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THE DHARMA FLOWER SUTRA (Lotus Sutra) SEEN THROUGH THE ORAL TRANSMISSION OF NICHIREN DAISHŌNIN
The Third Chapter on
The first important point, concerning the Chapter on Similes and Parables. It says in the Textual Explanation of the Dharma Flower Sutra (Hokke Mongu) that a simile is a concept that involves the comparison of one thing with another as an illustration and that a parable has the implication of instruction and getting people to understand. In the sense that since the universal compassion of the Tathāgata is unremitting and perpetual and his dexterous and discerning wisdom is without bounds, so that when the trees rustle and move in different directions, this is used as an instance to teach people about the wind, as is holding up a folding fan in order to make people aware of the moon. The Oral Transmission on the Meaning of the Dharma Flower Sutra (Ongi Kuden) says that the universal compassion of the Tathāgata is like the loving-kindness and aid that a mother bestows on her child. Nowadays this universal compassion is the role of Nichiren. Shōan, in his Annotations on the Sutra on the Buddha’s Extinction into Nirvana, stated, “Somebody who rids people of evil is acting as their parent.” The dexterous and discerning wisdom of the Tathāgata is Nam Myōhō Renge Kyō, which is the establishment of our lives on and devoting them to the time and place of the interdependence of cause, concomitancy and effect that constitutes the totality of existence. Since the teachings and the texts that are recited by all other schools are devoid of the entirety of existence, their doctrines cannot lead to the attainment of the path of Buddhahood. Also, the expression “the dexterous and discerning wisdom of the Tathāgata” indicates his skilfulness in the practice of difficult questions and answers. After all, when Shākyamuni was in the world, he recounted these various similes and parables for the benefit of the people with average and lesser propensities. Also, you should know that these similes and parables were for the time for when Shākyamuni had passed over to the extinction of nirvana (metsugo) and that his Dharma had come to its end (mappō). The rustling and movement of the trees represent our troublesome worries (bonnō, klesha) and the blowing of the wind is the teaching that our troublesome worries (bonnō, klesha), are not separate from enlightenment, since these psychological dimensions are situated in our heads. The folding fan that is held up in the air symbolises the obtrusive processes of living and dying. The moon is a representation of nirvana, which is said to be indestructible, unmanifested, and non-substantial, as well as being the state of enlightenment attained by Shākyamuni. Nowadays when Nichiren and those that follow him reverently recite Nam Myōhō Renge Kyō, they are getting into the cart of the great white bullock [mentioned later in this chapter] and arrive directly at the place of the attainment of the path of enlightenment. In the Annotations on the Textual Explanation of the Dharma Flower Sutra, it says, “The trees, the folding fan, and the moon are simply visualisations of the universal truths of the all-inclusive doctrine.” The same commentary states, “How could it be that the explanations of the real aspect of all dharmas could be concealed for a time and then for a time be revealed all over again? It is rather like the long blowing wind that never really dies down, or the moon that is in the sky forever.” You should take these explanations into consideration. “Concealment” refers to death, and “revealing” represents life. The long blowing wind stands for our breathing, and the round full moon in the sky depicts the immaculate quality of the immeasurability of mind itself and our individual minds as well. Living and dying, according to the Dharma Flower Sutra (Hokke-kyō), means that both these facts of existence perpetuate throughout the past, present, and future. These two facts are not things that are concealed at one time and then appear at another. The long blowing wind is our breath, and, when it comes out to form speech as language, it then is the Nam Myōhō Renge Kyō, as the basic manifestation of our sentient existence. The oneness of mind is the Dharma realm or the realms of dharmas. It is also the realisation that the full moon of our enlightenment is always present. This is what the Annotations on the Textual Explanation of the Dharma Flower Sutra means, when it says, “These are simply visualisations of universal truths of the all-inclusive doctrine.” All-inclusive refers to the Dharma realm or the realms of dharmas, and its teaching is the three thousand existential spaces that are spread out like gauze throughout the whole of existence. The universal truth is the single intrinsic quality of the real aspect of all dharmas.
There and then, the mind of Sharihotsu (Shariputra) was filled with joy and enthusiasm. He immediately stood up and put the palms of his hands together. Then he looked up with reverence at the face of the World Honoured One and said to the Buddha: On hearing just now the utterance of the Dharma which was spoken by the Tathāgata, my mind bubbled over with happiness, on hearing that I had attained that which I never had before.
The fifth volume of the Textual Explanation of the Dharma Flower Sutra (Hokke Mongu) says that this excerpt from the sutra describes the outward impact of the emotions of Sharihotsu (Shariputra), on hearing what the Buddha had predicted. “He immediately stood up and put the palms of his hands together” implies that Sharihotsu (Shariputra) had taken in what the Buddha had said, and this is how his whole body reacted. In the past, there had been, in the mind of Sharihotsu (Shariputra), the two dimensions of 1) the provisional teachings that were for the time being, until the Buddha expounded the Dharma Flower Sutra (Hokke-kyō), and 2) those that expressed the truth of what existence is all about, which is the Dharma Flower Sutra (Hokke-kyō). These two separate dimensions were like the two palms of his hands not being pressed together. Now, however, he realised that these provisional doctrines were not separate from the truth. The phrase, “Then he looked up with reverence at the Buddha”, involves the concept of opening up our inherent Buddha nature and that the teachings that expressed the truth simply on their own did not include the effect that is the realisation of the path of Buddhahood. But now, on understanding that the provisional doctrines are not separate from those that embody the truth, the two doctrines together become the all-embracing and all-inclusive cause for the realisation of the path of enlightenment. On account of the interdependence of cause, concomitancy and effect, this cause must include its resulting attainment. This is the reason why Sharihotsu (Shariputra) put the palms of his hands together and looked up with reverence at the face of the World Honoured One. The Oral Transmission on the Meaning of the Dharma Flower Sutra (Ongi Kuden) says, “The gesture of putting the palms of our hands together in obeisance” is an alternative name for the Dharma Flower Sutra (Hokke-kyō), and looking up with reverence at the face of the Buddha [i.e., the Fundamental Object of Veneration (gohonzon)] is said to be that we reverently come face to face with the Sutra on the White Lotus Flower of the Utterness of the Dharma (Myōhō Renge Kyō) as the mandala of the workings of the whole of existence and that can lead us to the opening up of our inherent Buddha nature with our persons just as they are. Putting the palms of the hands together in obeisance is a physical gesture and therefore a dharma of materiality. Looking up with reverence at the face of the World Honoured One represents a mental attitude and is a dharma that pertains to the mind. This explains why our minds are filled with enthusiastic happiness, when we fully understand that both mind and matter are the basic components of the whole of existence. This means that the totality of the extent of the mind is the Utterness of the Dharma (Myōhō, Saddharma), seen as an integrated whole. Putting the palms of our hands together in obeisance has two further implications. Here the words “putting together” have the undertone of each of the ten [psychological] realms of dharmas containing the other nine. This amounts to what the one instant of thought containing three thousand existential spaces entails which is Utterness, whereas the palms of our hands allude to existence, in the sense of it being an infinity of all kinds of phenomena and experience, which is understood as the Dharma. Again, because of what is implied by these previous statements, “putting together” also points to the entire text of the Sutra on the White Lotus Flower of the Utterness of the Dharma (Myōhō Renge Kyō), whereas the palms of our hands are the twenty-eight chapters that make up the whole sutra. It is said that “putting together” is the Dharma realm of the Buddha (bukkai), and the palms of our hands represent the remaining nine realms of dharmas (kukai). [These nine realms of dharmas are 1) hell or suffering (jigokukai), 2) hungry ghosts or craving (gakikai), 3) animality (chikushōkai), 4) the angry power complexes of the shura (shurakai), 5) the normal equanimity of humankind (jinkai), 6) the impermanent joy of the deva (tenkai), 7) intellectual seekers (shōmon, shrāvakakai), 8) people who, due to a profound search for the meaning of existence, have attained partial enlightenment (engakukai, pratyekabuddha), 9) people who not only seek enlightenment for themselves, but for others as well (bosatsukai).] These nine realms of dharmas imply the provisional teachings that came before the Dharma Flower Sutra (Hokke-kyō). But the Dharma realm of the Buddha (bukkai) involves the teaching that explains reality for what it truly is. The Universal Teacher Myōraku (Miao-lo), in the fourth volume of his Explanatory Notes on the Recondite Significance of the Dharma Flower Sutra (Hokke Gengi Shakusen), specifies, “The provisional teachings are applicable to the people who inhabit the nine realms of dharmas, but the teaching that explains reality for what it truly is belongs to the enlightenment of the Dharma realm of the Buddha.” All the ten [psychological] realms of dharmas are contained within the concept of putting the palms of our hands together in reverence. Also, of all the Dharmas of the entangled network of the forest of the three thousand existential spaces that is the makeup of all our lives, there is not a single one that is not a part of this concept of putting the palms of our hands together in obeisance. Generally speaking, the three kinds of Dharma Flower [for which the lotus flower is used as an analogy] are used to represent the evolution of Shākyamuni’s discourse, with regard to the interdependence of cause, concomitancy and effect. [These are 1) the hidden and esoteric Dharma Flower, which was hardly referred to in the sutras that were expounded prior to the Dharma Flower Sutra (Hokke-kyō) – which teachings included the three vehicles to enlightenment of i. the intellectual seekers (shōmon, shrāvaka), ii. the people who are partially enlightened due to a profound search for the meaning of existence (engaku, hyakushibutsu, pratyekabuddha), and iii. the bodhisattvas who seek not only enlightenment for themselves but also for others (bosatsu) – 2) the fundamental Dharma Flower, which implies that all the Buddha teachings throughout Shākyamuni’s lifetime are the Dharma Flower Sutra (Hokke-kyō), and 3) the Dharma Flower that was openly explained for what it is, which was the Buddha’s real intention, and which, at the same time, united the other three vehicles to enlightenment into the single Buddha vehicle.] These three kinds of Dharma Flower are all included in the concept of putting the palms of our hands together in reverence. The Sutra on the White Lotus Flower-like Mechanism of the Utterness of the Dharma (Myōhō Renge Kyō) we are talking about now is the Dharma Flower Sutra (Hokke-kyō), before it was divided into the three scholarly categories mentioned above. This means that it is the time and place of the interdependence of cause, concomitancy and effect that is the entirety of existence. Notwithstanding that the Dharma Flower Sutra (Hokke-kyō) that was openly explained for what it is embodies its correct meaning, apart from the Dharma Flower, there is not even a single line in any other sutra that refers to the single Buddha vehicle. And, since it integrates the three vehicles to enlightenment into the single vehicle which the Buddha himself practised, the Universal Teacher Dengyō (Dengyō Daishi) specified that the expression “into the single Buddha vehicle” is what the Dharma Flower Sutra (Hokke-kyō) essentially entails. To look up with reverence at the Buddha is to pay homage to this sutra, in which each and every word is the golden body of the Buddha. This means that everything the Buddhas say is the absolute truth. The two ideograms for putting the palms of our hands together in obeisance are the entirety of the realms of dharmas. The actual substance of all the realms of hell, suffering, and the realms of the craving hungry ghosts – as well as the totality of all the dharmas of the three thousand existential spaces, just as they are at any given moment – are all included in this gesture of putting the palms of our hands together in obeisance and looking up with reverence at the Buddha. Whatever way we look at it, all the realms of dharmas are Sharihotsu (Shariputra), in the sense that, when he put the palms of his hands together and looked up with reverence at the face of the World Honoured One, this particular bearing – just as with each and every posture, pose, or way of holding ourselves – cannot be separate from the entirety of existence. Hence, Sharihotsu (Shariputra) is the Dharma Flower Sutra (Hokke-kyō), which is the time and place of the interdependence of cause, concomitancy and effect that is the entirety of existence. The name Sharihotsu (Shariputra) is the three ideograms [each ideogram is a syllable sha-ri-hotsu] transliteration for the Sanskrit name Shariputra. The first ideogram “Sha” in Sharihotsu’s name has the implication of “letting go”, “to relinquish”, “to omit”, or “yield”. [Here Nichiren states that this first ideogram “Sha” implies the relativity (kū, shūnyatā). The second ideogram “ri”, in a number of dictionaries, has the undertone of profitability and gainfulness, etc., which Nichiren says stands for the materiality and the ever-changing impermanent, phenomenal aspect of our lives (ke). The third ideogram “hotsu” is a negative in Classical Chinese which, I suppose, has the significance of neither being the relativity of the void nor the purely phenomenal ingredients in our lives, but the combination of both mind and materiality – which is the middle way (chūdo) of reality, and which is none other than the Utterness of the Dharma (Myōhō, Saddharma).] Sharihotsu (Shariputra) is a Sanskrit name, which literally translated would mean “Bodily Offspring”. The name Bodily Offspring involves both the physical and mental aspects of the ten [psychological] realms of dharmas, (Jikkai). The “Bodily” part of Sharihotsu’s name is the physical dimension of these ten [psychological] realms of dharmas. “Offspring” refers to the psychological aspect of these ten [psychological] realms of dharmas which the physical component has to undergo. Now, Nichiren and those that follow him who reverently recite Nam Myōhō Renge Kyō are all Sharihotsu (Shariputra). Sharihotsu (Shariputra) is not separate from (soku) the Tathāgata Shākyamuni. [The title Tathāgata means someone who has arrived from and gone to the ultimate reality, which is the interdependence of cause, concomitancy and effect that involves the whole of existence. The whole of existence is the one instant of thought containing three thousand existential spaces. The Tathāgata Shākyamuni is not separate from the Dharma Flower Sutra (Hokke-kyō) and all that the Fundamental Object of Veneration (gohonzon) entails. The Dharma Flower is not separate from the physical and mental aspects of who we are.] Accordingly, when Sharihotsu (Shariputra), at the time of this chapter, heard this utterance of the Dharma and had taken it in, the word “hear” in this context means “to hear the name and words of Nam Myōhō Renge Kyō”. This is the stage in our practice when we realise that all sentient beings are Buddhas in essence and that all dharmas are the Dharma itself. Consequently, to hear the name and words of Nam Myōhō Renge Kyō is not separate from (soku) putting the Dharma into words, and at the same time, it is the verbalisation of all dharmas; all dharmas are not separate from the Utterness of the Dharma (Myōhō, Saddharma). This is what the Annotations on the Textual Explanation of the Dharma Flower Sutra means, when it says, “The long blowing wind is the sound and utterence of the realms of dharmas or the Dharma realm [i.e., Nam Myōhō Renge Kyō].” The ‘sound and utterance’, which is mentioned in the Fourth Chapter on Faith Leading to Understanding of the Dharma Flower Sutra (Hokke-kyō), is that the word ‘everybody’ indicates all the sentient beings of the ten [psychological] realms of dharmas, and the ‘sound and utterance’ is Nam Myōhō Renge Kyō.”
Why is this so?
In the fifth volume of the Textual Explanation of the Dharma Flower Sutra (Hokke Mongu), it says, “‘From the Buddha’ implies that the whole physical person of Sharihotsu (Shariputra) was filled with happiness. ‘Having a Dharma that has never been heard before’ means the joy of hearing the words from the Buddha’s mouth, regarding Sharihotsu’s (Shariputra) intrinsic attainment of Buddhahood. ‘This Dharma has cut off all my doubts and regrets’ refers to the blissful state of mind of Sharihotsu (Shariputra).” The Oral Transmission on the Meaning of the Dharma Flower Sutra (Ongi Kuden) states that the phrase “so that both my body and mind have become calm and composed” underlines the psychological equations that our troublesome worries (bonnō, klesha) are not separate from our fundamental enlightenment and that the cycles of living and dying are not separate from nirvana. Here nirvana (nehan) is to be understood as the embodiment of the Dharma or the entirety of existence. Both of these equations are the Utterness of the Dharma (Myōhō, Saddharma). The word “body” means that birth and death, rebirth and re-death, living and dying, are not something apart from nirvana. The word “mind” takes on the significance that all the psychological gibberish that rotates inside our heads is in no way separate from our intrinsic enlightenment that is the essence of life, and which is eternal. The expression “from the Buddha”, which is in the sutric text above, concerns all those who follow the teaching of Nichiren, and the joy on hearing the words from the Buddha’s mouth is the celebration and recitation of Nam Myōhō Renge Kyō, which is our devotion to and the establishment of our lives on the interdependence of cause, concomitancy and effect that takes place throughout the entirety of existence. In other words, we devote our lives to and establish them on life itself. The blissful state of mind comes about when there is no misunderstanding about our perceptions of life, nor are we unclear about the true nature of our existence. If we come to think about this matter, then this text is referring to the three viewpoints that are contained in the single instant of mental activity (isshin sangan) – 1) kū (shūnyatā) consists of the relativities of whatever is occurring at any moment in our minds, even though the objectivity of our thoughts may only be dreams or fantasies; 2) ke, is the objective reality we are experiencing, whether it be visual, audible or even just a physical feeling, or a smell, and 3) chū, in any experience, must be the blending of kū and ke, which is the middle way of reality (chūdō jissō), as well as the one instant of thought that contains three thousand existential spaces. This means that the whole of the contents of our minds is included in every instant of our lives. Also, becoming aware of our inherent Buddha nature is not something separate from our respective personalities. In the teachings that were various expedient means and those that were simply a provisional doctrine, there is neither a mental calmness, nor composure, nor even an inner peace, nor serenity. This is why the Sutra on Implications Without Bounds (Muryōgi-kyō) calls our attention to “the practise that has pathways with frequent setbacks and difficulties”.
. . . . I have indeed become a believer
The Oral Transmission on the Meaning of the Dharma Flower Sutra (Ongi Kuden) says that a complete commitment to the entire teaching of the Tathāgata is the stage of bodhisattva practice in the teachings of Shākyamuni that was entered into, after the stage of belief had been passed. This was called the first stage of unshakable faith (shojū). The distinction between the first stage of unshakable faith, in the bodhisattva practice, at the time of the teachings that were derived from the external events of the Buddha Shākyamuni’s life and work (shakumon) and the second stage of unshakable faith in the teachings that belong to the original state (homon), depends on the meaning of the concept of “complete commitment” (bun). What the concept of complete commitment insinuates is the complete understanding of the gateway to the Dharma through the one instant of thought containing three thousand existential spaces. Therefore, those people who are suffering bear witness to the fruition of their Buddhahood, on account of their total commitment to the Buddha Dharma, as sentient beings who are suffering. It also follows that, due to the total commitment to the Buddha teaching of all the sentient beings within the realities (tōtai) of each and every dharma realm of the three thousand existential spaces, i.e., the whole of existence, all can validate the Buddha fruition from their own practice. The reality of this is that it is possible for all of us to open up our inherent Buddha nature, with our respective personalities just as they are. Now, when those who follow Nichiren have complete commitment to reciting Nam Myōhō Renge Kyō, these people are able to substantiate the reality of their Buddha natures. A complete commitment to the provisional teachings (gonkyō) that came before the Dharma Flower Sutra (Hokke-kyō) points to the impossibility of realising the path of enlightenment, whereas you should know that only through the Dharma Flower Sutra (Hokke-kyō) with its title and theme (daimoku), as well as the Fundamental Object of Veneration (gohonzon), is such an attainment possible. Again, The Oral Transmission on the Meaning of the Dharma Flower Sutra (Ongi Kuden) states that the concept of complete commitment entails the Nam Myōhō Renge Kyō [which is our devotion to and the establishment of our lives on the interdependence of cause, concomitancy and effect that is situated throughout the whole of existence], that lies within the text of the Chapter on the Lifespan of the Tathāgata, that belongs to the gateway to the Dharma, that belongs to the original state (honmon). It also implies the complete commitment to the inherent Buddha nature of each and every sentient being. Broadly speaking, to say that the enlightenment that was attained by Sharihotsu (Shariputra), according to this sutra, was the first stage of unshakable faith in the bodhisattva practice, of the time when Shākyamuni’s teachings were derived from his life and work (shakumon), is a problem only for those who quibble over the meanings of the various schools of Buddha teachings, which is a matter of debate for scholars. But, to be exact, it is the point where one fully realises that the first stage of unshakable faith is the uttermost peak of the whole of the Dharma Flower Sutra (Hokke-kyō).
There and then, Sharihotsu (Shariputra), wishing to express once again the significance of what he had said, reiterated it in the form of a metric hymn. When I heard the utterance of the Dharma, Thereupon, the Buddha told Sharihotsu (Shariputra): I am now teaching in the midst of an assembly of deva (ten), humankind, and ascetics who have left their families and abandoned the passions, along with brahmins. Already long ago in the past, in the presence of twenty thousand myriads of Buddhas and for the sake of the unsurpassed path, I have always been transforming your life through my instruction. You too, through the long night of many centuries, have studied according to what I have taught you. Because I taught you through the medium of expedient means, I have led you into the Buddha truth, so that you are now living within the Dharma of the enlightened. Sharihotsu (Shariputra), a long time ago I made you aspire to the path of Buddhahood. Now, this is something you have completely forgotten. But there was a time when you were under the impression of already having passed beyond the cycle of deaths and reincarnations, into the mental state of the extinction of everything in nirvana. I once again would like to make you remember and bear in mind the path that you practised, when you made your original bodhisattva vows to attain enlightenment. When I was expounding for the benefit of all the people who were exerting themselves to attain the highest stage of the teachings of the individual vehicle (shōjō, hīnayāna) through listening to what I had to say (shōmon, shrāvaka), I preached the Sutra of the Universal Vehicle (daijō, mahāyāna), which was entitled the Sutra on the White Lotus Flower-like Mechanism of the Utterness of the Dharma (Myōhō Renge Kyō), the Dharma for the instruction of bodhisattvas which is borne in mind by the Buddhas. Sharihotsu (Shariputra), in ages yet to come, after having passed an unthinkably incalculable and boundless number of kalpas and having venerated several thousands of myriads of Buddhas, as well as holding to the correct Dharma which is fulfilled by all bodhisattvas, you will attain the fruition of Buddhahood. You will be called the Tathāgata Lotus Flower-like Resplendency (Kekō Nyorai). This title implies that Sharihotsu (Shariputra) will become as one with the suchness of what existence really is, and he will have all the ten titles of a Buddha, which are Tathāgata, Worthy of Offerings, Endowed with correct and universal wisdom, One who sees the truth and acts accordingly, One who has gone to the dimension of enlightenment, One who understands the world, unsurpassed by any deva (ten) and humankind, One who is in control, The teacher of the deva (ten) and humankind, The Enlightened One (Buddha, butsu), and the World Honoured One. The realm upon which you will rely for an existence will be called “Free from Uncleanliness” (Riku). Its ground will be a smooth surface, immaculately pure, and embellished with dignity, peaceful and quiet, as well as being productive and enjoyable, where humankind and deva (ten) will prosper and be fulfilled. The land will be of lapis lazuli, and it will be cut across with a convergence of eight roads, which will be bordered with golden cords. Along the sides of these roads, there will be rows of trees of each of the seven precious materials [1) gold, 2) silver, 3) lapis lazuli, 4) coral, 5) amber, 6) agate, 7) cornelian], which will blossom and bear fruit the whole time. The Tathāgata Lotus Flower-like Resplendency (Kekō Nyori) will also teach and change the lives of those who are listening by means of the three vehicles to enlightenment. [These are 1) those who are intellectual seekers (shōmon, shrāvaka), 2) people who are partially enlightened, due to a profound search for the meaning of existence (engaku, hyakushibutsu, pratyekabuddha), and 3) those who seek enlightenment not only for themselves but for others as well (bosatsu).] Sharihotsu (Shariputra), when this Buddha will makes his appearance in the world, it will not be an age that is full of wrongdoing, but nevertheless he will expound the Dharma by means of the three vehicles to enlightenment. The reason for this is his original vow to save all sentient beings that was made in a previous life. The kalpa in which he appears will have the name Majestically Dignified and all-embracing Treasures. For what reason will it have the name Majestically Dignified and all-embracing Treasures? It is because, in this Buddha realm, bodhisattvas will be seen as all-embracing treasures. The bodhisattvas will be of an unalterably unthinkable and incalculable and boundless number, for which there is no numerical comparison, and it cannot be put into figures, in the same way as no one is able to know the extent of the wisdom of the Buddha. Whenever these bodhisattvas wish to go elsewhere, flowers that are jewels spring up in the wake of their footprints. Also, these bodhisattvas are never the first to show intentionality, since they have all long ago planted the roots of goodness and merit, which they practised, in the presence of boundless thousands of myriads of Buddhas, as the pure austerities of the Brahmins. These bodhisattvas were continually praised by the Buddhas. Also, they were constantly in search of the Buddha wisdom. They were in possession of the all-embracing reaches of the mind and were thoroughly versed in all the gateways to the Dharma. At the same time, they were honest, straight, and without any dissemblance. They also had an unshakable resolve, throughout the whole of the realm of the Tathāgata Lotus Flower-like Resplendency (Kekō Nyori). Sharihotsu (Shariputra), the length of the age of this Buddha will be twelve minor kalpas. If we were to subtract the time while he is still a prince before he attains the fruition of Buddhahood, then the people of his realm will have a lifespan of eight minor kalpas. After a lapse of twelve minor kalpas, the Tathāgata Lotus Flower-like Resplendency (Kekō Nyori) will confer upon the Bodhisattva Kenman (Utterly Firm) the prophetic revelation of when he will accomplish the unexcelled, correct, and total enlightenment (anokutara sanmyaku sanbodai). Thereupon this Buddha will announce to all the monks that the Bodhisattva Utterly Firm (Kenman) will in the future attain the fruition of Buddhahood and that his name will be the Tathāgata Tranquil Motion with Flowered Footsteps (Kesoku Angyō) with the titles of One who has Realised Supreme Reward and One who has Attained the Correct and Total Enlightenment. The realm of this Buddha will be the same as what has been described above. Sharihotsu (Shariputra), after this Buddha passes over to the extinction of nirvana, his Dharma, in its correct and purest form (shōhō), will remain for thirty-two minor kalpas, and the period in which his Dharma becomes a ritual formality (zōbō) will last again for another thirty-two minor kalpas. Then the Buddha wishing to reiterate this concept, expressed it in the form of a metric hymn. In ages to come, There and then, the four congregations of monks, nuns, and both male and female devotees, as well as the deva (ten), dragons (ryū, nāga), yasha (yaksha) [that are earth demons and guardian spirits of the Buddha teaching], kendabba (gandharva) [that were the musicians of the paradise of Indra], shura (ashura) [who are like the titans in Greek mythology], karura (garuda) [that were mythical birds who also protect the Dharma], kinnara (kimnara) [that were celestial musicians and described as exotic birds with human torsos], and magoraga (mahorāga) [that are described as serpents that slither on their chests], as well as others who made up the whole assembly, on seeing Sharihotsu (Shariputra) in front of the Buddha receive the prediction that he would attain the unexcelled, correct, and universal enlightenment (anokutara sanmyaku sanbodai, anuttara-samyak-sambodhi), their minds were filled with an all-embracing, boundless joy, which made their hearts beat faster. Each one of them made an offering to the Tathāgata. Taishaku the powerful lord of the deva (ten) and Bonten (Brahmā) their sovereign, along with innumerable deva princes, all made offerings to the Buddha, of their sublime apparel, red heavenly flowers, as well as the larger variant of this efflorescence. The apparel that they had disseminated stayed up in space, rotating in circles all on their own.
In the fifth volume of Notes on the Textual Explanation of the Dharma Flower Sutra, it says that it is just as the Treatise on the all-embracing Wisdom that Ferries Sentient Beings over the Seas of Mortality to the Shore of Nirvana (Daichido ron) by Nagārjuna states, when the Dharma Flower Sutra (Hokke-kyō) says, “rotating in circles all on their own”. This was when Sharihotsu (Shariputra), in the midst of the assembly, in the Buddha’s presence, received and heard the prediction that he would attain the unexcelled, correct, and universal enlightenment. The original state of existence, which is life itself, and also the Buddha nature of all the beings in the assembly rotated in circles, so as to spontaneously manifest how the causes and effects of their respective subjectivities and the environments of both themselves and others would all change. The Oral Transmission on the Meaning of the Dharma Flower Sutra (Ongi Kuden) says that this is the sutric proof that plants, trees, and all the inanimate objects in our environment can have their inherent Buddha nature made manifest, a concept that has its origins in this particular phrase that says “rotating in circles all on their own”. It discusses and concludes that the one instant of thought containing three thousand existential spaces that is the whole of our lives (ichinen sanzen) – which also includes the oneness of all that pertains to our individual consciousness or perception, imaginary or partial or distorted, as well as all that becomes the objectivity of that individual consciousness (eshō taiichi) – is all one, in the opening up of our inherent Buddha natures. This means that the people who can really bear witness to the fact that plants, trees and all the inanimate objects in the environment can have their Buddha nature made manifest are those that follow Nichiren, who do the recitation of Nam Myōhō Renge Kyō. “Rotating in circles all on their own” alludes to the rhythm of the reciting of the seven ideograms of us who do this practice. You should carefully ponder over these explanations in the fifth volume of Notes on the Textual Explanation of the Dharma Flower Sutra.
Just then, myriads of different kinds of celestial music resounded all together at the same time in empty space.
The Oral Transmission on the Meaning of the Dharma Flower Sutra (Ongi Kuden) says that the words “at the same time” refer to the final period of the Dharma of Shākyamuni, and “resounded all together” is the Nam Myōhō Renge Kyō which is to devote our lives to and found them on (Nam[u]) the Utterness of the Dharma (Myōhō) [entirety of existence, enlightenment and unenlightenment] permeated by the underlying white lotus flower-like mechanism of the interdependence of cause, concomitancy and effect (Renge) in its whereabouts of the ten [psychological] realms of dharmas [which is every possible psychological wavelength] (Kyō). “All together” has the implication that, in the end, they will all together fall into the way of the single vehicle to enlightenment. Now, Nichiren and those that follow him do the practise of reciting Nam Myōhō Renge Kyō, which they do not mix with any other religious belief. Again, The Oral Transmission on the Meaning of the Dharma Flower Sutra (Ongi Kuden) states that all the words of what people say whilst they are at any moment in any one of the ten [psychological] realms of dharmas (jikkai), either those of the various dimensions of suffering or those of relative happiness, all stem from what is happening in the time and locations of the interdependence of cause, concomitancy and effect that occur throughout the whole of existence. So how could they not have any effect, especially if people were to recite the theme and title (daimoku)?
While at the same time it rained the flowers of the empyrean, the deva princes said the following words: In the past in Benares (Varanasi), the Buddha set in motion the wheel of the Dharma and expounded the four noble truths. [These explain the causes of suffering and the way of deliverance from it – 1) all existence is suffering, 2) the cause of suffering is illusion and desire, 3) nirvana is the dimension free from suffering, and 4) the attainment of nirvana is possible through the practices of the Buddha teaching.] Now, once again, he sets the wheel of the Dharma in motion, by explaining the unsurpassed and utterly all-embracing Dharma. The deva princes, wishing to reiterate this concept, expressed it in the form of a metric hymn. Once upon a time in Benares (Varanasi), Then, Sharihotsu (Shariputra) said to the Buddha: World Honoured One, at present I have no more doubts or regrets. Here, in front of the Buddha’s eyes, I have received the prediction that I would attain the unexcelled, correct, and universal enlightenment. All these thousand two hundred persons whose minds are free, once, when they were only at the level of studying, the Buddha constantly urged, by saying: My Dharma can release you from being born, growing old, sickness, and death, on account of my Dharma having consummated the reality of the extinction of everything in nirvana. Out of those people who have been studying the Dharma in order to get rid of their delusions, as well as those whose fallaciousness is already cast off, each and every one of them thinks of the ego as being composed of the five aggregates that are transient and darken the awareness of our original enlightenment, which is life itself. [They are 1) bodily form, which is related to the five organs of sense; 2) reception, sensation, feeling, and the functioning of the mind or senses, in connection with affairs and things; 3) conception, thought, discerning, and the function of the mind in distinguishing one item or concept from another; 4) the functioning of the mind with regard to likes, dislikes, good and evil, etc.; 5) the faculty of mind that makes us think we are who we are on account of what we know.] These people accept these five aggregates as a permanent state of affairs from one life to the next. Again, they are deluded that they are detached from existence and nonexistence. Furthermore, they are under the impression that they have reached the stage of having extinguished all their delusions, along with their karma which is the cause of rebirth. Now, in the presence of the World Honoured One, they hear a Dharma that they have never heard before, so that all of them have fallen into the bewilderment of their uncertainties. Very well, World Honoured One, what I really would like is for you to explain this cause and its karmic relationships, for the benefit of the monks, nuns, and the laity of both sexes, in such a way that they will be freed from doubts and regrets. Thereupon the Buddha explained to Sharihotsu (Shariputra): Did I not say that all the World Honoured Ones of the past expounded the Dharma by using improvisations and all sorts of references to cause and karmic circumstances, as well as similes, parables, and different ways of expressing themselves? These Buddhas had the intention that all those who were listening should attain the unexcelled, correct, and universal enlightenment (anokutara sanmyaku sanbodai, anuttara-samyak-sambodhi). Everything that they expounded was for the sake of the bodhisattvas, who are not only destined for Buddhahood but are also seekers of enlightenment, not only for themselves but also for others. Sharihotsu (Shariputra), I will make the significance of this concept clearer by means of a parable, because it is through such similes and parables that people who are endowed with wisdom will be able to grasp the underlying meaning.
In the fifth volume of the Universal Desistance from Troublesome Worries in order to See Clearly (Maka Shikan), it says, “The meaning of wisdom is to be able to make the significance of the Dharma clear, by using parables and similes.” The Oral Transmission on the Meaning of the Dharma Flower Sutra (Ongi Kuden) states that this part of the text refers to how the mirror of the mind reflects images, which are the all-inclusive, unobstructed accommodation of 1) the superficial outward form of the reflected beings, plants, and objects (ke), 2) the relativity in the vastness of the mind that is associated with these reflected images (kū), and 3) the manifestation of the two combined that makes us comprehend existence, as it stands in front of us at any given moment. This is the reality of the middle way (chūdō jissō). Generally speaking and at a superficial level, this analogy of the reflections in the mirror refers to how one’s duplicate image appears automatically, whenever it comes within range. However, here the mirror is the oneness of mind. Broadly speaking, there are all sorts of folkloric sayings concerning mirrors. But the point is that they all have the particular and basic quality of being able to reflect anything and everything that comes within their scope. The five ideograms for Myōhō Renge Kyō, The Sutra on the White Lotus Flower-like Mechanism of the Utterness of the Dharma (Myōhō Renge Kyō) that is the location and time of the interdependence of cause, concomitancy and effect which takes place throughout the whole of existence, imply that all dharmas are contained in this concept and not a single dharma is left out. The Oral Transmission on the Meaning of the Dharma Flower Sutra (Ongi Kuden) also states that when we think of the idea of a single mirror, there are in fact five. In the mirror of Utterness (myō), the inconceivability of the Dharma realm, which is the whole of existence as a singularity, appears on the horizon. In the mirror of the Dharma the reality of the realms of dharmas comes into view. In the mirror of the white lotus plant, all the effects of the realms of dharmas make themselves apparent, and in the mirror of the flower of the white lotus plant, we see all the causes of these realms of dharmas. In the mirror of the sutra, all the sounds, utterances and words that refer to all dharmas come into our minds. Again, The Oral Transmission on the Meaning of the Dharma Flower Sutra (Ongi Kuden) goes on to say that, when we look into the mirror of Utterness, the Flower Garland Sutra (Kegon, Avatāmsaka) comes into mind, a sutra in which the concept of every single dharma is related to all other dharmas and in which the whole of existence is related to each and every single dharma. This sutra represents the first of the five periods of the teaching of Shākyamuni (bekkyō). In the mirror of the Dharma which reflects the general teachings of the individual vehicles (agon gyō), these teachings include the practise and the original Pali doctrine of Shākyamuni, which were intended to be left after his demise into the extinction of nirvana. These teachings also represent the second of the five periods of the teaching of the Buddha (zōkyō). In the mirror of the white lotus plant, we remember the equally broad teachings (hōdō, vaipulya) that are the makeup of the third period of the teaching of Shākyamuni (tsūgyō), which, on the whole, deny any attachment to the individual vehicle (shōjō, hīnayāna) and serve as an introduction to the universal vehicle (daijō, mahāyāna). Looking into the mirror of the flower of the white lotus plant (renge), it makes us think about the wisdom sutras (hannya gyō) – which is the fourth of the five periods of Shākyamuni’s teaching – that discuss the wisdom that ferries people over the sea of living and dying to the shore of nirvana. These sutras emphasise the insubstantiality of all forms of existence, since they consist of relativity and experiences or what remains of them that can only be reached through the mind (kū, shūnyatā). When we look into the mirror of the sutra, it gives rise to thoughts about the Sutra on the White Lotus Flower-like Mechanism of the Utterness of the Dharma (Nam Myōhō Renge Kyō), which includes every single aspect and nuance of existence. You should also take to heart the order in which they were expounded, and you should also know them in the reverse order, so that you can comprehend these teachings from the all-embracing standpoint of the Dharma Flower Sutra (Hokke-kyō). Our two hands, two legs, and head, that are the five jointed parts of our bodies, along with the five full circles of our persons that represent the five elements of 1) earth, 2) water, 3) fire, 4) wind and 5) the relativity in the void that can only be reached through our minds (kū, shūnyatā), point to the part of us that is the all-inclusive, replenished whole of the one instant of thought containing three thousand existential spaces. They also bring to mind the five syllables of Myōhō Renge Kyō. In the meantime, we should familiarise ourselves with the Eleventh Chapter on the Appearance of the Stupa made of Precious Materials, as though it were a mirror. In this way, it will forcibly reveal to us as to whether we have a mind of faith or it is just some kind of parody. A mirror in which we are mirrored and reflected is all that we are in terms of Myōhō Renge Kyō, which is to devote our lives to and found them on (Nam[u]) the Utterness of the Dharma (Myōhō) [entirety of existence, enlightenment and unenlightenment] permeated by the underlying white lotus flower-like mechanism of the interdependence of cause, concomitancy and effect (Renge) in its whereabouts of the ten [psychological] realms of dharmas [which is every possible psychological wavelength] (Kyō).
Sharihotsu (Shariputra), let us suppose that in a certain region of a country there was a village where there was an elder who was in the decline of his old age, as well as being in possession of immense wealth. He was also the proprietor of lands, dwellings, as well as having all sorts of retainers. His mansion was as huge as it was broad, but it only had a single access (gateway, mon).
In the fifth volume of the Textual Explanation on the Meaning of the Dharma Flower Sutra (Hokke Mongu), it says that the phrase, “only had a single access” (gateway, mon), is a figure of speech that has its origin in the text of the Second Chapter on Expedient Means, where it says, “I use various gateways to the Dharma in order to proclaim and point to the path of Buddhahood.” There are two kinds of access or gateway. There is an access or gateway to the house, and another for vehicles or some means of transport, such as an ox cart. The house itself symbolises the realm of living and dying; the access or the gateway leads to the necessary route of evacuation from such a predicament. This is a representation of the essential point of the teachings that are an expedient means. The vehicle is the Dharma of the universal vehicle (daijō, mahāyāna), and the access or gateway stands for the effective means of the all-embracing doctrine. The Oral Transmission on the Meaning of the Dharma Flower Sutra (Ongi Kuden) states that the single access or gateway to enlightenment is holding faith in the Dharma Flower Sutra (Hokke-kyō), along with its practice. The vehicle or the ox cart is the Dharma Flower Sutra (Hokke-kyō) as a mandala and is the conveyance to that enlightenment. The ox that pulls the vehicle is the recitation of Nam Myōhō Renge Kyō. The mansion of the elder points to our troublesome worries (bonnō, klesha), whereas their inseparability from our enlightenment, which is the all-embracing terrain of our inherent Dharma nature, keeps on turning round with us from one life and death to the next. The mansion was teeming with people that were living there. At any given moment, there were anywhere from a hundred, to two hundred, or even five hundred persons staying in that old manor house. The dining hall and the sitting rooms were decrepit and moldy; the walls were breaking into fragments and gradually disintegrating. The supporting columns were rotten at their bases, and the crossbeams were dangerously askew. All around and at the same time, suddenly a fire broke out, setting the whole building on fire. There were ten, twenty, or even thirty of the elder’s children inside the manor house. The elder, on seeing that the fire was coming in all four directions, was overcome with fear, whereupon a thought came into his mind: Even though I can easily manage to get through this doorway on fire, there are however all these children in this burning house, who are immersed in the joy of their play. They are not aware of the fire, nor do they know about it, and they are not even afraid. As the fire spreads, it will close in upon them and threaten them with excruciating pain. Yet, not even the slightest anguish has entered their heads, and they are not even trying to get out. Sharihotsu (Shariputra), this elder then thought to himself: There is strength in my hands and body. Should I get them out of the house by using bundles of clothes, or tables and stools to protect them? Then, once again, he thought to himself: This house has only one door, and that is small and narrow. My children are still small and do not really know much. Absorbed in their play, they risk being overcome and consumed by the fire. I must get them to leave the house quickly, in order that they will not be burned by the flames. As soon as this thought came into the elder’s mind, he directly said to the children, “Hurry up and get out of here!” Then another thought came into the head of the elder: This house has only one doorway, which is narrow and small. Also, these little children are not yet aware of what is happening. They are all engrossed in their play and at the mercy of the fire that will consume them. This house is already ablaze. If we are fortunate and get out in time quickly, no one will be injured or burnt by the fire. As soon as the elder had these thoughts, he coaxingly said to the children, “You must hurry up and leave this house.” However, in spite of the love and compassion of the elder their father, whose incitements and warnings were to try and make the children leave the building. They were still absorbed in the delights of their play. They simply would not believe their father, they were not afraid and not in the least bit scared; nor had they any wish to get out of the house, not to mention that the only thoughts of the children were, “What is this fire? What is this mansion?” They were completely unknowing that the building was going to be destroyed by the fire. They continued to amuse themselves, by running hither and thither, and kept on looking at their father. Then the elder thought: This house is already a large conflagration, and, if the children and I do not get out in time, we will all be burned alive. I must first find an expedient means, in order to get these children away from danger. The father knew from the start that all the children had a liking for exotic toys and out-of-the-way devices and that such things could not fail to have a hold on their imaginations. He then told them, “If you do not take your favourite toys that are so rare and difficult to find, you will certainly have regrets later on. All your various goat carts, deer carts, and ox carts are now all outside the door for your amusement, so that you can play with them. You must all leave this house on fire, quickly and promptly. Afterwards, I will give you everything that you could wish for.” When the children heard their father’s suggestion about the rare and wonderful toys that would suit their desires, each of them felt stimulated and encouraged, so that they were pushing each other aside in a scurried race to get out of the burning mansion. When the elder saw that the children had safely left the house, and that all of them were sitting on the dewy ground at the crossroads completely unharmed, his mind was eased and filled with joy at such a sight. Thereupon, one by one, the children addressed their father, saying, “All those toys that you promised just a little while ago, such as the sheep cart, deer cart, and the ox cart, we would like you to give them to us right away.” Sharihotsu (Shariputra), there and then, the elder equally gave all the children just one single cart. The cart was tall, broad, and decorated with many jewels. It was surrounded with a balustrade that had bells hanging on all four corners. In addition, there was an awning as a sunshade, which was adorned with various kinds of rare gems and held down with cords made of precious fibres. This cart also had garlands of flowers suspended from it, with a plaited ribbon on top. It was fitted with vermillion-coloured cushions and was drawn by a white bull with a superb form, with powerful muscles and an impeccable hide. This bull had regular hoof-steps and could trot as fast as the wind. Furthermore, there were numerous retainers who were acting as bodyguards and servants busying themselves around the cart. How could this come about? This elder had incalculable wealth, and all his various warehouses and storage places were full to overflowing. Then, at that moment, the elder had this thought: My fortune decidedly has no limit, and I certainly did not offer my little children tiny carts of inferior quality. Now, all these children are my own offspring. I love them all equally and without any preference or partiality. When it comes to such large ox carts, of which I have so many they cannot be counted, also when I give something to each of my children, it must be without any predilection whatsoever. What is the reason for this? Even if I were to distribute my wealth to a whole kingdom, my fortune would not be decreased. So why should it not be given to my own children? Then, when all the children had climbed into the huge ox cart, they had acquired something they had never had before, even though it was not something they had wished for in the first place. Sharihotsu (Shariputra), what do you think about this? Was the elder’s manner of behaviour contrived, in giving equally to all his children a single huge cart embellished with precious jewels, or was it not? Sharihotsu (Shariputra) said: No, World Honoured One. This elder only got his children away from danger of the fire and brought them to safety. This was not a contrived manner of behaviour in order to impress. What was the reason for it? If their lives and bodies were unharmed, it was because the children assumed they were going to receive a special toy that they particularly wanted. But it was on account of the expedient means (hōben, upāya) that they had been forced out of the burning mansion and saved from disaster. World Honoured One, even if the elder had given the children tiny little carts, it would not have amounted to a pretence. Why is this so? This elder had already thought up the idea that he had to get his children out of the burning house, through the improvisation of expedient means. Therefore, on this account, it was not simply a contrived manner to impress them with his limitless wealth and that he finally wished to astonish his children by giving them all equally a single huge ox cart. The Buddha then said to Sharihotsu (Shariputra): Excellent, it is just as you have said. Sharihotsu (Shariputra), it is just the same with the Tathāgata. Since he is the father as the intrinsic enlightenment of all the dimensions where existence occurs, he, on account of his enlightenment and for all eternity, has put an end to all fear and foreboding, the worrying that wastes people away, the hurt of depression, the obscurity of unenlightenment, and of being overcome by the dimension of absurdity. Through a boundless insight and perception into everything and everywhere, a consummate fulfilment that is free from apprehensions, whose reaches of the mind are the strength of his wisdom and discernment, he is fully endowed with the longsighted astuteness to improvise expedient means, in order to ferry people over the seas of living and dying to the shore of nirvana. Furthermore, the Tathāgata has the ability to give happiness to sentient beings, as well as saving them from sufferings (jihi), and never neglects or tires of doing so. He is constantly in quest of labours of compassion, as well as benefiting all sentient beings, now having caused himself to be born in the rotten old burning mansion, which constitutes the three-dimensional space – where sentient beings have appetites and desires, which are incarnated in a subjective materiality with physical surroundings, and who, at the same time are endowed with the immateriality of the realms of fantasies, thoughts and ideas (sangai, triloka) are also being their reality – in order to save them from being born, maturing, ageing with its accompanying sicknesses, and the fear of the loss of our identities in the finality of death. The Tathāgata sees all sentient beings as having been burned and boiled through being born, maturing, ageing with its accompanying sicknesses, and the uncertainties of what will happen after the finality of death, as well as melancholic anxiety, sadness, and bitter worries. Also, because of the five desires for property and wealth, sexual pleasures, eating and drinking, fame and sleep, as well as the desire for financial gain, sentient beings become the receivers of all sorts of suffering. Moreover, it is through their chasing after what they like to indulge in that apparently brings about their distress. Subsequently, they will fall into the realms of the suffering of the hells, or be reborn in one of the stultifying spaces where animality occurs, or even in one of the spaces of the hungry ghosts that are continually craving. Then if sentient beings are born among the deva (ten) or even among humankind, they will suffer from poverty and other difficulties, or the bitter resentment of being outside the possibilities of love and affection, or confronted with the acrimony of being disliked, and all the various other kinds of suffering. Submerged in the midst of other sentient beings, they enjoy themselves with their kind of merrymaking. They are unaware, unknowing, and neither surprised nor afraid. Neither do they have any feeling of distastefulness, nor do they seek any sort of deliverance. In this burning house, which is the three-dimensional space, where sentient beings have appetites and desires, which are incarnated in a subjective materiality with physical surroundings, and who, at the same time, endowed with the immateriality of the realms of fantasies, thoughts and ideas (sangai, triloka) also being their reality, they rush from east to west, encountering so many traumas that do not really seem to bother them. Sharihotsu (Shariputra), the Buddha, on seeing such sights, the thought then came into his mind: I am the father, in the sense of being the enlightenment and the intrinsicality of all sentient beings. Therefore, I must certainly take away their sufferings and give them, in return, the incalculable boundlessness of the Buddha wisdom and discernment, in order that they may have some kind of joy. Sharihotsu (Shariputra), the Tathāgata also had another thought that came into his head: If I merely resort to preaching the reaches of the mind of the Tathāgatas and the extent of the wisdom and discernment of the Buddhas for the benefit of sentient beings, yet, at the same time, I put the concept of the expedient means to the side and then go on to praise the vision, knowledge, and absence of apprehension of those who are enlightened, such a means could not bring about the deliverance of sentient beings from the seas of living and dying and ferry them to the shore of nirvana. Why should it be so? All these sentient beings have not yet eluded the cycles of being born, growing up, old age with its accompanying sicknesses, and the uncertainties of what will happen after the finality of death, as well as melancholic anxiety, sadness, and bitter worries. They are still being burnt in the house on fire. This in reality, is the threefold dimension where sentient beings have appetites and desires, which are incarnated in a subjective materiality with physical surroundings, and who, at the same time, are endowed with the immateriality of the realms of thoughts and ideas (sangai, triloka). So how could they understand the wisdom and discernment of the Buddha? Sharihotsu (Shariputra), it is in the same way as that elder who, in spite of the strength in his limbs, did not use that strength, but instead had the resourcefulness of tactfully using an expedient means, in order to get all his children out of the mansion on fire and save their lives. Then, afterwards, he gave them a huge ox cart made of rare and precious materials, for the communal benefit of each and every one of them. It is the same way with the Tathāgata who, even with his strength and self-assurance, does not use these qualities, but through using his wisdom and discernment, he spontaneously invents an expedient means to get them out of the burning house, which is in fact the same as the threefold realm where sentient beings have appetites and desires, which are incarnated in a subjective materiality with physical surroundings, who, at the same time, are endowed with the immateriality of the dimensions of thoughts and ideas (sangai, triloka). In such a way, he gets these sentient beings out of their particular situations and saves them from themselves, by using the means of explaining to the people, who exerted themselves to attain the highest stage of the individual vehicle (shōjō, hīnayāna) through listening to the Buddha or the intellectual seekers of today (shōmon, shrāvaka), along with the people who are partially enlightened due to karmic affinities, that there exists, above all, the vehicle to the enlightenment of the Buddha. Thereupon he says to them the following: Do not stay on enjoying yourselves in the burning house of the three-dimensional space where sentient beings have appetites and desires, which are incarnated in a subjective materiality with physical surroundings, and who, at the same time, are endowed with the immateriality of the realms of fantasies, thoughts and ideas (sangai, triloka) also being theirt reality. Do not hanker after the uncouth and ignoble qualities of forms, sounds, smells, tastes, and tangibilities, otherwise you will become attached and grow a liking for them. You must hurry up and get free from the threefold realm of appetites and desires, of being incarnated due to various karmic relationships, and climb onto the vehicle of enlightenment of the Buddha. I guarantee you that, in the end, it will not be in vain. You must only practise with perseverance and willingness. The Tathāgata attracts and incites sentient beings, through the medium of expedient means. Then again he says to them: You should know that the Dharma of the three vehicles is praised by all those who are wise and on the path to enlightenment. Such people are totally unrestricted and without attachment. They are neither dependent on, nor do they seek anybody or anything. These people – who practise the three vehicles of either the hearers of the Buddha’s voice or intellectual seekers (shōmon, shrāvaka), or those who are partially enlightened due to karmic circumstances (engaku, hyakushibutsu, pratyekabuddha), or bodhisattvas who seek enlightenment not only for themselves but for others as well (bosatsu, bodhisattva) – will, by means of their undefiled minds, strength, wakefulness in the Buddha path itself, and their concentration on a single object (sanmai, samādhi), attain the personal enjoyment of a boundless peace of mind and happiness. Sharihotsu (Shariputra), if there are any sentient beings whose personalities have a sense of inner wisdom and who listen to the Dharma of the World Honoured One, taking in what he expounds with faith and receptivity, attentively and diligently, who also wish to quickly exit the threefold realm of appetites and wanting, of being incarnated in the dimensions of form, and also of being endowed with thoughts and ideas (sangai, triloka), who also seek the enlightenment of nirvana for themselves, then this is what constitutes the vehicle of the hearers of the voice of the Buddha (shōmon, shrāvaka), who are those people who exert themselves to attain the highest stage of the teachings of the individual vehicle (shōjō, hīnayāna) through listening to the Tathāgata, or the intellectual seekers of today. These people would be comparable to the children who, on leaving the burning mansion, would have sought after a goat cart. If there are any sentient beings who listen to the Dharma that the World Honoured One expounds and are able to understand it with faith, who attentively and diligently seek the intuitive and inborn wisdom of enlightenment which is untaught, for the sake of their individual pleasure and inner tranquillity, as well as for a profound insight into the causes and karmic circumstances of all dharmas, then this is what constitutes those who are partially enlightened due to karmic affinities (engaku, hyakushibutsu, pratyekabuddha). These people would be comparable to the children who, on leaving the burning mansion, would have sought after a deer cart. If there are any sentient beings who listen to the Dharma that the World Honoured One, expounds and are able to understand it with faith, who exert themselves in the practices of, as well as seeking the comprehensive wisdom of, those who hear the Buddha’s voice – the wisdom and perception that belong to those whose true natures are the Dharma realm and who are also returning to it (Nyorai, Tathāgata), the strength and reassurance of the Buddha – who also bears in mind all the innumerable sentient beings with compassion and wish as well as wanting to benefit the deva (ten) and humankind by seeking to emancipate them, then this is what constitutes the universal vehicle (daijō, mahāyāna). It is the reason why the bodhisattvas who seek to ascend this vehicle to enlightenment are referred to as beings of wholeness and universality (makasatsu, mahāsattva). These people would be comparable to the children who on leaving the burning mansion, would have sought after the ox cart. Sharihotsu (Shariputra), in the same way as the elder who got all his children safely out of the burning mansion and saw that they had escaped all danger, who, at the same time, knowing that his wealth and means were boundless, gave to all his children equally the one big ox cart – again, it is just the same with the Tathāgata, who is the life-force and the father of all sentient beings, who understands that boundlessly uncountable thousands of myriads of sentient beings can, by the means of the gateway to enlightenment of the Buddha teaching, can get off the terrifying, severe path of the threefold realm [where 1) sentient beings have appetites and desires, which 2) are incarnated in a subjective materiality with apparently physical surroundings, who, at the same time, 3) are endowed with the immateriality of fantasies, thoughts and ideas (sangai, triloka)] and sees that they all reach the concluding tranquillity of nirvana. Thereupon the Tathāgata had this thought: I am in the possession of the Dharma treasury of the boundlessly incalculable wisdom and perception, power and dauntlessness of all the Buddhas. All these sentient beings are my children, and, in the same way as the elder, I will give to all of them, without any distinction, a universal vehicle (daijō, mahāyāna) to enlightenment. I will not let individuals independently cross over to the emancipation of extinction in nirvana. I will ferry them all over the seas of living and dying to the shore of total extinction, as well as to the enlightenment of the nirvana of the Tathāgata. All these sentient beings will be extricated from the threefold realm. [where 1) sentient beings have appetites and desires, which 2) are incarnated in a subjective materiality with apparently physical surroundings, who, at the same time, 3) are endowed with the immateriality of fantasies, thoughts and ideas]. They will all be given the means of the satisfaction of being able to attain the perfect absorption into the one object of meditation (sanmai, samādhi), along with the other means of becoming liberated that are used by all the Buddhas. All these various means of liberation are all of a single particular quality and a single kind. They are praised by those who are on the path to enlightenment, as well as being capable of bringing about a happiness that is fundamental and as pure as Utterness itself. Sharihotsu (Shariputra), the elder in the parable enticed all his children, through conjuring up three different kinds of cart in the imaginations of his children. But, in the end, the elder only gave them all equally a huge ox cart, adorned with precious materials and extremely comfortable. Yet this elder is never blamed for any tawdry ostentation. It is also exactly the same with the Tathāgata, who also is exempt from any tawdry ostentation. At first, he expounds three separate vehicles to enlightenment, in order to entice and encourage all sentient beings. But, afterwards, he gives them only the single universal vehicle (daijō, mahāyāna) to enlightenment, whereby they can be transported over to nirvana and gain complete release from the threefold realm [where 1) sentient beings have appetites and desires, which 2) are incarnated in a subjective materiality with apparently physical surroundings, who, at the same time, 3) are endowed with the immateriality of fantasies, thoughts and ideas (sangai, triloka)]. What is the reason for this? The Tathāgata is in possession of a treasury that contains all dharmas, boundless wisdom, power, and self-assurance to be able to give all sentient beings the Dharma of the universal vehicle (daijō, mahāyāna). However, they are unable to receive it as a single whole. Sharihotsu (Shariputra), you have to know the causes and karmic circumstances. It is due to the medium of the expedient means that are used by all the Buddhas, who can take this single vehicle to enlightenment and divide it into three, so that it can be expounded more clearly. The Buddha, wishing to reiterate these concepts, expressed them in the form of a metric hymn. For instance, there was an elder,
There is a passage in the Textual Explanation of the Dharma Flower Sutra (Hokke Mongu) in which the following excerpt occurs: “The three realms where 1) sentient beings have appetites and desires, 2) which are incarnated in a subjective materiality with apparently physical surroundings, 3) who, at the same time, are endowed with the immateriality of the realms of fantasies, thoughts and ideas (sangai, triloka), in which all these sentient beings are my children – nevertheless, in this dimension there are a great deal of difficulties and suffering. I [the Tathāgata] am the only person who is able to save and protect them.” With regard to that section, the Textual Explanation of the Dharma Flower Sutra (Hokke Mongu) says that there is a passage, which comes earlier on in the text, wherein the Buddha says, “The Tathāgata sees all sentient beings as having been burned and boiled, through having been born, maturing, ageing with its accompanying sicknesses, and the uncertainty of what will happen after the finality of death.” This is the Buddha’s way of expressing (ju) his perception of unenlightened existence. This passage also refers to the causes of the fire breaking out, in the parable of the burning mansion. The line that says, “I am the only person who is able to save and protect them”, points to the earlier passage where the elder, who is in fact the Buddha, states, “This is what the Buddha saw, when the thought came into the elder’s head”, which was an expression of alarm as he went into the burning house. The Oral Transmission on the Meaning of the Dharma Flower Sutra (Ongi Kuden) states that this particular phrase “Now these three realms where . . .” implies the concept of the one instant of thought containing three thousand existential spaces. The teaching of the gateway to the Dharma of the one instant of thought containing three thousand existential spaces points out that, in the teachings derived from the external events of the life and work of the Buddha (shakumon), which also consists of the first half of the Dharma Flower Sutra (Hokke-kyō), it stipulates the case of the three thousand existential spaces in a single instant of thought. Shākyamuni’s life and work (shakumon), which also consists of the first half of the Dharma Flower Sutra (Hokke-kyō), it stipulates that, in this instance of the three thousand existential spaces, the single instant of thought is only theoretical (shō’on), because this teaching is based on the real aspect of all dharmas (shōhō jissō), in which the existential space of abode and terrain (kokudo seken) remains latent and theoretical. However, this existential space becomes manifestly clear in the teachings that are based on the original (archetypal) state. Again, The Oral Transmission on the Meaning of the Dharma Flower Sutra (Ongi Kuden) specifies that the phrase “Now in these three realms where . . .” includes the existential spaces of abode and terrain (kokudo seken), which are the environments in which the various activities of the ten [psychological] realms of dharmas (jikkai) are situated. The phrase “in which all sentient beings . . .” entails the existential spaces of the five aggregates that darken our awareness of the original enlightenment – 1) bodily form, matter, and a physical composition as related to the five organs of sense (shiki); 2) reception, sensation, and feeling of the functioning of the mind or senses in connection with affairs and things (ju); 3) conception, thought, discernment, and the functioning of the mind in distinguishing one thing or thought from another (sō); 4) the functioning of the mind processes, with regard to likes, dislikes, good and evil, etc. (gyō), and 5) the mental faculty that makes us think we are who we are on account of what we know (shiki). The part of this passage that says, “nevertheless in this dimension there are a great deal of difficulties and suffering. I am the only person . . .” refers to the existential spaces of sentient beings. The existential spaces of sentient beings consist of individuals who are composed out of a temporary combination of the five aggregates (go’on). A sentient being is simply another appellation for this temporary union which, at the same time, is conditioned by the ten [psychological] realms of dharmas (jikkai) that must include the Dharma realm of Buddhahood. The Oral Transmission on the Meaning of the Dharma Flower Sutra (Ongi Kuden) then goes on to say that this three-dimensional space (sangai, triloka) – where 1) sentient beings have appetites and desires, 2) which are incarnated in a subjective materiality with apparently physical surroundings, 3) who, at the same time, are endowed with the immateriality of the realms of fantasies, thoughts and ideas (sangai, triloka) are also being their reality – is represented by the Tathāgata (who has arrived from and returned to the true nature of life), who is inseparable from the highest aspect of the triple entities of the Buddha, which is the Dharma entity of the Tathāgata (hosshin Nyorai), that is ineffable, unmanifested and non-substantial. The phrase, in which “all sentient beings are my children” occurs, refers to the entity of the reward of perfect wisdom of the Tathāgata (hōshin Nyorai) and the phrase, “nevertheless in this dimension there are a great deal of difficulties and suffering”, refers to the corresponding manifest entity of the Tathāgata (ōjin Nyorai).
Nevertheless,
 THE DHARMA FLOWER SUTRA SEEN THROUGH THE ORAL TRANSMISSION OF NICHIREN DAISHŌNIN by Martin Bradley is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 2.5 Canada License. |