"To uphold these men's teachings instead of the Lotus Sutra] is like exchanging a gem for a pebble or trading sandalwood for common lumber. Because Buddhism has now become thoroughly confused, the secular world has also been plunged into corruption and chaos. Buddhism is like the body and society like the shadow. When the body is crooked, so is the shadow. How fortunate that all my disciples who follow the Buddha's true intention will flow naturally into the ocean of all-encompassing wisdom! But the Buddhist scholars of our time put their faith in teachings expounded according to the people's capacity and are therefore doomed to sink into the sea of suffering."
Saturday, February 25, 2017
SGI new age self-help teachings or the Lotus Sutra Buddhism of Nichiren?
SGI teachings: How to become Men/Women of Unlimited Self Esteem
You can analyze your situation all you want. You have to get to the root of why “I don’t believe in the greatness of my life”. You have to grab it by the roots and yank it out of your life. The answer is probably so simple, but we tend to over-analyze, it gets complicated and the solution seems far away. Your mission as a Buddhist is to become happy – not to master suffering. We have the negative and positive sides of us – one says, “who are you kidding”, the other, “you can do it”. You have to fight to not to give in to your negativity. This is not about being a writer, an artist, an actor, etc. It is about becoming the man or woman that you always wanted to become, a man or woman who really values his/her life.
The obstacles you face are the answer to your prayer.
Those feelings of self-doubt, those feelings that “I am a failure” – those are the feelings that I have to face and to address. How you feel about yourself, that feeling of self-loathing, of not being good enough, of being a sham. Those are the feelings you have to face. Your talent is not being questioned; it is about how you feel about yourself. That is the karma. You have to value your own life, to appreciate that it has nothing to do with anybody else validating you. Follow your heart; follow your Buddhahood and the effect from that, the benefit from that will be massive.
You need to follow your heart, truly treasure your life. When Nichiren Daishonin inscribed the Gohonzon, he was already chanting daimoku out of the greatness of his life, his Buddhahood, his enlightened state; he inscribed the Gohonzon for all humanity so that everyone could relieve his or her suffering. When you sit in front of the Gohonzon and chant, you have to have the most reverence for your life, the same as the Daishonin’s; therefore your life deserves that kind of reverence.
If you chant for two weeks to really be a person of unlimited self-esteem and to really, truly appreciate your life including your flaws, your accomplishments, your defeats and your losses, your victories, all that you have created and to truly appreciate your talent as XYZ for two weeks, everything will change.
Forget about the past garbage. Put it away. That will only make you feel impotent. From today on, really chant about being that man/woman of unlimited self-esteem. Really appreciate everything about your life; all the things that make you incredibly unique and wonderful. All your sufferings, problems, heartaches, will be the stuff you need, in order to share your experience, to encourage and to inspire others. Focus on really, truly awakening to your greatness. This is the opportunity (sufferings, obstacles, lack of self-esteem) you needed to go through in order to become outrageously successful – so you can fulfil your dream. If you focus on this – really valuing your life now, then everything will fall into place in a much bigger way. This is something no one can give you; the universe is showing you what you need to tackle. When you first chant this way, a lot of garbage may come out of your life, a lot of negativity, awful feelings may surface. We always bring into our lives what matches our life condition. So chant to feel incredible joy about your worth and you will feel and know self worth and greatness.
You not being able to do whatever you determine is a manifestation deep down of your feeling of fear, that you are not good enough, that you do not have it in you. You must get yourself to a place where there is the greatness of your life, then everything will be transformed. We have to believe in our Buddhahood. When we face the Gohonzon, we should say, “I am going to praise my wonderful life”. It is important to awaken to your own greatness. Your life is the Gohonzon. Now is the time for you to start over.
When you pray to a deity, your prayer becomes passive. Our voice is the Mystic Law. This law is not outside of you. When you get a benefit, it was you who created it. You must awaken to your greatness, appreciate and value your own life. It is no different to the enlightened life of Nichiren Daishonin, embodied in the Gohonzon.
Just as a beautiful piece of art elicits a response, or a great book touches your life in a certain way, we must elicit the Buddha nature from our own lives. It is right here, and the Gohonzon is the perfect vehicle to bring out that strength, joy and vibrant life condition; then you take that to the world and change the environment. We are not necessarily chanting for the house, the car, the job, the relationship, but we are chanting to elevate our life condition to attract that happiness. The results that we see in our lives are a reflection of our life condition. Every day as you chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo consciously call forth your Buddhahood to manifest itself consistently. Chant to rise above your basic tendency of disbelief, or continually thinking that you are a common mortal who does not deserve good fortune in this life. Do not negate your life when you sit in front of the Gohonzon. Do not beg. Do not scream. Do not berate the Gohonzon. Believe in the greatness of your life; manifest the extraordinary side of you. The Gohonzon is the tool we need to bring out our Buddhahood. My life is the Gohonzon. Do not slander your life. The doubt is necessary to prove to myself that “I am a Buddha. I will fulfil every one of my dreams for myself”. We already possess something incredible – our Buddha nature, the Gohonzon. But we do not believe that the good fortune, the “million dollars” is truly mine. I will not be able to get it, or to enjoy it. Trust that the Gohonzon, your prayer, is the absolute means for you to transform your life. Trust and faith are the key words.
Chant with the expectation that every one of your wildest dreams will be fulfilled beyond your wildest imagination. Chant to believe in your Buddhahood. Trust in the greatness of your life. In “On Attaining Buddhahood”, Nichiren Daishonin made a primary point: to free ourselves from the suffering of birth and death which we have endured in lifetime after lifetime, and to attain absolute happiness, we need to awaken to the mystic truth that has always been within our lives. That truth is Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. That truth is “I am a Buddha”. Trust that you have everything you need for your happiness.
TEN POINTS TO BECOME A PERSON OF UNLIMITED SELF-ESTEEM
1. Chant to become a person of unlimited self-esteem
2. Chant to awaken to your own greatness
3. Chant to appreciate your life, including flaws, accomplishments, defeats, losses, and victories and truly appreciate all that makes you a unique and wonderful person
4. Chant to make the impossible possible
5. Chant to consistently manifest your Buddha nature and rise above your basic tendencies and overcome your inherent negativities in your life
6. Believe that you are a Buddha and create all the benefits for yourself
7. Believe you are the Gohonzon
8. Trust that in the Gohonzon, you have the means to fulfill each and every desire to become extraordinarily happy
9. Chant to display your Buddhahood and to bring forth that strength, joy, vibrant life condition
10 And then take it to the world and change the environment
Nichiren Lotus Sutra teachings:
If in this present existence I am so fearful for my life that I fail to speak out, then in what future existence will I ever attain Buddhahood? Or in what future existence will I ever be able to bring salvation to my parents and my teacher? With thoughts such as these uppermost in my mind, I decided that I must begin to speak out. And, just as I had expected, I was ousted, I was vilified, I was attacked, and I suffered wounds. Finally, on the twelfth day of the fifth month in the first year of the Kōchō era (1261), the year with the cyclical sign kanoto-tori, having incurred the wrath of the authorities, I was banished to Ito in the province of Izu. Eventually, on the twenty-second day of the second month in the third year of Kōchō, cyclical sign mizunoto-i, I was pardoned and allowed to return.
Nichiren Lotus Sutra teachings:
"In the Lotus Sutra, however, it is written, 'We care nothing for our bodies or lives but are anxious only for the unsurpassed way.' And the Nirvana Sutra warns, '[It is like a royal envoy who] would rather, even though it costs him his life, in the end conceal none of the words of his ruler.'
If in this present existence I am so fearful for my life that I fail to speak out, then in what future existence will I ever attain Buddhahood? Or in what future existence will I ever be able to bring salvation to my parents and my teacher? With thoughts such as these uppermost in my mind, I decided that I must begin to speak out. And, just as I had expected, I was ousted, I was vilified, I was attacked, and I suffered wounds. Finally, on the twelfth day of the fifth month in the first year of the Kōchō era (1261), the year with the cyclical sign kanoto-tori, having incurred the wrath of the authorities, I was banished to Ito in the province of Izu. Eventually, on the twenty-second day of the second month in the third year of Kōchō, cyclical sign mizunoto-i, I was pardoned and allowed to return.
After that, I became more determined than ever to attain enlightenment and continued to speak out. Accordingly, the difficulties I encountered became increasingly severe, like great waves that rise up in a gale. I experienced with my own body the kind of attacks with sticks and staves that Bodhisattva Never Disparaging suffered in ancient times. It would seem that even the persecutions suffered by the monk Realization of Virtue in the latter age after the passing of the Buddha Joy Increasing could not compare to my trials. Nowhere in all the sixty-six provinces and the two offshore islands of Japan, not for a day, not for an hour, could I find a place to rest in safety.
Even sages who persevere in their practice as earnestly as did Rāhula in ancient times, strictly observing all the two hundred and fifty precepts, or men who are as wise as Pūrna, speak evil of Nichiren when they encounter him. Even worthies who are as honest and upright as the court officials Wei Cheng and Fujiwara no Yoshifusa, when they see Nichiren, forsake reason and treat him unjustly.
How much more so is this the case with the ordinary people of the day! They behave like dogs who have seen a monkey, or hunters in pursuit of a deer. Throughout the whole of Japan, there is not a single person who says, “Perhaps this man has some reason for his behavior.”
But that is only to be expected. For whenever I come upon a person who recites the Nembutsu, I tell him that those who believe in the Nembutsu will fall into the hell of incessant suffering. Whenever I come upon a person who honors the True Word teachings, I tell him that True Word is an evil doctrine that will destroy the nation. And to the ruler of the nation, who honors the Zen school, I declare that Zen is the invention of the heavenly devil.
Since I willingly bring these troubles upon myself, when others vilify me, I do not rebuke them. Even if I wanted to rebuke them, there are too many of them. And even when they strike me, I feel no pain, for I have been prepared for their blows from the very beginning.
And so I went about with ever increasing vigor and ever less concern for my safety, trying to persuade others to change their ways. As a result, several hundred Zen priests, several thousand Nembutsu believers, and even more True Word teachers went to the magistrate or the men of powerful families, or to their wives or their widows who were lay nuns, and filled their ears with endless slanders concerning me.
Finally, all were convinced that I was the gravest offender in the entire nation, for it was said that in my capacity as a priest I was saying prayers and spells for the destruction of Japan, and that I had reported that the late lay priests of Saimyō-ji and Gokuraku-ji had fallen into the hell of incessant suffering. Those widows who were lay nuns insisted that investigation was unnecessary; rather, I should have my head cut off at once, and my disciples should likewise be beheaded or exiled to distant lands or placed in confinement. So infuriated were they that their demands for punishment were immediately carried out.
On the night of the twelfth day of the ninth month in the eighth year of Bun’ei (1271), cyclical sign kanoto-hitsuji, I was to have been beheaded at Tatsunokuchi in the province of Sagami. But for some reason the execution was postponed, and that night I was taken to a place called Echi. On the night of the thirteenth day, people made a great uproar, saying I had been pardoned. But, again for reasons that are unclear, I was ordered into exile in the province of Sado.
While people speculated from one day to the next if I would be beheaded, I passed four years on Sado. Then on the fourteenth day of the second month in the eleventh year of Bun’ei, cyclical sign kinoe-inu, I was pardoned. On the twenty-sixth day of the third month of the same year, I returned to Kamakura, and on the eighth day of the fourth month I met with Hei no Saemon-no-jō. I reported on various matters and informed him that the Mongols would certainly invade Japan within that year. Then on the twelfth day of the fifth month, I left Kamakura and came to this mountain where I am now living.
All these things I have done solely to repay the debt I owe to my parents, the debt I owe to my teacher, the debt I owe to the three treasures of Buddhism, and the debt I owe to my country. For their sake I have been willing to destroy my body and to give up my life, though as it turns out, I have not been put to death after all." -- Repaying Debts of Gratitude
How can intelligent thinking people be drawn into the SGI cult by meh
by meh from the Cult Education Institute...
While this article focuses on Scientology and Landmark Education, it speaks universally to how intelligent, thinking people can be drawn into a cult.
. . . In fact, indoctrination is tantamount to slow, methodical abuse. And just like other forms of abuse, often by the time you realize what what’s happening, it’s too late. Cults like Scientology initially seem to share universal values. They ask you to just keep yourself open to possibilities. Slowly, they keep pushing until, finally, they’ve established their way of thinking, first as the better alternative, and then as the new normal.
So subtle – I remember one of the things that drew me to SGI was its assertion that it was an organization dedicated to world peace and humanitarian causes. As a wilted flower-child, how could this not appeal to me? It was Buddhism, or so I was told . . . the most pacifistic philosophy going! The mysticism was irresistible, and the people I met were so kind and accepting. To someone relatively new in town who hadn’t made many friends, this was an added bonus. By the time I realized that things weren’t quite as they’d been presented, I was willing to go along with it – it was my new normal, you see.
Both Scientology and Landmark also share similar recruiting methods, using its members as de facto evangelizers. In conversations about Landmark, my boyfriend’s mother repeatedly put me on the spot, forcing me to defend my beliefs. Suddenly I felt like the closed-minded one, arguing with a woman who had welcomed me to her family with open arms.
Certainly, it had to have been my own close-mindedness that started questioning things, right? It couldn’t be that I was seeing cracks in the façade of the practice – they kept telling me, over and over again, that the practice was perfect. I was flawed. When I went to my leaders for guidance, they were kind and understanding, and they gently explained what I had to do to correct my mistaken views – chant more, study more, become a heart-to-heart disciple of my mentor who loved me personally and had only my best interests at heart.
When it came to Landmark, she had an answer for each of my hesitations. I lost sleep. I was under impossible pressure not to disappoint. My hair began to fall out; I had a bald spot the size of a quarter. Finally, I agreed to go to a Landmark “Completion” ceremony, believing it to be a graduation ceremony for her and her peers. In reality, the ceremony was a workshop where those who had “completed” their training were supposed to bring in uninitiated friends and family, and put pressure on them to join the Forum.
Of course – an answer for everything, and tricking people into coming to recruiting meetings. All meetings are recruiting meetings, if there is a non-member there. A non-member will be descended upon with more interest, approval and unwarranted affection than they’ve probably ever received in their lives. There is only goal here – to seduce that member into the group. After they leave, they will be flooded with phone calls, home visits . . . whatever it takes to get them to become one with the herd.
That’s when I realized just how deep the indoctrination had reached. This wonderful, intelligent woman had been a part of the Landmark “community” since 1988. She credited her bravery and personal successes to its methods. At this point, questioning its motives meant questioning her own values, her own sensory and emotional perception. How does one explain to someone who they have spent years of their life and thousands of their hard-earned dollars on something that amounts to a cult?
Does this sound familiar? Every success, whether it was personal, professional or financial, had to be credited back to the good old Mystic Law. A cult-member is utterly without their own power – nothing positive can be accomplished without sufficient placation of the Mystic Law. It is the source to everything good, and the gohonzon stands as its portal.
Members become so closely absorbed into the cult that their own identities are lost. Questioning any of its methods or motives becomes personal; they’ve lost their individuality, and they aren’t even aware of it . . . in fact, they refuse to even examine that possibility. To leave the cult would be to lose whom they’ve become. “I am the SGI” is more than just a banal motto – it’s a firmly-held belief. You don’t need to be you any more.
Indoctrination, in this way, is self-sustaining. To not believe would mean losing something very tangible. Organizations like these are in this way self-policed, the same way a simple game like Truth or Dare is intrinsically enforced by groupthink. Organizations are acutely aware of this, using groupthink, itself, is a methodology.
And that groupthink is reinforced at every opportunity. Every meeting opens with gongyo and closes with a trance-breaking sancho. In between, everyone speaks the various company lines and receives plenty of reinforcement from the other members. Good dog! You don’t want to lose their approval, because it has come to mean almost everything to you. Being accused of creating disharmony is less forgivable than holding up a gas-station.
"Open your obstinate ears" -- Nichiren
Nichiren teaches:
“Moreover, I know the depth of the obligation owed to one’s ruler far better than you do. If you really wish to show that you understand your debt of gratitude, then you should admonish the ruler from the depths of your heart and forcefully advise him. To follow his orders even when these are contrary to what is right is the act of an utter sycophant and the height of disloyalty.
“King Chou of the Yin dynasty was an evil ruler, and Pi Kan, his loyal minister. When Pi Kan saw that the king was going against what was right in ruling the nation, he vigorously admonished him. As a result, Pi Kan’s breast was ripped open, but after his death, King Chouwas overthrown by the king of the Chou. To the present day, Pi Kan has been known as a loyal minister, and King Chou as an evil ruler.
“When Kuan Lung-feng admonished his sovereign, King Chieh of the Hsia dynasty, he was beheaded. But King Chieh has come to be known as an evil ruler, and Kuan Lung-feng as a loyal minister. We are taught that, if one admonishes one’s sovereign three times and still one’s advice is not heeded, then one should retire to the mountain forests. Why do you nevertheless remain silent while the ruler commits misdeeds in your full view?"
“I have gathered together a few examples of worthies of ancient times who did in fact retire from the world to dwell in the mountain forests. Open your obstinate ears and listen a moment! During the Yin dynasty, T’ai-kung Wang hid himself in a valley called P’o-ch’i; in the Chou dynasty, Po I and Shu Ch’i secluded themselves on Mount Shou-yang; Ch’i Li-chi of the Ch’in dynasty retired to Mount Shang; Yen Kuang of the Han dynasty lived in a solitary lodge; and Chieh Tzu-sui of the state of Chin became a recluse on Mount Mien-shang. Are we to call these men disloyal? Anyone who would do so is a fool. If you understand what it means to be loyal, you will admonish your sovereign, and if you want to be filial, you must speak up."" --
Our words or Daisaku Ikeda's wotds?
"...Ordinary people in this latter age cannot depend upon others just because they are said to be wise. The people of our present age can hardly hope to compare to the wise persons of long ago. And thus, even the words of someone who is looked on as ignorant, if they are supported by clear passages of proof in the sutras and treatises, are by no means to be scorned."
Still waiting
It should be an easy matter for SGI to come here to refute my assertion that the oneness of SGI mentor and disciple is hardly the prime point of the Lotus Sutra. It is not even an inconsequential point. They have devoted literally thousands of pages to explaining this concept. One need only do a Google search, "oneness of mentor and disciple, for example:
http://www.sgiaust.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/1280893669705-6032.pdf
The reality
Thomas Pass the Doobie, founder of the Chanting Grower's Group, claims he's "kickin' some devil ass."
The SGI All Surpassing Greed and the Greatness of the Disciples and Believers of Nichiren.
Value Creating Society
Here's how you do it. Get tens of thousands of people to work for free, either in leadership positions or as laborers to renovate real estate holdings. Not only do these people work for free but they donate huge amount of monies to the cult. This is the true meaning of the Value Creation Society. They squeeze out every ounce of the value of a human being to create value for themselves. This is what they do to the poor members and leaders who they always "encourage" to do more for the Soka Gakkai. Then when they complain that they can't develop themselves because of all the activities, they are told it is not all the activities, it is not doing enough activities or weak faith. Then after ten or twenty years when they have accomplished little, they are ostracized, ignored and discarded. Once they have squeezed out the juice they throw away the rind. But there are exceptions. The favored few like Herbie Hancock and the sons and daughters of top leaders who are told, " Its ok not to do so many activities, your studies and accomplishments are for the Soka Gakkai." The SGI All Surpassing Greed and the Greatness of the Disciples and Believers of Nichiren. "Greed here is the investment in one’s own comfort at the expense of others." -- SGI member And cleaning and fixing up SGI community centers, including several historic buildings while the SGI and their leaders get rich on these real estate holdings, what do you call that? A sane person would call that greed. But through the SGI brainwashing process, they are taught the meaning of greed to mask greed. How could anyone who teaches about the great evil of greed be greedy? This is the oldest con man diversion in history. Look at the reality. The bologna sandwiches with mayo offered the SGI crews after a full 12 hour day of work cleaning and refurbishing the community centers, and of course, lots of smiles and pats on the back from the salaried leaders. Are they different than the bankers? YES. The bankers will offer the marks filet mignon and lobster for their worthless investments. Therefore, I would say, the SGI leaders are even greedier than the bankers. What does Nichiren offer? You do the work, you buy the land, you build the temple, you own the land. You become the patron of the priest. As the priest (and you) build the membership and the donations come in you make improvements to the temple, the priests living quarters, and your own living quarters. If you lease out the land for grazing of cattle, you make further improvements to the temple and the temple grounds, your home. In the Sangha of the Bodhisattvas of the Earth, you really are the Sangha. This is but one scenario. |
Why they won't believe Nichiren I can not fathom.
"In the case of the Lotus Sutra, however, all the sutras preached in the first forty and more years are included within this one sutra. The Buddhas of the worlds in the ten directions, who are all endowed with the three bodies, are one and all gathered there, for, as it is explained, all are emanations of the one Buddha, Shakyamuni. Therefore, this one Buddha is none other than all Buddhas, and all Buddhas are thus brought together within the two characters of myōhō."
SGI's nostalgia for the latter half of the Middle Day of the Law, The Age of Temple Building
Soka Gakkai leader Kathy proudly exclaims: "We're building Kaikans all over the world."
Land for Renge Kyo Temple
One more payment due in March. Then we [Shinkei the carpenter priest and me] will begin construction. May make it into a Buddhist wood fired pizza retreat. Will allow fishing on our 3000 feet of River frontage. The East Canada Creek is known as one of the seven top destinations for fishing in the Adirondacks and is an excellent river for white water rafting.
Tuesday, February 21, 2017
Again and again the SGI members laugh at us ["LOL, LOL, LOL" -- Moamita pal]
Ahaha, Atata, Arara
I have often been derided by SGI members. Sometimes, they state, "I am laughing at you." I then teach them about Ahaha, Atata, Arara which few of them have ever heard of. I tell them they are confusing laughter with Ahaha, Atata, and Arara. I would like to share with you this concept.
"Two different kinds of hell exist beneath the earth.
The first is a hell of flame; the fire of this hell is like
molten iron, which ignites charcoal, burns fields, and
consumes all things. To burn sinners in such a fire is
simple, exactly like throwing paper or wood chips into a
bonfire. Those who commit arson-robbery, who attack their
enemies with fire, or women whose hearts burn with jealousy
fall into this flaming hell and must suffer the intense
heat.
The second kind of hell is a hell of ice. There are eight
hells of ice as explained by the Nirvana Sutra: "Eight
hells of ice and cold exist. They are the Ahaha Hell, the
Atata Hell, the Arara Hell, the Ababa Hell, the Ubara Hell,
the Hazuma Hell, the Kumozu Hell, and the Fundara Hell."
The names of the eight hells of ice and cold arise from
sinners' different screams of pain and their different skin
colors caused by the cold. The bitter cold of these hells
is like the north wind of Lake Suwa in Shinano Province
(Nagano Prefecture) or on Mount Tateyama in Etchu Province
(Toyama Prefecture). Imagine the intense cold which causes
the birds atop Mount Hakusan of Kaga Province (Ishikawa
Prefecture) to huddle with their wings folded. Imagine the
lonely cold of the widow's feet. Imagine the desperate cold
of the pheasant, forced down and surrounded by snow. Having
to endure the cold, the sinners shiver with their chins
chattering, and they say, "ahaha, atata, arara." The cold
causes the sinners' skins to turn red, a condition called
"red lotus" or "great red lotus."
Those who fall into this hell are those who steal clothes,
or who warm themselves while their parents or teachers
suffer from the cold in this life. (A Response to the Wife of Lord Ota).
Those who make offerings to the Lotus Sutra and the votaries avoid falling into such hells. Those who trouble the votaries and slander the Lotus Sutra fall into such hells.
President Ikeda and the Leaders of the SGI who trample on the dignity of the Lotus Sutra and the true disciples of Nichiren Daishonin are already in the two cold hells. "I Seek Sensei" is Ahaha. "Buddhahood is only found in the SGI" is Atata. "The Lotus Sutra has lost its validity in Mappo" is Arara.
Sunday, February 12, 2017
No intercession by a high priest or SGI mentor required
The Transmission in the Latter Day
The transmission in the Latter Day is chanting Namu Myoho renge kyo to an authentic Gohonzon. Nichiren Daishonin and we, unlike the SGI and the Nichiren Shoshu, don't advocate a model based on "The Patriarchal Transmissions", "The Patriarchal Transmission of the Golden Mouthed Ones", or "The Patriarchal Transmission Through Current Masters."
"One should consider the fact that, if the Buddha had not attained enlightenment in the distant past, there could not have been so many people converted to his teachings." -- The Opening of the Eyes
Thus the Buddha is the source of both the Specific and the General transmission. The Gohonzon, though a text, is the reality of the Buddha.
"The Maka Shikan says: "If one lacks faith in the Lotus sutra he will object that it pertains to the lofty realm of the sages, something far beyond the capacity of his own wisdom to comprehend. If one lacks wisdom, he will become puffed up with his own arrogance and will claim to be the equal of the Buddha." - The Opening of the Eyes
In Shakyamuni's and Nichiren's Buddhism, there is neither an oral nor a patriarchal transmission of the teachings. The Succession Through the Scrolls of the Sutra is the true meaning of exoteric Mahayana Buddhism.
Nichiren Daishonin writes:
"Are persons who receive instruction orally from their teacher invariably free from error, while those who appear in later ages and who seek and investigate to be regarded as worthless? If so, then should we throw away the sutras and instead follow traditions handed down from the four ranks of bodhisattvas? Should a man throw away the deed of transfer received from his father and mother and instead rely upon oral transmissions? Are the written commentaries of the Great Teacher Dengyo so much trash, and the oral traditions handed down from the Great Teacher Jikaku the only guide to truth?" (Gosho Zenshu, p.1258)
To disabuse those who would take to heart the teachings of Buddhist elites, conmen, and posseurs, I would like to further cite Nichiren Daishonin and the Lotus Sutra:
"Putting all this aside, I will point out the truth for the sake of my followers. Because others do not choose to believe it now, they are persons who thereby form a reverse relation. By tasting a single drop, one can tell the flavor of the great ocean, and by observing a single flower in bloom, one can predict the advent of spring. One does not have to cross the water to faroff Sung China, spend three years traveling to Eagle Peak in India, enter the palace of the dragon king the way Nagarjuna did, visit Bodhisattva Maitreya [in the Tushita heaven] the way Bodhisattva Asanga did, or be present at the two places and three assemblies when Shakyamuni preached the Lotus Sutra, in order to judge the relative merits of the Buddha's lifetime teachings. It is said that snakes can tell seven days in advance when a flood is going to occur. This is because they are akin to dragons [who make the rain fall]. Crows can tell what lucky or unlucky events are going to take place throughout the course of a year. This is because in a past existence they were diviners. Birds are better at flying than human beings. And I, Nichiren, am better at judging the relative merits of sutras than Ch'eng-kuan of the Flower Garland school, Chia-hsiang of the Three Treatises school, Tz'u-en of the Dharma Characteristics school, and Kobo of the True Word school. That is because I follow in the footsteps of the teachers T'ien-t'ai and Dengyo. If Ch'eng-kuan and the others had not accepted the teachings of T'ien-t'ai and Dengyo, how could they have expected to escape the sin of slandering the Law?
I, Nichiren, am the richest man in all of present-day Japan. I have dedicated my life to the Lotus Sutra, and my name will be handed down in ages to come. If one is lord of the great ocean, then all the gods of the various rivers will obey one. If one is king of Mount Sumeru, then the gods of the various other mountains cannot help but serve one. If a person fulfills the teaching of "the six difficult and nine easy acts" of the Lotus Sutra, then, even though he may not have read the entire body of sutras, all should follow him." -The Opening of the Eyes
Nichiren Daishonin is a far more accomplished Master than any past or present priest or layman.
"The Great Teacher Dengyo was disparaged by the priests of Nara, who said, "Saicho has never been to the capital of T'ang China!" (ibid.)
"The Great Teacher T'ien-t'ai trusted and obeyed Shakyamuni and worked to uphold the Lotus school, spreading its teachings throughout China." -- On the Buddha's Prophecy
"In the Tendai school, however, there appeared a priest known as the Great Teacher Miao-lo. Though he lived more than two hundred years after the time of the Great Teacher T'ien-t'ai, he was extremely wise and had a clear understanding of the teachings of T'ien-t'ai..." - Repaying Debts of Gratitude
Who credentialed or certified Tientai, Miao-lo, or Nichiren? Nichiren Daishonin gave himself the Buddhist name Nichi-Ren. Who ordained Shakyamuni Buddha? This nonsense about seeking a living master will stifle your growth and development as a direct disciple of the Original Buddha. It is the evil priestly and monastic agenda to coerce you into accepting them as teachers and offering them alms, rather than the Lotus Sutra, Shakyamuni Buddha and Nichiren Daishonin. Their's is not True Mahayana (exoteric Buddhism) which is based on the Succession Through the Scrolls of the Sutra and the authentic writings of Nichiren. The Lotus Sutra and Nichiren Daishonin teach that we are direct disciples of the Original Eternal Buddha Shakyamuni. Buddhism is accessible to all with or without a "face to face" transmission.
Nichiren Daishonin states:
"While the Great Teacher Jikaku was in Japan, he made a thorough study of the teachings of both Dengyo and Kobo, and he spent a period of ten years in China studying under the eight distinguished priests, including the Tripitaka Master Pao-yüeh of southern India, learning all the loftiest and most secret doctrines. On this basis, he completed his commentaries on the two sutras. In addition, he prayed to the image of the Buddha, and awoke from dreaming that he had seen the arrow of wisdom strike the sun of the Middle Way. So great was his joy that he requested Emperor Nimmyo to issue an edict acknowledging Mount Hiei as a center of the True Word practice.
Though he was the chief priest of the Tendai school, he virtually became a True Word prelate, declaring that the three True Word sutras were the works that would ensure peace and protection of the nation. It has now been more than four hundred years since he spread these doctrines. The eminent leaders who have accepted them are as numerous as rice and hemp seedlings, and the fervent believers who have embraced them are as plentiful as bamboo plants and rushes.
As a result, of all the temples established throughout Japan by Emperor Kammu and the Great Teacher Dengyo, there is not one that has not become a propagator of the True Word doctrine. Both courtiers and warriors alike invite True Word priests to attend to their religious needs, look up to them as their teachers, confer offices upon them, and place them in charge of temples. And in the eye-opening ceremony carried out at the consecration of wooden and painted Buddhist images, the priests of all the eight schools of Buddhism now use the mudras and mantras of the Thus Come One Mahavairochana and the honored one Buddha Eye! -- Repaying Debts of Gratitude
Look what happened to Buddhism with men like Jikaku who studied under, "the Eight Distinguished Teachers", every one of them certified, credentialed and ordained. Also, the priestly shackle that some advocate, diminishes one's faith in the Supreme Law affirmed by all Buddhas (Myoho renge kyo). Others studied under men who were heretics or traitors to Nichiren and still others were trained, ordained and/or, certified by modern day disciples of these shameful men. Nichiren continues:
"Question: When it comes to those who maintain that the Lotus Sutra is superior to the True Word teachings, should they try to make use of these commentaries by Jikaku, or should they reject them?
Answer: Shakyamuni Buddha laid down a rule for future conduct when he said that we should "rely on the Law and not upon persons." Bodhisattva Nagarjuna says that one should rely on treatises that are faithful to the sutras, but not rely on those that distort the sutras. T'ien-t'ai states, "That which accords with the sutras is to be written down and made available. But put no faith in anything that in word or meaning fails to do so." And the Great Teacher Dengyo says, "Depend upon the preachings of the Buddha, and do not put faith in traditions handed down orally." -- The Selection of the Time
"Instead of wasting all those supplies and making work for other people by insisting upon traveling all the way to China, they should have made a more careful and thorough study of the doctrines of the Great Teacher Dengyo, who was their own teacher!." -Repaying Debts of Gratitude
"But after he went to China at the age of forty, though he continued to call himself a disciple of Dengyo and went through the motions of carrying on Dengyo's line, he taught a kind of Buddhism that was wholly unworthy of a true disciple of Dengyo." (ibid.)
Although I am merely an ignorant layman, I think that some of our present day priests and so-called mentors should have made a more careful and thorough study of the doctrines of Nichiren Daishonin who they claim as their Buddhist Master. Then they wouldn't be teaching a type of Buddhism that is wholly unworthy of a true disciple of Nichiren. One mentor in particular has shackled his disciples to himself like a sick siamese twin who will eventually end up killing both himself and his sibling.
"At that time, after the great assembly had heard the Buddha speak of the
great length of his life-span, incalculable, limitless asamkhyeyas of
living beings gained a great advantage. At that time, the World-Honored
One declared to the bodhisattva-mahasattva Maitreya: "O Ajita!
When I preached on the great length of the life-span of the Thus Come
One, living beings to the number of sands in six hundred and eighty
myriads of millions of nayutas of Ganges rivers gained acceptance of
[the doctrine of] the unborn dharmas. Again, a thousand times this
number of bodhisattva-mahsattvas heard and were enabled to take hold
of the gateway of the dharanis. Again, bodhisattva-mahasattvas equal
to the number of the atoms in one world-sphere gained joy in preaching
and unimpeded eloquence. Again, bodhisattva-mahasattvas equal in
number to the atoms in one world-sphere gained the dharani that can
be turned to a hundred thousand myriads of millions of incalculable
[uses]. Again, bodhisattva-mahasattvas equal in number to the atoms
in the thousand-millionfold world were enabled to turn the unreceding
Wheel of the Dharma. Again, bodhisattva-mahasattvas equal in number
to the atoms in two thousand middle lands were enabled to turn the
pure Wheel of the Dharma. Again, bodhisattva-mahasattvas equal in
number to the atoms in a minor thousand of lands were destined
after eight rebirths to gain anuttarasamyaksambodhi. Again, bodhi-
sattva-mahasattvas equal to four times the number of atoms under
four heavens were destined after four rebirths to gain anuttarasamvak-
sambodhi. Again, bodhisattva-mahasattvas equal in number to three
times the number of atoms under four heavens were destined after three
rebirths to gain anuttarasamyaksambodhi. Again, bodhisattva-maha-
sattvas equal in number to twice the atoms under four heavens
were destined after two rebirths to gain anuttarasamyaksambodhi."
- Lotus Sutra Chapter 17
Nichiren Shonin quotes Nan-yueh:
"The Daigo Shojin Sutra says: 'Ordinary beings and the Thus Come One share a single Dharma body. Being pure and mystic beyond comparison, it is called Myoho-renge-kyo.'" -- Entity of the Mystic Law
and again:
"Those who practice the Lotus Sutra are pursuing through this single act of devotion the mind that is endowed with all manner of fortunate results. These are present simultaneously and are not acquired gradually over a long period of time. This is like the blossom of the lotus which, when it opens, already possesses a large number of seeds or results. Hence such persons are called the people of the one vehicle." -- The Entity of the Mystic Law
"Thereupon Shakyamuni Buddha rose from the seat of the Dharma, and by great supernatural powers, put his right hand on the heads of the innumerable Bodhisattva-mahasattvas, and said: "For many hundreds of thousands of billions of asamkhyas of kalpas, I studied and practiced the Dharma difficult to obtain, and [finally attained] Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi. Now I will transmit the Dharma to you. Propagate it with all your hearts, and make it known far and wide." -- Lotus Sutra, Chapter 22 Transmission
The merit of the Buddha comes directly from the Buddha. After the close of Chapter 22, the replicas of Shakyamuni Buddha never again appear. They went back to their home worlds at the end of this chapter because the Buddha had entrusted Bodhisattva Jogyo and the Bodhisattvas of the Earth with carrying out the transmission of the Dharma in this Latter Age. The transmission of Buddhahood come from the Original Buddha Shakyamuni and nowhere else.
Nichiren Daishonin in the "Ho'on Jo" [Repaying Debts of Gratitude], enumerates the Three Great Secret Laws ("san dai hi ho"):
"The first is the object of worship (honzon). All the people in Japan as well as the rest of the whole world should revere the Lord Buddha Shakyamuni (Original and Eternal Buddha) revealed in the essential section (honmon) of the Lotus Sutra as the Object of Worship (honzon)..."; Second, there is the high sanctuary of true Buddhism; Third, in Japan, China, India and all the other countries of the world, every person, regardless of whether he is wise or foolish, shall set aside other practices and join in the chanting of Namu-myoho-renge-kyo."
In the "Kanjin Honzon Sho" [True Object of Worship], he says:
"Shakyamuni Buddha, the Lord preacher of this pure land, has never died in the past, nor will He be born in the future. He exists forever throughout the past present and future." In the Senji Sho [Selection of the Time] we read, "It was not I, Nichiren, who made these three important predictions. I believe it was solely the spirit of Shakyamuni Buddha, entering my body, who made them."
On the Four Stages of Faith and The Five Stages of Practice Reads,
"Within these chapters of transmission, the four stages of faith and the five stages of practice expounded in the "Distinctions in Benefits" chapter refer to what is most important in the practice of the Lotus Sutra, and are a standard for those living in the time of the Buddha and after his passing.
Ching-hsi writes: "'To produce even a single moment's faith and understanding' represents the beginning in the practice of the essential teaching." Of these various stages, the four stages of faith are intended for those living in the Buddha's lifetime, and the five stages of practice for those living after his passing. Among these, the first of the four stages of faith is that of producing even a single moment's faith and understanding, and the first of the five stages of practice is that of rejoicing on first hearing the Lotus Sutra. These two stages together form a casket containing the treasures of the "hundred worlds and thousand factors" and the "three thousand realms in a single life-moment"; they are the gate from which all Buddhas of the ten directions and the three existences emerge."
Nichiren Daishonin goes on to say,
"Answer: This is a very important question, and so I will be referring to the text of the sutra in answering you. In describing the first, second and third of the five stages of practice, the Buddha restricts those at these stages from practicing precepts and meditation, and places all emphasis upon the single factor of wisdom. And because our wisdom is inadequate, he teaches us to substitute faith, making this single word "faith" the foundation. Disbelief is the cause for becoming an icchantika and for slander of the True Law, while faith is the cause for wisdom and corresponds to the stage of myoji-soku.'
And again,
"Answer: Such persons are restricted from practicing almsgiving, the keeping of the precepts, and the others of the five paramitas, and are directed to chant Namu-myoho-renge-kyo exclusively. This practice corresponds to the capacity of persons at the stages of "producing even a single moment's faith and understanding" and "rejoicing on first hearing the Lotus Sutra." It represents the true intention of the Lotus Sutra. "
And further along:
"Question: When your disciples, without any understanding, simply recite with their mouths the words Namu-myoho-renge-kyo, what level of attainment do they reach?
Answer: Not only do they go beyond the highest level of the four tastes or the three teachings as well as that attained by practitioners of the perfect teaching set forth in the sutras that precede the Lotus Sutra, but they surpass by millions and billions of times the founders of the Shingon and various other schools of Buddhism-men such as Shan-wu-wei, Chih-yen, T'zu-en, Chi-tsang, Tao-hsuan, Bodhidharma and Shan-tao."
Nichiren Daishonin writes:
"Although Nichiren dwells in such a remote and forlorn retreat [Minobu], within the heart of his fleshly body he holds concealed the secret Dharma of the sole great matter (ichidaiji) transmitted by the Eternal Shakyamuni, master of teachings, on Vulture Peak." -Nanjo Hyoe Shichiro-dono gohenji
The Dharma is not handed down from a master to a disciple, but directly accessible to anyone at any moment via a personal relationship formed with the Buddha and the Lotus Sutra by chanting Namu Myoho Renge Kyo.
From the Object of Devotion For Observing the Mind:
"...the Eternal Lord Shakyamuni's practices undertaken as the cause (for attaining Buddhahood), and his virtues acquired as their effect, are completely contained within the five characters of Myoho-Renge-Kyo. When we receive and hold these five characters, he will spontaneously transfer to us the merit of his causes and effects."
To conclude, when we chant Namu Myoho renge kyo with faith and reverence for the Gohonzon, the Eternal Buddha Shakyamuni, the Daimoku, and spread the teachings to the best of our abilities, we are Bodhisattvas of the Earth, requiring no intercession by a high priest or SGI president.
Nichiren on basing one's faith on the Buddha who appears in the Lotus Sutra
“If anyone preaches doctrines other than these, then even though he may be a Buddha, he is not to be trusted. Thus one puts one’s faith in the Buddha who appears in the Lotus Sutra. Hence this is what I mean when I speak of basing one’s faith on a Buddha." -- Nichiren
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Danny Nagashima is lower than a mobster
"Dr." Danny Nagashima was absent at his predecessor's funeral and memorial. Even mobsters go to the funeral of the one they stabbed in the back. Dr. Danny is lower than a mobster.
Wake up Dirham...NST IS THE SCHOOL OF TWISTING DEVIL PRIESTS by Michael Opoku
November 15, 2013 at 2:25pm
Tan and Todd never read scriptures, they parrot what their masters tell them, they do not travel the path or analyse, they have retired their thinking and meditative processes bcos priests will do it for them; they have retired their thirst for the Dharma and insult the memory and work of Nichiren whilst disrespecting the lord of teachings the eternal Buddha sakyamuni so i found the time to collect a few of nichiren's own words for them: You may pile up dung and call it sandalwood, but when you burn it, it will give off only the fragrance of dung. You may pile up a lot of great lies and call them the teachings of the Buddha, but they will never be anything but a gateway to the great citadel of the hell of incessant suffering.
Our teacher, Shakyamuni Buddha, in the course of his lifetime of teaching, expounded eighty thousand sacred doctrines. He was the first Buddha to appear in this saha world of ours, which previously had not known any Buddha, and he opened the eyes of all living beings. All the other Buddhas and bodhisattvas from east and west, from the lands of the ten directions, received instruction from him.
The period prior to his advent was like the time before the appearance of the rulers and emperors of ancient China, when men did not know who their own fathers were and lived like beasts. In the time before Emperor Yao, people knew nothing about the duties to be performed in the four seasons, and were as ignorant as horses or oxen.
In the period before the appearance of Shakyamuni Buddha in the world, there were no orders of monks or nuns; there were only the two categories of men and women. But now we have monks and nuns who, because of the teachers of the Shingon sect, have decided to look upon Dainichi Buddha as the supreme object of veneration and have demoted Shakyamuni Buddha to an inferior position, or who, because they believe in the Nembutsu, pay honor to Amida Buddha and thrust Shakyamuni Buddha aside. They are monks and nuns by virtue of the Lord Shakyamuni, but because of the erroneous teachings handed down from the founders of these various sects, they have been led to behave in this way.
There are three reasons why Shakyamuni Buddha, rather than any of the other Buddhas, has a relationship with all the people of this saha world. First of all, he is the World-Honored One, the sovereign of all the people of this saha world. Shakyamuni, the World-Honored One, is our august sovereign. It is he who is to be regarded as the supreme object of veneration. The second reason is that Shakyamuni Buddha is the father and mother of all the persons in this saha world.
The ancient ruler Shun, grieved because his father had gone blind, shed tears, but when he wiped his hands, wet with those tears, on his father's eyes, his father's eyesight was restored. Now Shakyamuni Buddha does the same for all of us, opening our eyes so as to "awaken the Buddha wisdom" innate within us. No other Buddha has ever yet opened our eyes in such a way.
The third reason is that Shakyamuni is the original teacher of all persons in this saha world.
He passed away at the age of eighty, leaving behind his relics to provide the means of salvation for all the persons of the Former, Middle and Latter Days of the Law. Amida, Yakushi, Dainichi and the others, on the other hand, are the Buddhas of other realms; they are not the World-Honored One of this world of ours.
This saha world occupies the lowest position among all the worlds of the ten directions. Among these worlds, it holds a place like that of a prison within a nation. All the persons in the worlds of the ten directions who have committed any of the ten evil acts, the five cardinal sins, the grave offense of slandering the True Law or other terrible crimes and have been driven out by the Buddhas of those worlds have been brought together here in this saha land by Shakyamuni Buddha.
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 possessed by Shakyamuni Buddha, qualities that the other Buddhas lack.
Shakyamuni Buddha, who was a reincarnation of one of these sons, appeared in this saha world of ours. We people too, have been born into the saha world. Therefore, we must not in any way turn away from the teachings of Shakyamuni Buddha. But people all fail to realize this. If they would look carefully into the matter, they would understand that, as the Lotus Sutra says, "I [Shakyamuni] alone can save them," and that they must not cut themselves off from the helping hand of Shakyamuni Buddha.
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 in the form of wooden statues and paintings, and make these their object of worship. Then, if they still have strength left over, they may go on to fashion images of Amida and the other Buddhas.
Yet when the people of this world today, being unpracticed in the sacred ways, come to fashion or paint images of a Buddha, they give priority to those of Buddhas other than Shakyamuni. This does not accord either with the intentions of those other Buddhas, or with the intentions of Shakyamuni Buddha himself, and is moreover at variance with secular propriety.
Shakyamuni Buddha, our father and mother, who is endowed with the three virtues of sovereign, teacher and parent, is the very one who encourages us, the people driven out by all 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 own 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 thousands 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!
Shakyamuni is the original teacher for all people, as well astheir sovereign and their parent. Because I have expounded this teaching, Ihave been exiled and almost killed. As the saying goes: "Good advice is harsh to the ear." But still I am not discouraged. The Lotus Sutra is like the seed, theBuddha like the sower and the people like the field. If you go against theseprinciples, in your next lifetime, not even I, Nichiren, can save you.
I am the envoy of Shakyamuni Buddha, and those gods should prostrate themselves before me with their palms joined. As votary of the Lotus Sutra, Bonten and Taishaku attend me on either side, and the gods of the sun and moon illuminate my path before and behind. One may make use of my counsel, but if I am not given due respect as the votary of the Lotus Sutra, then the country will perish.
This mandala is in no way Nichiren's invention. It is the object of worship which perfectly depicts Lord Shakyamuni in the Treasure Tower and all the other Buddhas who were present, as accurately as the print matches the woodblock. The five characters of the Lotus Sutra's title are inscribed in the center of the Treasure Tower, while the Four Heavenly Kings are seated at the four corners. Shakyamuni and Taho Buddhas, as well as the four leaders of the Bodhisattvas of the Earth, are lined across the top. Seated below them are the Bodhisattvas Fugen and Monju, and men of Learning, including Shariputra and Maudgalyayana. Beside them are posted the gods of the sun and the moon, the Devil of the Sixth Heaven, the Dragon King and ashura; Fudo and Aizen take up their stations to the south and north, respectively. The devilishly treacherous Devadatta and the Dragon King's ignorant daughter attend, too. The demon Kishimojin appears with her ten daughters, who sap the lives of people throughout the universe. Also present are the guardian deities of Japan: Tensho Daijin and Bodhisattva Hachiman, representing the seven ranks of heavenly gods, the five ranks of earthly gods, and all other major and minor gods in general. As all the gods appear in their essence, so must they appear in their manifestations. The Hoto chapter states, "All the assembly were lifted and present in the air." Dwelling in the Gohonzon are all the Buddhas, bodhisattvas and great saints, as well as the eight groups of sentient beings of the two realms who appear in the first chapter of the Lotus Sutra. Illuminated by the five characters of the Mystic Law, they display the enlightened nature they inherently possess. This is the true object of worship.
When Shakyamuni Buddha revealed that he had gained enlightenment in the far distant past, it became apparent that all the other Buddhas were emanations of Shakyamuni. When the Buddha preached the earlier sutras and the first half, or theoretical teaching, of the Lotus Sutra, the other Buddhas were pictured as standing on an equal footing with Shakyamuni, after completing their respective practices and disciplines. Therefore the people who pay devotion to one or another of these Buddhas as the object of worship customarily look down on Shakyamuni Buddha. But now it becomes apparent that Vairochana Buddha, who is described in the Kegon Sutra as being seated on a lotus pedestal, and the various Buddhas who appear in the sutras of the Hodo and Hannya periods, such as the Dainichi Sutra, are all in fact followers of Shakyamuni Buddha.
The path to Buddhahood is not to be found in the Kegon doctrine of the phenomenal world as created by the mind alone, in the eight negations of the Sanron sect, in the Consciousness-Only doctrine of the Hosso sect, or in the Shingon type of meditation on the five elements of the universe. Only the T'ien-t'ai doctrine of the three thousand realms in a single moment of life is the path to Buddhahood. Even in the case of this doctrine of the three thousand realms in a single moment of life, we do not possess the kind of wisdom and understanding to comprehend it fully. Nevertheless, among all the sutras preached by the Buddha during his lifetime, the Lotus Sutra alone contains this jewel which is the doctrine of the three thousand realms in a single moment of life. The doctrines of the other sutras are merely yellow stones that appear to be jewels. They are like sand, from which you can extract no oil no matter how hard you squeeze it, or a barren woman who can never bear a child. Even a wise man cannot become a Buddha through the other sutras, but with the Lotus Sutra, even fools can plant the seeds that lead to Buddhahood.
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.
The Lord Shakyamuni assembled Taho Buddha as well as all the other Buddhas, who were his own emanations, from throughout the ten directions and left one great medicine --the five characters of Myoho-renge-kyo-for the people of the Latter Day of the Law. He refused to entrust it to any of the bodhisattvas such as Hoe, Kudokurin, Kongosatta, Fugen, Monju, Yakuo and Kannon, let alone to Mahakashyapa, Shariputra [or any other man of the two vehicles]. Rather, there were four great bodhisattvas, including Jogyo, who had been disciples of Shakyamuni Buddha since gohyaku-jintengo. Not even for a moment had they ever forgotten the Buddha. Shakyamuni summoned these bodhisattvas and transferred Myoho-renge-kyo to them.
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