Quotes

Summer Writings

Enma-san Awakens Our Buddha-Nature

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These are Nichiren Shonin’s words:

“In this fleeting life, you cling to temporary pleasures day and night and do not care about the reverence of the Buddha, the teachings, or praying for your parents or ancestors. You spend every day uselessly in routine work without any inspiration. After death, how are you going to justify your life before Enma, the King of Hell? How are you going to get to the peaceful Buddha world while crossing the deep seas of suffering?”

One famous old doctor said, “After death, we human beings have to appear before Enma-san! When we die, we are shown into Enma’s court, and balance-scales are placed before us. ‘Place all the things that you have received from others when you were alive on one side and the things you gave to others on the other side.’ If the items received are heavier than the given, Enma-san will say, ‘You have taken advantage of people’s kindness without giving to others. You have to go to Hell.’ If your giving was more than what you received, Enma-san will inform you that you may enter into the other better worlds, or the peaceful Buddha world.” The doctor described Enma’s court like this. “I don’t think I have given enough. I would like to work harder so that medical treatments will be more helpful for others.”

That doctor saved many lives and was always improving medical treatments, but he said, “It is still not enough.” Such words have never come from a selfish or arrogant mind. Being fearful of Enma-san disciplines our selfish and arrogant mind, making it humble and compassionate. In other words, Enma-san awakens our Buddha-nature. He is like a mental trainer for savage, greedy human beings.

Summer Writings

Profound

Nāgārjuna’s Dialectic of Eight Negations

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In Mādhyamika philosophy, all things are viewed as empty (Ch., K’ung; Skt., śūnya), since they are produced by causes and conditions, and cannot exist independently. Prajn͂ā (Perfect wisdom) can be attained through realization of śūnyatā. Endowed with prajn͂ā, one is able to reach the state of Absolute Truth, the truth to which no thoughts and words are applicable but is comprehended through intuition. In Nāgārjuna’s system, although there are two levels of truth, the only reality is the world of the Absolute. This is the never changing world, always remaining what it has ever been, in which there is no distinction between birth and death, or nirvāṇa and saṃsāra. The truth of śūnyatā is conveyed by Nāgārjuna through his dialectic of eight negations stated in the Mūlamadhyamakakārikā (T.30, I c). These eight negations are: “Nothing originates (Pu-sheng), nor does anything annihilate (Pu-mieh). Nothing is permanent (Pu-ch ‘ang), nor has anything an end (Pu-tuan). Nothing is identical (Pu-i), nor is anything different (Pu-i). Nothing comes (Pu-lai), nor does anything go (Pu-ch’ü).” The phenomenal world is conceived through analysis of words and conceptions. The very same world, if perceived free from conceptualization, is nothing but the absolute reality. From this point of view, there could exist multiple worldly truths, such as the Śrāvakayāna doctrines, which, according to Mahāyānists, were taught by the Buddha for the beings who were not ready for the Supreme Truth.

The Profound Meaning of the Lotus Sutra: Tien-tai Philosophy of Buddhism


beginning

The Meaning of Growth in Religious Faith

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In summary, then, as long as human beings are relatively content with their way of life, they feel no need for religious faith. They turn to deities and Buddhas for aid in time of illness, poverty, trouble, or other suffering. Faith of this kind is egoistic in that it is directed toward the elimination of the actual suffering of the involved individual. But as the person advances in faith and has the opportunity to observe coolly his own fate and the nature of the society around him, he grows from an understanding of the law of cause and effect alone to an understanding of the wider Law of Causation. This, in turn, gradually brings about alterations in his ideals and values. A true comprehension of basic Buddhist doctrines—the Law of Causation and the Seal of the Three Laws: that all things are impermanent, that nothing has an ego, and that nirvana is quiescence – changes a self-oriented faith into a faith taking into consideration other people and all sentient beings. Faith then leads from solving issues of common, ordinary suffering to a higher faith. This is the meaning of growth in religious faith. (Page 98)

The Beginnings of Buddhism

Lecture on Lotus Sutra

With Joy

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Our Buddhist practice always should be about joy. When we approach it as if it is a burden that must be accomplished then I believe we have missed the message of the Buddha. Yes, there are times when it will be difficult to accomplish the changes in life you wish to accomplish, and sometimes these changes will take a long time. Yet, what we learn in Buddhism is there is no one more qualified to make those changes than the individual, you.

Lecture on the Lotus Sutra

Profound

A Stroke of Black Ink

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To portray [the] interconnectivity relationship between one entity and all entities, Chih-i gives an example revealing the structures that constitute Chinese characters. In association with traditional writing, black ink is the basic element to enable written character to be formed. Thus, black ink is treated by Chih-i as the fundamental form to be used to depict the formulation of characters.

“Form can interpret all dharmas. It is like the black ink as form. With one stroke [i.e., horizontal stroke], it means ‘one’. With two strokes, it means ‘two’. With three strokes, it means ‘three’. Adding the vertical stroke (on the three horizontal lines), it means ‘king’ (Wang). Adding one stroke on the right, it means ‘the period from 1 a.m. to 3 a.m.’ (Ch’ou). Adding one stroke on the left, it means ‘field’, (T’ien). If the middle vertical line goes over the top, it means ‘due to’ (Yu). When this line goes over the bottom, it means ‘to explain’ (Shen). With such a bending and turning, the meanings that are signified are endless. It could be that one word interprets immeasurable dharmas, or immeasurable words commonly interpret one dharma; either immeasurable words interpret immeasurable dharmas, or one word interprets one dharma. With one dot of black ink slightly bending and turning, its interpretation differs greatly. Bending to the left, it is interpreted as ‘evil’ (E); bending to the right, it means ‘good’ (Shan). Writing the dot on top means “no outflow” (Wu-lou) [of defilement]; writing the dot on bottom means outflow (Yu-lou) [of defilement]. Being killed or alive, being prosperous or robbed, being ruined or honored, being in suffering or in joy, they are all in the form of ink. There is no dharma that is beyond ink. In short, black ink interprets immeasurable Teachings, Practices, and Principles. Black ink is also the foundation for Teaching, Practice, and Principle.”

By pointing out how the “black ink as form” (Hei-mo-se) can possibly work out in the development of writing various strokes in formulating various characters (with their different meanings), Chih-i presents an ontological concept about one dharma containing all dharmas, and all dharmas being identical to one dharma. “One dharma contains all dharmas” is demonstrated by Chih-i from the black ink (as the fundamental source) that functions to draw multitude strokes, from which various characters are formed. Since all characters are derived from strokes and all strokes are derived from the black ink (as form), this demonstrates that all dharmas are identical to one dharma. Therefore, this second type of sign interpretation vividly depicts the dynamic nature of Chih-i ‘s perfect harmonization philosophy. (Page 95-96)

The Profound Meaning of the Lotus Sutra: Tien-tai Philosophy of Buddhism


beginning

The Ideal Buddhist Realm

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Nanda undertook religious training for the sake of being born in heaven, where he would possess the beautiful women, because, relying on the law of cause and effect, he did not understand the wider Law of Causation. The people around him despised him because he sought only his own egoistic ends and ignored concord and the total development and perfection of others. After serious reflection, however, Nanda came to understand the Law of Causation.

Such understanding prompts awareness of the need to strive for the perfection of one’s own personality and of all society. If society as a whole improves and develops, the happiness of the individual will be guaranteed. If society is happy, the individual and all of his fellows will be happy. This is the meaning of true happiness and of the realization of the ideal Buddhist realm. Buddhist training is for the sake of realizing such a realm. When Nanda came to see this, he began training on the basis of the Law of Causation. This enabled him to attain the enlightenment of an arhat. (Page 96)

(See also How Nanda, Shakyamuni’s Half-Brother, Came To Be A Disciple)

The Beginnings of Buddhism

Lotus Seeds

Faith in the Active Presence of the Buddha

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Other schools of Buddhism often focus on the parables and other teachings of the theoretical section in the hope that, through their own practice, they will see for themselves the truth expressed in the Original Gate. In Nichiren Buddhism, the Original Gate is held to be primary because our practice is based on our faith in the active presence of the Buddha in the form of Namu Myoho Renge Kyo. Through upholding the Lotus Sutra by chanting Namu Myoho Renge Kyo, we become one with the Eternal Buddha. The difference lies in whether we rely upon the future possibility of attaining Buddhahood taught in the theoretical section, or upon our present ability to actually attain Buddhahood through faith in the Eternal Buddha, as taught in the essential section.

Lotus Seeds

Profound

Chih-i’s Profound Comparison

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The comparison between the Lotus Sūtra and the other sūtras from various perspectives can be seen throughout the Hsüan-I (Profound Meaning of the Lotus Sūtra). This is Chih-i’s endeavor to demonstrate that the Lotus Sūtra is superior to all other sūtras. In the meantime, this comparison provides legitimacy for Chih-i’s own choice of selecting the Lotus Sūtra as the doctrinal foundation for his system of thought. The superiority of the Lotus Sūtra is derived from its reconciling nature of acknowledging the validity of all doctrines that are embraced by the One Vehicle of Buddhahood. The establishment of this superiority in turn sustains Chih-i ‘s own system of thought as perfect and harmonizing. Thus, this technique of comparison exemplifies Chih-i’s perfect harmonization philosophy in terms of its nature of reconciliation and all-embracing nature. (Page 88-89)

The Profound Meaning of the Lotus Sutra: Tien-tai Philosophy of Buddhism


beginning

The Law of Causation

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The law of cause and effect pertains to the operations of all phenomena in the universe—not just to good and evil. It is taught in relation to what is called the Law of Causation, but there is a difference between the two. The law of cause and effect deals with the individual in terms of a temporal chain extending from past into present and then into the future. The Law of Causation, however, deals not merely with the individual but also with spatial and temporal relations among individuals and everything in their environment: family, local society, school, regional society, national society, international society, the natural environment, politics, economy, culture, spiritual fields, natural phenomena, and so on. An accurate interpretation of the world and of human life, this law is extremely extensive. It is the basis on which Buddhism teaches the impossibility of true happiness for an individual without development in the direction of happiness for all the other people in that individual’s environment. (Page 96)

The Beginnings of Buddhism

Awakening to the Lotus

A Glorious Pure Land

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Since the Original Buddha is eternal, this world, where the Buddha lives, is also eternal. It can never be destroyed. However, ordinary people, deluded by worldly desires and unable to see with the eyes of the Buddha, think that this world is a defiled land, one which will burn away in the future. We see grief, pain and fear wherever we look. To us this is the “real world.” But our Buddha-nature can be realized in this defiled world. To enlightened eyes, the real world is revealed as a glorious Pure Land where all beings can attain Buddhahood.

Awakening to the Lotus