Of the Six Perfections – generosity, discipline, patience, energy, meditation, and wisdom – the perfection of wisdom is accomplished when our views are in accord with the reality or the world as it truly is. That is, we have insight into the dynamic and interdependent nature of all things. The perfection of wisdom is expressed through our faith in the Wonderful Dharma, which enables us to have confidence and trust in our Buddha-nature – our capacity to view life with the insight and wisdom of the Buddha.
Lotus SeedsQuotes
The Path to Enlightenment
The path to enlightenment is a life-long journey. One year or 500 days is simply a small portion of that journey.
The Magic City: Studying the Lotus SutraThe Perception of Sakyamuni
This discovery was made by Sakyamuni when he was thirty years of age. It was after his perception of this truth that Sakyamuni was called the Subordinate Buddha; while, as the Buddha of Original Enlightenment, i.e., as the personification of Truth, he is called the Original Buddha. Then, desiring to teach the people that any one of them could likewise become Buddha, he advanced the doctrines contained in a sacred work called the Kegon Kyo. But they were very slow to understand; their intelligence, in fact, was insufficient to grasp so great a truth; so he was obliged to confine his instructions for more than forty years to the Disciplines, the practice of which was necessary as a preparation for the reception of the higher doctrines. It was only when he was seventy years old that he was able to revert to his former project. Then he taught what will be found in the first [volume] of the [Lotus Sutra]: “It is only Buddhas, i.e., enlightened ones, who can, with the Buddha, investigate the reality of things.” This refers to the doctrine that all things in all times and all departments of space are, in essence, originally identical with the Buddha, and contain in themselves the three bodies of the Buddha, viz., the Spiritual or Noumenal Body, the Compensation Body, and the Body of Transformation or Impermanence.
Doctrines of Nichiren (1893)Seeking the Dharma from Devadatta
“I offered him anything he wanted. I collected fruits, drew water, gathered firewood, and prepared meals for him. I even allowed my body to be his seat. I never felt tired in body and mind. I served him for a thousand years. In order to hear the Dharma from him, I served him so strenuously that I did not cause him to be short of anything.” (Lotus Sutra, Chapter XII)
This passage, from the Devadatta Chapter tells how the Buddha served Devadatta in a previous life so that he could be taught the Wonderful Dharma of the Lotus Flower Sutra. When I think about the truth of the Buddha being present in all beings as taught by Never-Despising Bodhisattva I can’t help but think that we can begin to really understand the teaching of the Lotus Sutra when we serve other beings, when we can help them as the Buddha did seeking the Dharma from Devadatta.
Lotus Path: Practicing the Lotus Sutra Volume 1The Reality of Hard Work
How many of us expect some fantastical spiritual awakening? How great is the disappointment when the everyday results seem mundane at best and even unnoticeable? An easy assent to some experience is followed by the reality that hard work is necessary to maintain or even re-experience that same spiritual high. It all seems now to be much harder than one expected.
Physician's Good MedicineEverlasting Fundamental Relationship
We have ever been Buddha’s children, but, up to the present, we have been blind to his presence and work, just like the prodigal son in the parable in the fourth chapter of the Scripture. We are now awake to this everlasting fundamental relationship, and thereby shall surely attain Buddhahood, because the Tathagata is constantly caring for us and watching over us, as he says: ‘Now, this threefold realm of existence is my dominion, And all beings therein are my children. Yet existence is full of troubles and tribulations, I alone am the protector and savior.’
Nichiren, The Buddhist Prophet‘Chant Odaimoku Obstinately’
Nichiren Shonin said, “Chant Odaimoku obstinately.” It is best to chant Odaimoku loudly, with a positive mind, as many times as possible, because the power of Odaimoku is relative to one’s mind. It is difficult to explain with words how Odaimoku works. The proof of its effectiveness is found by chanting it.
Spring WritingsUnwrapping Buddhism
[In the Simile of the Herbs] small herbs represent humans and deities. The middle plants represent hearers and private Buddhas or Sravakas and Pratyekabuddhas. Finally, the large plants represent Bodhisattvas. The rain of the Dharma of the Lotus Flower Sutra is intended to be a teaching that is appropriate for all practitioners of the Dharma. No longer is there a separate teaching for different practitioners. The Lotus Sutra is the culmination of all the previous teachings of the Buddha. The Lotus Sutra represents a shift from teachings by expedients to teaching the fundamental truth. You could say that with the teaching of the Lotus Sutra, the Buddha has taken the wrapper off of Buddhism.
Lecture on the Lotus SutraThe Perfection of Meditation
Of the Six Perfections – generosity, discipline, patience, energy, meditation, and wisdom – the perfection of meditation indicates that we should cultivate full awareness of all of our thoughts, words, and deeds in all places and at all times. Meditation enables us to focus our minds so that we an engage in self-reflection and direct our minds to the highest teaching of the Buddha. The practice of meditation ultimately allows us to abide in a stale of clear and spacious awareness in which we directly perceive the true nature of life for ourselves.
Lotus SeedsFour Noble Truths
The first thing the Buddha taught was the Four Noble Truths. Put simply, these are:
- Life is Suffering
- There is a cause for Suffering
- Suffering can be overcome
- The way to overcome suffering is the Eightfold Path