Over the course of Kaimoku-shō, Nichiren provides the reader with several possible answers as to why he has seemingly not received the divine protection from hardship and persecution that he and his followers may have expected. It could be because the guardian deities have abandoned the country. It could be because they are testing his compassion, patience, and resolve. It could be because his practice has aroused the three obstacles and four devils. It could be because the predictions of the Lotus Sūtra and other Mahāyāna sūtras need to be fulfilled, or because it is inevitable that the practitioner of the Lotus Sūtra must meet hardship, or because the practitioner must expiate his or her past transgressions, and even the buddhas, bodhisattvas, gods, and other beings cannot make the task any easier because of these factors. Curiously, Nichiren never does give a definitive single answer to this question in Kaimoku-shō. In fact, he seems to dismiss the question as not so important after all. He says, “In the final analysis, no matter how I am abandoned by gods and how much difficulty I encounter, I will uphold the Lotus Sūtra at the cost of my own life.” (Hori 2002, p. 105) For Nichiren, what matters is his mission, not whether he will receive divine blessings and protection. A bodhisattva is not daunted by difficulty or hardship but strives to realize the Wonderful Dharma and to help other beings realize it as well, no matter what the cost.
Open Your Eyes, p484-485Category Archives: WONS
What to Rely On
Concerning the judgment of the comparative superiority of the Buddhist sūtras in the future, the Buddha preached in the Nirvana Sūtra, “Rely upon reason, not upon men.” Bodhisattva Nāgārjuna stated in his Commentary on the Ten Stages, “It is right to depend on the sūtra; it is not right not to depend on the sūtra.” T’ien-t’ai said in the Profound Meaning of the Lotus Sūtra, “Accept what is in accordance with the sūtra; not to believe in what is not said in the sūtra in letter or in spirit.” Grand Master Dengyō in his Outstanding Principles of the Lotus Sūtra said, “Rely upon what the Buddha preached; never believe in what is transmitted orally.”
Senji-shō, Selecting the Right time: A Tract by Nichiren, the Buddha’s Disciple, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Doctrine 1, Page 234
Interpreting Sūtras According to Intent of the Buddha
What is the difference in interpretation of sūtras between Grand Master T’ien-t’ai and masters of other Buddhist Schools? Masters of other schools interpret sūtras respectively and think that they understand the meaning of each sūtra. Grand Master T’ien-t’ai, on the other hand, interprets sūtras according to the intent of the Buddha as He preached in the Lotus Sūtra on the pre-Lotus sūtras of the first forty years or so. Therefore, though the Lotus Sūtra seems different from the sūtras compiled by Venerable Ānanda, it agrees with the Buddha’s will.
Nijō Sabutsu Ji, Obtaining Buddhahood by the Two Vehicles, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Doctrine 3, Page 229
The Seed in ‘3,000 Existences Contained in One Thought’
Nonetheless, without the seed of Buddhahood established on the basis of the “3,000 existences contained in one thought” doctrine, attainment of Buddhahood by all sentient beings or the worship of wooden statues and portraits are empty names without reality.
Kanjin Honzon-shō, A Treatise Revealing the Spiritual Contemplation and the Most Verable One, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Doctrine 2, Page 145
The Activities of a Man Depend on the Power of His Wife
An arrow flies by the strength of a bow and the clouds move by the power of a dragon. Likewise, the activities of a man depend on the power of his wife. Lord Toki’s visiting me here in the deep mountain of Minobu this time is solely due to your power, My Lady the Nun.
When we see smoke, we think of fire. When we see rain, we think of the dragon that causes it. Likewise, when we see a husband’s conduct, we can think of his wife who motivates him. When I recently saw your husband, Lord Toki, I felt as though I saw you in person.
Toki-ama Gozen Gosho, A Letter to My Lady, the Nun Toki, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Volume 7, Followers II, Page 116
The Inexplicable Merit of Having Heard the Lotus Sūtra
When the “Expedients” chapter of the Lotus Sūtra was preached, 5,000 self-conceited ones did not believe in what they heard and withdrew from the preaching of the Lotus Sūtra. Nevertheless, they became Buddhas in three months’ time because they did not slander the Lotus Sūtra. Referring to this incident, it is preached in the Nirvana Sūtra, “Both believers and non-believers will be born in the Immovable Land.” Those who heard the Lotus Sūtra can become Buddhas even if they do not put faith in the sūtra, so long as they do not slander it, due to the inexplicable merit of having heard the sūtra. This is like the person bitten by a poisonous snake called shichibuja who is bound to fall within taking seven steps and is unable to take the eighth step due to the inexplicable work of the poison. Or it is also like an embryo that changes its shape within seven days and never stays in one shape for more than eight days.
Hōren-shō, Letter to Hōren, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Volume 6, Followers I, Page 52
Reidan Daimoku Hand Gestures
Today I attended Rev. Shoda Kanai’s online Shodaigyo practice at the Nichiren Buddhist Kannon Temple of Nevada. A special treat today was the incorporation of Reidan hand gestures during the Daimoku chanting.
I enjoyed the service and the sermon. I failed miserably at the hand gestures. I’m just terrible at that sort of thing. However, I’m going to see if I can incorporate the three cycles of six movements (see above illustration) as part of my regular daimoku. The six movements with their bad karma out, good fortune in meaning reminds of the earth trembling in six ways. As Nichiren writes:
Interpreting the earth trembling in six ways, Grand Master T’ien-t’ai states in his Words and Phrases of the Lotus Sūtra, fascicle 3:
“The east is blue in color, and it controls the liver, which in turn controls the eyes. The west is white in color, and it controls the lungs, which in turn control the nose. Therefore, saying that the east was raised and the west was lowered means the rise of the merit of the eyes and the decrease in the worldly passions of the nose. In contrast, saying that the west was raised and the east was lowered means that the merit of the nose appears while the evil passions of the eyes decrease. Likewise, the rise and fall of the south and north and those of the center and the four directions mean either the appearance of merit or the decrease of evil passions in the ears and the tongue and in the mind and body respectively.”
Grand Master Miao-lê explains the above in his Annotations on the Words and Phrases of the Lotus Sūtra, “As the eyes and nose represent the east and west, the ears and tongue logically represent the south and north. The center is the mind and the four directions represent the body. The body is equipped with the four sense organs (eyes, ears, nose, and tongue) and the mind reacts to them all. Therefore, it is said that the body and mind rise and fall alternately.”
Zuisō Gosho, Writing on Omens, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Followers I, Volume 6, Page 121
I can’t decide whether Reidan hand movements remind me more of Patty Cake or Macarana.
Karma Carried From Past Life
I wonder what kind of karma the princess of Lay Priest Ishikawa Hyōe has carried from her past lives. I understand that she chanted “Namu Myōhō Renge Kyō” at the last moment of her life. This is as miraculous as a one-eyed turtle finding a piece of wood with a hole floating in the ocean and climbing into the hole or dropping a line of thread from heaven to thread the eye of a needle stuck in the ground.
Ueno-dono Gohenji, A Reply to Lord Ueno, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Faith and Practice, Volume 4, Page 129
The Responsibility of Spreading Lotus Sūtra in Latter Age of Degeneration
QUESTION: Do you have proof to show that the bodhisattvas who have emerged from the earth are the leading teachers to save the people in this Sahā World in the Latter Age of Degeneration?
ANSWER: It is preached in the 15th chapter on “The Appearance of Bodhisattvas from Underground” in the fifth fascicle of the Lotus Sūtra, “Then the Buddha said to the bodhisattvas more than eight times the number of the sand of the Ganges River, who had come from the other worlds, ‘No, good men! I do not want you to uphold this sūtra after My extinction.’ ” Grand Master T’ien-t’ai interprets this in his Words and Phrases of the Lotus Sūtra, “As the bodhisattvas from the other worlds do not have close connections with this Sahā World, they will never have much success in propagating this sūtra.” Grand Master Miao-lê states in his Annotations on the Words and Phrases of the Lotus Sūtra, “Even bodhisattvas from other worlds were not entrusted with the task. How can we say that it was not entrusted to Śāriputra, a śrāvaka, alone.” Grand Master T’ien-t’ai [sic] also states in the Annotations on the Words and Phrases of the Lotus Sūtra, “Stopping the 80,000 great bodhisattvas that came from other worlds was for the purpose of later calling out the original disciples from underground. Clearly the task of spreading this sūtra was considered too heavy for other bodhisattvas to shoulder.”
The meaning of these citations from sūtras and commentaries on them is that all men of the śrāvaka such as Kāśyapa and Śāriputra; such bodhisattvas of theoretical teaching as Mañjuśrī, Medicine King, Avalokiteśvara and Maitreya (disciples of Buddhas in manifestation); and great bodhisattvas who had come from other worlds were all unable to bear the responsibility of spreading the teaching of the Lotus Sūtra in the Latter Age of Degeneration.
Soya Nyūdō-dono-gari Gosho, A Letter to Lay Priest Lord Soya, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Doctrine 3, Pages 161-162.
Merits of the Six Kinds of Practice
It is said in the Sūtra of Infinite Meaning (Muryōgi-kyō), an introductory teaching to the Lotus Sūtra: “Though unable to perform the six kinds of practice leading to Buddhahood— charity, observing precepts, perseverance, effort, meditation and wisdom— upholders of this sūtra will inevitably receive merits from practicing them.”
Kanjin Honzon-shō, A Treatise Revealing the Spiritual Contemplation and the Most Verable One, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Doctrine 2, Page 145