How did Nichiren come to learn about the Lotus Sutra, and the secret contained in the Sutra?
Did he read his own letters?
Did he worship himself?
Did he get guidance from Daisaku Ikeda?
Did he receive guidance from the High Priest?
Did he read the holy translations of Lamont?
Did he chant all night, and go to meetings, become a leader at his local HQ and do Human Revolution?
Did he have a Gohonzon from the SokaGakkai the pure lineage, or did he chant to the DaiGohonzon which had not been inscribed?
Nichiren arrived at his understanding and benefit from devotion to the Lotus Sutra.
What do the Nichiren sects tell you to do? All the things but that! If that is all Nichiren did, that is all we would have to do.
No other practice led him to his understanding, Nichiren read the Lotus Sutra not his own letters or the Human Revolution.
Everyone joins a Buddhist sect for the same reason, they are looking for the teaching of Buddha. They think they will find the teaching that will free them from the pain and suffering that has haunted them in this lifetime, and at the same time, they could spread that peace to their friends and family. No one joins a Buddhist group to become unhappy, or to start fighting with other people, or to rub beads, or worship a piece of paper.
In the Lotus Sutra, the sutra says it only be understood between a "Buddha and a Buddha"??
In the Ceremony in Space the Eternal Buddha talks to the other beings for the first time, in any teaching. For the very first time we hear the Buddha. All other Sutras were being taught by a Human, Human to Human, not Buddha and a Buddha. Before entering the Ceremony in Space, Sakyamuni the human incarnation says, "Everyone thinks I became a Buddha under the Bodhi tree, but that is not true, I was always the Buddha. I will now tell you the truth." He also tells the people there that before this he taught people according to their ability, but now, in the Ceremony in space, there is not that need, because the sutra can be understood between a Buddha and a Buddha. He never says when you go back to Earth start chanting these special words, or do shakubuku like a crazy person, become a religious zealot, alienate your neighbors, sit souza or on your knees its very important and become Japanese because its the center of the world, he doesn't say to write a mandala and give them out and hang them on walls and pray to them, he doesn't say to develope Zen, or Ritsu, or Tentai, or the other sects either, he did not say he was sending his son to Mappo for his sins, or there would be a Japanese man to spread Human Revolution and rewrite the Sutra, in fact, he left no insctruction for the Bodhisattvas of the Earth, but to come home and tell everyone that they will become a Buddha. There was non practice defined.
Only a Buddha and a Buddha can understand the Lotus Sutra.
Only a Human and a Human can understand the Nichiren Buddhist Sects. All the practice, all the rules and regulations were invented by Humans, have limitations and the avarice, anger and stupidity of humans, no Buddha. So, we have fighting, competition, worship, praying, bead rubbing, bowing to the priest, bowing to the statues and pieces of paper, sitting on the knees, divisions of sects, etc... It's hard to find Bodhisattva-ism in Nichiren Groups, it's more like any other human grown religion from human minds, with human powers and people are led into the desert of regret.
In the eye of the Buddha from the Lotus Sutra there are no Nichiren Sects, there are only Human beings that will some day become a Buddha. All the human practice and rules are just that, HUMAN RULES. Every now and then, there are those like myself that come out of this mess, we get clear headed and know that the only way to practice Buddhism in our time, the only thing a Buddha would do, is tell another person that someday they will be a Buddha. As a person with Buddha Nature everything we do, is clarified as a person doing something with Buddha Nature. When someone from Nichiren Shoshu Spams my blog, it is a person with Buddha Nature wasting their time by spamming my blog, because they have the illusion that their Nichiren Sect run by Humans is led by a Buddha.
Maltz
Extremely well put and right on. For whatever reason, your imagery of Buddha nature reminds me of kittens born blind, then, after a short while can see. They were blind at birth, but never really blind. Thanks or the insights and especially the laughs.
Charles
Posted by: Charles at March 18, 2008 06:16 PMMr.Maltz
I don't think you well understand about the Lotus sutra and Nichiren's teachings.
Your malicious and slanderous comments to our BBS was the same of SGI's and Nichiren shoshu's spam. I hope that you understand the true disciple of the eternal Buddha from Nichiren's teachings.
Oh, now let me see, even though my comments were truthful explanations of what were really taught by the Lotus Sutra and written by Nichiren, and actually propagated by the founders of the Kempon, you want people to accept the fact my comments were malicious and slanderous just because you say so with no factual foundation, yes that makes a tremendous amount of sense.
I can read for myself what is in the Lotus Sutra, I can read Nichiren's letters with a clear eye and open heart, and I am the founder of Kempon Hokke in America. You only exist and have people to talk to because I exerted tremendous amounts of energy to bring the Kempon Religion to America, and you should get on your hands and knees and thank my wife Stephanie and myself for everything we did for you, but you have the arrogance to think you have some upper hand of special information, a closer connection to God, a special understanding of Nichiren because he was Japanese, Lamont is a top notch translator and understands the unknown, you wear a robe and can do all the special prayers, Japan is the center of the world.
The truth is all Nichiren groups are nothing more than HUMAN RELIGIONS with no power to make anyone anything. You have turned Buddha into God, Nichiren into Jesus, and even have someone who is not Mark Rogow pretending to be Mark Rogow posting on this bulletin board. Too crazy and nothing special. We left the Ceremony in the Air with the same purpose, the same goal, and equal with Buddha Nature.
I am sorry Shamon, but I just cannot remember reading where Buddha says, "Bodhisattva's, I hope when you return to your home I hope you understand the true disciple of the eternal Buddha from Nichiren's teachings." Nothing even close to that. He did say, when you go home, tell everyone they have Buddha Nature and they will become a Buddha. He did not say go home and join a sect and become a slave to Japan sect and follow a teaching of HUMANS.
I hope that you will have the courage, like I did, to someday discard all the HUMAN PRACTICES and RULES that belong to your so called sect and religion. There is no Buddhism, there are only people who belong to HUMAN SECTS that believe they are in groups that have something to do with Buddha. Our world is in terrible shape because all the religious on the world have stolen the hearts and minds of people and captured their energy, so I am asking you to throw away your robe and beads, and have faith in the Lotus Sutra that you have Buddha Nature, and someday you will be a Buddha.
My best to all the Hokke and your Crazy Translator and Mark Rogow Impersonator,
Maltz
You just argued with Mr.Lamont. Rev.Kubota and I have never received questions about the Nichiren's doctrine from you. So, you don't know correctly about Kempon Hokke and Nichiren's teachings at all. You just misunderstand about Nichiren's teachings selfishly and slander us and others. I have not heard your thought when you were Kempon's believers. I also have not told you about Nichiren's doctrine. Sometimes you might say good things about Buddhism, but the reason you hate to belong to the religious sect is that you want to be the originator like Mr.Ikeda Taisaku. And you are very foul-mouthed like Mr.Ikeda Taisaku. You don't have a clear eye and open heart as long as you have arrogance. You should realize that it is dangerous trap of the religion as you insist. A lot of people would have the same thoughts when read your above comments.
Posted by: shamon at March 20, 2008 04:01 AMHolly cow, now I am beginning to wonder if Shamon is Shamon? If there were anyone that was really and truely around Tetsujo Kubota at the time I knew him and was involved with Kempon Hokke Shu, they would have known about the phone calls and faxes that occurred almost on a daily basis when possible. These events were so regular that for the short time span 1995-1999 I had translation bills over $40,000. Those were not "Hello how are you notes" they were all about learning the history and teaching of the Kempon Hokke Shu. When Kubota introduced me to a priest in Kobe that spoke English, we would talk by phone and by fax even more about the Kempon Hokke Shu and its doctrine and tradition. When I lived in Japan I made trips of my own to Myomonji and developed my own sources of friendship. Knowing what is in front of the door and behind the door was important to me at the time.
When I left the Kempon Hokke, I just walked away, I didn't foul mouth anyone, so again I wonder who you really are. I don't believe you have any real knowledge of the goings on between Rev. Kubota and myself. I never heard from you so of course how could I discuss anything with you? You are very illogical and puzzling in your way of speech, it is though you are an American pretending to be Japanese.
I believe that the Lotus Sutra's message is the power to unite the world and have peace, not fragment the world into religion and different sects run by humans for power and money. I believe everyone wants to be a Buddha, wants goodness, wants to be free of the pain and suffering of this world, and understand the concept of our life from the viewpoint of Buddha and a Buddha, and I believe it can happen. I also believe I can't stop telling people that they have Buddha Nature and will be a Buddha, because the people that are invented human fake Buddhist Nichiren Sects are not stopping, and they are leading innocent people into the hell of torture. We have to accept everyone, and if you want to hurt me, you are only hurting yourself, if you accept me, then you accept someone that has Buddha Nature and knows that there is no Religion in our world, only people that think there is religion.
Maltz
I'm not sure I understand all this, but my take is that Bruce is saying that everyone will become a buddha without exception and as a matter of course. He finds anyone one who makes that conditional upon some belief, practice, or organizational affiliation to be slanderous to the truth and seeking to bend people to their will. Whenever he says this those people feel that they, their beliefs, their organization, or their practice are being slandered. To some degree the slander is in the eye of the beholder. Is there a middle ground that can be found? Can the person with the deeply held ideology say,"I find this helpful for me but is not necessary." that would seem more honest to me. And if they could take that stance then couldn't Bruce say back,"Since you admit that these practices, ideas, and organizations are not essential, even though I do not care for them, they are not opposed to the truth as long as you don't become overly attached to them." This is more or less a rhetorical question as the reality is these arguments will go on longer than any of us will live. What I really would like to know is where does Bruce's money come from? Is selling Elvis artifacts really that profitable?
ch
The Sutra can only be understood between a "Buddha and a Buddha", that is what were are told in the sutra as a means of explanation as to why there is a human manifestation of the Eternal Buddha who is NOT Human, God, Gakkai Leader, Kempon translator, etc, the Buddha is Buddha, and because there are humans on earth who need to be awakened to the fact they have Buddha Nature, Sakyamuni is born a human, but doesn't teach as a Buddha in Buddha form, because no one would understand a thing, so he teaches people according to their ability to understand what he is saying. He does get to a point where he tells his congregation that he did not become a Buddha under the Bodhi tree as they thought, but really all along he was the Buddha, of course they don't believe him because they are not Buddha, so he says, he will now tell them the truth, but can't on earth, so they are transformed to the Ceremony in Space, where it is Buddha to Buddha, now Buddha talks to all sorts of beings and they can all understand because they are in a Buddha realm, not a human realm. Buddha at one point calls his Bodhisattva from the Earth who he personally taught and tells them various things about the future and predictions, etc. before he sends them on their way, before the end of the ceremony, Buddha by placing his hand on their head conducts a transfer of his Buddha life and makes them all equal and they now all have Buddha Nature, and he tells them to return and tell everyone about this. Next in the Lotus Sutra we are back on Earth, and once again we hear from the Human Buddha talking to Humans according to their ability to understand, and I am left with the understanding that I as a Human can only understand the Lotus Sutra as a Human according to my ability, and although I will become a Buddha, I am not in the Buddha realm so as I gaze around the world the scene at the Ceremony in Space might seem like a fairy tale or very peculiar, because I am still a human.
When people make that experience conditional upon some belief or practice like you say, it is because they just do not either understand or believe the content of the Lotus Sutra. There is no need to have a middle ground, because even those people that choose a belief, practice or organization that is of no need they will become a Buddha in the future without exception. On their terms, if you do not follow their road you are a terrible person. One teaching separates everyone into different groups and teachings and beliefs and practices and eventually forces the flow of anger, jealousy and hate between the groups and inside the groups, but accepting the fact that Buddha was my teacher and I have Buddha Nature and will be a Buddha, unites everyone, gives us hope to see the world with the eye that everyone will become a Buddha and awakened to freedom for the world of pain and suffering. They don't sit a certain way, recite words, shave their heads, bow to a priest, go to meetings, have a sensei, have a mandala, they don't recruit people or talk people out of other groups, they have no campaigns, or trips to Japan to see a non-original scroll, no donations, etc.
The Lotus Sutra was something to unite humans with, to let them know they become a Buddha in the future, to help as much as possible to open our eyes, but just as there are two sides to every coin, people saw how to exploit this life of Buddha, and used it to cause hate and divide people into different Buddhist and Nichiren Sects.
Maltz