"If one has no faith, one will elevate it to the sphere of sages and think one has no knowledge of it. If one has no knowledge, one will become conceited and think one is equal to Buddha. Then beginning and end are both wrong, both not it." -- Master Tientai
Nichiren writes:
"Great Concentration and Insight says: “If one lacks faith [in the Lotus Sutra], one will object that it pertains to the lofty realm of the sages, something far beyond the capacity of one’s own wisdom to comprehend. If one lacks wisdom, one will become puffed up with arrogance and will claim to be the equal of the Buddha.”
Nichiren also writes:
"Faith in this sutra means that you will surely attain Buddhahood if you are true to the entirety of the Lotus Sutra, adhering exactly to its teachings without adding any of your own ideas or following the arbitrary interpretations of others."
The question arises, where can one find such practitioners who neither add any of their own ideas nor follow the arbitrary interpretations of others and enter into their Sangha [group of believers]? Here, by following, the Law, Shakyamuni Buddha of the Juryo Chapter of the Lotus Sutra, Nichiren, Nichiju, and Nikkyo. Nikkyo the Martyr, after his excommunication from the Kempon Hokke [Nichiju Monryu], formed his own group, the Nikkyo Monryu, ultimately rejecting the Kempon Hokke for their compromise with the authorities.
This whole idea of just following some old thing and never thinking any of your own thoughts strikes me as screamingly at odds with everything legitimately Buddhist. How can any person truly walk his own unique path if he's supposed to be constantly following something else/someone else? This is evidence of attachment, and we all know that attachment makes enlightenment impossible. It seems to me that Nichiren's clarifications ensure that no one who follows his instructions will ever have any chance of attaining enlightenment. One of the problems with religions is when they try to destroy their members' ability to think for themselves and to use their own wisdom in navigating their way through daily life - so many religions are anti-intellect and anti-creativity, prizing blind faith and even foolishness. It's a shame that Nichiren's apparently cut from that exact same bolt of cloth. No thanks - I'll think for myself.
ReplyDeleteEveryone follows something. A crack addict follows his or her cravings for crack cocaine. A provisional Buddhist follows the Buddha in his provisional aspect, aspiring for Arhat through the teachings of the Four Noble Truths, the Eightfold Path, Impermanence, No-self, and Dependent Origination and a true Buddhist follows the Buddha in his true aspect, aspiring for Buddhahood through the teachings of Supreme and Perfect Enlightenment, the Lotus Sutra or Myoho renge kyo.
ReplyDelete