Two Buddhas, p245-246Nichiren’s own writings … give less attention to Kishimojin than to the ten rāksasis, whom he mentions more than fifty times. Unlike such bodhisattvas as Bhaiṣajyarāja, Gadgadasvara, and Avalokiteśvara of the immediately preceding chapters, whom he understood to have been active chiefly in the True Dharma and Semblance Dharma ages, the ten demon women were, in Nichiren’s understanding, presently active on behalf of Lotus devotees and devising plans to facilitate the sūtra’s spread. Toward the end of the present chapter, the Buddha praises them, saying, “Splendid, splendid! You protect those who preserve the name of the Lotus Sūtra! Your merit is immeasurable.” In the sūtra, the Buddha goes on to say that the merit of protecting those who serve the sūtra in various other ways is greater still. For Nichiren, however, the passage just quoted underscored the overriding importance of the daimoku:
QUESTION: What proof is there that one should embrace the name of the Lotus Sūtra, in particular, in the same way that people embrace the name of a buddha?
ANSWER: The sūtra states, “The Buddha said to the rāksasis, ‘Splendid, splendid! You protect those who preserve the name of the Lotus Sūtra! Your merit is immeasurable’ (322). This passage means that, when the ten rāksasis vowed to protect those who embrace the title of the Lotus Sūtra, the world-honored one of great enlightenment praised them, saying, “Splendid! Splendid! The merit you will receive for protecting those who accept and uphold Namu Myōhō-renge-kyō will be incalculable and marvelous!” This passage implies that, whether walking, standing, sitting, or lying down, we living beings should chant Namu Myōhō-renge-kyō.
Elsewhere, Nichiren interprets the same sūtra passage to stress the unfathomable benefits of the chanting the daimoku: “This merit [deriving from the vow of the ten rāksasis] to protect those who embrace the daimoku of the Lotus Sūtra is beyond even the reach of the buddha wisdom, which perfectly comprehends the past, present, and future. One might think that nothing could exceed the grasp of the buddha wisdom, but the Buddha here declares that the merit accruing from accepting and upholding the daimoku of the Lotus Sūtra is the one thing alone that it cannot fathom.”
Category Archives: WONS
The Way of Sages and Wise Men
Filial devotion preached in Confucianism is limited to this life. Confucian sages and wise men exist in name only because they do not help parents in their future lives. Non-Buddhist religions in India know of the past as well as the future, but they do not know how to help parents. Only Buddhism is worthy of being the way of sages and wise men, as it helps parents in future lives. However, both the Mahāyāna and Hinayāna sūtras expounded before the Lotus Sūtra preach Buddhahood in name only, without substance. Therefore the practicers of such sūtras will not be able to obtain Buddhahood even for themselves, not to speak of helping parents obtain Buddhahood. Now coming to the Lotus Sūtra, when the enlightenment of women was revealed, the enlightenment of mothers was realized; and when a man as wicked as Devadatta could attain Buddhahood, the enlightenment of fathers was realized. These are the two proclamations of the Buddha in the “Devadatta” chapter, and this is the reason why the Lotus Sūtra is the sūtra of the filial way among all the Buddhist scriptures.
Kaimoku-shō, Open Your Eyes to the Lotus Teaching, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Doctrine 2, Page 91
A Charm for an Easy Childbirth
I understand that you are pregnant and that you’d like to have a charm for an easy childbirth. I have chosen one for you from among those charms which had been transmitted to me. Please have firm faith in the Buddha. Even a panacea would not do any good if it were mixed with poison; even a sharp sword would not help a coward. Especially since you both uphold the Lotus Sūtra, there is no doubt that you will have a child as precious as jade, who will inherit the Lotus Sūtra. Congratulations to you! Your child will inherit not only your flesh and blood, but also your hearts. Why should you not have an easy delivery? On top of everything else, this charm will help you out.
Shijō Kingo Nyōbō Gosho, A Letter to the Wife of Shijō Kingo, Nyonin Gosho, Letters Addressed to Female Followers, Page 58-60
Kumārajīva’s Tongue
Tripitaka Master Kumārajīva used to say from his own pulpit:
“All the scriptures of Buddhism in Chinese do not represent the true meaning of the original Sanskrit. Hoping to reveal this, I have made a great vow: “I have made my body impure by getting married, but as far as my tongue is concerned, I will keep it pure and refrain from speaking falsely on Buddhism.” To prove it, cremate my body after my death. If my tongue burns together with my body, you should consider my translations of scripture as false and discard them all.”
Therefore, everybody, from the emperor down to the populace, wished to live long enough to see the death of Tripiṭaka Master Kumārajīva. Later, when he died and was cremated, his impure corpse all became ashes, but his tongue alone remained unburnt on the blue lotus that appeared in the fire. Radiating rays of five colors, it shone so brightly, that the night looked as bright as the day, and even the sun in the day paled in comparison. As a result, estimation of the sūtras translated by all other masters began to decline while those translated by Kumārajīva, especially the Lotus Sūtra, began to spread quickly in China.
Senji-shō, Selecting the Right time: A Tract by Nichiren, the Buddha’s Disciple, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Doctrine 1, Page 211
The Great Merit of Beginning Practicers
Grand Master T’ien-t’ai … wrote in his Words and Phrases of the Lotus Sūtra, fascicle 10, “The eighteenth chapter of the Lotus Sūtra is entitled ‘The Merits of Rejoicing upon Hearing This Sūtra’ because the sūtra’s merit is superior to all other sūtras in every respect.” The Lotus Sūtra, more than any other sūtra, enlightens those whose capacity to understand is limited. Unaware of this, teachers of other sects maintain that only those with superior capacity in understanding can have faith in the Lotus Sūtra. Rebutting this, Grand Master Miao-lê stated in his Annotations on the Words and Phrases of the Lotus Sūtra, fascicle 10, “Those erroneous teachers probably did not realize that even beginning practicers can have great merit; they insisted that the Lotus Sūtra can be practiced only by those with advanced training, slighting those with little training. Thus, the 18th chapter shows the great merit of beginning practicers, revealing the excellent merit of this sūtra. ”
Shugo Kokka-ron, Treatise on Protecting the Nation, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Doctrine 1, Pages 40-41
A Man Called Nichiren Was Beheaded
A man called Nichiren was beheaded at one o’clock during the night of the twelfth day in the ninth month last year. His soul has come to the province of Sado and is writing this in the midst of snow in February in the following year to be sent to his closely related disciples from past lives. As such this writing of mine may sound to you frightening but it should not. How fearful others will be when they read this writing! This is the bright mirror in which Śākyamuni Buddha, the Buddha of Many Treasures, and other Buddhas in manifestation all over the universe reflected the state of Japan in the future, namely through the conditions of Japan today. Consider this as my memento in case I die.
Kaimoku-shō, Open Your Eyes to the Lotus Teaching, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Doctrine 2, Page 91
Donors to the Upholder of the Lotus Sūtra
The Sūtra of Transmission of the Buddhist Teaching relates the story of how a boy who had donated a rice cake made of sand to the Buddha in the past was reborn a hundred years later as the ruler governing one-fourth of the Jambudvīpa. This story refers to Emperor Aśoka. It is stated in the Lotus Sūtra, “The Teacher of the Dharma” chapter, that if we compare the merit received through making various offerings to Śākyamuni Buddha for as long as one kalpa (aeon) with that of helping a practicer of the Lotus Sūtra for a short while in the Latter Age of Degeneration, the merit of helping a practicer of the Lotus Sūtra is superior. Grand Master Miao-lê explains this in his Annotations on the Words and Phrases of the Lotus Sūtra, “Donors to the upholder of the Lotus Sūtra are superior to those who make donations to the Buddha with the ten epithets.” Therefore, the merit of your donation to me is superior to the merit of making a donation to the Buddha. Accordingly, there is no doubt that you will attain Buddhahood.
Takahashī-dono Gohenji, A Reply to Lord Takahashi, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Volume 7, Followers II, Pages 82-83
The ‘Three Hindrances’ and ‘Four Devils’
The Great Concentration and Insight by Grand Master T’ien-t’ai is the greatest of his works and contains the essence of the holy teachings of Śākyamuni Buddha preached in His lifetime. About 500 years or so since Buddhism was brought into China, the wisdom of the three Southern and seven Northern masters was comparable to the sun and moon, and their virtue resounded in the whole world. Yet they were at a loss as to the profundity, comparative superiority, and sequence of His lifetime preaching. It was then that Grand Master T’ien-t’ai not only explained the Buddhism of Śākyamuni Buddha once more but also extracted the wish-fulfilling gem from the storehouse of the five Chinese characters of the Lotus Sūtra entitled “3,000 existences contained in one thought,” giving it to all the people in India, China, and Japan.
This doctrine of the Great Concentration and Insight was explained for the first time in China. Even the commentators in India were unable to explain it. Grand Master Chang-an, therefore states at the beginning of the Great Concentration and Insight, “The clear and modest doctrine of the Great Concentration and Insight had never been heard of,” and the Profound Meaning of the Lotus Sūtra, fascicle 3, declares, “Even the Great Wisdom Discourse by Nāgārjuna in India cannot compare to it.”
In particular, the “3,000 existences contained in one thought” doctrine expounded in the Great Concentration and Insight, fascicle 5, is all the more profound. When we speak of this doctrine, it is inevitable that devil’s will come to hinder us. Put another way, when devils do not come to hinder us, we know the True Dharma is not involved. Therefore, it is stated in the Great Concentration and Insight, fascicle 5, “As practicing and understanding of the ‘tranquility and contemplation’ progress, the ‘three hindrances and four devils’ compete to interfere with the practicer. … Do not follow them or fear them. When one follows them, one will fall into the evil realms; and if one is afraid of them, one will be unable to master the True Dharma.” This is exactly what I have experienced with my own body. Also, this should be a clear mirror for my disciples and followers to reflect upon. Please practice with reverence, thereby producing nourishment for the future practicers of the Lotus Sūtra.
The “three hindrances” in this citation refer to evil passions, evil karma, and painful retributions. The evil passions are the obstacles arising from the three poisons of greed, anger, and stupidity; the evil karma refers to the obstruction arising from wives and children; and the painful retributions are obstructions caused by the rulers of a country, parents, and others. Among the “four devils” that cause hindrances is the king of devils in the Sixth Heaven in the realm of desire.
Kyōdai-shō, A Letter to the Ikegami Brothers, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Volume 6, Followers I, Page 83-84
The Most Obstinate Person
Now, I, Nichiren, am not a wise man, much less a sage. I am the most obstinate person in the whole country. However, as my experience coincides with what is said in the sūtra, I will be delighted upon encountering a severe peril as if my parents were reborn or personal enemies encounter a mishap. It is most delightful for a foolish person to be regarded by the Buddha as a sage.
Ueno-dono Gohenji, A Reply to Lord Ueno, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Faith and Practice, Volume 4, Page 112
A Man of Shallow Faith
A man of shallow faith pretends to have right faith and is contemptuous towards other followers, so as to harm the faith of others. Leave such people alone. By the intention of the King of the Brahma Heaven, Indra, and other deities, I believe that such a time will certainly come when all the people of Japan will simultaneously believe in the Lotus Sūtra. I am sure that many people then will say, “I have believed in this sūtra all along.”
Ueno-dono Gohenji, A Reply to Lord Ueno, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Faith and Practice, Volume 4, Page 112