All teachings are contained within the daimoku (Myoho renge kyo)

 Nichiren Writes:

“Question: Why do you say that all teachings are contained within the daimoku?

Answer: Chang-an writes as follows: “Hence [T’ien-t’ai’s explanation of the title in] the preface conveys the profound meaning of the sutra. The profound meaning indicates the heart of the text, and the heart of the text encompasses the whole of the theoretical and the essential teachings.” And Miao-lo writes: “On the basis of the heart of the text of the Lotus Sutra, one can evaluate all the other various teachings of the Buddha.”

Though muddy water has no mind, it can catch the moon’s reflection and so naturally become clear. When plants and trees receive the rainfall, they can hardly be aware of what they are doing, and yet do they not proceed to put forth blossoms? The five characters of Myoho-renge-kyo do not represent the sutra text, nor are they its meaning. They are nothing other than the intent of the entire sutra. So, even though the beginner in religious practice may not understand their significance, by practicing these five characters, he will naturally conform to the sutra’s intent.” Major Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, Vol. 6, page 211.

Did you know? There are two Jesus' in Japan.

The Soka Gakkai and the Nichiren Shoshu share the aberrant doctrine of the necessity of an intermediary in order to attain Buddhahood. For the Nichiren Shoshu it is the High Priest and for the SGI it is Ikeda. I didn't know that their were TWO Jesus' in Japan.

Spring ALWAYS turns to winter...

for my Great Pyrenees. Those who chant Namu Myoho renge kyo and study Nichiren's writings know what I mean.

Even more on the Yogacara, thanks to Kelpzoid

http://web.archive.org/web/20131118154057/http://www.saddharmapundarika.com/?p=716

Another of the hundred reasons, SGI is BS Buddhism

Soka Gakkai (leaders) are constrained to test the faith of their adherents through artificial constructs because their members NEVER encounter the Three Obstacles and Four Devils. Therefore, according to Nichiren Daishonin, their members never attain Buddhahood in this lifetime. There is no need to create artificial constructs to challenge one's faith, let alone excommunication, if one has a correct faith and practice. If one has a correct faith and practice, LIFE itself creates the conditions necessary to attain Buddhahood.

EXTRA EXTRA The newest studies (July, 21st) show that Ivermectin is extraordinarily effective in the prevention and eradication of Covid-19 EXTRA EXTRA

 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8248252/

Ivermectin is very safe. It is has been used effectively for many years to kill various parasites in humans and animals. The dose is 3mg twice a day for five days.

More on Yogacara and the source of our problems

It is not completely untrue that we and we alone are the source of our problems, at least, in our immediate environments. For example, I read today, :

"Put a messy person in a neat organized environment and it will be messy in no time.

Put an organized and neat individual in a messy environment and it will be clean and organized likity split."

Yes, it was our karma to be born in this Saha realm and to encounter Namu myoho renge kyo.

However their are also evil societies and retched environments that only massive shakubuku will change. The time is not quite right for billions to chant Namu Myoho renge kyo but i suspect, the time is rapidly approaching. Faster than I even imagined five years ago.

However, that everything derives from the mind is a type of Yogacara and is basically untrue. For example there are six causes of Illness taught in Buddhism and Karma is but one of the causes. Yogacara basically derives from the Flower Garland Sutra, the third most profound Sutra. It teaches, “The mind is like a skilled painter.” Life is a bit more complicated than our causes, or even our karma.

As we read in Gongyo, "only a Buddha with a Buddha can exhaustively penetrate the Reality of the Dharmas". The Three Realms of three Thousand Realms in a Moment of Thought proves that what the Buddha said is true:

The Realm of the Individual, the Five Aggregates: Form or Matter, Consciousness; Feeling or Conception; Perception and memory; Mental formations or Volition. It includes, for example one's power and influence.

The Realm of Society, all the billions of people's Five Aggregates and their power and influence.

The Realm of the Environment's Five Aggregates, for example, the Gohonzon's Five Aggregates, its power and influence. This is the most difficult Realm to understand.

There is a panoply of the Three Realms. In short, there are both causes and conditions, our own and not our own.

Why I practice Nichiren Lotus Sutra Buddhism Independently

I think in your studies of the various sects, you will find that most all the sect's priority is money and none of them strictly follow Nichiren. Even the Nipponzan Myohoji whose priests desire little and do not marry, fail to follow Nichiren. They revere Ghandi. The Nichiren Shu, Kempon Hokke and SGI also practice interfaith. Doesn't interfaith go against establishing the correct teaching? Also the SGI, the Nichiren Shoshu, and the Kenshokai have a different Three Treasures than Nichiren. Nichiren teaches that those who have a different Three Treasures will fail to attain Buddhahood. The Nichiren Shu and Fuju Fuse sects asserts the equality of the first half of the Lotus Sutra and the second half. Nichiren teaches that the second half is superior.

Nichiren Shoshu might counter, if we only desired money why would we have excommunicated the Soka Gakkai? Then the Nichiren Shoshu High Priest should not have Juzu worth tens of thousands of dollars, pure gold rimmed glasses, robes worth thousands of dollars and slippers worth hundreds of dollars. There are Nichiren Shoshu, Nichiren Shu, and Kempon Hokke priests driving Italian sports cars. Nichiren says a good priest is one who desires little:

"A good teacher is a priest who is free from any fault in secular affairs, who never fawns upon others even in the slightest, who desires and is satisfied with little, and who is compassionate; a priest who reads and upholds the Lotus Sutra precisely as it teaches and also encourages and leads others to embrace it. Such a priest the Buddha has praised among all priests as the finest teacher of the Law."

The doctrines of the various sects go against the teachings of the Lotus Sutra and Nichiren. None of the sects follow the principle of rely on the Law and not persons (except the Buddha).

Rely on the person and not on the Law is the teaching of all the sects while Nichiren teaches in On Repaying Debts of Gratitude, one of his Five Major Works:

"In a scripture called the Nirvana Sutra, the Buddha says, “Rely on the Law and not upon persons.” Relying on the Law here means relying on the various sutras. Not relying upon persons means not relying on persons OTHER THAN the Buddha, such as the bodhisattvas Universal Worthy and Manjushrī or the various Buddhist teachers I have enumerated earlier."

Some of the sects repudiate the Buddha, calling Shakyamuni of the 16th Chapter of the Lotus Sutra a "husk Buddha". These same sects repudiate the Lotus Sutra or they teach contrary to Nichiren. One sect teaches that there are Three Lotus Sutras, the 28 chapter Lotus Sutra was the teaching for the Former Day, Great Concentration and Insight for the Middle Day, and Namu Myoho renge kyo (DEVOTION TO THE LOTUS SUTRA) in the Latter Day.

I follow the teaching of Nichiju, The Succession (or Transmission) is Through the Scrolls of the Lotus Sutra (including, of course, Gohonzon) and the Writings of Nichiren. This is the way to follow the Law and not the person.

Here is the teachings of two sects;

Them: "Shakyamuni's dharma is the dharma of the past and no longer beneficial". Me: Nichiren taught that Shakyamuni's Lotus Sutra is the only teaching to be spread in the Latter Day and we can not even discard the Theoretical Section of the Lotus Sutra,let alone the Essential Section.

Them: "It is necessary to realize that we no longer have a connection to Shakyamuni's Buddhism." Me: Nichiren taught that we are the direct disciples of the Original Eternal Buddha Shakyamuni.

Them: "You should know that Nichiren Daishonin is the only true Buddha because Shakamuni's Buddhism is useless."Me: Nichiren taught that Shakyamuni Buddha is the Original Eternal Buddha

Them: "Buddha Shakamuni is inferior to the true Buddha Nichiren." Me: Nichiren taught that all Buddhas throughout the past, present, and future, are emanations of Shakyamuni Buddha of the 16th Ch. and those who abandon Shakyamuni will fall into the Avici hell.

Them: "The Lotus Sutra which is the long-cherished wish of Buddha Shakamuni is no longer valid in this era, not in the least." Me: Nichiren says the Lotus Sutra is the ultimate teaching of the past, present, and future

Them: "If you don't worship the Gohonzon of XY sects, you will know no well-being in the age of Mappo." Me: They have not one of the Three Proofs, Documentary Theoretical, or Actual for this assertion.

Them: 'If you worship the Gohonzon of wicked religions, you will naturally experience misfortune: Me: I know of dozens of examples of the misfortune of members who embrace these aberrant doctrines and principles and the good fortune of those who follow the Lotus Sutra and Nichiren.

Them: "All other sects except XY are wicked religions and are a negative influence on society. Me: On the contrary, wherever XY sects have spread, the people have suffered every manner of misfortune and their own members obtain neither merit nor virtue.

Them: "The teachings of Buddha Shakamuni is as useless as last year's calendar. If you are guided by his teachings, your life will surely fail as a logical result." Me: Then why so many unrealized dreams among the XY sect members and why such wonderful benefits in the life of Nichiren believers who embrace the Lotus Sutra and Shakyamuni Buddha of the Juryo Chapter of the Lotus Sutra?

Them: "Every person who doesn't worship the Gohonzon of XYZ temple/sects are bad people who slander the true dharma.' Me: The reality is that they are the bad people, especially their high salaried priests/leaders, for other real and serious transgressions: For abandoning the Lotus Sutra and Lord Shakyamuni Buddha and exploiting the Dharma for personal gain.

Them: "The family which believes in the so-called Z sects will have children who have deformities, mental retardation or madness."

Me: Then, why do so many children of their sects never make it past their twenty first birthday while most Z sect members/ priests and believers' children not only survive but thrive? The reason is that the the XY sects leaders/priests' curses have returned to the originator. For slandering votaries of the Lotus Sutra they or their family members suffer every manner of disease and death before they grow old.

Them: "All other sects except XY are false heresies who exert a bad influence on society." Me: Then, why do certain countries label XY sects as dangerous cults and have restricted their conversion activities? France and Malaysia come to mind.

To my knowledge, none of the priests of the various sects have remonstrated with the Prime Ministers/Ex-Prime Ministers of Japan, Abe and Suga.

Lastly, following the Lotus Sutra, Eternal Buddha, and Nichiren,, I shed tears of joy, almost every day.

Nearly Everything the Nichiren Shoshu is Fake

Regarding the Nichiren Shoshu. Everything is fake in the Nichiren Shoshu: Fake transfer documents; fake DaiGohonzon; fake Patriarchal Zen and Shingon-like transmission (fake Transfer of the Water of the Law; and fake Yuiga Yoga or the Oneness of living Master and Disciple principles); fake Three Treasures; fake Three Great Secret Laws; Nichiko Hori justified the inclusion of apocryphal [forged and altered] Gosho with the following quote: "In terms of doctrine, it's justifiable." -- "Collection of Study Essentials for the Fuji School, Nichiko Hori; fake unbroken lineage which has been broken more than a dozen times.

https://markrogow.blogspot.com/2020/08/the-daigohonzon-is-fake-updated-for.html

https://markrogow.blogspot.com/2018/05/the-daigohonzon-is-composite.html

Me: It is logically unthinkable that something so "important" as the DaiGohonzon would never have been mentioned by Nichiren. There are only two possibilities. Nichiren never wrote about it because he never inscribed it or, at the very least, he never deemed it the most important Gohonzon OR there was a very far reaching conspiracy to destroy any and every mention of it. There is no evidence of such a conspiracy.

NST member: The Daishonin did talk of the DaiGohonzon in the Gosho. What I am saying is that all you lot can say is that the Goshos in which he does are faked.

Me: Not in one Gosho in Nichiren's or Nikko's hand is any mention ever made of a Gohonzon of 1279, let alone of a special Gohonzon.

NST: What I say is that your argument is incomplete and facile because The DaiGohonzon was carved in 1279 and many Goshos were written before that. Me: What about those after 1279 in the Daishonin's or Nichiren's hand, none of which ever mentions the DaiGohonzon? Why is the first mention of the DaiGohonzon made in the 15th century, 150 years after the Daishonin passed?

NST: Hundreds of Goshos have been lost or burned. We do not know the content of these Goshos. For this reason alone, you can not say that the Daishonin definitely did not write about the DaiGohonzon.

Me: The burning of Gosho hasn't been evidenced, just asserted by Nichiren Shoshu. There are no first hand references to the "Dai-Gohonzon" no secondary references from any contemporary Priests or lay people and your claim would mean that such people as Toki Jonin and Shijo Kingo must have betrayed Nichiren too. The Daishonin would truly have to have been a very poor judge of character to have everyone dismiss his central doctrine and dictates so quickly after his death. There are not even any third or fourth generation references.

That's a bit too much burning Karla. Plus, the circumstantial evidence goes strongly against the "Dai-Gohonzon", the denunciation by Nikko's temple Honmonji and the fact that Wooden Mandalas were in style when Nichiu inscribed the DaiGohonzon. There are dozens of Gosho written after 1279. Shakyamuni Buddha, the Lotus Sutra, the Daimoku, and the Gohonzon are referenced many dozens of time. Why not the most important doctrine and principle of all, the doctrine of the DaiGohonzon? The early Nikko Temples had not heard of such a thing and roundly denounced it when they did. So, the burning conspiracy would have been so far reaching that it would have had to have involved the other Nikko founded Temples who logically should have been on your side of the claim. The burning theory would simply have had to involve too many dispirit people, each and every one of them being required to betray their Master and totally ignore what you say is a central doctrine of the faith. Why is our forgery argument for the DaiGohonzon so ill conceived? The Daishonin wrote so many lines of warning about forgeries and appropriations, for example: The Bodaishin Ron attributed to Nagarjuna but really written by Pui-Kung; "fabricated sutras" such as the Platform Sutra of Hui Neng and the Meditation Sutra of Shan Tao; and what the Lotus Sutra itself teaches, "fabricate their own scriptures" [Chapter 13]; and the claims of Kobo Daishi that Ichinen Sanzen is found in the Shingon Sutras. Nichiren also speaks about those who change and alter scriptures in the Kaimoku Sho. Nikko too speaks about those who forge writings. "How much worse will it be after his passing" [in this latter age]?" All these individuals and sects were inferior. To make themselves appear superior, they falsified documents and relics. Taisekeji was in a bad state and needed something to bolster their membership. What better than a "super Gohonzon".

NST: Yet you believe that some time in the mid-fifteenth century, Nichiren Shoshu completely invented a DaiGohonzon and changed it's whole philosophy & doctored Goshos but no one noticed, left the religion in disgust, or even wrote about it.

Me: Some did indeed notice and even referenced that Nichiu contracted leprosy for his transgression of forging the DaiGohonzon. Many others observed Taisekeji's aberrant doctrines and ignored them. Probably because they deemed them too outlandish and Nichiren Shoshu too insignificant as a backwater temple. In retrospect, they made a big mistake. The Kansho accords from the late 1400s of which Taisekeji was a signatory, also make no mention of the DaiGohonzon:

An Accord on the Principles of the Dharma:

"From ancient times there have been disagreements concerning the doctrines of our sect. This and that position have been taken, with no agreement, and differences of opinion exist until today. Further, these have become an obstacle to the prosperity of the Buddha-Dharma. This is too lamentable for words and is sad indeed to consider. So it is that now the worthy head monks of the temples of all lineages have discussed the situation and determined that as we try to propagate our teachings far and wide it will not do for our teachings to lack unity. For this reason we here synthesize the ancient disagreements of our past masters to express our intent to repay the debt of gratitude to our teachers. With glad hearts we declare the unity of main and branch temples alike and realize a unified harmony that will last forever. We wish from now on to be as inseparable as a fish and water, and that this firm covenant will never wither or be defiled. Let the lamp of the Dharma shine for more than ten thousand years and the blessed life of the enlightenment of the three assemblies endure forever." - Kansho Accord

Sometimes the Nichiren Shoshu claim to have secret documents that purport to demonstrate the DaiGonzon's authenticity and other times, they claim that all references were destroyed by the evil Minobu sect. I propose that they do not release these secret documents because they too would be proven to be forgeries. Probably they have already shredded them. Karla also referenced that there is a writing of Nikko where "I Nikko transmit this DaiGohonzon to Nichimoku", naming the DaiGohonzon of the third month of Koan, 1279. Unfortunately, there has never been any document referencing the Ita-Mandala of Taisekiji independently authenticated by experts before the time of Nichiu. Nichiren and Nikko often labeled Gohonzon as "DaiGohonzon" or "DaiMandala". Nichiren also describes just what that supreme object of worship represents, a depiction of the Buddha's transmission of the Dharma to the Bodhisattvas from underground at the ceremony in the air. Therefore, any mandala would be a representation of the Gohonzon and all such depictions are DaiGohonzon. What the Nichiren Shoshu has done is to objectify that in a transubstantiated plank. This is similar to what the Roman Catholics have done with unleavened bread as the actual body of Christ. All Nichiren Shoshu would have to do is show us one document in Nichiren or Nikko's hand from the "many treasures of Taisekeji". But they can't!

As for the ephemeral burned or lost Gosho that may or may not have existed and which may or may not have mentioned the plank Gohonzon, no one can really speculate as to their content. Yet the Nichiren Shoshu goes beyond speculation to claim that they did indeed make reference to the DaiGohonzon of 1279. Similarly, their argument that Nikko in one writing actually mentioned the burning of Gosho. However, even were this writing authenticated, no mention is made as to their content, least of all a mention of the plank Gohonzon of 1279. The only thing he mentions is that the other senior priests were embarrassed because Nichiren wrote these Gosho in the common vernacular of the Japanese people. Again, this document has yet to be authenticated. It is a strange accusation since these same priests preserved many dozens of Nichiren's writings in the Japanese vernacular.

Forgeries after forgeries. Even the SGI acknowledges what they used to teach was based on forgeries:

"This Heritage and the essential matters of the Gohonzon are documents of the transmission of the Law from Nichiren to the successive Master of the Seat of the Law. They concern the transmission bestowed at the treasure tower, the transmission of the Heritage of the Law exclusively from one to the next." --Hon'ninmyo Sho, Gosho Zenshu, p. 887)

FORGERY: Not in Nichiren's hand [This work contains a reference to the "Nichiren School" (Nichiren Shu), a term that has been in use only since 1536. Also the term, "received by a single person" is found nowhere in the authenticated writings of Nichiren.]

"This transmission is the oral transmission from Nichiren to one legitimate disciple, the secret transmission entrusted to only one person." "Ubuyo Sojo Ji" [Transmission Concerning the First Bath], Shinpen, p. 1710.

FORGERY: Not in Nichiren's hand and with principles that run counter to the Five Major Writings.

"The successive Shonin are all, without exception, Nichiren." (Nichiren Daishonin, "Seven Teachings on the Gohonzon Transmitted from Master to Disciple", Fuji Shugaku Yoshu, vol. 1, p. 32; Nichiren Shoshu Seiten, p. 379)

FORGERY Not in Nikko's hand and runs contrary to everything written in Nichiren's and Nikko's authentic works.

"I have appointed Byakuren Ajari Nikko as the So-kanzu, the general chief priest, and transfer the entirety and every detail of the true doctrine of Nichiren. The top senior priests down to every disciple must regard each of the successive High Priests transferred from Nikko to each in succession to be the So-kanzu, general chief priest,without any opposition as in this time for throughout eternity in the future. ("On the One-Hundred and Six Articles", Gosho Zenshu, p. 869)

FORGERY Not in Nichiren's or Nikko's hand and runs counter to everything they had written that is authenticated.

"The scholars in the world today cannot understand this because they have not learned the transmission of the Heritage." ("Rissho Kansho," Shinpen, p. 770)

FORGERY Not in Nichiren's hand. Not accepted by Priests or scholars of any school or independents except for the Nichiren Shoshu.

"We, ourselves, cannot produce the Gohonzon. Since it's the enlightened entity of Nichiren Daishonin, **no one** has the authority **other than the successive high priests** who have been the **sole heirs to the heritage of the True Law**. We take no part in this. Therefore, the objects of worship inscribed by those in the Butsuryu and Minobu factions [of the Nichiren sect] are absolutely powerless. They are worthless because they are fake. In fact, they contain the power of evil spirits. That is why they are dangerous." -- Josei Toda, Daibyaku Renge, 98, p. 98.

Assertions based on FORGERIES and lack of faith in Namu Myoho renge kyo.

"Members of the Minobu school of the Nichiren sect chant daimoku. They have the Gosho Their recitation of the sutra also includes the Hoben and Juryo chapters. And, in the Shoshinkai, which consists of ex-priests of Nichiren Shoshu , and the portions of the sutra they recite and the daimoku that they chant are identical to the practice we observe. Though their religion may seem the same as ours, they lack the **single, unbroken heritage of the law received directly** from Nichiren Daishonin. If one's faith is not based on this line of **inheritance**, it is worthless to embrace any Gohonzon, for no benefit will be forthcoming. That is to say, "Without the lifeblood of faith, it would be useless to embrace the Lotus Sutra." -- Daisaku Ikeda, Buddhism in Action, vol 3, p 254

Assertions based on FORGERIES and lack of faith in Namu Myoho renge kyo

"The Dai-Gohonzon of the high sanctuary of true Buddhism at the Nichiren Shoshu head temple, Taiseki-ji, is the basis of all Gohonzons. The Gohonzon, which we are allowed to recieve so that we can pray in our own homes, can be inscribed **only** by one of the **successive high priests who inherit the true lineage** of Nichiren Shoshu." -- Daisaku Ikeda, Buddhism in Action, vol. 1, pg. 21

Assertions based on FORGERIES and lack of faith in Namu Myoho renge kyo

"It goes without saying that our Soka Gakkai is an organization of Nichiren Shoshu believers. Therefore, worshipping the Dai-Gohonzon and serving the high priest is the **fundamental** spirit of the Gakkai." Daisaku Ikeda, Inaugural address of president Ikeda, 1960

STUPIDITY based on FORGERIES and lack of faith in Namu Myoho renge kyo

"Needless to say, the Dai-Gohonzon of the high sanctuary inscribed for all mankind is the most **fundamental** basis of the movement for the Nichiren Shoshu Soka Gakkai [they have since changed the name to SGI]. The Dai-Gohonzon has been preserved and handed down within Nichiren Shoshu from the founder, Nichiren Daishonin, to his successor, Nikko Shonin, and then to the third high priest, Nichimoku Shonin, up to the present 67th high priest, Nikken Shonin. I hope, therefore, that we will courageously dedicate ourselves to studying Nichiren Daishonin's teachings in order to deepen our faith and to propagation true Buddhism in each country or community, as we follow the high priest's guidance, and respect the traditions and doctrines of Nichiren Shoshu." -- Daisaku Ikeda, Buddhism in Action, vol 1, p 33

Assertions based on FORGERIES and lack of faith in Namu Myoho renge kyo.

More on Yogacara (Mind Only) and the Lotus Sutra

More on Yogacara and the Lotus:

In Yogacara or Mind Only, all phenomena derive from the mind. This being the case, there is no empathy nor acknowledgement of others feelings and their sufferings since one aspect of empathy is being able to put oneself in another's shoes. How can you put oneself in the other's shoes if everything derives from YOUR mind? Yogacara is a selfish way to view the world. Despite Yogacaran's rhetoric of caring, they embrace the ignoble and selfish teachings of pre-Lotus Sutra Buddhism rather than the The Eternal Buddha's and Nichiren's caring and respect towards all beings.

Yogacara discourse explains how our human experience is constructed by the mind only. The Lotus Sutra teaching of suchness and the oneness of the Three Realms (The Realm of the Individual or Five Aggregates, The Realm of Society, and The Realm of the Environment) goes way beyond the One Realm of Yogacara (The Five Aggregates). In Yogacara everything is a construct of the mind, even the existence of others, let alone their suffering.

Two women are sitting in the Ob-Gyn office. One is an expectant mother who had been trying to have a child for many years and has finally become pregnant and is expected to have a healthy baby in two weeks. The other woman has just been diagnosed with late stage ovarian cancer. To the expectant mother, the office is brimming with vitality and joy, the pictures on the wall evoke an abiding sense of well being, the receptionist is an angel of mercy, the doctor is a compassionate father figure, and the wait to see the doctor passes as if a moment . To the woman with late stage ovarian cancer, the office is a gloomy prison cell, the pictures on the wall evoke a sense of foreboding, the receptionist is curt and uncaring, the doctor's bedside manner is disturbing, and the hour wait seems like an eternity.

From the perspective of the Lotus Sutra, Shakyamuni Buddha, Tientai, and Nichiren, the doctors office is thus: It simultaneously possesses all Ten Worlds, their Mutual Possession, One Thousand Factors, and Three Thousand Realms in an ever changing panoply, whose essence is the Eternal Buddha's Realm. Yogacara teachings derive from the mind of the common mortal while the Lotus Sutra teachings derive from the mind of the Buddha.

Tientai the Great of China classified the teachings of the Buddha as follows:*

The Five Periods are as follows:

Flower Ornament Period (華嚴時) Āgamas Period (阿含時) Vaipūlya (方等時) Prajñā (般若時) Lotus-Nirvāṇa Period (法華涅槃時).

The Eight Teachings are subdivided into two groups:

The Fourfold Methods of Conversion (化儀四教) Sudden Teaching (頓教) Gradual Teaching (漸教) Secret Teaching (秘密教) Variable Teaching (不定教) The Fourfold Doctrines of Conversion (化法四教) Tripitaka Teaching (三藏教) Shared Teaching (通教) Distinctive Teaching (別教) Complete Teaching (圓教)[11]

"The word “wonderful” in The Lotus Sutra of the Wonderful Law has two meanings. One is comparative myō, or wonderful, which indicates refuting the rough teachings and revealing the wonderful teaching. The other is absolute myō, which indicates opening up the rough teachings and merging them in the wonderful teaching." - Nichiren

We can literally find all the teachings of the Buddha in the Lotus Sutra; From the Flower Ornament teachings ("The mind is a skillful painter" and Yogacara or Mind Only); to the Theravada teachings (Four Noble Truths, Eight Fold Path, Precepts, Impermanence, Dependent Origination etc); to the Prajna Paramita or Heart Sutra teachings (The Two Truths, Temporary Existence and non-substantiality) and others of the Five Periods and Eight Teachings.

For example, the Theravada precepts are taught in Chapter 14 and Dependent Origination is taught in Chapter 7. Non-substantiality is taught principally in Chapter 2.

Here we see the the absolute myō, which indicates opening up the rough teachings and merging them in the wonderful teaching.

Chapters 11 and 23 for example, we see the comparative myo which indicates refuting the rough teachings and revealing the wonderful teaching.

These are the two aspects of the Lotus Sutra. Thus you can see how we can incorporate all the teachings of the Buddha in the faith and practice of the Lotus Sutra. This is the absolute wonderfulness. A child who in the 5th grade thinks that he knows all there is to know about mathematics is gently (or forcefully) scolded by his learned PhD teacher for the sake of the child's development. This is an example of comparative wonderfulness (Myo).

*From wikipedia, the Five Periods and Eight Teachings.

An example of a Yogacaran's delusion is the father of Yogacara in China:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wonhyo

"Wonhyo spent the earlier part of his career as a monk. In 661 he and a close friend - Uisang (625–702, founder of the Korean Hwaom school) - were traveling to China where they hoped to study Buddhism further. Somewhere in the region of Baekje the pair were caught in a heavy downpour and forced to take shelter in what they believed to be an earthen sanctuary. During the night Wonhyo was overcome with thirst, and reaching out grasped what he perceived to be a gourd, and drinking from it was refreshed with a draught of cool, refreshing water. Upon waking the next morning, however, the companions discovered much to their amazement that their shelter was in fact an ancient tomb littered with human skulls, and the vessel from which Wonhyo had drunk was a human skull full of brackish water. Upon seeing this, Wonhyo vomited. Startled by the experience of believing that a gruesome liquid was a refreshing treat, Wonhyo was astonished at the power of the human mind to transform reality. After this "One Mind" enlightenment experience, he abandoned his plan to go to China. He left the priesthood and turned to the spreading of the Buddhadharma as a layman..."

A practitioner of the Lotus would immediately know that the water was brackish because of the purification of the senses thanks to the Lotus. He might have drunk it anyway were he overcome with thirst though, in actuality, this would be an impossibility for a votary of the Lotus Sutra.

The Tathagata knows and sees the appearance

of the Three Worlds in accordance with reality:

there is no Birth-and-Death,

whether backsliding or emerging;

likewise there is neither existence in the world

nor extinction; they are not real; they are not void,

they are not thus; they are not different.

It is not as the Three Worlds

see the Three Worlds. In such a matter as this

the Tathagata sees clearly

and is without error. -- Lotus Sutra Chapter 16 [Juryo-hon]

And likewise for the disciples of the Eternal Buddha and Nichiren.

Someone asserted that the Heart Sutra is superior to the Lotus Sutra...

We have gone over and over this inadequacy of the Heart Sutra. Infant Johnny is completely different (body and mind) than teenage Johnny, is completely different than middle aged Johnny, and is completely different than old man Johnny. Yet no one can truthfully say that infant Johnny is NOT old man Johnny. This thread through which Johnny remains "Johnny" is the Middle Way. How much more different is Johnny, life after life, even regarding "name", yet "Johnny" retains some aspects of Johnnie's appearance (Temporary Existence), nature or mind which non-substantial, and the thread that links Johnnies mind and body throughout the Three Existences, or the Middle Way. The Heart Sutra goes no further than the Two Truths while the Lotus Sutra, Tientai, and Nichiren teach Three Truths. The Lotus Sutra is superior than the Heart Sutra.

The Eternal Buddha resides in our minds

Nichiren even called Shakyamuni Buddha of India a provisional Buddha EXCEPT when he preached the Essential Teachings of the Lotus Sutra (latter 14 Chapters). He never explained this fully but we can surmise that he meant, Shakyamuni of the Juryo Chapter entered in his body, as he entered in Nichiren's body when he was about to be beheaded.: "When I was about to be beheaded, the World-Honored One of Great Enlightenment took my place."

More importantly, Nichiren explained this in The Object of Devotion for Observing the Mind, Chapter 4 (Upholding the Lotus Sutra and Attaining Buddhahood), the following passages from  pages 88 -96 translation by Kyotsu Hori:

"Question : You have not responded to the serious question raise earlier regarding the Buddha residing in our minds, have you?

Answer: It is said in the Sutra of Infinite Meaning (Muryogi-kyo), an introductory teaching to the Lotus Sutra: "though unable to perform the six kinds of practice leading to Buddhahood: charity, observing precepts, perseverance, effort, meditation and wisdom, upholders of this sutra will inevitably receive merits from practicing them." The second chapter of the Lotus Sutra states: "We wish to hear the way to perfection;" and in the Nirvana Sutra it is said: "'Sad' in the Saddharmapundarika (Lotus Sutra) means 'perfection'." Bodhisattva Nagarjuna says in his great Wisdom Discourse (Daichido-ron) that "sad" means "six" while the Annotations on the Four Mahayana Treatises (Wu-i wu-te ta-cheng ssu-lun hsuan-i chi) by Hui-chun of T'ang China means "perfection" in India. The Annotations on the Meaning of the Lotus Sutra (Fa-hua i-su) by Chi-tsang states that "sad" is translated as "perfection"; whileGrand Master T'ien-t'ai states in his Profound Meaning of the Lotus Sutra (Fa-hua hsuan-i) that "sad" is a Sanskrit term which is translated as "miao" (wonderful) in China."

A few paragraphs down, we read:

I fear that I may debase these passages if I try to interpret them, but I dare do so in order to answer your question. The gist of these passages is that Sakyamuni Buddha's merit of practicing the bodhisattva way leading to Buddhahood, as well as that of preaching and saving all living beings since His attainment of Buddhahood are altogether contained in the five words of myo, ho, ren, ge, and kyo (Lotus Sutra of the Wonderful Dharma) and that consequently, when we uphold the five words, the merits which He accumulated before and after His attainment of Buddhahood are naturally transferred to us. Thus, it is stated in the Lotus Sutra (chapter four, "Understanding by Faith) that four great sravaka such as Kasyapa rejoiced in their understanding of the teaching of the Lotus Sutra enabling sravaka to attain Buddhahood, and reported to the Buddha that they had been given invaluable jewels without asking for them. This represents the attainment of Buddhahood by the sravaka realm contained in our minds.

Not only the sravaka but also Sakyamuni Buddha is within us. For we encounter such a statement like this in the second chapter of the Lotus Sutra: "It was my (Sakyamuni's) original vow to let all beings become like Myself. My vow has now been fulfilled. I have helped them all enter the way of the Buddha." Does this not mean, that Sakyamuni Buddha, who has attained Perfect Enlightenment, is our flesh and blood, and all the merits He has accumulated before and after attaining Buddhahood are our bones?

Moreover, the eleventh chapter of the Lotus Sutra "Appearance of the Stupa of Treasures", states: "Those who uphold the teaching of this sutra are deemed to serve me, Sakyamuni, and Taho Buddha. They also serve Buddhas in manifestation here who adorn and glorify their respective worlds." This means that Sakyamuni Buddha, Taho Buddha, and all the Buddhas in manifestation are in our minds, and that we, upholders of the Lotus Sutra, will follow their steps and inherit all the merits of those Buddhas.

This is the meaning of the passage in the tenth chapter of the Lotus Sutra,"The Teacher of the Dharma", which reads: "Those who hear of this Lotus Sutra even for a moment, will instantly attain Perfect Enlightenment." A passage in the sixteenth chapter of the Lotus Sutra, "Duration of the Life of the Buddha", contends: "It has been many hundreds of thousands of billions of nayuta of kalpa (an incalculably long period of time) since I have attained Buddhahood." It means that Sakyamuni buddha, within our minds, is an ancient Buddha without beginning, manifesting Himself in three bodies, and having attained Buddhahood in the eternal past described as 500 dust-particle kalpa ago.

In the same chapter, another passage reads: "The duration of My life, which I obtained through the practice of the way of bodhisattvas, has not yet expired. It is twice as long as the length of time stated above: 500 dust-particle kalpa." This reveals the bodhisattva-realm within our minds. The bodhisattvas described in the fifteenth chapter, "Appearance of Bodhisattvas from Underground", who have sprung out of the great earth, as numerous as the number of dust-particles of 1,000 worlds, are followers of the Original Buddha Sakyamuni who resides within our minds.

They are like T'ai-kung-wang and Duke of Chou, retainers of King Wu of the Chou dynasty in ancient China, who at the same time served the King's young son, King Ch'eng; or Takeuchi-no Sukune of ancient Japan, a leading minister to Empress Jingu, who concurrently served her son, Prince Nintoku. Just like them Bodhisattvas Jogyo, Muhengyo, Jogyo and Anryugyo, the four leaders of those bodhisattvas sprung up from the earth, are simultaneously followers of the Original Buddha and Bodhisattvas who reside in the minds of us, ordinary people.

Therefore, Grand Master Miao-le has declared in his Annotation on the Mo-ho chih-kuan (Mo-ho chih-kuan fu-hsing-chuan hung-chueh): "You should know that both our bodies and the land on which we live are a part of the 3,000 modes of existence which exist in our minds. Consequently, upon our attainment of Buddhahood, we are in complete agreement with the truth of '3,000 existences contained in one thought', and our single body and single thought permeate through all the worlds in the universe." The above from 

And from Page 56

"This means that Sakyamuni Buddha, Taho Buddha, and all the Buddhas in manifestation are in our minds, and that we, upholders of the Lotus Sutra, will follow in their steps and inherit all the merits of those Buddhas."

Is a Doomsday Mutation of the Covid Virus On Its Way?

https://www.newsweek.com/2021/08/13/doomsday-covid-variant-worse-delta-lambda-may-coming-scientists-say-1615874.html?amp=1

Anonymous News on the lethality of small amounts of radiation products.

It took only 200 billionths of a gram, of polonium 210, do this to Alexander litvinenko. It took him days to die and it degraded most of his organ system - Poisoning 

of Alexander Litvinenko - Wikipedia :

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poisoning_of_Alexander_Litvinenko. 

IT was injected. It took only 3 millionths of a gram of powdered plutonium, to give 7 dogs lung cancer within a week of lung exposure at Los Alamos plutonium pit factory, by Santa Fe new mexico 20 lbs of nuclear waste just extracted from the core of a nuclear reactor, will irradiate you to death in 10 minutes if you are within 15 feet of it . It has occurred on several occasions. In reactor refueling Billionths of a gram of Californium can destroy your bone marrow, in a matter of minutes 15 grams of cesium 137 , iridium 110 , or cobalt 60 used in radiography boxes to image, ship hull welding seams, can kill a diver instantly. They can irradiate you to death if you are within, 5 feet of it 50 feet under water. This has happened at least 10 different times to divers, using radionuclide boxes to scan welding seams underwater for cracks. It takes only 50 billionths of a gram of I131 used for thyroid ablation, to kill you quickly A minute amount of dissolved and injested Pure radium or uranium 235 will kill a person in a day. Any concentrated radionuclide exposure or irradiation, has long lasting effects. Think of the many cancer patients that received radiation therapy and had to have bone marrow transplants to survive.

There have been two nuclear accidents at Tokaimura, facility at Tōkai, Ibaraki, Japan: On 11 March 1997, an explosion occurred in a Dōnen plant, and on 30 September 1999, a serious criticality accident happened in a JCO plant. Regarding the Tokaimura nuclear plant nuclear accidents, the first accident occurred on 11 March 1997 producing an explosion after improperly heated nuclear waste products caught on fire at the Dōnen plant. Over twenty people were exposed to radiation all but 5 of them are dead. The second incident on 30 September 1999 happened at the JCO plant. It was classified a serious criticality accident. The incident resulted in radiation exposure for 667 people , half of which since died or had serious health problems. Two workers died immediately.

The meaning of Kosen Rufu

 The word "propagate" is found, twice in three chapters (13, 14, and 22) of the Lotus Sutra:

“World-Honored One, leader and teacher, you bring tranquility to heavenly and human beings. We have heard these prophecies and our minds are peaceful and satisfied. The nuns, having recited these verses, said to the Buddha, “World-Honored One, we too will be able to go to lands in other regions and broadly propagate this sutra.” -Chapter 13, Exhortation to Hold Firm

“They rose from their seats, advanced before the Buddha and, pressing their palms together with a single mind, thought to themselves, if the World-Honored One should order us to embrace and preach this sutra, we would do as the Buddha instructed and broadly propagate this Law. And then they thought to themselves, But the Buddha now is silent and gives us no such order. What shall we do?”(Chapter 13)

“If a bodhisattva will at times enter a quiet room and with the correct mental attitude will view phenomena according to the doctrine, and then, rising from his meditation, will for the sake of the ruler, the princes, ministers and people, the Brahmans and others, unfold, propagate, expound and preach this sutra, then his mind will be tranquil, free of qualing and timidity - Chapter 14, Peaceful Practices

“Manjushri this Lotus Sutra is the secret storehouse of the Buddhas, the Thus Come Ones. Among the sutras, it holds the highest place. Through the long night I have guarded and protected it and have never recklessly propagated it. But today for the first time I expound it for your sake.”(Chapter 14)

“At that time Shakyamuni Buddha rose from his Dharma seat and, manifesting his great supernatural powers, with his right hand patted the heads of the immeasurable, Bodhisattvas and mahasattvas and spoke these words: “For immeasurable hundreds, thousands, ten thousands, millions of asamkhya kalpas I have practiced this hard- to-attain Law of anuttara-samyak-sambodhi. Now I entrust it to you. You must single-mindedly propagate this Law abroad, causing its benefits to spread far and wide." - Chapter 22, Entrustment

"Three times he patted the bodhisattvas and mahasattvas on the head and spoke these words:

For immeasurable hundreds, thousands, ten thousands, millions of asamkhya kalpas I have practiced this hard-to-attain Law of anuttara-samyak-sambodhi. Now I entrust it to you. You must accept, uphold, recite, and broadly propagate this Law, causing all living beings everywhere to hear and understand it. Why? Because the Thus Come One has great pity and compassion. He is in no way stingy or begrudging, nor has he any fear. He is able to bestow on living beings the wisdom of the Buddha, the wisdom of the Thus Come One, the wisdom that comes of itself. The Thus Come One is a great giver of gifts to all living beings. You for your part should respond by studying this Law of the Thus Come One. You must not be stingy or begrudging.” - Chapter 22

And perhaps the most powerful exhortation to propagate the Sutra for the benefit of all beings is found in Chapter 23 of the LS, The Former Affairs of the Bodhisattva Medicine King:

“Constellation King Flower, this sutra can save all living beings. This sutra can cause all living beings to free themselves from suffering and anguish. This sutra can bring great benefits to all living beings and fulfill their desires, as a clear cool pond can satisfy all those who are thirsty. It is like a fire to one who is cold, a robe to one who is naked, like a band of merchants finding a leader, a child finding its mother, someone finding a ship in which to cross the water, a sick man finding a doctor, someone in darkness finding a lamp, the poor finding riches, the people finding a ruler, a traveling merchant finding his way to the sea. It is like a torch that banishes darkness. Such is this Lotus Sutra. It can cause living beings to cast off all distress, all sickness and pain. It can unloose all the bonds of birth and death...

And a few passages further down:

After I have passed into extinction, in the last five-hundred-year period you must spread it abroad widely throughout Jambudvipa and never allow it to be cut off, nor must you allow evil devils, the devils’ people, heavenly beings, dragons, yakshas, kumbhanda demons, or others to seize the advantage!"

Then, in several places, the Buddha talks about bringing peace:

"I appear in the world like a great cloud that showers moisture upon all the dry and withered living beings, so that all are able to escape suffering, gain the joy of peace and security, the joys of this world, and the joy of nirvana. All you heavenly and human beings of this assembly, listen carefully and with one mind! All of you should gather around and observe the one of unexcelled honor. I am the world-honored one, none can rival me. In order to bring peace and security to living beings I have appeared in the world and for the sake of this great assembly I preach the sweet dew of the pure Law. This Law is of a single flavor, that of emancipation, nirvana. With a single wonderful sound I expound and unfold its meaning; constantly for the sake of the great vehicle" - LS Chapter 5, The Parable of the Medicinal Herbs

"Once these living beings have heard the Law, they will enjoy peace and security in their present existence and good circumstances in future existences, when they will receive joy and again be able to hear the Law. -ibid

"I am the Dharma king, free to do as I will with the Law. To bring peace and safety to living beings— that is the reason I appear in the world." - LS Chapter 3, Simile and Parable

"Now I too am like this; in order to bring peace and comfort to living beings I employ various different doctrines to disseminate the buddha way. Through the power of my wisdom I know the natures and desires of living beings and through expedient means I preach these doctrines, causing all living beings to attain joy and gladness." - LS Chapter 2, Expedient Means

"At that time, after the five hundred ten thousand million Brahma kings had recited these verses in praise of the buddha, they each spoke to the buddha, saying: ‘We beg the world-honored one to turn the wheel of the Law, bringing peace and tranquillity to many, bringing salvation to many.’..." Lotus Sutra Chapter 7, The Phantom city

"Thereupon the Buddha said to Bodhisattva Great Adornment: “Excellent, excellent, you great and good men. You have seen fit to ask the thus come one about the subtle and wonderful meaning of this profound, unsurpassed great vehicle. You should understand that by doing so you can benefit many people, assure peace and joy to human and heavenly beings, and rescue living beings from suffering. This is in truth great pity and compassion. And because it is true, it cannot be vain. As a result of this, you will without fail quickly attain unsurpassed enlightenment. And you will also make it possible for all living beings in the present age and in ages to come to attain unsurpassed enlightenment." - Infinite Meanings Sutra, the prologue to the LS, Ch. 2

"They will expound the moisture of the Law, pouring it everywhere to water the dry and barren places. They will show themselves able to dispense the medicine of the Law to living beings, bringing peace and happiness to all." - ibid Chapter 3

Lastly Nichiren recapitulates the Lotus Sutra:

"...When the people all chant Namu-myoho-renge-kyo, the wind will no longer buffet the branches, and the rain will no longer break the clods of soil. The world will become as it was in the ages of Fu Hsi and Shen Nung. In their present existence the people will be freed from misfortune and disasters and learn the art of living long. Realize that the time will come when the truth will be revealed that both the person and the Law are unaging and eternal. There cannot be the slightest doubt about the sutra’s promise of “peace and security in their present existence.”

Bible Belt lunacy

Jesus has failed to protect the bible Belt states from the Delta virus. The non-mask wearers and especially the church goers are contracting Covid at an inordinate rate. I have been telling more and more people to chant Namu Myoho renge kyo and to, at least, wear masks in indoor settings, especially if they will be indoors here and there for more than 15 minutes. It is falling on deaf ears..."Jesus will protect me." Foolishness abounds. I worry about my son who is an intensivist in 3 ICUs in Florida. Breakthrough infections are not rare. My anecdotal assessment is that the Moderna Vaccine is superior to the Pfizer vaccine, Johnson & Johnson vaccine and especially the astra Zenica Vaccine.

No Impediment to Normalcy???

 2021 July « nuclear-news

https://nuclear-news.net/2021/07/

The Olympics are supposed to be a tangible symbol of global cooperation and peaceful competition. But the games carry a lot of baggage—not only from the pandemic but also from the Fukushima disaster and Japan’s nuclear politics.

As Covid cases spread in the Olympic Village and in Tokyo, protesters continue to demand the Olympics be canceled, and they continue to be ignored. But the tone-deafness of these Olympics goes back further—to the Fukushima nuclear disaster. In 2019, then–Prime Minister Shinzo Abe dubbed the Tokyo Olympics the “Recovery Games,” meant “to showcase the affected regions of the tsunami” and the nuclear meltdown of 2011, which continues to pose threats today.

That’s why some Olympic events are being held in Fukushima’s Azuma Stadium, and why Olympic torch runners have been routed through Fukushima prefecture, hitting what the official Olympic website calls “places of interest” near the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant. It started at J-Village, a former logistics hub for crews working to remediate the stricken reactors, now a sports complex, where Greenpeace detected a radiation hot spot in late 2019. It passed through Ōkuma and Futaba, where the plant is located, and other nearby towns long abandoned after the disaster.

This is intended to project an image of recovery and normalcy to the world. But it’s government propaganda, deaf to citizens’ concerns, and blind to ongoing threats. Fukushima Daiichi continues to leak radioactivity. New radiation hot spots and other impacts are being discovered all the time.

This sort of Olympic spin tactic has been used before. In the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, the government sought to portray Japan as a modern industrial nation with its own nuclear research program. Yoshinori Sakai, born in Hiroshima on the day the atomic bomb was dropped, lit the Olympic flame. A scant year and half after the Cuban missile crisis, this gesture soft-pedaled the dangers of nuclear technology, nuclear weapons, and the burgeoning arms race.

Today, the tone-deafness continues. This month, on the anniversary of the Trinity nuclear tests that enabled the atomic bombings of Japan, IOC President Thomas Bach went to Hiroshima to lay a wreath at a memorial, prompting an angry response. “President Bach using the image of ‘a peaceful world without nuclear weapons’ only to justify holding of the Olympics by force under the pandemic is a blasphemy to atomic bombing survivors,” a coalition of civic groups wrote. “An act like this does nothing but do harm to the global nuclear weapons ban movement.”

Billions watching the games are imbibing the idea that, protests notwithstanding, Covid, Fukushima, the atomic bombings, and rising nuclear dangers today pose no impediment to normalcy. This should be countered with factual context and truth-telling.

Nuclear Games, a new documentary available online, attempts this by contrasting the Olympic ideals of peace and humanity with our history of nuclear violence and inhumanity (full disclosure: My organization Basel Peace Office is one of several NGOs helping with the project). It uses manga and interactive content to counter Olympic spin and teach mass audiences, including young people, Nuclear History 101: the Cuban missile crisis, Chernobyl, the victims of uranium mining and nuclear testing, the North Korean nuclear program.

We urgently need remedial education on nuclear issues. Most millennials believe nuclear war will occur within the next decade, yet they also rank nuclear weapons as the least important of 12 global issues. They’re both justifiably anxious and badly misinformed.

Achieving basic nuclear literacy is indispensable now. Nuclear dangers are more acute than in 1964, the risk of nuclear war is growing, and the arms control regime is failing. This year, the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists moved its Doomsday Clock ahead to 100 seconds before midnight—closer to the zero hour than during the Cuban missile crisis.