Chanting Growers Group

[PassTheDoobie]

"Misfortune will change into fortune. Muster your faith, and pray to this Gohonzon. Then what is there that cannot be achieved? (WND-1, 412) From “Reply to Kyo’o.”

"The Buddhism of Nichiren Daishonin allows us to change poison into medicine and to transform our negative karma. There is no hardship or suffering that we cannot overcome, no darkness that we cannot break through. Now is the time to bring forth the vast and immeasurable power of the Buddha and the Law.

"The more challenging the times, the more important it is that we take a step forwards based on powerful prayer. Courageous faith is the very heart of Nichiren Daishonin's Buddhism.

SGI Newsletter No. 8186, LIVING THE GOSHO: WORDS OF ENCOURAGEMENT FROM SGI PRESIDENT IKEDA, (2) Changing Poison into Medicine through Powerful Prayer, from the March 22nd, 2011, issue of the Seikyo Shimbun, translated March 22nd, 2011

 

[EasyMyohoDisco]

Ohh my friends, I am overjoyed after reading all these great posts last night. In fact, I had a hard time sleeping because I felt so warm and excited at the same time. My life is energized and shining brightly as we continue to chant abundant daimoku. My friends are also chanting consistantly and practicing participating in major activities! We are organizing a fluid and dynamic movement for kosenrufu in my area now!

I must stress to all the newer chanting growers that you have a special link to the Gohonzon and you should make sure that you are constantly protecting your friends and family through your daimoku. Also please consider sharing this practice with those in your life. Alleviating suffering and helping other people is our mission as Bodhisattvas of the Earth!

Use your daimoku to get you where you need to go and then keep chanting for the rest of your life and be happy! I feel great and have developed an indomitable spirit. I am wiping away my negative karma on a daily basis by doing gongyo, attending meetings, studying The Goshos on this thread and also by doing shakubuku. I have been introducing Muslims, Jews, Christians, other types of Buddhists and especially friends of friends to this practice by demonstrating on a consistent and daily basis the power of this practice

Be the heroes in your family, job, life and world! I know that you already are!


Hey T! We have the Soka University Area leaders and up conference on the 2nd week of July (8-11)!!!! Come earlier if possible like on the 12th...

 

[EasyMyohoDisco]

Good evening all. It's really cool to see this thread. I've been raised in the so-cal SGI for my entire life, Nice to know there are some friendly faces around here! I'm sure some peeeps here have met my mom or my self.

Welcome Sampo and mom!


Hey are you going to the conference at SUA in july too?

 

[EasyMyohoDisco]

Yoooo CUBAN! WAY TO GO!!!!! Keep it up!!!!

I will be definitely chanting for your success! Keep up the good work and keep showing the world how its done!

 

[EasyMyohoDisco]

Afro, I am very very very excited about your good fortune. Please make efforts to receive a Gohonzon sooner than later my good friend!

Upward and Onward, be the best at what you do and keep up the strong chanting! That's the ticket

I'm very encouraged by your experience.

Best regards,
MyohoDisco!

 

[Forest20]

" If you know what your doing. You never learn anything"

 

[PassTheDoobie]

" If you know what your doing. You never learn anything"

And you can never understand what it takes for another to do that!

Forest!

Shout-out to DG! Dieselrella! Oh my!!!

Bowing in humble obeisance,

T

(Easy, the kids get out of school for vacation the day that we're leaving. Moving up our departure date is impossible. Sorry!)

 

[PassTheDoobie]

"It must be ties of karma from the distant past that have destined you to become my disciple at a time like this. Shakyamuni and Many Treasures certainly realised this truth. The sutra's statement, 'Those persons who had heard the Law dwelled here and there in various Buddha lands, constantly reborn in company with their teachers,' cannot be false in any way."

(The Heritage of the Ultimate Law of Life - The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, Vol.1, page 217) Selection source: SGI President Ikeda's guidance, Seikyo Shimbun, April 2nd, 2011

 

[PassTheDoobie]

"I am reminded of these words of my mentor: 'Courage translates into compassion. With courage, help others and help society. Let's all take up this great struggle!'

Daisaku Ikeda

 

[PassTheDoobie]

"This Buddha expounded the medicine of immortality. This is the five characters of Myoho-renge-kyo we have today. Moreover, he specifically taught that these five characters are 'good medicine for the ills of the people of Jambudvipa.'"

(The Good Medicine for All Ills - The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, Vol.1, page 937) Selection source: SGI President Ikeda's message, Seikyo Shimbun, December 26th, 2010

 

[PassTheDoobie]

"Everyone possesses within their life an incredible potential to touch people's lives through dialogue.

"In the Lotus Sutra, the Bodhisattvas of the Earth are described as 'clever at difficult questions and answers, their minds knowing no fear' (cf. LSOC15, 263). All of you, youthful Bodhisattvas of the Earth, have appeared in this defiled age with the ability to surmount obstacles and pioneer new paths for the sake of realising kosen-rufu.

"Everything starts with courage. For us ordinary beings, courage substitutes for compassion. We show compassion to others by having the courage to speak with them. Steadfast dialogue is a sure way of doing good. It is a path of spreading happiness. And it leads to a magnificent revival of the human spirit, elevating the life-state of humankind and connecting the hearts of people everywhere."

SGI Newsletter No. 8134, YOUTH AND THE WRITINGS OF NICHIREN DAISHONIN, The Soka Network: An Alliance of People Dedicated to Good--Part 1 [of 2], from the Oct. 24th, 2010, issue of the Seikyo Shimbun, translated Dec. 21st, 2010

 

[PassTheDoobie]

The True Aspect of All Phenomena

Written by Nichiren

Question: The "Expedient Means" chapter in the first volume of the Lotus Sutra states, "The true aspect of all phenomena [can only be understood and shared between Buddhas. This reality consists of the appearance, nature . . . and] their consistency from beginning to end." What does this passage mean?

Answer: It means that all beings and environments in the Ten Worlds, from hell, the lowest, to Buddhahood, the highest, are without exception manifestations of Myoho-renge-kyo. If there is an environment, living beings are bound to dwell there. A commentary states, "Living beings and their environments always manifest Myoho-renge-kyo." (1) Another says: "The true aspect invariably manifests in all phenomena, and all phenomena invariably manifest in the ten factors. The ten factors invariably manifest in the Ten Worlds, and the Ten Worlds invariably manifest in life and its (2) environment." And "Both the beings and the environment of the Avichi hell exist entirely within the life of the highest sage [Buddha], and what is more, the life and the environment of Vairochana [Buddha] never transcend the lives of (3) common mortals." These explanations are precise and clear. Who could have doubts? Thus, the entire realm of phenomena is no different than the five characters of Myoho-renge-kyo.

Even the two Buddhas, Shakyamuni and Many Treasures, in performing the function of the benefit of the five characters of Myoho-renge-kyo, manifested themselves as the two Buddhas, and seated together in the treasure tower, nodded in mutual agreement.

No one but Nichiren has ever revealed teachings like these. Though T'ien-t'ai, Miao-lo, and Dengyo knew about them in their hearts, they never put them into words. They went about their lives keeping this knowledge to themselves. And there was good reason for this. The Buddha had not entrusted them with the task, the time had not yet come, and they had not been the Buddha's disciples from the distant past. Only Superior Practices, Boundless Practices, and the other foremost leaders and guiding teachers among the Bodhisattvas of the Earth can not only appear during the first five hundred years of the Latter Day of the Law and spread the five characters of Myoho-renge-kyo, the essence of all phenomena, but also give concrete form to the ceremony of the two Buddhas seated side by side in the treasure tower. The reason is that what they are to spread and give concrete form to is none other than the teaching of the actual three thousand realms in a single moment of life in the "Life Span" chapter of the essential teaching.

Therefore, the two Buddhas, Shakyamuni and Many Treasures, are Buddhas who are functions [of Myoho-renge-kyo]. It is Myoho-renge-kyo that (4) is the true Buddha. This is what is described in the sutra as "the Thus Come One's secret and his transcendental powers (5)." The "Thus Come One's secret" refers to the entity of the Buddha's three bodies, and it refers to the true Buddha. "His transcendental powers" refers to the functions of the three bodies, and it refers to provisional Buddhas. A common mortal is an entity of the three bodies, and a true Buddha. A Buddha is a function of the three bodies, and a provisional Buddha. In that case, though it is thought that Shakyamuni Buddha possesses the three virtues of sovereign, teacher, and parent for the sake of all of us living beings, that is not so. On the contrary, it is common mortals who endow him with the three virtues.

The "Thus Come One" is explained clearly in T'ien-t'ai's commentary as follows: "The Thus Come One is a general designation for the Buddhas of the ten directions and the three existences, for the two Buddhas, the three (6) Buddhas, the true Buddha, and provisional Buddhas (7)." The "true Buddha" here means common mortals, whereas "provisional Buddhas" means Buddhas. However, because of the difference between ordinary people and Buddhas that stems from the disparity between delusion and enlightenment, ordinary people are unaware that they are endowed with both the entity and the functions of the three bodies.

"All phenomena" in the sutra refers to the Ten Worlds, and the "true aspect," to what they actually are. The "true aspect" is another name for Myoho-renge-kyo; hence all phenomena are Myoho-renge-kyo. Hell's displaying the form of hell is its true aspect. When hell changes into the realm of hungry spirits, that is no longer the true form of hell. A Buddha displays the form of a Buddha, and a common mortal, that of a common mortal. The entities of all phenomena are entities of Myoho-renge-kyo. That is the meaning of "the true aspect of all phenomena." T'ien-t'ai states that the profound principle of the true aspect is the originally inherent Myoho-renge-kyo (8). This interpretation identifies the phrase "true aspect" with the theoretical teaching and "the originally inherent Myoho-renge-kyo" with the essential teaching. You should ponder this interpretation deep in your heart.

Although not worthy of the honor, I, Nichiren, was nevertheless the first to spread the Mystic Law entrusted to Bodhisattva Superior Practices for propagation in the Latter Day of the Law. I was also the first, though only Bodhisattva Superior Practices is so empowered, to inscribe [the object of devotion as] the embodiment of Shakyamuni Buddha from the remote past as revealed in the "Life Span" chapter of the essential teaching, of Many Treasures Buddha who appeared when the "Treasure Tower" chapter of the theoretical teaching was preached, and of the Bodhisattvas of the Earth who arrived with the "Emerging from the Earth" chapter. Though people may hate me, they cannot possibly alter the fact of my enlightenment.

Therefore, to have exiled me, Nichiren, to this remote island is, I believe, an offense that can never be expiated, even with the passing of countless kalpas. A passage from the "Simile and Parable" chapter reads, "If I were to describe the punishments [that fall on persons who slander this sutra], I could exhaust a kalpa and never come to the end." On the other hand, not even the wisdom of the Buddha can fathom the blessings that one will obtain by giving alms to Nichiren and by becoming his disciple and lay supporter. The sutra reads, "[The benefits he gains thereby will be such that] even the Buddha wisdom could never finish calculating (9) their extent."

Nichiren alone took the lead in carrying out the task of the Bodhisattvas of the Earth. He may even be one of them. If Nichiren is to be counted among the Bodhisattvas of the Earth, then so must his disciples and lay supporters. The sutra states: "If one [of these good men or good women in the time after I have passed into extinction] is able to secretly expound the Lotus Sutra to one person, even one phrase of it, then you should know that he or she is the envoy of the Thus Come One. He has been dispatched by the Thus Come One and carries out the (10) Thus Come One's work." Who else but us can this possibly refer to?

When praised highly by others, one feels that there is no hardship one cannot bear. Such is the courage that springs from words of praise. The votaries born in the Latter Day of the Law who propagate the Lotus Sutra will encounter the three types of enemies, who will cause them to be exiled and even condemn them to death. Yet Shakyamuni Buddha will enfold in his robe those who nonetheless persevere in propagating. Heavenly gods will make them offerings, support them with their shoulders, and carry them on their backs. They possess great roots of goodness and deserve to be great leaders for all living beings. Thus extolled by Shakyamuni Buddha, Many Treasures Buddha, all the Buddhas and bodhisattvas in the ten directions, the seven reigns of the heavenly deities and the five reigns of the earthly deities, the Mother of Demon Children and the ten demon daughters, the four heavenly kings, Brahma, Shakra, King Yama, the gods of the waters and winds, the gods of the seas and mountains, the Thus Come One Mahavairochana, the bodhisattvas Universal Worthy and Manjushri, and the gods of the sun and moon - thus praised by all these honored ones, I, Nichiren, have been able to endure countless harsh trials. When praised, one does not consider one's personal risk, and when criticized, one can recklessly cause one's own ruin. Such is the way of common mortals.

Now, no matter what, strive in faith and be known as a votary of the Lotus Sutra, and remain my disciple for the rest of your life. If you are of the same mind as Nichiren, you must be a Bodhisattva of the Earth. And if you are a Bodhisattva of the Earth, there is not the slightest doubt that you have been a disciple of Shakyamuni Buddha from the remote past. The sutra states, "Ever since the long distant past I have been teaching and converting this multitude (11)." There should be no discrimination among those who propagate the five characters of Myoho-renge-kyo in the Latter Day of the Law, be they men or women. Were they not Bodhisattvas of the Earth, they could not chant the daimoku. At first only Nichiren chanted Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, but then two, three, and a hundred followed, chanting and teaching others. Propagation will unfold this way in the future as well. Does this not signify "emerging from the earth"? At the time when the Law has spread far and wide, the entire Japanese nation will chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, as surely as an arrow aimed at the earth cannot miss the target.

But now you must build your reputation on the Lotus Sutra and give yourself up to it. At the Ceremony in the Air, when the Buddhas and bodhisattvas of the ten directions gathered together, the two Buddhas, Shakyamuni and Many Treasures, nodded in agreement. What they decided on was nothing other than the perpetuation of the Law throughout the Latter Day. Many Treasures Buddha had offered Shakyamuni Buddha a place beside him, and when they unfurled the banner of Myoho-renge-kyo, the two leaders of the entire multitude made their decision together. Could there have been anything false in their decision? Their ultimate purpose in meeting was to provide a way for all of us living beings to attain Buddhahood.

Although I was not at that ceremony, on looking at the sutra, this is crystal-clear. On the other hand, I may have been at the ceremony, but since I am a common mortal, it is beyond my power to know the past. There is no doubt, however, that in my present life I am the votary of the Lotus Sutra, and that in the future I will therefore reach the seat of enlightenment without fail. Judging the past from this point of view, I must have been at the Ceremony in the Air. There can be no discontinuity between the three existences of past, present, and future.

Because I view things this way, I feel immeasurable delight even though I am now an exile. Joy as well as sorrow moves us to tears. Tears express our feelings for both blessings and misfortune. The one thousand arhats shed tears in memory of the Buddha, and in tears Bodhisattva Manjushri chanted Myoho-renge-kyo. From among those one thousand arhats, the Venerable Ananda replied in tears, "This is what (12) I heard." The tears of all the others fell, wetting their inkstones, and they wrote Myoho-renge-kyo, followed by "This is what I heard." I, Nichiren, now feel exactly as they did. I am now in exile because I spread the five and seven characters of Myoho-renge-kyo. I spread this teaching because "This is what I heard": Shakyamuni Buddha and Many Treasures Buddha left Myoho-renge-kyo for the future and for all living beings in the country of Japan.

I cannot hold back my tears when I think of the great persecution confronting me now, or when I think of the joy of attaining Buddhahood in the future. Birds and crickets cry, but never shed tears. I, Nichiren, do not cry, but my tears flow ceaselessly. I shed my tears not for worldly affairs but solely for the sake of the Lotus Sutra. So, indeed, they must be tears of amrita. The Nirvana Sutra states that, while the tears one has shed in past existences at the death of one's parents, brothers, sisters, wives, children, and other relatives surpass the quantity of water in the four great seas, one weeps not a drop for the Buddha's teachings. One becomes a votary of the Lotus Sutra by virtue of one's practice in past existences. It is karmic relationships that determine which among the many trees are made into images of the Buddha. It is also because of karma that some become statues of Buddhas of the provisional teachings.

In this letter, I have written my most important teachings. Grasp their meaning firmly, and make them a part of your life. Believe in the Gohonzon, the supreme object of devotion in all of Jambudvipa. Be sure to strengthen your faith, and receive the protection of Shakyamuni, Many Treasures, and the Buddhas of the ten directions. Exert yourself in the two ways of practice and study. Without practice and study, there can be no Buddhism. You must not only persevere yourself; you must also teach others. Both practice and study arise from faith. Teach others to the best of your ability, even if it is only a single sentence or phrase. Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, Nam-myoho-renge-kyo.

With my deep respect,

Nichiren

The seventeenth day of the fifth month

POSTSCRIPT:

I wrote before about the doctrines that have been handed down to me. Those I have revealed to you in this particular letter are very important. Is there not a mystic bond between us? Are you not the embodiment of one of the four bodhisattvas, including Superior Practices, who led the Bodhisattvas of the Earth equal in number to the sands of the sixty thousand Ganges Rivers? There must be some profound reason for our relationship. I have given you the teachings that concern myself. Nichiren may be one of the followers of the Bodhisattvas of the Earth who are equal in number to the sands of the sixty thousand Ganges Rivers, for I have been chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo out of my desire to guide all the men and women in Japan. The sutra says, "[Among these bodhisattvas were four leaders.] The first was called Superior Practices . . . . These four bodhisattvas were the foremost leaders (13) and guiding teachers." A bond of karma from the past has led you to become my disciple. By all means keep this letter to yourself. I have herein committed to writing the doctrines of my own enlightenment. I will end here.

Reply to Sairen-bo

Background

Nichiren Daishonin wrote this letter to Sairen-bo Nichijo while at Ichinosawa on Sado Island in the fifth month of the tenth year of Bun'ei (1273). For some reason Sairen-bo was also in exile on Sado, where he had been converted by the Daishonin in the second month of 1272. A former Tendai priest, he already knew something about "the true aspect of all phenomena"; it was a fundamental concept in the Tendai school of Buddhism. He could not, however, satisfactorily come to grips with this concept through T'ien-t'ai's theory alone, so he asked the Daishonin for an explanation. The True Aspect of All Phenomena is the Daishonin's reply.

Though comparatively short, this document elucidates two important elements of the Daishonin's Buddhism. It was completed a month after Nichiren Daishonin wrote The Object of Devotion for Observing the Mind, in which he explained the Gohonzon, the object of devotion that can lead all people in the Latter Day of the Law to enlightenment. True Aspect of All Phenomena begins with a passage from the "Expedient Means" chapter - the heart ofthe theoretical teaching of the Lotus Sutra - that implies that no phenome-non is in any way different from the true aspect, or Myoho-renge-kyo. It also implies that all the innumerable forms and realities that exist, both concrete and abstract, are manifestations of Myoho-renge-kyo. The Daishonin then explains the essence of the Lotus Sutra, Myoho-renge-kyo, and its embodiment, the Gohonzon. This is the first element - the object of devotion in terms of the Law.

After clarifying the ultimate teaching of the Lotus Sutra, the Daishonin states that Bodhisattva Superior Practices, the leader of the Bodhisattvas of the Earth, will propagate that teaching, and that he himself is carrying out the mission entrusted to that bodhisattva. In light of his own behavior and his fulfillment of the predictions in the Lotus Sutra, Nichiren Daishonin suggests that he himself is Bodhisattva Superior Practices. A more profound interpretation, however, identifies him as the Buddha of the Latter Day of the Law, whose purpose was to establish the Gohonzon for the enlightenment of all people in the Latter Day. Thus True Aspect of All Phenomena also explains the object of devotion in terms of the Person. This is the second element. Referring to both the Person and the Law, the Daishonin clarifies the fundamental object of devotion for the people of the Latter Day. He brings together the points he expounded in The Opening of the Eyes completed in 1272, which focuses on the second element, and in The Object of Devotion for Observing the Mind, which focuses on the first element.

The latter half of this letter explains to Sairen-bo that those who devote themselves to propagating the correct teaching in the same spirit as the Daishonin are themselves Bodhisattvas of the Earth. The Daishonin predicts that Nam-myoho-renge-kyo will spread widely in the future, and concludes by setting forth the key elements of Buddhist practice in the Latter Day of the Law - namely, faith, practice, and study.

Notes

1. The Annotations on "The Words and Phrases of the Lotus Sutra."
2. The Diamond Scalpel.
3. Ibid.
4. Here the entity of Myoho-renge-kyo is identified as the "true Buddha" and its function as a "provisional Buddha."
5. Lotus Sutra, chap. 16.
6. The two Buddhas refer to a Buddha in his true, original status (the Dharma body) and a Buddha in the form in which he appears in response to the people's desires in order to save them (the manifested body). The three Buddhas indicate the three bodies of a Buddha - the Dharma body, the reward body, and the manifested body.
7. The Words and Phrases of the Lotus Sutra.
8. This statement is attributed to T'ien-t'ai, but its source has not yet been satisfactorily identified.
9. Lotus Sutra, chap. 23.
10. Ibid., chap. 10.
11. Ibid., chap. 15.
12. A phrase that opens many sutras. The "I" indicates the person who recites what the Buddha taught, so that it may be set down in the form of a sutra.
13. Lotus Sutra, chap. 15.

 

[PassTheDoobie]

The True Entity of Life

- Shoho Jisso Sho –

Lecture 1 of 3 from Selected Lectures on the Gosho, vol. 1.
________________________________________

Spirit of Buddhist Study

Seeing the sun of Nichiren Daishonin's Buddhism rise among each of us, I would like to speak to you about Shoho Jisso Sho (The True Entity of Life) with prayers for the good health of each of you. First, let me recount a story that relates to the Soka Gakkai's study movement as it opens the way for the "religion of man."

It concerns Kumarajiva (344-409 AD.) of Kucha in Central Asia. He was responsible for great waves of Buddhist thought which flowed across China over a thousand years ago. As you know, he was a priest who completed the unexcelled translation of the Lotus Sutra from Sanskrit into Chinese, and he rendered the sutra's title and essence as Myoho-renge-kyo. However, what moves me more than his work is the passion with which he went to China and dedicated his entire life to the transmission of the true spirit of Buddhism. It is said that Kumarajiva was over fifty when he entered Ch'angan, after long years of hardship. That was the starting point of his struggle to fulfill the purpose he had long cherished. From then on, the hard work of passing on the Buddhist teachings started. He carried out his translation work at a great pace, as if all the power pent up within him were released all at once. Hearing of his arrival, priests came from every district in China to form a great religious order under him.

It is said that he ended his days eight or twelve years later, and that during this period more than three hundred volumes of sutras were translated at the tremendous speed of two or three a month. His enterprise was a vivid movement of Buddhist study that went far beyond translation. According to the prefaces of various scriptures he translated, a large number of capable people --- eight hundred on one occasion and two thousand on another --- gathered around him to engage in the translation effort. Carrying the translated sutras with him, Kumarajiva unfolded his interpretation of Buddhism before these audiences. He elucidated each teaching clearly and thoroughly, explaining why the wording of a sutra had been rendered in such a way and wherein the true meaning lay. He patiently answered many questions from the people assembled under him until they truly understood the meaning of each sutra. One would think he had devoted decades to these difficult translations, confined to his study with nothing but dictionaries around him, but that was not the way he worked. He worked with the people, acutely sensing their innermost feelings as he carried on discussions about Buddhism with them. His translation of the Lotus Sutra was the fruit of this broad and sensitive approach. I am convinced this is why Kumarajiva was able to produce such a smooth and still accurate rendition of the sutra's original meaning. No matter how important or valuable the teachings of Buddhism may be, if they cannot be correctly understood, they will never become part of the lives of the people. Philosophy's true value can only shine through communication between people and in their daily experience. Without the work of Kumarajiva and his group to propagate the sutras, the development of Buddhism and its flowering with T'ien-t'ai in China and Dengyo in Japan could never have taken place.

I do not want simply to praise the greatness of Kumarajiva and his mission, but to suggest what we can learn from the way he approached his mission and apply it to our own study of Buddhism. He devoted himself to dialogue with the people, always remaining among them. In a sense we are the Kumarajivas of today. He helped introduce the Buddhist scriptures from India to China through translation, and the Kumarajivas of this day must bring to life the seven-hundred year-old scripture of the Latter Day of the Law by introducing it and propagating it to people of modern times. Our study movement follows the same pattern as Kumarajiva's. With the Gosho as our sutra, we use the forms each occasion requires --- lectures, questions and answers, and personal guidance. And we unfold Buddhism through dialogue, keeping in direct touch with the hearts of the people.

Shakyamuni Buddha also expounded his teachings among the people, sharing their joys and sorrows until he passed away. The teachings he left still shine, filled with the understanding that comes from direct confrontation with the suffering that is an inseparable part of every man's existence. One extremist Buddhist scholar goes so far as to say that Shakyamuni did not expound Buddhism. Of course there can be no question that Shakyamuni gave birth to Buddhism, but there is something significant in what that scholar said. When someone speaks of the many sutras taught by Shakyamuni or their classification by T'ien-t'ai into five periods and eight teachings*, it sounds as though Shakyamuni preached according to some detailed, prearranged system. The truth is that Shakyamuni taught in the form of encouragement to poverty-stricken people --- to an old woman afflicted with illness, as if he felt her pain as his own and carried her on his back, or warm encouragement to a youth in the grip of deep spiritual suffering. All his sutras were the natural result of his lifelong devotion to the people, the accumulation of every compassionate word he spoke to alleviate the pain of people oppressed by the cruel caste system. That is why the sutras consist of questions and answers throughout. The teachings of Shakyamuni sprang from his disciples' memories and records of his talks with the people and his behavior among them. These are what were finally compiled in the form of the sutras we have today. *(Note)[T'ien-t'ai's classification of Shakyamuni's teachings according to the order and content of their preaching. The five periods are the Kegon, Agon, Hodo, Hannya and Hokke-Nehan periods. During the last period Shakyamuni expounded the Lotus Sutra, fully revealing his enlightenment. The eight teachings are subdivided into two groups: four teachings of keho (doctrine) and four teachings of kegi (method). The first are: 1) zokyo, Hinayana teachings; 2) tsugyo, lower provisional Mahayana teachings; 3) bekkyo, higher provisional Mahayana teachings; and 4) engyo, or true Mahayana, that is, the Lotus Sutra. The second, a division by method of teaching, are: 1) tonkyo, to reveal the teaching of enlightenment directly; 2) zenkyo, to reveal the teaching gradually; 3) himitsutyo, to reveal the teaching to some and keep it secret to others at the same time; and 4) fujokyo, to reveal the teaching to make it understood at various levels.]

The same is true with Nichiren Daishonin. He carried on in the same spirit as Shakyamuni. The voluminous Gosho we study is the crystallization of the Daishonin's continuous struggle to save the people through hundreds of letters and thousands of dialogues. He did not confine himself to a library to write the Gosho but talked and wrote right at the site of his battle --- among the people. He fought for the people, talking with them and writing them individual letters of encouragement. To think of Buddhism as a placid teaching expounded in a bucolic setting under the shade of a tree is a totally false image. Buddhism is intensely practical, not escapist. It lives in human society and has been handed down among the people --- this is the true flow of Buddhism.

The True Entity of Life (The True Aspect of All Phenomena) is a comparatively short Gosho, but it contains important elements of the Daishonin's Buddhism. In the postscript Nichiren Daishonin wrote, "Those I have revealed to you in this letter are especially important.... By all means keep these matters to yourself. Nichiren has herein committed to writing the teachings of his own enlightenment." Nichiren Daishonin wrote this Gosho on May 17, 1273, a month after he wrote The True Object of Worship (April 25). In the latter, he revealed the core of Buddhist practice in the Latter Day of the Law by explaining the Dai-Gohonzon, the supreme object of worship, in terms of the Law (Nam-myoho-renge-kyo), and the way for all people to attain enlightenment. The True Entity of Life begins with a passage from the Hoben chapter --- the heart of the theoretical teaching (shakumon) of the Lotus Sutra --- which reads, "The true entity of all phenomena can only be understood and shared between Buddhas. This reality consists of the appearance, nature, . . . and their consistency from beginning to end." It then reveals the essence of the Lotus Sutra --- Myoho-renge-kyo and its embodiment, the Gohonzon. Nichiren Daishonin, in other words, clarified the significance of ho-honzon, explaining the Gohonzon from the viewpoint of the Law. After elucidating the ultimate teaching of the Lotus Sutra the Daishonin declares that only Bodhisattva Jogyo (Superior Practices), the leader of the Bodhisattvas of the Earth, can propagate it, and that the Daishonin himself was carrying out the mission entrusted to Bodhisattva Jogyo. Superficially, Nichiren Daishonin suggests that he is the incarnation of Bodhisattva Jogyo. But a deeper understanding lets us know that the Daishonin is the Buddha who is to establish the Dai-Gohonzon for the salvation of the people of the Latter Day and the original Buddha of kuon ganjo. Thus, in this Gosho the Daishonin also reveals nin-honzon, explaining the Gohonzon in terms of the Person. In terms of both the Person and Law, Nichiren Daishonin reveals the prime object of reverence to the people of the Latter Day. Thus, this Gosho contains the main points expounded in The Opening of the Eyes (nin-honzon) and elaborated on in The True Object of Worship (ho-honzon).

In the latter half of this Gosho, moreover, the Daishonin predicts that kosen-rufu will be attained in the future, and concludes by setting down the core of Buddhist practice throughout the Latter Day on into eternity --- the way of faith, practice and study. In the final analysis, this Gosho reveals clearly and concisely the profound essence and practice of Buddhism for the Latter Day of the Law.

Because we in the Soka Gakkai stress the need for people to return to the teachings of Nichiren Daishonin as the prime point in their lives, this Gosho has continued to have special importance in deepening the members' faith, giving them guidance and working as the guideline for our activities. I have heard that our first president, Tsunesaburo Makiguchi, constantly gave guidance to people by referring to this Gosho. Then too, apart from his lectures on the Lotus Sutra, the first Gosho on which President Josei Toda lectured before a small group of disciples was The True Entity of Life . I was one of those present at that time.

I myself have given frequent lectures on The True Entity of Life to the high school division and selected members of the headquarters staff. But every time I read this Gosho, I am always impressed and moved anew at the strength and depth of Nichiren Daishonin's conviction. In commemoration of the 46th anniversary of the Soka Gakkai's founding, I revised my many lectures on this Gosho and set them in context of our era. With these comments as a brief introduction, let us go on to explore The True Entity of Life (The True Aspect of All Phenomena) in greater depth.

(to be continued...)

 

[Dutchgrown]

How wonderful to check in here and see your posts again PTD!
Much love and respect to you and yours. Lots of new folks here, things just get better and better!

Nam Myoho Renge Kyo!
Nam Myoho Renge Kyo!!
Nam Myoho Renge Kyo!!!
Nam Myoho Renge Kyo!!!!

 

[Cuban Strain]

Never underestimate your power to change your life; furthermore, never overestimate your power to change others. Chanting Daimoku with determined conviction, in my understanding, means to chant with zero doubt in the realization of your goal. Be 100% confident that all your goals will be manifested, and so it shall be. The Gohonzon represents the innate omnipotent power we have inside of our lives!!!! Nam Myoho Renge Kyo is us all, that is the buddhahood we all have inside, we just have to tap into that infinite resource once we do that we achieve unshakable eternal happiness. A happiness not based on anything outside of you.

This is truly POWERFUL stuff!! Be careful how you use it! You don't have to understand how it works, just know it works.

Cheers,
Cuban

 

[PassTheDoobie]

Never underestimate your power to change your life; furthermore, never overestimate your power to change others. Chanting Daimoku with determined conviction, in my understanding, means to chant with zero doubt in the realization of your goal. Be 100% confident that all your goals will be manifested, and so it shall be. The Gohonzon represents the innate omnipotent power we have inside of our lives!!!! Nam Myoho Renge Kyo is us all, that is the buddhahood we all have inside, we just have to tap into that infinite resource once we do that we achieve unshakable eternal happiness. A happiness not based on anything outside of you.

This is truly POWERFUL stuff!! Be careful how you use it! You don't have to understand how it works, just know it works.

Cheers,
Cuban

Your post is truly POWERFUL stuff!! Thank you Cuban!

Bowing in humble obeisance,

T

 

[PassTheDoobie]

"Therefore, those who become Nichiren's disciples and lay believers should realise the profound karmic relationship they share with him and spread the Lotus Sutra as he does."

(Letter to Jakunichi-bo - The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, Vol.1, page 994) Selection source: "Kyo no Hosshin", Seikyo Shimbun, January 24th, 2011

 

[PassTheDoobie]

The True Entity of Life (The True Aspect of All Phenomena) continued

The True Entity of Life (The True Aspect of All Phenomena) continued

All Phenomena Manifest True Entity

Question: In the Hoben chapter of Volume One of the Lotus Sutra is the passage: "The true entity of all phenomena can only be understood and shared between Buddhas. This reality consists of the appearance, nature, . . . and their consistency from beginning to end." What does this passage mean?

The passage, "The true entity of all phenomena . . . ," is the essence of the theoretical teaching of the Lotus Sutra, and in T'ien-t'ai's Buddhism it is the core of all of Shakyamuni's teachings as well as the foundation on which to expound the principle of ichinen sanzen (three thousand conditions in a momentary existence of life). Sairenbo Nichijo, who received the letter containing that passage, is said to have been a priest of the Tendai sect before he became a follower of Nichiren Daishonin. We can presume, therefore, that he knew about "the true entity of all phenomena" as the basic teaching of the Tendai school. He could not, however, thoroughly understand it through T'ien-t'ai's theory, and so he asked the Daishonin to explain the exact meaning of the passage.

"Answer: It means that all beings and their environments in any of the Ten Worlds, from Hell at the lowest to Buddhahood at the highest, are, without exception, the manifestations of Myoho-renge-kyo."

Through this passage Nichiren Daishonin gives a clear-cut explanation of "the true entity of all phenomena," saying that, of all phenomena (shoho), none is any different from the true entity of life (jisso). In other words, the innumerable forms and appearances in the great universe are all manifestations of Myoho-renge-kyo, and both the environment (eho) of the world of Hell and the people (shoho) who suffer in Hell are ultimately Myoho-renge-kyo. Both eho and shoho of the world of Hunger are also Myoho-renge-kyo. This holds true with the rest of the Ten Worlds including Bodhisattva and Buddhahood.

"The true entity" (jisso) of "all phenomena" (shoho) does not, however, mean that the true entity is contained within all phenomena or vice versa, nor does it assume the existence of some being that exists beyond all universal phenomena and governs them. Western philosophers and other non-Buddhist thinkers and systems of thought have long sought some truth or essence either beyond or behind phenomena. The Christian idea of an absolute God as the creator of the world is a good example of how these other philosophies removed the ultimate truth from all real phenomena. The inevitable result was a split between God and man or between Creator and creature. Churches and priests took over as the "authorized" intermediaries between the two, and they grew so powerful that the people were treated like vassals.

Buddhism is totally different. The Buddhist finds truth in reality itself; he discovers the underlying truth by steadily and carefully observing man and the things around him. "The true entity of all phenomena" is, therefore, a philosophy that sees into the real aspect of every reality in the universe, especially human life. All phenomena and the true entity are "two but not two," for one cannot exist without the other. This is what binds the true entity and all phenomena together, making them one and the same, even though they may seem to be different. All phenomena --- the sun and the moon as they rise and set, the ebb and flow of the seas, the bending of trees before the wind --- in the eye of Buddhism all appear as the action of Myoho-renge-kyo. Unlike the Lotus Sutra, which gives careful, deep treatment of this principle, all the other sutras deal solely with the phenomena themselves and point out only differences among them. The Lotus Sutra sees beyond the superficial differences and discovers the Mystic Law equally permeating the depths of all. This is what sets the "perfect and all-embracing Lotus Sutra" above the "provisional teachings of discrimination." The principle of equality meant by "the true entity of all phenomena" is an expression of the Buddha's great and impartial wisdom, which recognizes the potential for Buddhahood in all people alike. Nonetheless, the first half of the Lotus Sutra (theoretical teaching) only explains this theoretically, while the second half (essential teaching) gives practical meaning to the theory.

Take for instance Newton's law of gravitation. It is a law of physics and, even if it is not directly parallel to this Buddhist principle, we know that it operates throughout the universe. Regardless of who discovered it or whether it was "discovered" at all, the law of gravitation has always existed, and all things move according to it. To the eye of physics, the movement of the sun, moon, and stars, the changes in the tides, an apple falling from a tree --- all these are understood in terms of the law of physics. Without understanding gravity, people merely see an apple ripening and falling to the earth, yet a physicist recognizes the law behind this phenomenon, that gravity is working between two objects, the earth and the apple. This law keeps on working whether one is aware of it or not, but he cannot apply it to anything if he cannot first identify and analyze it. Then again, to know about gravity and not do anything with that knowledge may be a serious waste. Only when we translate this knowledge into some practical use by creating an airplane, spaceship or something else of value to man, can we enjoy the benefits of the knowledge we have gained from the law of gravity.

In Buddhism, the true entity of all the movements of the universe is Myoho-renge-kyo. Common mortals see nothing but the trees waving in the wind, yet the Buddha sees the mystic rhythm of Myoho-renge-kyo pulsing within. To him the sun's radiance is the harmonious manifestation of the Mystic Law that fosters all kinds of life on earth. Every aspect of our life is made up according to the Mystic Law, and we always act in rhythm with it. Merely to realize this fact is, however, still a theoretical understanding. Anyone who does not know how to bring his life into oneness with the Mystic Law would be like someone falling in an attempt to fly, ignorant of the law of gravitation. He would fall into one suffering and then another, only getting more and more deeply confused.

Likewise, if we grasp the principle of "the true entity of all phenomena" only philosophically, we are none the better for it. Nichiren Daishonin inscribed the Gohonzon to enable us to apply its principle to the creation of happy and hopeful lives. The principle was embodied in the Gohonzon by the Daishonin when he put his life and soul into it. By inscribing the Gohonzon, he gave us the entity of value creation. It is not mere philosophy any more. It is the true entity --- the very life of Nichiren Daishonin, his life of ichinen sanzen. This is why the Gohonzon is called the entity of ichinen sanzen.

"The true entity of all phenomena" is a philosophy that sees all universal phenomena as manifestations of Myoho-renge-kyo. Yet, in its essential meaning, it points to the Gohonzon as the ultimate crystallization of all phenomena in the universe. In the Daishonin's Buddhism, "the true entity of all phenomena" therefore means the Gohonzon.

(to be continued...)

 

[PassTheDoobie]

How wonderful to check in here and see your posts again PTD!
Much love and respect to you and yours. Lots of new folks here, things just get better and better!

Nam Myoho Renge Kyo!
Nam Myoho Renge Kyo!!
Nam Myoho Renge Kyo!!!
Nam Myoho Renge Kyo!!!!

Thanks to all of you, I have too many Sisters and Brothers to ever be away forever. I don't think I have ever been happier in my whole life. And that's pretty cool!

All my love to you DG! Your consistent warmth is a constant source of encouragement! *(And you know that goes for you too Sisters T and MrsB!)

Much love and deepest respect,

Thomas

 

[PassTheDoobie]

The True Entity of Life (The True Aspect of All Phenomena) continued

The True Entity of Life (The True Aspect of All Phenomena) continued

Buddha Is Not an Abstract Being

He also states, "The true entity is invariably revealed in all phenomena, and all phenomena invariably possess the Ten Factors. The Ten Factors invariably function within the Ten Worlds, and the Ten Worlds invariably entail both life and its environment."

This is a passage from the Kompeiron, Miao-lo's thesis on the Buddha nature inherent in all things, living and non-living. It explains the structure of ichinen sanzen. As mentioned earlier, the true entity refers to Myoho-renge-kyo and represents ichinen (the life-moment) of ichinen sanzen. "The true entity is invariably revealed in all phenomena" means that the ichinen or Myoho-renge-kyo is eternally manifested in phenomena. In the following passage, Miao-lo states the true entity by analyzing all phenomena into the Ten Factors, the Ten Worlds, and life and its environment.

First of all, the Ten Factors represent the ten aspects common to all phenomena. They are appearance (nyoze-so), nature (nyoze-sho), entity (nyoze-tai), power (nyoze-riki), influence (nyoze-sa), inherent cause (nyoze-in), relation (nyoze-en), latent effect (nyoze-ka), manifest effect (nyoze-ho), and consistency from beginning to end (nyoze-honmatsu-kukyo-to). All phenomena have these Ten Factors and all of them manifest one or another of the Ten Worlds. The Ten Factors are inherent in each of the Ten Worlds --- even in Hell and Buddhahood. This is what is meant by the reality of all phenomena.

"The Ten Worlds invariably entail both life and its environment," means that each of the Ten Worlds is certainly seen in both a living thing and its surroundings. This is the working of the principle of esho funi, the oneness of life and its environment.

Concretely, Myoho-renge-kyo exists nowhere outside our daily activities. That is what Miao-lo meant by, "The true entity is invariably revealed in all phenomena."

"All phenomena invariably possess the Ten Factors" is another way of saying that life as it changes moment by moment never loses its Ten Factors. No one can say, "I have no nyoze-so (appearance)." Everyone has a face and figure. He has also nyoze-sho (mind or nature). Could he exist as a stone? Even that is impossible, for a stone, too, has its own nature. The same is true for nyoze-tai (entity).

Also, everyone has his own specific power, influence, inherent cause, relation, latent effect, and manifest effect. A person's life-condition, whatever it is, as it is, is reflected simultaneously in all the nine factors, from the first, "appearance," to the last, "manifest effect." This is "their consistency from beginning to end," of the Hoben chapter.

The true entity, if it were not to exist as phenomena or possess the Ten Factors, could not be true any more. For example, such Buddhas as Dainichi (Skt., Mahavairochana), who appear in the pre-Lotus Sutra teachings, do not possess the Ten Factors. They do not even have nyoze-so (form or appearance). Who on earth has ever seen Dainichi Buddha? Buddhas who are not endowed with appearance, nature and entity have no power to save people.

The Judeo-Christian religions may assert that their supreme beings do not appear in any real form, but the Lotus Sutra proclaims that there is no true entity outside of phenomena or the Ten Factors. Shakyamuni Buddha was a real person, and Nichiren Daishonin also plunged into the midst of actual society, shared the people's sufferings and gave his enlightenment equally to all mankind. I insist that the Buddha is not an imaginary or an abstract being but one who clearly expresses himself in real behavior through the function of his Ten Factors.

"The Ten Factors invariably function within the Ten Worlds" --- the Ten Factors are not indifferent to suffering and joy. Each factor represents a facet of the same momentary life-condition, and for that reason, all the Ten Factors are involved in any one of the Ten Worlds. The Ten Factors reflect Buddhahood just as easily as they reflect Hell. When you did not know about the Gohonzon, you created the causes for and received the effects of suffering. Your power and influence were weak. When filled with joy, it is impossible for you to look fierce; when overcome by sorrow, you cannot laugh with joy. When you suffered, all of your Ten Factors at one time reflected Hell or other lower conditions. But now you embrace the Gohonzon and are changing your life, so that you appear blessed with good fortune, with a gentle and generous nature, and you develop great power and influence to support your family and direct all your causes and effects toward creating a happier life. I hope that all of you will keep your Ten Factors this way throughout your lives.

Lastly, "the Ten Worlds invariably entail both life and its environment" --- the Ten Worlds we experience become apparent both within ourselves and our environment. When a person is in the state of Hell, he finds his environment in Hell, too. Conversely, a man whose life-condition is Buddhahood makes his place the Buddha's land. This is what we can attain by human revolution. Even if you enshrine the Gohonzon at home, if you leave your home untidy and remain inconsiderate to your neighbors, you are not practicing what the above passage tells you. Only when you each make a golden castle of your own home, fill it with pleasant laughter and contribute to the prosperity of your community can you advance toward making the whole world the Buddha's land. I hope you do so. Then you are truly making this passage part of your life.

The deepest meaning of this passage of Miao-lo comes out when we think about it in terms of Nichiren Daishonin's Buddhism. It exactly represents the Gohonzon of the Three Great Secret Laws. Phenomena are composed of three thousand conditions including the Ten Worlds, and all are perfectly represented in the Gohonzon. All of the Ten Worlds are contained in the one Law, Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. This is the Gohonzon. To be more specific, "Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, Nichiren" written down the center of the Gohonzon represents the true entity of all phenomena of the Ten Worlds, while the representatives of the Ten Worlds on both sides are the Ten Worlds of the Daishonin's life, the ten differing activities of life illuminated by the eternal light of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo.

In the upper part on both sides of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo are the names of Shakyamuni and Taho Buddhas. Sitting on each side of the original Buddha, they represent the state of Buddhahood. Further to their left and right are inscribed the names of the four leaders of the Bodhisattvas of the Earth Jogyo, Muhengyo, Jyogyo and Anryugyo. They represent the state of Bodhisattva. Lower down Shariputra and Mahakashyapa represent the two vehicles (Learning and Realization); Bonten and Taishaku, the gods of the sun and the moon, and the Devil of the Sixth Heaven represent the state of Heaven or Rapture; the Wheel-Rolling King represents the state of Humanity or Tranquillity; King Ashura represents the state of Anger; the Dragon King's daughter represents the state of Animality; Kishimojin and her ten daughters (Jurasetsunyo) represent the state of Hunger; and Devadatta represents the state of Hell. All these representatives of the Ten Worlds "consist of the Ten Factors."

The statement that the Ten Worlds are manifest in life and its environment can be interpreted to mean that the Daishonin's life is manifest in the scroll of the Gohonzon and its environment is the Buddhist altar.

And, "Both the life and environment of Hell exist within the life of Buddha. On the other hand, the life and environment of Buddha do not transcend the lives of common mortals."

This also comes from the Kompeiron. Even the world of Hell and the people in it are entirely within the supreme life of the Buddha himself On the other hand, the supreme life and land of the Buddha exist within the lives of common mortals. In short, this reveals the principle of the mutual possession of the Ten Worlds through the examples of Hell and Buddhahood.

If we look deeper into this passage, we see that because both the supreme life of the Buddha and the life of common mortals are entities of Myoho-renge-kyo, even a Buddha has the potential to manifest the state of Hell, and common mortals equally have the potential to manifest Buddhahood.

Such precise explanations leave no room for doubt. Thus, all life in the universe is clearly Myoho-renge-kyo. Even the two Buddhas, Shakyamuni and Taho, are the functions of Myoho-renge-kyo who appeared to bestow its blessings upon mankind. They manifested themselves as the two Buddhas and, seated together in the Treasure Tower, nodded in mutual agreement.

Nichiren Daishonin says that the phrase, "the true entity of all phenomena," reveals that all life in the universe is Myoho-renge-kyo. In the Lotus Sutra Shakyamuni preached the truth using principles, parables, or by explaining the relationship between himself and his disciples in past existences. In these three ways he enabled his disciples of shomon to attain enlightenment. The subsequent appearance of the Treasure Tower was for the benefit of those to come after Shakyamuni Buddha's passing. With it, the magnificent ceremony in the air* began, centering on the Treasure Tower with Shakyamuni and Taho Buddhas seated side by side. The sentence, "Even the two Buddhas, Shakyamuni and Taho, . . . ," means that the ceremony ultimately revealed Myoho-renge-kyo. This sentence also has another meaning. It signifies that the Law of Myoho-renge-kyo started working to bless the people through the actions of Shakyamuni and Taho (Many Treasures). The two Buddhas are the functions of the Mystic Law, as is mentioned later: "The function is a provisional Buddha." All the magnificent Buddhas mentioned in various sutras are, in the final analysis, functions of Myoho-renge-kyo or the Buddhahood which pervades the universe. Myoho-renge-kyo functions in all life of the Ten Worlds including Buddhahood. *(note)[The ceremony in which the entire assembly floats in space, and one of the three assemblies described in the Lotus Sutra, extending from the Hoto (11th) to the Zokurui (22nd) chapter. In this ceremony, Shakyamuni clarifies his original enlightenment in the remote past and transfers the essence of the sutra to the Bodhisattvas of the Earth led by Bodhisattva Jogyo (Superior Practices), entrusting them with the mission to propagate it in the Latter Day of the Law.]

"They . . . in the Treasure Tower, nodded in mutual agreement" means that the Law which Shakyamuni and Taho (Many Treasures) Buddhas unveiled at the ceremony in the air is Myoho-renge-kyo. "Nodded in mutual agreement" symbolizes that Shakyamuni gave the teaching and that Taho (Many Treasures) agreed to it and testified to the validity of the Law. President Toda once lectured about the significance of the ceremony of the Treasure Tower:

With the ceremony of the Treasure Tower Shakyamuni revealed the mutual possession of the Ten Worlds and ichinen sanzen inherent in his life. In the same way, Nichiren Daishonin made use of the ceremony when he embodied on the scroll of the Gohonzon the ultimate teaching of enlightenment hidden within the Juryo chapter. The Gohonzon, therefore, depicts Shakyamuni's ceremony of the Treasure Tower only to reveal the mutual possession of the Ten Worlds and ichinen sanzen in the Daishonin's own life --- the life of the original Buddha. Since the Gohonzon is the expression of the eternal life of the original Buddha, it is the only object of worship that has the power to enable the people of the Latter Day to attain Buddhahood.

(to be continued...)