Robin Beck

Conflation/Syncresis of the Three Great Hidden Dharmas, Triple Body, & the Threefold Training

Note: Those who were bored with this blog entry, found this one: The Power of Threes: Three Words for Wisdom entertaining,

According to Nichiren, the sandaihiho 三大秘法 were hidden in the depths of the Lotus Sutra.

• 三 = San = Three
• 大 = Dai = Great
• 秘 = Hi = Hidden, secret, concealed
• 法 = Ho = Dharma, Truth, Law, Method, Rule, Principle, Model.

SGI translates this as Three Great Secret Laws. I prefer Hidden Dharmas. It is widely acknowledged that Nichiren derived these from the concept of the Threefold Training, Three Trainings, or the SGI translation: three types of learning, san gaku [[三学].

SGI translates the types of learning as follows:

Precepts, meditation, and wisdom [戒定慧] (Jpn kai-jo-e)

• Precepts [戒] (Skt shila; Pali sila; Jpn kai)
• Meditation [定 or 禪] (Skt Samadhi or dhyana;  Pali Samadhi or jhana;  Jpn Jo or zen)
• Wisdom [慧] (Skt prajna;  Pali panna;  Jpn E)

In the Culavedalla Sutta (The Shorter Set of Questions-And-Answers Discourse). the The Threefold Training is given as the three aggregates as follows:

• Sila = Ethics or Precepts = Right speech, right action, & right livelihood
• Samadhi = Concentration = Right effort, right mindfulness, & right concentration.
• Panna/Prajna - Discernment = Right view & right resolve.

In the Sikkha Sutta, the Three Trainings are given as:

• Adhisila-sikkha = Higher Ethical Training.
• Adhicitta-sikkha - Higher Mental Training.
• Adhipanna-sikkha - Higher Discernment Training.

So, we have this:

• Ethics = Kaidan, Sanctuary, or Precept Platform.
• Meditative Cultivation = Gohonzon
• Discernment = Daimoku

We can also link these to the Triple Body or Three Bodies, sanjin [三身] or Trikaya:

• Ojin [応身] manifested body / Nirmana-kaya
• Hoshin [報身] reward body / Sambhoga-kaya
• Hosshin [法身] body of the Law / Dharma-kaya

Just for good measure, we could also link the Triple Jewel, Three Treasures, Threefold Refuge, Sanbo [三宝], or triratna / ratna-traya, the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha.

• Ethics = Nirmana-kaya  = Sangha = Kaidan
• Meditative Cultivation = Sambhoga-kaya = Buddha = Gohonzon
• Discernment = Dharma-kaya = Dharma = Daimoku

That seems well and good. However,I get tripped up when I try to connect these with a parallel concepts of Esoteric Buddhism or Mikkyo [密教], the Three Mysteries or san mitsu [三密]. The Three Myseries are:

• Mystery of Body = Mudra
• Mystery of Mouth/Speech = Mantra
• Mystery of Mind = Mandala

So we get:

• Precepts/Ethics = Sangha = Nirmanakaya = Body = Mudra = Kaidan
• Meditation = Buddha = Sambhogakaya = Mind = Mandala = Honzon
• Discernment = Dharma= Dharmakaya = Speech = Mantra = Daimoku

We could also add the Santoku [三徳], which are Shu-sh-shin [主師親]. {sovereign/lord, teacher, and parent}. Nichiren, per SGI, seems to conflate them with the Trikaya this way:

• Nirmanakaya = Response Body = Property of Action = Lord/sovereign
• Sambhogakaya = Reward Body = Property of Knowledge/Lore, Vidhya 明 {myo} = Teacher
• Dharmakaya = Truth Body = Property of Compassion = Parent

If we add these, we wind up with:

• Precepts/Ethics = Sangha = Nirmanakaya = Body = Action = Ruler = Mudra = Kaidan
• Meditation = Buddha = Sambhogakaya = Mind = Lore = Teacher = Mandala = Honzon
• Discernment = Dharma= Dharmakaya = Speech = Compassion = Parent = Mantra = Daimoku

There is a snag though, because Vajrayana Esoteric tradition has it this way:

• Precepts = Sangha = Nirmanakaya = Body = Mudra
• Meditation = Buddha = Sambhogakaya = Speech = Mantra
• Discernment = Dharma= Dharmakaya = Mind = Mandala/Honzon/Ishtadevata.

So, adjusting that, we have an esoteric scheme:

• Precepts = Sangha = Nirmanakaya = Body = Action = Ruler = Mudra = Kaidan
• Meditation = Buddha = Sambhogakaya = Speech = Lore = Teacher = Mantra = Daimoku
• Discernment = Dharma= Dharmakaya = Mind = Compassion = Parent =  Mandala = Honzon

Versus:

• Precepts/Ethics = Sangha = Nirmanakaya = Body = Action = Ruler = Mudra = Kaidan
• Meditation = Buddha = Sambhogakaya = Mind = Lore = Teacher = Mandala = Honzon
• Discernment = Dharma= Dharmakaya = Speech = Compassion = Parent = Mantra = Daimoku

When I get stumped, I have a threefold method for dealing with it:

• Kick it, dismiss it as irrelevant, and belittle those who care about it.
• Tie my mind in knots wrestling with it and wind up with a headache.
• Confess ignorance, let go, sleep on it, and come back to it later.

Posted by rbeck at March 24, 2008 10:04 AM