April 19, 2005
The Three Great Occult Dharmas
On the Three-Fold Training
Buddhism is a Praxis composed of three Practices:
1. Precepts or Kai
2. Meditation or Jo
3. Wisdom or E
By the way, I used Occult as a translation for "Hi", as an eye catcher. Secret or Hidden, as in 'not yet revealed overtly', is better. Hi, in the term Himyo. also refers to a parable or riddle; something arcane, or not obvious. There are Maka Shikan & Related Links Below
I have puzzled over the three practices for some time. Finally, while reading the Maka Shikan, it dawned on me. In this context, Meditation refers to Samatha; or more broadly, the Samatha-Smrti, or Calming-Mindfulness Practice. And Wisdom refers to Vipassana-Prajna or Insight-Wisdom practice. Precepts, of course, means the rules of one's Sangha.
In Nichiren's Buddhism, these are reworked as:
Precepts: The Honmon no Kaidan, the Precept Platform of the Original Dharma Gate.
Meditation: The Honmon no Honzon; the Original Object of Meditation, Reverence, or Worship.
Wisdom: The Honmon no Daimoku; the Invocation of the Title of the Lotus Sutra.
A few explanations might help.
Precepts (Sila in Sanskrit, Kai is Sino-Japanese) refer to the rules of one's Sangha. There are some that apply universally, others are situational. For Theravadin Monastics, there is the Vinaya, or Ritsu in Sino-Japanese. The esoteric vajra schools have a samaya, or a pledge of secrecy made to the Sangha. In a broad sense, I believe Kai refers to Bodhi-Citta & the Vows of the Bodhisattva. We shall discuss the Four Bodhisattva Vows in a future blog.
Samatha means calming, but is also inclusive of both mindfulness and ecstatic absorption. The Sino-Japanese word for Mindfulness is Nen, as in Ichinen. Nen is often translated as Attention. The Sanskrit is Smrti, Sati in the Pali. Mindfulness is to be attentively aware and focused, as opposed to grasping or clinging to conceptions. The Metta-Karuna Cultivations are also Samatha Practices. These are techniques to develop the divine attributes or spiritual qualities of loving kindness, compassion, empathic joy, and equanimity.
The deepest stage of Samatha is Samadhi-Dhyana. In this state, one enters the blissful states known as the four form absorptions, or Rupa-Jhanas/Dhyanas. Mindfulness, Attentive, Calming, Quieting, Tranquil, Cessation, or Concentration Meditation all refer to Samatha Bhavana. In general, Samatha is the preparatory or preliminary practice, and deals with Conventional Reality. The Pure Land chants are effective meditations to generate metta-karuna; while Zen meditation is more geared to mindfulness.
The Sino-Japanese term for Vipassana is Kan, or Kanjin (Observation of the Shin, or Heart-Mind. It translates as Insight, Observation, Abiding, or Contemplation. Vipassana practice is inclusive of the Wisdom teaching. The Sanskrit for Wisdom is Prajna, Panna is the Pali. In Sino-Japanese, Prajna is transliterated as Hannya or sometimes translated as Chi (I think). So Vipassana, Prajna-Paramita, Insight Meditation, Observation of the Mind (Kanjin) or the Wisdom Teaching are all referring to the same thing, or aspects of the same thing. In general, Vipassana Bhavana is the direct path to the eradication or transmutation of the Kleshas (Bonno) and Full Awakening
The Insight-Wisdom practice deals with non-duality and the Ultimate Reality. Samadhi {concentration} is different here. Is is direct observation of the unconditioned reality, or Three Marks of Existence: Dukkha {the inherent unstisfactory nature of events}, Anicca {impermanence}, and Anatta/Anatman {no abiding self}. In the Mahayana Prajna Teachings, this is restated as Empitness {Sunyatta}, which means empty of self-nature. There are also four Formless Absorptions, or Arupa-Dhyanas. That this direct insight is different from mindfulness is something to bear in mind. We should be cautious of thinking we know of that which we do not.
Maka Shikan Links:
Mo-ho chih-kuan now available on CD-ROM: go to Kosei Publishing for details and to order. Sample files
Paul L. Swanson
Nanzan Institute for Religion and Culture BrochureFoundations of T'ien-t'ai Philosophy
Nanzan Institute for Religion and Culture Web Site
Peter Johnson & T'ient T'ai Net: The Buddhism of T'ien T'ai
T'ien T'ai & The Lotus Sutra Yahoo Group Peter Johnson & P Jones
The Great Calm-Observation***Mo-Ho Chih Kuan ***Maka Shi Kan*** Maha Samatha Vipasyana
Tendai: The Confessional Samadhi of the Lotus Sutra
The Prose & Verse of the Lotus Sutra * Fa-Hua Wen-Chu * Hokke Mongu
Kalavinka Dharma Treasury
The Essentials of Buddhist Meditation
Posted by rbeck at April 19, 2005 03:50 AM
You were reading the Maka Shikan? While doing research for Modern Buddhist Healing, I was told by the SGI publications department in Japan that there was no complete English translation so I had to refer to a Chinese text. I have seen numerous passages translated but never the full text. If so, where can I get one?
Charles
Posted by: Charles at April 18, 2005 09:27 AM
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I will post some links.
robin
Posted by: robin at April 18, 2005 09:49 AM
Charles, I posted the links in this blog. At the bottom. There might be a few more that I will add. I will add a link to the Tientai group where one can ask Peter Johnson questions. Reverend Jion Prosser (sp?) is a member there too.
Posted by: robin at April 18, 2005 10:33 AM
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Robin:
Thanks Robin. I would like to caution all you would be scholars that there is no substitute for a book in hand. I am very cautious with internet reference materials, sources, and especially accuracy. Although internet references for academic paper bibliographies are now perfectly acceptable, out of neccessity, one must have a second source to verify that information. In other words, no matter who the author or source, verify the data, and until you do so, be damn careful.
Charles
Posted by: Charles at April 18, 2005 11:09 AM
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"Although internet references for academic paper bibliographies are now perfectly acceptable, out of neccessity, one must have a second source to verify that information. In other words, no matter who the author or source, verify the data, and until you do so, be damn careful."
Gee Whiz Chuck, I thought if I read it on the Web it must be true. LOL. Thanks for the senior leader guidance and insightful warning. I shall beware of the 'Internet'. ROTFL. Never know who you might run into.
Check the links I posted if you want. They have been carefully screened. Only the best from top sources. Some better than others; Paul Swanson, Peter Johnson, Jion Prosser.
metta,
robin
Posted by: robin at April 18, 2005 11:20 AM
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Robin:
Even more LOL.
"They have been carefully screened. Only the best from top sources. Some better than others. I am going to add some more and more comments later."
Perhaps my standards are antiquated, but I still need a solid, verifiable source outside the data circus of the internet - otherwise, you can lose your credibility when a source you used and broadcast turns out to be erroneous. How often does skewed, false, and exaggerated info get on the internet. What I'm saying, IMHO, is that a person who relies on the internet for their research and scholarly writing and references, is fooling themself. What did Ronald Reagan say, "Trust, but verify."
Posted by: Charles at April 18, 2005 12:15 PM
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You can get the Kavalinka translation as an e-book. And/or you can order Paul's book on CD from Kosei. I do not know that either has published hard copy yet. If those are not good enough, you shall have to wait.
You e-sound like those who think there is such a thing as an "Internet Gohonzon". That is why I LOL. Using the term "the Internet" that way reveals a lack of on line experience. The Internet is the connections between various web hosts. Like roads you travel to get to a book store.
The information is sent to you at light speed over the Internet. But it is coming from a host computer. There is not just a jumble of data out there. There are databases all over the planet we can access. Web site hosts access these. The Web Sites are the stores.
The Web is no different than shopping in a mall or ordering from a catalogue. You can get ripped off there too. Maybe more easily. You want to visit reliable web sites. You want to know who it is. For example, a lot of Universities have web sites. You can access the Cornel Law Library. That is reliable.
Anyway, any link I post has been thoroughly checked out by me before I post it. After doing this a few years, I pretty much know who is who in cyber Buddhist circles. If you have a question about a source, I can get an answer pretty fast. Usually a day or two.
One must be careful. Ask Bill Moyers about a quote he attributed to Watt. That is another reason I LOL. Certain sources can not be trusted.
Hope this helps.
with metta,
robin
Posted by: robin at April 18, 2005 12:57 PM
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Robin:
I guess you told me.
"You e-sound like those who think there is such a thing as an "Internet Gohonzon". That is why I LOL. Using the term "the Internet" that way reveals a lack of on line experience."
What I lack in experience, I more than make up in bullshit detection. Perhaps it was my late, great father who told me not to believe everything you read, hear on the radio or see on the news. He also shaped my understanding of the clergy and religious organizations. And he taught me how to size up a person.
"You can get the Kavalinka translation as an e-book. And/or you can order Paul's book on CD from Kosei. I do not know that either has published hard copy yet. If those are not good enough, you shall have to wait."
Thanks for those sources - and I will follow up on them as the Maka Shikan is something that I could use. If these are viable translations that stand up to scrutiny, they should be published in book form. Why they have not been may have more to do with the market than with the excellence of the translation. In fact, my own publisher has recently done a reprint of the Gita, so there are smaller publishers out there that fill that kind of Niche. Perhaps one of those authors should contact me.
Oh yea, experience on the internet. I'm old school,Robin - a dinosaur. The skeptic in me is older than the dinosaur. I need books, books, and more books.
Charles
Posted by: Charles at April 18, 2005 01:22 PM
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Charles,
I did not mean to get snitty. Well, actually, I did. But with Dai-Metta-Karuna. (mixing my dialects)
I am just trying to help, and I know what I am doing, despite being part crippled from RMD.
There are three translations. Well, Peter's is partial. You can compare all three is what I suggest. If you have questions, I can run them past Peter and Jion at the T'ien T'ai group if you want.
Paul Swanson is top notch. I know Peter Johnson from e-groups, he referred me. Jion Prosser knows Paul too. Brian Holly referred me to Kavalinka.
Posted by: robin at April 18, 2005 01:56 PM
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Robin:
"I did not mean to get snitty. Well, actually, I did."
Snitty is fine with me as I can take it as well as I can dish it out - and I've been known to snit on occasion.
Charles
Posted by: Charles at April 18, 2005 02:33 PM
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Thanks,
I am going to rest my arms and chant a while. I have made great strides, but 'not yet'. Typing is tough when I get tired. It shall be 2 years in June since I was stricken. Hope that Tendai material is of some help. It has been to me.
with metta,
robin
Posted by: robin at April 18, 2005 02:47 PM
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Robin -
Just curiousity; why are your last several blogs post-dated?
Namaste, Engyo Mike Barrett
Posted by: Engyo Mike Barrett at April 19, 2005 02:08 PM
They really are not up there yet. You are getting a peek into the future.
Posted by: robin at April 19, 2005 02:51 PM
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Hi Robin,
Can you send me an email at brahilly@videotron.ca. I'm researching an issue for publication and your knowledge would be helpful.
Best regards
Brian - Nichirenreader.com
Posted by: Brian Rahilly at April 27, 2005 06:08 AM