There are two ways of meditating on the doctrine of “3,000 existences contained in one thought.” One is the “theoretical” way, and the other is the “actual” way. Grand Masters T’ien-t’ai and Dengyō practiced the former. I, Nichiren, now practice the latter. As my method of practicing meditation is superior, difficulties befalling me are harder to bear. What T’ien-t’ai and Dengyō propagated was based on the doctrine of “3,000 existences contained in one thought” expounded in the theoretical section [of the Lotus Sūtra], while what I, Nichiren, propagate is based on the doctrine of “3,000 existences contained in one thought” in the essential section. The difference between the two is as great as the difference between heaven and earth. Remember this especially at the time of the last moment of life. Have an unwavering faith in the Lotus Sūtra and continue chanting the daimoku, which is the right way of meditation based on the “actual” doctrine of “3,000 existences contained in one thought. “

Toki Nyūdō Go-henji: Chibyō-shō, A Response to Lay Priest Lord Toki: Treatise on Healing Sickness, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Doctrine 2, Page 257.

The importance of this letter is underscored in the Introduction:

According to Nichiren, the greater difficulties he and his followers encounter show the appearance of the “actual” doctrine of “3,000 existences contained in one thought” in contrast to the “theoretical” doctrine advocated by T’ien-t’ai and Dengyō, and it represents the true doctrine of the essential section.

Here lies the uniqueness of Nichiren Buddhism. Nichiren Shōnin termed his own interpretation of the doctrine of “3,000 existences contained in one thought actual” and called that of T’ien-t’ai and Dengyō “theoretical.” On the basis of this “actual” interpretation of the doctrine of “3,000 existences contained in one thought,” Nichiren Shōnin found the way of saving the populace by having them put their faith in and chant the daimoku.

This marks the completion of the second week of my 100-day goal. I’ve finished Doctrine 2 (the second volume), which puts me on a pace to cover all seven volumes in the 14.3 weeks that comprise 100 days.

Now, as far as my theology goes, I would like you to think that what I have expressed before being banished to Sado Island can be equated with the forty or so years in which Śākyamuni had taught before revealing the Lotus Sūtra (that is, the truth and true aims of the Buddha were not directly divulged in those years). If the ruler of this country desires to govern the people under a proper political principle, then there will always be an opportunity for me to debate with the priests of the Shingon Sect. I shall expound my precious teaching for the first time then. Even if I had discussed this only within the circle of my disciples, some of it would bound to have leaked out making it difficult to conduct a discussion (as a result of their scheming). Such is why I have kept quiet about this to all of you. However, ever since the night of the twelfth of the ninth month in the eighth year of the Bun’ei Period (1271), when I was about to be beheaded at Tatsunokuchi (on the outskirts of Kamakura), I have come to think that it was unwise of me to have kept the truth from some of you who have stuck with me. There is a teaching I have disseminated quietly from the island of Sado (where I had been banished) to my disciples.

This is a teaching which great commentators in India and great masters in China and Japan who have come after the Buddha, such as Kāśyapa, Ānanda, Nāgārjuna, Vasubandhu, T’ien-t’ai, Miao-lê, Dengyō and Gishin, knew to be true in their hearts but never imparted. This is because the Buddha had strictly warned that, “this important teaching should not be passed on in the thousand years of the Age of the True Dharma and thousand years of the Age of the Semblance Dharma before entering the Latter Age of Degeneration.” Nichiren is not a direct emissary of the Buddha; however, as long as I have come to be in this Latter Age of Degeneration and have, quite beyond expectations, attained this doctrine, I would like to transmit it in the capacity of a herald, until Bodhisattva Superior Practice, a messenger of the Buddha, appears. Once this teaching is exposed, the teachings spread by the elders during the Ages of the True Dharma and Semblance Dharma would pale in comparison, just as the stars are obscured by the rising sun, or as if we see a dull performance after a skillful one. It is written in the sūtras that when the Latter Age of Degeneration dawns, such things as the spiritual power of Buddhist sculptures and priests of the temples built in the Ages of the True and Semblance Dharmas would be effaced; and its only legacy would be the dissemination of this great teaching throughout the world (Jambudvipa). All of you should feel grateful that you are endowed with the opportunity to have come across such a wonderful teaching.

Misawa-shō, A Letter to Lord Misawa of Suruga, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Doctrine 2, Page 241-242.

The Introduction to this letter provided by the translators offers this:

This letter represents a vital piece of evidence provided by Nichiren himself upon which many scholars rely in supporting the fact that there exists a difference in Nichiren’s revelation of doctrines and intensity of teaching before and after his Sado exile.

Something to consider as I continue through the 100 days of study.

It is said in [Chapter 7, The Parable of the Magic City], “Those who heard the Dharma from those śramaṇera (teachers) are now living under those Buddhas.” T’ien-t’ai stated (in the Words and Phrases of the Lotus Sūtra), “The Buddha in the Western Pure Land is different from the Buddha in this Sahā World; therefore, no relationship between parents and children exists between the Buddha of Infinite Life and us, ordinary beings in the Sahā World.” Miao-lê explains this (in his Annotations on the Words and Phrases of the Lotus Sūtra) that the Buddha of Infinite Life and Śākyamuni are different Buddhas. (…) Their relationships to us from past lives are different, so are their ways of teaching. Sowing the seeds of Buddhahood in living beings by the Buddha is similar to giving birth to a child by parents, and guiding the people by the Buddha is similar to raising a child by parents. If the parents who give birth to a child and parents who raise him are different, the true relationship between parents and child does not exist.

In these days, people in Japan believe that the Buddha of Infinite Life will come to save them. This is as nonsensical as feeding a baby cow or horse milk or trying to have the moon reflected on a roof tile.

Hokke Shuyō Shō, Treatise on the Essence of the Lotus Sūtra, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Doctrine 2, Page 208.

In quoting from Nichiren’s writings I tend to eschew those quotes that challenge the beliefs of other Buddhist sects. Quotes detailing the merits of the Lotus Sūtra and the benefits of Na Mu Myo Ho Ren Ge Kyo are simply more valuable to me. But in this case, I want to underscore my faith in this idea that we who are born in this Sahā World are the children of Śākyamuni. To cast Śākyamuni aside and instead cling to a Buddha from some other land is just unthinkable.

All sūtras preached prior to the Lotus Sūtra state that bodhisattvas and ordinary people are able to attain Buddhahood, but never the people of the Two Vehicles. Thinking that they can become Buddhas while the people of the Two Vehicles cannot, wise bodhisattvas and ignorant people throughout the six realms felt happy. The people of the Two Vehicles plunged into grief and thought, “We should not have entered the Buddhist way.” Now in the Lotus Sūtra, they are guaranteed of attaining Buddhahood, so not only the people of the Two Vehicles, but also the people of the nine realms will all become Buddhas. Upon hearing this dharma, bodhisattvas realized their misunderstanding. As stated in the pre-Lotus sūtras, if the people of the Two Vehicles cannot attain Buddhahood, then the Four Great Vows cannot be accomplished. Consequently, bodhisattvas would also be unable to become Buddhas. When it was preached that people of the Two Vehicles were unable to attain Buddhahood, they should not have been left alone in sadness; bodhisattvas should have joined them in grief.

Shōjō Daijō Fumbetsu-shō, The Differences between Hinayana and Mahayana Teachings, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Doctrine 2, Page 194-195.

Having never studied other forms of Buddhism I’m always puzzled how followers of pre-Lotus sūtras even approach the Bodhisattva vows knowing that some sentient beings are excluded. What does “Sentient beings are innumerable; I vow to save them all” mean if Śrāvakas and Pratyekabuddhas are excluded?

Nevertheless, if there is a man after the death of the Buddha who breaks the attachment to the false doctrines of the “four tastes and three teachings” of the pre-Lotus sūtras and puts faith in the True Dharma of the Lotus Sūtra, all the virtuous gods and numerous bodhisattvas who sprang up from underground will protect such a practicer of the Lotus Sūtra. Under such protection, this practicer would be able to spread over the world the honzon revealed in the essential section and the five-word daimoku of “myō, hō, ren, ge, and kyō,” the essence of the Lotus Sūtra.

He is just like Never-Despising Bodhisattva, who in the Age of the Semblance Dharma after the death of Powerful Voice King Buddha spread in the land of this Buddha the twenty-four character passage in the Lotus Sūtra (chapter twenty) saying: “I respect you deeply. I do not despise you. Why is it? It is because you all will practice the way of bodhisattvas and will be able to attain Buddhahood.” With such propagation, the Bodhisattva was severely persecuted by all the people in the land, who beat him with sticks and threw stones at him.

Kembustsu Mirai-ki, Testimony to the Prediction of the Buddha, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Doctrine 2, Page 174.

Considering this quote approximately 745 years later, one must affirm the accuracy of the prediction: This practicer would be able to [has] spread over the world the honzon revealed in the essential section and the five-word daimoku of “myō, hō, ren, ge, and kyō,” the essence of the Lotus Sūtra.

I imagine Nichiren smiling at finding a man in Sacramento, California, writing about this in 2018.

For those who are incapable of understanding the truth of the “3,000 existences contained in one thought,” Lord Śākyamuni Buddha, with His great compassion, wraps this jewel with the five characters of myō, hō, ren, ge, and kyō and hangs it around the neck of the ignorant in the Latter Age of Degeneration. The four great bodhisattvas will protect such people, just as T’ai-kung-wang and the Duke of Chou assisted the young ruler, King Chen, of the Chou dynasty, or the Four Elders of the Shang-shan attended child Emperor Hui of the Han dynasty in ancient China.

Kanjin Honzon-shō, A Treatise Revealing the Spiritual Contemplation and the Most Venerable One, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Doctrine 2, Page 164.

Having finished Kanjin Honzon-shō I want to add some of the notes for future reference.

• Five progressive stages in the practice of the Lotus Sūtra after the death of the Buddha, formulated by T’ien-t’ai in his Hokke mongu: (1) to rejoice on hearing the Lotus Sūtra, (2) to read and recite it, (3) to propagate it , (4) to uphold it and practice the six pāramitā, and (5) to perfect the six pāramitā.
• Six stages in the practice of the Lotus Sūtra formulated by T’ien-t’ai: (1) ri-soku, or the stage at which one had not heard the True Dharma and is ignorant of Buddhism; (2) myōji-soku, the stage at which one hears the name and reads the words of the Lotus Sūtra and begins believing in it; (3) kangyō-soku, the stage at which one begins practicing what he learns; (4) sōji-soku, the stage at which one eliminates the first two of the three categories of illusion; (5) bunshin-soku, the stage at which one attains partial enlightenment ; and (6) kukyō-soku, the highest stage of practice at which one eliminates all illusions and attains perfect enlightenment.
• Five kinds of eyes: (1) eyes of flesh (men); (2) divine eyes of gods; (3) eyes of wisdom of the Two Vehicles (Śrāvaka and Pratyekabuddha); (4) dharma eyes of bodhisattvas; and (5) eyes of Buddhas which can see through all things covering past, present, and future. The eyes of Buddhas also possess all the other four.
• Having a long, wide tongue is one of the Buddha’s physical excellences, considered a sign of words spoken truly.
• 3,000 dust-particle kalpa (sanzen-jindengō) is the immeasurably long period of time described in the seventh (Kejōyu) chapter of the Lotus Sūtra, indicating how much time has passed since Säkyamuni preached the Lotus Sūtra as the 16th son of Daitsūchishō Buddha: “Suppose someone smashed a major world system (consisting of 1,000 X 1,000 X 1,000 worlds) into ink powder. Then he traveled eastward making a dot as small as a particle of dust with that ink powder as he passed 1,000 worlds until the ink powder was exhausted. Then all the worlds he went through were smashed into dust. The number of kalpa which has elapsed since Daitsūchishō Buddha passed away is infinitely larger than the number of particles of the dust thus produced.”
• Gohyaku jindengō: literally the five hundred dust-particle kalpa. It means an inconceivably long period of time as described in the 16th chapter of the Lotus Sūtra indicating how much time has elapsed since Śākyamuni’s original enlightenment: “Suppose someone smashes five hundred billions nayuta, asamkhya worlds into dust, and then takes it all toward the east, dropping one particle each time he passes five hundred billions nayuta, asamkhya worlds. Suppose he continues traveling eastward in this way until he finishes dropping all the particles. Suppose all these worlds reduced to dust. Let one particle represent one kalpa. The time which has passed since I attained Buddhahood surpassed this by one hundred billion nayuta, asamkhya kalpa.”

“The Life Span of the Buddha” chapter says: “Having taken poison, some had lost their senses while others had not. … Seeing this excellent medicine with color and scent both good, those who had not lost their senses took it and recovered from their illness.” This refers to those who received the seed of Buddhahood in the eternal past as preached in “The Life Span of the Buddha,” those who had the opportunity to establish a connection with Buddhist dharma at the time of Great Universal Wisdom Buddha as revealed in the seventh chapter on “The Parable of a Magic City,” and all those bodhisattvas, Two Vehicles (Śrāvakas and Pratyekabuddha), men and gods who received the teaching of the Buddha in the pre-Lotus sūtraas well as the theoretical section of the Lotus Sūtra attain Buddhahood in the preaching of the essential section. It is said in the same chapter:

‘The remainder who had lost their senses were happy to see their father come back and requested him to cure their illness, but they refused to take the medicine their father offered them. Why did they not take it? It was because they had been affected by poison, causing them to lose their senses and think this excellent medicine, in both color and scent, not good at all. …

“Now I have to devise an expedient means so that they may take this medicine,” thought the father. “Now I will leave this excellent medicine here with you. You should take it without worrying about its effectiveness,” instructed the father to his children and he again went abroad. Then he sent a messenger back to his children, telling them that their father had passed away.’

The seventeenth chapter, “Variety of the Merits,” in the essential section of the Lotus Sūtra states, “In the evil age of the latter dharma…,” indicating that the teaching was for the Latter Age of Degeneration.

Kanjin Honzon-shō, A Treatise Revealing the Spiritual Contemplation and the Most Venerable One, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Doctrine 2, Page 156.

I’m both fascinated and chagrined by this revelation that as a member of the Latter Age of Degeneration I’m not among the three groups that did not lose their mind:

• those who received the seed of Buddhahood in the eternal past as preached in “The Life Span of the Buddha,”
• those who had the opportunity to establish a connection with Buddhist dharma at the time of Great Universal Wisdom Buddha as revealed in the seventh chapter on “The Parable of a Magic City,”
• and all those bodhisattvas, Two Vehicles (Śrāvakas and Pratyekabuddha), men and gods who received the teaching of the Buddha in the pre-Lotus sūtras as well as the theoretical section of the Lotus Sūtra attain Buddhahood in the preaching of the essential section.

But I suppose imagining myself as having been exposed to the Lotus Sūtra in life after life since the remotest past begs the question of why exactly it never took. How dumb or perverted would I need to be for it to take literally forever for me to realize Na Mu Myo Ho Ren Ge Kyo?

Finally, let us try to answer your first question (1) whether or not vast virtue of Lord Śākyamuni Buddha exists in our minds. The Sūtra of Infinite Meaning (Muryōgi-kyō), which is regarded as an introductory teaching to the Lotus Sūtra, explains how we attain Buddhahood:

“Suppose there was a prince just born to a king and his queen. Growing up day by day, month by month, year by year, the new prince has reached the age of seven. Though unable to attend the affairs of state, he is respected by his father’s subjects and befriended by children of great kings. He is loved by his royal parents, who find it most enjoyable to chat with him constantly. Why is this? It is because the prince is still young. My good people, he who upholds this Lotus Sūtra is just like this prince. His father is Buddhas; and his mother, this sūtra. Just as the prince was born to the king and his queen, Buddhas and this sūtra are united in one to give birth to the bodhisattva, upholder of this sutra. Suppose, having listened to the Lotus Sūtra, he reads a phrase or a verse of it, or reads it once, twice, ten, one hundred, one thousand, ten thousand times, or one trillion times the grains of sand of the Ganges River—unlimited and infinite number of times. Even if he had not yet obtained the ultimate truth, he would be respected by all the four groups of Buddhists (monks, nuns, laymen, and laywomen) and the eight kinds of gods and semi-gods, protectors of Buddhism. Accompanied by great bodhisattvas, he would always be protected and cared for by Buddhas and completely surrounded by their benevolence. It is because he is a beginner on the way to Buddhahood.”

Then, we come across the following passage in the Sūtra of Meditation on the Universal Sage Bodhisattva (Kan Fugen Bosatsu Gyōbō-kyō), considered to be the conclusion of the Lotus Sūtra: “This Mahayana Sūtra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma is the treasure house of all the Buddhas and the eyes of all the Buddhas in all the worlds in the universe in the past, present, and future. It is the seed of Buddhahood giving birth to all the Buddhas in the past, present as well as future. You must put the Mahayana teaching into practice lest the seed of Buddhahood be extinguished.” And also: “This Mahayana sūtra is the eyes of all the Buddhas. It is by means of this Lotus Sūtra that all the Buddhas reach the stage of having Five Eyes. The Buddha with three bodies (Dharma Body, Reward Body, and Accommodative Body) was born from this sūtra. This sūtra is the great seal of enlightenment impressed upon the sea of Nirvana, from which the Buddha with three pure bodies was born. The triple-bodied Buddha, therefore, is the source of happiness for men and gods alike.”

Kanjin Honzon-shō, A Treatise Revealing the Spiritual Contemplation and the Most Venerable One, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Doctrine 2, Page 143-144.

This concludes the first of what will be a little more than 14 weeks of study and I am thoroughly enjoying this. I’ve read the writings of Nichiren twice before, but reading today with my daily practice of daily reading a portion of the Lotus Sūtra has enhanced my understanding in ways I had not expected.

Note: Nichiren writes: “[W]e do not see how our mind contains ten realms, 100 realms, 1,000 aspects, and 3,000 modes of existence, unless we see our reflection in the clear mirror of the Lotus Sūtra and writings of Grand Master T’ien-t’ai such as Great Concentration and Insight.” Nichiren then specifies where in the Sūtra we find the explanation.

QUESTION (13): Which parts of the Lotus Sutra are you referring to? How about T’ien-t’ai’s explanation of them?

ANSWER: The second “Expedients” chapter of the Lotus Sutra (fascicle 1) states that the purpose of the Buddhas appearing in the worlds was “to cause all living beings to open the gate to the insight of the Buddha.” This means that of the nine of the ten realms of living beings (excepting the realm of Buddhas), each embraces the realm of Buddhas. In the sixteenth chapter, “The Life Span of the Buddha,” the sutra also declares: “As I said before, it is immeasurably long since I, Śākyamuni Buddha, obtained Buddhahood. My life spans an innumerably and incalculably long period of time. Nevertheless, I am always here and I shall never pass away. Good men! The duration of my life, which I obtained by practicing the way of bodhisattvas, has not yet expired. It will last twice as long as the length of time as stated above.” This passage also shows that the nine realms are included in the realm of Buddhas.

The following passages in the Lotus Sutra also show that the ten realms of living beings embrace one another. It is said in the twelfth chapter, “Devadatta,” that after an incalculably long period of time, Devadatta will be a Buddha called “Heavenly King.” This shows the realm of Buddhas included in the realms of hells as it says that even a man as wicked as Devadatta, who had tried to kill the Buddha and had gone to hell, will be able to become a Buddha.

In the twenty-sixth chapter on the “Mystic Phrases,” the Buddha praises the ten female rāksasas demons such as Lambā saying, “Your merits will be immeasurable even when you protect the person who keeps only the name of the Lotus Sutra.” Since even these rāksasas demons in the realm of hungry spirits protect the practicer of the Lotus Sūtra, the ten realms, from hells up to the realm of Buddhas, are comprised in the realm of hungry spirits.

The “Devadatta” chapter states also that a daughter of a dragon king attained perfect enlightenment, proving the existence of the ten realms in the realm of beasts.

The tenth chapter, “The Teacher of the Dharma,” says that even a semi-god like Asura King Balin (a king of asura demons mentioned in the first “Introduction” chapter) will obtain Buddhahood if he rejoices for a moment at hearing a verse or a phrase of the Lotus Sutra. This shows that the ten realms are contained in the realm of asura demons.

It is stated in the second “Expedients” chapter: “Those who carve an image of the Buddha with proper physical characteristics in His honor have already attained the enlightenment of the Buddha,” showing that the realm of man includes the ten realms in it.

Then in the first “Introduction” and the third “A Parable” chapters, various gods such as the great King of the Brahma Heaven declare, “we also shall be able to become Buddhas,” proving that the ten realms are contained in the realm of gods.

In the third chapter, the Buddha assures Śāriputra, the wisest of His Śrāvaka disciples, that he will also attain Buddhahood in future life and will be called “Kekō (Flower Light) Buddha.” This confirms the existence of the ten realms in the realm of Śrāvaka.

The second chapter states that those monks and nuns who sought emancipation through the way of pratyekabuddha (without guidance of teachers by observing the principle of cause and effect) pressed their hands together in respect, wishing to hear the Perfect Way. This affirms the existence of the ten realms in the realm of pratyekabuddha.

It is written in the twenty-first chapter, “Divine Powers of the Buddha,” that bodhisattvas as numerous as particles of dust of 1,000 worlds, who had sprung up from underground, beseeched the Buddha for this true, pure, and great dharma, namely the Lotus Sutra. This verifies the existence of the ten realms in the realm of bodhisattvas.

Finally in the sixteenth chapter, the Buddha sometimes appears as a Buddha in the realm of Buddhas but at other times appears as some of the others who reside in the other nine realms. This indicates that the ten realms are included in the realm of Buddhas.

Kanjin Honzon-shō, A Treatise Revealing the Spiritual Contemplation and the Most Venerable One, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Doctrine 2, Page 132-133.

I’ve understood for some time that the “3,000 existences contained in one thought” was not explicitly mentioned in the Lotus Sūtra but was instead written “between the lines.” With this lengthy excerpt I see the lines between which I should look.

Now, two ways of propagation, the persuasive and aggressive, are incompatible with each other just as water and fire are. The fire dislikes the water, and the water hates the fire. Those who prefer the persuasive tend to laugh at those who practice the aggressive and vice versa. So, when the land is full of evil and ignorant people, the persuasive means should take precedence as preached in the “Peaceful Practices” (14th) chapter of the Lotus Sutra. However, when there are many cunning slanderers of the True Dharma, the aggressive means should take precedence as preached in the “Never-Despising Bodhisattva” (20th) chapter.

It is the same as using cold water when it is hot and fire when it is cold. Plants and trees are followers of the sun, so they dislike the cold moon. Bodies of water are followers of the moon, so they lose their true nature when it is hot. As there are lands of evil men as well as those of slanderers of the True Dharma in this Latter Age of Degeneration, there should be both aggressive and persuasive means of spreading the True Dharma.

Kaimoku-shō, Open Your Eyes to the Lotus Teaching, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Doctrine 2, Page 111

I find it amusing that, in his next letter, Nichiren wrote Toki Jonin: “I wrote a little about the teaching of the Buddha and gave it to the messenger of Lord Shijō Kingo the other day.” I just can’t imagine anyone describing Kaimoku-shō as “a little” anything.

Having concluded Kaimoku-shō, I want to include some of the Notes that follow for future reference.

Kalpa is a Sanskrit term meaning an immeasurably long period of time, said to be the period required to erupt)’ a city full of poppy seeds by taking away one every three years, or for an angel to wear away a ten-mile-cubic stone by touching it with her robe once every three years.

It is believed that the world goes through four kalpa (periods) of construction, continuance, destruction, and emptiness, each of which consists of 20 small kalpas. The average human longevity in a small kalpa increases by a year per century from 10 years until it reaches the maximum human longevity of 84,000 years. After it reaches the maximum human longevity, the human life grows shorter by a year per century until it reaches the minimum average human longevity of 10 years. This is repeated 20 times within a kalpa.

Eight Winds refer to the eight elements which arouse one’s love and hate: profit, sorrow, slander, fame, praise, censure, pain, and pleasure.