"Kanjin Honzon Sho. "Entrustment means: it is this Sutra that is only entrusted to the Bodhisattvas Who Sprang Forth From the Direction Below . . ." (STN, v. 1, 717)
The meaning is clear. The Daimoku is the Dharma entrusted to the Bodhisattvas Who Sprang from the Earth. Such an interpretation agrees entirely with the Sutra, and is reasonable. The Eternal Buddha, who is ever present but hides His Presence, entrusts His Dharma, "Namu Myoho Renge Kyo" to his own disciples from the most distant past.
On Rebuking Slander and Eradicating Sins (Kashaku hobo metsuzai sho) says, "During this period of twenty-two hundred and more years, worthy rulers and sage rulers have honored painted images of Shakyamuni, the lord of teachings, as their principle object of devotion. But although they have made depictions of the Buddhas of the Hinayana and the Mahayana teachings; of the Flower Garland, Nirvana, and Meditation sutras; of the theoretical teaching of the Lotus Sutra and of the Universal Worthy Sutra; of the Mahavairochana and the other True Word sutras; and of the Buddhas Shakyamuni and Many Treasures of the Treasure Tower chapter, the Shakyamuni Buddha of the Life Span chapter has never been depicted in any mountain temple or monastery anywhere..."*
The Object of worship, not yet actually installed in Buddhist temples, is to be none other than the Eternal Lord Shakya. The Dharma is the Daimoku and the ones who are entrusted with that Dharma are the Bodhisattvas Who Sprang from the Earth.
The Daimoku is especially formed as the Essence of the Sutra by the Buddha, Lord Shakya, and he has specifically summoned the Bodhisattvas Who Sprang from the Earth and given His Own Inner Realization (the unity of Wisdom and its Field or Object) in the form of "Namu Myoho Renge Kyo" to them to spread at the beginning of this age of the Latter Dharma.
It is obvious then:
1) The source of the Daimoku which contains the Buddha's Inner Realization is Lord Shakya.
2) That same Lord Shakya transfers this Daimoku to the Bodhisattva Jogyo and his fellow Bodhisattvas Who Sprang from the Earth;
3) This transfer has already taken place as described in an undeniable Sutra text referring to forming the Essence and its Entrusment. In other words, the doctrine is Sutra -based;
4) Nichiren Shonin modestly denies that he is actually that Bodhisattva but indicates he is at least their forerunner.
Despite Nichiren Shonin's modesty, it is obvious from the other documents cited above that he and his immediate followers identified him as being precisely that Bodhisattva, who had received the Daimoku from Lord Shakyamuni." -- Graham Lamont
*Here I substituted the translation from the WND for Mr. Lamont's because it is more fluid.
I believe the daimoku is Buddha-- because the Buddha is One with Dharma.
ReplyDeleteOf late, I have been pondering the significance of sound as a meaning for receiving the "seed" of the Lotus Sutra. Hearing is the most intimate of senses as "it enters our bodies" . Could it be that the "sound" of the essential phrase entering our bodies is our direct connection to Shakyamuni Buddha?
I am not preaching here-- just sharing experience from my own practice.
~Katie
Were that true, there would not be Three Treasures and Three Great Secret Laws. There would be Two Treasures (The Treasure of the Buddha-Law and Treasure of the Priesthood or Sangha) and Two Great Secret Laws (the Great Secret Law of the Invocation/Object of Worship and the Great Secret Law of the High Sanctuary).
ReplyDeleteSoka Gakkai teaches SGI-Buddha, conflating these two treasures.
Your understanding is similar to the One Bodied (Dharma Body) Tathagata, Mahavairochana, not the Three Bodied Tathagata, Shakyamuni Buddha of the Juryo Chapter of the Lotus Sutra.
I am suggesting there are deep and profound implications based on Nichiren's teachings regarding the Lotus Sutra and the Buddha; each character is a golden Buddha; the daimoku is the essence of the Lotus Sutra; the Lotus Sutra is the Buddha's mind /intent.
DeleteThe significance placed on "hearing this teaching " as opposed to meditation , merely reading or seeing it in writing is intriguing to me. I am not postulating an intellectual variance to "The Three Treasures", only suggesting a deeper, more profound "experience" from hearing the daimoku.
How do you suppose the Buddha "enters our body"? If not though sound?
~Katie
"Each Character is "A" golden Buddha" but there is only One Original Eternal flesh and blood Three Bodied Tathagata, one of whose bodies is the Dharma Body (Namu Myoho renge kyo). Nichiren identifies this Buddha as Shakyamuni Buddha of the Juryo Chapter of the Lotus Sutra.The other two bodies are the Reward Body ("how can I cause the masses of beings to gain the Supreme Way and attain Buddhaood) and the Manifest Body (the actions to save others). Not only is the Dharma Body of the Law a requisite for the Three Bodied Shakyamuni Buddha to enter our body but also the Reward and Manifest bodies.
ReplyDeleteThe Soka Gakkai chants Daimoku or the Dharma Body (albeit a truncated Daimoku but their thoughts (Reward Body) that their mentor is necessary to gain the Supreme Way and attain Buddhahood and their actions (Manifest Body) to inculcate the mentor lead to Animality and Anger, not Bodhisattva and Buddha. Just chanting the Daimoku without correct faith is to enter "the jeweled mountain without hands".
In one sense, since the Daimoku is the teaching of the Original Eternal Buddha and the Gohonzon is his banner of propagation, the Daimoku does indeed represent the Eternal Buddha. I think, in another sense, the Buddha should be represented as the Three Bodied Tathagata or Gohonzon specifically and us generally.
ReplyDeleteTo further make my point, the Buddha enters our body, not merely through sound but through the actions of Votary of the Lotus Sutra. Chanting with the same mind and actions of Nichiren is essential.
ReplyDeleteRE: the SGI's "kanji". It resembles the fourfold rise and fall, in that they conceive of an "entity" prior to the Lotus Sutra and greater than Shakyamuni , NAMED myoho-renge-kyo. That is a wrong headed, heretical view! SGI, calling themselves "Buddhas" is based on their believing to achieve oneness with this "entity" and awakening to "everything being Buddha"- or hongaku shiso.
ReplyDeleteI am pointing out the significance of "sound" relating directly to Shakyamuni, the One, Original Eternal Buddha's teachings in the Lotus Sutra. ! I am reflecting on the significance of "hearing" the essential teaching, (Shakyamuni) Myoho-renge-kyo, and "always reciting the daimoku"(Nichiren).
I agree that correct faith is crucial. Deeper understanding is the result of correct faith. And the emergence of obstacles is inevitable !!
~Katie
Oh, by the way, excellent Katie.
DeleteNichiren writes:
ReplyDelete"In the same way, one who chants the daimoku as the Lotus Sutra teaches will never have a twisted mind. For one should know that, unless the mind of the Buddha enters into our bodies, we cannot in fact chant the daimoku."
Therefore the mind of the or Reward Body too must enter our mind.
He teaches:
"The reason for this is that the Law embodied therein is the Law that was realized countless kalpas in the past, and therefore it was entrusted to persons who had been the Buddha’s disciples from countless kalpas in the past.”
The Law was realized by the Eternal Buddha in the remote past and he has been teaching us the Lw since that very time; That is why not having gratitude to the Buddha is absolutely inconceivable to his disciples such as Nichiren.
As far as actions as a votary necessary for the Buddha to enter our bodies, there are almost 100 citations in the Gosho in which the spirit of Shakyamuni Buddha enters the body of a believer because of actions such as offering alms to the Votary. Therefore, at the least, Shakyamuni Buddha enters our mind not merely while chanting but acting as a votary, offering alms, or having the mind to save the living.
Lastly, Nichiren teaches in his Rooster Diagram:
“Therefore we know that when living beings form a bond with a Buddha, it must be with a Buddha of the manifested body. Hence Shakyamuni Buddha states: ‘In the past, under twenty thousand million Buddhas, for the sake of the unsurpassed way I have constantly taught and converted you.’
On “The Words and Phrases,” volume nine, says: “In the beginning one followed this Buddha or bodhisattva and formed a bond with him, and so it will be through this Buddha or bodhisattva that one will attain the way.”
Profound Meaning, volume six, states: “The Buddha chooses to enter the realm of transmigration with differences and limitations, and there he carries out the work of the Buddha. How, then, could those who formed a bond with the Buddha fail to come into his presence? Just as all the hundred rivers flow into the sea, so is one drawn by one’s connection with the Buddha and born in company with the Buddha.”
And the same text, same volume, says: “Originally one followed this Buddha and for the first time conceived the desire to seek the way. And by following this Buddha again, one will reach the stage where there is no retrogression.”
In the Rooster diagram, he stresses the reality of the Manifested Body of the Eternal Buddha (Gohonzon).
The Dharma Body alone does not possess the Manifest Body and neither the Reward Body. likewise, the Manifest Body alone doesn't possess the Dharma Body nor the Reward Body from Time without beginning. This is one reason we don't worship the Shakyamuni Buddha of India but rather The Eternal Buddha who possesses all three bodies.
“Now this threefold world is all my domain, and the living beings in it are all my children.... I am the only person who can rescue and protect others.”
Excellent!
ReplyDeleteGassho, Mark
~Katie
My Aunt plays the violin. She questioned me once whether I would rather retain my eyesight or hearing - if I had to choose. "Of course Auntie, my vision! - that's so obvious." "Not so, dear boy" she replied - experiment the best you can, and get back to me. I did. Not hearing, to me now, would be unbearable.... ref: Audrey Hepburn in "Wait until Dark"........rw
ReplyDeleteStill, whether we are blind or deaf and voiceless we can attain the Way through faith.
ReplyDelete