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http://www.UrbanDharma.org
...Buddhism for Urban America
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The
Urban Dharma Newsletter...
October 28, 2003
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In
This Issue: Special Issue - The
Nichiren Shu
1.
Nichiren Shonin (1222-1282)
...by Ryuei Michael McCormick
2.
My Letter to Nichiren ...by Ryuei Michael McCormick
3. Temple/Center/Website- of the Week:
Nichiren-Shu.org
4.
Book/CD/Movie Review: None
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1.
Nichiren Shonin (1222-1282) ...by Ryuei Michael McCormick
http://campross.crosswinds.net/Ryuei/NichirensBio.html
Part
1: Childhood and Early Studies
Nichiren
Shonin is the founder of Nichiren Buddhism. He was born on February
16, 1222 in the fishing village of Kominato in the Japanese
Province of Awa, which is Chiba Prefecture today. His father's
name was Nukina Jiro Shigetada, and he may have been a minor
functionary working for the nearby manor house. His mother's
name was Umegiku. Little is known of his parents, though Nichiren
Shonin later claimed that he was the son of a humble fisherman.
Nichiren Shonin's childhood name was Zen-nichi-maro.
At
the age of 11, Nichiren Shonin's bright and questioning mind
attracted the attention of the lady of the local manor for whom
his father worked. Her patronage enabled him to enter the local
Seichoji Temple (also called Kiyosumidera), where he could receive
an education and begin his quest for his many questions about
life. There, he was given the name Yaku-o-maro. Upon entering
the temple, Nichiren Shonin prayed to Akashagarbha Bodhisattva
(Kokuzo Bosatsu) to become the wisest person in Japan so that
he could discover the true intention of Shakyamuni Buddha's
teachings. Specifically, he wanted to know why the people who
put their faith in Nembutsu were still suffering and even undergoing
terrible and painful deaths; he wanted to know why the emperor
had been defeated by the shogunate in 1221 even though the god
Hachiman had vowed to support the imperial family until the
100th emperor; and he wanted to know which sect upheld the true
teaching of the Buddha.
At
the age of 15 Nichiren Shonin was ordained as a priest. His
master was Dozen-bo, to whom he would always feel a debt of
gratitude. He was given the name Zesho-bo Rencho at this time.
The following year he journeyed to Kamakura, the capital city
of the shogunate, to continue his studies there until age 20.
For
many years, Nichiren Shonin traveled all over Japan, visiting
all the great temples and monasteries of his day in order to
further his training. In these places, Nichiren Shonin acquired
a first hand experience of all the forms of Buddhism practiced
in Japan, including Shingon esotericism, Zen meditation, Pure
Land piety, and the strict discipline of the Vinaya or monastic
precepts. More importantly, he studied the sutras in order to
see for himself what Shakyamuni Buddha actually taught. He was
also able to study at Enryakuji Temple at Mt. Hiei, the head
temple of the Tendai school, from age 20 until 31. After many
years of study, Nichiren Shonin found that the Lotus Sutra was
the culmination of Shakyamuni Buddha's teachings wherein the
ultimate truth of Buddhism is clearly expounded.
Part
2: Establishment of Nichiren Buddhism
At
the age of 31, Nichiren Shonin returned to Seichoji Temple.
On the morning of April 28, 1253, he faced the rising sun at
the top of Mt. Kiyosumi and chanted Namu Myoho Renge Kyo, thus
initiating his mission to spread the Wonderful Dharma. He also
gave himself the name he is known by today - Nichiren. The name
means "Sun Lotus," and refers to the light of the
sun which dispels darkenss and the purity of the lotus flower
which blooms in swamps, untouched by the dirty water around
it. Both images figure prominently in the Lotus Sutra - these
were the qualities that Nichiren Shonin wished to embody. "Shonin"
is a title of respect which means "Revered Priest."
At
noon on that day, Nichiren Shonin gave his first sermon to commemorate
the completion of his studies to his old master and fellow monks.
In that sermon he shocked his audience by criticizing the popular
form of Buddhism known as Pure Land. The Pure Land movement
taught that buddhahood could only be attained after death in
a heavenly pure land by chanting the name of the Buddha of Infinite
Light. In place of this practice, Nichiren Shonin taught the
practice of chanting the "Great Title" (Odaimoku)
of the Lotus Sutra, which is Namu Myoho Renge Kyo. He taught
the Odaimoku as a practical and accessible way in which all
people can realize the deepest truths of Buddhism. Just as the
name of a country can bring to mind all the characteristics
of that country, the title of the Lotus Sutra embodies all the
merits and virtues of the Buddha expounded in the sutra. Nichiren
Shonin taught that by chanting the Odaimoku, we can directly
receive the ultiamte truth of the Lotus Sutra from the Eternal
Shakyamuni Buddha and attain buddhahood within our lifetime.
This occasion of Nichiren Shonin's first sermon is commemorated
every April 28th as the Establishment of the Nichiren Order.
Nichiren
Shonin's first sermon immediately made enemies for him. The
local steward, Tojo Kagenobu, was a fervent practitioner of
Pure Land Buddhism. He considered Nichiren Shonin's sermon blasphemous
and sought to arrest him. His life in danger, Nichiren Shonin
fled to Kamakura. There he took up residence in a hut located
in a district of the city called Matsubagayatsu. From there,
he preached on streetcorners to the ordinary people: the peasants,
merchants, craftsmen, fishermen, and lower to middle ranking
samurai. On the streets of Kamakura, Nichiren Shonin first became
recognized as a great teacher and reformer, dedicated to relieving
the suffering of the common people. He offered them the essence
of the highest teachings of Buddhism in the form of the simple
yet profound practice of the Odaimoku so that they could attain
buddhahood. He also pointed out the errors of the elitist and
decadent schools and movements which were distorting the true
spirit of the Buddha Dharma.
Part
3: Rissho Ankoku Ron
From
1257 to 1259 many natural disasters struck Japan, including
earthquakes, typhoons, famine, and plague. In response to such
heart-rending suffering, Nichiren Shonin wrote one of his most
important works, the Rissho Ankoku-ron (Treatise on Spreading
Peace Throughout the Country by Establishing the True Dharma).
On July 16, 1260, Nichiren Shonin presented the Rissho Ankoku-ron
to Hojo Tokiyori, the retired regent who was the actual ruler
of the Kamakuran Shogunate. In this work, Nichiren Shonin argued
that the government should stop sponsoring the Pure Land teachings
and instead support those which upheld faith in the Lotus Sutra.
If it did not, Nichiren Shonin warned, Japan would be faced
with further disasters, but would especially be in danger from
civil war and foreign invasion. However, if Japan turned to
the Lotus Sutra, then peace and prosperity would be established.
There
are many things that must be kept in mind about these stern
admonitions to the government. The first is that the conditions
of one's life are reflections of one's inner life, and this
is just as true for a nation as it is for an individual. This
is why Nichiren Shonin insisted upon a positive faith in the
ability of ordinary people to attain buddhahood and transform
this world into a pure land as taught by the Lotus Sutra, rather
than to have a fatalistic attitude towards this life and to
only look forward to a happy life after death as taught by the
Pure Land movement. The second is that Nichiren Shonin's admonition
to the governement in the form of a treatise demanding the sponsorship
of the true teaching as opposed to deviant teachings was part
of a long tradition in East Asia that had roots all the way
back to the attempts of Confucius to reform the government of
his day. Nichiren Shonin was by no means the first or the only
one to have done this. The third is that Nichiren Shonin was
not advocating the persecution of other schools of Buddhism
or the establishment of a state religion. Rather, he was calling
for the shogunate to cease sponsoring harmful interpretations
of Buddhism and instead sponsor the teaching which was actually
in accord with what Shakyamuni Buddha taught in the sutras.
In any case, all religious institutions in Japan at that time
could only operate with the approval and/or the patronage of
the government. Finally, the Rissho Ankoku-ron was not a nationalistic
document arguing for the superiority of Japan, but was instead
a critique of the shogunate's management of religious affairs.
It was a document aimed at spiritual reform for the sake of
the Japanese people so that they could overcome their suffering
and ultimately have something of true value to share with the
rest of the world - the true teaching and practice of the Lotus
Sutra.
Part
4: The Four Major Persecutions
Nichiren
Shonin's efforts to promote reform were not only ignored, but
they aroused the resentment of the Buddhist establishment as
well as those in the shogunate who did not appreciate his criticisms
of their rule. On the night of August 27, 1260, an angry mob
burned down Nichiren Shonin's hut. Fortunately, he had been
alerted to the threat and escaped into the hills. For several
months, he stayed with supporters outside the city of Kamakura
where he continued to teach the Lotus Sutra. This occasion is
commemorated on August 27 as the Persecution at Matsubagayatsu,
the first of the four great persecutions which would befall
Nichiren Shonin.
Shortly
after returning to his restored residence in Kamakura, Nichiren
Shonin was arrested by the shogunate. On May 12, 1261, he was
sent into exile on a small rocky peninsula in Izu Province.
His enemies hoped that he would die of exposure to the elements.
Nichiren Shonin survived with the assistance of a local fisherman
and his wife. Later, the local steward also befriended him after
overcoming a serious illness with the help of Nichiren Shonin's
prayers. The steward not only provided for Nichiren Shonin,
but he also bestowed upon him a statue of Shakyamuni Buddha
that Nichiren Shonin kept with him until his death. Far from
feeling defeated, Nichiren Shonin felt that being exiled had
enabled him to live the Lotus Sutra with his whole being 24
hours a day. While others only read the sutra, Nichiren Shonin
was able to live in accord with its teachings, even at the risk
of his life. Nichiren Shonin also spent his exile reflecting
upon his mission. At that time, he realized that anyone who
teaches the Dharma must discern the differences in the teachings,
the capacity of the practitioners, the nature of the times,
the characteristics of the country, and the proper sequence
of the teaching. Nichiren Shonin taught these five standards
for propagation so that his disciples would know how to teach
the Dharma effectively. This second persecution is commemorated
on May 12 as the Izu Exile.
On
February 22, 1263, Nichiren Shonin was finally pardoned and
allowed to return to Kamakaura. He resumed his propagation of
the Lotus Sutra. Hearing that his mother had become ill and
was close to death (his father had already passed away), Nichiren
Shonin decided to take the risk of returning home to Awa Province,
where the local steward, Tojo Kagenobu, was still a deadly enemy.
Nichiren Shonin returned in August of 1264, and through his
prayers he enabled his mother to recover; she lived for four
more years. Afterwards, Nichiren Shonin and his disciples were
invited to the home of Kudo Yoshitaka, the Lord of Amatsu. On
the way, they were ambushed by Tojo Kagenobu and his men in
a place called Komatsubara, or the Pine Forest, on November
11, 1264. Hearing of the ambush, Kudo Yoshitaka rushed to the
rescue with his own forces. In the ensuing battle, both Kudo
Yoshitaka and Tojo Kagenobu recieved mortal wounds. Kyonin-bo,
one of Nichiren Shonin's disciples, was also killed, and two
others were seriously wounded. Nichiren Shonin himself barely
escaped with his life, having received a blow to the head. This
third persecution is commemorated on November 11 as the Komatsubara
Persecution.
Nichiren
Shonin remained in the countryside propagating and teaching
the Lotus Sutra for the next several years. He returned to Kamakura
in 1268, after Mongol envoys from Korea arrived in Japan demanding
tribute from the Japanese. The Mongols threatened to invade
Japan if they were not given satisfaction. The shogunate refused
to negotiate with the Mongols, who has already successfully
invaded China and Korea. It seemed as though invasion were imminent,
and, for the second time, Nichiren tried again to convince the
government to change its ways. He reminded the religious and
political establishment that this was exactly what he had predicted
eight years before in his Rissho Ankoku-ron. The shogunate was
not about to reform, however.
On
September 12, 1271, Nichiren Shonin was arrested as part of
the shogunate's effort to quell dissidents and present a united
front against the Mongol threat. At midnight, War Minister Nagasaki
Yoritsuna had Nichiren Shonin taken to the execution grounds
on Tatsunokuchi beach. Nichiren Shonin was saved from death
when the executioner and the other samurai were frightened by
a mysterious ball of light which flew through the sky. A messenger
from the regent arrived soon after with orders that Nichiren
Shonin was not to be executed in any case but exiled to Sado
Island. This fourth persecution is commemorated on September
12 as the Tatsunokuchi Persecution.
Part
5: Sado Island
On
October 10, 1271, Nichiren Shonin was finally sent into exile
on Sado Island. At first, he lived in a small broken down shrine
in a graveyard called Tsukuhara. Once again, his enemies hoped
that Nichiren Shonin would die in the harsh winter of Sado Island
without any adequate shelter or provisions. However, Nichiren
Shonin's strong determination and faith allowed him to endure
these extreme conditions and to befriend the local peasants
and samurai who then provided for his needs. This exile is commemorated
on October 10 as the Sado Exile.
Not
only did Nichiren Shonin survive, he also wrote two of his major
works during the Sado Exile. The first was the Kaimoku-sho (Open
Your Eyes [to the Lotus Sutra]) written in February 1272. In
that work, Nichiren Shonin wrote to open the eyes of all people
to the fact that now was the time to practice the true teaching
of the Lotus Sutra.
The
Kaimoku-sho also reveals his understanding that he was doing
the work of Superior Practice Bodhisattva as the "Votary
of the Lotus Sutra." In the Lotus Sutra, Superior Practice
Bodhisattva is the leader of the bodhisattvas who emerge from
beneath the earth, the original disciples of the Eternal Shakyamuni
Buddha. It is Superior Practice Bodhisattva and the other bodhisattvas
from beneath the earth who are commissioned by the Eternal Buddha
to spread the Lotus Sutra in the Latter Age of the Dharma when
the true spirit of the Buddha's teachings will have been lost.
From this point on, Nichiren Shonin was no longer trying to
merely reform the Buddhism of the historical Buddha; rather,
he was presenting the Wonderful Dharma of the Eternal Shakyamuni
Buddha, intended for this age in the form of Namu Myoho Renge
Kyo.
In
1272, Nichiren Shonin was moved into a more comfortable residence
on Sado. Safe from the elements and from starvation Nichiren
Shonin wrote his most important treatise, the Kanjin Honzon-sho
(Spiritual Contemplation and the Object of Worship), which he
completed on April 25, 1273. In this work, Nichiren Shonin described
the transmission of the Wonderful Dharma to all sentient beings
by the Eternal Shakyamuni Buddha during the Ceremony in the
Air. The Eternal Buddha bestowing the Wonderful Dharma to all
beings would become the "Focus of Devotion" (in Japanese,
Gohonzon) for Nichiren Shonin's disciples. Unlike previous Buddhist
forms of contemplation, which depended upon one's own ability
to perceive the true nature of reality, Nichiren Shonin taught
that the true nature of reality makes itself known to us as
the Eternal Shakyamuni Buddha in the form of Namu Myoho Renge
Kyo. In other words, buddhahood is not something that we cultivate
through our own self-conscious efforts. Rather, the true nature
of reality is conveyed to us by the spiritual presence of the
Eternal Buddha within our lives, which we awaken to through
our faith in Namu Myoho Renge Kyo. All of this unfolds naturally
when we focus our whole being upon the Gohonzon and chant Namu
Myoho Renge Kyo. On July 8, 1273, Nichiren Shonin inscribed
the Omandala, or Great Mandala, in order to calligraphically
depict the Gohonzon using Chinese and Sanskrit characters.
Part
6: Mount Minobu
In
March 1274, Nichiren Shonin was pardoned and allowed to return
to Kamakura. Once there, the government sought to co-opt him
and his movement by offering him a temple in return for his
prayers against the Mongol threat. Nichiren Shonin refused to
compromise and again insisted that the government first withdraw
its patronage of those teachings which were obscuring the true
teachings of Shakyamuni Buddha. Seeing that his third attempt
at admonishing the government was again falling on deaf ears
(the first time was the presentation of the Rissho Ankoku-ron
in 1260, the second time was after the appearance of the Mongol
envoys in 1268), Nichiren Shonin decided to follow the Confucian
teaching that one should retire into the mountains and forests
if one has tried three times without success to admonish the
government. In May 1274, Nichiren Shonin left Kamakura and set
up his hermitage on Mount Minobu.
At
Minobu, Nichiren Shonin concentrated on training his disciples
and sending letters of encouragement to his other followers
around the country. From there, Nichiren Shonin heard about
the two failed attempts of the Mongols to invade Japan in October
1274 and later in June 1281. Though Japan was saved by fierce
storms which destroyed the Mongol fleets on both occasions,
Nichiren Shonin warned that a clear victory had not been won.
Moreover, the spiritual conditions which made Japan vulnerable
were still present and would inevitably lead to suffering for
the Japanese people. His prediction finally came true in 1333
when the Kamakuran Shogunate fell and Japan was plunged into
centuries of warfare and strife. Ironically, the shogunate fell
in part because it had bankrupted itself by subsidizing expensive
esoteric Buddhist rituals for the security of the country, and
was therefore unable to pay the samurai forces which had actually
fought against the Mongols.
Nichiren
Shonin also had to endure the persecution of his followers,
for whom he cared deeply. Many of his followers had come into
conflict with family members or their clan lords. The worst
persecution was the Atsuwara Persecution of 1279 when twenty
farmers were arrested by War Minister Nagasaki Yoritsuna and
three were beheaded because they refused to give up their faith
in the Lotus Sutra. Nichiren Shonin constantly prayed for the
welfare of his followers and sent many letters of encouragement
during this time.
In
addition to his many letters, Nichiren Shonin also wrote the
last two of his five major writings while at Mount Minobu. In
June 1275, he wrote the Senji-sho (Selection of the Right Time).
In the Senji-sho, he reiterated the five standards of propagation
(or methods of preaching): the sutra to be preached, the capacity
of the people to understand the sutra, the time of preaching,
the place of preaching, and the person who preaches. In particular,
this writing emphasized that the time had arrived for upholding
the Lotus Sutra above all other teachings and that liberation
could be attained simply through the practice of Namu Myoho
Renge Kyo.
Nichiren
wrote the Ho-on-jo (Recompense of Indebtedness) in July 1276,
after the death of Dozen-bo, the teacher who had ordained and
tutored him as a boy. In that writing, Nichiren Shonin emphasized
that Buddhist practice should be motivated by the aspiration
to liberate all those to whom one has a debt of gratitude, and
that the best way to do this is to spread Namu Myoho Renge Kyo.
He also dedicated the merit he had accumulated by spreading
the Lotus Sutra to his late master. In the Ho-on-jo, he also
first described the Three Great Secret Dharmas: the Gohonzon,
the Odaimoku, and the Kaidan.
The
many persections and hardships that Nichiren Shonin had endured
over the years had taken their toll. On September 8, 1282, he
was forced to leave Mount Minobu for the sake of his failing
health. His disciples hoped to take him to the hot springs in
Hitachi, but he was forced to stop at the home of his devoted
follower Ikegami Munenaka. On October 8, Nichiren Shonin assigned
six senior disciples and commissioned them to carry on his teachings
after his death. On October 13, 1282, at the age of 60, Nichiren
Shonin passed away surrounded by his disciples and lay-followers.
After
his passing, Nichiren Buddhism continued to grow. Over time,
it has become one of the largest schools of Buddhism in Japan.
Today, his dedicated followers can be found all over the world
chanting Namu Myoho Renge Kyo.
This
is an expanded version of that which appears in Lotus Seeds:
The Essence of Nichiren Shu Buddhism, published by the San
Jose Sangha of Nichiren Shu. Copyright by Ryuei Michael McCormick,
2000.
2.
My Letter to Nichiren ...by
Ryuei Michael McCormick
http://campross.crosswinds.net/Ryuei/Letter-to-Nichiren.html
This
was written to fulfill a homework assignment which was given
to me at one of the Shami Seminars I attended while training
to become a Nichiren Shu priest. The assignment was to write
a letter to Nichiren Shonin about our faith. It was a great
assignment because it gave me the opportunity to really reflect
on what Nichiren's teachings mean for me personally. I offer
it to all those who may have had similar thoughts and experiences
so that they will know they are not alone. I also offer it in
the hope of challenging people to take a fresh look at the teachings
of the Lotus Sutra, the teachings Nichiren Shonin, and the practice
of the Three Great Secret Dharmas.
Dear
Nichiren,
I
am very happy to have this chance to write to you and express
my thoughts and feelings about the Lotus Sutra and the Buddha
Dharma. I think the best place to begin is by thanking you for
all that you have done, even at the risk of your own life, in
order to ensure the spread the True Dharma of Myoho Renge
Kyo. If not for your efforts, I seriously doubt that anyone
would be able to practice the Lotus Sutra today in the
way that it is meant to be practiced. In fact, if not for you,
I don't think that I would have even heard of the Lotus Sutra,
and I am sure that this is true of others as well.
For
my part, I have been thinking about what these teachings and
practices mean to me. After all, I am living in a vastly different
world than the one that you lived in. You lived in a feudal
world where Buddhism was the state religion, whereas I am living
in an industrialized democracy where church and state are kept
separate and where Buddhism is a very small minority religion.
Even more importantly, religion of any kind is no longer at
the center of public life either here or in Japan. It has long
been banished to the periphery of private contemplation and
special occasions which nevertheless have no impact on daily
life. It does inform morality and ethics, but it no longer has
the hold it once did. Certainly no single religion determines
the consensus world view of the industrialized world. The consensus
view that is the basis of science, government, education and
the media is that this universe exploded into existence some
15 billion years ago whereupon this world and the life upon
it evolved to the point where conscious human life developed.
Humankind is thought to be the highest and only intelligent
life in the whole universe. Furthermore, while there is a quantum
reality that defies the assumptions of everyday life, there
does not seem to be any verifiable alternate realities, incorporeal
beings or even a God. Life comes into being at birth and disappears
at death with no heaven or hell or rebirth to dread or look
forward to. This planet, the life upon it, and the human intellect
which has emerged from it are all seen as lonely accidents in
a vast universe driven by impersonal natural laws and chaotic
random accidents. I would suspect that even those who fight
so strongly against this view know in their hearts that it is
the more plausible picture of reality. It is a bleak and heartless
reality and there is seemingly no defense against it, not even
our rage and denial.
So
why do I care? What could the Buddha Dharma mean to someone
who has grown up in a culture that views life in this way? Why
am I religious at all? Is it just a way of deceiving myself
so that I will feel better about this terrifying and ultimately
meaningless existence that I have been thrust into? Why didn't
I become a Christian and try to find meaning in a way that would
be more familiar and closer to home? Why pick Nichiren Buddhism,
a school that is said to be less sophisticated, less universal
and less Buddhist than other schools which have made the transition
to America? Why didn't I take up a more respectable and well
known form of Buddhism like Zen or Vipassana or Vajrayana Buddhism
instead? These are the kinds of questions that I find I must
answer if I am to explain to you why I practice Namu Myoho
Renge Kyo and why I have spent more than ten years now trying
to understand you and the Lotus Sutra. There are so many
things I wish to ask you, but first I need to tell you why any
of it matters to me in the first place. So please indulge me
and allow me to explain what your Buddhism of the Three Great
Secret Dharmas means to me.
Frankly,
I find that human happiness is very fragile and ephemeral when
it exists at all. Everyday I learn about shootings, kidnappings,
rapes, incest, physical abuse, substance abuse, natural disasters,
disease, wars, exploitation and every manner of misery that
seems to surround us from the newspapers or television or even
from the lives of the people around me. It amazes me that in
the midst of all this desperation and tragedy that there can
be any happiness at all, and even when there are moments of
genuine joy and happiness it does not seem sustainable. How
can any half-aware person possibly feel secure or at ease? In
spite of this, I stubbornly believe that life must be ultimately
meaningful. Nihilism might be common sense, but I honestly can't
say that I share the bleak and impersonal world view that I
outlined above, or perhaps I just choose to resist it to the
end.
For
me religion is the key to a meaningful life. Religious scriptures
and the writings and lives of the men and women of the past
who have dedicated their lives to religion all testify that
it is possible to find ultimate meaning. Despite all the anxieties,
uncertainties, frustrations, disappointments, horrors and tragedies
they found a way to be loving, compassionate, joyful and at
peace with themselves and others.
Perhaps
there is nothing other than the physical reality of quantum
particles, atoms, molecules, cells, biochemistry and the epiphenomenon
of instinct, emotion and consciousness. Perhaps there is no
higher order, no pure lands, heavens, hells or ghost realms,
no metempsychosis or cause and effect on the moral and personal
level. Maybe all of these things are merely conjecture and wishful
thinking. Maybe there is nothing more to these metaphysical
suppositions than the subjective experience of changing brain
states brought on by stress, trances or near death experiences.
I do not know if heaven and hell and all the rest are only metaphors
or if there is some corresponding objective reality to them,
but I do know that there are heavenly and hellish people and
experiences.
I
know that I have experienced moments of grace and also people
of grace. In other words, I have met people and experienced
things which seemed to touch some deep inner core of awareness
and love within me. These moments and people of grace have allowed
me to glimpse the reality which must have inspired the testimony
of the scriptures and the stories of the past saints and sages.
Because of moments like these and because I have met people
who seem to habitually live in this way, I know that there is
a deeper and fuller way of living, even if there is no metaphysical
reality to back it up. The meaning is in the heightened state
of loving-awareness itself and not some objective reality.
So
the question for me became: How can I live that way all the
time? How can I open myself up to that deeper level of love
and awareness? How can I find, cultivate and sustain such a
way of living? It seemed to me that the great saints and sages
of the past knew how to do this and that by learning more about
them and then emulating them I could discover this constant
state of loving-awareness for myself.
My
search began with Christianity for the simple reason that I
had grown up with it and it was therefore very familiar and
very accessible. I think that it was in junior high that I first
began to be interested in the parables and stories of the Gospels.
They seemed to be pointing to that deeper way of living that
I was beginning to look for. Unfortunately, aside from a few
teachers, both lay and religious, I never found a community
or should I say a Church that was actually dedicated to living
that deeper meaning. In fact, the average Christian didn't seem
to be concerned with the things that I was looking for. Religion
for the majority of Christians is simply a way of celebrating
special occasions, a way of reinforcing good behavior, an insurance
policy against life's hardships and finally a ticket to an eternally
blissful afterlife. For others, Christianity seems to have actually
reinforced their bigotry, fear, hatred and ignorance. Even those
teachers who had gone deeper seemed to have grown beyond the
boundaries of Christianity. These teachers were attracted to
mystics like Meister Eckhart, the depth psychology of Jung,
and the teachings of the Zen Masters.
Through
these teachers I was exposed to the koans and anecdotes of Zen
Buddhism. I was fascinated to discover a religion totally dedicated
to challenging its adherents to go beyond the dead letter of
the scriptures to find a deeper meaning in life. Whereas Christianity
had failed to go beyond lip service, dogmatism and bigotry,
Zen seemed to promise an authentic spiritual life. Of course,
at the time, I didn't realize that the average Asian Buddhist
was no more authentically Buddhist than the average Western
Christian was authentically Christian. Nevertheless, I really
wanted to find out more about Zen and the Buddhist teachings
and practices it was based on. I wanted to know what it meant
to be a Buddhist and how to become one. Unfortunately, in the
suburbs of Philadelphia in the 1980's there were not many places
where one could go to learn about or practice Buddhism. In fact,
I don't think there were any such places at all.
This
was partially remedied in my senior year in high school when
I ran into the Soka Gakkai. At first I despised them for their
greed driven, pushy and very un-Zenlike way of teaching and
practicing Buddhism. In fact, at the first SGI meeting I went
to, I was positive that they were a cult. I did like the chanting
however. There was something very positive and energizing about
it. I even began chanting the Odaimoku on my own in order to
gain confidence and strengthen my determination to accomplish
my goals. Eventually, I did end up joining the Soka Gakkai,
after I made sure that there was some truth to what they were
telling me about you and the Lotus Sutra. I was still
suspicious, but I also saw joining the SGI as my best chance
to study and practice Buddhism with other Buddhists as a Buddhist.
So, in my first year of college I went to the Soka Gakkai community
center in Philadelphia and received my first gohonzon-mandala
from a Nichiren Shoshu priest. There, the priest touched me
on the head with the Lotus Sutra and I made a vow to
always uphold it.
Though
I still had very grave reservations about the Nichiren Shoshu
doctrines, particularly their exclusive claim to Truth and their
claims about your status as the True Buddha, I was very happy
to be able to study the principles of the Buddhist world view,
especially ichinen sanzen and the nine consciousnesses. I soon
saw that many of the supposedly unique teachings of Zen were
actually the teachings of Buddhism in general. I also began
to see how the teachings and events described in the Lotus
Sutra were actually giving me a deeper appreciation of the
Gospels. I felt as though I had finally found in the Lotus
Sutra the key principles of authentic spirituality, whether
Buddhist or otherwise.
The
SGI also helped me begin and maintain a strong and consistent
Buddhist practice of reciting the Lotus Sutra and the
Odaimoku every morning and evening. In many ways, I had finally
found the community of fellow religious practitioners I had
been looking for. They really supported and encouraged me in
my practice.
The
time came, however, when I did have to leave them. After two
years, their limitations had become very clear to me. Their
intolerance, arrogance, and shallow understanding of the principles
they were teaching forced me to go elsewhere for a deeper understanding
of Buddhism. In the years ahead, I came into contact with Tibetan
sanghas, Korean sanghas, Zen sanghas, and many other Nichiren
groups. With your invisible guidance (or maybe I could say visible
if one can count dreams), I was finally able to join the Nichiren
Shu and find a real Master who could teach me in the correct
way. Still, the question remains, why did I stay with the Lotus
Sutra and the practice of Namu Myoho Renge Kyo all
these years, especially since it would have been easier in many
ways for me to study Buddhism in some other school?
The
answer, for me, lies in the vastness of the Buddha Dharma. The
Buddha Dharma is as vast as the human mind and heart which it
concerns itself with, and it is easy to get confused and to
lose one's way. Fortunately, through your teachings I have been
able to realize that the Lotus Sutra is what holds it
all together. The Lotus Sutra reveals the essential point
which all the other teachings and practices are leading us to:
the realization of our own Buddhahood. Furthermore, the practice
of the Odaimoku is the one practice which has enabled me to
keep a connection with the Dharma, no matter what circumstances
I have found myself in. No other practice has enabled me to
maintain such a strong and constant awareness of the Three Jewels.
For me, it is a form of meditation, a vow to follow the bodhisattva
way, a form of repentance for my failings, a manifestation of
buddha-nature and a prayer for the enlightenment and happiness
of all sentient beings.
When
I left the SGI, I finally learned sitting meditation from a
Tibetan lineage and then from a Korean school of Buddhism. Finally
I was able to practice Buddhism in the time honored way of Sakyamuni
Buddha himself, who sat beneath the Bodhi Tree and taught the
four foundations of mindfulness to his disciples. For all of
its benefits, however, sitting meditation was not enough for
me. Perhaps it is because of my impatience, or lack of discipline,
or the busy life that I lead. Whatever the reason, sporadic
sessions of sitting meditation were not getting me any closer
to being the wise and compassionate person that I dreamed of
being. In fact, over the years, I learned that I was a lot more
selfish and weak and a lot less wise and kind than I had thought.
Even in my meditations, I was discovering what an impulsive
and undisciplined chaos my mind actually is. This, of course,
is what Buddhist meditation is supposed to do in the initial
stages. It brings us face-to-face with ourselves as we actually
are and not as we imagine ourselves to be. It would take a lot
more time on the cushion before the transformative effects of
sitting practice could begin to straighten out the all too common
mess I had discovered. It would take long retreats and hours
of daily meditation practice. If I were willing to live as a
monastic, that might be feasible, but that has not been a step
that I have ever been prepared to take. Ultimately, I could
only despair of my own limits and the limitations of a practice
that seemed to require what I could not give.
Realizing
this, I also realized the true value of the Odaimoku. What,
after all, did I want? As one of my teachers at LaSalle University
once asked me, "What was I trying to do to myself?"
Did I want to become a cave hermit or a samurai or even a Zen
Master? Was I simply trying to impose a role upon myself, or
did I want to open up my heart and mind to that deeper meaning
which I always felt exists just beyond or perhaps within the
mundane? Did I just want to sit and observe the blind, confused
and weak core of selfishness within me, or did I want to let
it go? Was Buddhism about selflessness or just sitting still
for hours on end? In the end, I realized that it was an awakening
to the Wonderful Dharma that I was seeking and not sitting meditation
as an end in itself.
Whereas
sitting meditation practice can seem like blindly stumbling
around in a dark cave, the Odaimoku is like a lamp which illuminates
the way out. "Namu" is whole hearted dedication. It
is a turning away from the constant grasping for self-centered
satisfaction and a turning towards the selflessness of the Wonderful
Dharma. "Myoho" points to the wondrous, subtle and
ineffable true nature of reality which is beyond mere words
and concepts. Far from being a name or a label, "Myoho"
invites us beyond name and form while at the same time affirming
name and form on a deeper level. "Renge" brings all
of this out of the realm of the abstract and into the realm
of the living qualities that come from keeping the Wonderful
Dharma in one's heart at all times. "Renge", the lotus
flower, symbolizes the blossoming of Buddhahood in the midst
of our ordinary lives, the transformation of the mud of the
afflictions into the flowering of enlightenment. "Kyo"
means that all the other teachings and practices exist for the
sake of leading one to this insight and way of life which is
Namu Myoho Renge Kyo.
In
my own Buddhist practice, I believe that it is extremely important
to cultivate mindfulness and clear awareness just as Sakyamuni
Buddha taught in those sutras which are specifically directed
to practice. In fact, I would go so far as to say that without
the practice of mindfulness, one is not really practicing Buddhism.
There are, however, many different ways to cultivate mindfulness
and from the very beginning mindfulness of the Dharma was taught
as well as mindfulness of the breath. For people such as myself,
I have found that mindfulness of the True Dharma in the form
of the Odaimoku is a much more realistic and effective practice
than mindfulness of the breath, which is the practice of sitting
meditation as it is taught today by most Buddhists in America.
Though I still value and even enjoy sitting meditation and would
never discourage anyone from taking it up, at the same time
I find that I do not rely upon it as the sole method of practice.
Over the years, I have found that the Odaimoku is a far more
suitable and effective way of making the Buddha Dharma the guiding
principle of my life.
Certainly,
the Odaimoku can all too easily become nothing more than a string
of nonsense syllables like "Abracadabra" or degenerate
into sentimental piety. For me, however, it is a constant call
to return to my highest aspirations and better instincts. It
is a constant reminder that there is more to my life than just
my own limited views and efforts. The Wonderful Dharma is no
abstract principle, it is the awareness of those moments of
grace which lift one out of oneself. It is a reminder that these
moments are all around us at all times if we would just be open
to them. According to the Lotus Sutra, these moments
are the actions and presence of the Eternal Sakyamuni Buddha.
I do not think that there is necessarily any special magic in
these Sino-Japanese characters or in addressing life's moments
of coherence and meaningfulness as the Eternal Sakyamuni Buddha;
but I do know that the Odaimoku and the figure of the Eternal
Sakyamuni Buddha have made me more aware of and better able
to relate to the true nature of reality and that is all that
they need to do.
This
brings me to the Gohonzon. Is Sakyamuni Buddha the only person
through whom one can recognize the personal aspect of the Wonderful
Dharma? Could devotion to Jesus Christ, or Amitabha Buddha,
or YHWH, or Allah, orKrishna, or the Goddess have the same result
as devotion to the Eternal Sakyamuni Buddha? Personally, I do
not see why not. I think that the Wonderful Dharma responds
to our sincerity and openness and not to our concepts or terminology.
However, I do think that we can be limited and even blinded
by our concepts and fixations, and so it behooves us to find
the clearest and most inspiring religious ideal or focus of
devotion (Gohonzon) that we can.
I
have no idea if there is or is not some underlying metaphysical
reality or supreme being. I don't know if there is or is not
an afterlife or actual rebirth or other planes of existence.
I do not know if there really are cosmic bodhisattvas, benevolent
deities, guardian angels or demons and other sorts of malevolent
spirits. Certainly I have seen no direct evidence or proof of
any of these things. Nevertheless, life's strange coincidences
as well as the countless impulses and inspirations that we are
subject to can certainly make it seem as though we are caught
up in all sorts of divine anddemonic influences.
According
to your understanding of the Lotus Sutra, the life of
the Eternal Sakyamuni Buddha embraces all of this. In other
words, all of this is the raw material of enlightenment when
it is illuminated by the wisdom and compassion of the Buddha.
Now this makes sense to me. The all embracing nature of enlightenment
is something I can confidently put my trust in, regardless of
whether or not there is some supreme being in charge of it all.
In this vision of reality, there is always the possibility that
all of it will make sense and that this meaningfulness is something
that we can awaken to ourselves. In fact, the meaningfulness
actually calls out to us and draws us to its discovery and our
own transformation. It is reality testifying to itself of itself.
This is the Dharma or Truth of which Sakyamuni Buddha said "He
who sees the Dharma sees me. He who sees me sees the Dharma."
It
is my own firm hope and conviction that reality is meaningful
and that this reality speaks to us, guides us and in fact is
itself the true nature of our own lives. Like you, I am perfectly
comfortable relating to this in the person of Sakyamuni Buddha,
because it was Sakyamuni Buddha who made all of this clear in
his own life and passed on that insight to us through his teachings
and personal example. In Sakyamuni Buddha's life and teachings
I don't feel that anything was left out or obscured by myth
or superstition or tribal customs. I feel that he, of all the
great saviors, sages, prophets and deities, best personifies
the eternal and universal nature of the Wonderful Dharma in
a way that I can relate to and emulate.
Is
my contemplation of the Dharma and dedication to the Eternal
Buddha sincere, real and effectively life changing or am I just
fooling myself with unreachable ideals and pipe dreams? Am I
really living a life that matches my convictions? In the past,
those who followed the Buddhist Way took up the precepts, whether
the five major precepts of the lay person, or the monastic precepts,
or even the bodhisattva precepts. Through the precepts these
Buddhists felt that they were able to live an authentically
Buddhist way of life. Again, however, I find that I am unable
or even unwilling to follow these precepts. It is not that I
do not want to live in accord with the precepts; but I know
myself only too well. I know how easy it is to violate the spirit
and even the letter of the precepts, whether lay or monastic
or bodhisattva precepts. In my weakness I find that I am no
different than anyone else. Like most others, I have found that
I have rarely ever had a totally pure motive or a totally impure
motive.
Once
again, it seems as though you realized that this is the dilemma
of all practitioners who are honest with themselves. You knew
and understood the weaknesses and frustrations of people like
myself, people that you characterized as those living in the
Latter Age of the Dharma who do not have the ability to fulfill
the letter and spirit of the precepts as they were fulfilled
by the great saints and sages of the past. You realized that
the concept of the precept platform, the Kaidan, had
to be changed if Buddhism was to have any real meaning in this
age for people like us. If I understand you correctly, the new
Kaidan is where we take up the sole Diamond Chalice Precept
of upholding Namu Myoho Renge Kyo in thought, word and
deed to the best of our ability. In other words, we should not
be discouraged by our lack of ability, willpower or sincerity.
If we were willing, able and wholehearted to begin with, we
would already be enlightened and would not need to take the
Threefold Refuge. Since we are not able, willing or sincere
we must trust in the transformative power of the Wonderful Dharma
itself and always keep it in our hearts and minds by reciting
it, studying it and doing our best to live in accord with it
in spite of our weaknesses. In this way we will steadily gain
the strength to do good, refrain from evil and to purify our
minds without getting discouraged or burnt-out. We must, then,
learn to be forgiving and patient with ourselves and others
instead of trying to adhere to a rigid standard of conduct that
may or may not be appropriate for ourselves and others. We must
trust in the transformative process rather than give up because
we are not yet perfect. This principle of the Ordination Platform
of the Diamond Chalice Precept has sustained me in my practice
all these years in spite of my failings. It is a teaching that
transcends mere conduct but which inspires and encourages me
to live in a way that is in keeping with the Buddhist way of
life that is spelled out in the many precepts.
I
return now to my questions. Why be religious at all? Because
religion is the search for a life of meaning. Why be a Buddhist?
Because the Buddha Dharma is the clearest, most practical and
most universal way to live a meaningful life. Why be a Nichiren
Buddhist? Because you provided a way whereby even someone like
me can make sense of and put into practice the Wonderful Dharma.
All
of this does not mean that I have resolved all of my own questions
about your teachings, methods of practice and true intentions.
There are certain aspects of your teachings that I am not comfortable
with. In fact, in the letter we refer to as the Reply to
Teradomari, you summarize some of the questions and criticisms
of your own immediate disciples, and I must confess that those
questions and critiques are the very same ones that I and many
other present day Nichiren Buddhists feel. The passage I am
thinking of is the following:
Some
people criticize me, saying, "Nichiren does not understand
the capacities of the people of the time but goes around preaching
in a harsh manner - that's why he meets with difficulties."
Other people say, "The shakubuku practices described
in the Kanji chapter are for bodhisattvas who are far
advanced in practice, [not for someone like Nichiren. He ought
to follow the shoju methods of] the Anrakugyo
chapter, yet he fails to do so." Others say, "I, too,
know the Lotus Sutra is supreme, but I say nothing about
it." Still others complain that I give all of my attention
to doctrinal teachings [and say nothing about the observation
of mind].
I
am well aware of all these criticisms against me. But I recall
the case of Pien Ho, who had his feet cut off, and of Kiyomaro
[literally, Pure Man], who was dubbed Kegaremaro [Filthy Man]
and almost put to death. All of the people of the time laughed
at them with scorn, but unlike those two men, those who laughed
left no good name behind them. And all the people who level
unjust criticisms at me will meet with a similar fate. (Letters
of Nichiren, p.169)
Well,
I certainly hope that you do not feel that I am trying to level
unjust criticisms at you. In fact, I think that your response,
which might seem a bit dismissive, was actually correct and
to the point. With the advantage of hindsight it can be seen
by a sympathetic observer that you were indeed in a situation
where any compromise would have meant the end of what you were
trying to do. If you had not acted as you did, the direct practice
of the Lotus Sutra that you were advocating would have
been swept away into the morass of other-worldly piety and esoteric
syncretism that was killing the true spirit of Buddhism and
obscuring the One Vehicle. Today, however, the circumstances
are very different and I find that I must reiterate your disciples'
questions. Or perhaps I should say, I want to ask if your answer
would be the same now that everything else is so different.
The
first three questions directed against you all came down to
the question of shoju and shakubuku. Unlike your
critics, however, I do think that you knew what you were doing
when you decided to use shakubuku. I also think that in your
writings, especially the Kaimoku Sho, you have provided
the criteria for deciding under what circumstances to use shoju
and when to use shakubuku. Furthermore in other writings,
you make it clear that your followers should not be impolite
or abusive, nor should they instigate violence. You also made
it clear in the Rissho Ankoku Ron and in the Kaimoku
Sho that your concern was to stop the government subsidization
and endorsement of false teachings and for others to boycott
them. You were not advocating the violent suppression of them.
However,
there were times, especially in the Senji Sho, where
you did seem to condone violence against others. Was this simply
rhetoric that went too far or was it a metaphorical statement
that has been misunderstood? Furthermore, there were many times
in your writings where you did direct abuse and sarcasm towards
particular individuals and even passed on certain rumors about
those individuals. Can you justify this as a necessary part
of shakubuku? Your actions don't seem compatible with
the specific instructions of the Anrakugyo chapter, the
example of Bodhisattva Never Despise, or the general Buddhist
teachings against wrong speech. Furthermore, these passages
in your writings have been used by certain unscrupulous people
as justification for their own abusive actions in your name
and in the name of the Lotus Sutra. Other Buddhists see
these passages as scandalous and use them to prove that your
teachings and practices are not authentic Buddhism at all. For
this reason, I implore you to help us all understand your true
intentions. Even more importantly, I need to understand how
you would have us all propagate the Lotus Sutra in the
world at this time.
The
final question that you mentioned had to do with your inattention
to observation of the mind in favor of doctrinal matters. This
is especially important here in the West. Westerners are sick
of theological debate and empty piety (empty in the Western
and not the Buddhist sense that is). For us, Buddhism is an
attractive alternative to our Western religions and philosophies
precisely because it is about mindfulness and the cultivation
of tranquility and insight as well as compassion and loving-kindness.
I understand, however, that in your day, sitting meditation
was part of the problem and not part of the solution. From what
I can gather from your writings, sitting meditation was considered
to be a shoju practice. In a writing known as On Practicing
the Buddha;s Teachings you stated, "Now when the true
and provisional teachings are utterly confused, it would be
equally unnatural for one to seclude himself in the mountains,
carrying out the easy practice of shoju, and avoid refuting
the enemies of the Lotus Sutra."(Letters,
p.68) You also argued in the Shishin Gohon Sho, that
the people of the Latter Day of the Law are no longer capable
of practicing the six perfections, and that instead they should
simply recite Namu Myoho Renge Kyo. I am sure that this
was confirmed for you when the so called meditation masters
of the day banded against you to suppress the Lotus Sutra,
thus proving the ineffectiveness of their own practices for
gaining insight and compassion.
Today,
however, I believe that there are some who have the requisite
inclination and dedication to benefit from sitting meditation,
and I believe that they are the ones who are most likely to
come to the Buddha Dharma. It seems to me as though it is now
the time to again emphasize the practice of shikan meditation,
both as an expedient means of bringing people to the Buddha
Dharma and as an effective practice in its own right. I say
this because I believe that the status of Buddhism in the modern
world matches the criteria for the shoju approach to
propagation and practice as outlined in the Kaimoku Sho.
This does not mean that shikan meditation should replace
the Odaimoku or become anything more than a supporting practice.
All I am saying is that shikan meditation practice should
be made available and should be encouraged within the spirit
of the Odaimoku for those who seek it. Now, in the Nichiren
Shu, there are many teachers who have already begun teaching
sitting meditation. There is also the practice of shodaigyo
which combines silent meditation and the Odaimoku. Even more
importantly, the Nichiren Shu teaches, in accord with the Kanjin
Honzon Sho, that the Odaimoku itself is a form of meditation
which leads to the observation of mind or kanjin. Still,
there are many (at least in the West) who believe that meditation
has no place within the practice of Nichiren Buddhism. Those
who belong to other schools of Buddhism use this impression
as a way of belittling our authenticity as a Buddhist tradition.
Other Nichiren schools condemn the Nichiren Shu for advocating
sitting meditation at all. Finally, those who are interested
in Buddhism avoid us because they want to train themselves in
Buddhist mindfulness and meditation and they do not believe
that they can learn these things from us. Again, I truly wish
to know your feelings about the practice of shikan meditation,
especially in the form of silent sitting and how it relates
or does not relate to the proper practice of the Lotus Sutra.
Another
aspect to that last question from the Reply to Teradomari
has to do with your emphasis on doctrinal teachings. One of
the main emphasis of your mission was to refute the provisional
teachings and to reestablish the Lotus Sutra as the king
of all sutras and to establish the Three Great Secret Dharmas.
This was in accordance with your practice of shakubuku.
However, if today is indeed the time for shoju, then
isn't it also the time to propagate the One Vehicle in an inclusive
rather than an exclusive way. In other words, I believe that
the Lotus Sutra requires the context provided by the
earlier teachings, and that when this context is lost the Lotus
Sutra becomes incomprehensible. I think that it is now the
time to investigate the teachings of the Buddha from the ground
up. As it has been explained to me, when building a tower, one
starts with the foundations and not with the attic. In the Rissho
Ankoku Ron, you stated that after alms cease to be given
to the icchantikka and are given instead to the true
sangha, then "there will be time to dip into the Waters
of the Law and to decide which are shallow doctrines and which
are deep, and to pay honor to the pillars and beams that support
the House of the Buddha." (Selected Writings of Nichiren,
p.38) Hasn't this time already arrived? Buddhism is no longer
supported by a feudal state, now it must survive on its own
merits or not at all.
At
this time, those (at least in the West) who are potential supporters
and practitioners of the Buddha Dharma must be shown the whole
picture and not just a part, even if it is the essential part.
Now is the time when the many expedient means of the Buddha
might be put to good use by guiding people to the Lotus Sutra
as they were meant to do. On the other hand, to ignore the rest
of the Buddhist tradition and to stress only the Lotus Sutra
at this time only leaves people confused and estranged from
the Buddha Dharma itself as well as from the Lotus Sutra.
This approach simply drives away those who sincerely want to
learn about the Buddha Dharma and who do not react well to those
who claim that everything must be taken on faith because it
is all too profound to understand. On the other hand, those
of us who wish to propagate the Lotus Sutra must be careful.
We do not want to unwittingly allow the Lotus Sutra to
again become submerged within the thicket of provisional views.
It is one thing, for example, to use the Heart Sutra
to explain emptiness, it is another to put so much emphasis
on it that one forgets the Three Truths and the deep meaning
of the Eternal Life of the Buddha as revealed in the Juryohon.
So once again, I must ask for your guidance in this. How can
we embrace the entirety of the Buddhist tradition without compromising
the integrity of the Three Great Secret Dharmas? How can we
best utilize the rest of the Buddhist tradition to support and
clarify the meaning of the Three Great Secret Dharmas without
confusion or error?
Perhaps
you are wondering if I would recommend ignoring your four dictums.
Strangely enough, I do find them valuable, though I would no
longer necessarily apply them to any particular sect anymore
than I would refer to a Theravadin as a Hinayana Buddhist. I
have discovered that the priests and even the lay followers
of any given school are not necessarily bound by the supposed
teachings of their lineage. Today in the West, sectarian labels
more often obscure rather than describe what any given Buddhist
actually thinks or does. In addition, the old sects are becoming
obsolete and either dying out or becoming more ecumenical in
their teaching, at least here in the West. One last problem
with the four dictums, is that your condemnation of Nembutsu
did not take into account the keen insights into human nature
of Shinran. Your condemnation of Zen did not take into account
the deep sincerity and profundity of Dogen. Your condemnation
of Ritsu did not make any provision for the need for concrete
guidance in regard to lifestyle and ethics that the precepts
can provide. In fact, the vacuum left in Japan by the lack of
a concrete Buddhist ethic was later filled by Confucianism when
a Buddhist ethic might have been preferable. It could even be
argued that Buddhist ethics and values, as encoded within the
precept tradition, might be a far saner alternative to many
other ethical systems available in the world today, whether
religious or otherwise. Finally, your condemnation of Shingon
could not have foreseen the more advanced and sophisticated
forms of Vajrayana that would later be introduced to the world
by the Tibetans. In sum, I find that the four dictums can not
be applied in the way that you applied them. They simply do
not take into account the changes within the traditions that
you knew, nor do they take into account the many Buddhist lineages
both within and outside of Japan that you were not familiar
with.
Nevertheless,
I do find the four dictums relevant. For me, they are warnings
in regard to common pitfalls that all Buddhist practitioner
should beware of. It seems that in your day, these pitfalls
seemed to have been exemplified by the four sects which you
held up for condemnation. You said that, "Nembutsu leads
to the Avichi Hell," I understand this to meant that projecting
your salvation onto an Other-power and thereby undermining your
own inherent dignity will lead to a hellish existence. You said
that, "Zen is the teaching of devils," I understand
this to mean that believing that you already have all the answers
and are beyond all traditions is a demonically arrogant attitude.
You said that, "Shingon will ruin the nation," I understand
this to mean that putting stock in the efficacy of spiritual
empowerments, initiations and esoteric rituals instead of genuine
insight is to destroy true spirituality and the moral basis
of civilization. You said that, "Ritsu is traitorous,"
I understand this to mean that dropping out of society and self-righteously
taking on the trappings and precepts of another culture is to
become a traitor to oneself and one's community. I guess what
I am saying is that I do not think that one can reasonably insist
on the letter of the four dictums anymore, but I hope that you
can approve of my understanding of the spirit of the four dictums.
Again, I would very much like to hear what you think the four
dictums should mean in the world today.
I
ended this note with the following questions and answers:
How
can we understand Buddhism?
Through
the Lotus Sutra.
How
can we understand the Lotus Sutra?
Through
the writings of Nichiren.
How
can we understand the writings of Nichiren?
Through
discernment and post modern deconstruction.
Thank
you for time and patience. I realize that my reflections may
have rambled on for too long, and I suspect that some of my
critiques might strike you as impertinent. I write all of this
in the deepest spirit of respect and out of the sincere desire
to communicate my deepest appreciation and in order to discover
your true intentions in regard to the practice of the Wonderful
Dharma so that there will be no misunderstanding. Thank you
for indulging me in this.
Namu
Myoho Renge Kyo
Ryuei
Copyright
by Ryuei Michael McCormick. 1999.
3.
Nichiren-Shu.org
http://www.nichiren-shu.org/
About
Us: Nichiren Shu
The
Nichiren Shu is a Buddhist Order Founded by the religious prophet
and reformer, Nichiren Shonin(1222-1282).
He
espoused the doctrine that the Lotus Sutra represents the embodiment
of the genuine teachings of Sakyamuni Buddha, the founder of
Buddhism, the Savior of this world.
Our
belief in this doctrine is affirmed by our chanting of the Odaimoku
(Sacred Title) : "Namu Myoho Renge Kyo," that is "Adoration
to the Scripture of the Lotus of the Perfect Truth."
We
believe that Nichiren Shonin was the messenger of the Buddha
who has guided us in cultivating our Buddha nature, a quality
inherent in all beings, and establishing a way of life consonant
with the eternal truths preached by the Buddha.
We
vow to the Buddha and Nichiren Shonin that we will strive to
engender peace within ourselves and throughout the world by
disseminating the teaching expounded in the Lotus Sutra
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