Chih-i’s distinction of coarseness and subtlety is for the purpose of reaching non-distinction by opening the coarse and revealing the subtle. According to Chih-i’s interpretation, opening the coarse and revealing the subtle means that in the Lotus Sūtra, the Buddha made clear that although the three teachings (Tripiṭaka, Common, and Separate) are expedient means, they contain the Ultimate Truth in leading beings to reach the final teaching of the Lotus Sūtra. Therefore, in the Lotus Sūtra, these three teachings enjoy the same status as absolute subtlety like the Perfect Teaching, on the basis of the Ultimate Truth being the underlying principle of all the Four Teachings. (Vol. 2, Page 115)
The Profound Meaning of the Lotus Sutra: Tien-tai Philosophy of BuddhismQuotes
The Power of the Lotus Sūtra
[That] Ichinen-Sanzen exists only in the Lotus Sutra, and attaining buddhahood can be accomplished only with Ichinen Sanzen, leads to the conclusion that attaining buddhahood is limited to the Lotus Sutra. Nichiren Shōnin stated:
“To tell the truth, however, without the power of the Lotus Sūtra, it is impossible for any living being to attain Buddhahood, break through the six lower realms and be reborn in any of the Pure Lands of Buddhas throughout the universe. You must rely on the power of the Lotus Sūtra in order to leave this Sahā World to enter a Pure World. … Accordingly all living beings including bodhisattvas, men of the Two Vehicles, human beings, heavenly beings and animals who will be reborn in Pure Lands throughout the universe do so as royal children of the Lotus Sūtra. It is because children of the Lotus Sutra are all able to become Buddhas.” (Shōjō Daijō Fumbetsu-Shō, WNS2, p. 197)
Buddha Seed: Understanding the OdaimokuOpening the Coarse and Revealing the Subtle.
This real intention of the Buddha is revealed by the means of opening the coarseness and the subtlety that is accomplished in the ultimate teaching of the Lotus Sūtra. Chih-i stresses that it is the Lotus Sūtra that brings the unification of the coarseness and the subtlety into completion. Chih-i emphasizes that not only all other teachings before the Lotus Sūtra were built up for the convenience of revealing the Ultimate Truth, but actually the first appearance of the Buddha from the incalculable past had already been determined for the revelation of the Lotus Sūtra. Why is the Lotus Sūtra so important? To Chih-i, it is because of the sudden revelation of the Ultimate Truth in the Lotus Sūtra that the Lotus Teaching enables all believers of both Śrāvakayāna and Mahāyāna to enter the terrace of the lotus blossom (a representation of subtle enlightenment) from their coarse stages (i.e., the stage at which they are unable to conceive the Ultimate Truth). With the teaching of the Lotus Sūtra, all disciples, whether they used to hearing one, two, three, or four flavors of the teaching, or even no teaching, are guaranteed to attain Buddhahood. This is the meaning of opening the coarse and revealing the subtle. (Vol. 2, Page 111)
The Profound Meaning of the Lotus Sutra: Tien-tai Philosophy of BuddhismCultivation of Inner Peace
The beginning of the cultivation of inner peace is actually to look within one’s self. Inner peace is not some condition that is induced; it is an innate natural state of being. It begins by recognizing peace in your mind. If we consider for a moment the things or stuff that happens around us all day long. Things occur, they are neutral but we attach value to them, which is not necessarily bad, it just occurs. But when we can begin to stop the process of rationalizing, of assigning value, or any of the other labels we attach to stuff, then we can just watch the mind and you begin to become part of the whole. There is no longer an outside or inside there is just the experience.
Lotus Path: Practicing the Lotus Sutra Volume 1The Ultimate Intention of the Buddha
For Chih-i, the … differentiation of the coarse and the subtle is for the purpose of reaching non-distinction, since the intention of the Buddha is for universal salvation. Ultimately speaking, the coarseness and the subtlety are all merged in the Lotus Sūtra, for the Buddha made decisive and clear that all of them are dissolved in the subtlety (Chüeh-liao Jumiao). Regardless of whether they are viewed as coarse or subtle, and or neither coarse nor subtle, they all contain the ultimate intention of the Buddha in leading beings to attain Buddhahood. (Vol. 2, Page 105)
The Profound Meaning of the Lotus Sutra: Tien-tai Philosophy of BuddhismThe ‘Five Theses’
Abandoned and alone in his place of exile and surrounded by dangers, Nichiren reviewed his past life and found in the scripture more encouraging assurance of his own mission and deeper inspiration. The result of this calm reflection and ardent aspiration he formulated in the “five theses” of his mission. They were: First, as to the doctrine promulgated, his religion was based upon the unique authority of the Lotus, the consummation of all teachings of Buddha. Second, as to the capacity of those to be taught, mankind of that degenerate age of the Latter Days could be trained only by Buddha’s teaching in its simplest expression, not by any complicated system. Third, as to the time, his time was the age of the Latter Law, in which the Lotus alone would remain efficient for the salvation of all. Fourth, as to the country of its promulgation, Japan was the land where true Buddhism was destined to prevail; whence it should be propagated throughout the world. Fifth, as to the successive rise and fall of systems, other forms of Buddhism had done their missions and the way had been prepared by the old masters for the acceptance of the Perfect Truth. All these five conditions seemed to Nichiren to be in process of fulfilment by his activity, and the dangers he was encountering assured him more and more of his high mission. Thus three years’ life in exile only added fire to his ardour.
History of Japanese ReligionAn Integrated Reality
The feature of both explainable and unexplainable is related to the length of function. On the one hand, the length of function refers to the Buddha’s soteriological activity of saving beings, beginning from an incalculable past in the Origin until the more recent event of teaching the Lotus Sūtra in the Traces. On the other hand, for different capacities of beings, the Buddha expounds either the truth that can be conceptually understood, i.e., explainable, or the truth that is beyond conceptualization, i.e., unexplainable. The feature of neither explainable nor unexplainable denotes the inconceivability of the four truths, since the Ultimate Truth they contain cannot be conceptually conceived. In view of the inadequacy of language and of conceptual thoughts in conceiving the Ultimate Truth, the four truths cannot be defined by terms such as superior or vast, long or short, and sameness or difference. This is an integrated reality that everything is without difference and is subtle. (Vol. 2, Page 105)
The Profound Meaning of the Lotus Sutra: Tien-tai Philosophy of BuddhismThe Real Intention of the Buddha
While affirming the superiority of the Perfect Teaching, Chih-i does not mean to reject the other three teachings, as he regards all Buddhist doctrines whether coarse or subtle to be the teaching of the Buddha. His goal of judging the coarse or subtle is to resolve differences among the Four Teachings. This is because only when all of the Four Teachings are affirmed to be valid, can all beings with various types of faculties be embraced by the teaching of the Buddha. Chih-i’s conclusion is that the Ultimate Truth includes both coarseness and subtlety. In an absolute sense of opening the coarseness (e.g. relative) and revealing the subtlety (e.g. ultimate) and leading all sentient beings to attain universal liberation of Buddhahood, coarseness is subtlety. This is because each of the three teachings (Tripitaka, Common, and Separate) is an indispensable step towards the attainment of Buddhahood. However, Chih-i asserts that this absolute sense of integrating the coarse and the subtle (i.e., the three teachings are equally subtle as the Perfect Teaching) only becomes transparent in the Lotus Sūtra, in which the real intention of the Buddha for universal salvation is directly conveyed. Although the coarseness is expedient means that serves to reveal the subtlety, from the former is relative and the latter is ultimate, the equal importance of the relative and the ultimate for Chih-i lies in the fact that only by relying on the relative, can the ultimate be displayed. Meanwhile, only by aiming at the ultimate, can the relative be considered as valid. (Vol. 2, Page 101-102)
The Profound Meaning of the Lotus Sutra: Tien-tai Philosophy of BuddhismDevadatta’s Instigation of a Schism in the Sangha
One of the most critical events in the life of the early Sangha was Devadatta’s instigation of a schism. Devadatta convinced 500 newly ordained monks to follow him instead of Shakyamuni Buddha. Out of compassion for those 500 monks, the Buddha sent Shariputra and Maudgalyayana to visit them. Devadatta was eager to have these two revered disciples join his group, so he invited them to join him and even to preach to the monks while he rested. Devadatta’s overconfidence was his undoing, however, for Shariputra and Maudgalyayana taught the true Dharma which the monks had not heard before. They were thereby convinced to return to the Sangha of Shakyamuni Buddha. Devadatta awakened to discover that all his followers had left him.
Lotus World: An Illustrated Guide to the GohonzonThe Attainment of Buddhahood
Why is the attainment of Buddhahood the ultimate goal of sentient beings, and what is the significance of it? In Chih-i’s view, the goal of the Perfect Teaching that strives for Buddhahood is for liberation of all sentient beings, which differs from those of the other three teachings (Tripitaka, Common, and Separate) that are only suitable for certain type of beings with certain faculties. One may ask: “Why is the attainment of Buddhahood the universal truth for all beings?” This is because Chih-i regards the Buddha nature as the foundation for beings to attain Buddhahood. Deducing from the fact that all beings are endowed with Buddha-nature, all of them can eventually become a Buddha. Hence, Buddhahood is universal. With this single goal, all beings without exception can be led to liberation. To cause universal liberation of all beings is exactly the spirit of Mahāyāna Buddhism and is the inexhaustible motivation of bodhisattvas in entering the world to save others. The combination of striving for self-enlightenment and enlightenment of others is what makes the attainment of Buddhahood extremely meaningful and significant. (Vol. 2, Page 97-98)
The Profound Meaning of the Lotus Sutra: Tien-tai Philosophy of Buddhism