Explanation
of the Hoben Chapter
By
Reverend Kanno Tajima and
Reverend
Rikido Takeyasu
Today,
for this Overseas Believers Summer Study Tozan held here at the Head
Temple Taisekiji under the aegis of the Dai-Gohonzon of the High
Sanctuary
of the Essential Teachings, during the time I have available
I
will give an explanation of the "Myoho-Renge-Kyo- Hoben-pon Dai-ni,"
the
Hoben Chapter that we recite during each morning and evening
Gongyo.
Because
off time limitations, I will not be able to lecture on all of the
Hoben
Chapter, so I hope you will study the rest of the text after you
return
home to your own countries.
Introduction
It
goes without saying that the Lotus Sutra is the supreme sutra in the
Buddhism
of Shakyamuni Buddha. Among all
the many sutras from
Ancient
times, few sutras have been as treasured by common people for
as
long as the
Lotus Sutra.
Many
factors have made the Lotus Sutra loved by common people: its
seven
parables that are so easy to understand; the amazing sermon in
the
Hoto Chapter, which is quite beyond the imagination; and the brilliant,
resplendent
figure of the eternal Buddha who appears in the
Juryo
Chapter.
Why,
though, is the Lotus Sutra so great? The real reason is that much
more
than in other sutras, the
Lotus Sutra emphasizes the august nature
and
importance of life, which is
eternally here throughout the three
existences.
Many
of the Daishonin's Gosho make it clear that owing to their gravity,
the
Hoben
and Juryo Chapters
are the core of the Lotus Sutra. For
example,
in "Recitation of the Hoben and Juryo Chapters," the Daishonin
teaches:
As I said before, though no chapter of the Lotus Sutra is negligible,
among the entire twenty‑eight chapters, the Hoben chapter and
the
Juryo chapter are particularly outstanding. The remaining chapters
are
all in a sense the branches and leaves of these two chapters. (MW6,
p.
10; Shinpen, p. 303).
This
is the background to why we recite the Hoben and Juryo
Chapters
in Gongyo every morning
and evening. The innermost depths of
Shakyamuni's Buddhism are all encompassed within the Lotus Sutra,
and
the Lotus Sutra contains the most fundamental principles and forms
the
very marrow of all the teachings of Shakyamuni Buddha's lifetime.
Therefore,
if we do not understand the reason for this, we will not be able
to
understand the essence of Shakyamuni's Buddhism.
Moreover,
we must recognize the importance of the Lotus Sutra in
order
to understand the difference between Shakyamuni's Buddhism and the
Daishonin's Buddhism,
which is the Buddhism for the age of Mappo
(Latter
Day of the Law).
The
Lotus Sutra is not merely the culmination of Shakyamuni's Buddhism;
it
also predicts the appearance of the
Nam-Myoho-Renge-
Kyo of
Nichiren
Daishonin, and was preached as the preparation for its
appearance.
In
a word, the Lotus Sutra teaches the Law that will enable all people to
reach
the most august life state of the Buddha. It is the sutra at the
summit
of Buddhism. Various other sutras preach that the Buddha is an
august
being, and various sutras reveal wisdom for solving the sufferings
of
life. However, no other sutra can compare to the Lotus Sutra in the
sense
of leading all common mortals to Buddhahood itself.
The
Hoben Chapter teaches of the insight into the ultimate truth of all
phenomena
that is the Buddha's wisdom. It explains that the purpose of
the
Buddha's appearance in this land is to open the door of the Buddha's
wisdom
to all living beings, show the Buddha's wisdom to all living
beings,
cause all living beings to awaken to the Buddha's wisdom, and
cause
all living beings to enter into the path of the Buddha's wisdom.
The
Hoben Chapter makes it clear that the life and wisdom of the Buddha
fundamentally
exist inside the lives of all living beings. As evidence of
this,
the
Hoben
Chapter
teaches that Shakyamuni's disciples
Shariputra
and Mahakashyapa will attain Buddhahood.
However,
Nichiren Daishonin is the one who revealed the
Original
Law for
attainment of Buddhahood and who established the Entity of
that
Law.
Therefore, the true reason that the twenty-eight chapters of
the
Lotus Sutra are so august is that they tacitly include this Original
Law.
In other words, the Lotus Sutra will truly come alive when we
know
of the Original Law for attaining Buddhahood that Nichiren
Daishonin
taught, and return back to the Lotus Sutra and read it from
that
viewpoint. Reading and studying the Lotus Sutra will have no
meaning
if we neglect to read it in this way.
The
Lotus Sutra begins with the Muryogi Sutra ("Sutra of Infinite
Meanings"),
which serves as the introduction to the Lotus Sutra. The
Muryogi
Sutra is, so to speak, a preface that leads into the main
subject.
The
Muryogi Sutra states, "Infinite meanings are born of this one
Law."
It
is the Lotus
Sutra that
teaches the Original Law owing to which
innumerable
meanings come forth. In
addition, the Kan Fugen Bosatsu Gyoho Sutra ("Sutra of Meditation
on
the
Bodhisattva Universal Wisdom") is preached after the Lotus Sutra as
its
closing sutra. The word " fugen" means "universally wise,"
or
"universality."
Thus, the one Law that is taught as the origin of infinite
meanings
then moves outward to pervade everything.
The
"Annotations on the Lotus Sutra" states:
Because
this Lotus Sutra is the Entity of the Law that is endowed with the
mutual
possession of the ten worlds and the three thousand [factors], the
three
thousand factors and ten worlds are all, without exception, the
universal
wisdom. The realm of the ultimate reality (universe) is the
universal
wisdom, without leaving out even a single phenomena.
(Shinpen,
p. 1798)
In
this way, the Lotus Sutra is the philosophy of life that returns from
infinite
meanings to the one Law and then spreads outward universally throughout
all phenomena.
Out
of the 28 chapters of the Lotus Sutra, the first fourteen (from the jyo
("Introduction") Chapter to the Anrakugyo ("Peaceful
Practices")
Chapter)
are called the theoretical teaching. The last fourteen chapters
(from
the Yujutsu ("Emerging from the Earth") Chapter to the Kanbotsu
("The
Encouragement of Bodhisattva Universally Wise") Chapter) are
called
the essential teaching.
The
theoretical teaching of the Lotus Sutra is preached from the
position
of a Buddha who attained enlightenment for the first time in India.
The
core of the theoretical teaching is the Hoben (2nd) Chapter, which
discloses
the wisdom that can only be understood and shared between
Buddhas -the ultimate truth of all phenomena and the ten factors. It also
states
that all living beings possess the Buddha nature and teaches the
attainment
of Buddhahood by people of the two vehicles (learning
(shomon)
and self attained realization (engaku)). This is known as
"opening
the three vehicles to reveal the one vehicle," that is, opening up
the
three vehicles of
learning,
self-attained
realization,
and
bodhisattva
to reveal that there is actually one vehicle: the Buddha
vehicle.
The
essential teaching of the Lotus Sutra discloses that Shakyamuni
"actually
attained Buddhahood in the remote past" of
gohyaku
(five
hundred dust particle kalpas). This core idea appears in the Juryo
(16th)
Chapter, which teaches that Shakyamuni himself actually
attained
the
Way in
the remote
past of gohyaku-jindengo.
This
is called "opening the near to reveal the distant": this concept
refers
to how Shakyamuni shows that his recent attainment of
Buddhahood
in India was actually based far in the past.
The
Juryo
Chapter also shows how this attainment of Buddhahood
actually
occurred by revealing the
True Cause, True Effect, and
True
Land of the
Buddha's enlightenment. Furthermore, there is the
specific
entrustment to the Bodhisattvas of the Earth in the
Jinriki
(21st)
Chapter.
When
we consider Nichiren Daishonin and Myoho-Renge-Kyo, what we cannot
afford to overlook is the distinction between the Inner Realization
of
the Buddha's enlightenment and the External Function of the
Buddha's
enlightenment.
First,
viewed from the standpoint of the External Function, the
"Four Teachers
in Three
Countries"
occupy the position of the
External
Function for propagating the Lotus Sutra. This Nichiren Daishonin
Himself
stated in Goshos such as "On the Buddha's Prophecy" and
"On
the True Cause."' The Four Teachers in Three Countries are
Shakyamuni
Buddha, who
preached the Lotus Sutra (India),
the
Great Teacher Tien-tai who lectured on the Lotus Sutra (China),
the
Great Teacher Dengo who established the ordination platform of
the
theoretical teaching of the Lotus Sutra (Japan),
and of course
Nichiren Daishonin
Himself.
Next,
viewed from the standpoint of Inner Realization, Nichiren Daishonin
has
hidden within Himself the reality that He is the Original Buddha of Mappo.
The
one idea that is most important in revealing this Inner Realization is
the
importance of
"time" in the propagation of Buddhism. One must
also
understand the existence of the "three kinds of Lotus Sutra"
that
arise in accordance with the sequence of the
"time."
I
am sure you already know that in time, the propagation of Buddhism is
divided
into three periods: Shoho (Former Day of the Law), Zoho
(Middle
Day of the Law) and Mappo (Latter Day of the Law).
The
Shoho
period is the first one thousand years after Shakyamuni's
passing.
During this age, there were many people with a deep causal
relationship
to Shakyamuni. The
Zoho period is the next one
thousand
years. It is an age of people with a shallow causal relationship
to
Shakyamuni. Finally, the
Mappo period is the age from two
thousand
years after Shakyamuni's passing onwards. In this age, the
people
who are born have absolutely no causal relationship to
Shakyamuni
Buddha. Therefore, the Buddhism taught by Shakyamuni
cannot
save them.
The
three kinds of
Lotus Sutra
appeared in the sequence
that
corresponds to their suitability for the three periods of
Shoho
Zoho and Mappo.
Nichiren
Daishonin taught that these is only Law that can save the
people
of Mappo, who have no relationship to the Buddhism of
Shakyamuni.
This Law is
Nam Myoho-Renge-Kyo, which is
hidden in the depths of the Juryo Chapter.
Why
We Recite the Hoben and Juryo Chapters
Why,
out of all the twenty eight chapters of the Lotus Sutra, do we recite
the
beginning of the
Hoben
(2nd) Chapter
and the
whole
Juryo (16th) Chapter
during our daily Gongyo in
the
morning and evening? In the "Recitation of the Hoben and juryo
Chapters,"
which I mentioned before, Nichiren Daishonin teaches:
As
I said before, though no chapter of the Lotus Sutra is negligible,
among
the entire twenty eight chapters, the Hoben chapter and the
Juryo
chapter are particularly out standing.
The remaining chapters are all in a sense the branches
and leaves of
these
two chapters. Therefore, for your regular recitation, I recommend
that
you practice reading the prose sections of the Hoben and juryo
chapters.
In addition it might be well if you wrote out separate copies
of
these sections. The remaining twenty-six chapters are like the
shadows
that accompany a form or the value inherent in a jewel. If you
recite
the juryo and Hoben chapters, then the remaining chapters will
naturally
be included even though you do not recite them. (MW6, p. 10;
Shinpen,
p. 303)
However,
even though the Hoben and juryo Chapters are extremely
important,
if we just recite the words in of themselves,
this would still
be the Lotus Sutra of Shakyamuni.
We would be merely reading the
surface
meaning of the
words. In Mappo, reciting the Lotus Sutra
has
a completely different significance.
Therefore,
although the words of the Hoben and juryo Chapters are
the
same, Nichiren Daishonin's recitation of these same words is
as
" the theoretical teaching that I recite" from
the
standpoint
of the life condition of the Original Buddha of
Mappo
and as
"the
Juryo Chapter of my Inner Realization"
that
is, their
recitation is to reveal and praise the merit of the
Gohonzon of Nam-Myoho-RengeKyo
hidden in the depths
of the words. In
short, we don't
recite the Hoben and Juryo
Chapters
as the Entity of the Law of the Lotus Sutra;
we recite them for the sake of Buddhist practice.
Overall,
Buddhism has two aspects: the Entity
of the Law and
uddhist
practice. "Entity
of the Law" is Nam
Myoho-Renge-Kyoof
the Three Great Secret Laws. In Mappo, absolutely nothing other
than
this should be the object of worship.
The
significance
of our recitation
of the Hoben and
juryo
Chapters
for the sake of
Buddhist
practice,
then, is as follows:
The
recitation of
the Hoben
Chapter is
first, recitation
"for the sake of refutation," and
second, recitation
"to
borrow the words." The first of these, recitation
"for
the sake of refutation" means that we read the
Hoben
Chapter in order to refute all the sutras, since
Shakyamuni's Buddhism is not the Buddhism for the age of Mappo.
That
is, we read it to follow what Nichiren Daishonin taught in
many
Goshos:
Now
in the Latter Day of the Law, neither
the Lotus Sutra nor the
other
sutras lead to enlightenment. Only
Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo
can do so.
("The
Teaching for the Latter Day": MW3, p. 266; Shinpen, p. 1219)
With
the coming the Latter Day of the Law, however, with
regard to these
Hinayana sutras,
Mahayana sutras and the Lotus Sutra .... though the
words of these sutras still remain, they will no longer serve as
medicine
for the illnesses of living beings.
The illnesses will be too grave, and
these
medicines too ineffectual. ("Reply to Takahashi Nyudo":
MW6,
p. 125; Shinpen, p. 887)
Recitation
"For the sake of refutation" means to read the Hoben
Chapter
to refute all the other sutras, following the teachings of
Nichiren
Daishonin. Next, recitation
"to borrow the words" means that
We borrow words of the
Hoben Chapter so as to reveal the enlightened
life condition of
Nichiren Daishonin
and the merit of
Nam MyohoRenge Kyo.
The purpose of
recitation lies in
borrowing
the words.
Next,
our recitation
of the Juryo
Chapter is first, recitation
"for the sake of refutation"
and second, recitation
"for the sake of utilization.'
First,
recitation "for the sake of refutation"
is exactly the same as in the case
of the Hoben Chapter. The second sense, recitation "for
the sake
of utilization," means that we recite the Juryo Chapter in order to
adopt
it,
since Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo is hidden in its depths.
We
recite the Hoben Chapter to borrow the words"
because the
Hoben Chapter was, in a surface sense, taught for the sake of the
people
of Shakyamuni's day.
In contrast, we recite the Juryo Chapter
"for
the sake of utilization' because the Juryo Chapter was
itself taught
for the age of Mappo.
When
it comes to the essential teaching, the main purpose
of our
recitation is "for the sake of utilization,"
the second of the two.
This
was Nichiren Daishonin's own way of reciting the Juryo Chapter.
This
is obvious according to what is written in the "Annotations
on the
Lotus Sutra," the record of Nichiren Daishonin's lecture on the
Lotus
Sutra written down by Second High Priest Nikko Shonin.
Nichiren
Daishonin states: Recitation "for the
sake of
refutation"
means
to read the Hoben When it comes to
understanding the
Chapter to refute all the other sutras,
Lotus Sutra,
I
have only a minute fraction of the vast
ability that Tien Tai and
Dengyo
possessed. ("The Opening of
the Eyes": MW2, p.
118;
Sbinpen, p. 540)
.
This
indicates that the understanding of the surface meaning of the
words
of the Lotus Sutra had already been completed in every detail
by
T'ient'ai and Dengyo. However, after the appearance of Nichiren
Daishonin
reciting the surface meaning of the words no longer
has
any meaning.
At
present, the best method for gaining a true and
correct understanding
of
the Lotus Sutra is to study
the transmission documents of Nichiren
Daishonin, such as the "One Hundred and Six Articles," "On the
True
Cause,"
and the "Annotations
on the Lotus Sutra." In any case, at
today's
meaningful Overseas Believers Summer Seminar, I
hope you
will
gain an understanding the significance of reciting the
Hoben
and
Juryo
Chapters.
Now
that I am sure you understand this, I would like to
speak
about the part of the Hoben Chapter that is in our sutra book,
beginning
with the words,
"niji seson. Myoho-Renge-Kyo,
Hoben-pon
Dai-ni Ni ji seson. Ju sanmai. Anjo ni ki.
Go
Sharihotsu.
Translation:
At this time, the World Honored One serenely rose from
his samadhi (state of deep meditation) and addressed
Shariputra.
Explanation:
The
title
of the Hoben Chapter is "Myoho-Renge-Kyo
Hoben
pon
Dai-ni."
The commonly held standpoint is that
"Hoben-pon
Dai ni" means "Chapter
Two: Expedient Means." In ordinary
sutras,
though, such as the
Kegon
Sutra or Agon
Sutras, only
the
names of the chapters themselves
appear in the chapter titles. The
titles
of the sutra is not mentioned. In
contrast, all twenty-eight
chapters
of the Lotus Sutra begin with "Myoho-RengeKyo."
This
indicates a deep significance, that none of the chapters can
exist
apart from NamMyoho-Renge Kyo.
Fundamentally,
the Lotus Sutra is the pure, perfect one truth
(jun'en
ichijitsu) Therefore, the Lotus
Sutra itself does not contain any
expedient
teachings. The "expedient
means" referred to in the title
of
the
Hoben Chapter refer to the fact that the Hoben
and other chapters
of
the Lotus Sutra reveal how the
Buddha had used various expedients
to
teach people in the pre-Lotus sutras. In other words, the Lotus Sutra
explains
the different types of expedients used by the Buddha.
Just
before preaching the Lotus Sutra, Shakyamuni preached the
Muryogi
Sutra and entered into a state of deep meditation called
muryogi‑sho‑zanmai.
Here "muryogi" refers to the three
thousand
(sanzen)
realms, or all phenomena, and "sho" refers to the one mind
(ichinen)
that isthe source from which they all arise. The seppo
("Preaching the Law") Chapter of the Muryogi Sutra states:
Infinite
meanings are born of this one Law. (Kaiketsu, p. 84)
It
is the Lotus Sutra that teaches what this "one Law" is.
That
is, prior to preaching the Lotus Sutra (the ultimate
purpose of his
appearance) Shakyamuni Buddha deeply considered the Law of
ichinen sanzen (the core doctrine of the Lotus Sutra).
In order to
determine
how to best teach this, he entered into a state of deep
meditation
wherein his mind was concentrated wholly in one place.
This
is called muryogi-sho-zanmai (literally, "the samadhi on
infinite
meanings";
samadhi is a Sanskrit Buddhist term meaning a state of
mental
concentration on one obiect). When Shakyamuni Buddha entered
muryogi-shozanmai,
his body and mind did not move and he did not
preach
the Law.
Various
strange phenomenon occurred when he entered into this state.
Lotus
flowers fell from the sky, a ray of light came forth from between
the
Buddha's eyebrows and illuminated eighteen thousand worlds
showing
the state of living beings in them all, and the world shook in
six
directions (east, west, south, north, up and down). At that time,
Bodhisattva
Maitreya asked Bodhisattva Manjushri, "What is the reason
for
these mysterious phenomena?"
Bodhisattva
Manjushri said, "In past existences, the Buddha Sun Moon
Light
preached various laws. However, it was when he was about to preach
the Myoho‑ Renge‑Kyo, the purpose of his advent, that
mysterious
phenomena the same as these occurred. Based on this,
Shakyamuni
Buddha is surely about to preach the Myoho-Renge-Kyo
(Lotus
Sutra), the deepest and most secret Law, and fulfill the purpose
of
his advent."
Bodhisattva
Maitreya and the rest of the assembly were delighted to hear
this.
They tensely waited for Shakyamuni to begin preaching, determined
not
to miss a single word. This is the situation referred to in the first words of
the Hoben Chapter, "at this time" (ni ji) .
At
that time, Shakyamuni entered meditation and quietly
contemplated.
Then
he stood up overflowing with conviction, as he had
attained full
confidence about how to unfold his sermon on the doctrine of the
ultimate truth of all phenomena
(shoho jisso ‑ ichinen sanzen and how
to
finally lead his disciples to attain Buddhahood, so that they would
harvest
the true benefit of his Buddhism. The sutra describes this as,
"the
World Honored One serenely rose from his samadhi. . . "
Shakyamuni
then turned to his shomon (learning) disciple Shariputra,
who
was said to be "foremost in wisdom" among all his disciples,
and
began to preach.
Why
did he preach to Shariputra? The purpose of the
Hoben
Chapter is to reveal the Law of ichinen sanzen, and the basis of
ichinen
sanzen is the mutual possession of the ten worlds. Shakyamuni
taught
that each of the ten worlds possesses the ten worlds within itself.
Therefore,
all people possess the world of Buddhahood and are able to
attain
Buddhahood. He taught this to refute the idea that
people of the
two vehicles cannot
attain Buddhahood," which Shakyamuni himself
had
continuously preached for forty-some years. He taught this to
predict
that his disciples of the two vehicles, such as Mahakashyapa,
Shariputra,
and Maudgalyayana, would attain Buddhahood.
When
Shakyamuni taught that the people of the two vehicles would
attain
Buddhahood, this meant that the attainment of Buddhahood was
recognized
for all people. This was the case even though Shakyamuni
did
not predict the attainment of Buddhahood for each and every
individual.
Nichiren Daishonin speaks of this in the Gosho
"Letter
to Horen":
The
Lotus Sutra. . . reveals the principle that all living beings will attain Buddhahood.
For example, if one breaks one joint of a bamboo, then all
the
other joints will also break. It is like the move called shicho in the
game
of go If one stone dies, then many stones will also die.
(Shinpen,
p. 815)
It
was in this sense that Shakyamuni Buddha taught the Law to Shariputra, as a
representative of the people of the two vehicles.
When the Buddha Begins Preaching
Without
Being Asked.
Usually,
the sutras were taught in response to questions people asked
the
Buddha about the Law. However, in the Hoben Chapter Shakyamuni
Buddha
stood up from his samadhi and began to preach even though no
one
had asked him anything. This is called "teaching of the Buddha's
own
accord without being asked."
If
a teaching is especially
deep, its
content will be beyond people's
consideration.
Thus they will not even be able to ask questions about it.
Shakyamuni
therefore choose Shariputra, "foremost in wisdom," and
began
to preach to him one-sidedly. This indicates how important and
profound
are the doctrines in the Hoben Chapter.
Shobut-chie.
Jinjin muryo. Go chie mon. Nange nannyu.
Translation:
The
wisdom of the Buddhas is incomparably profound and immeasurable.The
gate to this wisdom is difficult to understand and difficult to enter.
Explanation:
The
Japanese word "chi-e" in this passage has been translated
"wisdom,"
since
both its characters (chi and e) roughly mean wisdom. The
"Daijo
Gisho "of Kumarajiva contains this passage about the true wisdom
of
the Buddha: "'To illuminate and see'we call 'chi,' and 'to completely
understand
we term "e".
"To
illuminate and see" means to view the differences between all things.
In
other words, the character "chi' indicates viewing the entire realm of
the
ultimate reality (universe) from the aspect of discrimination.
"To
completely
understand" means to view from the aspect of sameness;
thus,
the character "e" means to view everything from the aspect of
equality.
The true wisdom of the Buddha is incomparably profound
and
immeasurable; the Buddha sees through to the ultimate truth of all
phenomena
correctly ‑ from both aspects words, one who hears the
Law.
without leaning to either side.
"Jinjin"
(incomparably profound) means to be exceedingly
deep,
or
boundless in the vertical direction, penetrating all truths.
"Muryo"
(immeasurable)
means to be to have limitless width in the horizontal
direction.
"The
gate to this wisdom is difficult to understand and difficult to enter"
ultimately
means that it is impossible to jump right into the realm of the
Buddha's
wisdom with the wisdom of a common mortal. In the end,
there is no way for us to enter except through faith.
Issai
shomon. Hyakushibutsu, Sho fu no chi.
Translation:
None
of the shravkas or pratyekabuddbas are able understand it.
(OR:
None of the people of learning or self‑attained realization are able
to
understand it.)
Explanation:
The
original Sanskrit Buddhist term for "people of learning" is "shravaka,
"
which is "shomon' in Japanese. This term literally means one who
hears
the voice, in other (Thus shomon is written with Chinese
characters
that mean "voice‑hearer.") The shravaka are disciples who
completely
eliminate the illusions of thought and desire of the threefold
realm.
Among Shakyamuni's disciples this category included Shariputra,
who
was foremost in learning, Ananda, who was foremost in hearing
the
sermons of Shakyamuni, and Maudgalyayana, who was foremost in
supernatural
powers.
The
original Sanskrit Buddhist term for "people of self-attained
realization"
is pratyekabuddha. (The word "hyakushibutsu" is the
transliteration
of that term into Chinese characters as pronounced in
Japanese.)
In Japanese, . engaku"is the term that is usually used
for
pratyekabuddha. Pratyekabuddhas, like shravakas, eliminate illusions
of
thought and desire, but they do this by achieving realization on
their
own, through some relation such as seeing leaves fall. (Thus
engaku
is written with Chinese characters that mean "relation‑ awakening.)
However,
pratyekabuddbas are even stricter than the shravakas They
also
eliminate the faint, unconscious movements of the mind that remain
as
remnants of the illusions of thought and desire, in the same way that
the
scent of incense still lingers in one's clothing, etc., even after the
incense
has burned completely. Thus, as disciples they are one stage
higher
than the shravakas.
Reaching
the levels of shravaka pratyekabuddha (which are known as
the
two vehicles) is the result of an extremely long and arduous practice.
It
is very seldom that anyone achieves this. However, even if one were to
reach
these levels of learning, one would still not even know the method
for
attaining the wisdom of a Buddha. Shravakas and ,Pratyekabuddhas
eliminate
all earthly desires and also accumulate a great deal of
practice
and learning. However, they practice and study for themselves
alone
in order to break free of the cycle of birth and death among the six
paths.
They lack the compassion and motivation to widely save many
living
beings. Their situation is as if they have fallen into a big hole with no way
to get out. For this reason, they cannot attain Buddhahood.
Even
with faith in Nichiren Daishonin's Buddhism, one will never
understand
the Daishonin's Buddhism as long as one really only
maintains
faith for oneself alone. We must reflect on ourselves to see
f
we are merely repeating the theories of Buddhism, to see if we are
lacking
in the real feeling to propagate true Buddhism so as to enable
people
in other religions take faith in the True Law. In
order to truly
awaken to Buddhism and attain Buddhahood one must trust, respect,
and follow the High Priest, who has inherited the Heritage, propagate
Buddhism under one's direct teacher (chief priest, etc.) and
encounter
various troubles and difficulties.
Sho-i
sha ga. Butsu zo shingon. Hyaku‑sen‑man‑noku. Mushu
shobutsu.
jin
gyo, shobutsu. Muryo doho. Yumyo shojin. Myosho fu mon.
Joju
jinjin Mizo‑u ho. Zuigisho setsu. Ishu nange.
Translation:
Why
is this? A Buddha has personally attended a hundred, a thousand,
ten
thousand, a million, a countless number of Buddhas and has fully
carried
out an immeasurable number of religious practices. He has
exerted
himself bravely and vigorously, and his name is universally
known.
He has realized the Law that is profound and never known
before,
and preaches it in accordance with what is appropriate, yet his
intention
is difficult to understand. (Watson, The Lotus Sutra, p. 23-4)
Explanation:
"Why
is the wisdom of the Buddha so profound? In the past, the Buddha
intimately
approached innumerable Buddhas - a hundred, thousand, ten
thousand,
million and thoroughly carried out Buddhist practices such as
the
practices of wisdom and endurance, and devoted himself
courageously
and energetically to each of these paths. As a result, his
name
became admired not only in this impure saha world, but also in all worlds
throughout the ten directions."
To
"fully carry out" means to endeavor by putting one's whole heart and
soul
into something and to do one's best. It is very important that we
endeavor
this way in our practice of Buddhism, until it penetrates into
our
faith.
This
portion of the Hoben Chapter contains the phrase "yumyo shojin
which
is translated here, "exert oneself bravely and vigorously."
Nichikan
Shonin explains the meaning of this phrase in his work
"Interpretation
Based on the Law,"' saying that yu (courage) means to
boldly
carry out, myo (valiant) means to exhaust all one's wisdom, sho
pure
energy) means to exert oneself with a pure, unadulterated heart,
and
jin (progress) means to move forward continuously without break.
Yumyo
is to endeavor bravely in faith, and shojin is to embrace the
Gohonzon
wholeheartedly and chant Daimoku without mixing in
anything
else. The Buddha teaches the Law to save infinite varieties of
iving
beings in accordance with the people and the time, using the
Supreme
Law never before known. This Supreme Law cannot be
understood
at all even by shravakas, pratyehabuddbas, or bodhisattvas.
This
mind of the Buddha can never be fathomed by common mortals.
Sharihotsu.
Go ju jobutsu irai. shuju innen. Shuju hiyu jj_
Ko
en gonkyo. Mushu hoben. Indo shujo Ryo ri shojaku
Translation:
Shariputra,
since I attained Buddhahood, through using various causes and
relations and various ,similes I have widely set forth the spoken
teachings,
and have led the people using innumerable expedient
means
to enable them to separate from their attachments.
Explanation:
"Shariputra,
in the forty some years since I attained Buddhahood, I have
taught
the various causes and relations that span the three existences
of
past, present and future of various people. Or, I have lead people by
teaching
them using various similes. And I have exerted myself to make
them
uphold Buddhism by separating them from their mind to neglect
Buddhist
practice. They neglect Buddhist practice because they are so
attached
to trivial things that it is as if they live in a dream."
When
people cannot attain Buddhahood even though they embrace the
True
Law it is because they are attached to trivial things. Thus it is
important
to remove those attachments. Buddhism
enables us to get
rid
of foolish, mistaken attachments by correctly penetrating through
to
the ultimate truth of all phenomena. Buddhism teaches and leads us
along
the practice of Buddhism one step at time in order for us to have
the
same mind as the Buddha.
Shoi
shaga. Nyorai hoben. Chiken haramitsu Kai i gusoku.
Translation:
Why
is this? Because the Tathagata is fully possessed of expedient
means
and the paramita of knowledge and insight.
Explanation:
The
Buddha possesses each and every kind of expedient means and
theparamita of knowledge and insight.
"chiken"
is the Buddhist term that
has been translated "knowledge and insight." The chi of chiken
means
to realize with the mind, while the
"ken" means to see with the
eye
of the five sense organs. That is,
chiken means
the power to see
through
to the truth with wisdom. The word
paramita means to cross
over
to the opposite shore, that is, to receive or be made to receive
enlightenment.
In
the first part of the "Annotations on the Lotus Sutra" the Daishonin
teaches:
Therefore,
chiken
(knowledge and insight) is the Mystic
Law. It is to
open
the mind of the Buddha, which possesses the nine worlds, through
the
chiken (knowledge and insight) of the Lotus
Sutra.
(Shinpen,
P.1728)
Ultimately,
"chiken"
means that the world of Buddhahood also
exists
within the common mortal. It means to see through to the truth
that
one can attain Buddhahood. The Buddha correctly discerns not
only
all truths but also that all living beings possess Buddhahood, and
possesses
the power to make all attain Buddhahood.
Sho-i
shoho. Nyoze so. Nyoze sho. Nyoze tai.
Nyoze
riki. Nyoze sa. Nyoze in. Nyoze en. Nyoze ka.
Nyoze
ho. Nyoze honmak-kukyo to.
Translation:
That
is to say, all phenomena [have) the suchness of their appearance,
the
suchness of their nature, the suchness of their entity, the suchness
of
their power, the suchness of their influence, the suchness of their
cause,
the suchness of their relation, the suchness of their effect, the
suchness
of their retribution, the suchness of absolute identity of
beginning
and end.
Explanation:
The
ultimate truth of the universe is such that when all things are viewed
in
terms of
cause
and effect,
they possess ten "suchnesses"
the
ten aspects of appearance, nature, entity, power, influence, cause,
relation,
effect, retribution, and absolute identity of beginning and end.
(These
"ten suchnesses" have also been called the "ten factors of
life.")
The
"beginning" (appearance, nature, and entity) and the end"
(effect
and retribution) are always equal.
These
ten factors are all possessed by each of the ten worlds,
making
one hundred factors. Since the ten worlds are all each endowed
with
the ten worlds, this makes one thousand factors. And since these
possess
the three realms of existence (the realms of living beings,
land,
and five components), this makes three thousand factors. Moreover,
the
aspects of all three thousand (sanzen) are within our "one
mind"
(ichinen).
"Absolute
identity of beginning and end" means that the beginning and
end
are, in the last analysis, equal. The first of the ten factors
(appearance)
may be regarded as "beginning" and the last (retribution)
as
"end"; or, appearance, nature, and entity maybe regarded as
beginning"
and the last seven of the ten factors as "end"; or, the
first
three factors may be regarded as the Tathagata of original
enlightenment
and the last seven factors as the living beings of the
nine
worlds - in any case, the beginning and end are always absolutely
identical,
or equal.
About
the "Ten Factors of Life"
"Appearance"
is outward appearance. "Nature" is natural disposition
that
exists within; characteristics that are not easily changed, such as
water
being cool and fire being hot. "The Threefold Secret Teaching
by
Nichikan Shonin teaches:
"Nature"
is that which is fixed in the inner heart and will not change
in
future existences.
"Entity" is the physical constitution that makes
up
the body, the substance of things. In the "Profound Meaning of theLotus
Sutra"' there is a passage that states, "The principle quality is
termed the 'entity'."
Power"
is the functioning brought about by the uniting of body and
mind.
"Influence"
is action that the immanent power does in
relation
to the outside.
"Cause"
is a condition that produces an effect.
For
example, a cause would be setting firewood on fire. The effect
would
be the end result, when the firewood has completely burned up
and
turned to ashes. But the firewood will burn more easily if favorable
conditions
(such as putting on oil and dryness) are added, while the
fire
will go out midway if bad conditions (such as becoming wet) are
added.
Conditions that are added midway are
"relation."
They alter
the
ultimate effect. "Effect" is the end result that is brought about by
"relation"
added to "cause."
"Retribution"
is the reward or
punishment
received owing to the effect. For example, causing an
accident
is a cause, while becoming physically handicapped as a result
is
an effect. And suffering for a long time because of that is retribution.
The "absolute identity of beginning and end"
means that with the first
Of
these, "appearance,"
there is beginning and with the last of
these, "retribution," there is end; if the beginning is bad, this
will
give
rise to a bad effect. A bad effect will in turn become a bad cause.
And
since this bad cause will also give rise to a bad effect, it is said
that
the beginning and end are ultimately identical.
The
Great Teacher Miao-lo stated, "With the ultimate truth there is
sure
to
be all phenomena; with all phenomena, there is sure to be the ten
factors;
with the ten factors, there is sure to be the ten worlds; with
the
ten worlds, there is sure to be the body and land.
These
are called the
"four certainties." The ultimate truth is the
true
aspect in all -nature in the universe. If all
things in nature are
viewed in terms of cause and effect, they will definitely possess the
ten aspects.
If viewed from another angle, they will be portioned into
ten
worlds, from hell at the bottom to Buddhahood at the top. Moreover,
if
the ten worlds exist, so will the place where they exist, the realm of the
land.
All of these things are ultimately identical.
It
is not only that the ten worlds all mutually possess each other. The
land
also possesses the ten worlds and the ten factors. The ten factors
possess
the ten worlds, the land, and the three realms of existence.
The
mutual possession of the ten worlds makes one hundred worlds;
that
they possess the ten factors makes one thousand factors, and that
they
possess the three realms of existence (living beings, land, and
five
components) results in the quantity of three thousand realms
(sanzen)
in one mind (ichinen). (This has
also been termed "three
thousand
realms in a single moment of life.") This is the makeup of
ichinen
sanzen. Strictly speaking, "three thousand" means infinite,ince
it designates all phenomena.
The
ultimate truth is in itself all phenomena; this expands outward to
three
thousand realms, becoming Ichinen
sanzen
"three
thousand [realms] in one mind." The one ultimate
truth,
which is the source, is in itself "three
thousand realms
in
a single moment of life" (ichinen sanzen). Hence the source
passage
for the theory of ichinen sanzen is this passage in the Hoben
Chapter
about the ten factors, which contains the meaning that
everything
is within a single moment of life. The deep significance of
ichinen
sanzen is
particularly indicated in the final words of this
passage,
"ultimately identical."