Saturday, November 30, 2013
Discussion: What is "this one cause" as the source of all suffering?
"The Nirvana Sutra says, “The varied sufferings that all living beings undergo—all these are the Thus Come One’s own sufferings.” And Nichiren declares that the sufferings that all living beings undergo, all springing from this one cause—all these are Nichiren’s own sufferings."
Nichiren on judging correct and incorrect
"...But whether they are correct or incorrect in their views is to be judged solely on the basis of the doctrines they expound. It is not to be decided on the basis of whether or not they have keen capacity or can display supernatural powers."
Yamaguchi and the other new Komeito leaders are evil monks who will bring about the destruction of Buddhism and the nation of Japan.
The Benevolent Kings Sutra states: “Evil monks, hoping to gain fame and profit, will in many cases appear before the ruler, the crown prince, or the other princes, and take it upon themselves to preach doctrines that lead to the violation of the Buddhist Law and the destruction of the nation. The ruler, failing to perceive the truth of the situation, will listen to and put faith in such doctrines, and proceed to create regulations that are perverse in nature and that do not accord with the rules of Buddhist discipline. In this way he will bring about the destruction of Buddhism and of the nation.”
This passage indicates that the evil monks of the latter age will come before the ruler and the high ministers and appear to advise them on how to insure the peace and safety of the nation, but in the end they will in fact bring ruin to the nation. They will seem to be propagating the Buddha’s teaching, but on the contrary will destroy it. The ruler and the high ministers, lacking any deep understanding of the situation, will put faith in the words of the evil monks and thereby bring ruin to the nation and destroy the Buddha’s teaching."
How to avoid error. First, leave the Soka Gakkai. Second, perform the forceful practices.
"Many of the teachers in the latter age cannot judge the capacities of their listeners. When one cannot tell the capacities of one’s listeners, it is probably best just to preach the true teaching to them in a forceful manner. Thus the Great Teacher T’ien-t’ai in his commentary says, “If people’s capacities cannot be judged, one can best avoid error by preaching the teachings of the great vehicle to them.” The meaning of this passage is that, when one cannot tell what people’s capacities are, one will not go wrong if one preaches the doctrines of the great vehicle to them."
Nichiren on mercy and pity
"On the other hand, in the Non-Substantiality of All Phenomena Sutra it is recorded that Bodhisattva Root of Joy, addressing the monkSuperior Intent, forced him to listen to the Mahayana teachings, causing him to speak slanderously of such teachings [and thus create a reverse relationship with them]. With regard to these two differing incidents, the Great Teacher T’ien-t’ai explains that “the Thus Come One Shakyamuni was exercising the virtue of compassion in causing them to withdraw, while Bodhisattva Root of Joy was exercising the virtue of pity in forcing the monk to listen.”
The meaning of this passage is that the Buddha was moved by compassion and for the moment put aside thoughts of the later happiness of the five thousand persons. He could not bear to see them slander the Lotus Sutra and suffer the pain of falling into hell, and therefore he inspired them to withdraw from the assembly. It was like the case of a mother who knows that her child is sick but cannot bring herself to inflict suffering on the child, and therefore does not treat the child quickly with moxibustion. In the case of Bodhisattva Root of Joy, he was moved by pity. He did not mind that the person he was addressing would suffer pain for a time, but thought only of that person’s eventual happiness. Therefore he forced the person to listen to the Mahayana teachings. It was like the case of a pitying father who, seeing that his child is ill, is not deterred by the fact that the child may undergo temporary suffering but is concerned only for the child’s eventual welfare. Therefore he applies the treatment of moxibustion."
Straight from the horses mouth. Don't doubt it.
"According to the above passage of the Great Teacher T’ien-t’ai, in this latter age the persons who are lacking in good roots are many, and those who possess them are few. Therefore, many people are doubtless destined to fall into the evil paths in their next existence. And if they are destined for the evil paths in any case, then one should preach the Lotus Sutra to them forcefully and thereby allow them to create a “poison-drum relationship” with the sutra. Hence there can be no doubt that this latter age is the proper time in which to preach the Lotus Sutra to all people, thus enabling them to create a reverse relationship with it by slandering it."
Just saying
In The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin II, "Gohonzon" is mentioned by Nichiren Daishonin TWO times, "Shakyamuni Buddha" more than THREE HUNDRED times.
SGI/NST Gohonzons bring about misfortune.
'Their real purpose is not to pay honor to Shakyamuni Buddha, so it would be better if they did not fashion or paint such an image at all."
I don't think so ["Nichiren said that but meant this" -- SGI/NST leader and priest]
"In the “Life Span” chapter of the Lotus Sutra, the Buddha says, “Sometimes I speak of myself, sometimes of others.”1 The Buddha Good Virtue of the eastern region, the Thus Come One Mahāvairochana of the center, the Buddhas of the ten directions, the seven Buddhas of the past, the Buddhas of the three existences, Bodhisattva Superior Practices and the other bodhisattvas, Manjushrī, Shāriputra and the others, the great heavenly king Brahmā, the devil king of the sixth heaven, the heavenly king Shakra Devānām Indra, the sun god, the moon god, the morning star god, the seven stars of the Big Dipper, the twenty-eight constellations, the five planets, the seven stars, the countless eighty-four thousand other stars, the asura kings, the heavenly gods, earthly gods, gods of the mountains, gods of the seas, household gods, village gods, and the rulers of all the various countries of the world—not one of these is other than [a provisional manifestation of] Shakyamuni Buddha, the lord of teachings! The Sun Goddess, Great Bodhisattva Hachiman—both these in their original form are Shakyamuni Buddha, the lord of teachings."
Friday, November 29, 2013
Through the power of the Lotus Sutra of the Wonderful law and the guidance of Lord Shakyamuni Buddha
The next time a priest or a Gakkai leader deprecates you, insisting that you receive “training” or “guidance” from them or Ikeda, tell them, "The Gohonzon is the teacher of all Buddhas throughout the Three Existences." You may also cite the following:
“The Buddha, replying to Maitreya’s doubts, said: “Ajita, these bodhisattvas . . . whom you have never seen before in the past—when I had attained supreme perfect enlightenment in this saha world, I converted and guided these bodhisattvas, trained their minds, and caused them to develop a longing for the way.” (Opening of the Eyes)
The Bodhisattvas of the Earth have been trained by the Original Buddha and reminded of his guidance by the venerable Daishonin:
“Now , when the Eternal Buddha was revealed in the essential section of the Lotus Sutra, this world of endurance (Saha-world) became the Eternal Pure Land, indestructible even by the three calamities of conflagration, flooding, and strong winds, which are said to destroy the world. It transcends the four periods of cosmic change: the kalpa of construction, continuance, destruction and emptiness. Sakyamuni Buddha, the Lord-preacher of this pure land, has never died in the past, nor will He be born in the future. He exists forever throughout the past present and future. All those who receive His GUIDANCE are one with this Eternal Buddha.” — The True Object of Devotion for Observing the Mind
“Since Sakyamuni Buddha is eternal and all other Buddhas in the universe are his manifestations, then those great bodhisattvas converted by manifested Buddhas are also disciples of Lord Sakyamuni Buddha. If the “Life Span of the Buddha” chapter had not been expounded, it would be like the sky without the sun and moon, a country without a king, mountains and rivers without gems, or a man without a soul. nevertheless, seemingly knowledgeable men of such provisional schools of Buddhism as Ch’eng-kuan of the Hua-yen, Chia-hsiang of the San-lun, Tz’u-en of the Fa-hsiang, and Kobo of the shingon tried to extol their own canons by stating: “The Lord of the Flower Garland Sutra represents the reward-body (hojin) of the Buddha whereas that of the Lotus Sutra the accomodative body (ojin);” or “the Buddha in the sixteenth chapter of the Lotus is an Illusion; it is the great Sun Buddha who is enlightened.” clouds cover the moon and slanderers hide wise men. When people slander, ordinary yellow rocks appear to be of gold and slanderers seem to be wise. Scholars in this age of decay, blinded by slanderous words, do not see the value of a gold in the “Lifespan of the Buddha” chapter. Even among men of the Tendai school some are fooled into taking a yellow rock for gold. They should know that if Sakyamuni had not been the Eternal Buddha, there could not have been so many who received GUIDANCE from Him. ” — The Opening of the Eyes
Were a priest or SGI leader then to assert that the Eternal Buddha is Original Enlightenment, you may point out the principle of individuation, the personification and behavior of the Master of Teachings Lord Shakyamuni Buddha, the Original Three Bodied Tathagata, stating, “Of what use is your training and guidance? I have been trained by the Eternal Buddha Shakyamuni and Nichiren Daishonin." You may further cite the following passages from the Opening of the Eyes:
“When we come to the essential teaching of the Lotus Sutra, then the belief that Shakyamuni first obtained Buddhahood during his present lifetime is demolished, and the effects of the four teachings are likewise demolished. When the effects of the four teachings are demolished, the causes of the four teachings are likewise demolished. Thus the cause and effect of the Ten Worlds as expounded in the earlier sutras and the theoretical teaching of the Lotus Sutra are wiped out, and the cause and effect of the Ten Worlds in the essential teaching are revealed. This is the doctrine of original cause and original effect. It reveals that the nine worlds are all present in beginningless Buddhahood and that Buddhahood is inherent in the beginningless nine worlds. This is the true mutual possession of the Ten Worlds, the true hundred worlds and thousand factors, the true three thousand realms in a single moment of life.” — The Opening of the Eyes
and
“Answer: The “Expedient Means” chapter in volume one of the Lotus Sutra states, “The Buddhas wish to open the door of Buddha wisdom to all living beings.” This refers to the world of Buddhahood inherent in the nine worlds. The “Life Span” chapter states: “Thus, since I attained Buddhahood, an extremely long period of time has passed. My life span is an immeasurable number of asamkhya kalpas, and during that time I have constantly abided here without ever entering extinction. Good men, originally I practiced the bodhisattva way, and the life span that I acquired then has yet to come to an end but will last twice the number of years that have already passed.” Here the sutra refers to the nine worlds inherent in Buddhahood.” — The True Object of Worship
And finally, to drive home our point, you may cite Nichiren Daishonin in the One Essential Phrase:
“Even though one neither reads nor studies the sutra, chanting the title alone is the source of tremendous good fortune. The sutra teaches that women, evil men, and those in the realms of animals and hell— in fact, all the beings of the Ten Worlds— can attain Buddhahood in their present form. [This is an incomparably greater wonder than] fire being produced by a stone taken from the bottom of a river, or a lantern lighting up a place that has been dark for a hundred, a thousand, or ten thousand years. If even the most ordinary things of this world are such wonders, then how much more wondrous is the power of the Buddhist Law! We ordinary beings are fettered by evil karma, earthly desires, and the sufferings of birth and death. But due to the three inherent potentials of the Buddha nature— innate Buddhahood, the wisdom to perceive it, and the actions to manifest it— we can without doubt reveal the Buddha’s three bodies— the Dharma body, the reward body, and the manifested body. The Great Teacher Dengyo states, “Through the power of the Lotus Sutra of the Wonderful Law they can do so in their present form.” He is referring to the example of the dragon king’s daughter, who achieved Buddhahood in her reptilian form through the power of the Lotus Sutra. Do not doubt this in the least. Please tell your husband that I will explain this in detail when I see him.”
He doesn’t say, “by the power of a living mentor, teacher, or priest.” He says, “through the power of the Lotus Sutra of the Wonderful Law.” Do not be fooled by the charlatans who don’t have even a mustard seed of faith.
The Senkaku/Diaoyu Islands
Nearly uninhabited granite outcroppings without even a modicum of resources... A magician's slight of hand...to divert attention away from the worst disaster of the 21st century...Fukushima
You want a shimmy shimmy? Join the Soka Gakkai.
You want Supreme and Perfect Enlightenment? Practice as the Lotus Sutra and Nichiren teach.
Thursday, November 28, 2013
This will happen should SGI ever take me up on my rain challenge
"When conducting prayers for rain, if rain actually falls, the nature and aspect of the rain will indicate whether the person conducting the prayers is worthy or unworthy. There are various types of rain such as heavenly rain, dragon rain, asura rain, coarse rain, sweet rain, and thunder rain.
In the present instance of prayers for rain, of course, no rain whatsoever fell. Moreover, for a period of fourteen days there was even more severe drought than there had been previously, and great evil winds blew without cease throughout the twenty-four hours of the day and night."
Detroit will be among the richest cities in America within the next twenty five years
As relay station for Lake Huron and Lake Erie water diversion to the West.
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Is Caroline Kennedy in over her head as U.S. ambassador to Japan?
Hopefully she will study the history of Nanking and Bataan. Unfortunately she will have to investigate beyond the Japanese history texts which have swept these horrific events under the rug as if they never happened. China's distrust of Japan is not without the historic precedent of actual fact.
Some so-called disciples criticize me because they misunderstand Nichiren
"There are some of my disciples who, in their foolish way of thinking, declare: “Though our teacher tries to propagate the teachings of the Lotus Sutra, not only does he fail to do so but he meets with these great difficulties. This is because he goes around proclaiming that ‘True Word will ruin the nation, Nembutsu leads to the hell of incessant suffering, Zen is the work of the heavenly devil, and the Precepts priests are traitors to the nation.’ He is like a person who with good reason files a complaint, but peppers it with abusive language.”
The Sutra is the teacher, not the mentor, least of all the mentor of the Soka Gakkai and the High Priest of the Nichiren Shoshu
"The sutra is the teacher and the Buddha is the disciple." -- Nichiren
Can you read Andy Nagashima?
How can anyone put faith in such teachers as these, men who slander the Law, and still hope in their next existence to avoid falling into the hell of incessant suffering? On the other hand, ignorant people of the present age, so long as they acknowledge Shakyamuni Buddha as their proper object of devotion, will automatically escape any accusation of unfilial conduct; so long as they put their faith in the Lotus Sutra, though that may not have been what they had in mind, they will be cleared of any fault of slandering the Law.
"Mentor/disciple is the prime point of the Lotus Sutra" -- Dai$icko Ikeda
"One should not trust those who exercise their art and ingenuity, spouting out empty words. One should look to the correct sutra passages and the golden words of the Buddha to determine the truth."
How can Soka Gakkai members possibly avoid ending up in the hell of incessant suffering?
"It is like the case of those who take service in the palace of the ruler and labor diligently there. Some are rewarded by the ruler’s favor and some are not. But if any of them commits the slightest error, it is quite certain that that person will be punished. It is the same way with the Lotus Sutra. No matter how fervently a person may appear to put faith in it, if, knowingly or unknowingly, he has dealings with the enemies of the Lotus Sutra, he will undoubtedly end up in the hell of incessant suffering."
Not one true priest exists today. Nichinyo is far below the laymen who practice as the Lotus Sutra and Nichiren teach
"You say in your letter that you became a priest at the age of seventeen and since then have never had a wife or family or eaten meat. But when one has committed a great slander of the Law by putting faith in the provisional teachings, then no matter how carefully one has observed the precepts in one’s practice, one is guilty of the fault of slandering the Law by turning one’s back on the Lotus Sutra. And therefore one is a hundred, a thousand, ten thousand times inferior to lay believers who follow the correct teaching but break the precepts. Any priest who slanders the Law, no matter how he may observe the precepts, is destined to fall into the hell of incessant suffering. And likewise lay believers who follow the correct teaching, though they may break the precepts, are without doubt certain to attain Buddhahood.
But now you have cast aside the Nembutsu and the other beliefs of the provisional teachings and have put your faith in the correct teaching. Hence you are in truth among the purest of the observers of the precepts, a sage. To begin with, anyone who is a priest, even if he is a follower of the provisional schools of Buddhism, should be pure [in the observance of the precepts], and how much more one who is a votary of the correct teaching! Though one may have had a wife and family when one was a follower of the provisional schools, in a time of great trouble such as the present, he should cast all these aside and devote himself to the propagation of the correct teaching. And in your case you were a sage to begin with [because you observed the precepts]. How admirable, how admirable!
Take care that in the future, though you may be tempted to have a wife and family, that you keep your distance from such matters. Stay unimpeded, berate the slanderers of the Law throughout the country, and be one who works to assist Shakyamuni Buddha in his labors to convert others!"
But now you have cast aside the Nembutsu and the other beliefs of the provisional teachings and have put your faith in the correct teaching. Hence you are in truth among the purest of the observers of the precepts, a sage. To begin with, anyone who is a priest, even if he is a follower of the provisional schools of Buddhism, should be pure [in the observance of the precepts], and how much more one who is a votary of the correct teaching! Though one may have had a wife and family when one was a follower of the provisional schools, in a time of great trouble such as the present, he should cast all these aside and devote himself to the propagation of the correct teaching. And in your case you were a sage to begin with [because you observed the precepts]. How admirable, how admirable!
Take care that in the future, though you may be tempted to have a wife and family, that you keep your distance from such matters. Stay unimpeded, berate the slanderers of the Law throughout the country, and be one who works to assist Shakyamuni Buddha in his labors to convert others!"
Unlike the SGI ingrates, Nichiren points towards Shakyamuni Buddha, not himself
"I, Nichiren, have to some small degree acted as an ally of the Lotus Sutra, and as a result I have met with these great difficulties. How immense, then, must be our gratitude toward Shakyamuni Buddha who, in lifetime after lifetime, has championed the cause of the Lotus Sutra! It is beyond the power of reckoning. Therefore the task set forth in the“Encouraging Devotion” chapter must never for a moment be neglected. More than ever, I look on it as a truly worthy one!"
The vulgar teachings of the Nichiren Shoshu and Soka Gakkai revealed and the righteousness of our view affirmed yet again
"This is what the Lotus Sutra means when it says, “This is what is called observing the precepts.” The Reverend Annen in his On the Universally Bestowed Bodhisattva Precepts states: “The Lotus Sutra is saying that those who are capable of preaching the Lotus Sutra deserve to be called observers of the precepts.” That is, such persons do not, as described in the sutras prior to the Lotus Sutra, have to observe the precepts under the supervision of a teacher. They have only to put their faith in this sutra to become observers of the precepts." -- Nichiren
I would have taken a bullet for George Williams but everything he taught was wrong.
From SGI's truncated Daimoku to its bizarre faith [Ikeda worship] and lame [interfaith] practice, those who were trained by Mr. Williams and who remain in the Soka Gakkai all reside in the lower realms. Fortunately, it is never too late to practice as the Lotus Sutra and Nichiren teach.
Wednesday, November 27, 2013
Tuesday, November 26, 2013
A passage from An Unauthorized Autobiography by Max
"It was however, in retrospect, a rather enclosed, insular world which in a way cut itself off from society. When I first met the Buddhist leader, Dick Causten, he said in a very peroquial way to me “I am here to teach you Buddhism”. This is obviously what he thought but I think his statement was misplaced. He was an arrogant, charismatic man who was hardly a spiritual leader. There were regular meetings and impassioned sermons about changing individual and group karma by chanting. It then became apparent that there was an overseeing heirachy which was controlling and dictated the kinds of themes and discussion material that were produced by the head office. These themes were produced by the dominating figure of the worldwide organization called the Sokka Gakkai. His name is Disaku Ikeda and he was in fact producing and creating a form of Buddhism which was to do with Ikeda and the way that Ikeda viewed and understood life. We were being indoctrinated into Ikedaism rather than Buddhism. It was a very subtle process. In 1976, there were a handful of Buddhists chanting in England and what was initially clarifying and intense and life changing gradually became hierachical, controlling, demanding and distorting. This was because the interpretations that they put on the teachings of the Buddha were distorted by the Japanese hierarchy. There was also a lot of favoritism on who was to be this leader or that leader of a particular division a. And the organization was divided into mens division, womens, young womens, young mens and childrens division. I would not say it was like the moonies but you can accept anything if you get used to it. So theory, thought, discussion were gradually relegated to advisors and people who gave guidance. These people had no experience in guidance and no understanding of counseling in any shape or form. They were chosen by the hierarchy on high according on what was considered to be their depth of faith. Empowerment was given to some and not to others, dependent upon the foibles and ideas of the various leaders who somehow thought they had a direct conduit to the infinite through their depth of faith. This is how an organization initially democratic and based on the significance and importance of the individual becomes distorted into a church and a hierarchy which disguises all its various conflicts and rituals under the disguise of faith."
EXTRA EXTRA Japan's Lower House passes State Secrets Bill
Led by the New Komeito, the jewel of Buddhist democracy.
Monday, November 25, 2013
The Transmission in the Latter Day
The transmission in the Latter Day is chanting Namu Myoho renge kyo to an authentic Gohonzon. Nichiren Daishonin and the Kempon Hokke, unlike the SGI and the Nichiren Shoshu, doesn’t advocate a model based on “The Patriarchal Transmissions”, “The Patriarchal Transmission of the Golden Mouthed Ones”, or
”The Patriarchal Transmission Through Current Masters.”
“One should consider the fact that, if the Buddha had not attained enlightenment in the distant past, there could not have been so many people converted to his teachings.” — The Opening of the Eyes
Thus the Buddha is the source of both the Specific and the General transmission. The Gohonzon, though a text, is the reality of the Buddha.
“The Maka Shikan says: “If one lacks faith in the Lotus sutra he will object that it pertains to the lofty realm of the sages, something far beyond the capacity of his own wisdom to comprehend. If one lacks wisdom, he will become puffed up with his own arrogance and will claim to be the equal of the Buddha.” – The Opening of the Eyes
In Shakyamuni’s and Nichiren’s Buddhism, there is neither an oral nor a patriarchal transmission of the teachings. This is why the Kempon Hokke’s Succession Through the Scrolls of the Sutra is the true meaning of exoteric Mahayana Buddhism.
Nichiren Daishonin writes:
“Are persons who receive instruction orally from their teacher invariably free from error, while those who appear in later ages and who seek and investigate to be regarded as worthless? If so, then should we throw away the sutras and instead follow traditions handed down from the four ranks of bodhisattvas? Should a man throw away the deed of transfer received from his father and mother and instead rely upon oral transmissions? Are the written commentaries of the Great Teacher Dengyo so much trash, and the oral traditions handed down from the Great Teacher Jikaku the only guide to truth?” (Gosho Zenshu, p.1258)
To disabuse those who would take to heart the teachings of Buddhist elites, conmen, and posseurs, I would like to further cite Nichiren Daishonin and the Lotus Sutra:
“Putting all this aside, I will point out the truth for the sake of my followers. Because others do not choose to believe it now, they are persons who thereby form a reverse relation. By tasting a single drop, one can tell the flavor of the great ocean, and by observing a single flower in bloom, one can predict the advent of spring. One does not have to cross the water to faroff Sung China, spend three years traveling to Eagle Peak in India, enter the palace of the dragon king the way Nagarjuna did, visit Bodhisattva Maitreya [in the Tushita heaven] the way Bodhisattva Asanga did, or be present at the two places and three assemblies when Shakyamuni preached the Lotus Sutra, in order to judge the relative merits of the Buddha’s lifetime teachings. It is said that snakes can tell seven days in advance when a flood is going to occur. This is because they are akin to dragons [who make the rain fall]. Crows can tell what lucky or unlucky events are going to take place throughout the course of a year. This is because in a past existence they were diviners. Birds are better at flying than human beings. And I, Nichiren, am better at judging the relative merits of sutras than Ch’eng-kuan of the Flower Garland school, Chia-hsiang of the Three Treatises school, Tz’u-en of the Dharma Characteristics school, and Kobo of the True Word school. That is because I follow in the footsteps of the teachers T’ien-t’ai and Dengyo. If Ch’eng-kuan and the others had not accepted the teachings of T’ien-t’ai and Dengyo, how could they have expected to escape the sin of slandering the Law?
I, Nichiren, am the richest man in all of present-day Japan. I have dedicated my life to the Lotus Sutra, and my name will be handed down in ages to come. If one is lord of the great ocean, then all the gods of the various rivers will obey one. If one is king of Mount Sumeru, then the gods of the various other mountains cannot help but serve one. If a person fulfills the teaching of “the six difficult and nine easy acts” of the Lotus Sutra, then, even though he may not have read the entire body of sutras, all should follow him.” –The Opening of the Eyes
Nichiren Daishonin is a far more accomplished Master than any past or present priest or layman.
“The Great Teacher Dengyo was disparaged by the priests of Nara, who said, “Saicho has never been to the capital of T’ang China!” (ibid.)
“The Great Teacher T’ien-t’ai trusted and obeyed Shakyamuni and worked to uphold the Lotus school, spreading its teachings throughout China.” — On the Buddha’s Prophecy
“In the Tendai school, however, there appeared a priest known as the Great Teacher Miao-lo. Though he lived more than two hundred years after the time of the Great Teacher T’ien-t’ai, he was extremely wise and had a clear understanding of the teachings of T’ien-t’ai…” – Repaying Debts of Gratitude
Who credentialed or certified Tientai, Miao-lo, or Nichiren? Nichiren Daishonin gave himself the Buddhist name Nichi-Ren. Who ordained Shakyamuni Buddha? This nonsense about seeking a living master will stifle your growth and development as a direct disciple of the Original Buddha. It is the evil priestly and monastic agenda to coerce you into accepting them as teachers and offering them alms, rather than the Lotus Sutra, Shakyamuni Buddha and Nichiren Daishonin. Their’s is not True Mahayana (exoteric Buddhism) which is based on the Succession Through the Scrolls of the Sutra and the authentic writings of Nichiren. The Lotus Sutra and Nichiren Daishonin teach that we are direct disciples of the Original Eternal Buddha Shakyamuni. Buddhism is accessible to all with or without a “face to face” transmission.
Nichiren Daishonin states:
“While the Great Teacher Jikaku was in Japan, he made a thorough study of the teachings of both Dengyo and Kobo, and he spent a period of ten years in China studying under the eight distinguished priests, including the Tripitaka Master Pao-yüeh of southern India, learning all the loftiest and most secret doctrines. On this basis, he completed his commentaries on the two sutras. In addition, he prayed to the image of the Buddha, and awoke from dreaming that he had seen the arrow of wisdom strike the sun of the Middle Way. So great was his joy that he requested Emperor Nimmyo to issue an edict acknowledging Mount Hiei as a center of the True Word practice.
Though he was the chief priest of the Tendai school, he virtually became a True Word prelate, declaring that the three True Word sutras were the works that would ensure peace and protection of the nation. It has now been more than four hundred years since he spread these doctrines. The eminent leaders who have accepted them are as numerous as rice and hemp seedlings, and the fervent believers who have embraced them are as plentiful as bamboo plants and rushes.
As a result, of all the temples established throughout Japan by Emperor Kammu and the Great Teacher Dengyo, there is not one that has not become a propagator of the True Word doctrine. Both courtiers and warriors alike invite True Word priests to attend to their religious needs, look up to them as their teachers, confer offices upon them, and place them in charge of temples. And in the eye-opening ceremony carried out at the consecration of wooden and painted Buddhist images, the priests of all the eight schools of Buddhism now use the mudras and mantras of the Thus Come One Mahavairochana and the honored one Buddha Eye! — Repaying Debts of Gratitude
Look what happened to Buddhism with men like Jikaku who studied under, “the Eight Distinguished Teachers”, every one of them certified, credentialed and ordained. Also, the priestly shackle that some advocate, diminishes one’s faith in the Supreme Law affirmed by all Buddhas (Myoho renge kyo). Others studied under men who were heretics or traitors to Nichiren and still others were trained, ordained and/or, certified by modern day disciples of these shameful men. Nichiren continues:
“Question: When it comes to those who maintain that the Lotus Sutra is superior to the True Word teachings, should they try to make use of these commentaries by Jikaku, or should they reject them?
Answer: Shakyamuni Buddha laid down a rule for future conduct when he said that we should “rely on the Law and not upon persons.” Bodhisattva Nagarjuna says that one should rely on treatises that are faithful to the sutras, but not rely on those that distort the sutras. T’ien-t’ai states, “That which accords with the sutras is to be written down and made available. But put no faith in anything that in word or meaning fails to do so.” And the Great Teacher Dengyo says, “Depend upon the preachings of the Buddha, and do not put faith in traditions handed down orally.” — The Selection of the Time
“Instead of wasting all those supplies and making work for other people by insisting upon traveling all the way to China, they should have made a more careful and thorough study of the doctrines of the Great Teacher Dengyo, who was their own teacher!.” –Repaying Debts of Gratitude
“But after he went to China at the age of forty, though he continued to call himself a disciple of Dengyo and went through the motions of carrying on Dengyo’s line, he taught a kind of Buddhism that was wholly unworthy of a true disciple of Dengyo.” (ibid.)
Although I am merely an ignorant layman, I think that some of our present day priests and so-called mentors should have made a more careful and thorough study of the doctrines of Nichiren Daishonin who they claim as their Buddhist Master. Then they wouldn’t be teaching a type of Buddhism that is wholly unworthy of a true disciple of Nichiren. One mentor in particular has shackled his disciples to himself like a sick siamese twin who will eventually end up killing both himself and his sibling.
“At that time, after the great assembly had heard the Buddha speak of the
great length of his life-span, incalculable, limitless asamkhyeyas of
living beings gained a great advantage. At that time, the World-Honored
One declared to the bodhisattva-mahasattva Maitreya: “O Ajita!
When I preached on the great length of the life-span of the Thus Come
One, living beings to the number of sands in six hundred and eighty
myriads of millions of nayutas of Ganges rivers gained acceptance of
[the doctrine of] the unborn dharmas. Again, a thousand times this
number of bodhisattva-mahsattvas heard and were enabled to take hold
of the gateway of the dharanis. Again, bodhisattva-mahasattvas equal
to the number of the atoms in one world-sphere gained joy in preaching
and unimpeded eloquence. Again, bodhisattva-mahasattvas equal in
number to the atoms in one world-sphere gained the dharani that can
be turned to a hundred thousand myriads of millions of incalculable
[uses]. Again, bodhisattva-mahasattvas equal in number to the atoms
in the thousand-millionfold world were enabled to turn the unreceding
Wheel of the Dharma. Again, bodhisattva-mahasattvas equal in number
to the atoms in two thousand middle lands were enabled to turn the
pure Wheel of the Dharma. Again, bodhisattva-mahasattvas equal in
number to the atoms in a minor thousand of lands were destined
after eight rebirths to gain anuttarasamyaksambodhi. Again, bodhi
sattva-mahasattvas equal to four times the number of atoms under
four heavens were destined after four rebirths to gain anuttarasamvak
sambodhi. Again, bodhisattva-mahasattvas equal in number to three
times the number of atoms under four heavens were destined after three
rebirths to gain anuttarasamyaksambodhi. Again, bodhisattva-maha-
sattvas equal in number to twice the atoms under four heavens
were destined after two rebirths to gain anuttarasamyaksambodhi.”
– Lotus Sutra Chapter 17
Nichiren Shonin quotes Nan-yueh:
“The Daigo shojin Sutra says: ‘Ordinary beings and the Thus Come One share a single Dharma body. Being pure and mystic beyond comparison, it is called Myoho-renge-kyo.’” — Entity of the Mystic Law
and again:
“Those who practice the Lotus Sutra are pursuing through this single act of devotion the mind that is endowed with all manner of fortunate results. These are present simultaneously and are not acquired gradually over a long period of time. This is like the blossom of the lotus which, when it opens, already possesses a large number of seeds or results. Hence such persons are called the people of the one vehicle.” — The Entity of the Mystic Law
“Thereupon Shakyamuni Buddha rose from the seat of the Dharma, and by great supernatural powers, put his right hand on the heads of the innumerable Bodhisattva-mahasattvas, and said: “For many hundreds of thousands of billions of asamkhyas of kalpas, I studied and practiced the Dharma difficult to obtain, and [finally attained] Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi. Now I will transmit the Dharma to you. Propagate it with all your hearts, and make it known far and wide.” — Lotus Sutra, Chapter 22 Transmission
The merit of the Buddha comes directly from the Buddha. After the close of Chapter 22, the replicas of Shakyamuni Buddha never again appear. They went back to their home worlds at the end of this chapter because the Buddha has entrusted Bodhisattva Jogyo and the Bodhisattvas of the Earth with carrying out the transmission of the Dharma in this Latter Age. The transmission of Buddhahood come from the Original Buddha Shakyamuni and nowhere else.
Nichiren Daishonin in the “Ho’on Jo” [Repaying Debts of Gratitude], enumerates the Three Great Secret Laws (“san dai hi ho”):
“The first is the object of worship (honzon). All the people in Japan as well as the rest of the whole world should revere the Lord Buddha Shakyamuni (Original and Eternal Buddha) revealed in the essential section (honmon) of the Lotus Sutra as the Object of Worship (honzon)…”; Second, there is the high sanctuary of true Buddhism; Third, in Japan, China, India and all the other countries of the world, every person, regardless of whether he is wise or foolish, shall set aside other practices and join in the chanting of Namu-myoho-renge-kyo.”
In the “Kanjin Honzon Sho” [True Object of Worship], he says:
“Shakyamuni Buddha, the Lord preacher of this pure land, has never died in the past, nor will He be born in the future. He exists forever throughout the past present and future.” In the Senji Sho [Selection of the Time] we read, “It was not I, Nichiren, who made these three important predictions. I believe it was solely the spirit of Shakyamuni Buddha, entering my body, who made them.”
On the Four Stages of Faith and The Five Stages of Practice Reads,
“Within these chapters of transmission, the four stages of faith and the five stages of practice expounded in the “Distinctions in Benefits” chapter refer to what is most important in the practice of the Lotus Sutra, and are a standard for those living in the time of the Buddha and after his passing.
Ching-hsi writes: “‘To produce even a single moment’s faith and understanding’ represents the beginning in the practice of the essential teaching.” Of these various stages, the four stages of faith are intended for those living in the Buddha’s lifetime, and the five stages of practice for those living after his passing. Among these, the first of the four stages of faith is that of producing even a single moment’s faith and understanding, and the first of the five stages of practice is that of rejoicing on first hearing the Lotus Sutra. These two stages together form a casket containing the treasures of the “hundred worlds and thousand factors” and the “three thousand realms in a single life-moment”; they are the gate from which all Buddhas of the ten directions and the three existences emerge.”
Nichiren Daishonin goes on to say,
“Answer: This is a very important question, and so I will be referring to the text of the sutra in answering you. In describing the first, second and third of the five stages of practice, the Buddha restricts those at these stages from practicing precepts and meditation, and places all emphasis upon the single factor of wisdom. And because our wisdom is inadequate, he teaches us to substitute faith, making this single word “faith” the foundation. Disbelief is the cause for becoming an icchantika and for slander of the True Law, while faith is the cause for wisdom and corresponds to the stage of myoji-soku.’
And again,
“Answer: Such persons are restricted from practicing almsgiving, the keeping of the precepts, and the others of the five paramitas, and are directed to chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo exclusively. This practice corresponds to the capacity of persons at the stages of “producing even a single moment’s faith and understanding” and “rejoicing on first hearing the Lotus Sutra.” It represents the true intention of the Lotus Sutra. ”
And further along:
“Question: When your disciples, without any understanding, simply recite with their mouths the words Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, what level of attainment do they reach?
Answer: Not only do they go beyond the highest level of the four tastes or the three teachings as well as that attained by practitioners of the perfect teaching set forth in the sutras that precede the Lotus Sutra, but they surpass by millions and billions of times the founders of the Shingon and various other schools of Buddhism–men such as Shan-wu-wei, Chih-yen, T’zu-en, Chi-tsang, Tao-hsuan, Bodhidharma and Shan-tao.”
Nichiren Daishonin writes:
“Although Nichiren dwells in such a remote and forlorn retreat [Minobu], within the heart of his fleshly body he holds concealed the secret Dharma of the sole great matter (ichidaiji) transmitted by the Eternal Shakyamuni, master of teachings, on Vulture Peak.” –Nanjo Hyoe Shichiro-dono gohenji
The Dharma is not handed down from a master to a disciple, but directly accessible to anyone at any moment via a personal relationship formed with the Buddha and the Lotus Sutra by chanting Namu Myoho Renge Kyo.
From the Object of Devotion For Observing the Mind:
“..the Eternal Lord Shakyamuni’s practices undertaken as the cause (for attaining Buddhahood), and his virtues acquired as their effect, are completely contained within the five characters of Myoho-Renge-Kyo. When we receive and hold these five characters, he will spontaneously transfer to us the merit of his causes and effects.”
To conclude, when we chant Namu Myoho renge kyo with faith and reverence for the Gohonzon, the Eternal Buddha Shakyamuni, the Daimoku, and spread the teachings to the best of our abilities, we are Bodhisattvas of the Earth, requiring no intercession by either priest or layman.
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