Of the five practices of a Bodhisattva – saint practice, Brama practice, nature practice, child practice, and sickness practice – Saint practice refers to daily practice and study. We are carrying out the practices of a saint when we perform our daily service and when we try to increase our understanding of the Buddha’s teachings. The Brama practice is a practice of not wanting, in other words living simply and being mindful of the distinction between our desires and our needs. We could also say that the Brama practice and saint practice are ones of renouncing honor or gain for the benefit of others.
Lecture on the Lotus SutraQuotes
Four Siddhāntas and the Five Sections
The correspondence between the Four Siddhāntas and the Five Sections are: The Worldly Siddhānta corresponds with the Name; the Siddhānta of the Supreme Truth with the Substance; the Siddhānta for Each Person with the Gist; the Siddhānta of Counteraction with the Function; and to distinguish these Siddhānta is to correspond with the Characteristics of the Teachings. (Vol. 2, Page 33)
The Profound Meaning of the Lotus Sutra: Tien-tai Philosophy of BuddhismThe Completion of Nichiren’s Studies
At noon on April 28, 1253, Nichiren Shonin gave his first sermon to his former mentor and fellow monks to commemorate the completion of his studies. In that sermon, he shocked his audience by criticizing the teaching of the Pure Land sect of Buddhism. … In place of that practice, Nichiren Shonin taught the practice of chanting the Odaimoku of the Lotus Sutra, which is Namu Myoho Renge Kyo. He taught the Odaimoku as a practical and accessible way by which all people can realize the deepest truths of Buddhism. Just as the name of a country can bring to mind all its characteristics, the title of the Lotus Sutra embodies all the merits and virtues of the Buddha expounded in the Sutra. Nichiren Shonin taught that by chanting the Odaimoku, we can directly receive the ultimate truth of the Lotus Sutra from the Eternal Shakyamuni Buddha and attain Buddhahood within our lifetime.
Lotus SeedsDescribing the Four Siddhāntas
The description of the Worldly Siddhānta (Shih-chieh Hsi-t’an) is that the world is like a vehicle that comes into existence because of the combination of wheels, spokes, axle and rim. Human beings are likewise created because of the combination of five aggregates. The Buddha proclaims the worldly dharma of the correct causality to comply with living beings, with what they desire and with what they are pleased to hear, so that they can obtain the proper view of the world.
With regard to the Siddhānta for Each Person (Ko-ko Wei-jen Hsit’an), because of different capacities of people, certain doctrines the Buddha expounds are designed specifically for certain beings according to their degree of understanding.
The description of the Siddhānta of Counteraction (Tui-chih Hsit’an) is that for counteracting particular vices of living beings the Buddha offers different treatments.
The description of the Siddhānta of the Supreme Truth (Ti-i-i-ti Hsit’an) is that by knowing that his disciples are ready to receive the true teaching, the Buddha expounds the supreme truth in terms of “unexplainable” (Pu-k’o-shuo) and “explainable” (K’o-shuo). The true dharma, namely the truth of neither origination nor extinction (that transcends language, and is attained by the Buddha) is unexplainable. Although truth itself is unexplainable, i.e., it cannot be conceptualized and is beyond words, it is indeed necessary to be revealed for an educational and soteriological purpose. In this sense, Chih-i talks about truth that is explainable. The method of realizing the truth is provided by the formula of the Four Alternatives (Ch., S,su-chü; Skt., catusko/i), i.e., everything is real (I-ch ‘ieh-shih), everything is unreal (I-ch ‘ieh Pu-shih), everything is both real and unreal (I-ch ‘ieh I-shih I-pu-shih), and everything is neither real nor unreal (I-ch ‘ien Fei-shih Fei-pu-shih). (Vol. 2, Page 34)
The Profound Meaning of the Lotus Sutra: Tien-tai Philosophy of BuddhismThe Merits of Spreading the Odaimoku
The merits of spreading the Odaimoku itself during the Declining Latter Day of the Dharma is immeasurably deeper than upholding it at any other time, or of upholding any other teaching at any time.
Awakening to the LotusWith Regard to the Truth Itself
With regard to the truth itself, the common view held by Buddhists is that it is indescribable and inexpressible and can only be reached by intuitive insight through contemplation. What is the point then for the Buddha to teach truth? Chih-i argues that the Buddha’s teaching is necessary for the sake of liberating sentient beings. Truth has to be delivered when there is need for it, namely, living beings have a need to hear the teachings in order to eliminate suffering and attain liberation.
The Profound Meaning of the Lotus Sutra: Tien-tai Philosophy of BuddhismMaking Things Thus
Buddhism teaches that we must begin by properly understanding the way things are; from this, we know the way things should be; and then we throw ourselves into the practice to make things thus.
Basic Buddhist Concepts
The Mind as the Foundation
The folding of mind is to take mind as the foundation. For Chih-i,
contemplating mind is to regard “the mind as the foundation for all dharmas” (Hsin-shih Chu-fa Chih-pen). This is because it is the mind in activity that generates karman (deeds), from which suffering arises. It is also the mind that embraces all dharmas or entities. In Chih-i’s system, the Ten Suchnesses and the Ten Dharma-realms represent all entities. Since the Ten Dharma-realms are the representation of the whole universe and they are embraced by the mind, mind can be taken as the universe. (Vol. 2, Page 31)
Facing Dificulties
When we face difficulty or suffering, maybe we should consider whether such difficulty or suffering is advice from the Buddha calling for our reflection. Could such difficulty or suffering be an advance warning to avoid a major incident? Is this a hurdle to overcome on the road to self-improvement or development? Is this experience needed to make us examine our lives more deeply? In any event, this is a compassionate test given by the Buddha to us to improve ourselves.
Buddha Seed: Understanding the OdaimokuChih-i’s Unfolding of Mind
The unfolding of mind is to take mind as the substance, the gist, and the function. In Chih-i’s view, there are three types of mind: (i) the mind of affliction (Fan-nao Hsin) which includes three links: ignorance (Ch., Wu-ming; Skt., avidyā), desire (Ch., Ai; Skt., tṛṣṇā), and attachment (Ch., Ch’ü; Skt., upādāna), (ii) the mind of suffering as effect (K’u-kuo Hsin) which includes seven links: consciousness (Ch., Shih; Skt., vijn͂āna), name-and-form (Ch., Ming-se; Skt., nāmarūpa), the six senses (Ch., Liu-ju; Skt., ṣaḍāyatana), contact (Ch., Ch’u; Skt., sparśa), sensation (Ch., Shou; Skt., vedanā), rebirth (Ch., Sheng; Skt.,jāti), and old age-and-death (Ch., Lao-ssu; Skt.,jarāmarava), and (iii) the mind of karman (Yeh Hsin) which includes two links: volitional activity (Ch., Hsing; Skt., saṃskāra), and existence (Ch., Yu; Skt., bhava). When these three types of mind are identified with the Dharma-body, perfect wisdom, and liberation, they are taken as the Substance, the Gist, and the Function. Chih-i says that if the mind of suffering is identical to the dharmakāya (Dharma-body), the mind is taken as the Substance (Hsin-t’i). If the mind of affliction is identical to prajn͂ā (perfect wisdom), the mind is taken as the Gist (Hsin-tsung). If the mind of karman is identical to liberation, the mind is taken as the Function (Hsin-yung). The “Characteristics of the Teaching” that concerns mind is the overview of both “unfolding” and “folding”. When mind differentiates (i.e., the aspect of unfolding) with regard to the Twelvefold Causality (Ch., Shih-erh Yin-yüan; Skt., dvādaśāṅgaprat̄tyasamupāda), six worlds (hell-dwellers, hungry ghosts, animals, asuras, humans, and heavenly beings) arise. This is because the mind differentiation is a result of one’s ignorance that generates the twelve links of dependent origination, and keeps one in the cycle of the six worlds. Only if the mind is put to rest and no longer differentiates (i.e., the aspect of folding), can one depart from ignorance. Subsequently, the four levels of sages (i.e., śrāvakas, pratyekabuddhas, bodhisattvas, and Buddhas) arise. (Vol. 2, Page 31)
The Profound Meaning of the Lotus Sutra: Tien-tai Philosophy of Buddhism