Robin Beck

I am always interested in information about Nichiren Mandalas. authenticated or attributed. The mindset that keeps things secret, or accessible only to an elect, bothers me. This is usually rooted in greed and stinginess. I would generally rather not know something than learn it with a vow of secrecy. There are exceptions, there can be good reasons for temporary secrecy.

Another thing, just because a person in the know says something is so, does not make it so. They make mistakes. In the West, a scholar makes a boner, others jump on it. In Japan, it is a different situation. No one wants to embarrass the authority.

There was a lot of confusion about the Water Mirror Portrait; it was confused with the Hakii Portrait. One person with a position makes an error, then others repeat it.

Also, Nichiren Shu has their own cherished myths. Some of the top people are frank about this. However, the parish priest, who is often not a scholar, might still go with folk lore.

One more thing. I am not emotional.

Robin, yes Buddha spoke the truth, but what is truth? Truth doesn't turn a normal man into a Buddha, or give a woman the opportunity to be a Buddha when the time is not correct, but the Lotus Sutra does contain all the teachings of all the Sutras because when the Original Buddha Shakyamuni transfers all his merits, I assume ALL means ALL, and not leaving out a drop, we inherit all the teachings. That was the spirit, i believe Nichiren thought when he had people say Nam Mu Myoho Renge Kyo. The convincing point for him was that it was the Original Buddha Shakyamuni that transfered his merits to us, not Amida or Dainichi or another Buddha.

Nichiren said what? You have twisted the meaning, I have told you, you have to place the Lotus Sutra as the ONE Sutra, all other teachings are pre-lotus, even the first 14 chapters were taught by the human Buddha, they do not reveal the secret the Original Buddha revealed in the Ceremony in Space. They reveal inferior thinking for people according to their ability to understand, Nichiren says that over and over. You cannot cherry pick things here and there, you lose the spirit.

Nichiren wrote the Gohonzon to represent the Original Buddha, you are looking at the wrong things, and I am not being snide. I sat through many meetings with Senchu Murano, Tetsujo Kubota, secret lectures at hot springs in Japan for priests only, with all different sects, I have books that explain all that you are looking for, unfortunately I do not live near you, and they are rare, and I don't dare make copies. The little things here and there that Nichiren wrote for for individual believers in the Buddha, he taught with an open hand not a closed fist, everything was in the open, that is one thing I enjoy about Nichiren. No SECRETS!

I even have info about the amulet you want to know, but I had no idea about all that you were into, because I had not been looking in that direction since 1999. I had some time, searching for something and came across your site and found your data, and all the pieces came together.

Robin, I rather think you are a deep spiritual person, you have been hurt, you are emotional, you are looking for answers, and I don't want to talk you into anything, I would rather you come to your own conclusions but if I see you walking to a bridge that is out, I will YELL!! because I have respect for your very active pursuit of knowledge and truth as you call it.

I brought the Gohonzon Shu here, and made sure about 25 Americans received copies from Japan, and now they are all over. But, was I stingy in getting them to people? No. Not even to your friend Matt.

Don, the coffee house man, and Mark Herrik have betrayed my trust on a few personal items, and that is the reason I am not photocopying any books, or personal drawings or English Gohonzons that Senchu Murano or other Priests have given me. Everyone things they are so smart by posting stuff, but they cutt their nose off. I have over 300 books I brought back from japan, personally published, publiccaly published, some from the early 1900's to 2001.

One book I am looking at now, is called, "Nichiren's Manual of special Kanji for Prayer, and inscription on Mandala" (translation of title)
Maybe I will copy one or two pages.. I paid $300 for the book, it is now out of print, only given to the top scholars in Nichiren Buddhism in Japan, privately published. If you want to know more about the book let me know.

Best always,
Bruce

Bruce. I think the Pabhassara Sutta is an example of the Buddha speaking the truth directly, not to capacity. This, and several others, take a different tack than most of the Suttas. Also, in two others, a distinction is made, for example, between the affected morality of the Vinaya; and a higher ethic {abhisila}. The same distinction is made between learned meditation techniques and a higher spirituality {abhicitta}; between acquired learning and higher discernment {abhi-prajna.}

Mostly, the Nikayas talk about awakening in a negative sense, as overcoming or waking up *from* delusion. These lend themselves to a nihilistic understanding. The Luminosity Sutta and a fewc others mention awakening in a positive sense of waking up *to* that which is already present.

On Innate & Acquired Awakening; I agree mostly. However, I do not agree that acquired awakening is simply realizing what was there all along; though I thought so a year ago. I think that innate virtues are the same for everyone; but acquired merits or skills are not.

Innate Awakening is on the level of the non-dual level of Ultimate Truth; which = paramatha satya or kutai 空諦. Acquired Awakening is on the level of conventional truth; which = sammutti satya or ketai [假諦].

Samyaksambuddha, Pratyeka buddha, and Shravaka buddha are different sorts of acquired awakening. I do not think the Lotus Sutra repeals those distinctions. What is does is to correct the errors of both hinayana elitism and provisional mahayana egalitarianism.

The three kinds of Buddhas are different in terms of compounded phenomena; but are equal in noumena.

On Nichiren's Gohonzon, the innate virtues are represented by the 4 leaders of the Bodhisattvas who emerged from underground. The acquired merits are represented by the Provisional Bodhisattvas Maitreya, Fugen, Monju, & Yakuo. He could have placed Kannon on there instead of Maitreya; Wondrous Sound insread of Yakuo.

Also, I need to look for the quote, but Nichiren wrote that the Lotus Sutra can only be understood fully by understanding all of the Sutras. The Lotus Sutra assumes what is taught in the others.

Here it is:

"When one is studying the Lotus Sutra, unless one also studies the sutras that were preached prior to it, one can never hope to understand its true significance. But when studying these sutras that precede the Lotus Sutra, one may study them one by one without reference to the other various sutras and there will be no harm done. Thus T'ien-t'ai states in his commentary: "When one tries to propagate the other sutras, one need not inquire into their exact position in the comparative classification of the doctrines, and this will not impair the understanding of their meaning. But when one tries to propagate the Lotus Sutra, unless one grasps its position in the doctrinal classification, one will fail to understand the meaning of the text."
Nichiren WNDII p. 54

Robin, my constructive comments on your thread:

1. In the Luminosity Sutta, the Buddha explains not the truth, but to people on earth according to their ability to understand. I would not use this to understand the Lotus Sutra. I am being so honest to you here, not condescending in anyway whatsoever. People of the time hearing this, cannot relate to the 28 chapters of the Lotus Sutra.

2. Hongaku means the original enlightenment. Shigaku means the attainment of enlightenment.

2a. a man is in a dark room with furniture, but he can not see and make use of anything inside the room because it is dark. However, when once he turns on the light, he gets to be able to see the furniture clearly in the room. In this situation, the furniture was there from the beginning, however, he sees it only after he turns on the light. It is not that the furniture suddenly appeared. The furniture was always there. It was just he could not see it. The fact that the furniture was there from the beginning stands for the Hongaku.

2b. And the fact that turning on the light and getting to be able to see the furniture stands for the Shigaku.

2c. there was a blind man. He could see nothing. One day in excellent doctor came to see him and had an operation on his eyes. As a result, the doctor opened his eyes and he gets to be able to see the sun and the moon. As we know, the sun and the moon were originally there (Hongaku).

2d. But he saw them for the first time when his eyes were cured (Shigaku).

3. As you read Nichiren's letter below keep in mind that this type of commentary is to be distinguished from the monastic designation of designative Dharmas, where the Five Great Elements of our Bodies are simply identified with the Five Elements of the Jeweled Stupa; this sort of doctrine is typical of the Original Enlightenment (Hongaku) teaching of Medieval Tendai. Though, Nichiren believed in this sort of doctrine in his younger years.

Chapter Eleven Exists Inside the Heart of the Believer:

Nyonichi gozen gohenji (STN,v. 2, 1515, 1516): "At the time of the Chapter of the Jeweled Stupa the Tathagata Taho, the Tathagata Shakya, the Buddhas-of the Ten Directions, and all the bodhisattvas gather. When one wonders where this Chapter of the Jeweled Stupa exists just now, I, Nichiren, see that it exists inside the Heart Lotus Flower of Eight Petals within the breast of Lady Nichinyo. For example, as in the seed of the lotus there is a lotus flower and as in the womb of an Empress she conceives the Crown Prince. The person who keeps the Ten Good [Karmic Acts] is in the womb of the Empress about to be born as Crown Prince, the devas guard him. Therefore, it is the Crown Prince that they call "Son of Heaven". Of the characters of the twenty-eight chapters of the Hokekyo, sixty nine thousand three hundred and eighty four characters, each one of the characters, every character is like the Crown Prince. Each character is the seed of a Buddha. In the midst of darkness there is a reflection; people do not see this. In the empty sky there are flying tracks of birds; people do not see this. In the roads of the sea there are paths of the fish; people do not see this. Within the moon not one person of the four continents is missing; people do not see this. Though this is so, the Heavenly (Divine) Eye sees this. In the inner heart of the body of Lady Nichinyo the Chapter of the Jeweled Stupa exists. Though the Worldings does not see [it], Shakya, Taho, and the Buddhas of the Ten Directions see [it]. Nichiren also speculates this."

My other comments were also meant to be constructive, sorry if appeared to be persnickety, but you still have not shaken the Shoshu out of your sandals.

Maltz

Kris,

Nichiren at Kashiwazaki 1274, Bishamon, and the Sanju Banshin

See:

Nichizo Shonin's Childhood Mandala {#028}

Nichizo apparently founded a form of Hokke Shinto called Sanju Banshin. Evidently, the veneration of these 30 benevolent divinities, who appear, each in turn, for 30 days, to protect the votaries of the Lotus Sutra, was already popular in Kyoto, as part of Sanno (Ichijitsu or Tendai). Shinto, Legends hold that Nichiren Shonin himself founded the practice of Hokke Shinto Sanju Banshin, st Miidera, in 1246, but that is likely back fill. By the way, the origin of the Sanno Shinto form of Sanju Banshin is attributed by legend to Saicho.

Also:
The Legend of Nichiren Shonin(9)
By Rev. Gyokai Sekido, Ph. D

I think you tread dangerous ground...
"By chanting Namu Myoho Renge Kyo; we are awakening our unconditioned Buddha Nature"

It doesn't say that in the Lotus Sutra, doesn't even mention Buddha Nature, and this is speculation because how the heck do you know if it is awakened? Do you need an E-Meter or something?

Robin, you have started Rockin Robin Shu, congratulations. Human Practices...

Maltz

Obviously, we disagree on that. Do you have any comment on the thread topic; which Hon & Shaku? I take Hon, the source, to be the unconditioned, the non-dual; which is compared with the sky; formless.

I take shaku, the trace, to be the various forms.

Robin, you wrote that Honji 本地 Suijaku 垂迹It is more explicit in Nichiren Shu; the nest example being the Sanju Banjin - can you elaborate a little about that? For someone who is a real newbie?

Robin, you wrote that Honji 本地 Suijaku 垂迹It is more explicit in Nichiren Shu; the nest example being the Sanju Banjin - can you elaborate a little about that? For someone who is a real newbie?