Those who happen to know the difference between the true and evil teachings of the Buddha will be abandoned by all the people in the country. The protective deities of the land, without tasting the savior of the True Dharma, will lose their divine powers to benefit the people until in the end they will all abandon this country for some other lands. Taking advantage of the situation, evil demons will grow rampant throughout the land, causing the earth to quake, evil winds to blow, the entire country to suffer, and staple grains to fail to ripen. As a result a famine and water shortage will occur, evil devils will enter the bodies of the people to suck up their energy. This is called an epidemic. People all will lose the virtuous mind, and the majority of them will fall into evil realms. This solely stems from putting faith in provisional teachings preached by “evil friends.”
Shō Hokke Daimoku-shō, Treastise on Chanting the Daimoku of the Lotus Sūtra, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Faith and Practice, Volume 4, Page 12
Having last month witnessed the daughter of the dragon-king become a Buddha and concluded Chapter 12, Devadatta, we begin today’s portion of Chapter 13, Encouragement for Keeping this Sūtra, with Medicine-King Bodhisattva-mahāsattva and Great-Eloquence Bodhisattva-mahāsattva’s vow to uphold the Lotus Sūtra.
Thereupon Medicine-King Bodhisattva-mahāsattvas and Great-Eloquence Bodhisattva-mahāsattvas, together with their twenty-thousand attendants who were also Bodhisattvas, vowed to the Buddha:
“World-Honored One, do not worry! We will keep, read, recite and expound this sūtra after your extinction. The living beings in the evil world after [your extinction] will have less roots of good, more arrogance, more greed for offerings of worldly things, and more roots of evil. It will be difficult to teach them because they will go away from emancipation. But we will patiently read, recite, keep, expound and copy this sūtra, and make various offerings to it. We will not spare even our lives [in doing all this].”
Nichiren used this chapter’s prediction of the difficulty in spreading the dharma to explain the troubles he faced. For example, in his Letter to Hōren:
It is most important for a man of wisdom to spread the Lotus Sūtra by keeping the difference of time in mind. For instance, for those who are thirsty, water is just what is necessary, not a bow and arrow or arms. What is needed for a naked person is clothing, not water. One can understand the overarching principle through this one example. If a fierce god spreads the Lotus Sūtra, you should donate your own flesh to him because a fierce god is fond of flesh. It is useless to donate clothing or other food to him. If an evil king tries to destroy the Lotus Sūtra, never obey his order even at the cost of life. When high priests who observe the precepts and are devoted to the pursuit of faith pretend to spread the Lotus Sūtra outwardly, but try to destroy it inwardly, you must reprimand them vigorously. The Lotus Sūtra, “Encouragement for Upholding This Sūtra” chapter, admonishes us to, “Solely to venerate the Supreme Way without sparing one’s own life.” It is preached in the Nirvana Sūtra, “Even at the cost of life, one should not conceal the king’s orders.” Grand Master Chang-an interprets this in his Annotation on the Nirvana Sūtra, “The reason why it is said that even at the cost of life one should not conceal the teaching is because life is not as important as the Dharma. We must spread the Dharma even at the cost of life.”
Hōren-shō, Letter to Hōren, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Volume 6, Followers I, Page 58
In the śrāvaka practice, there are ranks of wise men and sages, each of which is divided into seven levels. Those still within the seven levels of wise men are unenlightened.
Seven wise men (those who have knowledge)
Three Wisdoms
five ways to eliminate delusions
to observe the four non-Buddhist misconceptions separately
to observe the four non-Buddhist misconceptions all together
Four Virtuous Roots
to burn up evil passions
to see clearly the law of cause and effect
to realize the doctrine of the Four Noble Truths
to be the wisest
Those who stay in the seven levels of Wise Men are wiser than the ordinary men of the Six Realms. Though they potentially have delusions and evil passions within themselves, they are wise men because they reject the delusions of life and death and suppress their evil passions. They are like the wise men Hsü-yu and Ch’ao-fu in ancient China mentioned in a non-Buddhist Chinese scripture. It is said that King Yao tried to appoint Hsü-yu to be the chief of the nine states, but thinking that his ears were defiled by hearing such a plan, Hsü-yu washed them in a river. Ch’ao-fu, who happened to hear the story just as he had brought his cows to drink from the river, stopped the cows from drinking the water.
Ichidai Shōgyō Tai-I, Outline of All the Holy Teachings of the Buddha, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Doctrine 3, Page 68-69
Nichiren uses the term “object of worship” or honzon to mean not only a physical icon used for ritual, contemplative, or devotional purposes— the common meaning of the word in his time—but also the principle or reality which that object is said to embody. His various writings explain the object of worship in this latter sense from two perspectives. From one view, it is the original Buddha. For example:
[The people of] Japan as well as all of Jambudvīpa should as one take Śākyamuni, master of teachings, of the origin teaching as their object of worship – that is to say, Śākyamuni and Many-Jewels within the jeweled stūpa along with all the other Buddhas, flanked by Superior Conduct and the others of the four bodhisattvas.
In other writings, the object of worship is said to be the Lotus Sūtra, or Myōhō-renge-kyō, itself:
Question: What should ordinary worldlings in the evil days of the last age take as their object of worship?
Answer: They should make the daimoku of the Lotus Sūtra their object of worship. …
Question: . . . Why do you not take Śākyamuni as the object of worship, but instead, the daimoku of the Lotus Sūtra?
Answer: … This is not my interpretation. Lord Śākyamuni and T’ient’ai [Chih-i] both established the Lotus Sūtra as the object of worship…. The reason is that the Lotus Sūtra is the father and mother of Śākyamuni and the eye of all Buddhas. Śākyamuni, Dainichi, and the Buddhas of the ten directions were all born of the Lotus Sūtra. Therefore I now take as object of worship that which gives birth [to the Buddhas.]
These two views at first seem contradictory. However, if “Säkyamuni” in the passage first cited is understood to be the eternal Buddha, the apparent contradiction dissolves. The eternal Säkyamuni and the Dharma (i.e., the daimoku of the Lotus Sütra) are two aspects of an identity; the “three thousand worlds in one thought-moment as actuality” for Nichiren describes both the insigh t of the original Buddha and the truth by which that Buddha is awakened.
Day 16 concludes Chapter 11, Beholding the Stūpa of Treasures, and completes the Fourth Volume of the Sūtra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma.
Having last month witnessed Many-Treasures Buddha in the stūpa of treasures offer a half of his seat to Śākyamuni, we repeat in gāthās with Śākyamuni’s explanation of Many-Treasures Buddha in the stūpa of treasures and the Buddhas of the replicas.
Thereupon the World-Honored One, wishing to repeat what he had said, sang in gāthās:
The Saintly Master, the World-Honored One,
Who had passed away a long time ago,
Came riding in the stūpa of treasures
To hear the Dharma [directly from me].
Could anyone who sees him
Not make efforts to hear the Dharma?
It is innumerable kalpas
Since he passed away.
He wished to hear the Dharma at any place
Because the Dharma is difficult to meet.
His original vow was this:
“After I pass away,
I will go to any place
To hear the Dharma.”
The Buddhas of my replicas
As innumerable
As there are sands in the River Ganges
Also came here
From their wonderful worlds,
Parting from their disciples,
And giving up the offerings made to them
By gods, men and dragons,
ln order to hear the Dharma,
See Many-Treasures Tathāgata,
Who passed away [a long time ago],
And have the Dharma preserved forever.
I removed innumerable living beings from many worlds,
And purified those worlds
By my supernatural powers
In order to seat those Buddhas.
Those Buddhas came under the jeweled trees.
The trees are adorned with those Buddhas
Just as a pond of pure water is adorned
With lotus flowers.
There are lion-like seats
Under the jeweled trees.
Those Buddhas sat on the seats.
The worlds are adorned
With the light of those Buddhas as bright
As a great torch in the darkness of night.
Wonderful fragrance is sent forth
From the bodies of those Buddhas
To the worlds of the ten quarters.
The living beings of those worlds
Smell the fragrance joyfully,
Just as the branches of a tree bend before a strong wind.
Those Buddhas employ these expedients
In order to have the Dharma preserved forever.
Nichiren points out in his Open Your Eyes to the Lotus Teaching letter that all of this is preparatory for what’s coming in Chapter 16:
Now in the “Appearance of the Stupa of Treasures,” the eleventh chapter of the Lotus Sūtra, a step was taken in preparation for revealing the Eternal Buddha in the sixteenth chapter on “The Life Span of the Buddha.” It is stated in the “Appearance of the Stupa of Treasures” chapter that Śākyamuni Buddha, who had attained enlightenment for the first time only forty years or so before under the bodhi tree at Buddhagayā, India, called the crowd of Buddhas, who had obtained Buddhahood as far before as a kalpa or ten, “My manifestations.” This was against the principle of equality among Buddhas and greatly surprised everyone. If Śākyamuni Buddha had attained enlightenment only forty years or so before, large crowds of people all over the universe would not be waiting for His guidance. Even if He was capable of appearing in manifestation to guide them in various worlds, it would have been of no use. Grand Master T’ien-t’ai said in his Profound Meaning of the Lotus Sūtra, fascicle 9, “Since there are so many of His manifestations, we should know that He has been the Buddha for a long time.” It represents the consternation of the great assembly, men and gods who were surprised at the great number of Buddhas in manifestation (funjin).
Kaimoku-shō, Open Your Eyes to the Lotus Teaching, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Doctrine 2, Page 69-70
Someone accusingly says that I, Nichiren, established a coarse doctrine highhandedly without considering the capacity of people to understand, resulting in persecutions.
Others say that what is preached in the thirteenth chapter on the “Encouragement for Upholding This Sūtra” of the Lotus Sūtra about practicers of the Lotus Sūtra encountering difficulties without fail is applicable to bodhisattvas on a high grade. A low-grade practicer like Nichiren, they maintain, ought to practice the tolerant way preached in the fourteenth chapter on the “Peaceful Practices” of the Lotus Sūtra, but he fails to follow it.
Still others say that I know it in principle but dare not speak out.
Some people say that Nichiren stresses only the theoretical study, neglecting the practice of meditation, and I have been fully aware of their criticisms.
Pien-ch’u, a loyal subject of King Wu in ancient China, had both his legs amputated. In Japan, Wake no Kiyomaro, who blocked Priest Dōkyō’s usurpation attempt, was renamed Kegaremaro (Defiled-man) and was about to be executed. Those who laughed at them were all forgotten while Pien-ch’u and Kiyomaro are still remembered by the people. Those who condemn me, Nichiren, would be the same as those who laughed at Pien-ch’u and Kiyomaro.
Teradomari Gosho, A Letter from Teradomari, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Doctrine 2, Page 12-13
QUESTION: What are the differences between Mahāyāna and Hinayana teachings?
ANSWER: Generally speaking, the sūtras preached in the Agon period are Hinayana, while those preached in the Kegon, Hōdō, Hannya and Hokke-Nehan periods are Mahāyāna. In addition, those sūtras which expound the six unenlightened realms of hell, hungry spirits, beasts and birds, asura, human beings, and heavenly beings without expounding the four enlightened realms of śrāvaka, pratyekabuddha, bodhisattvas, and Buddhas are Hinayana while those which expound all the ten realms are Mahāyāna. Other than these two main distinctions, comparing the truthfulness in doctrine between the Lotus Sūtra and other sūtras, those sūtras preached in forty years or so before the Lotus Sūtra are in reality Hinayana although they are commonly called Mahāyāna sūtras; only the Lotus Sūtra is Mahāyāna.
Shugo Kokka-ron, Treatise on Protecting the Nation, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Doctrine 1, Page 13
Since the Lotus Sūtra is the true teaching of Śākyamuni Buddha, anyone who chants even one character of it will not fall into the three evil regions (hell, realm of hungry spirits, and that of animals) even if he commits such serious sins as the ten evil acts,* five rebellious sins,** or four major sins.*** This means that women who believe in the Lotus Sūtra will never fall into the three evil regions because of their sins committed in this world, even if the sun and the moon should not rise in the east, the ground should be turned upside down, oceans should not have low or high tides, cracked stones should stick back together, or the river water should not flow into the sea.
* Ten evil acts: killing living beings, stealing, adultery, lies, harsh words, words causing enmity between two or more persons, idle talk, greed, anger, and false views.
** Five rebellious sins: killing one’s father, one’s mother, an arhat; injuring the Buddha; and disturbing peace among Buddhist monks.
*** Four major sins: killing living beings, stealing, adultery and lying.
Gassui Gasho, A Letter on Menstruation, Nyonin Gosho, Letters Addressed to Female Followers, Page 32
Although the Lotus Sūtra consists of only eight fascicles, it is as valuable as reading 16 fascicles because it is the teachings expounded by both Śākyamuni Buddha and the Buddha of Many Treasures. These 16 fascicles in turn hold the value of innumerable fascicles because they were verified by innumerable Buddhas all over the universe. In other words, a single character of the Lotus Sūtra is as valuable as two characters because it was confirmed by the two Buddhas, Śākyamuni and Many Treasures. It is equal to the value of numerous characters because it was verified by numerous Buddhas all over the universe. Just as treasures produced by a wish-fulfilling gem hold the equivalent value as those produced by numerous gems, the merit of one character of the Lotus Sūtra is as valuable as those of numerous characters.
Nichimyō Shōnin Gosho, A Letter to Nichimyō Shōnin, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Followers II, Volume 7, Page 138
The Lord Śākyamuni Buddha is the lifetime head of a Buddhist Order and guiding teacher of all living beings. The eighty thousand Buddhist teachings preached by Śākyamuni Buddha are all words of wisdom, and the 12 divisions of Mahāyāna scriptures are all true. All the scriptures of Buddhism were preached by Śākyamuni Buddha who upheld the precept of not spreading lies. Therefore, each of the teachings should not be doubted. This, however, is a generalization. If we study them thoroughly, we can perceive differences between the Mahāyāna and Hinayana, exoteric and esoteric, and provisional and true teachings, though they were all uttered from the golden mouth of Śākyamuni Buddha. Now in this Lotus Sūtra (the “Expedients” chapter) the Buddha declares, “He honestly abandons the expedient teachings and expounds only the true way; after preaching various sūtras He inevitably preaches the very true teaching in the end.” Who can doubt this?
Shijō Kingo-dono Gohenji, Response to Lord Shijō Kingo, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Followers I, Volume 6, Page 117-118
