"If you think that to proclaim the absolute superiority of the Lotus Sutra is to take too narrow a view, then one would have to conclude that no one in the world was more narrow-minded than Shakyamuni Buddha. I am afraid you are greatly mistaken in this matter. Let me quote from one of the sutras and from the commentary of one school, and see if I can resolve your confusion.
The Immeasurable Meanings Sutra says: “[Because people’s natures and desires are not alike], I preached the Law in various different ways. Preaching the Law in various different ways, I made use of the power of expedient means. But in these more than forty years, I have not yet revealed the truth.”
Hearing this pronouncement, Great Adornment and the others of the eighty thousand bodhisattvas replied in unison, voicing their understanding that “[as for those living beings who are unable to hear this sutra . . . ] though immeasurable, boundless, inconceivable asamkhya kalpas may pass, they will in the end fail to gain unsurpassed enlightenment.”
The point of this passage is to make clear that, no matter how much one may aspire to the Buddha way by calling upon the name of Amida Buddha, or by embracing the teachings of the Zen school—relying on the sutras of the Flower Garland, Agama, Correct and Equal, and Wisdom periods preached by the Buddha during the previous forty years and more—one will never succeed in attaining supreme enlightenment, even though a countless, limitless, inconceivable number of asamkhya kalpas should pass.
And this is not the only passage of this type. The “Expedient Means” chapter of the Lotus Sutra states, “The World-Honored One has long expounded his doctrines and now must reveal the truth.” It also says, “[In the Buddha lands of the ten directions] there is only the Law of the one vehicle, there are not two, there are not three.” These passages mean that only this [Lotus] sutra represents the truth.
Again, in the second volume it says, “I am the only person who can rescue and protect others.”1 And it speaks of “desiring only to accept and embrace the sutra of the great vehicle and not accepting a single verse of the other sutras.” These passages mean that only Shakyamuni Buddha can save and protect all living beings, and that one should wish to accept and uphold only the Lotus Sutra, and never even a verse from any other sutra.
It also says, “If a person fails to have faith but instead slanders this sutra, immediately he will destroy all the seeds for becoming a Buddha in this world. . . . When his life comes to an end he will enter the Avichi hell.” This passage means that, if one does not believe in the Lotus Sutra but instead turns against it, one will immediately destroy the seeds for attaining Buddhahood in this world. After death, one will fall into the hell of incessant suffering.
Examining these passages, T’ien-t’ai concluded that it was statements such as these that had prompted the words, “Is this not a devil pretending to be the Buddha?” If we merely rely upon the commentaries of various teachers and do not follow the statements of the Buddha himself, then how can we call our beliefs Buddhism? To do so would be absurd beyond description!
Therefore, the Great Teacher Chisho stated that, if one claims that there is no division of Mahayana and Hinayana among the sutras and no distinction of partial and perfect among revelations of the truth, and therefore accepts all the words of the various teachers, then the preachings of the Buddha will have been to no purpose.
T’ien-t’ai asserted, “That which has a profound doctrine and 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.” He also said, “All assertions that lack scriptural proof are to be branded as false.” How would you interpret such statements?" -- Questions and Answers about Embracing the Lotus Sutra
It is the Lotus Sutra, Shakyamuni Buddha, and Nichiren Daishonin that lead to emancipation, not the Kempon Hokke, SGI, other sects, scriptures or persons.
It is the Lotus Sutra, Shakyamuni Buddha, and Nichiren Daishonin that lead to emancipation, not the Kempon Hokke, SGI, other sects, scriptures or persons.
Funny how that quote about "not preaching the truth in 40 years" doesn't appear in my copy.
ReplyDelete有一法門無量義 疾令菩薩成菩提
There is one Dharma-door that allows Bodhisattvas to readily attain Bodhi
自本來今最真諦 萬物性相本空寂
All things have always been Empty and still in nature and in appearance
只因眾生虛妄計 六趣輪迴苦難離
Sentient beings’ false discriminations lead to their own suffering in the cyclic existence of the Six Realms
佛陀宣說第一義 普令一切復無疑
Hence the Buddha expounded this great Truth, which shall expel all doubts
所發慈悲明不虛 諸眾菩薩應修習
The compassion developed is clear and true. All Bodhisattvas must practice it
一聞能持一切法 令諸眾生得大益
Hearing one teaching, the Bodhisattva can realize all Dharma, and bring great benefits to all sentient beings
斯經譬如一種子 百千萬億從它生
This Sutra is like a seed. Hundreds, thousands, tens of thousands, and hundreds of millions arise from it
千億種子復又生 展轉乃至無盡量
Thousands and hundreds of millions of seeds each produce more until the number is infinite and countless
一法能生無量義 無量義者一法生
One Dharma can give rise to infinite meanings. Infinite meanings arise from one Dharma
一句一偈能得聞 百千萬億能通達
Hearing each phrase and each chant can lead to understanding of hundreds, thousands, tens of thousands and hundreds of millions
Figures. Slandering the Dharma and Nichiren, you happen upon a poor translation.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeletetoo bad that many of the translations sponsored by shoshu, sgi are incorrect. look at their faith and practice. that tells the whole story.
ReplyDeletei have a krap detector. meter is going off the charts now.
Deletepay no attention, its only your sick mind playing tricks on you.
ReplyDeleteor possibly the sound of your mind splitting into seven pieces.
Deleteshakyamuni buddha - there is only one vehicle, not two, not three.
ReplyDeleteAt that time the Bodhisattva Great Adornment said to the Buddha again: "World-honored One! The preaching of the World-honored One is incomprehensible, the natures of living beings are also incomprehensible, and the doctrine of emancipation is also incomprehensible. Though we have no doubt about the laws preached by the Buddha, we repeatedly ask the World-honored One for fear that all living beings should be perplexed. For more than forty years since the Tathagata attained enlightenment, you have continuously preached all the laws to living beings-- the four aspects, suffering, voidness, transience, selflessness, nonlarge, nonsmall, nonbirth, nondeath, one aspect, nonaspect, the nature of the law, the form of the law, void from the beginning, noncoming, nongoing, nonappearance, and nondisappearance. Those who have heard it have obtained the law of warming, the law of the highest, the law of the best in the world,2 the merit of srota-apanna, the merit of sakridagamin, the merit of anagamin, the merit of arhat, and the way of pratyekabuddha; have aspired to enlightenment; and ascending the first stage, the second stage, and the third stage, have attained the tenth stage. Because of what difference between your past and present preaching on laws do you say that if a bodhisattva practices only the Sutra of Innumerable Meanings, a profound and supreme Great-vehicle, he will soon accomplish supreme buddhahood without fail? World-honored One! Be pleased to discriminate the Law widely for living beings out of compassion for all, and to leave no doubt to all Law-hearers in the present and future."
ReplyDeleteHereupon the Buddha said to the Bodhisattva Great Adornment: "Excellent! Excellent! Great good sons, you have well questioned the Tathagata about such a wonderful meaning of the profound and supreme Great-vehicle. Do you know that you will bring many benefits, please men and gods, and relieve living beings from sufferings. It is truly the great benevolence, and the truth without falsehood. For this reason you will surely and quickly accomplish supreme buddhahood. You will also make all living beings in the present and future accomplish supreme buddhahood.
"Good sons! After six years' right sitting under the Bodhi tree of the wisdom throne, I could accomplish Perfect Enlightenment. With the Buddha's eye I saw all the laws and understood that they were inexpressible. Wherefore? I knew that the natures and desires of all living beings were not equal. As their natures and desires were not equal, I preached the Law variously. It was with tactful power that I preached the Law variously. IN FORTY YEARS AND MORE, THE TRUTH HAS NOT BEEN REVEALED YET. Therefore living beings' powers of attainment are too different to accomplish supreme buddhahood quickly.
"Good sons! The Law is like water that washes off dirt. As a well, a pond, a stream, a river, a valley stream, a ditch, or a great sea, each alike effectively washes off all kinds of dirt, so the Law-water effectively washes off the dirt of all delusions of living beings. The law of warming, the law of the highest, and the law of the best in the world are three stages to be passed through by the disciple who is not yet free of desire when he tries to understand fully the Four Noble Truths.
"Good sons! The nature of water is one, but a stream, a river, a well, a pond, a valley stream, a ditch, and a great sea are different from one another. The nature of the Law is like this. There is equality and no differentiation in washing off the dirt of delusions, but the three laws, the four merits, and the two ways are not one and the same."
Continued...
"Good sons! Though each washes equally as water, a well is not a pond, a pond is not a stream or a river, nor is a valley stream or a ditch a sea. As the Tathagata, the world's hero, is free in the Law, all the laws preached by him are also like this. Though preaching at the beginning, in the middle, and at the end all alike effectively wash off the delusions of living beings, the beginning is not the middle, and the middle is not the end. Preaching at the beginning, in the middle, and at the end are the same in expression but different from one another in meaning.
ReplyDelete"Good sons! When I rolled the Law-wheel of the Four Noble Truths for the five men, Ajnata-Kaundinya and the others, at the Deer Park in Varanasi after leaving the king of trees, I preached that the laws are naturally vacant, ceaselessly transformed, and instantly born and destroyed. When I discoursed explaining the Twelve Causes and the Six Paramitas for all the bhikshus and bodhisattvas in various places during the middle period, I preached also that all laws are naturally vacant, ceaselessly transformed, and instantly born and destroyed. Now in explaining the Sutra of Innumerable Meanings, a Great-vehicle, at this time, I preach also that all laws are naturally vacant, ceaselessly transformed, and instantly born and destroyed Good sons! Therefore the preaching at the beginning, in the middle, and at the end are the same in expression but different from one another in meaning. As the meaning varies, the understanding of living beings varies. As the understanding varies, the attainment of the law, the merit, and the way also varies.
"Good sons! At the beginning, though I preached the Four Truths for those who sought to be shravakas, eight kotis of heavenly beings came down to hear the Law and raised the desire for enlightenment. In the middle, though I preached in various places the profound Twelve Causes for those who sought to be pratyekabuddhas, innumerable living beings raised the aspiration for enlightenment or remained in the stage of shravaka. Next, though I explained the long-term practice of bodhisattvas, through preaching the twelve types of sutras of Great Extent, the Maha-Prajna, and the voidness of the Garland Sea, a hundred thousand bhikshus, myriad kotis of men and gods, and innumerable living beings could remain in the merits of srota-apanna, sakridagamin, anagamin, and arhat or in the law appropriate to the pratyekabuddha.
Good sons! For this reason, it is known that the preaching is the same, but the meaning varies. As the meaning varies, the understanding of living beings varies. As the understanding varies, the attainment of the law, the merit, and the way also varies. So good sons! Since I attained the way, and stood to preach the Law for the first time, till I spoke the Sutra of Innumerable Meanings, the Great-vehicle, today, I have never ceased from preaching suffering, voidness, transience, selflessness, nontruth, nonreality, nonlarge, nonsmall, nonbirth in origin, and also nondeath at present, one aspect, nonaspect, and the form of the law, the nature of the law, noncoming, nongoing, and the four aspects by which all the living are driven.
Continued...
"Good sons! For this reason, all the buddhas, without a double tongue, answer widely all voices with one word; though having one body, reveal bodies innumerable and numberless as the sands of the Ganges of a hundred thousand myriad kotis nayutas; in each body, display various forms countless as the sands of some hundred thousand myriad kotis nayutas asamkhyeya Ganges, and in each form show shapes countless as the sands of some hundred thousand myriad kotis nayutas asamkhyeya Ganges. Good sons! This is, namely, the incomprehensible and profound world of The three laws are the Four Noble Truths, the Twelve Causes, and the Six Paramitas (see Glossary); the four merits are srota-apanna, sakridagamin, anagamin, and arhat (see Glossary); and the two ways are the Great-vehicle, or Mahayana, and the lesser vehicle, or Hinayana. 4 Religious exercises extending over many kalpas. 10 buddhas. Men of the two vehicles cannot apprehend it, and even bodhisattvas of the ten stages cannot attain it. Only a buddha together with a buddha can fathom it well.
ReplyDelete"Good sons! Thereupon I say: the Sutra of Innumerable Meanings, the wonderful, profound, and supreme Great-vehicle, is reasonable in its logic, unsurpassed in its worth, and protected by all the buddhas of the three worlds. No kind of demon or heretic can break into it, nor can any wrong view or life and death destroy it. Bodhisattva-mahasattvas, if you want to accomplish supreme buddhahood quickly, you should learn and master the Sutra of Innumerable Meanings, such a profound and supreme Great-vehicle."
After the Buddha had finished explaining this, the three-thousand-greatthousandfold world was shaken in the six ways; various kinds of celestial flowers, such as utpala, padma, kumuda, and pundarika, rained down naturally from the sky; and innumerable kinds of celestial perfumes, robes, garlands, and treasures of priceless value also rained and came rolling down from the sky, and they were offered to the Buddha, all the bodhisattvas and shravakas, and the great assembly. The celestial bins and bowls were filled with all sorts of celestial delicacies; celestial banners, flags, canopies, and playthings were placed everywhere; and celestial music was played in praise of the Buddha.
Continued...
ReplyDeleteAlso the buddha-worlds, as many as the sands of the Ganges, in the direction of the east were shaken in the six ways; celestial flowers, perfumes, robes, garlands, and treasures of priceless value, celestial bins, bowls, and all sorts of celestial delicacies, celestial banners, flags, canopies, and playthings rained down; and celestial music was played in praise of those buddhas, those bodhisattvas, the shravakas, and the great assembly. So, too, was it in the southern, western, and northern quarters, in the four intermediate directions, in the zenith and nadir.
At this time thirty-two thousand bodhisattva-mahasattvas in the assembly attained to the contemplation of the Innumerable Meanings. Thirty-four thousand bodhisattva-mahasattvas obtained the numberless and infinite realms of dharani and came to roll the never retrogressing Law-wheel of buddhas all over the three worlds. All the bhikshus, bhikshunis, upasakas, upasikas, gods, dragons, yakshas, gandharvas, asuras, garudas, kimnaras, mahoragas, great wheel-rolling kings, small wheel-rolling kings, kings of the silver wheel, iron wheel, and other wheels, kings and princes, ministers and people, men and women, and great rich persons, and all the groups of a hundred thousand followers, hearing together the Buddha Tathagata preaching this sutra, obtained the law of warming, the law of the highest, the law of the best in the world, the merit of srota-apanna, the merit of sakridagamin, the merit of anagamin, the merit of arhat, and the merit of pratyekabuddha; attained to the bodhisattva's assurance of the law of no birth;6 acquired one dharani, two dharanis, three dharanis, four dharanis, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten dharanis, a hundred thousand myriad kotis of dharanis, and asamkhyeya dharanis as innumerable as the sands of the Ganges; and all came to roll the never-retrogressing Law-wheel rightly. Infinite living beings gained the aspiration to Perfect Enlightenment.
Every single translation with which I am familiar states to the effect, "In these forty years and more, the truth has not yet been revealed". Now I reveal the the truth to you which I learned from the Great Vehicle Sutra and its Supreme Votary Nichiren Daishonin. You are less than a flying piss-ant laughing at the the Great Phoenix, Nichiren Daishonin.
ReplyDelete"Opening provisional to reveal the true"
ReplyDelete"Like a yak protecting its tail"
"Opening provisional to reveal the true. Like a yak protecting its tail"
ReplyDeleteProving the Lotus Sutra and Greg's point, your mind split into seven pieces.
Greg has a point? Yes, I read another translation of Sutra of IM. Sorry, "I have not revealed the truth in 40 years" fails to appear yet again, leading me to conclude that although "no demon or heretic can break into it," they will always try to do so.
Delete“Good men, in the past I sat upright for six years under the bodhi tree in the place of enlightenment and was able to gain supreme perfect enlightenment. With the Buddha eye I observed all phenomena and knew that this enlightenment could not be explained or described. Why? Because I knew that living beings are not alike in their natures and desires. And because their natures and desires are not alike, I preached the Law in various different ways. Preaching the Law in various different ways, I made use of the power of expedient means. But in these more than forty years, I have not yet revealed the truth. Therefore the ways they gained were not uniform but differed in different cases, and they have not been able to quickly attain unsurpassed enlightenment." -- Burton Watson translation
ReplyDeleteThe other one I posted was from the Bunno/Kato translation. Nichiren read and quoted from Kumarajiva's Chinese translation [the most hailed and widely accepted translation]. I suggest you throw out your flawed translation, sit upright, and repent of your erroneous views.
Here is another original Chinese translation.
ReplyDelete"In Forty years and more, the truth has not been revealed yet."
(Tripitaka No. 276)
Translated during the Xiao-Qi Dynasty by Dharmagatayasas
Threefold Lotus Sutra translated to english by Bunno Kato and others
ReplyDelete[from preface notes] “… a priest by the name of Hui-pao received the sutra of IMs from Dharmajatayasas and gave it to Liu-ch’iu in the third year of Yung-Ming (485) Liu-chi presumed this to be the Great Vehicle sutra called Innumerable Meanings mentioned in chapter one of Kumarajiva’s version of the Lotus Sutra.
All succeeding Buddhist scholars, Including T’ien-t’ai believed Liu-cj’iu’s presumption to be correct, and consequently the sutra of innumerable meanings came to be regarded as a preface to the lotus sutra and was known as the opening sutra. Moreover the expression, “in 40 years or more the truth has not been revealed yet,” and chapter 2 of the sutra of innumerable meanings was interpreted as relating to the lotus sutra, that is, as meaning that the lotus sutra is “the truth “revealed by Sakyamuni after his expedient preaching of more than 40 years whether this sutra has a direct connection with the Lotus Sutra.
“…For more than 40 years since the Tathagata attained enlightenment, You have continuously preached of the laws of living beings - the four aspects, suffering, voidness, transience, selflessness, non-large, non-small, non-births, non-death, one aspect, non-aspect, the nature of the law, the form of the law void from the beginning, noncoming, not going, Nonappearance and non-disappearance. Those who have heard it's have obtained the law of warming, the law of the highest, The law of the best in the world…”
Mr. Marc, I recommend a dose of mindfullness and at least try to awaken yourself, (as if the four-noble-truths, 12 links of cyclic existence, 6 perfections are not true principles.)
Newton's physics is true but it has its limitations: http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/limn2.html whereas Einstein's and modern quantum physics have no such limitations, though even they are imperfect representations of reality.
ReplyDeleteLikewise, the Four Noble Truths, The Twelve Linked Chain of Causation, and the 6 perfections are true but they too have their limitations. On the other hand, contrary to Einstein's and modern quantum physics, the Lotus Sutra is perfect with no limitations whatsoever.
Speaking of limitations, Try understanding the Lotus Sutra while still trapped in the Burning House. Try escaping through the one door without letting go of afflictions. Once eliminating afflictions happens, progress is unlimited.
ReplyDelete“World-Honored One, this old man with his great riches is none other than the thus come one, and we are all like the Buddha’s sons. The thus come one constantly tells us that we are his sons. But because of the three sufferings, World-Honored One, in the midst of birth and death we undergo burning anxieties, delusions, and ignorance, delighting in and clinging to lesser doctrines. But today the world-honored one causes us to ponder carefully, to cast aside the doctrines that are the filth of frivolous debate.
ReplyDelete“We were diligent and exerted ourselves in this matter until we had attained nirvana, which is like one day’s wages. And once we had attained it, our hearts were filled with great joy and we considered that this was enough. At once we said to ourselves, ‘Because we have been diligent and exerted ourselves with regard to the Law of the Buddha, we have gained this breadth and wealth of understanding.’
“But the world-honored one, knowing from past times how our minds cling to unworthy desires and delight in lesser doctrines, pardoned us and let us be, not trying to explain to us by saying, ‘You will come to possess the insight of the thus come one, your portion of the store of treasures!’ Instead the world-honored one employed the power of expedient means, preaching to us the wisdom of the thus come one in such a way that we might heed the Buddha and attain nirvana, which is one day’s wages. And because we considered this to be a great gain, we had no wish to pursue this great vehicle.
“In addition, though we expounded and set forth the buddha wisdom for the sake of the bodhisattvas, we ourselves did not aspire to attain it. Why do I say this? Because the Buddha, knowing that our minds delight in lesser doctrines, employed the power of expedient means to preach in a way that was appropriate for us. So we did not know that we were in truth the sons of the Buddha. But now at last we know it.
“With regard to the buddha wisdom, the world-honored one is never begrudging. Why do I say this? From times past we have in truth been the sons of the Buddha, but we delighted in nothing but lesser doctrines. If we had had the kind of minds that delighted in great ones, then the Buddha would have preached the Law of the great vehicle for us.
“Now in this sutra the Buddha expounds only the one vehicle. And in the past, when in the presence of the bodhisattvas he disparaged the voice-hearers as those who delight in a lesser doctrine, the Buddha was in fact employing the great vehicle to teach and convert us. Therefore we say that, though originally we had no mind to covet or seek such a thing, now the great treasure of the Dharma king has come to us of its own accord. It is something that the sons of the Buddha have a right to acquire, and now they have acquired all of it.”