"Next, they have abandoned their father, Shakyamuni Buddha, and hence stand accused of the five cardinal sins. How can they escape falling into the hell of incessant suffering? And finally, they have turned their backs on their teacher, Shakyamuni Buddha, and thus are to be numbered among those who commit the seven cardinal sins. How could they fail to sink into the evil paths of existence?
Shakyamuni Buddha, the lord of teachings, as we have already seen, possesses the three virtues of sovereign, teacher, and parent in relation to the living beings of this sahā world. He is the Buddha to whom they are greatly indebted. Anyone who would abandon such a Buddha and put faith in the Buddha of some other realm, honoring and relying upon Amida or Medicine Master or Mahāvairochana, is guilty of committing the twenty cardinal sins and hence will surely fall into the evil paths of existence."
Clearly Shakyamuni is the Treasure of *the Buddha*. There need not be any superlative *other* description or title assigned to the Buddha--like, eternal, original. etc. I find it kind of amusing that the designation of a super supreme kind of Buddha preceded the alterations that Taiskeji made to the
ReplyDeleteThree Treasures of Buddhism when they abandoned Shakyamuni--
Perhaps this is why some people remain hung up on the term, *eternal* Buddha-- and try to make a case for whomever they have assigned to the Treasure of the Buddha based on *arcane notions of the Buddha's identity*
beyond what Nichiren himself described.
Nichiren's designating Shakyamnui as The treasure of the Buddha, is forthright, rational and very important in terms of orienting one's practice toward a practical understanding of our connection to the Buddha.
Contrast with NST/SGI or anyone who claims Nichiren is the Treasure of the Buddha-- automatically the terms like "True" and "Original" become prefixes to express something other than Nichiren does when he speaks of or teaches about Shakyamuni Buddha.
Somehow, I think the alteration (transposing of the 3 treasures by SGI/NST)is meant to elevate the Buddha to a status that only, say, a high priest could comprehend. From there the divisions between us and the Buddha widens -- even though, the(erroneous) *teaching* is that we are equal to the Buddha who is re-designated as Shakyamuni's superior. Thus creating confusion, and again establishing a vital role for a high priest or a high minded mentor.
I cannot imagine either Shakyamuni or Nichiren displaying forbearance toward this degree of slander...
just saying---
~Katie