Robin Beck

Kaimoku -- Opening One's Eyes Part One

The Kaimoku Sho {The Opening of the Eyes} is one of Nichiren's most important writings known as Gosho or Goibun. It was completed on February 11 of 1272. At the time, Nichiren was in exile at Sado Island. His living quarters consisted of a small hut adjacent to a cemetery at a place then called Tsukuhara. This hut became known as the Sanmaido {samadhi hall}.

Nichiren was at this location during an especially harsh winter, from about November 1 1271 until April of 1272. Several of his closest disciples had accompanied him into exile, including Byakuren-Ajari Nikko {1246-1333}, Sado-ko/Minbu Niko {1253 - 1314}, & Renge-Ajari Nichiji {(1250-1305}. It is thought that Niko {one k} stayed at Nichiren's side throughout the winter, hence, Nichiren called him Sado-ko {Alternative Spelling Sado-bo}.

As Charles wrote October 30, 2004, in The Reopening of the Eyes, at Phantom City "Nichiren wrote this seminal work in 1272 during his freezing, death-defying exile to Sado Island. I can’t think of a more intellectually challenging Gosho than this one. Nichiren discusses the merits and faults of Confucianism, Taoism, Brahmanism, Theravada, provisional Mahayana, esoteric and exoteric Buddhism, the Nirvana Sutra, and all salient aspects of the Lotus Sutra. Great pains are taken to clarify the difference and appropriateness of shoju and shakubuku.... "

The Gosho itself is very redundant and I can see how some people might lose patience with it. To get the most out of this Gosho, I recommend time and persistence. One needs to use the glossary, a Buddhist dictionary, read the footnotes, the endnotes, and vigorously follow the leads in the bibliography, letting it take you wherever it might lead you."

There is a lot in this Goibun. I am not going to cover it all -- just a point or two. Apparently, prior to this, Nichiren had presented himself as a Tendai Monk, one dedicated to reforming that school. However, at Sado, he begins to present himself as the advent of Jogyo Bosatsu, the Leader of the "Bodhiisattvas from the Underground" and the Envoy or Messenger of Shakyamuni Buddha for the Latter Day of the Dharma.

Around this time, he also began, or maybe continued, to strongly assert Shakyamuni as the source of all other Buddhas. But there is a caveat. He makes a distinction between Gotama; the historical, suijakushin {provisional, transient, trace, or imprint form/identity}, aka the Nirmana-kaya/Ojin {Manifestation or Tranformation Body} aka the Bhagavan/Seson {Blessed One, World Honored One} of the Lotus Sutra Upaya/Hoben {Approach}Chapter Two; and the Eternal Shakyamuni Buddha -- Shakyamuni Buddha of the Tathagata/Nyorai {Thus Came One} Juryo {Lifespan} Chapter 16; aka the Shaka Raigo {Celestial or Ascended Shakyamuni Buddha}, Honjishin {Origin, Source, Real, True Form/Identity}, or Sambogha- kaya/Hojin {alt. sp. hoshin}{The Idealized Body}. The Sambogha-kaya Buddha can be thought of as the personification of the Eternal Dharma.

Here are some excerpts from the Kaimoku Sho concerning "the Shakyamuni Buddha ... that .. gained enlightenment in the far distant past":

"All the other sutras such as the Kegon, Hannya and Dainichi ... teach that Shakyamuni Buddha attained enlightenment for the first time in this world, ... they fail to reveal the fact, stressed in the [Origin, Source, Real, True] teaching, that the Buddha attained enlightenment countless kalpas ago."

"When we consider the matter in this light, we can see that the Vairochana Buddha ... as described in the Kegon Sutra, the ... Shakyamuni described in the Agon sutras, ... the provisional Buddhas described in the sutras of the Hodo and Hannya periods such as the Konkomyo, Amida and Dainichi sutras are no more than reflections of the Shakyamuni Buddha of the Juryo chapter."

"These great bodhisattvas, deities, dragons and others who appeared at the assembly described in the Kegon Sutra were beings who had dwelt in "inconceivable emancipation" since before Shakyamuni Buddha began preaching. Perhaps they were disciples of Shakyamuni when he was carrying out bodhisattva practices in previous existences, or perhaps they were disciples of previous Buddhas of the worlds of the ten directions. In any event, they were not disciples of the Shakyamuni who first attained enlightenment in this world and expounded his lifetime teachings."

"When Shakyamuni Buddha revealed that he had gained enlightenment in the far distant past, it became apparent that all the other Buddhas were emanations of Shakyamuni. ."

"Therefore the people who pay devotion to one or another of these Buddhas as the object of worship customarily look down on Shakyamuni Buddha. But now it becomes apparent that Vairochana Buddha, who is described in the Kegon Sutra as being seated on a lotus pedestal, and the various Buddhas who appear in the sutras of the Hodo and Hannya periods, such as the Dainichi Sutra, are all in fact followers of Shakyamuni Buddha."

The Shakyamuni Buddha of the Juryo Chapter, who gained enlightenment in the far distant past, can be thought of as a personal aspect, or personification of, the Eternal Dharma Itself.

to be continued ...

Posted by rbeck at May 28, 2006 04:09 AM