva only. This is because, only the bodhisattvas with higher faculties can immediately grasp truth without having to go through preparatory stages. Although Śrāvakas are present, they are unable to comprehend this Sudden Teaching, and are isolated from it (Ta Ko-yü Hsiao). Since this teaching is not heard by Śrāvakas (Hsiao Pu-wen Ta) and does not have an effect on them, it remains Sudden (Ta Yi-hsiang Shih Tun).
The second period that is compared with “the sun that shines into deep valleys” (Tz ‘u-chao Yu-ku), is defined as “Gradual” (Chien), and is analogous with the flavor of cream. Being the opposite term of “Sudden,” “Gradual” refers to the teachings of the Buddha that carry the partial truths catering to either Śrāvakas or Mahāyānists, for the purpose of preparing listeners for the final disclosure of the Ultimate Truth. This includes the three stages of the teaching gradually ascending from the elementary to the profound doctrines. The three stages refer to this second period Āgama, the next third period Vaipulya, and the fourth period Prajn͂ā.
Due to the fact that Śrāvakas in the first period are unable to comprehend the profound truth, and are like the deaf and the dumb, the Buddha, in the second period, teaches them the doctrine of the Tripiṭaka, the Gradual Teaching (Chien-chiao) that is for Śrāvakas only. Although Mahāyānists are present, they are not recognized by Śrāvakas (Hsiao Ko-yü Ta, Ta Yin-yü Hsiao). Since the Buddha has not yet stated the non-distinction of Śrāvakayāna and Mahāyāna, Mahāyānists still differentiate themselves from Śrāvakas, and do not see the value of Śrāvakayāna (Ta Pu-yung Hsiao). As this teaching is exclusively Śrāvakayāna in nature, it remains gradual (Hsiao-i-hsiang Shih Chien).
The third period that is compared with “the sun that shines on level ground” (Tz’u-chao P’ing-ti), is also defined as “Gradual” (since the teaching of this period still contains the partial truth), and is analogous with the flavor of curdled milk. Nevertheless, the purpose of this period is to break through the teaching of Śrāvakayāna with the teaching of Mahāyāna (I-ta P’o-hsiao), in order to clarify the fact that the former teaching is only relative. Therefore, Chih-i calls it “Sudden and Gradual are equally presented” (Tun-chien Ping-ch ‘en).
The fourth period is compared with the time of day that is closest to noon, when the sunlight is getting stronger. This is the time when “adults are benefited by the light, and infants [who are seven days old] lose their eyesight [if they look at the sun]. Also, this period is defined as “Gradual” (since the Buddha did not yet announce the Ultimate Truth about liberation for all living beings), and is analogous with the flavor of butter. The significance of this period is to emphasize non-distinction between the teachings of Mahāyāna and Śrāvakayāna. Chih-i terms it “elucidating the teaching of Mahāyāna but encompassing the teaching of Śrāvakayāna” (Taihsiao Ming-ta), viz., Sudden and Gradual are not contradictory, but are complimentary to each other (Tun-chien Hsiang-tzu).
The fifth period is compared with the time of noon when “the sun shines equally on all levels of terrain.” This period is defined as “Gradual and Perfect” (Chien-yüan), and is analogous with the flavor of ghee. Perfect refers to the teaching of the Buddha that conveys the Ultimate Truth of the one Buddha-vehicle. Since this period is to integrate Śrāvakayāna with Mahāyāna (Hui-hsiao Kui-ta) (i.e., the Gradual Teaching is converged into the Perfect Teaching), it is thus called “Gradual and Perfect”. As a result of this convergence, there is not only no distinction between the Sudden and the Gradual, but both have been vanished and unified (Tun-chien Min-ho) when the real intention of the Buddha is displayed. That is, both Sudden and Gradual are instrumental in leading living beings to attain final Buddhahood.
The Profound Meaning of the Lotus Sutra: Tien-tai Philosophy of Buddhism37 Truths
[This note accompanies the description of Shakyamuni’s lecture summarizing the 37 truths he had taught. At the end of the lecture he revealed he would die in three months time.]
Since they are a compendium of basic Buddhist teachings, it will be helpful to expand slightly on the truths that Shakyamuni listed for his followers on this important occasion.
- The Four Insights. The insights that the world is transient, the body is impure, perception leads to suffering, and the mind is impermanent.
- The Four Kinds of Right Effort. These are the effort to prevent evil from arising, to abandon evil when arisen, to produce good, and to increase good when produced.
- The Four Bases of Supernatural Power. These are will, exertion, thought, and investigation. All of these must be accompanied by insight and right effort.
- The Five Moral Powers. These are belief, endeavor, memory, meditation, and wisdom.
- The Five Organs of Good Conduct. These are the organs that lead man to good conduct: the sense of belief, the sense of endeavor, the sense of memory, the sense of meditation, and the sense of wisdom.
- The Seven Qualities of Wisdom. These are the requisites for attaining enlightenment: investigation of the Law, endeavor, the joy of practicing the true teachings, tranquility, the cessation of clinging, contemplation, and mindfulness.
- The Eightfold Noble Path. right view, right thinking, right speech, right action, right living, right effort, right memory, and right meditation.
(Page 182)
The Beginnings of Buddhism
Faith and the Buddhas Great Disciples
Chapter VI is appropriately named Understanding By Faith as the entire chapter is devoted to revealing the future enlightenment of some of the Buddhas great disciples. Again, let me stress that each of these people, as great as they may be, do not attain enlightenment in this Saha world, nor do they do so by practicing as the Buddha instructs us, that is keep, read, recite, copy, and teach the Lotus Sutra. These disciples as great as they may be are not capable of practicing the Lotus Sutra in this world and only become Buddhas in realms very much unlike our own.
Lecture on the Lotus SutraThe Origin and the Traces
Chih-i emphasizes that the cause and effect of the Buddha’s practice in the Traces (that is stated in other sūtras) is the Relative Truth. This is because the initial enlightenment of the Buddha in the Origin is not explained in other scriptures. Chih-i views the gist of the Lotus Sūtra as the Ultimate Truth or the essential teaching of the Buddha, because this gist displays the original cause and effect of the Buddha’s practice of the Origin in an incalculable past. The Buddha made clear that the Origin is ultimate, and the Traces are relative, since the Traces are derived from the Origin.
The Profound Meaning of the Lotus Sutra: Tien-tai Philosophy of BuddhismTo Be a Lamp Unto Oneself
During this period, Shakyamuni fell gravely ill but, thinking it wrong for him to die without giving his followers final instructions, resolved to overcome the sickness by strong effort and by being mindful and thoughtful. He did so and thus prolonged his life for a while.
When Shakyamuni had recovered, Ananda said to him, “World-honored One, I have seen you in good health and fine condition. But when you were sick, I did not know what to do. Everything before my eyes went dark; my faculties were upset. But I took some small comfort from the idea that you would not leave the world without parting from the monks.”
Shakyamuni replied, “Ananda, what can the monks expect of me? I have taught them everything, both the esoteric and the exoteric, for the Tathagata is not the kind of teacher who conceals things from his followers. If I felt that I should lead the Order or that the Order was dependent on me, I would have something to say. But I do not feel that way. Why then should I make pronouncements?
“Moreover, Ananda, I am old and frail. I am eighty. Like an old cart that can only be kept in operation by the help of leather thongs, the body of the Tathagata can only be kept going with much help. Only when I am in the deep state of meditation where I am free of all suffering and entertain no thoughts about anything is my body at rest. Therefore, Ananda, you must all be lamps unto yourselves. You must rely on yourselves and on no one else. You must make the Law your light and your support and rely on nothing else.”
This was Shakyamuni’s way of saying that the most important things for Buddhists are these: (1) To meditate mindfully and thoughtfully on the four insights that the body is impure, perception leads to suffering, the mind is impermanent, and the world is transient and in this way to eliminate the suffering and craving arising from these four things. This teaching is known as the four insights. (2) To be a lamp unto oneself by first raising one’s spiritual level through relying on the lamp of the Law in the form of these basic teachings (that the body is impure, that perception leads to suffering, that the mind is impermanent, and that the world is transient) and then relying on oneself in further deepening and elevating one’s level of understanding and religious practice.
Shakyamuni concluded his teaching on this point in this way: “Ananda, now or after my death, of all those who are willing to study, the people who are a lamp and support to themselves, who rely on no one else, who employ the Law as a lamp and a support and call on nothing else shall reach the ultimate height.” (Page 179-181)
The Beginnings of BuddhismApril 28, 1253
At the age of 31, Nichiren Shonin returned to Seichoji Temple. On the morning of April 28, 1253, he faced the rising sun at the top of Mount Kiyosumi and chanted Namu Myoho Renge Kyo, thus initiating his mission to spread the Wonderful Dharma. He also gave himself the name he is known by today, Nichiren. The name means “Sun Lotus,” and refers to the light of the sun, which dispels darkness, and the purity of the lotus flower, which blooms in swamps, untouched by the dirty water around it.
Lotus Seeds