Lecture on Lotus Sutra Chapter 17, Variety (Distinction) of Merits by reverend Sinyou Tsuchiya

The Lotus Sutra, Chapter 17. The Variety of Merit (Scripture 113)

Lecture on Chapter 17 (Significance-2)

The five stages of practice for practitioners after Buddha's death are the almost same meanings. The first rejoicing is the stage that you follow the teachings of the chapter of The Duration of the Life and feel thankful for it. That is the most important like the momentary belief and understanding on the four stages of faith. When the mind of rejoicing becomes firmly, the religion becomes valuable. Like current depraved Nichiren’s schools, if you thank for Daimoku without making clear what you rejoice to, it will be a typical superstition clearly. The second stage, the studying, is to read and recite the chapter of The Duration of the Life. The third stage, the preaching, is to expound the meanings of the chapter of The Duration of the Life for others. And the fourth and fifth stage, six paramitas of bodhisattva's way, are donation, precepts, forbearance, assiduity, meditation, wisdom. Concurrent practice is to do it partially and Intensive practice is to do it perfectly.

The six paramitas of bodhisattva's way are not necessarily difficult. Giving money is a donation. Also, giving your remaining strength such as knowledge or experience to others, will become a donation, contribution. When you help others, all those abilities become a donation. Almost moral acts are caused by the mind of donation. As the precepts, although it is not easy to keep the moral and the law perfectly, it is a matter of course that you should follow the moral standards, what one should do and what one should not do. If you refuse the precepts as difficulty, it doesn't make sense. Although the belief becomes the true cause for attaining Buddhahood, all good deeds help it as the virtue. Therefore, there is no reason to refuse any good deed. Even those who don't believe in religion are hoping to do good deeds. Therefore, those who believe in religion must not refuse the good deeds. The main cause for attaining Buddhahood as the primary meaning of religion is the belief. It is not the result of a lot of good deeds which you collected. However, by making the faith conflict to the good deeds, if there is an explanation which says that the good deeds become enemy because the faith is important, that is a radical error. The real ability of morality and religion is to develop the good heart of human beings more. If you pamper yourself saying you are not able to do, if they conclude that you don’t have to be able to do, that is a typical heresy. The Buddha Sakyamuni showed that good intents existing in villains were not annihilated and educated that everybody should practice bodhisattva's way to attain Buddhahood. Therefore, those doctrines which reject and block the practice of bodhisattva's way are serious sins which are not escaped from extreme penalty at the court of King Yama (閻魔王). Although the Lotus Sutra expounds attaining Buddhahood by the momentary belief and understanding, if you are able to do more, it shows the four stages of faith and the five stages of practice.