The Master of Teachings Lord Shakya of the Original Doctrine is the original teacher of all Buddhas and Bodhisattvas throughout the universe and his foremost disciple is Nichiren Daishonin. Yet, the teacher of even Shakyamuni Buddha and Nichiren Daishonin is the Law of Namu Myoho renge kyo. The Lotus Sutra meditation, Namu Myoho renge kyo, is different than all other meditations or contemplations. It is based on faith in the Lotus Sutra or Myoho renge kyo [receiving and keeping or hearing and recollecting the Lotus Sutra]. In order to strengthen faith, to clearly observe the mind and become Buddha, we employ two principle techniques, willpower consciousness and prayer. Chant Namu Myoho renge kyo with utmost devotion and you will see what I mean.
Namu Myoho Renge Kyo is all that we need. seb
ReplyDelete"Yet, the teacher of even Shakyamuni Buddha and Nichiren Daishonin is the Law of Namu myoho renge kyo".
ReplyDeleteSince this is the case wouldn't we be better off referring to Nmrk as the eternal Buddha rather than Skakyamuni or Nichiren as these individuals were enlightened at a point in time in the eternal past !
Not the Eternal Buddha Shakyamuni. That is why he is the Eternal Buddha. Eternal is eternal.I think you should take it up with Nichiren, Noel:
ReplyDeleteThe Identity of the Original Eternal Buddha
The following passages of proof demonstrate the identity of the Original Buddha as the Eternal Buddha Shakyamuni; Nichiren’s reverence for this Buddha; and by believing in the Three Bodied Tathagata Shakyamuni as the Original Buddha and our original teacher, we become equal to Shakyamuni Buddha.
“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 Worship
“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 extoltheir own canons by stating: “The Lord of the Flower Garland Sutra represents the reward-body (hojin) of the Buddha wheras 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
“Thus it was revealed that Shakyamuni had long been the Buddha since the eternal past and it became clear that various Buddhas in other worlds were all manifestations of Shakyamuni Buddha. Now, however, as Shakyamuni was proved to be the Eternal Buddha, those Buddhas in the Flower Garland Sutra, or Buddhas in the Hodo, Hannya, or Great Sun Buddha sutras all became subordinates of Shakyamuni Buddha.” (Kaimoku Sho, p. 174, translated byKyotsu Hori, 1987)
ReplyDeleteBTW, here’s the same quote, as translated by NSIC. Please note the subtle differences:
“When Shakyamuni Buddha revealed that he had gained enlightenment in the far distant past and had since then been constantly in the world, it became apparent that all the other Buddhas were emanations of Shakyamuni… now it becomes apparent that Vairocana Buddha of the Kegon Sutra and various Buddhas of the Hodo, Hannya and Dainichi sutras are in fact all followers of Shakyamuni Buddha.” (MW V.2, p.149)
And again, Nichiren says:
“Since Shakyamuni Buddha is eternal and all other Buddhas in the universe are His manifestations…” (Kaimoku Sho, translated by Kyotsu Hori, p.176).
NSIC translates this as :
“Since the Buddha of the Juryo chapter is revealed as the eternal Buddha…” (the part about the manifestation Buddhas is left out altogether!) [MW V. 2, p.150]
Once again, from the Kaimoku Sho, translated by Kyotsu Hori, p.180:
“But now since it has been revealed that Shakyamuni is the Eternal Buddha…”
“But now that it has become apparent that Shakyamuni Buddha attained enlightenment countless aeons ago,…etc. (MW V.2, p. 151)
“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.” -- The Opening of the Eyes
In the Kanjin Honzon Sho, (translated by Kyotsu Hori) there is not a single sentence where Nichiren even suggests that he is somehow this Eternal Buddha that is found in the Juryo Chapter. Instead, Nichiren says:
“…Shakyamuni Buddha, within our minds, is an ancient Buddha without beginning, manifesting Himself in three bodies and attained Buddhahood in the eternal past.. (ibid. P.94)
“…the Bodhisattvas (who sprang from underneath the ground), as described in the 15th chapter, are followers of the Original Buddha Shakaymuni who resides within our minds.” (p.94)
“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.” (P.100)
ReplyDelete“The “honzon” at the scene of this transmission of “Namu Myo Ho Renge Kyo” from the Eternal Buddha to His Original Disciples is… suspended in the sky above the Eternal Buddha Shakyamuni’s Saha-world is a stupa of treasures, in which Shakyamuni Buddha and Taho sit to the left and right of “Myo Ho Renge Kyo”. (P.102)
“Many wooden statues and portraits were made of Shakyamuni Buddha as He preached Hinayana and quasi-Mahayana sutras, but statues and portraits of the Eternal Shakyamuni Buddha revealed in the Juryo Chapter of the Lotus Sutra were never made. Now, in the beginning of Mappo, is it not the time that such statues and portraits are made?” (P.104)
And, from the Ho’on Jo (translated by Taikyo Yajima):
“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).” [P. 198]
Kanjin Honzon-Sho (NOPPA) page 56:
“In fact Sakyamuni began to preach, planting the seed of Buddhahood in the eternal past… Sakyamuni Buddha continued to guide His disciples until they were all sure to attain Buddhahood during the preaching of the Lotus Sutra in His present life, completing the series of His preaching which began in the eternal past.” Kanjin Honzon-Sho (NOPPA) page 86:
“This means that Sakyamuni Buddha, Taho Buddha, and all the Buddhas in manifestation are in our minds, and that we, upholders of the Lotus Sutra, will follow in their steps and inherit all the merits of those Buddhas.”
and somewhat further along:
“In the same chapter, another passage reads: ‘The duration of My Life, which I obtained through the practice of the bodhisattva way, has not yet expired. It is twice as long as the length of time stated above: 500 dust-particle kalpa.’ This reveals the bodhisattva-realm within our minds. The bodhisattvas described in the fifteenth chapter, ‘Appearance of Bodhisattvas from Under- ground,’ who have sprung out of the great earth, as numerous as the number of dust-particles of 1,000 worlds, are followers of the Original Buddha Sakyamuni who resides within our minds.”
“How lucky I am to be able to go to the Pure Land of Mt. Sacred Eagle and extinguish within one life my sin of slandering the true dharma ever since the eternal past! How glad I feel to be able to go to the Pure Land of Mt. Sacred Eagle and wait on Lord Sakyamuni Buddha, whom I have never seen yet! May I guide first of all those rulers of this land who have persecuted me. May I tell Sakyamuni Buddha about my disciples who have assisted me. may I present this great merit to my parents, who gave birth to me, before I die.”
“Present within our lives is the Lord Shalyamuni who obtained the three enlightened properties of life before gohyaku-jintengo, the Original Buddha since time without begining.” (MW vol 1, The True Object of Worship, pg 65)
ReplyDelete“Demonstrating ten great mystic powers the Buddha (Shakyamuni) transferred Namu Myoho renge Kyo to the four great bodhisattvas” (Ibid pg 77)
“Shakyamuni is the original teacher for all people as well as their sovereign and their parent” (MW vol 1, Admonitions Against Slander, pg 166)
“It is the object of worship which perfectly depicts Lord Shakyamuni in the Treasure Tower” (MW vol 1, The Real Aspect of the Gohonzon, pg 212)
“Shakyamuni is the father, sovereign and teacher of all other Buddhas and all gods, of the whole assembly of men and heavenly beings and of all sentient beings.” (MW vol 1, Letter to Nikke, pg 257)
“But because of this book by Honen, this Senchaku Shu, the Lord Buddha Shakyamuni is forgotten.” (MW vol 2, Rissho Ankoku Ron, pg 23)
“The Lord Shakyamuni who declared ‘I alone can save them,’ at a time even more distant than gohyaku-jintengo, is none other than each of us.” (MW vol 2, I2U Exile, pg 55)
“One should know that the Enlightened One, the Buddha, is a Great Teacher for all living beings, a Great Eye for them, a Great Pillar, a Great Helmsman, a Great Field of Plenty.” (MW vol 2, Opening of the Eyes, pg 77)
“The doctrines that the Buddha taught over a period of fifty years number eighty thousand…The eight years during which he preached the Lotus Sutra he called the time when he ‘now must reveal the truth’. Thus Taho Buddha came forth from the earth to testify that ‘All that you have expounded is the truth,’ and the Buddhas that are emanations of the Original Buddha gathered together and extended their tongues up to the Brahma-heaven in testimony.” (MW vol 2, Ibid, pg 79)
“The Buddhas of the ten directionss gathered in assembly, Shakyamuni Buddha announced that ‘all of these are emanations of my being.” (MW vol 2, Ibid, pg 141)
“When Shakyamuni Buddha revealed that he had gained enlightenment in the far distant past and had since then been constantly in the world, it became apparent that all the other Buddhas were emanations of Shakyamuni.” (MW vol 2, Ibid, pg 149)
“Since the Buddha of the Juryo chapter is revealed as the eternal Buddha, it follows that the great bodisattvas such as Monju and Miroku and the great bodisattvas from other realms are in fact disciples of Shakyamuni Buddha.” (MW vol 2, Ibid, pg 150)
ReplyDelete“All these beings are discples of Shakyamuni Buddha. Since the various Buddhas themselves are emanations of Shakyamuni Buddha, it goes without saying that their disciples must be disciples of Shakyamuni. And of course the various decties of the sun, moon and stars, who have dwelt in the world from countless ages in the past must likewise be disciples of Shakyamuni Buddha.” (MW vol 2, Ibid, pg 152)
“The Lotus Sutra is nothing other than a scripture that reveals that Shakyamuni Buddha attained enlightenment at a time even more distant than gohyaku-jintengo.” (MW vol 2, Letter to the Priests of Seicho-ji, pg 268)
“…but Shakyamuni [by bestowing upon us the character myo] has granted us as many benefits as if we ourselves had fulfilled all the practices of the six paramitas. This precisely accords with his statement, “Now this threefold world is all my domain, the living beings in it are all my children.” (MW vol 3, Letter to Nichimyo Shonin, pg 48-49)
“Now the votaries of the Lotus Sutra are the children of Shakyamuni Buddha.” (MW vol 3, Ibid, pg 49)
“All that you (Shakyamuni Buddha) have expounded is the truth.” (MW vol 3, Ibid pg 51)
“The Lord Shakyamuni assembled Taho Buddha as well as the other Buddhas, who were his own emanations, from throughout ten directions and left one great medicine, the five characters of Myoho renge Kyo-for the people of the Latter Day.” (MW vol 3, The Munadala of the Mystic Law, pg 58)
“Lord Shakyamuni treasured this Gohonzon in mind… He revealed it in the Juryo chapter…” (MW vol 3, Reply to Nii-Ama, pgs 64-65)
In the Selection of the Time, directly under the title, it is written:
“Nichiren, disciple of Shakyamuni Buddha”.
“Yet it was not I, Nichiren who made these important pronouncements. Rather it was in all cases the spirit of Shakyamuni Buddha that had entered into my body. And at having personally experienced this I am beside myself with joy.” (MW vol 3, Ibid, pg 171)
“Shakyamuni Buddha, the World Honored One, declared, ‘I am the foremost throughout the threefold world.’” (MW vol 3, Ibid, pg 176)
“When I was about to be beheaded, the Lord Buddha Shakyamuni took my place.” (MW vol 3, The Supremacy of the Law, pg 199).
“However, they are alike in that they all abandoned Shakyamuni Buddha,” and in the next paragraph it states, “If there is anyone among my followers who is weak in faith and goes against what I, Nichiren, say, he will meet the same fate as did the Soga family.” (MW vol 3, The Supreme Leader of the World, pg 237)
ReplyDelete“I have been ceaselessly praying for your sake to the Lotus Sutra, Shakyamuni Buddha and the gods of the sun and moon.” (MW vol 3, Ibid)
“Our teacher, Shakyamuni Buddha.” (MW vol 4, The Learned Shan-wu-wei, pg 64)
“They are monks and nuns by virtue of the Lord Shakyamuni.” (Ibid, pg 65)
“There are three reasons why Shakyamuni Buddha rather than any of the other Buddhas has a relationship with all the people of the world of the saha world. First of all, he is the World Honored One, the soverign of all the people of this saha world…
The second reason is that Shakyamuni Buddha is the father and mother of all the persons in the saha world. It is proper that we should first of all pay filial respect to our own father and mother…
The third reason is that Shakyamuni is the original teacher of all persons in the saha world.” (Ibid, pgs 65-66)
“Yet Shakyamuni Buddha entered this saha world of ours with the title Nonin, ‘He Who Can Forbear.’ He is so called because he does not berate its people for the slanders they all commit but shows forbearance toward them.
“These, then, are the special qualities possesed by Shakyamuni Buddha, qualities that the other Buddhas lack,” (Ibid, pg 68)
“I [Shakyamuni] alone can save them.” (Ibid, pg 69)
“For this reason, all the persons in this saha world of ours, if they detest the sufferings of birth and death and wish to have an object of veneration to which they can pay respect, should first of all fashion images of Shakyamuni Buddha… and make these their object of worship.” (Ibid, pg 69)
“Shakyamuni Buddha our father and mother, who is endowed with the three virtues of soverign, teacher and parent, is the very one who encourages us, the people driven out by all the other Buddhas, saying, ‘I alone can save them’. The debt of gratitude we owe him is deeper than the ocean, weightier than the earth, vaster than the sky. Though we were to pluck out our two eyes and place them before him as an offering until there were more eyes there than stars in the sky, though we were to strip off our skins and spread them out by the hundreds of ten thousands until they blanketed the ceiling of heaven, though we were to give him our tears as offerings of water and present him with flowers for the space of a hundred billion kalpas, though we were to offer him our flesh and blood for innumerable kalpas, until our flesh piled up like mountains and our blood overflowed like vast seas, we could never repay a fraction of the debt we owe to this Buddha!” (Ibid, pg 71-72)
“I, Nichiren have indeed written it by letting my soul (tamashii) dipped in ink flow forth. The very intention (heart) of the Buddha is the Lotus Sutra; the soul of Nichiren is nothing other than Namu Myoho renge kyo. Chan-jan explains, ‘It takes [the Buddha] of Far-reaching Lifespan revealed as the Original Buddha to be its life’ For Lady kyoo, misfortunes will into fortune. By all meansput forth your mind of faith and pray to and think on this Gohonzon. What can not be accomplished? There can be no doubt that ‘fulfilling those vows will be like a clear, cool pond satisfying the thirsty’ and there will be ‘peace and security in the present world and a good place in the next.” — Reply to Kyoo [KHK Translation]
ReplyDelete“All that you [Shakyamuni Buddha] have expounded is the truth.” (MW vol 4, Teaching, Practice and Proof, pg 120)
“Answer: One: Japan and so on to the whole of Jambudvipa should uniformly take the Master of Teachings Lord Shakya of the Original Doctrine as the Object of Worship.” — Repaying Debts of Gratitude [KHK Translation]
“Our merciful father, Lord Shakyamuni, said ‘Rely on the Law and not upon persons.” (MW vol 5, A Sage and an Unenlightened Man, pg 65)
“In the same volume in the Lotus Sutra, the Buddha says, ‘for the sake of the Buddha way I have in countless different lands from the begining until now widely preached various sutras, but among them this Sutra is foremost.’ This passage means that Shakyamuni Buddha has appeared in countless lands, taking different names and assuming varying life spans.” (Ibid, pg 77)
“I have dedicated my life to Shakyamuni Buddha and the Lotus Sutra, extending compassion to all living beings and rebuking slanders of the Law.” (MW vol 5, A Sage and an Unenlightened Man, pg 107)
“When Shakyamuni Buddha in the clouds above the Sacred Mountain, in the mists of Eagle peak, summed up the essence of the doctrine and entrusted it to the bodhisattvas of the earth, what do you suppose that teaching was? It was nothing other than these five characters, the essential law;” (Ibid, pg 110)
“I Nichiren, humble person though I am, have recieved Lord Shakyamuni’s royal command and come to this country of Japan.” (MW vol 5, The Pure and Far Reaching Voice, pg 143)
“Shakyamuni Buddha is the lord of all buddhist teachings, the leader and teacher of all human beings.” (Ibid, pg 143)
“And among the Sutras, the Lotus Sutra is a manifestation in writing of Shakyamuni Buddha’s intent; it is his voice set down in written word.” (Ibid, pg 147)
“Shakyamuni Buddha and the written words of the Lotus Sutra are two different things but their heart is one. Therefore, when you cast your eyes upon the words of the Lotus Sutra you should consider that you are beholding the living body of the Buddha Shakyamuni.” (Ibid, pg 147)
“However the Buddha recognizes each character as a golden Lord Shakyamuni. This is the meaning of the statement that ‘[one who is able to hold this Sutra] thereby holds the Buddha’s body’. Those who practice Buddhism but adhere to distorted views destroy this loftiest of Sutras.” (MW vol 5, Reply to Soya Nyudo, pg 164)
“‘The Son of Heaven utters not a single word in vain’ and ‘the words of the Dharma King contain no falsehood’. A wise ruler will never lie, even if it should bring about his ruin. How much less would Shakyamuni Buddha ever speak falsely!” (MW vol 5, Good Fortune in This Life, pg 185)
ReplyDelete“Only the Lotus Sutra represents the wonderful teaching preached directly from the golden mouth of Shakyamuni Buddha, who is perfectly endowed with the three bodies.” (MW vol 5, Letter to Myomitsu Shonin, pg 196)
“Shakyamuni, the Lord of Teachings, is the foremost sage in the saha world.” (Ibid, pg 199)
“As we see from these passages of scripture, Shakyamuni, with his Buddha eye, observed the situation that would prevail at the begining of the Latter Day of the Law. If, when the age has arrived, there were to be no persons of the type the Buddha describes then the World-Honored One would be guilty of false and baseless talk. [And if that were to be the case, then] who would put faith in the theoretical and essential teaching of the Lotus Sutra, and in the doctrine of the eternally inherent Buddha Nature.” (MW vol 6, Reply to Lord Hakiri Saburo, pg 40)
“In this way, Shakyamuni Buddha cited his own practice in the past to encourage and hearten (The Votary of the Lotus Sutra).” [Ibid pg 42]
“Shakyamuni summoned the four bodhisattvas and entrusted them with the five characters of Myoho renge Kyo.” (MW vol 6, Rebuking Slander of the Law, pg 60)
“We see from the Sutra that only these four bodhisattvas had been the disciples of Shakyamuni, the Lord of Teachings, since the remote past.” (Ibid, pg 62)
Nichiren quotes Miao-lo, referring to the relationship of the bodhisattvas of the Earth to Shakyamuni as follows;
“The sons will disseminate the Law of the Father.” (Ibid, pg 62)
“The Shakyamuni of the Juryo Chapter has never been depicted in any mountain temple or monastery anywhere.” (Ibid, pg 63)
“The nation of Japan today has turned its back on the Lotus Sutra and cast aside Shakyamuni Buddha.” (MW vol 6, Letter To Ichinosana Nyudo, pg 99)
“Shakyamuni Buddha is the Parent of all living beings in this world.” (Ibid, pg 100)
ReplyDelete“The Lord Buddha Shakyamuni is the enlightened teacher for all living beings in the country of ours. It is thanks to our teacher that we can understand who our parents are. It is owing to Shayamuni that we can distinguish black from white.” (Ibid, pg 100)
“It will be hard indeed to find anyone who can preach the Lotus Sutra just as it teaches in the Latter Day of the Law of Shakyamuni Buddha.” (MW vol 6, Three Tripitaka Masters, pg 118)
“The Tathagata Shakyamuni, seated in the tower adorned with seven kinds of precious gems, entrusted the five characters of Myoho renge Kyo to Takahashi Nyudo.” (MW vol 6, Reply to Takashi Nyudo, pg 124)
“Were it not for Shakyamuni, the lord of teachings, how could such blessings as these be bestowed.”
“The Hokke [Lotus] sect is the sect founded by Shakyamuni.” (MW vol 6, How Those Initially Aspiring to the Way Can Attain Buddhahood, pg 175)
“Therefore [the sect based on] the Lotus Sutra is known as the Buddha-founded sect and is also called the Hokke Sect.” (Ibid, pg 175)
“The various other sects were founded by bodhisattvas or teachers in the period after the Buddha had entered Nirvana. Should we now turn our backs upon the Buddha’s decree and follow the sects established by the bodhisattvas and teachers? Or should we ignore the words of the bodhisattvas and teachers and follow the sect established by the Buddha.” (Ibid, pg 176)
“Now the Latter Day of the Law, is the time when the seven characters of Namu Myoho renge kyo-the heart of the twenty-eight chapters of the Lotus Sutra that Shakyamuni Buddha who had achieved enlightenment in the remote past, along with the bodhisattvas Jogyo, Muhengyo and the others is to propogate-will alone spread throughout the country.” (Ibid, pg 187-188)
“The messenger of the Lord Buddha Shakyamuni has twice been paraded through the street.” (MW vol 6, A Father Takes Faith, pg 242).
ReplyDelete“Because Shakyamuni expounded the Lotus Sutra in order to repay the debt of gratitude he owed to his father and mother, Taho Buddha, who had come from the land of treasure purity, praised him as a Buddha of true filial piety. And the Buddhas of the ten directions assembled and declared him to be the most filial among all the Buddhas.” (MW vol 6, On Filial and Unfilial Conduct, pg 290)
“Therefore, the words of this Sutra are indeed the very soul of Shakyamuni Buddha. And since every single word constitutes the soul of the Buddha, Shakyamuni Buddha will protect persons who practice this Sutra as though he were protecting his very own eyes. He will accompany such persons just as a shadow accompanies a body. How then could the prayers of such persons not be answered.” (MW vol 7, On Prayer, pg 34)
“The various Buddhas [other than Shakyamuni], since they are known as World Honored One, may be regarded as Sovereigns. But since they do not make their appearance in this saha world, they are not teachers. Nor do they declare that ‘…the living beings in it (this threefold world) are all my children’. Thus, Shakyamuni Buddha alone fulfills the three functions of sovereign, teacher and parent.” (Ibid, pg 43)
“Answer: Shakyamuni Buddha became enlightened to this lotus that is the entity of the Mystic Law numberless major world system dust particle kalpas in the past, and in age after age and lifetime after lifetime, declared that he had attained the way and revealed the fundamental principle he had realized with his enlightened wisdom.” (MW vol 7, The Entity of the Mystic Law)
“In this passage, Shakyamuni Buddha explains that he is entrusting to the Bodhisattvas of the Earth, his original disciples, the five characters of Myoho renge Kyo which is the essence of the Lotus Sutra. Shakyamuni, who attained enlightenment countless Kalpas in the past, says elsewhere, ‘By now the original vows that I made have already been fulfilled. I have converted all living beings and caused them to enter the Buddha way’…This passage represents the ultimate purpose for which Shakyamuni appeared in the world, the secret Law that he attained in the place of meditation.” (Ibid, pg 70)
“In the Latter Day of the Law, other than the envoy of the Thus Come One, there can be no one who understands and produces this passage as proof of the Lotus of the Entity.” (Ibid, pg 70)
ReplyDelete“The way in which the Lotus emerges from the muddy water is used as a metaphor to explain that when the Thus Come One joins the multitude of listeners, seats himself on a lotus in the same manner as the various bodhisattvas and expounds on the unsurpassed wisdom of the Thus Come One and on the enlightened state of purity, the various voice heavens, hearing this, are able to obtain the secret storehouse of the Thus Come One. Second, the words Myoho renge signify the lotus opening up. (This is a metaphor explaining that) ordinary beings, though exposed to the Mahayana teachings, are timid and fearful in mind and incapable of taking faith in them. Therefore the Thus Come One ‘opens’ or reveals his Dharma body in its purity and wonder, awakening in them the mind of faith.” (Ibid, pg 71-72)
“In the entire land of Jambuduipa, there has never before been a hall or pagoda that produced the image of Shakyamuni Buddha of the Juryo Chapter of the Lotus Sutra. How could such an image fail to appear now.” (MW vol 7, The Unmatched Fortune of the Law, pg 160)
“However, later seeking and entering the deep cave, you see a single hermitage. The voices of the reading and reciting of the Hokekyo echo against blue heaven and the words of discussing the doctrine of the One Vehicle are heard in the midst of the mountains. Informing [them, of your presence and requesting] admittance, you enter the chamber, place your mother’s bones before the Master of Teachings Lord Shakya, cast your five limbs to the ground, press your palms together, and opening your two eyes, look up to the Holy Face: joy overflows your body and the pain of your heart suddenly ceases.”(On forgetting Ones Copy Of The Lotus Sutra, NOPPA Translation)
“But he reveres Shakyamuni Buddha and puts his faith in the teaching of the Lotus Sutra. Hence he is like a snake that grips a jewel in its mouth, or a dragon that bears sacred relics on its head. A wisteria vine by Twining around a pine, may climb a thousand meters into the air and a crane, because it has wings to rely upon, can travel ten thousand miles. It is not their own strength that allows them to do these things.” (MW vol 7, On The Urobon, pg 172-173)
These passages from the Gosho are crystal clear. Eternal Shakyamuni Buddha is our original teacher to whom Nichiren’s reverence knows no bounds. Why do the Taisekaji sects fail to embrace the Lotus Sutra and Nichiren’s words? Could it be that the Devil of the Sixth Heaven has replaced Shakyamuni Buddha in their minds? This delusion, in the minds of these men, can be demonstrated by their behaviors:
“They will tear off the first part of the Sutra and stick it on the end, tear off the end and put it at the begining, put the end and the begining in the middle and the begining at the middle or end. You must understand that these evil monks are the companions of the devil.” (MW vol 2, Opening Of The Eyes, pg 1 180)
Their causes are revealed:
ReplyDelete“There is a difference if one chants the daimoku while acting against the intent of this Sutra.” (MW vol 3, The Fourteen Slanders, pg 207)
“Those who practice buddhism but adhere to distorted views destroy this loftiest of Sutras.” (MW vol 5, Reply to Soya Nyudo, pg 164).
and their effects:
“Unfilial children however are not allowed to succeed their parents.” (MW vol 3, Letter to Nichinyo, pg 49);
How can this be remedied?:
“In the same way, one who chants the daimoku as the Lotus Sutra teaches will never have a twisted mind.” (MW vol 5, Letter to Myomitsu Shonin, pg 196)
“Those who seek the truth of buddhism, however, should reject one sided views whether they are of their own sects or other sects and should not treat others with contempt.” (MW vol 2, Opening Of The Eyes, pg 167)
“One should use the Sutras as his eyes and give precedence to the wisdom of the Buddha. Surely however, if this standard is made clear people will become enraged and harbor indignation in their minds. Let them do as they will. What matters most is that we honor the Buddha’s command. As a rule people in the world value what is distant and despise what is near, but this is the conduct of the ignorant. Even the distant should be repudiated if it is wrong, while that which is near should not be discarded if it accords with the truth. Even though people may revere (their predecessors doctrines), if those doctrines are in error, how can we employ them today”. (MW vol 4, Reply to Hoshina Goro Taro, pg 42-43)
These passages constitute a Buddhist doctrine, the second most important Buddhist doctrine of Nichiren Lotus Sutra Buddhism.
Who is the Original Eternal Buddha? [Please remember, the Original Eternal Buddha is a "who", not a "what"]
ReplyDeleteAn SGI member wrote the following:
"Since you think Shakyamuni was the ultimate Buddha, what do
you make of him saying, "I, too, once also practiced
bodhisattva austerities." Does this not infer that he
studied under someone, a prior Buddha who taught him these
practices, or do you think he just made them up himself?
Does he also not refer to his first attainment of
enlightenment in gohyaku jintendo (a long, long time
ago) instead of kuon ganjo, the infinite past?
Also, since the Lotus was preached 3,000 years ago, does
that mean there is nothing more to learn for the rest
of eternity?
Just wondering,"
Then, more recently he wrote:
"I guess if one can't reconcile the [fact] that Nichiren is the original
Buddha, capable of inscribing his life-state into the form of a Gohonzon,
"the teacher of all Buddhas, past, present and future," the only
alternative is to devise one clever guess after another."
Nichiren Daishonin's Perspective
The Lotus Sutra and Nichiren Daishonin teach that, "Shakyamuni Buddha attained enlightenment at a time even more distant than gohyaku jintengo." (MW, Vol.2, p.268)
Here are more than a dozen additional passages from Chapter 16 of the Lotus Sutra which you recite every day:
"But forever here preaching the law."
And:
"I forever remain in this [world]"
And:
"And then I tell all creatures
That I exist forever in this world"
Therefore, once expedients are abandoned:
ReplyDelete"I [Shakyamuni] tell all creatures that I [Shakyamuni] exist forever in this world."
"By the power of tactful methods
Revealing [myself] extinct and not extinct"
"[If] in other regions there are beings
Reverent and with faith aspiring
Again I am in their midst"
"other regions" means everywhere, means past present and future and means eternal:
"I behold all living creatures
Sunk in the sea of suffering
Hence I do not reveal myself"
Beholding all living beings means omnipresent.
"Hence I [Shakyamuni] do not reveal myself" (although "I" am always present.)
"Till, when their hearts are longing,
I appear to preach the Law:"
"I therefore appear to all living creatures."
All living creatures include those who have existed since time without beginning, those who now exist, and those who will exist in the infinite future.
"[I am] always on the Divine Vulture Peak
And in every other dwelling place".
This is self explanatory.
"Tranquil is this realm of mine,
Ever filled with heavenly beings,"
Parks, and many palaces
With every kind of gem adorned,
Precious trees full of blossoms and fruit,
where all beings take their pleasure"
Again, "ever" is forever [eternal] and "all" is all throughout the Three Existences. This passage brings up a very important point: Not only the Buddha Shakyamuni who teaches all beings the eternity of life is eternal but so is his land and so are the masses of beings.
''But all who perform virtuous deeds
And are gentle and upright
These all see that I exist."
Again, "all" is all. Those who existed, exist and will exist(from the standpoint of the Truth of Temporary Existence) who perform virtuous deeds and are gentle and upright, these beings see that Shakyamuni always exists. Does that mean that those who don't see the Buddha, those such as Nikken, Ikeda, and yourself, are not virtuous and upright?
"For the Buddha's words are true, not false.
Like the Physician who with clever device,
In order to cure his demented sons,
Though indeed alive, annonces his own death
Yet can not be charged with any falsehood,
I, too, being father of this world,
Who heals all misery and affliction,
For the sake of the perverted people,
Though truly alive, say [I am] extinct;
Who is the father of this Saha world who heals all misery and all affliction? There can not be two fathers. This would have been an opportune time for Shakyamuni to announce a Buddha more original than himself [as the father of the world] but, as we see, the Buddha Shakyamuni, consistent from beginning to end, again announces, "I".
ReplyDelete"I, ever knowing all beings"
Again, the words "I", "ever" and "all".
"Expound their every Law"
Buddha Shakyamuni [as He, Nichiren Daishonin, and the Kempon Hokke state]. teaches every Law.
"Ever making this my thought:
How shall I cause all the living
To enter the Way supreme
and speedily accomplish their buddhahood."
The Original Eternal Buddha Shakyamuni always and exclusively practices the True Law and has been doing so since time without beginning. Nichiren, on the other hand, by his own admission, practiced the Nembutsu. The passage you cite, taken in the context of the entire Lotus Sutra and the commentary by Nichiren, is nothing more than an affirmation of Ichinen Sanzen. It means that even the Buddha from time without beginning contains the other nine worlds and manifests in different guises in order to preach the True Law. If you don't believe the Lotus Sutra and me, here is what Nichiren says in the True Object of Worship, explaining this passage of the Sutra:
"The Juryo chapter states: "Once I also practiced the
bodhisattva austerities and the life which I then
acquired has yet to be exhausted. My life will last
yet twice as many aeons from now." He was speaking of
the world of Bodhisattva within ourselves."
Nichiren writes in the Opening of the Eyes:
"Thus, in the various sutras other than the Lotus Sutra, Shakyamuni does not assemble those Buddhas who carry out different austerities and practices and who possess the three bodies nor does he identify them as emanations of himself. Only in the Hoto chapter of the Lotus Sutra does he do so. This chapter then, is intended as an introduction to the Juryo chapter that follows later. Shakyamuni Buddha who was believed to have attained enlightenment for the first time only some forty and more years previously, calls together Buddhas who had become enlightened as long ago as one or even ten kalpas in the past, and declares that they are emanations of himself. This is a far cry indeed from the Buddha’s usual preaching on the equality of all Buddhas [in their Dharma bodies], and in fact a cause of great astonishment. If Shakyamuni had attained enlightenment for the first time only some forty years earlier, there could hardly have been so many beings in the ten directions who had received his instruction. And even if he was privileged to possess emanations, there would have been no benefit in his showing them to his listeners. T’ien-t’ai, describing what went on in the astonished minds of the assembly, stated: "It was evident to them that Shakyamuni Buddha possessed numerous emanations. Therefore, they understood that he must have attained enlightenment in the far distant past."
ReplyDeleteI have collected 98 additional passages of proof if you are still not convinced.
Question: What is the Meaning of Original Buddha or Original Teacher?
Original Teacher means that no matter how eminent, wise, or knowledgeable one may be, and no matter how diligent one is in carrying out the Six Paramitas (Six Perfections), there is no way that one could come up with, let alone reveal, Myoho renge kyo independently of Shakyamuni Buddha. Shakyamuni Buddha, in the history of the universe, was the one unique individual capable of doing so. Nichiren realized this, taught this, and reverenced Shakyamuni Buddha for His astronomical feat of autonomous self-practice. That is why He, rather than any other individual, is worshipped as the person of the Gohonzon (Ninpo-Ika). We owe our very Enlightenment to this Buddha and this Buddha alone.
The arrogance of those in the SGI and Nichiren Shoshu who misconstrue Shakyamuni Buddha's and Nichiren Daishonin's words for their own aggrandizement is cause to fall into the Lower Worlds and to remain there for a very long time. How can one follow someone who is so blind to the manifest reality that someone had to give them the Five Characters that they pay homage to? Daisaku Ikeda didn't come up with the formula Myoho renge kyo. The High Priest didn't come up with this formula. Even Nichiren Daishonin didn't realize and expound the Lotus Sutra in the infinite past. It was Shakyamuni Buddha who taught Nichiren Daishonin and the other Bodhisattvas of the Earth the Lotus Sutra in the remote past. It was Eternal Shakyamuni Buddha who planted the seed of Myoho renge kyo in our Buddha-nature, the seed that, if watered with a correct faith and practice, grows into the magnificent tree of the Supreme Enlightenment of Myoho.
As far as your question about nothing more to learn for all eternity, the World of Learning too is without beginning and end but it is not the state we should aspire to.
You have unquestioningly believed what your leaders and priests of Taisekaji have taught you without investigating the matter. You have gone against the Buddha's admonition to "be a lamp unto yourself" and to accept only those arguments based on the scriptures. I hope you will take this lengthy reply in the spirit in which it is offered and begin a faith, practice, and study, consonant with the teachings of the Lotus Sutra and Nichiren Daishonin. I am actual proof that even a brainwashed cultie can reform.
"We, living beings, have dwelt in the sea of the sufferings of birth and death since time without beginning. But now that we have become votaries of the Lotus Sutra, we will without fail attain the Buddha’s entity which is as indestructible as a diamond, realizing that our bodies and minds that have existed since the beginningless past1 are inherently endowed with the eternally unchanging nature, and thus awakening to our mystic reality with our mystic wisdom"
ReplyDeleteEarly text with remnants of Nichiren's Tientai training. Didn't Nichiren say something about considering his pre-Sado texts as equivalent to the Buddha's pre-Lotus Sutra teachings? Of course, there is one major exception, On Establishing the Correct Teaching for the Peace of the Land. why don't you tell me what he teaches about Shakyamuni Buddha in this, one of Nichiren's five most important writings? I will help you, if you are incapable of doing so.
Delete"Then how can we be in any way different from the Buddha who appeared from the sea? Shakyamuni Buddha, the lord of teachings, who declared in the remote past of gohyaku-jintengo, "I am the only person [who can rescue and protect others,]" is none other than each of us, living beings. This is the Lotus Sutra’s doctrine of the three thousand realms in a single moment of life, and our behavior is a personal demonstration of "I am always here, preaching the Law."2 How valuable, then, are the Lotus Sutra and Shakyamuni Buddha for us, but we, ordinary people, are never aware of it. This is the meaning of the passage in the Juryo chapter, "I make it so that living beings in their befuddlement do not see me even when close by." The difference between delusion and enlightenment is like the four different views of the grove of sal trees.3 Let it be known that the Buddha with the three thousand realms in a single moment of life is any living being in any of the realms of existence who manifests his inherent Buddhahood"
ReplyDeleteGreat passage. The problem is determining WHO manifests his inherent Buddhahood. In my mind and I believe in Nichiren's mind, we can only be sure of Shakyamuni Buddha. Also, according to Nichiren, only this Buddha [Shakyamuni] has manifested Buddhahood since the eternal past. This is the reason Shakyamuni Buddha of the Juryo Chapter and no other Buddha is the Gohonzon in terms of the Person. I choose to follow Shakyamuni Buddha and Nichiren Daishonin exclusively [to the best of my ability]. You may choose someone else but buyer beware.
ReplyDeleteunfortunately, one must be very careful or phony or corrupt goshos, and or , corrupt translations. so goes mappo.
ReplyDeletebeware if they deviate from what nichiren consistently teaches.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDelete'The problem is determining WHO manifests his inherent Buddhahood'.
ReplyDelete'Let it be known that the Buddha with the three thousand realms in a single moment of life is any living being in any of the realms of existence who manifests his inherent Buddhahood"
A Buddha manifests his/hers/its inherent Buddhahood in all the realms all the time, where those who haven't reached this stage only some of the time. So in this sense to say that we are on the same level as Buddha is sheer arrogance. But to say that we have the same quality of inherent Buddhahood is just fine
I believe that those like Shakyamuni and Nichiren are like evolutionary Buddha's whose tendency's have risen from the lower worlds to the highest state Buddhahood where they are now full time Buddha's. They still have the potential to fall back down as they have already done infinite times because of the oneness of good and evil, enlightenment and delusion, the pure and impure aspect of phenomena and as individuals they are the eternally changing flow of karmic energy of the individual aspect of the Alaya Consciousness
This multiverse or whatever we like to call it is free choice unless we are prisoners of fixed karma. Because of the oneness of good and evil, enlightenment and delusion, the pure and impure aspect of phenomena it will always be as thus
'Buddha’s entity which is as indestructible as a diamond, realizing that our bodies and minds that have existed since the beginningless past are inherently endowed with the eternally unchanging nature'
The belief that we are the indestructible, beginnigless, eternally unchanging Buddha's entity can give us hope not only in this life but throughout the 3 existences
Compared to Shakyamuni and Nichiren we are more like Partime Buddhas, we all have to start somewhere as they did. The understanding of the Law of Nmrk is the first step but not an easy one as it can be rather mind boggling at times because of the myriad of interpretations of what is being said by others including Nichiren and not at least from all that is coming out of our own minds.
Just as well we have the ancient Buddha in our mind [mystic wisdom] to help sort out the nonsense
The only eternal Buddha that I can fathom is the Law of Nam/u myoho renge kyo and not any individual ever changing manifestation of the alaya consciousness of which we and not excluding all the Buddhas and Boddhistavas of the 10 directions are
Shakyamuni Buddha has never fallen back nor will he ever and Nichiren too, through his unwavering faith. boundless compassion, and astronomical endurance through the most relentless travails, will never fall back.Will Noel? Mark? that depends on thinnness or thickness of our faith.
DeleteAother way to look at the matter is that the Original Eternal Buddha Shakyamuni is nothing other than a cognized universe. That is different than an impersonal Law principle although the workings of the cognized universe [Buddha] too depends on the Law of Namu Myoho renge kyo.
DeleteAgain Noel, the Lotus Sutra, Nichiren and Tientai teach a Three Bodied Tathagata, a flesh and blood Buddha, and not merely a Dharma Body Buddha. You share the same view as Shingon.
ReplyDeleteTientai the Great teaches:
ReplyDelete"The Prose & Verse of The Lotus Sutra
Measuring the Life of The One That Has Come - Chapter 16
Page 4
An explanation of the chapter's title:
The One That Has Come (Nyorai):
This is the general title of all the Buddhas in the ten directions from the past, the present and the future; of the Two Buddhas, the Three Buddhas, and the source and manifestation of the Buddhas. More specifically it is the title of the original threefold body of enlightenment.
Measuring the Life (Juryo):
This describes the measure of the merits & virtues of all the Buddhas in the ten directions from the past, the present and the future; of the Two Buddhas, the Three Buddhas, and the source and manifestation of the Buddhas. Now it is the main description of the merits & virtues coming from the original threefold body of enlightenment.
Therefore this is called:
The Chapter on Measuring the Life of The One That Has Come (Nyorai Juryo Hon).
The name The One That Has Come (Nyorai) has a very important meaning - we will now clarify the ideas of the duality and the trinity of The One That Has Come - this will make other illustrations easier to understand.
The Duality of The One That Has Come:
The Discourse on The Attainment of Reality1 says:
“The vehicle that comes into this world from the path of absolute reality and attains enlightenment is called The One That Has Come”.
The vehicle is the absolutely true wisdom.
The reality is the absolutely true object.
The spiritual path is the cause.
Enlightenment is the effect.
If we only discussed the vehicle, there would be no absolute truth to be known.
If we only discussed the reality, there would be no one to know the absolute truth.
When object and wisdom are blended, cause and effect will follow.
When the object has not yet been totally revealed, it is considered to be the cause.
When its source has been fathomed, it is considered to be the effect.
Upon awakening to the meaning of the spiritual path, the vehicle comes into this world from the path of absolute reality and attains enlightenment. This is called The Spiritual Body of The One That Has Come 2.
Because of the wisdom of absolute reality, the vehicle is on the path of absolute reality. It comes and is born into the threefold existence of this world 5 and is revealed as having become truly enlightened. This is called The Body that is the Living Response of The One That Has Come 4.
The Trinity of The One That Has Come:
ReplyDeleteThe Great Discourse 6 says:
“In understanding according to the Dharma and teaching according to the Dharma we speak of The One That Has Come.”
A. The Absolutely True Object:
Being neither cause nor effect, with or without a Buddha enlightened to it, its nature and appearance are always as they are, being the same everywhere in all places. Therefore it is said to be ‘The One That (Is As-It-Is)’. It is unchanging but upon appearing in this world it is said that it ‘Has Come’.
This indicates The Spiritual Body of The One That Has Come 2.
B. The Absolutely True Wisdom:
The wisdom that comes from the absolutely true path of reality attains the wonderful enlightenment. This wisdom is called ‘according to the principle of reality’. From the principle it is said to be ‘The One That (Is As-It-Is)’ From the wisdom it is said that it ‘Has Come’ This is The Body that is the Living Reward of The One That Has Come 3. Therefore The Discourse says: “In understanding according to the Dharma…we speak of The One That Has Come”
C. By means of The Absolutely True Object & Wisdom Being Blended, one is here and there able to reveal that which has truly become enlightened. Quicksilver is blended with gold, with which one can paint images of many colors. Merits and virtues are refined with the Spiritual Body, which here and there responds, manifests and goes away. And so there are the eight signs of attaining enlightenment and the turning of the wheel of the Wonderful Dharma.7 This is The Body that is the Living Response of The One That Has Come4. Therefore The Discourse says: “In teaching according to the Dharma we speak of The One That Has Come"
Footnotes:
ReplyDelete1. The Discourse on The Attainment of Reality: (S. Satyasiddhi Sastra) Written by Harivarman, translated into Chinese by Kumarajiva.
2. The Spiritual Body of The One That Has Come: (S. Dharma-kaya Tathagata) The Body of the Dharma, of Spiritual Truth, that is everywhere in all places whether one is aware of it or not. The embodiment of spirituality that pervades all things. The ground of the one mind, the spiritual realm; It could also be translated 'Spiritual Life'. It is the totality of what is, whether we are aware of it or not. It is everything that the materialist would call the world, or existence, but it is invested with life or spirit; What some might call God.
3. The Body that is the Living Reward of The One That Has Come: (S. Sambhoga-kaya Tathagata) Literally, The Body of Reward; The embodiment of wisdom and virtues that is awareness of the spiritual truth, and that is the reward of spiritual merit for the causes made on the spiritual path. Although a direct translation here would be 'body' (S. kaya) I have chosen to add the word 'living' to emphasize the fact that this 'body' is not just an inanimate mass but rather a living spiritual entity.
4. The Body that is the Living Response of The One That Has Come: (S. Nirmana-kaya Tathagata) Literally, The Body of Response; The manifestation of the Buddha; The body or, more precisely, life that is manifested in this world in response to the spiritual needs of living beings of faith.
5. The threefold existence: The past, present & future, that is, the temporal world that we all live in as mortal beings.
6. The Great Discourse: (S. Maha Prajna Paramita Sastra) Major work by Nagarjuna on The Sutra on the Perfection of the Great Wisdom (S. Maha Prajna Paramita Sutra) translated by Kumarajiva
7. The eight signs of attaining enlightenment:
a. Descent into the Tusita Heaven awaiting birth in this world
b. Entry into the womb
c. Birth into this world
d. Leaving home
e. Subjugation of the devil
f. Attainment of enlightenment
g. Teaching of the Dharma
h. Entering into Nirvana
The turning of the wheel of the Wonderful Dharma: Teaching of the Dharma generally, and more specifically teaching the The Lotus Sutra."
Tientai also stated (modified slightly from Ansanna):
ReplyDelete"As Tientai stated, "The three thousand realms of existence are all possessed by life in a single moment.... But if there is the slightest bit of life, it contains all the three thousand realms." He is referring to the non-duality of "a single moment of mind/life" ( subjective ) and the "three thousand realms." ( objective )
This is known as the actual embodiment of the principle of "The three thousand realms in a single moment of mind/life"
The provisional teachings only state that all phenomena arise from the mind or that they are subordinate to the mind while the Lotus teaches that the true aspect is inseparable from all phenomena and that all phenomena, just as they are, are themselves the true aspect/reality. ."
Someone asked,
"I have been struggling most recently with how Nichiren approached the question of the subject-object dynamic. In a round about way, its related to my flopping around on the Dharmakaya concept. Basically, I am wondering if the Dharmakaya can be understood as a sort of transcendent subjective (I realize that I am being very clumsy with the treatment of the subtle concepts).
I recalled the concept of the fusion of objective reality with subjective wisdom (jp kyochi myogo) and found in the SG dictionary that the concept is set forth in Words and Phrases of the Lotus Sutra - one of Chih-i's commentaries on the Lotus Sutra. Basically, it is a description of the enlightened state, in my understanding, where the subjective is fused with objective reality.
It is my understanding that Nichiren taught that one is able to achieve this fusion when one chants.
I was wondering if anyone could elaborate on this idea or if anyone has any knowledge of how Chih-i explains the concept.
Thanks"
Were you only able to become one with the Law while chanting, it would be impossible to benefit the people or surmount life's hardships or persecutions. A person is one with the Law and equal to the Three Bodied Tathagata Shakyamuni when one lives the Lotus Sutra whether chanting, converting others, or doing the laundry. There is a reason the Lotus Sutra and Nichiren teach that faith is first and foremost. If it were only possible to become the Buddha while chanting, we would only opt to chant and would be no better than the forest dwelling monks or those who practice Zazen or Vippisana for hours on end. We chant to become the Buddha to benefit the living.
Now let me explain little more about the concept of the fusion of subject and object:
3000 Worlds in a Momentary Existence is intimately tied to The Fusion of Subject and Object.
You are what you eat is another expression of an understanding of Fusion of Subject and Object [not taken literally]. From the very first, we were all taught you become what you devote (Namu) yourself to. 3000 Worlds in a Momentary Existence of Life and the Mutual Possession of the Ten Worlds explains the Fusion of Subject and Object. There are two ways to look at the Ten Worlds and their mutual possession. The first is that everyone possess all ten. The other way is that everyone gravitates to one or several of the worlds. From moment to moment, those who are in the Lower Six Worlds are transformed, principally by conditions into remaining in the Lower Six while those in the Four Higher Worlds transform themselves principally through causes requiring great effort through will power consciousness (Ichinen).
If we look at the objects of the beings in the ten worlds, we will see that the objects perfectly match the subjects (and the environments in which we find the various beings also is perfectly reflected). For example:
ReplyDeleteA 600 lb morbidly obese man's object is food. He is nearly always thinking about food, talking about food, procuring food, or eating food. whenever he sees food, whether on TV or in a restaurant, he experiences hunger and even while eating giant portions of food he is never satieted. The man's house is a mess with plates and half eaten bowls of food scattered all over his house, the sink stacked with dishes, and an extra jumbo sized refrigerator. The man's heart, liver, and muscles are immersed in fat. This man spends most of his life in the World of Hunger. This man has attained the Kyochi Myogo (Fusion of Subject and Object) of the World of Hunger.
Another example,
A Buddha's Object are the Law and the Original Buddha, the living teacher of all Buddhas throughout the Ten Directions. This Buddha is Shakyamuni Buddha of the Juryo Chapter of the Lotus Sutra, the Three Bodied Tathagata posessing the Law Body of Namu Myoho renge kyo. A Buddha is always thinking of the Law, the Master of Teachings Lord Shakya of the Original doctrine, and "By what shall I cause the masses of beings to be able to enter the Supreme Way and rapidly attain Buddhahood." Whenever he sees a person, through his words and behavior, he teaches the Law. His abode is the Land of Eternal Quiescent Light. He glows with the radiance of the Thus Come One. This man spends most of his time in the World of Buddhahood. This man has attained the Kyochi Myogo (Fusion of Subject and Object) of the World of Buddhahood.
"In his Miao-fa lien-hua-ching wen-chu (Textual Commentary on the Lotus Sutra), Tientai states:
ReplyDelete"1. The Buddha is one's focus of devotion in the true sense. He is the savior who delivers human beings from their sufferings and fulfills their desires and is also the figurative parent and lord of humankind. Thus one should offer prayer and reverence to him with an attitude of total dedication and of obedience to his teaching. (This is reguarded as the "first step" view of the Buddha).
2. When considering the essence of the Buddha objectively, the discriminating person thinks of his Law (that is, of the universal, logical truth of the universe), of justice and benevolence as the basic ideal virtues of humankind, and of selfless compassion as the means of saving all sentient beings.
3. Since the second interpretation alone is not sufficient to sustain a living faith, it must be merged with the first. Thus the third interpretation unites the abstract theory of the first with the concrete practice of the second.
4. When one has at last arrived at a state of profound faith, one has attained unity with the Buddha and is always embraced by him even if one's awareness of the Buddha is not perfect (that is to say, not in complete accord with the union of theory and practice set forth above in the third interpretation). In this fourth interpretation one has already achieved Buddhahood and sees the buddha-nature in all objects and beings one encounters and venerates all those objects and beings as buddhas. It is at this point that the Buddha-land, or paradise, becomes a reality rather than an ideal or goal."
SGI rejects the "first step" view of the Buddha which, according to Tientai, indicates a dead faith. Nichiren Daishonin and we embrace Tientai's and Nichiren's view of the Buddha which indicates that we experience a living faith.
Some body said - 'When we believe that we can transform our negative tendencies now, we can live a life where we are able to reveal enlightenment through human revolution. And when we live this way, we feel that we are experiencing the eternity of life at each moment".
ReplyDeleteDaisaku Ikeda says - "True entity" refers to the true reality of life as viewed from the enlightened state of the Buddha, who has broken free of all delusion. Here, all things, all phenomena, are equal, transcending distinctions and differences between subject and object, self and others, mind and body, the spiritual and the material. It is an infinitely expansive realm of eternal life without beginning or end and transcending distinctions of the Ten Worlds.
Life is a vital, dynamic pulsing of activity; it is wisdom and compassion; it embodies the principle of the indivisibility of life and death; it is a universal law. The cosmos is not so big that life cannot embrace it; nor a particle of matter so small that life cannot be contained within it. It transcends words and thought and is truly unfathomable; it can only be described as the Mystic Law. That is the kind of inscrutable realm it is.
"Somebody" has been reading the Human Revolution and neglecting his studies of the Lotus Sutra and writings of Nichiren Daishonin. Belief in transforming ourselves has no power to reveal enlightenment. Belief in the Lotus Sutra [Myoho renge kyo] and the Gohonzon [the Eternal Lord Shakya of the Original Doctrine] is the means of revealing enlightenment and experiencing the eternity of life at each moment.
ReplyDeleteIkeda is merely rephrasing the teachings found in The Unanimous Declaration by the Buddhas of the Three Existences regarding the Classification of the Teachings and Which Are to Be Abandoned and Which Upheld, an apocryphal text based on Medieval Tendai Original Enlightenment thinking. Sounds great but less filling. As Nichiren would say:
Ikeda "merely advances the principle of nonduality without understanding the principle of duality, and commits an act of great arrogance, claiming that they themselves are equal to the Buddha. He is following in the tracks of the Great Arrogant Brahman of India and imitating the old ways of the Meditation Master San-chieh of China. But we should recall that the Great Arrogant Brahman, while still alive, fell into the hell of incessant suffering, and that San-chieh, after he died, turned into a huge snake. How frightful, how frightful indeed!"
Were we able to see the Buddha in our distracted thoughts, in the dust on the counter top, in pigs copulating, in soldiers killing innocent children on the battlefield, or in the dropping of atom bombs on cities, we would have no need for the Gohonzon, Lotus Sutra, or Lord Shakya of the Original doctrine. One needs a concrete example of Buddhahood in order to manifest Buddhahood in our own lives.
Internalizing, seeing, and revealing the Buddha by means of contemplation is the practice of Tientai. According to Nichiren, Tientai's teachings and practice are last years calender. When the sun rises there is no need for a candle.
nichiren and tentai concur that the true entity can manifest either deep delusion or enlightenment according what it is influenced by. the good influences are shakyamuni of the 16th chapter, deep and correct faith in the lotus sutra, and those who understand and follow such. bad or evil influences, such as believing and practicing contrary to shakyamuni, the lotus sutra or nichiren etc., will cause a deeper delusion. this is what we see in the nst/sgi. too bad, too sad.
ReplyDeleteThis post was in response to the the following letter I received:
ReplyDeleteMaybe you can give me insight or guidance. I will share some of my private beliefs. I don't talk religion to people and I will explain why, any way feed back would be great!
First of all, I'm gonna say that I agree with the use of LSD for mental conditions. In all honesty it takes years and years of meditation to achieve transcendence. In a way many years ago I used LSD and other Entheogens as a way to basically cheat my way to higher levels of consciousness. You know for me it was a way to achieve that mystical state with out all the discipline. I mean the Buddhist just like shamans meditate and fast for months. They do extraordinary things, they commit there life to reach that level. Years and years doing miraculous forms of discipline. In the real world it's almost impossible to achieve that dedication. I currently don't use them in my meditation but a many years ago I felt like it was a catalyst, away for me to get beyond the material world with out extreme discipline. I practice transcendental meditation. I try to clear every thought out of my mind, complete silence. When I meditate I attempt to silence all awareness and thought. Even awareness of my breathing or anything. It's very hard to achieve complete silence, however when I achieve the state of no mind, it can be scary. So euphoric and intense and extreme at an exponential rate often to the point of me snapping out of it and having to start all over. I try to channel my energy to the chakra third eye. So I do believe the old fashioned meditation is more power, it's very very difficult and I think allot of people don't do it correctly. However once I reach that state it becomes so intense it's hard for me to sustain it. I'm a strong believer in wisdom. I try to research and learn about all the wisdom traditions. The history is very interesting to me. I admire those that dedicate there life and sacrifice with will power to achieve these higher states of consciousness. I envy that, I think it's crazy how so many labels on religion... I would view myself as spiritual. I know there is a higher realm of consciousness and wisdom and I feel that so many labels it's really hard to assign myself to one. I believe that human nature is fallen; and we are so eager to criticise persons or things in the negative point of view; which is a very serious mistake.
I will share my world view and maybe you can tell me or label me. I never have labeled my spiritual and cultural ideology.
I will share my private beliefs and you can tell me what you think.
We as a culture tend to disempower ourselves. We tend to believe that we don’t matter. And in the act of taking that idea to ourselves we give everything away to somebody else, to something else. My technique is don’t believe anything. If you believe in something, you are automatically precluded from believing its opposite. The problem is not to find the answer, it’s to face the answer.
I tend to be very private with my beliefs. What ever the label is I believe in divine wisdom. I don't speak in the hearing of a fool, for they will despise the good sense of my words. Fools takes no pleasure in understanding, but only in expressing there opinion. If a wise man has an argument with a fool, the fool only rages and laughs, and there is no quiet. The tongue of the wise commends knowledge, but the mouths of fools pour out folly. In everything the prudent acts with knowledge, but a fool flaunts his folly.
ReplyDeleteWhoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but whoever hates correction is stupid. Whoever corrects a mocker invites insults; whoever rebukes the wicked incurs abuse. I do not rebuke mockers because they will hate me; rebuke the wise and they will love you. Instruct the wise and they will be wiser still; teach the righteous and they will add to their learning.The path of the righteous is like the morning sun, shining ever brighter till the full light of day. But the way of the wicked is like deep darkness; they do not know what makes them stumble. If you are wise, your wisdom will reward you; if you are a mocker, you alone will suffer. Whoever is patient has great understanding, but one who is quick-tempered displays folly. I believe the art of wisdom is knowing what to overlook.
Personal empowerment means deconditioning yourself from the values and the programs of the society and putting your own values and programs in place. We are told ‘no’, we’re unimportant, we’re peripheral. ‘Get a degree, get a job, get this, get that.’ And then you’re a player, but you don’t want to play in the game. You want to reclaim your mind and spirt getting it out of the hands of the cultural engineers who want to turn you into a half-baked moron consuming all this trash that’s being manufactured out of the bones of a dying world. How can I sacrifice virtue for the sake of what society says is acceptable.
No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You can't transcend and love money. The rich ruleth over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender. They promise you freedom, but they themselves are slaves of corruption. For whatever overcomes a person, to that he is enslaved. I attempt to owe no one anything, but love. All are from the dust, and to dust all return.
So simply I keep to my beliefs to myself. So much controversy arises even using religious terms. It's always convoluted by labels. I am a stronger believer in the principles of duality and polarity. The world which we perceive is a tiny fraction of the world which we can perceive, which is a tiny fraction of the perceivable world, you see. We operate on a very narrow slice based on cultural conventions. I am not this body. I am in this body, and this is part of my incarnation and I honor it but that isn't who I am. We are reflections of one another, therefore I know that you are part of me and I am part of you because we are all projections of the universal principles of creation/destruction polarities of the same infinite consciousness that we call God.
As far as the lotus sutra, The sutra speaks of a higher teaching but it doesn’t provide specific practices beyond the reading, copying, reciting, and preaching of the Sutra. I try to educate and study all the wisdom traditions. I attempt to understand the historical accounts as well. I think it's interesting to look at the progression of the sutras. Also I believe the lotus sutra was the teaching of Buddha toward the end of His life. I like reading all the empirical and historical accounts of the ancient history's and texts.
Sorry to talk your ear off but the story or metaphor you used about the elephant reminded me of Ganesha who is widely revered as the remover of obstacles, the patron of arts and sciences and the deva of intellect and wisdom. I don't worship Ganesha as a deity but symbolically I appreciate what it stands for, intellectually. I think that I enjoy conceptual ideas of what these things symbolize. The concept of new beginnings. It's something that I view as a metaphor more then a actual deity or entity. I think that through out the east there is allot of symbolism and mysticism.
What do you think? Am I new age hippie? I feel I just am what I am, and I figure it is what it is... I seek transcendence and wisdom at all cost. I am disgusted with the material world.