Toda's voice always rang with conviction. His guidance had the power to pull people out of their suffering and set them on the road toward happiness.
They listen and grew brighter, and the colour returned to their cheeks. Hope had returned to their desolate lives. - HOUR, Standing Alone, oh 75
Thursday 18 September 2008
Friday 12 September 2008
Achieving 10,000 yen target
Everyone's ability has limits, and this is where fortune-or the lack of it-comes into play. The wise will not necessarily be successful, while those who look like fools may enjoy success beyond their dreams. Life is infinitely subtle and complex.
Toda's smile vanished.
"Well, what do all of you think about our victory Toda? It's a benefit for having fought and suffered two years in prison for the Lotus Sutra. Talent's not everything. This is a benefit. The Gohonzon knows. The Gohonzon is truly great."
His eyes glowed, and his firm-set mouth had a look of nobility.
- HR, Vol.1, pg.56
Relationship without faith
Toda understood (now) that a relationship without faith could seldom withstand all the storms of life.
- HR, Cease-Fire, Pg.51
Arrogance versus Confidence
Leading newspapers (Japan) published the Potsdam Declaration under the heading "News From Abroad" without running the full text of each clause. Needless to say, it drove the public into uproar. The public demanded a statement from Prime Minister Suzuki.
Facing the press, the prime minister said: "The government does not consider it of major importance. We will simply ignore it. Our only effort now is to fight out the war."
On July 30, the newspapers carried reports of this statement, and at the same time, it was broadcast over radio, reaching the entire world.
The Allies interpreted Japan's attitude as refusal. There was no other way they could take it. But many inside the Japanese government were still waiting to seize a chance to end the hostilities, and they suffered keenly.
The crazed military regime could no longer analyze the declaration calmly.
Not surprisingly, the American air attacks increased with sudden fury. No matter how often the sirens wailed, Toda never once entered the air raid shelter. His family would beg him to take cover, but he remained stubbornly unmoved. It was not that he had nerves of steel. He was fully confident that because of his commitment to his mission, he would not be killed by the bombs. Of his family's escape to the shelter, he said nothing. - Human Revolution, Vol.1, pg.42
Reference:
1. Potsdam Declaration (http://www.ndl.go.jp/constitution/e/etc/c06.html)
Facing the press, the prime minister said: "The government does not consider it of major importance. We will simply ignore it. Our only effort now is to fight out the war."
On July 30, the newspapers carried reports of this statement, and at the same time, it was broadcast over radio, reaching the entire world.
The Allies interpreted Japan's attitude as refusal. There was no other way they could take it. But many inside the Japanese government were still waiting to seize a chance to end the hostilities, and they suffered keenly.
The crazed military regime could no longer analyze the declaration calmly.
Not surprisingly, the American air attacks increased with sudden fury. No matter how often the sirens wailed, Toda never once entered the air raid shelter. His family would beg him to take cover, but he remained stubbornly unmoved. It was not that he had nerves of steel. He was fully confident that because of his commitment to his mission, he would not be killed by the bombs. Of his family's escape to the shelter, he said nothing. - Human Revolution, Vol.1, pg.42
Reference:
1. Potsdam Declaration (http://www.ndl.go.jp/constitution/e/etc/c06.html)
Wednesday 10 September 2008
Josei Toda's positive attitude and strength
The lawyer handed a bundle of documents to a clerk and told him to total them. The clerk added swiftly on abacus, wrote the aim on a separate slip of paper and placed it on the lawyer's desk. The lawyer stared at it for a while in silence, then he passed it to Toda. Toda removed his glasses and brought the paper close to his face.
Scowling at the figures, Toda asked, 'is this in the black or red?'
'Red,' the lawyer answered simply.
Toda answered as though to himself,'A deficit of more than 2.5 million yen?'
At his side, Ukue (wife) shivered.
This was the result of two years, unjust imprisonment-not one of his seventeen companies was worth salvaging.
He trudged home under the blazing sun, burning with anger. To rebuild, he had no choice but to undertake a completely new venture. He had no money, however, no connections. Nor did he gave anyone to work with him. He could not even imagine what sort of business he should start. With a debt of 2.5 million yen, he had been dealt a mortal blow as a businessman. Taking into consideration the difference between economic circumstances then and now, the debt today (1965) would equal the staggering aim of nearly three hundred million yen.
'Don't worry,' Toda spoke gently to his wife, who walked beside him with her head bowed. 'As long as I'm here, you do not ever have to worry.' The situation was hopeless. As yet, he has no concrete plans. But in his heart, he felt a confidence that no one would have understand.
- Human Revolution, Reconstruction, page 27
Tuesday 9 September 2008
Family value
Peace in the family is worth more than a fortune. National leaders who fail to give the people a chance to create happy families cannot be called leaders. - Josei Toda
Toda at Harajuku train station
He muttered to himself, 'religious ignorance has destroyed our country.' - Dawn, Human Revolution, page 9
Everyone desires peace and happiness. There should be no war. Who enjoys it?
Neither the victors nor the vanquished.
Throughout modern history, Japan had plunged into the catastrophe of war once every decade, risking the nation future, and each time the people had suffered immense sacrifice and misfortune.
How could this evil destiny be broken?
Everyone desires peace and happiness. There should be no war. Who enjoys it?
Neither the victors nor the vanquished.
Throughout modern history, Japan had plunged into the catastrophe of war once every decade, risking the nation future, and each time the people had suffered immense sacrifice and misfortune.
How could this evil destiny be broken?
Actual Proof (3/8/96) Daisaku Ikeda
Buddhism is an earnest struggle to win. That is what the Daishonin teaches.
A Buddhist must not be defeated.
I hope you will maintain an alert and winning spirit in your work and daily life, taking courageous action and showing triumphant actual proof time and again.
A Buddhist must not be defeated.
I hope you will maintain an alert and winning spirit in your work and daily life, taking courageous action and showing triumphant actual proof time and again.
Monday 8 September 2008
Inner peace or chaos via sound vibration
If there is truth in positive sound vibration such as music, saying love and appreciation could change the water structure beautifully. Logically speaking, chanting would also produce similar kind of beauty.
Chanting as meditation by Jim Wilson:-
Mantra recitation is the most widespread form of meditation in the Buddhist world. Nichiren Buddhism shares with Pure Land Buddhism and Vajrayana Buddhism an emphasis on this kind of practice. While the practice of mantra recitation is very common, the specific mantra used varies from tradition to tradition. Pure Land Buddhism in Japan uses the mantra "Namu Amida Butsu", which means "Homage to the Buddha of Infinite Light." In Tibetan Buddhism many different mantras are used, depending upon the specific lineage. A widely used mantra in Tibetan Buddhism is "Om Mani Padme Hum." This means something like "Om, the Jewel in the Lotus, Hum." In Zen Buddhism practitioners chant the Heart Sutra which ends with the mantra "Gate, Gate, Paragate, Parasamgate, Bodhi, Svaha!" This mantra means, "Gone, Gone, Gone Beyond, Gone Beyond Beyond, Awakening, Svaha!" (Svaha is an exclamation, something like "hurray!" or "hallelujah!".) However, although the Zen tradition chants the Heart Sutra regularly, its primary meditative form is silent meditation.
The mantra used in Nichiren Buddhism is "Namu Myoho Renge Kyo." This mantra means "Homage to the Lotus Sutra." Nichiren Buddhists chant this mantra on a daily basis at their home altars, and also collectively at their temples and meetings. It is the primary practice of Nichiren Buddhism.
Mantra recitation is a highly efficacious form of meditation. As mentioned above, it is the most widespread form of meditation in the Buddhist world, a form of meditation that crosses sectarian lines. The only tradition where this might be an exception is Theravada Buddhism. However, I have recently begun to realize that chanting practice is fairly pervasive in Theravada Buddhism. For example, someone practicing the cultivation of the Four Immeasurable states of love, compassion, sympathy, and equanimity often uses a chant in which these four states are cultivated by successively focusing them on 12 types of beings in 10 directions. Since there are four contemplations, which are successively rotated through 12 types and 10 directions, this generates hundreds of verses in this simple chanting practice. It is a beautiful form of chanting practice and it allows the practitioner to dive deeply into this kind of contemplation. Though this is not specifically an example of mantra recitation, it shares many of the features of mantra recitation.
The dominance of mantra and chanting meditation in the Buddhist world may come as a surprise to western practitioners of the Dharma. This is because westerners, for the most part, when they use the term "meditation" mean the kind of silent and introspective practices that appear in concentration practices such as vipassana, or spacious awareness practices that are prominent in traditions such as Zen and Dzog Chen. Because the term "meditation" in the west has come to mean these kinds of silent practices, it is sometimes difficult to view mantra recitation as a form of meditation.
However, the term meditation in a Buddhist context means something like "mind cultivation", or "heart cultivation"; mind and heart not being viewed as mutually exclusive in a Buddhist context. If looked at from the point of view of mind cultivation, mantra recitation clearly falls within that category and constitutes an effective and powerful means for the cultivation of the mind and heart. And what is being cultivated in mantra recitation? Like all Buddhist traditions, what is being cultivated is wisdom and compassion.
Because mantra recitation is so central to Nichiren Buddhism, I want to spend some time discussing this form of practice, how it works, why it is efficacious, and why so many people in so many Buddhist traditions find this practice so rewarding.
A Personal Story
First, a personal note. My own introduction to Buddhist practice, my first retreat, was a chanting retreat. The retreat was held by Zen Master Seung Sahn, a Korean Zen Master. I was just a dharma pup at that time, knowing almost nothing about Buddhism and less about Zen. But I had read a book or two written by Seung Sahn, and found his teachings attractive. I therefore signed up for the retreat, thinking that it would consist of hours and hours of quiet sitting and the contemplation of those strange, yet oddly attractive, Zen puzzles called koans.
What actually happened shattered all my expectations. Instead of quiet sitting about 50 people spent hour after hour chanting the name of Kwan Yin, the Bodhisattva of Compassion (in Korean, Kwan Yin is pronounced Kwan Seum Bosal). Everyone had a percussion instrument; drums, tambourines, woodblocks, gongs. It was thunderous. The melodic Korean chanting rose and fell, hour after hour, as the chanting speeded up and slowed down at the direction of the Zen Master.
I was stunned. I had a very strong image of what Zen meant, and what Buddhism looked like. My image was wood, black robes, hours of silence, bare walls; you get the picture. What in the world was going on here? I had no idea. After the first few hours, if I could have left, I would have. But I had accepted a ride from a friend, so I was there for the duration. Which was a good thing, because by the middle of the second day, my bewilderment fell away, and I was able to merge with the chanting.
The retreat turned into the pivotal experience of my spiritual life. All my preconceptions about Zen, about meditation, about the form that spiritual activity must take, fell away. Because of this pivotal experience I have always remained open to chanting as an important practice form. And because Korean Buddhism has a strong tradition of integrating both views and practices, I never felt a strong dichotomy between chanting forms of meditation and silent forms of meditation. However, I am aware that many people do reserve the term “meditation” for the silent forms of concentration/vipassana and spacious awareness/Zen. For this reason, I would like to explore the practice of chanting meditation, and mantra recitation; how it works, the effects it has. By exploring this more extroverted form of meditation I think we can gain a clearer understanding of why chanting is the central practice of Buddhism in general, and Nichiren Buddhism in particular.
The Early Roots of Chanting in the Buddhist Tradition
Chanting is deeply rooted in the Buddhist tradition. This began immediately after the Buddha’s death. His disciples gathered together and worked his teachings into a form that could be chanted. Remnants of these chanted teachings are found in sources such as The Numerical Sayings. Take, for example, the Book of Sixes. At the end of the Book of Sixes, from the Numerical Sayings, three sets of six categories, one set of eleven categories, and one set of 17 categories, are all rotated through each other to generate 509 verses, each verse considered a Sutta. When chanted, these 509 verses become hypnotic and it is surprisingly easy to remeber all the categories, and how they feed into each other, after the first few verses.
This kind of repetitious chanting is very close in feeling, if not identical in structure, to mantra recitation. Some of the simpler rituals, such as chanting the Three Refuges, could easily become mantra like in both structure and feeling. I am suggesting here that mantra recitation grew naturally from the early Buddhist tradition of chanting doctrinal lists, and the simple ceremonies involving simple formulas, such as the Three Refuges, the names of the Buddha, and other widely used rituals.
Seen from this perspective, mantra recitation may be the oldest form of mental cultivation in the Buddhist world.
The Beginnings of Chanting?
I suspect that chanting was done during the Buddha’s lifetime. I sometimes imagine his disciples circumambulating the Buddha, chanting the three refuges, clapping their hands, stomping their feet, in a show of enthusiastic devotion and admiration.
Body, Breath, Voice, and Mind
Part of the power of chanting meditation is that it unites Body, Breath, Voice, and Mind as these aspects of our existence become focused through the activity of chanting. The mind itself experiences a high degree of unification when chanting. Normally the part of our brain centered on rhythmic patterns is not united with the conceptual part of the brain. Chanting brings them together into a single act. The emotions are also brought into a unity in this act as the emotions are allowed expression through the agency of the voice. Overall, I can’t think of a better means for bringing about full concentration than chanting.
Why do I say this?
In chanting the mind, and its disparate functions, become unified in the act of chanting. The voice also participates in this meditative process. The breath is an additional essential component for the chanting process. Through the breath, the body as a whole is brought into the meditative practice. Thus mental, emotional, and physical functions all become engaged in, concentrated on, a single act; that of chanting the mantra. All the energy of the human organism is brought to a single purpose.
Chanting and Healing Energy
I suspect that chanting has healing effects. On the level of mind, chanting gradually, but effectively, overcomes distracted and scattered mind. It works like this; when body, breath, and mind repeat a phrase or mantra over and over, the mind has an object of focus that is both interior and exterior. The wandering mind is gently brought back to the sound. Thus, the mind learns how to focus, how to notice when it is scattered, and how to move from a scattered state to a focussed state. In this way chanting meditation heals the scattered and distracted mind.
On a physiological level, chanting seems to energize the organism. I remember the first chanting retreat I attended, the one I attended unintentionally. After chanting all day, for many hours, the chanting would end around 9:30 or 10:00 p.m. No one would go to sleep. Everyone was in a state of high energy and there followed many hours of Dharma talk, forming of friendships, sharing of views.
In contrast, at the conclusion of a day of zazen, people often feel very tired and my experience is that most people head straight for bed. There is something paradoxical about this. At a chanting retreat one is engaged in activity all day long. At a zazen retreat, one is doing very little, just sitting, all day long. Yet the sitting retreats tend to be much more energy draining than the chanting retreats.
I think the reason for this is that the physical process of chanting, and the rhythm of the breathing involved in chanting, circulates energy in the body system. Blood is flowing, air is pumping, and on a more subtle level, the life energy of chi is flowing freely.
Years ago I read a story about a Trappist monastery whose Abbot had died. In accordance with traditional procedures the monks elected a new Abbot. The new Abbot decided to reduce the amount of chanting at the early morning Matins services. An immediate result was that the monks had greater difficulty staying awake. Even though the reduction in the length of the service would have seemed conducive to better attention, the opposite actually happened. The chanting that had been removed was soon reinstated and this proved conducive to a wakeful and attentive early morning service.
Body and Mind Falling Away
There is an interesting experience that sometimes happens when chanting, particularly in the case of mantra recitation. For me it only happens after a long period of chanting. What happens is that the chanting begins to unfold without any conscious effort or calculation. The process unfolds of its own accord. It is simply what is happening.
I identify this experience with Dogen’s "body and mind falling away." I understand this to mean that there is no longer a feeling of separation between the practitioner and the world. There is only the presence of the world and even such an insignificant person as I finds myself embedded in the ongoing ebb and flow of the rivering world without any sense of separation. This is a glimpse of the mind that dwells in the realization of the primal interdependence of all existence, the heart of the Buddha’s realization.
Chanting and Sangha
Chanting is often done as a group activity. Nichiren Buddhists practice at home, twice a day, and in these cases the chanting is often done solo. But most Nichiren Buddhists also belong to a Temple or group, and gather regularly for group chanting as an integral part of their commitment to Nichiren Buddhism.
The fact that chanting is often a social activity differentiates chanting from silent forms of meditation. Silent meditation, even when done in a group, tends to isolate individuals. I think this is one of the reasons why Zen appeals to the rugged individual type of personality. The practice of zazen has a lot of features that make it look like one is self-reliant. I think that is why in Japan, Zen is often referred to as a "self-powered" practice.
Chanting in a group weaves a group together. It is a demonstration of interdependence and a clear example of the Buddha’s insight into interdependent transformation. In other words, chanting in a group gives people an opportunity to directly perceive the truth of interdependent transformation, to experience this truth.
Chanting and Interdependent Transformation
Chanting, as mentioned above, gives us the opportunity to directly perceive interdependent transformation, the seed from which all the Buddha’s teachings emerge. Normally we do not perceive interdependent transformation, as our perception of objects seems to indicate a world of separate and self-sufficient things.
In contrast, with the sound of chanting, particularly chanting in a group, the sound of the chanting arises due to causes and conditions which we have clear contact with and perception of. Because the sound of the chanting emerges from our own voice, and the voices of those we are chanting with, it is a clear demonstration of the truth of interdependent transformation.
Everything is like that, like the sound of chanting voices, but normally we are unable to perceive this. In the case of chanting we can directly perceive the quality of dependence, and therefore directly perceive the emptiness that the Perfection of Wisdom Sutras refer to. This is done effortlessly and clearly when we chant together with others. This is one of the most powerful lessons of group chanting.
Chanting and Change
All things are constantly changing, but we forget this. If it is the case that all things are constantly changing, why, then, do we forget this? It is because our perception does not clearly present this truth to us. The desk I am writing on does not seem to be changing. I infer that it is changing, but I do not peceive that it is changing.
The sonic realm is different. With sound I can directly perceive the truth of constant change. Chanting offers us an opportunity to directly perceive this truth by drawing our attention to the sound we are chanting. The contours of the chanting constantly change, yet the chanting maintains a sense of coherency and pattern. This is a wonderful lesson in how constant change does not negate coherence, how form and change are compatible with each other.
Chanting and Impermanence
Chanting allows us to directly experience the meaning of impermanence. As the chanting ceases, impermanence appears. Nothing could be clearer.
Impermanence is difficult for people to understand. Why is this? It is because most objects of perception do not readily display their impermanence. We can infer thier impermanence, but we do not directly experience that impermanence. This is particularly true of visual objects which, for the most part, appear stable.
This is why a sonic object, such as a mantra, is an ideal embodiment of the Dharma. Sonic objects exhibit in a way directly accessible to our senses the core Dharma truths of dependent origination, of constant change, and of impermanence. Therefore, as an object of reverence, the mantra is the ideal teaching tool for human beings.
Transforming Obsession
It is clinging which gives rise to suffering, according to numerous discourses. I think of clinging in its extreme form as obsession. In its extreme form we can observe this mechanism in various addictions, which give rise to much suffering. In silent forms of meditation obsession manifests as thoughts or images that replay, over and over, in the mind of the meditator. This is a common experience among practitioners of vipassana and zazen. It can feel very frustrating to the meditator, for no matter how hard the practitioner tries to “just let it go,” the repetitive though just keeps reappearing like some maniacal jack-in-the-box who won’t go away.
Chanting meditation in many ways resembles obsession. There is the same fixation, the same repetitiveness. Contemplating the similarities between obsession and chanting, I have tentatively come to a view which comprehends chanting meditation as the transformation of obsession into the path of realization. Instead of fighting the human tendency toward obsession, chanting meditation takes advantage of that tendency and transforms obsession into the path and into an opportunity for realization and awakening.
In order to understand how this transformation occurs I will use as a model a strcuture borrowed from Vajrayana Buddhism. This structure is referred to as the elementals. The view of the elementals is to cosider all things as manifestations of energy, of moving and flowing energy. This energy takes a number of basic forms which have certain tendencies. In Vajrayana these basic forms are called earth, water, fire, air, and space.
The key here is that the energy manifestations can be comprehended in two ways. From one perspective, a particular manifestaiton is a hindrance and obstacle to awakening. From another perspective, it is possible to use any kind of manifestation to awaken to the presence of wisdom and compassion.
Taking the specific example of obsession; this kind of repetitive attachment is an example of fire energy. Fire clings and burns. People often spontaneously use fire imagery when speaking of their own obsessions. However, this kind of fire energy is also, when comprehended clearly, the presence of, and the gateway to, compassion. In other words, when obsession is transformed, it manifests as compassion.
How does this happen? The clearest way to comprehend this transformation is to examine the Bodhisattva Vows. The first Bodhisattva Vow is, "Sentient beings are numberless, I vow to save them all." This is a commitment to work for the benefit of all sentient beings. All means every single one. Person after person, being after being, world after world, life after life. In other words, infinite compassion has the same constantly repeated and reasserting energy that obsession does; but now that energy is subsumed to the direction of releasing others from suffering. So instead of abandoning the fire of obsession, we transform obsession into awakening itself.
How does chanting facilitate this transformation of obsession? Chanting in the form of mantra recitation deliberately cultivates the process of a repetitive presence. In other words, mantra recitation uses the mechanism of obsession, but places that mechanism in a context where the object of repetition is not only not harmful, but actually beneficial. This demonstrates to the practitioner that the mind, even in this form, is not the enemy. This constitutes a profound unification of mind, and allows the practitioner to become more whole and grounded. And it demonstrates to the practitioner the liberative potential of the mind, even in forms that under many circumstances seem like hindrances.
All of this does not necessarily happen consciously. In most cases the practitioner may not be able to articulate the nature of the transformation taking place. However, the transformation does happen. It resembles someone taking medicine; they do not necessarily know, and in most cases probably do not know, how the medicine works. Nevertheless, they get better and the disease subsides. Similarly, a practitioner does not have to be consciously aware of how mantra recitation transforms obsession in order to benefit from such a transformation. Nevertheless, the transformation occurs. The specific transformation is that repetitive desires no longer have the same fierceness and grip because the process whereby they appear is seen through and no longer considered in and of itself problematical. The energy of these obsessions can now be shifted. Shifted where? Shifted to mantra recitation. In other words, every single time someone practices mantra recitation, they are transforming the mechanism of obsession into the path of awakening itself. One can observe this happening among many practitioners as an early result of such practice. What one observes is a lessening of the grip of obsessions as one’s practice of mantra recitation deepens.
The Object of Chanting
What I have said above applies to all forms of mantra recitation, of which there are many in the Buddhist world. There are also forms of mantra recitation in Hinduism, Judaism, and Christianity. Short repetitive prayers are probably universal and any kind of short, repetitive prayer, done systematically, such as the rosary, is an example of mantra recitation.
In the Nichiren tradition the specific mantra used is "Namu Myoho Renge Kyo". This mantra means "Homage to the Lotus Sutra." Why this mantra? Why not some other mantra? Does it even matter what mantra we use?
This is a good question. My old Zen teacher, Zen Master Seung Sahn, argued that in fact it doesn’t matter. He likes to say that chanting "Coca Cola, Coca Cola" will produce the same results as chanting "Gate, gate, paragate, parasamgate, bodhi svaha," or "Om Mani Padme Hum". With all due respect to my old teacher, I believe he is mistaken.
My short answer as to why it matters which mantra is used is that we become the object of our attention. For this reason it does matter what mantra we use in mantra recitation practice. Advertising is a good example of a secular technology that attempts to instill a repetitive message in our minds. Advertising jingles have a powerful tenaciousness. But what is their purpose? The purpose of advertising jingles is to instill desire. And why do advertising jingles attempt to instill desire in us? Because the premiss under which advertising operates is that the possession of material goods will bring us happiness. Chanting "Coca Cola" will not bring about a transformation in us because the object of attention is not capable of leading to such a transformation.
Once again, we become what we place our attention on. If someone wants to become a mathematician, they study mathematics every day. Soon, they are a mathematician. If someone wants to become a musician, they practice every day. Soon, they are a musician. If someone wants to lear a foreign language, they practice that language every day. Soon they can comprehend that language.
Now, if someone wants to awaken to wisdom, compassion, and the presence of eternity, what is it that needs to be practiced in order to accomplish this? It was the great discovery of Nichiren that the Lotus Sutra is the surest guide, the clearest presentation, of how this is accomplished. That’s the connection between the specific mantra recitation practice of Nichiren Buddhism and the awakening that all Buddhist schools consider their ultimate goal.
This can be comprehended more clearly if one contrasts the mantra of Nichiren Buddhism with mantras used in other Buddhist traditions and what those mantras accomplish. If one wants to be born in the Pure Land, the celestial realm, then chanting "Namu Amida Butusu", or "Homage to the Buddha of Infinite Light", will accomplish this purpose. If one wants to gain facility in the doctrine of emptiness, then chanting "Gate, gate, paragate, parasamgate, bodhi svaha," or "Gone, gone, gone beyond, gone beyond beyond, awakening, svaha!" will accomplish this purpose.
Just as various advertising jingles accomplish different purposes by steering us in a particular product direction, just as political slogans accomplish different purposes by cajoling us into a particular political direction, so also different mantras accomplish different purposes by bringing out different aspects of our consciousness. What, then, is the particular accomplishment of the mantra "Namu Myoho Renge Kyo"?
The mantra of Nichiren Buddhism draws our attention to the Lotus Sutra. The Lotus Sutra has two primary messages (I will have more to say about this below). The first message is that all beings have Buddha Nature and that they will some day become Buddhas. This is a profoundly liberating teaching and makes the Lotus Sutra the most optimistic spiritual work I have ever encountered.
The second message of the Lotus Sutra is that the ability to awaken is eternally present, never absent, no matter what our circumstances, no matter how bleak our lives may appear. This eternal presence of the capacity for awakening is the eternal presence of the Buddha, compassionately assisting all beings in the great task of awakening to infinite wisdom and endless compassion.
These two pillars of the Lotus Sutra are condensed in the mantra of Nichiren Buddhism as "Namu Myoho Renge Kyo." How could such teachings be condensed into a mantra of only seven syllables?
Consider the power of words. I have never been to Paris, but just the word "Paris" conjures up all sorts of associations for me that have to do with art, literature, the Eiffel Tower, cafes and croissants. All of that is embedded in the single word "Paris". Or consider the power of derogatory words that are used to demean a racial or religious group. Just the uttering of these words can make us feel very uncomfortable because all sorts of negative associations crowd into our minds when we hear them.
Words are not isolated, either from each other or from the world at large. They are intimately connected to other words, concepts, and also to associations in our lives and the lives of many other people. For this reason, chanting "Namu Myoho Renge Kyo" brings with it associations that, at first, may be largely unconscious, but are nevertheless strongly present. The associations in which this mantra are embedded are the presence of Buddha Nature not only in all beings, but also in myself; and that therefore it is possible, actually possible, for I and all beings to become Buddhas. This is a powerful message, far more powerful than the associations the word "Paris" carries with it.
So the mantra of Nichiren Buddhism is carefully crafted to remind us of our capacity to awaken to the presence of eternity, manifesting as infinite wisdom and compassion, in all sentient beings. We need to be reminded of this because we forget. In our daily lives, filled with distractions of all kinds, we loose our direction. In addition, the society at large does not particularly value this message. For example, one does not come across this message when watching T.V., listening to the radio, or reading a newspaper. The mantra "Namu Myoho Renge Kyo" is a skillfull way to keep us on track, to gently remind us that this human life is a great opportunity, an opportunity for awakening, not only ourselves, but all sentient beings, everywhere, without exception.
Webroads of Meaning
The mental realm is an actual realm in which humans dwell. Just as we dwell in a visual realm, and a sonic realm, we also dwell in a mental realm, which has a geography. For the most part, people are not clear about the geography of mind. There is a way, however, to clarify the geography of mind.
Take a word, say "freedom". The word exists at a location in mental realm. Now ask yourself what words you consider synonyms for the word "freedom". Write down the words. A synonym means a word that you would use as a substitute for the word freedom, or a word that you would accept as a substitute for the word "freedom" when someone else uses it. Common synonyms include "liberty", "justice", and "choice." But you will have your own words that come to mind. Don’t worry about creating a long list. A list of three to six synonyms is sufficient. Whatever words come spontaneously to mind is best.
These synonyms are located near the word "freedom" in your mind. The word "freedom" is in the center, and these synonyms surround the word, giving you an idea of the geography of the word freedom in your mind. Now, each of the synonyms you have come up with can be similarly treated, meaning you can ask yourself what synonyms you would come up with for this other word. By engaging in this process you bring to consciousness what I refer to as a "webroad" of meaning. Each synonym carries you farther from the central term you are considering; in this case "freedom." This webroad is a path in the geography of one’s mind.
We can apply this kind of analysis to mantra recitation, with slight modification. Since mantras are usually groups of words, instead of asking what synonym I would use for the mantra, I ask myself what associations come to m!y mind with the mantra.
I’ll give some personal examples. The first mantra I chanted was "Kwan Seum Bosal", the Korean pronounciation of the Bodhisattva of Compassion, Kwan Yin in Chinese. If I ask myself what associations come to mind, I come up with "compassion, love, caring, responding, sheltering." These are the first four terms that come to my mind when consider the mantra. This gives me an idea of the meaning of the mantra for me.
If I ask myself what associations come to mind with the possible mantra "Coca Cola", I come up with "friends, thirst, sweet." This is a good way of delineating the differences in using different recitation formulas. There is a slight overlap between the two in the term "friends", which eventually could be linked to a term from "Kwan Seum Bosal". If I subject the term "friends" to the same kind of analysis, and I subject the term "caring" to the same kind of analysis, I may at some point, say three or four levels down a webroad of meaning, come to a common term. Which places them fairly distant in the geography of mind.
The meaning of Budhist mantras can be clarified through this process. For example, the mantra "Namu Amida Butsu" bring to mind certain associations such as "grace, heaven, gratitude." This is the first step along the webroad of meaning in the geography of the mantra in my mind.
The mantra "Namu Myoho Renge Kyo" brings with it the following immediate associatons, "eternity, compassion, equality, Buddhahood." Those are the associations that immediately come to my mind when contemplating the mantra. There is some connection between "Namu Amida Butsu" and "Namu Myoho Renge Kyo" in the terms "gratitude" and "compassion". If we subject both of these terms to a similar analysis, I suspect that they will be fairly close in the geography of mind.
However, the differences are also striking. The Pure Land Mantra of Amida is focussed primarily on heaven and the grace that gets me there. The mantra of the Lotus Sutra is focussed primarily on the ability to awaken. Thus the two mantras are differently weighted.
Just as the term "Paris" conjures up in our minds certain associations, so also mantras are placed in a geography of associations and immediate meanings. Part of the meaning of a term, and of a mantra, is these associations. In some ways, these associations are more important than definitions; and when it comes to mantras, it is the associations which become primary. The associations that come with a term like "Coca Cola" are not particularly conducive to awakening. The associations with a mantra like "Namu Amida Butsu" shifts one’s focus to a celestial dimension; but, as the Buddha taught, no heaven lasts forever. The associations of the mantra "Namu Myoho Renge Kyo" are primarily to eternity, the presence of eternity, and awakening to that compassionately eternal presence. Thus the mantra "Namu Myoho Renge Kyo" is superbly crafted for entering into the ultimate awakening, which the Lotus Sutra teaches is available to all living beings.
May the Wonderful Lotus of the Dharma blossom within the hearts of all sentient beings.
Chanting as meditation by Jim Wilson:-
Mantra recitation is the most widespread form of meditation in the Buddhist world. Nichiren Buddhism shares with Pure Land Buddhism and Vajrayana Buddhism an emphasis on this kind of practice. While the practice of mantra recitation is very common, the specific mantra used varies from tradition to tradition. Pure Land Buddhism in Japan uses the mantra "Namu Amida Butsu", which means "Homage to the Buddha of Infinite Light." In Tibetan Buddhism many different mantras are used, depending upon the specific lineage. A widely used mantra in Tibetan Buddhism is "Om Mani Padme Hum." This means something like "Om, the Jewel in the Lotus, Hum." In Zen Buddhism practitioners chant the Heart Sutra which ends with the mantra "Gate, Gate, Paragate, Parasamgate, Bodhi, Svaha!" This mantra means, "Gone, Gone, Gone Beyond, Gone Beyond Beyond, Awakening, Svaha!" (Svaha is an exclamation, something like "hurray!" or "hallelujah!".) However, although the Zen tradition chants the Heart Sutra regularly, its primary meditative form is silent meditation.
The mantra used in Nichiren Buddhism is "Namu Myoho Renge Kyo." This mantra means "Homage to the Lotus Sutra." Nichiren Buddhists chant this mantra on a daily basis at their home altars, and also collectively at their temples and meetings. It is the primary practice of Nichiren Buddhism.
Mantra recitation is a highly efficacious form of meditation. As mentioned above, it is the most widespread form of meditation in the Buddhist world, a form of meditation that crosses sectarian lines. The only tradition where this might be an exception is Theravada Buddhism. However, I have recently begun to realize that chanting practice is fairly pervasive in Theravada Buddhism. For example, someone practicing the cultivation of the Four Immeasurable states of love, compassion, sympathy, and equanimity often uses a chant in which these four states are cultivated by successively focusing them on 12 types of beings in 10 directions. Since there are four contemplations, which are successively rotated through 12 types and 10 directions, this generates hundreds of verses in this simple chanting practice. It is a beautiful form of chanting practice and it allows the practitioner to dive deeply into this kind of contemplation. Though this is not specifically an example of mantra recitation, it shares many of the features of mantra recitation.
The dominance of mantra and chanting meditation in the Buddhist world may come as a surprise to western practitioners of the Dharma. This is because westerners, for the most part, when they use the term "meditation" mean the kind of silent and introspective practices that appear in concentration practices such as vipassana, or spacious awareness practices that are prominent in traditions such as Zen and Dzog Chen. Because the term "meditation" in the west has come to mean these kinds of silent practices, it is sometimes difficult to view mantra recitation as a form of meditation.
However, the term meditation in a Buddhist context means something like "mind cultivation", or "heart cultivation"; mind and heart not being viewed as mutually exclusive in a Buddhist context. If looked at from the point of view of mind cultivation, mantra recitation clearly falls within that category and constitutes an effective and powerful means for the cultivation of the mind and heart. And what is being cultivated in mantra recitation? Like all Buddhist traditions, what is being cultivated is wisdom and compassion.
Because mantra recitation is so central to Nichiren Buddhism, I want to spend some time discussing this form of practice, how it works, why it is efficacious, and why so many people in so many Buddhist traditions find this practice so rewarding.
A Personal Story
First, a personal note. My own introduction to Buddhist practice, my first retreat, was a chanting retreat. The retreat was held by Zen Master Seung Sahn, a Korean Zen Master. I was just a dharma pup at that time, knowing almost nothing about Buddhism and less about Zen. But I had read a book or two written by Seung Sahn, and found his teachings attractive. I therefore signed up for the retreat, thinking that it would consist of hours and hours of quiet sitting and the contemplation of those strange, yet oddly attractive, Zen puzzles called koans.
What actually happened shattered all my expectations. Instead of quiet sitting about 50 people spent hour after hour chanting the name of Kwan Yin, the Bodhisattva of Compassion (in Korean, Kwan Yin is pronounced Kwan Seum Bosal). Everyone had a percussion instrument; drums, tambourines, woodblocks, gongs. It was thunderous. The melodic Korean chanting rose and fell, hour after hour, as the chanting speeded up and slowed down at the direction of the Zen Master.
I was stunned. I had a very strong image of what Zen meant, and what Buddhism looked like. My image was wood, black robes, hours of silence, bare walls; you get the picture. What in the world was going on here? I had no idea. After the first few hours, if I could have left, I would have. But I had accepted a ride from a friend, so I was there for the duration. Which was a good thing, because by the middle of the second day, my bewilderment fell away, and I was able to merge with the chanting.
The retreat turned into the pivotal experience of my spiritual life. All my preconceptions about Zen, about meditation, about the form that spiritual activity must take, fell away. Because of this pivotal experience I have always remained open to chanting as an important practice form. And because Korean Buddhism has a strong tradition of integrating both views and practices, I never felt a strong dichotomy between chanting forms of meditation and silent forms of meditation. However, I am aware that many people do reserve the term “meditation” for the silent forms of concentration/vipassana and spacious awareness/Zen. For this reason, I would like to explore the practice of chanting meditation, and mantra recitation; how it works, the effects it has. By exploring this more extroverted form of meditation I think we can gain a clearer understanding of why chanting is the central practice of Buddhism in general, and Nichiren Buddhism in particular.
The Early Roots of Chanting in the Buddhist Tradition
Chanting is deeply rooted in the Buddhist tradition. This began immediately after the Buddha’s death. His disciples gathered together and worked his teachings into a form that could be chanted. Remnants of these chanted teachings are found in sources such as The Numerical Sayings. Take, for example, the Book of Sixes. At the end of the Book of Sixes, from the Numerical Sayings, three sets of six categories, one set of eleven categories, and one set of 17 categories, are all rotated through each other to generate 509 verses, each verse considered a Sutta. When chanted, these 509 verses become hypnotic and it is surprisingly easy to remeber all the categories, and how they feed into each other, after the first few verses.
This kind of repetitious chanting is very close in feeling, if not identical in structure, to mantra recitation. Some of the simpler rituals, such as chanting the Three Refuges, could easily become mantra like in both structure and feeling. I am suggesting here that mantra recitation grew naturally from the early Buddhist tradition of chanting doctrinal lists, and the simple ceremonies involving simple formulas, such as the Three Refuges, the names of the Buddha, and other widely used rituals.
Seen from this perspective, mantra recitation may be the oldest form of mental cultivation in the Buddhist world.
The Beginnings of Chanting?
I suspect that chanting was done during the Buddha’s lifetime. I sometimes imagine his disciples circumambulating the Buddha, chanting the three refuges, clapping their hands, stomping their feet, in a show of enthusiastic devotion and admiration.
Body, Breath, Voice, and Mind
Part of the power of chanting meditation is that it unites Body, Breath, Voice, and Mind as these aspects of our existence become focused through the activity of chanting. The mind itself experiences a high degree of unification when chanting. Normally the part of our brain centered on rhythmic patterns is not united with the conceptual part of the brain. Chanting brings them together into a single act. The emotions are also brought into a unity in this act as the emotions are allowed expression through the agency of the voice. Overall, I can’t think of a better means for bringing about full concentration than chanting.
Why do I say this?
In chanting the mind, and its disparate functions, become unified in the act of chanting. The voice also participates in this meditative process. The breath is an additional essential component for the chanting process. Through the breath, the body as a whole is brought into the meditative practice. Thus mental, emotional, and physical functions all become engaged in, concentrated on, a single act; that of chanting the mantra. All the energy of the human organism is brought to a single purpose.
Chanting and Healing Energy
I suspect that chanting has healing effects. On the level of mind, chanting gradually, but effectively, overcomes distracted and scattered mind. It works like this; when body, breath, and mind repeat a phrase or mantra over and over, the mind has an object of focus that is both interior and exterior. The wandering mind is gently brought back to the sound. Thus, the mind learns how to focus, how to notice when it is scattered, and how to move from a scattered state to a focussed state. In this way chanting meditation heals the scattered and distracted mind.
On a physiological level, chanting seems to energize the organism. I remember the first chanting retreat I attended, the one I attended unintentionally. After chanting all day, for many hours, the chanting would end around 9:30 or 10:00 p.m. No one would go to sleep. Everyone was in a state of high energy and there followed many hours of Dharma talk, forming of friendships, sharing of views.
In contrast, at the conclusion of a day of zazen, people often feel very tired and my experience is that most people head straight for bed. There is something paradoxical about this. At a chanting retreat one is engaged in activity all day long. At a zazen retreat, one is doing very little, just sitting, all day long. Yet the sitting retreats tend to be much more energy draining than the chanting retreats.
I think the reason for this is that the physical process of chanting, and the rhythm of the breathing involved in chanting, circulates energy in the body system. Blood is flowing, air is pumping, and on a more subtle level, the life energy of chi is flowing freely.
Years ago I read a story about a Trappist monastery whose Abbot had died. In accordance with traditional procedures the monks elected a new Abbot. The new Abbot decided to reduce the amount of chanting at the early morning Matins services. An immediate result was that the monks had greater difficulty staying awake. Even though the reduction in the length of the service would have seemed conducive to better attention, the opposite actually happened. The chanting that had been removed was soon reinstated and this proved conducive to a wakeful and attentive early morning service.
Body and Mind Falling Away
There is an interesting experience that sometimes happens when chanting, particularly in the case of mantra recitation. For me it only happens after a long period of chanting. What happens is that the chanting begins to unfold without any conscious effort or calculation. The process unfolds of its own accord. It is simply what is happening.
I identify this experience with Dogen’s "body and mind falling away." I understand this to mean that there is no longer a feeling of separation between the practitioner and the world. There is only the presence of the world and even such an insignificant person as I finds myself embedded in the ongoing ebb and flow of the rivering world without any sense of separation. This is a glimpse of the mind that dwells in the realization of the primal interdependence of all existence, the heart of the Buddha’s realization.
Chanting and Sangha
Chanting is often done as a group activity. Nichiren Buddhists practice at home, twice a day, and in these cases the chanting is often done solo. But most Nichiren Buddhists also belong to a Temple or group, and gather regularly for group chanting as an integral part of their commitment to Nichiren Buddhism.
The fact that chanting is often a social activity differentiates chanting from silent forms of meditation. Silent meditation, even when done in a group, tends to isolate individuals. I think this is one of the reasons why Zen appeals to the rugged individual type of personality. The practice of zazen has a lot of features that make it look like one is self-reliant. I think that is why in Japan, Zen is often referred to as a "self-powered" practice.
Chanting in a group weaves a group together. It is a demonstration of interdependence and a clear example of the Buddha’s insight into interdependent transformation. In other words, chanting in a group gives people an opportunity to directly perceive the truth of interdependent transformation, to experience this truth.
Chanting and Interdependent Transformation
Chanting, as mentioned above, gives us the opportunity to directly perceive interdependent transformation, the seed from which all the Buddha’s teachings emerge. Normally we do not perceive interdependent transformation, as our perception of objects seems to indicate a world of separate and self-sufficient things.
In contrast, with the sound of chanting, particularly chanting in a group, the sound of the chanting arises due to causes and conditions which we have clear contact with and perception of. Because the sound of the chanting emerges from our own voice, and the voices of those we are chanting with, it is a clear demonstration of the truth of interdependent transformation.
Everything is like that, like the sound of chanting voices, but normally we are unable to perceive this. In the case of chanting we can directly perceive the quality of dependence, and therefore directly perceive the emptiness that the Perfection of Wisdom Sutras refer to. This is done effortlessly and clearly when we chant together with others. This is one of the most powerful lessons of group chanting.
Chanting and Change
All things are constantly changing, but we forget this. If it is the case that all things are constantly changing, why, then, do we forget this? It is because our perception does not clearly present this truth to us. The desk I am writing on does not seem to be changing. I infer that it is changing, but I do not peceive that it is changing.
The sonic realm is different. With sound I can directly perceive the truth of constant change. Chanting offers us an opportunity to directly perceive this truth by drawing our attention to the sound we are chanting. The contours of the chanting constantly change, yet the chanting maintains a sense of coherency and pattern. This is a wonderful lesson in how constant change does not negate coherence, how form and change are compatible with each other.
Chanting and Impermanence
Chanting allows us to directly experience the meaning of impermanence. As the chanting ceases, impermanence appears. Nothing could be clearer.
Impermanence is difficult for people to understand. Why is this? It is because most objects of perception do not readily display their impermanence. We can infer thier impermanence, but we do not directly experience that impermanence. This is particularly true of visual objects which, for the most part, appear stable.
This is why a sonic object, such as a mantra, is an ideal embodiment of the Dharma. Sonic objects exhibit in a way directly accessible to our senses the core Dharma truths of dependent origination, of constant change, and of impermanence. Therefore, as an object of reverence, the mantra is the ideal teaching tool for human beings.
Transforming Obsession
It is clinging which gives rise to suffering, according to numerous discourses. I think of clinging in its extreme form as obsession. In its extreme form we can observe this mechanism in various addictions, which give rise to much suffering. In silent forms of meditation obsession manifests as thoughts or images that replay, over and over, in the mind of the meditator. This is a common experience among practitioners of vipassana and zazen. It can feel very frustrating to the meditator, for no matter how hard the practitioner tries to “just let it go,” the repetitive though just keeps reappearing like some maniacal jack-in-the-box who won’t go away.
Chanting meditation in many ways resembles obsession. There is the same fixation, the same repetitiveness. Contemplating the similarities between obsession and chanting, I have tentatively come to a view which comprehends chanting meditation as the transformation of obsession into the path of realization. Instead of fighting the human tendency toward obsession, chanting meditation takes advantage of that tendency and transforms obsession into the path and into an opportunity for realization and awakening.
In order to understand how this transformation occurs I will use as a model a strcuture borrowed from Vajrayana Buddhism. This structure is referred to as the elementals. The view of the elementals is to cosider all things as manifestations of energy, of moving and flowing energy. This energy takes a number of basic forms which have certain tendencies. In Vajrayana these basic forms are called earth, water, fire, air, and space.
The key here is that the energy manifestations can be comprehended in two ways. From one perspective, a particular manifestaiton is a hindrance and obstacle to awakening. From another perspective, it is possible to use any kind of manifestation to awaken to the presence of wisdom and compassion.
Taking the specific example of obsession; this kind of repetitive attachment is an example of fire energy. Fire clings and burns. People often spontaneously use fire imagery when speaking of their own obsessions. However, this kind of fire energy is also, when comprehended clearly, the presence of, and the gateway to, compassion. In other words, when obsession is transformed, it manifests as compassion.
How does this happen? The clearest way to comprehend this transformation is to examine the Bodhisattva Vows. The first Bodhisattva Vow is, "Sentient beings are numberless, I vow to save them all." This is a commitment to work for the benefit of all sentient beings. All means every single one. Person after person, being after being, world after world, life after life. In other words, infinite compassion has the same constantly repeated and reasserting energy that obsession does; but now that energy is subsumed to the direction of releasing others from suffering. So instead of abandoning the fire of obsession, we transform obsession into awakening itself.
How does chanting facilitate this transformation of obsession? Chanting in the form of mantra recitation deliberately cultivates the process of a repetitive presence. In other words, mantra recitation uses the mechanism of obsession, but places that mechanism in a context where the object of repetition is not only not harmful, but actually beneficial. This demonstrates to the practitioner that the mind, even in this form, is not the enemy. This constitutes a profound unification of mind, and allows the practitioner to become more whole and grounded. And it demonstrates to the practitioner the liberative potential of the mind, even in forms that under many circumstances seem like hindrances.
All of this does not necessarily happen consciously. In most cases the practitioner may not be able to articulate the nature of the transformation taking place. However, the transformation does happen. It resembles someone taking medicine; they do not necessarily know, and in most cases probably do not know, how the medicine works. Nevertheless, they get better and the disease subsides. Similarly, a practitioner does not have to be consciously aware of how mantra recitation transforms obsession in order to benefit from such a transformation. Nevertheless, the transformation occurs. The specific transformation is that repetitive desires no longer have the same fierceness and grip because the process whereby they appear is seen through and no longer considered in and of itself problematical. The energy of these obsessions can now be shifted. Shifted where? Shifted to mantra recitation. In other words, every single time someone practices mantra recitation, they are transforming the mechanism of obsession into the path of awakening itself. One can observe this happening among many practitioners as an early result of such practice. What one observes is a lessening of the grip of obsessions as one’s practice of mantra recitation deepens.
The Object of Chanting
What I have said above applies to all forms of mantra recitation, of which there are many in the Buddhist world. There are also forms of mantra recitation in Hinduism, Judaism, and Christianity. Short repetitive prayers are probably universal and any kind of short, repetitive prayer, done systematically, such as the rosary, is an example of mantra recitation.
In the Nichiren tradition the specific mantra used is "Namu Myoho Renge Kyo". This mantra means "Homage to the Lotus Sutra." Why this mantra? Why not some other mantra? Does it even matter what mantra we use?
This is a good question. My old Zen teacher, Zen Master Seung Sahn, argued that in fact it doesn’t matter. He likes to say that chanting "Coca Cola, Coca Cola" will produce the same results as chanting "Gate, gate, paragate, parasamgate, bodhi svaha," or "Om Mani Padme Hum". With all due respect to my old teacher, I believe he is mistaken.
My short answer as to why it matters which mantra is used is that we become the object of our attention. For this reason it does matter what mantra we use in mantra recitation practice. Advertising is a good example of a secular technology that attempts to instill a repetitive message in our minds. Advertising jingles have a powerful tenaciousness. But what is their purpose? The purpose of advertising jingles is to instill desire. And why do advertising jingles attempt to instill desire in us? Because the premiss under which advertising operates is that the possession of material goods will bring us happiness. Chanting "Coca Cola" will not bring about a transformation in us because the object of attention is not capable of leading to such a transformation.
Once again, we become what we place our attention on. If someone wants to become a mathematician, they study mathematics every day. Soon, they are a mathematician. If someone wants to become a musician, they practice every day. Soon, they are a musician. If someone wants to lear a foreign language, they practice that language every day. Soon they can comprehend that language.
Now, if someone wants to awaken to wisdom, compassion, and the presence of eternity, what is it that needs to be practiced in order to accomplish this? It was the great discovery of Nichiren that the Lotus Sutra is the surest guide, the clearest presentation, of how this is accomplished. That’s the connection between the specific mantra recitation practice of Nichiren Buddhism and the awakening that all Buddhist schools consider their ultimate goal.
This can be comprehended more clearly if one contrasts the mantra of Nichiren Buddhism with mantras used in other Buddhist traditions and what those mantras accomplish. If one wants to be born in the Pure Land, the celestial realm, then chanting "Namu Amida Butusu", or "Homage to the Buddha of Infinite Light", will accomplish this purpose. If one wants to gain facility in the doctrine of emptiness, then chanting "Gate, gate, paragate, parasamgate, bodhi svaha," or "Gone, gone, gone beyond, gone beyond beyond, awakening, svaha!" will accomplish this purpose.
Just as various advertising jingles accomplish different purposes by steering us in a particular product direction, just as political slogans accomplish different purposes by cajoling us into a particular political direction, so also different mantras accomplish different purposes by bringing out different aspects of our consciousness. What, then, is the particular accomplishment of the mantra "Namu Myoho Renge Kyo"?
The mantra of Nichiren Buddhism draws our attention to the Lotus Sutra. The Lotus Sutra has two primary messages (I will have more to say about this below). The first message is that all beings have Buddha Nature and that they will some day become Buddhas. This is a profoundly liberating teaching and makes the Lotus Sutra the most optimistic spiritual work I have ever encountered.
The second message of the Lotus Sutra is that the ability to awaken is eternally present, never absent, no matter what our circumstances, no matter how bleak our lives may appear. This eternal presence of the capacity for awakening is the eternal presence of the Buddha, compassionately assisting all beings in the great task of awakening to infinite wisdom and endless compassion.
These two pillars of the Lotus Sutra are condensed in the mantra of Nichiren Buddhism as "Namu Myoho Renge Kyo." How could such teachings be condensed into a mantra of only seven syllables?
Consider the power of words. I have never been to Paris, but just the word "Paris" conjures up all sorts of associations for me that have to do with art, literature, the Eiffel Tower, cafes and croissants. All of that is embedded in the single word "Paris". Or consider the power of derogatory words that are used to demean a racial or religious group. Just the uttering of these words can make us feel very uncomfortable because all sorts of negative associations crowd into our minds when we hear them.
Words are not isolated, either from each other or from the world at large. They are intimately connected to other words, concepts, and also to associations in our lives and the lives of many other people. For this reason, chanting "Namu Myoho Renge Kyo" brings with it associations that, at first, may be largely unconscious, but are nevertheless strongly present. The associations in which this mantra are embedded are the presence of Buddha Nature not only in all beings, but also in myself; and that therefore it is possible, actually possible, for I and all beings to become Buddhas. This is a powerful message, far more powerful than the associations the word "Paris" carries with it.
So the mantra of Nichiren Buddhism is carefully crafted to remind us of our capacity to awaken to the presence of eternity, manifesting as infinite wisdom and compassion, in all sentient beings. We need to be reminded of this because we forget. In our daily lives, filled with distractions of all kinds, we loose our direction. In addition, the society at large does not particularly value this message. For example, one does not come across this message when watching T.V., listening to the radio, or reading a newspaper. The mantra "Namu Myoho Renge Kyo" is a skillfull way to keep us on track, to gently remind us that this human life is a great opportunity, an opportunity for awakening, not only ourselves, but all sentient beings, everywhere, without exception.
Webroads of Meaning
The mental realm is an actual realm in which humans dwell. Just as we dwell in a visual realm, and a sonic realm, we also dwell in a mental realm, which has a geography. For the most part, people are not clear about the geography of mind. There is a way, however, to clarify the geography of mind.
Take a word, say "freedom". The word exists at a location in mental realm. Now ask yourself what words you consider synonyms for the word "freedom". Write down the words. A synonym means a word that you would use as a substitute for the word freedom, or a word that you would accept as a substitute for the word "freedom" when someone else uses it. Common synonyms include "liberty", "justice", and "choice." But you will have your own words that come to mind. Don’t worry about creating a long list. A list of three to six synonyms is sufficient. Whatever words come spontaneously to mind is best.
These synonyms are located near the word "freedom" in your mind. The word "freedom" is in the center, and these synonyms surround the word, giving you an idea of the geography of the word freedom in your mind. Now, each of the synonyms you have come up with can be similarly treated, meaning you can ask yourself what synonyms you would come up with for this other word. By engaging in this process you bring to consciousness what I refer to as a "webroad" of meaning. Each synonym carries you farther from the central term you are considering; in this case "freedom." This webroad is a path in the geography of one’s mind.
We can apply this kind of analysis to mantra recitation, with slight modification. Since mantras are usually groups of words, instead of asking what synonym I would use for the mantra, I ask myself what associations come to m!y mind with the mantra.
I’ll give some personal examples. The first mantra I chanted was "Kwan Seum Bosal", the Korean pronounciation of the Bodhisattva of Compassion, Kwan Yin in Chinese. If I ask myself what associations come to mind, I come up with "compassion, love, caring, responding, sheltering." These are the first four terms that come to my mind when consider the mantra. This gives me an idea of the meaning of the mantra for me.
If I ask myself what associations come to mind with the possible mantra "Coca Cola", I come up with "friends, thirst, sweet." This is a good way of delineating the differences in using different recitation formulas. There is a slight overlap between the two in the term "friends", which eventually could be linked to a term from "Kwan Seum Bosal". If I subject the term "friends" to the same kind of analysis, and I subject the term "caring" to the same kind of analysis, I may at some point, say three or four levels down a webroad of meaning, come to a common term. Which places them fairly distant in the geography of mind.
The meaning of Budhist mantras can be clarified through this process. For example, the mantra "Namu Amida Butsu" bring to mind certain associations such as "grace, heaven, gratitude." This is the first step along the webroad of meaning in the geography of the mantra in my mind.
The mantra "Namu Myoho Renge Kyo" brings with it the following immediate associatons, "eternity, compassion, equality, Buddhahood." Those are the associations that immediately come to my mind when contemplating the mantra. There is some connection between "Namu Amida Butsu" and "Namu Myoho Renge Kyo" in the terms "gratitude" and "compassion". If we subject both of these terms to a similar analysis, I suspect that they will be fairly close in the geography of mind.
However, the differences are also striking. The Pure Land Mantra of Amida is focussed primarily on heaven and the grace that gets me there. The mantra of the Lotus Sutra is focussed primarily on the ability to awaken. Thus the two mantras are differently weighted.
Just as the term "Paris" conjures up in our minds certain associations, so also mantras are placed in a geography of associations and immediate meanings. Part of the meaning of a term, and of a mantra, is these associations. In some ways, these associations are more important than definitions; and when it comes to mantras, it is the associations which become primary. The associations that come with a term like "Coca Cola" are not particularly conducive to awakening. The associations with a mantra like "Namu Amida Butsu" shifts one’s focus to a celestial dimension; but, as the Buddha taught, no heaven lasts forever. The associations of the mantra "Namu Myoho Renge Kyo" are primarily to eternity, the presence of eternity, and awakening to that compassionately eternal presence. Thus the mantra "Namu Myoho Renge Kyo" is superbly crafted for entering into the ultimate awakening, which the Lotus Sutra teaches is available to all living beings.
May the Wonderful Lotus of the Dharma blossom within the hearts of all sentient beings.
8th September 2008, My first Meeting
During the Q and A session, an elderly man stand up to ask, 'my mother in law is a loving lady and has been practicing Nichiren Buddha for long time. She is now bed ridden, downed with paralyze and we had sent her to old folks home. I cannot understand why such a good person towards the last phase of life suffer like this?'...
This question awaken me.
This question awaken me.
Soka Gakkai International (wikipedia)
Sōka Gakkai International ("International Value-Creation Society"; also, SGI) is the international umbrella organization for Sōka Gakkai-affiliated lay organizations in 192 countries. Adherents practice Sōka Gakkai's particular form of Nichiren Buddhism, and is the largest group of Nichiren Buddhists worldwide. SGI's Japan-based parent, Sōka Gakkai, was formed in 1930 and is closely associated with the New Komeito, an influential Japanese political party. However, the SGI no longer officially financially supports this party. The Sōka Gakkai International, the global organization, was founded in 1975 and characterizes its organization as a support network for practitioners of Nichiren Buddhism. SGI members, are actively engaged in numerous community-based programs to promote cultural exchange and understanding among peoples as well as activities to propagate the Buddhism that they practice.
The different SGI organizations and its international president, Daisaku Ikeda, have been collectively or individually criticized by members of the media, intellectuals, and politicians in several countries and at various times for some of their actions and policies. For instance in 2007 some questions were raised in the UK Parliament by two M.P.s concerning an allegation by a "member of the public" that the SGI, the New Kadampa Tradition and the Friends of the Western Buddhist Order indulged in "cultish behaviour." Although letters were received from a number of members of the public complaining about cultish behavior, no action was taken.[1]
Conversely, it has been praised by many independent people and organizations. Rabbi Abraham Cooper of the Simon Wiesenthal Center says, "I am upbeat about Japan... we found good people there... like Daisaku Ikeda and the Sōka Gakkai, that support what we're doing."[2] Mikhail Gorbachev, former President of the Soviet Union, is quoted as saying, "President Ikeda is a philosopher, a thinker, and a poet with a grand vision and a big heart. He is working not only for Japan but for the sake of the entire world."[3] In October 2006, SGI President Daisaku Ikeda received his 200th honorary doctorate and has received 150 honorary citizenships.[citation needed]
History
Sōka Gakkai was founded as the Sōka Kyōiku Gakkai (創価教育学会, lit. "Value-Creation Education Society") on November 18, 1930 by Japanese educator Tsunesaburo Makiguchi and his colleague Josei Toda. Makiguchi sought to reform Japan's militaristic education system into a more humanistic one that would support the full development and potential of Japan's youth. His ideas on education, and his theory of value-creation (創価, sōka), are explored in his 1930 work Sōka Kyōikugaku Taikei (創価教育学体系, The Theory of Value-Creating Pedagogy). In Nichiren Shoshu Buddhism, he found a religious philosophy that reflected his educational theories, which led to the establishment of the Sōka Kyōiku Gakkai. Eventually, the focus of the organization began to shift, as Makiguchi came to the conclusion that the practice of Nichiren Shoshu Buddhism itself could allow each individual to develop their potential within and attain Buddhahood. However, Makiguchi and Toda's thinking was in direct conflict with the goals of the state. When the Japanese government more rigorously enforced Shinto's position as the state religion (State Shinto) with the enactment of the Religious Organizations Law of 1939, a move designed to impose stricter governmental controls over religions,[4] and began to demand that all citizens enshrine Shinto talismans in their homes[5] Makiguchi, Toda, and 18 other Sōka Kyōiku Gakkai members resisted, refusing the talismans. For refusing to cooperate with the government by compromising their religious beliefs, the two educators were sent to prison. Makiguchi died there at age 73; Toda was later released and, after World War II, rebuilt the organization, renaming it Sōka Gakkai to reflect the extension of its membership beyond educators only. Over the years, the Sōka Gakkai experienced a period of rapid growth in Japan. An organization, Nichiren Shoshu of America (NSA, later also called Nichiren Shoshu Academy, Nichirenshoshu Sōkagakkai of America, and finally Sōka Gakkai International – USA), was formally organized in the United States on October 13, 1960. Today, Sōka Gakkai International and Nichiren Shoshu have parted ways. SGI now has a membership of somewhere between 100,000 to 300,000 practitioners in the United States.[6] Sōka Gakkai International (SGI) was founded in 1975 as the International Buddhist League to act as the international leadership of national Sōka Gakkai organizations.
From the 13th century until the 20th century, Nichiren Buddhism was practiced almost exclusively in Japan. Sōka Gakkai emerged as the largest lay organization of Nichiren Buddhist practitioners and today, Sōka Gakkai membership accounts for nearly 10 percent of Japan's population.[7]
When religious freedom took hold in Japan following World War II, Sōka Gakkai began to spread Nichiren Shoshu Buddhism, initially across the country, then eventually across the globe, as practitioners relocated from Japan and as non-Japanese practitioners returned to their home countries, taking the practice with them. In response, Sōka Gakkai began to develop a program of international outreach. In 1960, Daisaku Ikeda, then third president of Sōka Gakkai, made a journey that took him from Japan to the United States, Brazil and Canada. During this trip he met practitioners in each of these countries and began laying the foundation for what would later become Sōka Gakkai International. In 1975, SGI was formally founded, with Daisaku Ikeda as its president.
Even though SGI was initially affiliated with Nichiren Shoshu, they are becoming more and more distinct. SGI's primary purpose is to provide a supporting organization for its practitioners. On its website, SGI defines its purpose as follows.
For SGI members, Buddhism is a practical philosophy of individual empowerment and inner transformation that enables people to develop themselves and take responsibility for their lives. As lay believers and engaged Buddhists, SGI members strive in their everyday lives to develop the ability to live with confidence, to create value in any circumstances and to contribute to the well-being of friends, family and community. The promotion of peace, culture and education is central to SGI's activities.
Daisaku Ikeda has led SGI since the death of Second President Josei Toda in 1958. A disciple of President Toda, Ikeda succeeded him in 1960 as Sōka Gakkai president and became president of the larger Sōka Gakkai International upon its creation in 1975.
Ikeda is, however, a controversial figure.[8] For example, prior to 1979, many SGI leaders implied that Ikeda was equal to or superseded Nichiren as the True Buddha and suggested that a novel authored by Ikeda, the Human Revolution, was the gosho of the present age, the gosho being Nichiren's writings[9] When he challenged the Nichiren Shoshu priesthood on doctrinal grounds, his challenge was considered an act of heresy, particularly by a priesthood that viewed and asserted itself as the ultimate authority in Nichiren Shoshu doctrine. In April 1979 Ikeda resigned his positions as Sōka Gakkai president as well as head of all Nichiren Shoshu lay organizations (Hokkekō Sōkōtō) to apologize for his organization's deviations from Nichiren Shoshu doctrine (which Sōka Gakkai was bound to observe by its contemporary rules of incorporation) and the ensuing turmoil.[10]
Sōka Gakkai members suggest that Ikeda's resignation was the action of a man who did not want to be responsible for creating a rift among the practitioners. Regardless of the rationale, however, a division between the followers of Nichiren Shoshu, and those who aligned themselves with Ikeda's positions, did occur, and continues to be a source of controversy and disagreement amongst practitioners. Shortly after giving of the organization's presidency, Ikeda became honorary chairman of Sōka Gakkai in part as a response to Sōka Gakkai members' dissatisfaction with his vacating of the presidency. As of January 2008 Ikeda remains honorary chairman of Sōka Gakkai and president of SGI.
Split with the priesthood
Hokkekō experienced a spurt of fast growth in the early to mid 1990s following a split between the Nichiren Shoshu priesthood and Soka Gakkai over doctrinal and practical differences. Friction between the two surfaced as 1990 drew to a close, sparking an inflow of Soka Gakkai members into Hokkekō that accelerated for a while after Nichiren Shoshu stripped Soka Gakkai of its status as a lay organization on November 28, 1991. Though Nichiren Shoshu still considered individual Soka Gakkai members as lay followers until a rule change in 1997, most mistakenly believed that they had been excommunicated along with the Soka Gakkai organization. Hokkekō growth has since slowed substantially but is now more organic.
Hokkekō is not affiliated with any political organizations.
The fundamental practice of Sōka Gakkai and SGI members is derived from Nichiren Shoshu Buddhism, a form of Nichiren Buddhism.[11] However, due to a number of ongoing issues and disputes that existed between then High Priest Nikken Abe and the leadership of Sōka Gakkai, Nichiren Shoshu excommunicated the entire membership of both the Sōka Gakkai in Japan, as well as the entire SGI (Soka Gakkai International) as its lay organizations in November 1991 - although both together easily exceeded upwards of 11 million members worldwide.[12] SGI President Daisaku Ikeda was excommunicated in 1992. Until 1991, Sōka Gakkai had been a lay organization closely affiliated with Nichiren Shoshu, and members who had joined a temple retained their temple membership as individuals. In 1997, these Sōka Gakkai and SGI members lost their standing as temple members unless they renounced their affiliation with Sōka Gakkai and SGI.
SGI and Nichiren Shoshu are now independent of one another. For more on the background, history and views of the Sōka Gakkai International and Nichiren Shoshu split, see the external links below.
Doctrine
Hokkekō experienced a spurt of fast growth in the early to mid 1990s following a split between the Nichiren Shoshu priesthood and Soka Gakkai over doctrinal and practical differences. Friction between the two surfaced as 1990 drew to a close, sparking an inflow of Soka Gakkai members into Hokkekō that accelerated for a while after Nichiren Shoshu stripped Soka Gakkai of its status as a lay organization on November 28, 1991. Though Nichiren Shoshu still considered individual Soka Gakkai members as lay followers until a rule change in 1997, most mistakenly believed that they had been excommunicated along with the Soka Gakkai organization. Hokkekō growth has since slowed substantially but is now more organic.
Hokkekō is not affiliated with any political organizations.
Nichiren (日蓮) (1222–1282) was a Japanese Buddhist monk who, having studied the entirety of Shakyamuni's teachings and the commentaries of the leading Buddhist scholars of the day, proclaimed that the Lotus Sutra was the ultimate teaching of Shakyamuni Buddha and that, in Shakyamuni's own words, it was the one true teaching. Nichiren declared that the title of the Lotus Sutra, Myoho-Renge-Kyo, crystallized the essence of the sutra and that therefore the invocation Nam-myoho-renge-kyo enabled a practitioner to embrace the entirety of the teaching and to thereby manifest the life-condition of Buddhahood. A key passage in the Lotus Sutra explains that every individual possesses this life-condition, albeit as a latent Buddha nature. The essence of the Lotus Sutra, Nichiren Daishonin taught, was that all men and women, regardless of social class, are inherently endowed with this Buddha nature and could therefore attain Buddhahood. "Nichiren" is a name he chose for himself when he embarked on spreading his teaching on April 28, 1253. It literally means "Sun Lotus". The word "Daishonin" is an honorific title meaning "great holy man" as practitioners believe him to be the Buddha of the Latter Day of the Law.
Nichiren taught that by chanting Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo to the Gohonzon (御本尊)—a mandala he inscribed with Chinese and Sanskrit characters representing the enlightened life of the True Buddha—anyone can bring forth her or his inherent Buddha nature and become enlightened. Nichiren Daishonin's Buddhism taught that Buddhahood is not a static state of being, but exists in mutual possession of other states of being (referred to as the Ten Worlds). This concept is better known as ichinen sanzen, the Three Thousand Realms in a Single Moment of Life. Therefore, practitioners believe that Buddhism must be practiced not in a land or a mystic state, but in each person's daily life. This is experienced as the result of continuous effort to engage one's highest life condition, or Buddha nature, to overcome the inevitable obstacles and struggles we all face. In so doing, one establishes an unshakable state of happiness characterized by peace, wisdom, and compassion, and this ultimately permeates every aspect of one's life. In accord with the Buddhist concept of eshō funi, the oneness of person and environment, each individual has the power to then positively affect the environment around him or her. SGI practitioners call this process a "human revolution." Nichiren Daishonin argued that when and if human beings fully embraced his teachings, the peace they would develop within would eventually be reflected in the environment as peace in society at large.
Practice
The basic practice of SGI members is based on faith, practice, and study. Faith entails chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo daily and reciting gongyo (the Expedient Means and Life Span Chapters of the Lotus Sutra). The duration of chanting tends to depend upon the individual member; typically it will start off minimal (5 to 10 minutes morning and evening), but long term practitioners frequently chant for at least half an hour or an hour morning and evening. Some members will occasionally chant daimoku tōsō ("chanting struggle"), which is extended chanting over several hours in a single day.
Practice involves chanting as described above, plus participation in the community and sharing Buddhist practice with others. Study is the dedication of some part of ones life to the reading of important Buddhist teachings, most important among them the study of the collected writings of Nichiren Daishonin, called gosho. Many gosho have been compiled in a two volume edition in English, The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin I and II. These translations are based on a Japanese volume called Nichiren Daishōnin Gosho Zenshū (The complete works of Nichiren Daishonin), which was compiled by 59th Nichiren Shoshu High Priest Nichiko Hori and published by Sōka Gakkai in 1952. Translations are available in, or are being undertaken into, other languages. Additional reading materials include the Lotus Sutra, the writings of Daisaku Ikeda, and other writers and scholars of the Lotus Sutra and of Nichiren Buddhism. In North America, there is a weekly newspaper, the World Tribune, and a monthly Buddhist journal, Living Buddhism.
Followers of Sōka Gakkai and SGI believe that chanting energizes and refreshes the practitioner both spiritually and mentally, leaving him or her happier, wiser, more compassionate, more productive, and more prosperous in all areas of their lives. Chanting is also believed to have a positive impact on the world at large.
Sōka Gakkai and SGI's other constituent organizations hold regular grassroots gatherings known as discussion meetings. Available on a monthly basis, they are usually held in members' homes. Important events, monthly World Peace Prayers (Kosen Rufu Gongyo), commemorative meetings, and monthly study meetings are usually held in SGI community centers (larger centers are usually called culture centers). SGI claims 15 million members worldwide —12 million in Japan and 3 million elsewhere—especially in the U.S.A, Brazil, South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Singapore.
SGI charter
Sōka Gakkai's official charter reads:
CriticismPurposes and Principles
- SGI shall contribute to peace, culture and education for the happiness and welfare of all humanity based on Buddhist respect for the sanctity of life.
- SGI, based on the ideal of world citizenship, shall safeguard fundamental human rights and not discriminate against any individual on any grounds.
- SGI shall respect and protect the freedom of religion and religious expression.
- SGI shall promote an understanding of Nichiren Daishonin's Buddhism through grass-roots exchange, thereby contributing to individual happiness.
- SGI shall, through its constituent organizations, encourage its members to contribute toward the prosperity of their respective societies as good citizens.
- SGI shall respect the independence and autonomy of its constituent organizations in accordance with the conditions prevailing in each country.
- SGI shall, based on the Buddhist spirit of tolerance, respect other religions, engage in dialogue and work together with them toward the resolution of fundamental issues concerning humanity.
- SGI shall respect cultural diversity and promote cultural exchange, thereby creating an international society of mutual understanding and harmony.
- SGI shall promote, based on the Buddhist ideal of symbiosis, the protection of nature and the environment.
- SGI shall contribute to the promotion of education, in pursuit of truth as well as the development of scholarship, to enable all people to cultivate their individual character and enjoy fulfilling and happy lives.
In spite of their declared mission for peace, culture and education, the SGI and Sōka Gakkai are also a focus of criticism and controversy. Sōka Gakkai, the Japanese organization, has a reputation for involvement in Japan's political arena. Though officially the two are separate, it is closely affiliated with the New Komeito, a major political party in Japan. Though SGI and New Komeito both publicly deny any relationship, and declare that they are separate organizations,[13] accusations that Sōka Gakkai in effect controls New Komeito persist.[14]
Another point of contention concerns SGI's application of the principle of oneness of mentor and disciple. According to SGI, the oneness of mentor and disciple relationship is a very important aspect of living a full life, for every human being; detractors see SGI’s version of the oneness of mentor and disciple relationship as a cult of personality for its current focus on SGI President Daisaku Ikeda, as well as the two preceding presidents—and founders—Josei Toda and Tsunesaburo Makiguchi. SGI defenders argue[citation needed] that in most cultures, and for most human beings, the idea of looking to those who have come before us, and finding a person who one can feel a kinship with, that one may look to as an example for how to live one's life, for guidance, encouragement and support, is a common part of human development, and that their establishing a lasting relationship with such an individual is an important part of life; furthermore, the keystone to the concept of oneness of mentor and disciple, when compared with what may initially appear to be similar concepts, lies in the fact that a) both are to stand together, without any difference whatsoever but that of each other's mission and b) that both are to draw from the same source (i.e. Nichiren's "Ultimate Heritage of The Law") and propel each other towards ever greater achievements, as the mentor is seen as a failure when the disciple is unable to surpass or exceed the mentor's own accomplishments.
SGI members attribute this view to the oneness of mentor and disciple relationship of Nichiren Buddhism, which they describe as the central pillar upon which the practice and the organization have developed: Shakyamuni was the mentor to Nichiren; Nichiren, the mentor to his disciples; and they, mentors to future practitioners. Makiguchi took Nichiren as a mentor in his life, while Toda took Makiguchi as his. Ikeda continued the tradition with Toda as his mentor, and now members throughout the world have chosen Ikeda, whom along with Toda, Makiguchi, Nichiren, and Shakyamuni, can all be considered mentors in life, as they exemplify this compassionate spirit of supporting others to excel in their own individual missions, all the while sharing the same "vow" of the Bodhisattva, exemplified by a stanza of the 16th Chapter of the Lotus Sutra that states: "This is my constant thought; at all times I think, how can I cause all living beings, to achieve the body of a buddha, without distinction".
To critics of Ikeda and SGI, this relationship is viewed as symptomatic of a cult of personality. Critics also question the authority and authenticity of Ikeda's writings. The use of the familial term sensei (“teacher,” “master”) to refer to Ikeda is looked upon with suspicion and considered to be symbolic and further evidence of a cult of personality. Many SGI members view Ikeda and his life as a great example of how to use the practice in their own lives. He is viewed as an inspiration and an example of the power of one person to have a substantial positive effect on our world. For many members, Ikeda, as well as Shakyamuni, Nichiren, Makiguchi, Toda, and a host of other like minded philosophers, and thinkers around the world, are taken as models for how one may build their own lives around ideas of peace, culture, and education, and within all levels of their lives—family, work, friends, and society at large.
Critics of SGI and Ikeda are suspicious of the way he is considered by members to be a living embodiment of the power of the practice of SGI Buddhism. They assert that members are pressured to view Ikeda as their mentor in life. They are also suspicious and distrustful of the idea of mentor-disciple relationships, and question the motivation behind SGI’s application of the concept, as unfortunately this misunderstanding of the concept of 'oneness' may be have been misread not only by those who have found something to oppose in the organization's history—which after all, has been written by human beings in a perpetual process of self-improvement often referred to as "Human Revolution" (jap: Ningen Kakumei) but amongst members themselves, who have had to struggle with its interpretation through close to five decades of rapid growth and development, which has not only spanned the globe geographically, but also across cultures, ethnical and societal backgrounds and circumstances, as the organization prides itself in being as inclusive as it can be, in its compassionate search for these so-called "Boddhisattvas of the Earth".
There is controversy about the degree of religious tolerance practiced by Sōka Gakkai members. Official materials state all other religions, including other Buddhist denominations, are viewed as valuable in as much as they are able to support the happiness, empowerment, and development of all people. SGI claims that religious tolerance and a deep respect for culture are strongly emphasized in the organization.[15] However, there has been an acrimonious rift between SGI and Nichiren Shoshu.
Lotus Sutra (explained)
The Lotus Sutra or Sutra on the White Lotus of the Sublime Dharma (Sanskrit: सद्धर्मपुण्डरीकसूत्र Saddharma Puṇḍarīka Sūtra; 妙法蓮華經 Mandarin: Miàofǎ Liánhuā Jīng; Japanese: Myōhō Renge Kyō; Korean: Myo beom nyeon hwa gyeong; Vietnamese: Diệu Pháp Liên Hoa Kinh) is one of the most popular and influential Mahāyāna sutras in East Asia and the basis on which the Nichiren sects of Buddhism were established.
History and background
The Lotus Sutra was probably compiled in the first century CE in Kashmir, during the fourth Buddhist Council of the newly founded Mahāyāna sect of Buddhism, more than 500 years after the paranibbana of Shakyamuni Buddha. Therefore, it is probably not included in the more ancient Āgamas of Mahāyāna Buddhism, nor in the Sutta Pitaka of the Theravada Buddhists, both of which represent the older Buddhist scriptures which to a greater amount of certainty can be historically linked to Shakyamuni Buddha himself.
The Lotus Sutra purports to be a discourse delivered by Shakyamuni Buddha himself toward the end of his life. The tradition in Mahāyāna states that the Lotus Sutra was written down at the time of the Buddha and stored for five hundred years in the realm of the dragons (or Nāgas). After this, they were re-introduced into the human realm at the time of the Fourth Buddhist Council in Kashmir. The tradition further claims that the teachings of the Lotus Sutra are higher than the teachings contained in the Āgamas and the Sutta Pitaka (the Sutra itself also claims this), and that humankind was unable to understand the Lotus Sutra at the time of the Buddha (500 BCE). This is the reason given for the need to store the Lotus Sutra in the realm of the dragons for 500 years, after which humankind was able to understand the Lotus Sutra.
Several years ago western scholars began examining the collection of Buddhist texts acquired by the Schoyen collectors. Several scholars have noticed fragments from the Lotus Sutra that predate the earliest Christian gospels in Greek.[citation needed] These scholars have not released much on these fragments, except to say that they are not dependent on the Chinese or Tibeten Lotus sutras. Furthermore, other scholars have noted how the cryptic Dharani passages within the Lotus sutra represent a form of the Maghdi dialect that is more similar to Pali than Sanskrit. For instance one Dharani reads in part: Buddhavilokite Dharmaparikshite. Although the 'Vilo' is attested to in Sanskrit, it appears first in the Buddhist Pali texts as Vilokita with the meaning of "a vigilant looker" from vi=eager like a passionless bird and lok=look.[citation needed]
Translation and Composition
The Lotus Sutra was originally translated from Sanskrit into Chinese by Dharmarakṣa around 209 CE, before being superseded by a translation in seven fascicles by Kumārajīva in 406 CE. The Chinese title is usually abbreviated to 法華經, which is read Făhuā Jīng in Chinese and Hokekyō in Japanese, Beophwagyeong in Korean, and Pháp Hoa Kinh" in Vietnamese. The Sanskrit copies are not widely used outside of academia. It has been translated by Burton Watson. According to Burton Watson it may have originally been composed in a Prakrit dialect and then later translated into Sanskrit to lend it greater respectability.
This sutra is well-known for its extensive instruction on the concept and usage of skillful means (Sanskrit: upāya; Jp: hōben), mostly in the form of parables. It is also one of the first sutras to coin the term Mahāyāna, or 'Great Vehicle' Buddhism. Another concept introduced by the Lotus Sutra is the idea that the Buddha is more of an eternal entity, who achieved nirvana eons ago, but willingly chose to remain in the cycle of rebirth to help teach beings the Dharma time and again. He reveals himself as the "father" of all beings and evinces the loving care of just such a father. Moreover, the sutra indicates that even after the Parinirvana (apparent physical death) of a Buddha, that Buddha continues to be real and to be capable of communicating with the world. The idea that the physical death of the / a Buddha is the termination of that Buddha is graphically refuted by the movement and meaning of this scripture, in which another Buddha, who "parinirvana-ed" long before, appears and communicates with Shakyamuni himself. In the vision of the Lotus Sutra, Buddhas are ultimately immortal. A similar doctrine of Buddhic eternity is repeatedly expounded in the tathāgatagarbha sutras, which share certain family resemblances in spirit to the teachings of the Lotus Sutra.
The Lotus Sutra also indicates (Chapter 4) that emptiness (śūnyatā) is not the ultimate vision to be attained by the aspirant Bodhisattva: the obtainment of Buddhic Wisdom is indicated to be a bliss-bestowing treasure which transcends seeing all as merely empty.
In terms of literary style, the Lotus Sutra often uses astronomical numbers and measurements of time meant to convey a sense of timeless time, or to convey the inconceivable. Some of the other Buddhas mentioned in the Lotus Sutra are said to have lifetimes of dozens or hundreds of kalpas, while the number of Bodhisattvas mentioned in the "Earth Bodhisattva" chapter number in the billions, if not more. The Lotus Sutra also often alludes to a special teaching that supersedes everything else that the Buddha has taught, but the Sutra never actually says what that teaching is. This is said to be in keeping with the general Mahāyāna Buddhist view that the highest teaching cannot be expressed in words.
At least some sources consider that the Lotus Sutra has a prologue and an epilogue, these being respectively the Innumerable Meanings Sutra (無量義經 Jp: Muryōgi Kyō) and the Sutra of Meditation on the Bodhisattva Universal Worthy (普賢經 Jp: Fugen Kyō).
Lotus Sutra
The sutras were compiled in the years following the death of Shakyamuni; it is thought that the Lotus Sutra was compiled between the first and second century C.E. In Sanskrit it is known as the Saddharmapundarika-sutra (lit. "correct dharma white lotus sutra"). Like many Mahayana sutras, the Lotus Sutra spread through the "northern transmission" to Central Asia, China, Korea and Japan. Originally entering China in the third century C.E., the Lotus Sutra is said to have been translated into several different versions of the Chinese, of which three complete versions are extant. The fifth-century translation of Kumarajiva (344-413 C.E.) is considered to be particularly outstanding; its philosophical clarity and literary beauty are thought to have played a role in the widespread veneration of this sutra throughout East Asia.
The title of the Lotus Sutra in Kumarajiva's translation, Myoho-renge-kyo, contains the essence of the entire sutra, and it was on the basis of this realization that Nichiren (1222-1282 C.E.) established the invocation of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo as his core Buddhist practice.
The Lotus Sutra is considered the sutra that fulfills the purpose for Shakyamuni's advent in the world, expressed in these words: "At the start I took a vow, hoping to make all persons equal to me, without any distinction between us." In other words, the purpose of Shakyamuni's advent was to enable all people to attain the same state of perfect enlightenment that caused him to be known as "Buddha," or "awakened one."
The Lotus Sutra contains a number of concepts that were revolutionary both within the context of Buddhist teachings and within the broader social context of the time. Many of these are not stated explicitly but are implied or materialized in the dramatic and even fantastic-seeming events portrayed in the text. Much of the genius of later scholars of the sutra, such as T'ien-t'ai (538-597 C.E.), lay in their ability to extract and systematize these principles.
A core theme of the sutra is the idea that all people equally and without exception possess the "Buddha nature." The message of the Lotus Sutra is to encourage people's faith in their own Buddha nature, their own inherent capacity for wisdom, courage and compassion. The universal capacity for enlightenment is demonstrated through the examples of people for whom this possibility had traditionally been denied, such as women and people who had committed evil deeds.
In many sutras a number of Shakyamuni's senior disciples are condemned as people who have, through arrogant attachment to their intellectual abilities and their self-absorbed practice, "scorched the seeds of their own enlightenment." The profundity of Shakyamuni's teachings in the Lotus Sutra, however, awakens in them the spirit of humility and compassion. They realize that all people are inextricably interlinked in their quest for enlightenment, and that if we desire happiness ourselves, it is imperative that we work for the happiness of others.
In this sutra, moreover, Shakyamuni demonstrates that he actually attained enlightenment in the infinite past, not in his current lifetime as had been assumed by his followers. This illustrates, through the concrete example of his own life, that attaining enlightenment does not mean to change into or become something one is not. Rather, it means to reveal the inherent, "natural" state that already exists within.
As Daisaku Ikeda has written, the Lotus Sutra is ultimately a teaching of empowerment. It "teaches us that the inner determination of an individual can transform everything; it gives ultimate expression to the infinite potential and dignity inherent in each human life."
Why do we need religion
In an age when science and technology have advanced at an ever increasing rate in the world about us, it is perhaps surprising that in many ways we still seem to have made relative small advances in bettering the human condition and understanding the world which lies within us.
Admittedly, we have eradicated many of the illnesses that once took so many lives, but it seems hat as one area of suffering in life is removed another appears to take its place. Malaria and typhoid have almost disappeared from the tropical countries, but in their place we have dengue fever, AIDS, escalating cancer, mental illness and crime.
The social sciences of psychology and sociology have been able to pinpoint many of the reasons for the ills in present-day society, but still they persist and multiply, appearing in ever more intractable forms. Fortunately, there is for many people a growing awareness that somehow we as individuals are responsible for the state of the world. Many people claim to know themselves but unfortunately this often means only that we know our failings and weaknesses.
The buddhism of Nichiren Daishonen
The buddhism of Nichiren Daishonin states that the root causes of the sufferings in the world are incorrect philosophies on which people base their lives in thoughts, word and deed. Buddhism presents the way to know ourselves by illuminating our lives with an awareness of our potential rather than our limitations. Such a positive stance enables us not only to tackle the difficulties in our lives, but also to be able to look outward to society with hope and courage.
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