Category Archives: WONS

d17b, WONS, Eyes

An Inspired Teaching

The Mahāyāna response … to the question as to when a teaching can be considered to have been taught by the Buddha is that it does not matter whether or not it was taught by the historical Buddha, but whether it conforms to the truth, to those teachings we know the historical Buddha did teach, to the renunciation of defilement, and to revealing the praiseworthy qualities of nirvāṇa, the unconditioned. Of course, this criteria comes down to the subjective judgment of those who are evaluating a given teaching, but this is certainly in line with the Buddha’s advice to the Kālāmas when he told them that they should not depend upon external authorities, traditions, or even their own speculations, but rather to depend upon what they come to know for themselves directly is wholesome and praiseworthy and to be put into practice. Mahāyānists may consider the Śākyamuni Buddha who speaks in the Mahāyāna sūtras as the personification of a wisdom tradition whose initial inspiration is found, but not limited to, the life and teachings of the historical Gautama Buddha.

In the case of Nichiren and those who follow him, there is certainly the conviction that the Lotus Sūtra is an inspired teaching, and furthermore that it expresses the ultimate intent of the Buddhist tradition as a whole — the buddhahood or perfect and complete awakening of all people without exception. To bring this point home, Nichiren adds to the three proclamations two additional proclamations from chapter twelve of the Lotus Sūtra: the prediction of buddhahood given to Devadatta and the transformation of the dragon king’s daughter into a buddha. Based on these two exhortations or additional proclamations, Nichiren asserts that the Lotus Sūtra guarantees that all men and women can attain buddhahood. This universal guarantee of buddhahood is where Nichiren, basing himself on the Lotus Sūtra, believes that all the teachings of all the other sūtras, Mahāyāna and pre-Mahāyāna, are leading. It is, therefore, up to us to accept this with trust and joy, put it into practice, and find out for outselves.

Open Your Eyes, p498-499
d7b, d8b, WONS

Not Only the Śrāvaka But Also Śākyamuni Buddha Is Within Us

[I]t is stated in the Lotus Sūtra (chapter four, “Understanding by Faith”) that four great Śrāvakas such as Kāśyapa rejoiced in their understanding of the teaching of the Lotus Sūtra enabling śrāvakas to attain Buddhahood, and reported to the Buddha that they had been given invaluable jewels without asking for them. This represents the attainment of Buddhahood by the śrāvaka realm contained in our minds.

Not only the śrāvaka but also Śākyamuni Buddha is within us. For, we encounter such a statement like this in the second chapter of the Lotus Sūtra: “It was My (Śākyamuni’s) original vow to let all beings become like Myself. My vow has now been fulfilled. I have helped them all enter the way of the Buddha.” Does this not mean, that Śākyamuni Buddha, who has attained Perfect Enlightenment, is our flesh and blood, and all the merits He has accumulated before and after attaining Buddhahood are our bones?

Kanjin Honzon-shō, A Treatise Revealing the Spiritual Contemplation and the Most Verable One, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Doctrine 2, Page 146

WONS, Eyes

The Correct Path

Quote

Using the four reliances as his standard for evaluating Buddhist teachings and going by the statements made by the Buddha in the Lotus Sūtra, Nichiren believed that the evidence conclusively pointed to the Lotus Sūtra as the Buddha’s most challenging and therefore most subtle and profound teaching. Because of the Buddha’s own testimony, he did not even feel that it would be necessary to go into a point-by-point comparison of the teachings of the other sūtras with those contained in the Lotus Sūtra, though of course he does that earlier in the Kaimoku-shō. Convinced of the superiority of the Lotus Sūtra to all the other sūtras, Nichiren was certain that the path he had chosen to uphold it against all opposition must be correct.

“It is I, Nichiren, who is the richest in Japan today, because I sacrifice my life for the sake of the Lotus Sūtra and leave my name for posterity. Gods of rivers take orders from the master of a great ocean, and gods of mountains follow the king of Mt. Sumeru. Likewise, when one knows the meaning of the “six difficult and nine easier actions” and “scriptures preached in the past, are preached at present, and will be preached in the future” in the Lotus Sūtra, one will automatically know the comparative merits of all Buddhist scriptures without reading them.” (Ibid, p. 90 adapted)

Open Your Eyes, p496
WONS

When We Believe in the Certainty of Attaining Buddhahood

[W]hen we believe in the certainty of attaining Buddhahood, is there anything to fear? It is pointless to become royalty and enjoy the pleasures of this life. It is useless to be born in heaven and enjoy its pleasures. Instead, follow the example of the dragon girl who attained Buddhahood in the “Devadatta” chapter of the Lotus Sūtra, and align yourself with Mahā-Prajāpatī.

How delightful it will be! How joyful it will be! Namu Myōhō Renge Kyō. Namu Myōhō Renge Kyō.

Toki-ama Gozen Gosho, A Letter to My Lady, the Nun Toki, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Volume 7, Followers II, Page 116

WONS

Like a Seed Becoming a Sapling or a Flower Becoming a Fruit

The merits of Lord Preacher Śākyamuni Buddha have entered the body of Hōren Shōnin and reside there. Also, the body of Hōren Shōnin is the figure of his late father. Therefore, it is like a seed becoming a sapling or a flower becoming a fruit. Although the flower falls, its fruit remains; although the seed is hidden in the fruit, it becomes visible when a sapling appears. That is to say, the merit of Hōren Shōnin for having faith in the Lotus Sūtra will in its entirety become the merit of his late father, ensuring his father of attaining Buddhahood. It is said that when a pine tree grows thick, an oak tree is delighted; when a lawn grass dies, an orchid weeps. Even plants without feelings behave like this, to say nothing of those who have feelings! It is all the more so for those who have a father-son relationship from a previous existence.

Hōren-shō, Letter to Hōren, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Volume 6, Followers I, Page 52

WONS

The Failings of Great Bodhisattva Hachiman

This Great Bodhisattva Hachiman attended the lecture assembly of the Lotus Sūtra on Mt. Sacred Eagle and made a written pledge to protect the practicers of the Lotus Sūtra after the passing of the Buddha. It is inexplicable, therefore, that this bodhisattva has done nothing to deal with the sworn enemies of the Lotus Sūtra who persecuted me for the past several years. Moreover, upon the advent of a practicer of the Lotus Sūtra, the bodhisattva, who did not rush to protect him, should at least try to discipline the rulers of Japan who persecute the practicer. It is regrettable that Hachiman has not done this even once although the rulers persecute the practicer like a dog biting a monkey, a snake swallowing a frog, a hawk preying on a pheasant, and a lion killing a rabbit under the nose of the bodhisattva. Even if he seems to have punished them, the punishments inflicted on them must have been purposely mild. As a result, Hachiman probably was scolded by such heavenly beings as the King of the Brahma Heaven, Indra, the sun, the moon, and the Four Heavenly Kings.

Kangyō Hachiman-shō, Remonstration with Bodhisattva Hachiman, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Doctrine 1, Page 266

WONS

The Mirror of the Buddhist Dharma

In order to see our own faces we have to look at them reflected upon a spotless mirror. Likewise, in order to see the rise and fall of a country, there is no way better than to see them reflected upon the mirror of the Buddhist dharma. As we respectfully read such Mahāyāna sūtras as the Sūtra of the Benevolent King, Sūtra of the Golden Splendor, Guardian Sūtra, Nirvana Sūtra, and Lotus Sūtra, it is preached that the rise and fall of a country and the life span of people in it depend on the Dharma they believe, whether they believe in the True Dharma or a false dharma. It is like water that keeps a boat afloat but also destroys it, or staple grains which nourish human bodies but often damage them. Small winds and waves would not damage large ships, but small ships can easily be destroyed by gale winds and huge waves. Unjust government, like small winds and waves, would not cause the downfall of a great country and a great man; however, there is no doubt that a false dharma in Buddhism, like gale winds and huge waves destroying small boats, will destroy a country.

Shinkoku-ō Gosho, Sovereigns of Our Divine Land, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Doctrine 1, Page 176

WONS

Receiving Śākyamuni Buddha’s Merit of Practicing

I fear that I may debase these passages if I try to interpret them, but I dare do so in order to answer your question. The gist of these passages is that Śākyamuni Buddha’s merit of practicing the bodhisattva way leading to Buddhahood, as well as that of preaching and saving all living beings since His attainment of Buddhahood are altogether contained in the five words of myō, hō, ren, ge, and kyō and that consequently, when we uphold the five words, the merits which He accumulated before and after His attainment of Buddhahood are naturally transferred to us.

Kanjin Honzon-shō, A Treatise Revealing the Spiritual Contemplation and the Most Verable One, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Doctrine 2, Page 146

d16b, d18b, d19b, WONS, Eyes

Five Proclamations

In considering whether or not to give public witness to the Lotus Sūtra, even though he knew he might face persecution, Nichiren found encouragement and confirmation of his chosen course of action in the simile of the “six difficult and nine easier actions” given by the Buddha in chapter eleven of the Lotus Sūtra.

Vacillating between whether I should speak out or whether I should not if I were to back down in the face of royal persecutions, I hit upon the ‘six difficult and nine easier actions’ mentioned in the eleventh chapter, “Appearance of the Stūpa of Treasures,” in the Lotus Sūtra. It says that even a man as powerless as I can throw Mr. Sumeru, even a man with as little superhuman power as I can carry a stack of hay on his back and survive the disastrous conflagration at the end of the world, and even a man as ignorant as I can memorize various sūtras as numerous as the sands of the Ganges River. Even more so, it is not easy to uphold even a word or phrase of the Lotus Sūtra in the Latter Age of Degeneration. This must be it! I have made a vow that this time I will have an unbending aspiration to buddhahood and never fall back! (Hori 2002, p. 53 adapted)

The passage that Nichiren is referring to can be found in the verses of chapter eleven. Further on in Kaimoku-shō, Nichiren cites what he calls the “five proclamations” of the Buddha in chapters eleven and twelve, of which the “six difficult and nine easy actions” are a part of the third proclamation. The five proclamations refer to the “three proclamations” of chapter eleven and two exhortations of buddhahood in chapter twelve — the prediction of buddhahood for Devadatta and the attainment of buddhahood by the dragon king’s daughter. The three proclamations are the three times in chapter eleven in which the Buddha exhorts those gathered to receive and keep, protect, read, and recite the Lotus Sūtra in the world after the passing of the Buddha.

Open Your Eyes, p487-488
WONS

A Lantern in Darkness, a Ship in the Sea, and Guardian in Dangerous Places

When I was exiled to Sado as a prisoner of the Kamakura shogunate, I hardly had any visitors. However, you proved to be an exceptional woman by not only sending many offerings but also personally visiting me over there. I thought that I was dreaming or seeing an illusion when you appeared; and this time you visited me here. I have no words to express my gratitude. I am certain that the gods will protect you and the ten female rākṣasa demons will have compassion on you. The Buddha promised that the Lotus Sūtra would serve woman as a lantern in the darkness, a ship in the sea, and a guardian in dangerous places.

Oto Gozen Go-shōsoku, A Letter to Lady Oto, Nyonin Gosho, Letters Addressed to Female Followers, Page 118-120