Discussion
Meeting Gosho for April 2018
Key Points for Sharing
On the Buddha’s Prophecy
The Great Teacher Dengyo says: "Shakyamuni taught that the
shallow is easy to embrace, but the profound is difficult. To discard the
shallow and seek the profound is the way of a person of courage. The Great
Teacher T'ien-t'ai trusted and obeyed Shakyamuni and worked to uphold the
Lotus school, spreading its teachings throughout China. We of Mount Hiei
inherited the doctrine from T'ien-t'ai and work to uphold the Lotus school
and to disseminate its teachings throughout Japan." I, Nichiren of Awa
Province, have doubtless inherited the teachings of the Law from these three
teachers, and in this era of the Latter Day I work to uphold the Lotus school
and disseminate the Law. Together we should be called the four teachers of
the three countries.
(The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin Vol 1, p 402)
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The following key points are to be shared upon understanding
and explaining the “Background and Explanation” published in the April 2018
issue of Creative Life. (Included in handout)
Key Points
1.
The Lotus
Sutra is a teaching that focus on one’s own inner transformation and
self-development
2. One who remains
undefeated by hardships is a Bodhisattva and a Buddha
3. One who vows to
lead all people to happiness is a legitimate successor who inherits the
legacy of Buddhism
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1. The Lotus Sutra is a teaching that focus on
one’s own inner transformation and self-development
At the beginning of this Gosho passage, Nichiren Daishonin quotes the
words of the Great Teacher Dengyo.
. In a nutshell, these words of Dengyo reveal that one who propagates the profound teachings of the Lotus Sutra instead of the shallow provisional teachings is a true disciple of the Buddha.
. In a nutshell, these words of Dengyo reveal that one who propagates the profound teachings of the Lotus Sutra instead of the shallow provisional teachings is a true disciple of the Buddha.
.
Why is this so? This is because all provisional teachings other than the
Lotus Sutra teaches that a Buddha is a special being and that living beings
have to wait for this transcendental being to save them from their sufferings.
.
The Lotus Sutra, on the other hand, teaches that all living beings
possess Buddhahood within their lives.
. Building on this concept, the Lotus Sutra further expounds the principles of the oneness of body and mind,
oneness of life and environment and
the doctrine of three thousand realms in the single moment of life.
. By expounding these principles, the Lotus Sutra teaches that by practicing its teachings, every individual can tap into their inherent potential, thereby bringing about an inner transformation within one’s life and achieving great growth as a human being.
. This inner transformation in the life of one single individual will in turn bring about a great transformation in his or her surroundings.
. This is what the Lotus Sutra teaches.
. Building on this concept, the Lotus Sutra further expounds the principles of the oneness of body and mind,
oneness of life and environment and
the doctrine of three thousand realms in the single moment of life.
. By expounding these principles, the Lotus Sutra teaches that by practicing its teachings, every individual can tap into their inherent potential, thereby bringing about an inner transformation within one’s life and achieving great growth as a human being.
. This inner transformation in the life of one single individual will in turn bring about a great transformation in his or her surroundings.
. This is what the Lotus Sutra teaches.
** As such, what is most important here is to bring about this inner
transformation within one’s life. It is to develop and change one’s life.
. This is where everything begins.
.
Without this inner change in one’s life, the doctrine of the three thousand realms in a single moment of life cannot stand.
. This is where everything begins.
.
Without this inner change in one’s life, the doctrine of the three thousand realms in a single moment of life cannot stand.
.
.
.
2. One who remains undefeated by hardships is a
Bodhisattva and a Buddha
**
“A
person of courage” is one who is an outstanding individual who is self-reliant.
Such a person is a Bodhisattva, and a Buddha.
.
The Lotus Sutra expounds that a Bodhisattva is one who is undaunted in the face of hardships. He or she remains undefeated no matter what happens.
. Shakyamuni Buddha encountered numerous persecutions. So did the Great Teachers T’ien-t’ai and Dengyo.
The Lotus Sutra expounds that a Bodhisattva is one who is undaunted in the face of hardships. He or she remains undefeated no matter what happens.
. Shakyamuni Buddha encountered numerous persecutions. So did the Great Teachers T’ien-t’ai and Dengyo.
.
The Great Teacher T’ien-t’ai was abused by
the priests during his time who claimed that he is slandering the teachings of
the Buddha and that he is an insane person.
.
.
The Great Teacher
Dengyo was also criticized by the priests during his time. These priests spread
rumours that “there is a priest who is cunningly manipulating words and this
priest is actually a monster in disguise who is trying to deceive the world.”
.
.
Despite being subjected to such slanders and
criticism, both T’ien-t’ai and Dengyo remained undaunted and continued to
preach the Lotus Sutra.
**
**
Furthermore, "One
Who Can Forbear" is another name for Buddha. This means that one who
remains undefeated in the face of obstacles without becoming disheartened and
fights on no matter what happens is a Buddha.
.
3. One who vows to lead all people to happiness
is a legitimate successor who inherits the legacy of Buddhism
.
Nichiren Daishonin also persevered through numerous persecutions while spreading the great teaching of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo.
.
Nichiren Daishonin also persevered through numerous persecutions while spreading the great teaching of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo.
.
The
“three countries” in the term “four teachers of three countries” refer to
India, China and Japan while the “four teachers” refer to Shakyamuni Buddha,
the Great Teachers T’ien-t’ai and Dengyo and Nichiren Daishonin.
.
.
The
legacy of Buddhism is found in correctly inheriting the fundamental aspiration to
realize the happiness of all people.
.
.
In
order to lead all people living in the evil age of the Latter Day rife with
negativities and impurities, the Daishonin expounded the teaching of
Nam-myoho-renge-kyo and established the practice of chanting daimoku
. ... to enable all living beings to attain Buddhahood just as they are, in their present form, thereby opening the great path of happiness for all people.
.
. ... to enable all living beings to attain Buddhahood just as they are, in their present form, thereby opening the great path of happiness for all people.
.
Ikeda
Sensei explains this point in this manner:
Established
in the lineage of the “four teachers of the three countries,” the Soka Gakkai
is the sole organization dedicated to accomplishing the Buddha’s decree and
actually spreading the teachings of the true “Lotus school” throughout the
world.
. It is a noble community of practitioners that continues to call forth countless Bodhisattvas of the Earth around the globe and advance dauntlessly toward peace, into the eternal future.
.
Mr Toda
cried out: “Let us lead the way to kosen-rufu!” And he proclaimed: “The Soka
Gakkai is the king of the religious world!”
.
Together
with all of you who have joined me in this struggle, I declare with great
pride: “We are the ones who are fulfilling the prophecy of the Buddha of the
Latter Day of the Law.”
.
From “Learning from the
Gosho: The Hope-filled Writings of Nichiren Daishonin [5]”
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.
As successors who have inherited the legacy
of Nichiren Buddhism, let’s courageously exert ourselves in sharing Buddhism
with others as we advance kosen-rufu together.
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