Category Archives: WONS

Abandoning Provisional Sūtras

Now, when you decide to convert your faith to the Lotus Sūtra, you may be puzzled whether you should abandon the pre-Lotus sūtras preached in the first forty years or so, or whether you should still keep them and continue to chant the name of the Buddha of Infinite Life. We ordinary people should not decide this issue on our own. We should follow what our father Śākyamuni Buddha tells us. He declares in the “Expedients” chapter of the Lotus Sūtra, “Having abandoned all expedient teachings, I will expound only the unsurpassed way (Lotus Sūtra).” Expedient teachings here means the expedient means mentioned in the Sūtra of Infinite Meaning stating, “The truth has not been revealed for forty years or so as an expedient means.” All words of all sūtras such as the triple Pure Land sūtras are included in the word ‘expedient’ defined by Śākyamuni Buddha.

Therefore, those who do not abandon the various sūtras preached during some forty years or so and convert themselves to the Lotus Sūtra must be called the most impious in Buddhism, no matter how proud they may be in secular society. This is the reason why it is preached in the “Parable” chapter of the second fascicle of the Lotus Sūtra, “This triple world is My domain, where all living beings are My children. There are many sufferings in this world and only I can save all living beings. Although I taught and told this to all living beings, they did not believe in me because they are at a loss.” Those who refuse to abandon the provisional sūtras preached during forty years or so or practice them along with the Lotus Sūtra do not follow the wishes of the ruler, teacher, and parent. The word ‘taught’ in the citation from the “Parable” chapter means what is taught by a teacher or a parent, and the word ‘told’ means what is ordered by the emperor. The Buddha is the wisest king, the most venerable teacher, and the smartest father in the world. Therefore, those who do not convert themselves to the Lotus Sūtra by abandoning the various sūtras preached during the forty years or so or those who do not abandon the provisional sūtras even after converting themselves to the Lotus Sūtra are those who do not follow the instructions of our father Śākyamuni Buddha, who has the three virtues of the ruler, teacher, and parent. They should not live in this world.

Hōmon Mōsaru-beki-yō no Koto, The Way to Refute the Evil Teaching, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Biography and Desciples, Volume 5, Page 142

Those Who Merely Listen To Lotus Sūtra

T’ien-t’ai’s interpretation makes it clear that even great bodhisattvas who have thoroughly studied Mahāyāna sūtras such as the Flower Garland Sūtra, Hōdō sūtras and the Wisdom Sūtra and reached the rank next only to the Buddha is incomparably inferior to those who merely listened to the Lotus Sūtra and had a connection with it, namely ordinary people in the Latter Age of Degeneration who were unable to eliminate the evil passions and master even one supernatural power.

Shō Hokke Daimoku-shō, Treastise on Chanting the Daimoku of the Lotus Sūtra, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Faith and Practice, Volume 4, Page 8

Day 17

Day 17 covers all of Chapter 12, Devadatta, and opens Chapter 13, Encouragement for Keeping this Sutra.

Having last month heard Śāriputra’s objection to the daughter of the dragon-king becoming a Buddha, we witness the daughter of the dragon-king become a Buddha.

At that time the daughter of the dragon-king had a gem. The gem was worth one thousand million Sumeru-worlds. She offered it to the Buddha. The Buddha received it immediately. She asked both Accumulated-Wisdom Bodhisattva and Venerable Śāriputra, “I offered a gem to the World-Honored One. Did he receive it quickly or not?”

Both of them answered, “Very quickly.”

She said, “Look at me with your supernatural powers! I will become a Buddha more quickly.”

Thereupon the congregation saw that the daughter of the dragon-king changed into a man all of a sudden, performed the Bodhisattva practices, went to the Spotless World in the south, sat on a jeweled lotus-flower, attained perfect enlightenment, obtained the thirty-two major marks and the eighty minor marks [of the Buddha], and [began to] expound the Wonderful Dharma to the living beings of the worlds of the ten quarters. Having seen from afar that [the man who had been] the daughter of the dragon-king had become a Buddha and [begun to] expound the Dharma to the men and gods in his congregation, all the living beings of the Sahā-World, including Bodhisattvas, Śrāvakas, gods, dragons, the [six other kinds, that is, in total] eight kinds of supernatural beings, men, and nonhuman beings, bowed [to that Buddha] with great joy. Having heard the Dharma [from that Buddha], [a group of] innumerable living beings [of that world] understood the Dharma, and reached the stage of irrevocability, and [another group of] innumerable living beings [of that world] obtained the assurance of their future attainment of enlightenment. At that time the Spotless World quaked in the six ways. Three thousand living beings of the Sahā World reached the stage of irrevocability, and another group of three thousand living beings [of the Sahā-World] aspired for Bodhi, and obtained the assurance of their future attainment of enlightenment. The Accumulated-Wisdom Bodhisattva, Śāriputra, and all the other living beings in the congregation received the Dharma faithfully and in silence.

On the topic of the daughter of the dragon-king becoming a Buddha, Nichiren writes in Kitō Shō, Treatise on Prayers:

Speaking of attainment of Buddhahood by this female dragon, therefore, Grand Master Miao-lê writes, “The great blessing despite little practice shows the power of the Lotus Sūtra. “As this female dragon is indebted to the Lotus Sūtra for attaining Buddhahood, how could she abandon practicers of the sūtra even without the Buddha’s command? So, she says in verse praising the Buddha,”I will widely disseminate Mahāyāna Buddhism to save the suffering people.” This vow of the female dragon is at the same time the vow of all the dragons who follow her, which is so deep that the mouth cannot express it and the mind cannot fathom it. The Sāgara Dragon King, father of the female dragon, was a beast in body but had a deep compassion for his children that he gave the greatest treasure in the ocean, a wish-fulfilling gem to his daughter as a donation upon her attainment of Buddhahood with the present body. This gem was worth as much as all things in the whole world.

Kitō Shō, Treatise on Prayers, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Faith and Practice, Volume 4, Page 63-64

The Ocean Of The Lotus Sūtra

[A]bsolute subtlety (zetsudaimyō) is a doctrine of revealing the truth (single path to enlightenment) and merging all the provisional teachings for bodhisattvas, pratyekabuddha, and śrāvaka (kaie). Here the pre-Lotus sūtras, which are abandoned as expedient by the doctrine of relative subtlety (sōdaimyō), are all included in the ocean of the Lotus Sūtra. Once entering the ocean of the Lotus Sūtra, the pre-Lotus sūtras will no longer be dismissed as expedient. All the sūtras entering the ocean of the Lotus Sūtra take up the one flavor of Namu Myōhō Renge Kyō because of the wonderful merit of the ocean of the Lotus Sūtra. There is no reason why they have to be referred to by other names such as nembutsu, Ritsu, Shingon, or Zen. Consequently, Grand Master T’ien-t’ai said in his Profound Meaning of the Lotus Sūtra, “Just as water becomes salty when it flows into the sea, any wisdom ceases to exist in itself after it is taken in the True Wisdom.” Thus he instructs us that no original names be mentioned. People of the Tendai School generally maintain:

The pre-Lotus sūtras with the first four flavors, which were dismissed in comparing the Lotus Sūtra with other sūtras (relative subtlety), can be kept and any names of Buddhas and bodhisattvas can be recited even after the single path is revealed through the doctrine of absolute subtlety because these sūtras, Buddhas and bodhisattvas are included in the wonderful entity of the Lotus Sūtra. Waters in rivers before entering the sea differ in size, or in cleanliness, but once they flow into the ocean, we can see that it is a serious mistake to distinguish or select water saying that some waters are cleaner than others. Both the dirty water that is undesirable and clean water that is loved stem originally from the same ocean. Therefore, even when we put a special name on some water, water is water wherever it is taken out from, and it is a mistake to think that there is a difference in water. Likewise, it is not a terrible idea to believe in any teaching one likes or comes across.

Thus they accept and believe any teaching which comes to the mind such as the nembutsu and mantras.

When speaking in vague terms, a point of view such as this seems rational, but strictly speaking it is a serious fallacy leading to hell. The reason is that while one person who truly understands the doctrine of kaie may uphold various provisional sūtras or recite any names of the Buddhas and bodhisattvas, all other people generally keep or chant them with the usual prejudice without understanding the meaning of kaie. Consequently, such a view can be an evil teaching in which even if a person who understands the doctrine may get enlightened, most people will fall into hell. Any doctrines expounded in the pre-Lotus sūtras and the “ultimate truth” shown in those doctrines are all composed of biased thoughts and convictions. As stated in the second chapter, “Expedients,” of the Lotus Sūtra, “They are astray in the thick forest of wrong views on existence and non-existence.”

Then both those who know the doctrine of kaie and those who do not know it cannot avoid going down to hell if they uphold provisional sūtras and recite the names of the Buddhas and bodhisattvas in them and contemplate the “ultimate truth” of the expedient teachings. Those who are convinced that they know the doctrine of kaie are no less wrong than those who believe that it is possible to put the water of the ocean into a puddle made by a hoof of a cattle. How can they escape from falling into the Three Evil Realms (hell, the realm of hungry souls, and realm of beasts and birds)? What’s worse, those who do not know the doctrine of kaie, basically taking in wrong teachings, are so attached to the wrong views or expedient teachings that they are sure to fall into the Hell of Incessant Suffering. Even after realizing the doctrine of kaie, they should dismiss such ideas considering them expedient teachings with which enlightenment cannot be achieved. Do not recite or uphold the names and the “ultimate wisdom” of evil doctrines.

Shoshū Mondō-shō, Questions and Answers Regarding Other Schools, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Doctrine 3, Page 179-181

A Suitable Dharma For Each Country.

The use of the terms “eternity, joy, self and purity” by non-Buddhists in India were wrong in meaning, but they were so good as names that the Buddha used them to name the four kinds of virtues of Nirvana in Mahāyāna Buddhism later. However, the Buddha hated these terms at first in order to get rid of the non-Buddhist ideas. Even evil is the seed of Buddhahood, and so is virtue. Although the principle of emptiness to which śrāvaka and pratyekabuddha were stuck was virtuous, not evil at all, the Buddha reproached them in order to break their adherence to it. The nembutsu today destroys the Lotus Sūtra in this country. Therefore, the nembutsu must be denied and criticized even though it is good and not wrong in meaning for the sake of the Lotus Sūtra. It is because in Buddhism there is a suitable dharma for each country.

Jisshō-shō, A Treatise on the Ten Chapters of the Great Concentration and Insight, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Doctrine 2, Page 5

The Evergreen Lotus Sūtra

In winter … trees appear dead, but pine and oak trees do not wither; grasses die, but chrysanthemums and bamboos remain unchanged. The same is true with the Lotus Sūtra, which will remain forever helping people even after other sūtras all disappear. Śākyamuni Buddha declared in the tenth chapter on “The Teacher of the Dharma” of the Lotus Sūtra that the Lotus Sūtra was supreme of all the sūtras He had preached, was preaching, and would be preaching. Moreover, in the eleventh chapter on the “Appearance of the Stupa of Treasures” the Buddha of Many Treasures attested the Lotus Sūtra to be true; and in the twenty-first chapter on “The Divine Powers of the Buddha” Buddhas manifested in various worlds all over the universe also verified the truth of the Lotus Sūtra by touching the Brahma Heaven with their tongues. Their sole purpose was to have the dharma of the Lotus Sūtra last forever in this world.

Shugo Kokka-ron, Treatise on Protecting the Nation, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Doctrine 1, Page 25

Day 14

Day 14 covers all of Chapter 9, The Assurance of Future Buddhahood of the Śrāvakas Who Have Something More to Learn and the Śrāvakas Who Have Nothing More to Learn, and opens Chapter 10, The Teacher of the Dharma.

Having last month witnessed Śākyamuni’s instructions to Medicine-King Bodhisattva at the start of Chapter 10, we hear the Śākyamuni’s prediction of who will become a Buddha.

“Medicine-King! lf anyone asks you who will become a Buddha in his future life, answer that such a person as previously stated will! Why is that? The good men or women who keep, read, recite, expound and copy even a phrase of the Sūtra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma, and offer flowers, incense, necklaces, incense powder, incense applicable to the skin, incense to burn, canopies, banners, streamers, garments and music to a copy of this sūtra, or just join their hands together respectfully towards it, should be respected by all the people of the world. All the people of the world should make the same offerings to them as they do to me. Know this! These good men or women are great Bodhisattvas. They should be considered to have appeared in this world by their vow to expound the Sūtra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma out of their compassion towards all living beings, although they already attained Anuttara-samyak-saṃbodhi [in their previous existence]. Needless to say, those who keep all the passages of this sūtra and make various offerings to this sūtra [are great Bodhisattvas]. Medicine King, know this! They should be considered to have given up the rewards of their pure karmas and appeared in the evil world after my extinction in order to expound this sūtra out of their compassion towards all living beings. The good men or women who expound even a phrase of the Sūtra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma even to one person even in secret after my extinction, know this, are my messengers. They are dispatched by me. They do my work. It is needless to say this of those who expound this sūtra to many people in a great multitude.

Nichiren cites this section in Shohō Jisso-shō, Treatise on All Phenomena as Ultimate Reality:

I, Nichiren, am the lone forerunner of the bodhisattvas who emerged from the earth. I may even be one of them. If I am counted as one of the bodhisattvas that emerged from the earth, my disciples and followers too are among the rank of those bodhisattvas from the earth, are they not? The “Teacher of the Dharma” chapter states, “If someone expounds even a phrase of the Lotus Sutra even to one person in secret, then you should know that such a person is My messenger, dispatched by Me and carries out My work.” This refers to none other than us.

Shohō Jisso-shō, Treatise on All Phenomena as Ultimate Reality, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Faith and Practice, Volume 4, Page 77

A Drop Of Water In A Great River Or An Ocean

Having read this letter of yours, I felt you are more unusual than those who have seen udumbara flowers which are said to bloom once in three thousand years. I am so gratified, feeling that you are more unusual than a one-eyed tortoise that floats on the waves of the ocean once in 1,000 years to be able to find a hole to rest in a floating piece of sandalwood. Therefore, I am adding a few words of joy, hoping to help you gain rewards of your merit in this life; but I am afraid that my words might be like the clouds that cover the moon or the dust that tarnishes the mirror. I, nevertheless, value your questions so much that I cannot keep silent. Please consider my words as a drop of water in a great river or an ocean, or candlelight by the side of the sun or the moon.

Gassui Gasho, A Letter on Menstruation, Nyonin Gosho, Letters Addressed to Female Followers, Page 26-27

The Rays Of 1,000 Lights

When Śākyamuni Buddha was the Wheel-turning Noble King in his previous life, he treasured this eight-character verse: “One who is born is destined to die. Extinguishing the attachment to life calms the mind.” He offered 1,000 lights to the verse by pouring oil on his body and burning it. Moreover, having the verse written on rocks, walls, and the main roads, he inspired those who read it to aspire for enlightenment. The rays of these 1,000 lights reached the Trāyastriṃsá Heaven, illuminating Indra, the lord of the heavens as well as other heavenly beings.

Nichimyō Shōnin Gosho, A Letter to Nichimyō Shōnin, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Followers II, Volume 7, Page 137

The Difficulty In Acting According To Lotus Sūtra

Now in the Perfect Teaching, the practice leading an ordinary person to Buddhahood is divided into six levels, which is designated as the six stages of practice (rokusoku). The third of the six stages is kangyō-soku, which is defined by T’ien t’ai as the stage in which one’s actions and words are in complete agreement. Accordingly, those in the stages below it, namely those in the first stage (ri-soku) and the second stage (myōji-soku) believe in the True Teaching in name but are unable to practice it in reality. For instance, the books of the Three Emperors and Five Rulers in ancient China are read by numerous people, but not even one out of one thousand or ten thousand can govern the world or act as preached in them. Therefore, it is difficult to govern the world. Likewise, we can read the Lotus Sūtra aloud as written on the paper, but it is difficult to act according to what is preached in it.

Tenjū Kyōju Hōmon, Lightening the Karmic Retribution, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Followers I, Volume 6, Page 30