The True Object of Worship- Kanjin no Honzon Sho - part one | part two The translators of the new versions of the sutras learned about T'ien-t'ai's teaching of ichinen sanzen when they returned to China. When they translated Sanskrit sutras into Chinese, some put T'ien-t'ai's principle into their translations, and others claimed that the originals they had brought back from India already contained it. Some of the scholars of the T'ien-t'ai sect were simply pleased that other sects expounded the same doctrine as theirs, while others praised the Buddhism of India and slighted that of China, or discarded their original doctrines and adopted new ones. These scholars yielded to their devilish nature and stupidity. However, without ichinen sanzen, the seed of enlightenment, sentient beings cannot attain enlightenment, and any statue or image would be an object of worship in name alone. Question: You have not yet fully answered my question
about the mutual possession of the Ten Worlds. With full understanding of Shakyamuni's teachings, the four great men of Learning said: "We have gained the supreme cluster of jewels when we least expected it." They represent the world of Learning that is within ourselves. The Hoben chapter states: "At the start I pledged to make all people perfectly equal to me, without any distinction between us. By now the original vows that I made have already been fulfilled. I have led all the people on the path of Buddhahood." The enlightened life of Shakyamuni Buddha is our own flesh and blood. His practices and resulting virtues are our bones and marrow. Chapter Eleven of the Lotus Sutra says: "Those who choose to protect this sutra serve Taho Buddha and me..... They also serve all other Buddhas present who dignify and glorify all the worlds." Shakyamuni, Taho, and all the other Buddhas in the ten directions represent the world of Buddhahood within ourselves. By searching them out within us, we can receive the benefits of Shakyamuni, Taho, and all the other Buddhas. This is what is meant by the following passage in Chapter Ten: "If one hears the Law for even a single moment, he will be able to attain perfect enlightenment." The Juryo chapter reads: "The time is limitless and boundless -- a hundred, thousand, ten thousand, hundred thousand nayuta aeons -- since I in fact attained Buddhahood." Present within our lives is the Lord Shakyamuni who obtained the three enlightened properties of life before gohyaku-jintengo, the original Buddha since time without beginning. The Juryo chapter states: "Once I also practiced the bodhisattva austerities and the life which I then acquired has yet to be exhausted. My life will last yet twice as many aeons from now." He was speaking of the world of Bodhisattva within ourselves. The Bodhisattvas of the Earth are the followers of Lord Shakyamuni in our lives. They follow the Buddha just as T'ai-kung45 and Tan, the Duke of Chou served as ministers to King Wu of the Chou dynasty and later assisted his son,46 and successor, the infant King Ch'eng; or just as Takeshiuchi47 served Empress Jingu and later her grandson Crown Prince Nintoku as a highly valued minister. Bodhisattvas Jogyo, Muhengyo, Jyogyo and Anryugyo represent the world of Bodhisattva within our lives. The Great Teacher Miao-lo declares: "You should realize that our life and its environment are the entity of ichinen sanzen. When we attain Buddhahood, according to this principle, our life pervades the entire universe both physically and spiritually."48 Shakyamuni revealed in the Kegon Sutra the world within the lotus flower at Buddh Gaya where he attained enlightenment. In the more than fifty years until he died in the Sala grove, Shakyamuni Buddha preached the Pure Land of Dainichi Buddha in the Mitsugon Sutra, three times purified countless lands in the universe when he preached the theoretical teaching of the Lotus Sutra, and expounded four kinds of lands49 in the Nirvana Sutra -- the Land of Enlightened and Unenlightened Beings as well as the Land of Transition, Actual Reward, and Eternal Light. All these lands as well as the Pure Land of Amida Buddha and the Emerald Land of Yakushi Buddha are in constant flux -- growth, stability, decline and ku. When the Lord Buddha, Shakyamuni, enters nirvana, all the other Buddhas and their lands also pass away with him. The saha world Shakyamuni revealed in the Juryo chapter is the eternal pure land, impervious to the three calamities and the four cycles of change. In this world the Buddha is eternal, transcending birth and death, and his disciples are also eternal. That is why the three thousand worlds or the three realms of existence are within our own lives. The Buddha did not reveal this truth in the first fourteen chapters of the Lotus Sutra because the time was not right and he found his disciples not yet able to grasp the truth. Shakyamuni Buddha did not transmit Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, the heart of the essential teaching of the Lotus Sutra, even to Bodhisattvas Monju and Yakuo, let alone to any lesser bodhisattva. He transferred it only to the Bodhisattvas of the Earth, summoning them and preaching the eight core chapters -- from the fifteenth to the twenty-second chapter -- of the Lotus Sutra. The true object of worship is described in the ceremony of the transmission as follows: In the air above the saha world [which the Buddha of the essential teaching identified as the pure and eternal land], Nam-myoho-renge-kyo appears in the center of the Treasure Tower with Shakyamuni and Taho Buddhas seated to the right and left, and the Four Bodhisattvas of the Earth, led by Jogyo, flank them. Around them are Monju, Miroku and the other followers of the Four Bodhisattvas. All the other bodhisattvas, whether they are disciples of the Buddha of the theoretical teaching or of the Buddhas of the other worlds, take their seats further below, like commoners kneeling on the ground in the presence of nobles and high ministers. The Buddhas who gathered from the other worlds in the ten directions of the universe all remain on the ground, showing that they are only manifestations of the eternal Buddha and that their lands are transient, not eternal and unchanging. During the entire fifty years of Shakyamuni's teaching, only in the last eight years did he preach the twenty-eight chapters of the Lotus Sutra. Again, of all these chapters, only in the eight vital chapters did he reveal and transfer the object of worship to the Bodhisattvas of the Earth.50 During the two millennia of the Former and Middle Days of the Law, statues were made showing Mahakashyapa and Ananda flanking Shakyamuni Buddha as he preached Hinayana, and Monju and Fugen flanking Shakyamuni Buddha as he preached the provisional Mahayana, the Nirvana Sutra and the theoretical teachings of the Lotus Sutra. Even though statues and images were made of Shakyamuni Buddha during the two millennia, no image or statue was made of the Buddha of the Juryo chapter.51 Only in the Latter Day of the Law shall the representation of that Buddha appear. Question: During the two millennia of the Former and
Middle Days of the Law the great Bodhisattvas and teachers constructed images of Shakyamuni Buddha preaching Hinayana, provisional Mahayana or the theoretical teaching of the Lotus Sutra and built temples for them. However, no one in India, China and Japan, neither their kings nor subjects, revered the object of worship revealed in the Juryo
chapter of the essential teaching. Although I think I understand in general what you are saying, I have never heard such a thing before and I therefore find it startling to my ears and perplexing to my mind. Will you explain it to me in greater detail? We can divide the ten volumes of the Muryogi Sutra, the Lotus Sutra, and the Fugen Sutra into two parts: Theoretical and essential.53 In the theoretical teaching, preparation indicates the Muryogi Sutra and the first chapter of the Lotus Sutra, revelation is the Hoben (second) chapter through the Ninki (ninth) chapter, and transmission includes the tenth to the fourteenth chapters. The Buddha of the theoretical teaching declared that he first attained Buddhahood in this life. He revealed the hundred worlds and the thousand factors inherent in life, though he did not go on to expound their eternal nature. Since the theoretical teaching of the Lotus Sutra thus reveals a part of the Buddha's own enlightenment, it excels all the other sutras and is difficult to believe and difficult to understand. Herein the first relationship between Shakyamuni Buddha and his disciples can be traced back to the time when he was the sixteenth son of Daitsu Buddha. At that time he first planted the seed of Buddhahood in their lives. In Shakyamuni's lifetime only a few of them could discover the seed when they heard the Kegon Sutra and the other teachings of the first four periods. This was not, however, the Buddha's true intention. Their discovery through these teachings was as rare as curing an illness with poison. Common mortals and the people of the two vehicles were led gradually to the Lotus Sutra through the teachings of the first four periods. They then discovered the seed of Buddhahood within themselves and were able to obtain the fruit of enlightenment. There were people of Humanity and Heaven who took faith in the eight chapters for the first time in Shakyamuni's days. Some took the seed into their lives by listening to a single phrase or verse from among the eight chapters. Others nurtured and harvested the seed they received, and still others obtained the fruit of enlightenment when they came to the Fugen and Nirvana sutras. There were also some who obtained the same fruit through Hinayana and provisional Mahayana teachings when they appeared later in the Former, Middle and Latter Days of the Law. These last are like the disciples in Shakyamuni's lifetime who discovered the seed of Buddhahood through the teachings of the first four periods. Preparation, revelation and transmission are also represented in the essential teaching of the Lotus Sutra, especially in the latter fourteen chapters. Preparation is the first half of the Yujutsu (fifteenth) chapter. Revelation includes the latter half of this chapter, the Juryo chapter, and the first half of the Funbetsu Kudoku (seventeenth) chapter -- one chapter and two halves. Transmission includes the rest. The Buddha of the essential teaching denied that he first attained Buddhahood in this life. The difference between the theoretical and essential teachings is as great as that between heaven and earth. The latter revealed the eternity of the Ten Worlds and, further, the True Land. The theoretical teaching, the teachings of the first four periods, the Muryogi Sutra and the Nirvana Sutra were all preached according to the capacities of the people. They are, therefore, easy to believe and easy to understand. In contrast, the essential teaching reveals the Buddha's own enlightenment, and therefore, is difficult to believe and difficult to understand. However, even the difference between ichinen sanzen of the theoretical and of the essential teachings pales into insignificance before the ultimate principle hidden within the Lotus Sutra. True Buddhism also has its preparation, revelation, and transmission. Shakyamuni Buddha preached the Lotus Sutra in his life as the sixteenth son of Daitsu Buddha. When he appeared as Shakyamuni he also expounded teachings for fifty years, including the Kegon Sutra, the theoretical teaching of the Lotus Sutra and the Nirvana Sutra. All these sutras as well as the innumerable teachings of all the other Buddhas in the universe are preparation for revealing the heart of the Juryo chapter. All the teachings other than "one chapter and two halves" Of true Buddhism are Hinayana in nature and heretical. Not only do they fail to lead to enlightenment, but they also lack the truth. Those who believe in them are of slight virtue, bound by illusion, ignorant, unfortunate, solitary and like birds and beasts which do not appreciate their parents' love. The first half of the Lotus Sutra and the sutras preceding it teach that one can attain Buddhahood, but even they are not the true cause for Buddhahood. Much less so are teachings of a Hinayana nature such as the Dainichi Sutra. It is out of the question to think that the scholars and priests of the seven sects, including Kegon and Shingon, preach the true cause for attaining Buddhahood. These inferior sutras seem to fall within the zokyo, tsugyo, and bekkyo teachings, but actually they are no better than the lowest two. They maintain that their doctrines are incomparably profound, although nowhere do they clarify when the Buddha planted the seed of Buddhahood, or when he nurtured and reaped it. These doctrines are no different from Hinayana which demands that one reduce his body to ashes and annihilate his consciousness, for they do not reveal when the Buddha started teaching and when he finished. If a queen should conceive by a slave, her baby would be nothing but an outcast. The second through the ninth chapters of the theoretical teaching seem to have been expounded for the sake of the people of the two vehicles rather than for the common people and bodhisattvas in Shakyamuni's lifetime. From a more profound viewpoint, they are intended for the common people after the Buddha's passing -- in the Former, Middle and Latter Days of the Law -- and in particular, for the common people in the beginning of the Latter Day. Question: On what authority do you say so? As regards the essential teaching, it was addressed exclusively to the people early in the Latter Day of the Law. On the surface the Buddha seems to have preached this teaching for the salvation of the people of his day; he planted the seed of Buddhahood in their lives in the remote past of gohyaku-jintengo and nurtured it through his preaching as the sixteenth son of Daitsu Buddha in sanzen-jintengo and through the teachings of the first four periods and the theoretical teaching in this life. Then he finally brought his followers to full enlightenment, from togaku to myokaku,54 with the essential teaching. In actuality, however, the essential teaching bears no resemblance whatsoever to the theoretical teaching. Preparation, revelation, and transmission of the essential teaching are intended entirely for the beginning of the Latter Day of the Law. The essential teaching of the Lotus Sutra and true Buddhism are both pure teachings that lead directly to Buddhahood. However, Shakyamuni's is the Buddhism of harvest, and this is the Buddhism of sowing. The core of his teaching is one chapter and two halves, and for me it is Myoho-renge-kyo alone. Question: On what authority do you say that the
essential teaching of the Lotus Sutra was meant for the generation of the Latter Day of
the Law? However, in the Yujutsu chapter the Buddha suddenly seemed to reverse himself and forbade all the countless bodhisattvas from propagating the sutra in this world. We therefore face what appears to be an insoluble contradiction, one that is beyond ordinary understanding. T'ien-t'ai gave three reasons for Shakyamuni's action in stopping the bodhisattvas and three more for the summoning of the Bodhisattvas of the Earth. Essentially, the bodhisattvas of the theoretical teaching and the bodhisattvas of the other worlds were not qualified to inherit Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, the heart of the Juryo chapter, which only Nichiren has realized. At the dawn of the Latter Day evil people who slander the Law would fill the land, and so the Buddha rejected their pledge and instead summoned the Bodhisattvas of the Earth. He entrusted Nam-myoho-renge-kyo to them for the salvation of all mankind. The bodhisattvas of the theoretical teaching were also unqualified because they were not the original disciples of the Buddha. The Great Teacher T'ien-t'ai states in his Hokke Mongu: "The Buddha said to the Bodhisattvas of the Earth, 'You are my true disciples, destined to propagate the law of my enlightenment.'" Miao-lo declares in the Hokke Mongu Ki: "When the sons disseminate the teachings of their father, they can save all people." Tao-hsien58 comments in his Fusho Ki: "Because the Law was expounded by the original Buddha, it was entrusted to his true disciples." In the Yujutsu chapter Bodhisattva Miroku asked Shakyamuni Buddha: "We believe that none of the Buddha's teachings, no matter to whom they are directed, is false, and that his wisdom penetrates all. When bodhisattvas still immature in faith hear after your passing that the Bodhisattvas of the Earth are the Buddha's original disciples, they will refuse to believe it and will eventually commit the grave sin of slandering the Buddha's law. Lord Buddha! We sincerely implore you to explain this and remove our doubt, so that men of devout faith who appear after the Buddha's passing will not lose themselves in doubt." Here Bodhisattva Miroku was imploring the Buddha to preach the Juryo chapter for those to come after his passing. The Juryo chapter states: "Some are out of their minds, while others are not.... Those children who have not lost their senses can see that the beneficial medicine is good in both color and fragrance, so they take it immediately and are completely cured of their sickness."The sutra explains that all bodhisattvas, people of the two vehicles, and people of Humanity and Heaven received the seed of enlightenment at gohyaku-jintengo. It was nurtured by the preaching of the sixteenth son of Daitsu Buddha as well as by Shakyamuni Buddha's provisional sutras and the theoretical teaching of the Lotus Sutra. Then they finally attained Buddhahood when they heard the essential teaching of the Lotus Sutra. The Juryo chapter continues: "Those who are out of their minds are equally delighted to see their father return and beg him to cure their sickness, but when they are given the medicine, they refuse to take it. This is because the poison has penetrated deeply, causing them to lose their true minds. Therefore they think that the medicine will not taste good in spite of its fine color and fragrance. Then father thinks, '..Now I must use some means to get them to take it.' So instructing them, he again goes off to another land, where he sends a messenger home to announce,..." According to the Funbetsu Kudoku (seventeenth) chapter, "the good medicine" Of the Juryo chapter is left for "those of the evil-filled Latter Day of the Law." Question: Who is the messenger mentioned in the text? The Jinriki (twenty-first) chapter states: "Thereupon in the presence of the Buddha the bodhisattvas equal in number to the dust particles of a thousand worlds who had sprung up from the earth, all with a single mind, pressed their palms together, gazed up reverently at his solemn countenance, and said to the Buddha, 'Honored One! After your passing we pledge to propagate this sutra throughout every land where your manifestations appear or where you pass into nirvana.'"T'ien-t'ai says: "The great assembly witnessed the Bodhisattvas of the Earth alone making this pledge."59 Tao-hsien remarks: "The Buddha transmitted this sutra solely to the Bodhisattvas of the Earth. Because the Law was expounded by the original Buddha, it was intrusted to his true disciples."60 Bodhisattva Monju is a disciple of Fudo Buddha,61 who dwells in Amida Buddha in the west. Bodhisattva Kannon is a disciple of Nichigatsu Jomyotoku Buddha.62 Bodhisattva Fugen is a disciple of Hoi Buddha.63 They were not entrusted with the supreme law, so they could not possibly appear and propagate it in the Latter Day. The Jinriki chapter states: "Shakyamuni Buddha demonstrated his great mystic powers to the entire assembly, extending his long broad tongue till it reached upward to the Brahma-heaven. All the other Buddhas seated on lion king thrones64 under jewel trees throughout the universe did the same, extending their long broad tongues." In no other sutra, whether Hinayana or Mahayana, exoteric or esoteric, is there a passage that describes Shakyamuni Buddha and all the other Buddhas extending their tongues to the Brahma-heaven. The Amida Sutra states that Buddhas covered a major world system with their tongues, but this is a mere assertion with no truth behind it. The Hannya Sutra tells how the Buddha's tongue covered the major world system and radiated infinite light when he expounded the Hannya. Yet this cannot compare with the proof given in the Jinriki chapter. Since these two sutras are mere provisional teachings, they obscured the Buddha's enlightenment in the remotest past. After the Buddha displayed his ten great mystic powers described in the Jinriki chapter, he transferred the Mystic Law to the Bodhisattvas of the Earth: "At that time the Buddha addressed Jogyo and the host of other bodhisattvas, saying, 'The mystic powers of a Buddha are boundless, beyond imagination. Even if I were to exert all these powers for infinite aeons in explaining the great benefit of this sutra to ensure its propagation, I could never explain them fully. I have briefly described in this sutra all the laws of the Buddha, all the invincible mystic powers of the Buddha, all the secret storehouses of the Buddha and all the profound practices of the Buddha.'"T'ien-t'ai says: "This paragraph begins the third stage of the chapter, where the Buddha transfers the essence of his teachings to the Bodhisattvas of the Earth."65 Dengyo states: "The Jinriki chapter says, 'I have briefly described in this sutra all the laws of the Buddha...' In the Lotus Sutra the Buddha revealed all the laws, invincible mystic powers, secret storehouses and profound practices of his enlightenment."66 Demonstrating ten great mystic powers, the Buddha transferred Nam-myoho-renge-kyo to the Four Great Bodhisattvas, Jogyo, Anryugyo, Jyogyo and Muhengyo. [T'ien-t'ai states that] the first five of the ten great mystic powers are meant for those living in Shakyamuni's lifetime, and the last five for the generations after his passing. But in a deeper sense all are intended for future generations. The Buddha confirms this later in the same chapter: "Because they [the Bodhisattvas of the Earth] will faithfully uphold this sutra after the Buddha's passing, all the Buddhas rejoice and display their limitless mystic powers." The Zokurui (twenty-second) chapter states: "At this time Shakyamuni Buddha rose from his place of preaching, and displaying his great mystic powers, put his right hand on the heads of the infinite numbers of bodhisattvas, saying, 'I now transfer the supreme law of enlightenment to you.'"The Buddha passed the Law to the Bodhisattvas of the Earth, the bodhisattvas of the theoretical teaching, bodhisattvas of other worlds, Bonten, Taishaku, and the Four Heavenly Kings. Then "all the Buddhas, who had gathered from the ten directions of the universe, returned to their respective lands... And the Buddha ordered that the Treasure Tower of Taho Buddha return to its original place."67 After the Bodhisattvas of the Earth had departed, the Buddha urged all the remaining bodhisattvas to keep the teachings after his passing as he preached the last six chapters of the Lotus Sutra, the Fugen Sutra, and the Nirvana Sutra. Question: Did the Bodhisattvas of the Earth then appear
in this world during the two millennia of the Former and Middle Days of the Law to spread
the Lotus Sutra? Question: Your answer comes as a surprise. If both the
theoretical and the essential teachings of the Lotus Sutra are intended for those people
living after the Buddha's demise, and the Buddha entrusted the sutra to the Bodhisattvas
of the Earth, why did they not appear during the first two millennia to spread the sutra? Question: I am asking you again, what was the reason? Question: Once more, what is the reason? Question: Nonetheless, I urge you to answer. Unless you
do, you will be violating the Buddha's precept against concealing the truth. These passages are a crystal mirror of the Buddha's will. They show that the Buddha did not appear for the sake of those present during the eight years when he revealed the Lotus Sutra at Eagle Peak, but for people like us, those living in the beginning of the Latter Day, not for those who lived in the Former or Middle Day of the Law. "The sick child" mentioned in the Nirvana Sutra represents the slanderers of the Lotus Sutra in the Latter Day. The Buddha will now "leave this good medicine here" especially for those who "think that the medicine will not taste good in spite of its fine color and fragrance." The Bodhisattvas of the Earth did not appear in the Former and Middle Days of the Law for good reason. Hinayana and provisional Mahayana were spread in the first millennium because the time was not ripe for the true teaching and the people were not ready to embrace it. The great bodhisattvas in the Former Day led those who had taken faith in the Lotus Sutra during Shakyamuni's lifetime to attain enlightenment through Hinayana and provisional Mahayana teachings. If the Bodhisattvas of the Earth had spread the Lotus Sutra at that time instead of later, the people would have reviled it and thereby destroyed all the good fortune they had accumulated in Shakyamuni's lifetime. Therefore the bodhisattvas did not emerge then. People of the first millennium are like those in the Buddha's lifetime who gradually matured and attained enlightenment through his provisional teachings. Late in the second millennium, Bodhisattva Kannon was reborn as Nan-yueh and Bodhisattva Yakuo as T'ien-t'ai. They openly preached the theoretical teaching and kept the essential teaching to themselves. T'ien-t'ai fully revealed the hundred worlds, the thousand factors, and the three thousand realms of life. They expounded the theoretical principles, but they did not put Nam-myoho-renge-kyo into actual practice or establish the true object of worship. The time was not right for propagation, although even then it was possible to attain Buddhahood through the Law. Now, in the beginning of the Latter Day of the Law, Hinayana adherents attack the doctrines of Mahayana, and provisional Mahayana believers denounce the true Mahayana teachings. East is mistaken for west, and heaven and earth are turned upside down. The great bodhisattvas of the theoretical teaching are gone, and all the gods have deserted the country and no longer lend it protection. At this very time the Bodhisattvas of the Earth appear in the world to give the medicine of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo to the ignorant people of the Latter Day. This is what Miao-lo means when he states: "Even if they revile the true teaching and fall into the evil paths, they create the causes for eventual attainment of Buddhahood."69 You who are my disciples, take this to heart! The Bodhisattvas of the Earth were the first disciples of Lord Shakyamuni when he attained enlightenment in the remotest past, yet they were not faithful to him in India. They did not come to Buddh Gaya after he attained enlightenment, nor did they come to the Sala grove when he entered nirvana. They also failed to appear when the Buddha preached the first fourteen chapters of the Lotus Sutra, and they left the assembly when he preached the last six chapters. They only attended the Buddha when he expounded the first eight chapters of the essential teaching. Since such noble bodhisattvas received the Mystic Law and made a solemn oath to Shakyamuni Buddha, Taho Buddha, and all the other Buddhas, is it possible that they will not appear now at the beginning of the Latter Day of the Law? Know this: In the time for shakubuku the Four Bodhisattvas appear as wise kings who rebuke and convert evil kings, and in the time for shoju they appear as priests to protect and spread true Buddhism. Question: Does the Buddha predict their coming in the
Latter Day? This declaration conveys his regret that he was not born in the right time for propagation. Born in Japan, he foresaw the beginning of the Latter Day of the Law, saying, "The propagation of the true teaching will begin in the age when the Middle Day of the Law ends and the Latter Day opens, in a land to the east of T'ang and to the west of Katsu,73 among people stained by the five impurities who live in a time of conflict. The sutra says: 'Since hatred and jealousy abound even during the lifetime of the Buddha, how much worse will it be in the world after his passing?' There is good reason for this statement."74 "Conflict" refers to the present internal strife and imminent invasion from the western sea. Now is when the Bodhisattvas of the Earth will appear in this country and establish the supreme object of worship on the earth which depicts Shakyamuni Buddha of the essential teaching attending the true Buddha. This object of worship has never appeared in India or China. Its time had not come when Prince Shotoku75 in Japan constructed Shitenno-ji temple, so he could only make a statue of Amida, a Buddha in another world, as the object of worship. When Emperor Shomu76 erected Todai-ji temple, he made a statue of Vairochana Buddha as the object of worship but could not manifest the true meaning of the Lotus Sutra. The Great Teacher Dengyo almost revealed the truth of the sutra, but because the time had not yet come, he constructed a statue of Yakushi Buddha who dwells in an eastern realm of the universe, but he did not represent the Four Bodhisattvas of the Earth in any form. Thus, the revelation of the true object of worship has been entrusted only to the Bodhisattvas of the Earth. They have been waiting for the right time to emerge from the earth and carry out the Lord Buddha's command. They did not appear in the Former or Middle Day. But if they did not appear in the Latter Day of the Law, their vows would be outright lies, and the prophecies of Shakyamuni, Taho, and the other Buddhas would be no more than froth on the waters. We have recently experienced earthquakes, comets and other calamities such as never occurred in the Former or Middle Day. These signs could not be caused by garudas, ashuras or dragons; they must foretell the appearance of the Four Great Bodhisattvas. T'ien-t'ai states: "By observing the fury of the rain we can tell the greatness of the dragon that caused it, and by observing the flourishing of the lotus flowers we can tell the depth of the pond they grow in."77 Miao-lo says: "Wise men can see omens and what they foretell, as snakes know the way of snakes."78 When the skies are clear, the ground is illuminated. Similarly, when one knows the Lotus Sutra, he understands the meaning of all worldly affairs. Showing profound compassion for those ignorant of the gem of ichinen sanzen, the True Buddha wrapped it within the single phrase Nam- myoho-renge-kyo, with which he then adorned the necks of those living in the Latter Day. The four Great Bodhisattvas will protect anyone who embraces the Mystic Law as faithfully as T'ai-kung and the Duke of Chou protected King Wen, and as devotedly as the four white-haired elders served Emperor Hui.79
The twenty-fifth day of the fourth month in the tenthyear of Bun'ei (1273)
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Pravi predmet poštovanja- Kanđin no Honzon Šo -prvi deo | drugi deo Prevodioci novih verzija sutri saznali su za Tjen-tajevo učenje o ičinen sanzenu kada su se vratili u Kinu. Kada su preveli sanskritske sutre na kineski, neki su stavili Tjen-tajev princip u svoje prevode, a drugi su tvrdili da su ga originali koje su bili vratili iz Indije već sadržavali. Neki od učenjaka Tjen-tajeve sekte behu jednostavno zadovoljni da su druge sekte izložile istu doktrinu kao i njihova što je, dok su drugi hvalili indijski budizam i ignorisali ovaj kineski, ili odbacili izvorne doktrine i usvojili nove. Ovi su se učenjaci pokorili svojoj đavolskoj prirodi i gluposti. Međutim, bez ičinen sanzena, semena prosvetljenja, bića koja osećaju ne mogu dostići prosvetljenje, a bilo koja statua ili slika bili bi predmet poštovanja samo po imenu.
Pitanje: Nisi još uvek potpuno odgovorio na moje
pitanje o uzajamnom posedovanju Deset Svetova.
Uz puno razumevanje Šakjamunijevih učenja, četiri velika čoveka rekoše: "Zadobili smo vrhunsku kitu dragulja kada smo se najmanje nadali." Oni predstavljaju svet Učenja koji je u nama samima. Hoben poglavlje kaže: "Na početku sam sam se zavetovao da sve ljude učinim potpuno jednakim sa mnom, bez ikakve razlike između nas. Do sada je izvorni zavet koji sam položio već bio ispunjen. Vodio sam sve ljude stazom budastva." Prosvetljeni život Šakjamuni Bude je naše vlastito meso i krv. Njegove prakse i posledične vrline su naše kosti i srž. Poglavlje jedanaest Lotos sutre kaže: "Oni koji izaberu da štite ovu sutru služe Taho Budi i meni... Takođe služe svim drugim budama koji čine sve svetove slavnim i dostojanstvenim." Šakjamuni, Taho i sve druge bude iz deset pravaca predstavljaju svet budastva u nama. Istražujući ih u nama samima, možemo steći dobrobiti Šakjamunija, Tahoa i svih drugih buda. To je ono što se misli sledećim odeljkom u desetom poglavlju: "Ako neko čuje Zakon čak i za jedan jedini trenutak, bićesposoban da dostigne savršeno prosvetljenje." U Đurjo poglavlju piše: "Vreme je neograničeno i neomeđeno - stotinu, hiljadu, deset hiljada, sto hiljada najuta eona - otkako sam zapravo dostigao budastvo." Prisutan u našim životima je Gospodar Šakjamuni koji je stekao tri prosvetljena svojstva života pre gohjaku đintengo-a, izvorni buda od vremena bez početka. Đurjo poglavlje iznosi: "Jednom sam i ja praktikovao bodisatvičke asketske prakse i život koji sam tada stekao tek će biti iscrpljen. Moj će život trajati još dvaput toliko eona od sada." Govorio je o svetu bodisatve u nama. Bodisatve Zemlje su sledbenici Gospodara Šakjamunija u našim životima. Oni slede Budu baš kao što su Tai-kung45 i Tan, Vojvoda od Čoua služili kao ministri kralju Vuu Čou dinastije a kasnije pomagali njegovog sina,46 i naslednika, mladog kralja Čenga; ili baš kao što je Takešiuči47 služio kraljici Đingu i kasnije njenom unuku prestolonasledniku Nintokuu kao visoko cenjeni ministar. Bodisatve Đogjo, Muhengjo, Đjogjo i Anrjugjo predstavljaju svet bodisatve u našim životima. Veliki Učitelj Miao-lo objavljuje: "Treba da shvatiš da su naš život i njegovo okruženje entitet ičinen sanzena. Kada dostignemo budastvo, u skladu s tim principom, naš život prožima ceo univerzum i fizički i spiritualno."48 U Kegon sutri, Šakjamuni je otkrio svet u lotosovom cvetu u Buddh Gaya-i gde je dostigao prosvetljenje. Više of pedeset godina, sve dok nije umro u gaju Sala, Šakjamuni Buda je propovedao Čistu Zemlju Dainiči Bude, u Mitsugon sutri, tri puta je pročistio bezbrojne zemlje univerzuma kada je propovedao teoretsko učenje Lotos sutre, a razjasnio je četiri vrste zemalja49 u Nirvana sutri - Zemlju Prosvetljenih i Neprosvetljenih Bića isto kao i Zemlju Promene, Stvarne Nagrade i Večnog Svetla. Sve ove zemlje kao Čista Zemlja Amida Bude i Smaragdna Zemlja Jakuši Bude u stalnom su toku - rastu, periodima stabilnosti, opadanja i ku. Kada Gospodar Buda Šakjamuni stupi u nirvanu, sve druge bude i njihove zemlje se upokoje s njim. Saha svet koji je Šakjamuni obelodanio u Đurjo poglavlju, večna je čista zemlja, nepristupačna za tri nesreće i četiri ciklusa promene. U tom je svetu Buda večan, transcendirajući rođenje i smrt, a njegovi učenici su takođe večni. Eto zašto su tri hiljade svetova ili tri oblasti egzistencije u našim vlastitim životima. Buda nije obelodanio ovu istinu u prvih četrnaest poglavlja Lotos sutre, jer nije bilo pravo vreme i nije našao da su njegovi učenici još sposobni da shvate istinu. Šakjamuni Buda nije preneo Nam-mjoho-renge-kjo, srž suštinskog učenja Lotos sutre, čak ni bodisatvama Monđuu i Jakuou, a kamoli nekom manjem bodisatvi. Preneo ga je samo Bodisatvama Zemlje, sazvavši ih i propovedajući osam sržnih poglavlja - od petnaestog do dvadeset drugog - Lotos sutre. Pravi predmet obožavanja/poštovanja opisan je u ceremoniji transmisije na sledeći način: U vazduhu iznad saha sveta [koji je Buda suštinskog učenja identifikovao kao čistu i večnu zemlju], Nam-mjoho-renge-kjo se pojavljuje u centru Tvrđave S Blagom, uz Šakjamuni i Taho Bude sedeći s desna i leva, i Četiri Bodisatve Zemlje, predvođene Đogjoom, bočno od njih. Oko njih su Monđu, Miroku i drugi sledbenici Četiri Bodisatvi. Sve druge bodisatve, bez obzira da li su učenici Bude teoretskog učenja ili Budâ drugih svetova, zauzimaju svoja mesta dalje ispod, kao običan svet klečeći na zemlji u prisustvu plemstva i visokih ministara. Sve bude koje su se okupile iz drugih svetova iz deset pravaca univerzuma ostaju na zemlji, pokazujući da su samo manifestacije večnog bude i da su njihove zemlje prolazne, a ne večne i nepromenljive. Tokom svih pedeset godina Šakjamunijevog podučavanja, samo je poslednjih osam godina propovedao dvadeset osam poglavlja Lotos sutre. Opet, od svih tih poglavlja, samo u osam vitalnih je otkrio i preneo predmet poštovanja/obožavanja Bodisatvama Zemlje.50 Tokom dva milenijuma Ranijih i Srednjih Dana Zakona, izrađivane su statue pokazujući Mahakašjapu i Anandu bočno od Bude koji je propovedao Hinajanu, i Monđua i Fugena bočno od Bude koji je propovedao provizornu Mahajanu, Nirvana sutru i teoretska učenja Lotos sutre. I mada su izrađivane statue i slike Šakjamuni Bude tokom dva milenijuma, nijedna slika niti statua Bude Đurjo poglavlja nije izrađena.51 Jedino u Potonjem Danu Zakona će se pojaviti prikazivanje tog Bude.
Pitanje: Tokom dva milenijuma Prethodnih i Srednjih Dana Zakona, velike bodisatve i učitelji su crtali slike Šakjamuni Bude kako propoveda Hinajanu, provizornu Mahajanu ili teoretska učenja Lotos sutre i gradili su im hramove. Međutim, niko u Indiji, Kini i Japanu, ni njihovi kraljevi ni podanici, nisu poštovali predmet poštovanja/obožavanja otkriven u Đurjo poglavlju suštinskog učenja. Mada mislim da shvatam uopšte ono što govoriš, nikada nisam čuo tako nešto ranije i stoga to nalazim iznenađujuće za svoje uši i zbunjujuće za svoj um. Da li bi mi objasnio to detaljnije? Možemo podeliti deset tomova Murjogi sutre, Lotos sutru i Fugen sutru na dva dela: teoretski i suštinski.53 U teoretskom učenju priprema ukazuje na Murjogi sutru i prvo poglavlje Lotos sutre, otkrivanje je od Hoben (drugog) poglavlja do Ninki (devetog) poglavlja, a transmisija uključuje deo od desetog do četrnaestog poglavlja. Buda teoretskog učenja objavio je da prvo dostigao budastvo u ovom životu. Otkrio je hiljadu svetova i deset hiljada faktora inherentnih životu, mada nije išao na to da izlaže njihovu večnu prirodu. Pošto teoretsko učenje Lotos sutre otkriva tako deo Budinog vlastitog prosvetljenja, ono nadmašuje sve druge sutre i teško je verovati u njega i teško ga je razumeti. U ovome, prvi odnos između Šakjamuni Bude i njegovih učenika može biti praćen unazad do vremena kada je bio šesnaesti sin Daitsu Bude. U to vreme prvi je usadio seme budastva u njihove živote. Za života Šakjamunija samo je nekoliko njih moglo otkriti to seme kada je čulo Kegon sutru i druga učenja prva četiri perioda. To međutim nije bila Budina prava namera. Njihovo otkriće posredstvom tih učenja bilo je retko kao i izlečenje nek bolesti otrovom. Obični smrtnici i ljudi dvaju vozila vođeni su postupno do Lotos sutre posredstvom učenja iz prva četiri perioda. Onda su otkrili seme budastva u sebi i mogli da steknu plod prosvetljenja. Bilo je onih iz sveta Ljudi i Neba koji su poverovali u osam poglavlja po prvi put u Šakjamunijevim danima. Neki su položili seme u svoje živote slušajući jednu jedinu frazu ili stih iz tih osam poglavlja. Drugi su gajili i požnjeli seme koje su primili, a neki drugi su stekli plod prosvetljenja kada su došli do Fugen i Nirvana sutri. Beše takođe nekih koji su stekli isti plod posredstvom hinajana i provizornih mahajana učenja kada su se kasnije pojavila u Ranijim, Srednjim i Potonjim Danima Zakona. Ovi poslednji su kao učenici iz doba Šakjamunijevog života koji su otkrili seme budastva posredstvom učenja prva četiri perioda. Priprema, otkrivanje i transmisija su takođe predstavljeni u suštinskom učenju Lotos sutre, naročito u poslednjih četrnaest poglavlja. Priprema je prva polovina Juđutsu (petnaestog) poglavlja. Otkrivanje uključuje drugu polovinu tog poglavlja, Đurjo poglavlje, i prvu polovinu Funbetsu Kudoku (sedamnaestog) poglavlja - jedno poglavlje i dve polovine. Transmisija uključuje ostatak. Buda suštinskog učenja je porekao da je prvo postigao budastvo u ovom životu. Razlika između teoretskog i suštinskog učenja je velika kao ona između neba i zemlje.
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Footnotes: • Napomene:
44. Hokke Gengi, vol. 8. • Hoke Gengi, tom 8.
45. T'ai-kung: When Emperor Wu of the Chou dynasty battled with Emperor Chou
of the Yin dynasty, T'ai-kung, as a supreme commander, defeated the army of Yin. • T'ai-kung:
kada se car Vu dinastije Čou borio protiv cara Čoua dinastije Jin, T'ai-kung kao vrhovni
komandant, porazio je vojsku Jina.
46. Tan, the Duke of Chou: The younger brother of Emperor Wu. After Wu's
death, Ch'eng, Emperor Wu's son, was still a child, so Tan administered the affairs of
state for him as a regent. • Tan, vojvoda od Čoua: mlađi brat cara Vua. Posle Vuove smrti,
Č'eng,sin cara Vua, bio je još uvek dete, tako da je Tan vodio državne poslove umesto
njega kao namesnik.
47. Takeshiuchi: A general and statesman of the Yamato era (300-710) who
appears in the ancient chronicles of Japan. He is said to have served five emperors, but a
lack of documents makes it difficult to distinguish fact from legends. • Takešiuči: general i
državnik iz Jamato perioda (300-710) koji se pojavljuje u starim japanskim hronikama. Kažu
da je služio pet careva, ali nedostatak dokumenata otežava razdvajanje činjenica od legendi.
48. Guketsu, vol. 5. • Guketsu, tom 5.
49. Four kinds of lands: 1) The land where common mortals of the six lower
worlds (from Hell to Rapture) live together with the people of the four noble worlds (from
Learning to Buddhahood). 2) The land where men of Learning and Realization live. 3) The
land where bodhisattvas live. 4) The Buddha's land. Respectively, these are called the
Land of Enlightened and Unenlightened Beings, the Land of Transition, the Land of Actual
Reward, and the Land of Eternal Light. • Četiri vrste zemlje: 1) Zemlja u kojoj obični smrtnici
šest nižih svetova (od Pakla do Ushićenja) žive zajedno sa ljudima četiri plemenita sveta
(od Učenja do Budastva). 2) Zemlja gde žive ljudi Učenja i Shvatanja. 3) Zemlja gde žive
bodisatve. 4) Budina zemlja. Po redosledu, ove se zemlje zovu: Zemlja Prosvetljenih i
Neprosvetljenih Bića, Zemlja Promena, Zemlja Pravog Priznanja i Zemlja Večnog Svetla.
50. The wording of the original has been expanded for clarity. • Način izražavanja u
originalu je proširen radi jasnosti.
51. Buddha of the Juryo chapter: In this case, Nam-myoho-renge-kyo in the
depths of the Juryo Chapter is indicated. Accordingly, the Buddha of the Juryo chapter
means the true Buddha. • Buda poglavlja Đurjo: U ovom slučaju, ukazano je na
Nam-mjoho-renge-kjo u dubinama poglavlja Đurjo. Prema tome, Buda poglavlja Đurjo
znači pravi Buda.
52. Preparation, revelation and transmission: Preparation indicates the
teaching which prepares the way for revelation of the truth. The second, revelation, is
the main part -- the truth itself. The last, transmission, is the part which urges that
the truth be transmitted to the future. • Priprema, otkrovenje i transmisija: priprema
označava učenje koje priprema put za otkrivanje istine. Ovo drugo, otkrovenje, glavni je
deo - istina sama. Ovo poslednje, transmisija, deo je koji podstiče da se istina prenese
budućim pokoljenjima.
53. Theoretical and essential: The terms, "theoretical teaching"
and "essential teaching," are generally used to mean respectively the first and
second halves of the twenty-eight chapters of the Lotus Sutra. In order to clarify the
true purpose of the Buddha's advent, however, the Daishonin here analyzes the threefold
Lotus Sutra which includes the Muryogi Sutra, the Lotus Sutra and the Fugen Sutra.
Therefore, the "theoretical teachings" are the first half of the threefold Lotus
Sutra (up to the fourteenth chapter) and the "essential teachings" are the
latter half. • Teorijsko i esencijalno: izrazi "teorijsko učenje" i "esencijalno učenje" se koriste
uopšte da označe prvu i drugu polovinu dvadeset osam poglavlja Lotos sutre. U cilju da
razjasni pravu svrhu Budinog pojavljivanja, međutim, Dajšonin ovde analizira trostruku
Lotos sutru koja uključuje Murjogi sutru, Lotos sutru i Fugen sutru. Prema tome, "teorijska
učenja" su prva polovina trostruke Lotos sutre (do zaključno četrnaestog poglavlja), a
"esencijalna učenja" su potonja polovina.
54. Togaku and myokaku: T'ien-t'ai classified the bodhisattva practice into
fifty-two stages. Togaku corresponds to the fifty-first stage that is, the highest state
of a bodhisattva. Myokaku is the last stage -- Buddhahood. • Togaku i mjokaku:
Tjen-tai je klasifikovao bodisatvičku praksu u pedeset dva stadijuma. Togaku odgovara
pedeset prvom stadijumu, to jest najvišem stanju bodisatve. Mjokaku je poslednji
stadijum - budastvo.
55. The preceding five chapters: The Hosshi (10th), Hoto (11th), Devadatta
(12th), Kanji (13th) and Anrakugyo (14th) chapters. • Prethodnih pet poglavlja: Hosši
(10.), Hoto (11.), Devadata (12.) Kanđi (13.) i poglavlje Anrakugjo (14.)
56. Four groups of believers: Priests, nuns, laymen and laywomen. • Četiri grupe vernika:
sveštenici, kaluđerice, laici i laikinje.
57. Lotus Sutra, chap. 13. • Lotos sutra, pogl. 13.
58. Tao-hsien: Little is known of him other than that he was a priest of the
T'ien- t'ai sect in China during the T'ang dynasty. His Fusho Ki is a ten volume
annotation of Miao-lo's Hokke Mongu Ki. • Tao-hsien: malo se zna o njemu, osim da je
bio sveštenik Tjen-tai sekte u Kini tokom dinastije T'ang. Njegova Fušo Ki je zabeleška
o Miao-loovoj Hoke Mongu Ki, u deset tomova.
59. Hokke Mongu, vol. 10. • Hoke Mongu, tom 10.
60. Fusho Ki, vol. 6 • Fušo Ki, tom 6.
61. Fudo Buddha: Fudo literally means immobile. This Buddha is described in
the Kegon Sutra. • Fudo Buda: fudo doslovno znači "nepokretan". Ovaj je buda opisan
u Kegon sutri.
62. Nichigatsu Jomyotoku Buddha: A Buddha described in the Yakuo (23rd)
chapter of the Lotus Sutra. When Bodhisattva Yakuo practiced austerities in a previous
existence, this Buddha expounded the Lotus Sutra. • Ničigatsu Đomjotoku Buda: buda
opisan u poglavlju Jakuo (23.) Lotos sutre. Kada je Bodisatva Jakuo praktikovao
asketske prakse u prethodnoj egzistenciji, ovaj buda je izložio Lotos sutru.
63. Hoi Buddha: A Buddha described in the Fugen (28th) chapter of the Lotus
Sutra. According to the sutra, Bodhisattva Fugen came to the ceremony of the Lotus Sutra
from Hoi Buddha's land in the eastern part of the universe . • Hoi Buda: buda opisan u
poglavlju Fugen (28.) Lotos sutre. Prema ovoj sutri, Bodisatva Fugen je došao na
ceremoniju Lotos sutre iz zemlje Hoi Bude iz istočnog dela univerzuma.
64. Lion king thrones: A Buddha is compared to the lion king. Therefore, a
Buddha's place of preaching is called a lion king throne. • Prestoli lava kralja: buda se
poredi sa kraljevskim lavom. Prema tome, budino mesto sa koga propoveda se zove
presto lava kralja.
65. Hokke Mongu, vol. 10. • Hoke Mongu, tom 10.
66. Hokke Shuku. • Hoke Šuku.
67. The Buddha ordered that the Treasure Tower of Taho Buddha return to its
original place: This describes the conclusion of the Ceremony in the Air which started in
the Hoto (11th) chapter. • Buda je naredio da se Tvrđava s Blagom vrati na svoje
izvorno mesto: ovo opisuje kraj Ceremonije u Vazduhu koja je počela u poglavlju
Hoto (11.).
68. Slander me, as in the Latter Day of Ionno Buddha: Ionno Buddha is
described in the Fukyo (20th) chapter of the Lotus Sutra. See also Fukyo in the Glossary. • Kleveta
me, kao u Potonjem Danu Iono Bude: Iono Buda je opisan u poglavlju Fukjo (20.)
Lotos sutre. Vidi takođe "Fukjo" u Rečniku.
69. Hokke Mongu Ki, vol. 10. • Hoke Mongu, tom 10.
70. Hokke Mongu, vol. 1. • Hoke Mongu, tom 1.
71. Hokke Mongu Ki, vol. 1. • Hoke Mongu, tom 1.
72. Shugo Kokkai Sho. • Šugo Kokai Šo.
73. T'ang and Katsu: "T'ang dynasty" (618-907) was often shortened
and used as a name for China. Katsu was an ancient kingdom extending from Siberia to
Kamchatka. "East of T'ang and west of Katsu" indicates Japan according to old
maps. • T'ang i Katsu: "T'ang dinastija" (618-907) se često koristi u skračenom obliku i
koristi se kao ime za Kinu. Katsu je bilo jedno staro kraljevstvo koje se pružalo od
Siberije do Kamčatke. "Istočno od T'anga i zapadno od Katsua" označava Japan,
prema starim mapama.
74. Hokke Shuku. • Hoke Šuku.
75. Shotoku (574-622): The second son of the thirty-first emperor, Yomei,
famous for his application of the spirit of Buddhism to government. • Šotoku
(574-622): drugi sin trideset prvog cara, Jomeija, slavnog zbog svoje primene duha
budizma u vladi.
76. Shomu (701-622): The forty-fifth emperor of Japan. He embraced Buddhism
in order to safeguard the country, and built national temples (Kokubun-ji) in each
province of Japan as well as Todai-ji temple in Nara, the head temple of all these
national temples. • Šomu (701-622): četrdeset peti car Japana. Prihvatio je budizam
u cilju da zaštiti zemlju i izgradio je nacionalne hramove (Kokubun-đi) u u svakoj
japanskoj provinciji kao i Todai-đi hram u Nari, glavni hram svih tih nacionalnih
hramova.
77. Hokke Mongu, vol. 9. • Hoke Mongu, tom 9.
78. Hokke Mongu Ki, vol. 9. • Hoke Mongu Ki, tom 9.
79. Four white-haired elders served Emperor Hui: When Emperor Liu Pang (256-
195 B.C.) tried to disown Hui, the latter asked for elder citizens to become his advisors.
On seeing these four elders, Emperor Liu Pang was so impressed by their dignity that he
finally accepted Hui as his successor. • Četiri sedokose starešine služile su cara Huia:
kada je car Liu Pang (256-195 p.n.e.) pokušao da ne prizna Huia, ovaj je potonji
potražio starije građane da postanu njegovi savetnici. Kada je video ove četiri
starešine, car Liu Pang je bio toliko impresioniran njihovim dostojanstvom da je konačno
prihvatio Huia kao svog naslednika.
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