Thus the pure land is implicit in the ontological basis of the three thousand realms in one thought-moment but must be concretely realized through the practice and propagation of the daimoku. This aspect of Nichiren’s thought draws on apotropaic notions that the proper Buddhist prayer rituals could rid the land of misfortune, grounding them in traditional Tendai teachings concerning the immanence of the pure land in the present world and in his own exclusive practice of the Lotus. Nichiren’s idea that faith in the Lotus would materially transform the world inspired repeated memorializing of rulers throughout the medieval period and has underlain the political, activist, and millenarian aims of a number of Nichiren Buddhist movements in the modern era. (Page 292)
Original Enlightenment and the Transformation of Medieval Japanese BuddhismQuotes
Seeing the Gold in the Rock
Seeing that the correct Ultimate Truth as substance is difficult to describe, Chih-I employs three analogies to single it out. With these analogies, four cases are illustrated that correspond to the Four Teachings. This indicates that the Ultimate Truth bears different definitions in each of the Four Teachings. …
The employment of the third analogy with gold further illustrates the Ultimate Truth that is contained within all beings. This is about the gold contained inside the yellow rock. A foolish man does not realize that the rock contains gold and mistakes the gold-rock as a rock. This refers to an ignorant man who, though being endowed with the Buddha nature as the Ultimate Truth, does not know how to cultivate this inherent nature. The appraiser is able to melt the rock and extracts the gold, but he only keeps its value. This is analogous with the Two Vehicles, who only eliminate defilements for themselves, but do not know how to benefit others. When the goldsmith gets the gold, he is able to utilize it to produce all kinds of jewelry. This analogizes the bodhisattva of the Separate Teaching, who can enter the view of the Provisional Existence in order to transform living beings. When the immortal gets the gold, he is able to make elixir, whereupon he attains physical freedom, transformation, and sovereignty. This analogizes the bodhisattva of the Perfect Teaching, who is able to identify the Absolute Truth with the facts, for he knows that phenomenal appearances embrace truth, whereupon they are not different. With such a view of an integrated reality, Chih-i stresses that this bodhisattva is able to attain enlightenment at the moment when he brings forth a resolve to the Bodhi-mind. His accomplishment of one single body contains immeasurable bodies, whereon he can universally respond to all beings.
In view of an integrated reality, according to Chih-i, whether it is an ignorant man or the bodhisattva of the Perfect Teaching, all of them represent the Ultimate Truth, inasmuch as they all possess gold. In view of differences of the facts, rock is different from gold, gold is different from golden jewelry, and jewelry is different from elixir. (Vol. 2, Page 411-412)
The Profound Meaning of the Lotus Sutra: Tien-tai Philosophy of BuddhismMaking Buddha Within Take Form
The realm of Ichinen Sanzen of Ji is the realization of Śākyamuni Buddha within oneself. However, it is not true Ichinen Sanzen of Ji. It remains Ichinen Sanzen of Ri, the theoretical Ichinen Sanzen as the Buddha within oneself is still resting. If we say, ” Śākyamuni Buddha is in me,” we must make the Buddha within visible and active. This is the true meaning of Ji, to make the Buddha within us take form.
Buddha Seed: Understanding the OdaimokuThe Immanence of the Pure Land
The immanence of the pure land in the present world had long been asserted by both Tendai and Shingon schools and was by no means unique to Nichiren’s teaching. Where Nichiren’s position differed was that, for him, the identity of the Sahā world and the Buddha’s land was not only to be realized subjectively in the moment of practice but manifested in actuality: as faith in the Lotus Sūtra spread from one person to another, there would occur an objective, visible transformation of the outer world. This vision is expressed in a letter written from Sado Island in 1273:
When all people throughout the land enter the one Buddha vehicle and the Wonderful Dharma alone flourishes, because the people all chant Namu- myōhō-renge-kyō as one, the wind will not thrash the branches nor the rain fall hard enough to break clods. The age will become like the reigns of [the Chinese sage kings] Yao and Shun. In the present life, inauspicious calamities will be banished, and the people will obtain the art of longevity. When the principle becomes manifest that both persons and dharmas “neither age nor die,” then each of you, behold! There can be no doubt of the sūtra’s promise of “peace and security in the present world.”
(Page 291-292)
Original Enlightenment and the Transformation of Medieval Japanese BuddhismTwo Gems
Seeing that the correct Ultimate Truth as substance is difficult to describe, Chih-I employs three analogies to single it out. With these analogies, four cases are illustrated that correspond to the Four Teachings. This indicates that the Ultimate Truth bears different definitions in each of the Four Teachings. …
The employment of the second analogy is to single out the correct Ultimate Truth by comparing two kinds of gem. One is the crystal gem, and is named P’o-li, and another is the wishing-grant gem, and is named Ju-i (cintāmapi). Chih-i maintains that the former contains no treasure, analogizing the view of emptiness only; the latter contains treasure, analogizing the view of the Middle Way. Treasure is compared with the Middle Way that functions to save living beings. The view of mere emptiness is the view of the Two Vehicles (Śrāvaka and pratyekabuddha), who only strive for self-enlightenment. Chih-i believes that even if it is the same gem Ju-i, if it is obtained by the Two Vehicles, they would not know how to use it, which would render this gem Ju-i no function of saving living beings. However, if it is obtained by the bodhisattva, it can function to benefit all living beings. (Vol. 2, Page 411)
The Profound Meaning of the Lotus Sutra: Tien-tai Philosophy of BuddhismSeeing Buddha Potential
In so many ways it is easy for us to actually deny the Buddha, the very thing, which we seek to understand. We think the Buddha isn’t here; this place is too messed up. We think the Buddha isn’t in me; I’m too messed up. We think the Buddha isn’t in others; they’re too messed up. Bodhisattva Never-Despise was able to see the Buddha in others, and the Buddha tells us that he always is here. But this is difficult to believe, and difficult to practice. Part of the process of becoming enlightened is, I believe, to develop the ability, to awaken within us the capacity to begin to see our own Buddha potential and then to see it in others. It is to learn to not deny in others or ourselves the very promised reality of being Buddhas. Enlightenment is after all being awakened.
Lotus Path: Practicing the Lotus Sutra Volume 1‘Original Time’
“Original time” (honji) differs from linear time. It has no distinction of past, present, and future, and no proceeding from a deluded to an enlightened state; the Buddha and the ordinary worldling–the Buddha realm and the nine realms–are always one. This “original time” is the “actuality” of the three thousand realms in one thought-moment of the original Buddha and is accessed in the “now” (ima) of embracing the daimoku. In the single thought-moment of faith, the three thousand realms of the practitioner are those of the original Buddha. And because the person and the land are nondual, in the moment of faith and practice, the Sahā world is the eternal Buddha land. In the words of Chan-jan, a passage Nichiren quotes in this context: “You should know that one’s person and the land are [both] the single thought-moment comprising three thousand realms. Therefore, when one attains the Way, in accordance with this principle, one’s body and mind in that moment pervade the dharma realm.” (Page 291)
Original Enlightenment and the Transformation of Medieval Japanese BuddhismThe Rabbit, the Horse and the Elephant
Seeing that the correct Ultimate Truth as substance is difficult to describe, Chih-I employs three analogies to single it out. With these analogies, four cases are illustrated that correspond to the Four Teachings. This indicates that the Ultimate Truth bears different definitions in each of the Four Teachings.
The employment of the first analogy singles out the authentic Ultimate Truth by comparing three animals with each other. The simile of the three animals going across the river is a parable of three kinds of the Absolute Truth corresponding to the Three Vehicles (Śrāvaka, pratyekabuddha, and bodhisattva). A rabbit and a horse can only cross the river by swimming over the surface, but they are unable to touch the bottom. A big elephant, heavy as it is, can get to the bottom of the river in reaching the other shore. Water is analogous with emptiness as the Absolute Truth, and the bottom is analogous with no-emptiness (i.e., the Middle Way) as the Absolute Truth. The Two Vehicles (Śrāvaka and pratyekabuddha), because of their lack of wisdom, cannot seek deeply, which are analogous with the rabbit and the horse. The bodhisattva is analogous with the big elephant, for he has deep wisdom, and can perceive both emptiness and no-emptiness.
With regard to touching the bottom of the river, there are two situations to be differentiated. Chih-i elucidates that the bottom is analogous with the Ultimate Truth. A small elephant can only reach the surface of mud, and a big elephant can touch the bottom of mud. The small elephant refers to the wisdom of the Separate Teaching. Although the bodhisattva of the Separate Teaching can perceive no-emptiness, he does not have insight into an integrated reality of all dharmas. Therefore, his view of no-emptiness is not the Ultimate Truth. The big elephant refers to the wisdom of the Perfect Teaching. The bodhisattva of the Perfect Teaching can perceive no-emptiness perfectly. This means that he knows that one dharma embraces all dharmas and all dharmas are an integrated reality of one dharma. Since the Ultimate Truth is embedded in all dharmas, by such an exhaustion of all dharmas, the Ultimate Truth is manifested. From the point of view of attaining the Ultimate Truth, not only the view of emptiness of the Two Vehicles is excluded by this analogy, but also the view of no-emptiness of a small elephant (i.e., Separate Teaching) is excluded by this analogy. Only the view of the no-emptiness of a big elephant (i.e., Perfect Teaching) is taken as the substance of the Lotus Sūtra. (Vol. 2, Page 410-411)
The Profound Meaning of the Lotus Sutra: Tien-tai Philosophy of BuddhismThe Present World as the Buddha Land
We have already seen that Nichiren saw the Buddha’s pure land as immanent in the present world, based on the “Fathoming the Lifespan ” chapter of the Lotus Sūtra, which says, “I [Śākyamuni] am always in this Sahā world.” In the Kanjin honzon shō, Nichiren developed this idea specifically in terms of the origin teaching and the three thousand realms in a single thought-moment:
Now (ima) the Sahā world of the original time (honji) [of the Buddha’s enlightenment] is the constantly abiding pure land, freed from the three disasters and transcending [the cycle of] the four kalpas [formation, stability, decline, and extinction]. Its Buddha has not already entered nirvana in the past, nor is he yet to be born in the future. And his disciples are of the same essence. This [world] is [implicit in] the three realms, which are inherent in the three thousand realms of one’s mind.
In a manner very similar to that of the Sanjū shika no kotogaki and other medieval Tendai writings, this passage conveys the sense of the moment of enlightenment as accessing a timeless, “constantly abiding” realm in which all change is suspended. (Page 290-291)
Original Enlightenment and the Transformation of Medieval Japanese BuddhismUltimate Truth as Substance
Chih-i cites various passages in the Lotus Sūtra to support his own argument of taking the Ultimate Truth as substance (as this substance conveys the principle of neither cause nor effect). The phrases such as those in the chapter on “Introduction”: “Presently, the Buddha signals ray of light, wishing to reveal the doctrine of the Ultimate Truth,” “The doctrine of the Ultimate Truth of all dharmas, I have already taught you” and that in the chapter on “Expedient Means”: “Only Buddhas and Buddhas can exhaust the Ultimate Truth of all dharmas,” etc., prove that only the Ultimate Truth concerns leading beings to open the Buddha’s knowledge and insight, which can be characterized as the substance concerning the principle of neither cause nor effect. (Vol. 2, Page 408)
The Profound Meaning of the Lotus Sutra: Tien-tai Philosophy of Buddhism