In his letter "Shoho Jisso Sho" Nichiren Shonin wrote:
Have faith in the Great Mandala Gohonzon, the most superlative in the world. Endeavor! Endeavor to strengthen your faith, so that you may be blessed with the protective powers of all the Buddhas. Study and practice to strengthen your faith. Without study and practice, there is no Buddhism. Follow this yourself and influence others to do the same. To study and to practice are a part of faith. Even if it is only a word or a phrase, spread it to others."
When people come to join me at Faithful Fools I don't enroll them in a course on
basic Buddhism. Instead, I teach them how to practice and take it from there. If there is a particular issue or concern or problem they are having then we will discuss how Buddhist practice can provide some insight, or encouragement, or empowerment to deal with it. If anyone presents knows of a particular teaching that would shed some light then we share and discuss it.
Nichiren said that without faith, practice, and study there is no Buddhism. I think we each need to find the proper balance of that for ourselves. For me, faith as confidence and trust in the practice is foremost; but then one must follow through by setting aside time each day to chant and one must find ways to apply the insights and empowerment gained through chanting to helping others and perhaps sharing the Dharma with them; and finally study should be of the Lotus Sutra, gosho, and whatever other materials will edify us, provide us with guidance that matches our situation, and above all encourage us to continue our practice-realization.
Now I have heard many times people say that Buddhism is not about studyihng or using the intellect, and that rather one shoud just let go of all ideas and conceptions and go by intuition or grace alone. I think they have a fear that some people are going to tell them that they aren't real Buddhist unless they attain some encyclopediac knowledge of Buddhist doctrine and history, and perhaps even Sanskrit, Pali, and Chinese. But that is also off the mark in my view. I think that Buddhism is a Middle Way between anti-intellectualism and pedantic scholasticism. So here are my thoughts on the role of study in Nichiren Buddhism in no particular order:
1. It should be done in the context of practice.
2. It should be a support for practice and not restricted to just
intellectual curiosity or scholasticism or theory for its own sake
(though there is nothing wrong with that but it is not the purpose
of study in Buddhism).
3. One should always ask, "So what?" In other words, always try to
see if and how any particular teaching is actually relevant and
helpful to one's actual life.
4. It should be centred on the Lotus Sutra.
5. The gosho is our primary source of commentary on the faith,
practice, and study of the Lotus Sutra.
6. The other sutras and other Buddhist writings (particularly in the
T'ien-t'ai tradition) are helpful in that they provide more details
and explanations of things the sutra and gosho assume knowledge of
on the part of their readers. So they clarify the intent of the
Lotus Sutra and gosho by providing definitions and context. They
also provide some good advice in their own right.
7. Understanding Nichiren's gosho often means that one must also
become familiar with his references and assumptions regarding
teachings, values, and events beyond just Buddhism. Nichiren assumes
a general knowledge of Japanese and Chinese history, culture, lore,
and ethics. Sometimes these can be dealt with in footnotes, but
often I think it is good to read up on some of these things for
ourselves.
8. Don't go overboard getting immersed in points 6 and 7 as this is
a huge mass (or even morass) of material. If one can find a good
guide or commentary through it, that is helpful. Otherwise just
realize that practice and general familiarity with the intent of
Nichiren and the Lotus Sutra and above all one's own sincerity and
deep personal reflection are what will enable us to advance in
practice-realization. One need not transform oneself into a 5th
century BCE Indian monastic, or a 6th century Chinese monastic, or a
13th century Japanese monastic or even be a 21st century Buddhist
amatuer scholar to attain enlightenment. As Nichiren himself
teaches - the treasure tower is our own life.
I hope that clarifies my perspective regarding study.
Namu Myoho Renge Kyo,
Ryuei
Hi Ryuei,
I enjoyed reading your article as this is a topic that has been much on my mind. How to go about studying Buddhism? One line in particular that you wrote, “I think that Buddhism is a Middle Way between anti-intellectualism and pedantic scholasticism.” is very sensible advice I think.
I have a question for you. There are many many books about Buddhism on the market. Books by life long practitioners of many different schools of Buddhism. Do you find any value in the written works of current day authors of books about Buddhism? If so, which ones do you find valuable and which ones would you avoid. Again, I’m talking about authors who are currently alive, or books written in the last 20 years.
VW
Hi Valerie,
I think there are many great teachers of Buddhism out there - not all of whome are published though some are.
But it really depends also on what you are looking for. The person who likes the grandmotherly homespun approach of Sylvia Boorstein (who I would unhesitatingly recommend to many people) might not take to the approach of Sangharakshita and his disciples (whose works I have found immensely valuable) which is grounded in a deep understanding and practice of many traditions but which feels free to revise and modernize them as well.
Then there are authors that I read for iniformation, not because they are practitioners but because they are careful scholars who will help me understand the original background context of the Buddhist tradition. Paul Williams and Kogen Mizuno are the authors I have found most helpful and reliable.
Then there are overview books - the two best ones, ones that I would use if I were teaching a survey course on Buddhism, are listed in my "Overview of Buddhism" article. One is by Gethin and the other by Mitchell.
I should also add that with some authors I like some of their books but not others so much. So for instance Thich Nhat Hanh is unfortunately the kind of author about whom you can almost say that if you have read one of his books you have read them all. But I still highly recommend his books "The Heart of the Buddha's Teaching" (which is a great overview of basic Buddhism) and also "Zen Keys" (which actually has a great introduction to the two main pillars of Mahayana thought in general - the Madhyamika and Yogachara). Though he is deceased and his books were published in the 70s I would like to mention Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche as another example of this. I think his books "Cutting Through Spiritual Materialism" and "The Myth of Freedom" are excellent, I like several others of his as well, but then there is stuff he wrote (or rather transcriptions of lectures he gave) that I find to be little more than incoherent rambling. The Dalai Lama is another one who is great when he sticks to basic Buddhism, but as soon as he starts trying to talk about tantra whether accidently or on-purpose I find he becomes impenetrable and very unhelpful.
Pema Chodron (a disciple of Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche) is one author who I have always found to be very inspiring and helpful.
Brad Warner is another current author who I really like - his book is called "Hardcore Zen" and he also has a website and a blog that are great extensions of the book. Brad is not for everyone though. Perhaps I like him because we are both roughly the same age and have some parallel interests.
And of course I must mention my friend Taigen Dan Leighton. The problem is that his books are all translations of Dogen which would be of no interest to anyone who is not fanatically interested in reading everything Dogen ever wrote or said (and had written down). I am one of those people. However, Taigen also wrote a book called "Faces of Compassion" which is all about Mahayana bodhisattvas as archetypes and how some contemporary figures embody their qualities. It is a really great book for all Mahayana Buddhists (if not others as well). Hopefully he will also soon be putting out a book on Dogen and the Lotus Sutra, which also surveys what some other Buddhist teachers in East Asia have related to the sutra and also has a really great discussion on the meaning of the Life Span of the Tathagata (chapter 16) that I think anyone interested in the Lotus Sutra should read and consider.
So there are others that I like, and those I have not read but whom I have heard good things about. But those are the ones who come to mind at this moment.
I think that anyone reading Dharma Flower or my Meditation Instructions article at Ryuei.net would realize that if one is talking about contemporary Western teachers of Buddhism - it is Sangharakshita and also his disciples whose works have had the most influence on me.
Namu Myoho Renge Kyo,
Ryuei
Ryuei wrote:
I think that anyone reading Dharma Flower or my Meditation Instructions article at Ryuei.net would realize that if one is talking about contemporary Western teachers of Buddhism - it is Sangharakshita and also his disciples whose works have had the most influence on me.
VW: Thank you for responding to my question. I had never heard of Sangharakshita, and a brief search of the internet doesn’t give me very much. Did he write books?
VW
"pedantic scholasticism"
I am pushing myself that direction. There are plenty who are more anti-intellectual, though few admit it. I feel like I am creating balance. :)
I was raised in an academic setting and rebelled. Later in life, I began seeing that I was foolish and undisciplined, maybe too controlled by emotion and impulse.
Also, after my illness, I began seeing that mental discipline is very practical. Among other things, I had to relearn things I once took for granted.
r
Posted by: robin at March 29, 2006 01:54 PMHi Robin,
I really don't think that you are a pedantic scholar. A meticulous and indefatigable researcher perhaps, but I would not accuse you of being a pedantic scholastic.
As for Sangharakshita, he has published many books and was the founder of the Friends of the Western Buddhist Order. His name should bring up a bunch of books on amazon. In Dharma Flower I cite the following by him:
The Drama of Cosmic Enlightenment: Parables, Myths, and Symbols of the White Lotus Sutra.
A Guide to the Buddhist Path
The Meaning of Conversion in Buddhism
The Three Jewels: An Introduction to Buddhism
A Survey of Buddhism: Its Doctrines and Methods Through the Ages
I have a bunch of others by him that I read later which I will probably cite in future writings. In particular his book Ten Pillars which is about the ten courses of wholesome conduct and really lays bare the essential principles of Buddhist ethics that lie behind the different precept formulas.
Many other members of the Friends of the Western Buddhist Order have also published books through their publishing company Wind Horse. Two in particular I have found very helpful:
Meditation: The Buddhist Way of Tranquility and Insight by Kamalashila
Exploring Karma and Rebirth by Nagapriya
Namu Myoho Renge Kyo,
Ryuei
Hi Ryuei,
I must have misspelled Sangharakshita. I checked Amazon again and found a bunch of books by him. My library also had one titled “Ritual and Devotion” that I thought I’d check out.
VW
Oops,
the Ritual and Devotion book is actually also one of the ones I listed in Dharma Flower.
BTW, there are two books that have had a huge influence on me which I did not list because they are from way back in the mid-20th century (like that ancient sage Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche) and you had asked for contemporary stuff where the ink is still fresh. :) Nevertheless, for the sake of completion:
The Practice of Zen by Garma C. C. Chang - this is unfortunately out of print - but worth finding because it reveals things about Buddhist practice that are valuable for everyone in my view. It is largely from this book that I got my intial inspiration for meditation as "clear awareness in the tranquility of no-thought" and also for the contrasting "hua-t'ou" contemplation and how it can be applied to a devotional chanting practice.
Buddhist Faith and Sudden Enlightenment by Sung Bae Park - this book covers the faith angle and I actually gave a talk on it back in December at the Hartford Street Zen Center, and only found out later that it happened to be a favorite of the abbot there. This may also be out of print but again is worth finding in my view. This book has helped me articulate an understanding of the role of faith and how it differs according to whether it is a faith in the One Vehicle of the Trace Gate or faith in the Eternal Buddha of the Original Gate. The author doesn't make that connection but it was easy to make for me based on what he did write. I just had to connect the rather obvious dots.
Namu Myoho Renge Kyo,
Ryuei
Ryuei,
Spot on topic and an opportunity to announce the publication of 15 letters (gosho) translated by Martin Bradley which were originally published in Europe in 2005.
The book, THE BUDDHA WRITINGS OF NICHIREN DAISHÔNIN is being made available by Martin Bradley in html format at http://hokkeko.ca and in .pdf format at http://hokkeko.de
Quoting from the introduction, "It seems that every time we come to die, we are at some time or another confronted with the clear light of the dharma. It is the clear light of the original state which is, as the Collation of the Layers of the Various Teachings of All the Buddhas states, ‘mind just as it is, is light’, our fundamental condition, the simultaneity of all time past, present and future as well as every imaginable space. But every time we die there is always something inherent in us that makes us turn away from this fact, so that we find ourselves again in the entanglement of thoughts which bring back old attachments that haul us all the way back to the cycle of living and dying like roach and dace on the hook of a fishing line."
Regards,
Gerhard