The Great Master T'ien-t'ai in 6th century China took the massive collection of the Buddha's teachings and found a way to put them into a coherent and practical system that would lead a person step-by-step to a deeper understanding and actualization of the Buddha's teachings. Anyone who does not understand this system will not be able to understand Nichiren's points of rerference and will inevitably misread and misunderstand what Nichiren had in mind. In order to parse all this out for myself I wrote the following two chapters in my commentary on the Rissho Ankoku Ron:
The Sutra Classification System of the T'ien-t'ai School
Competing Systems of Sutra Classification
The following are my own conclusions based on what I researched and considered about the T'ien-t'ai classification system of approaching the study and practice of Buddhism in such a step-by-step way:
I believe that there is more to the comparative classification systems than competing sectarian claims based upon the supposed authority of the Buddha. Each classification system could be viewed as a heuristic device for reconciling seemingly conflicting claims within the Buddhist canon and for discerning, evaluating, and assimilating the insights of Buddhism in a consistent and comprehensive manner. So the different systems should not be evaluated by whether they have the authority of Shakyamuni Buddha or whether they have sufficient proof-texts to back them up. Rather, the systems should be evaluated by how well they allow their respective adherents to develop and put into practice the deepest insights and highest aspirations expressed in the Buddhist teachings.
In Nichiren’s case, he believed that there were two distinctive doctrines in the Lotus Sutra that set it apart from any of the other sutras. The first was the teaching of the attainment of buddhahood by the shravakas and pratyekabuddhas because it is taught that all the Buddha’s teachings lead to the One Vehicle of buddhahood. The other sutras taught that the shravakas who had become arhats and the pratyekabuddhas who had attained nirvana on their own would no longer be able to develop the aspiration to attain buddhahood because they had become detached from all things and would no longer be reborn in this world or any other. So their inclusion in the One Vehicle represented the possibility that anyone and everyone could eventually attain buddhahood, even those for whom it might seem impossible. This promise of universal buddhahood caused Nichiren to call all other sutras Hinayana in comparison because their teachings tended to exclude or imply the exclusion of certain groups from ever achieving the highest goal. The second teaching was the revelation that Shakyamuni Buddha’s awakening did not occur for the first time under the Bodhi Tree but actually occurred in the remote past, a past so inconceivably distant that it is evident the sutra is talking about an unconditioned state that has no beginning or end. Nichiren took this teaching to mean that the Eternal Shakyamuni Buddha is spiritually present even now leading us all to buddhahood and that the world we are living in is this buddha’s Pure Land of Tranquil Light. This means that unlike the other sutras, where buddhahood is a remote possibility or something that can only be attained in another world after death, the Lotus Sutra is teaching that buddhahood is something much more immediate and accessible if one has sufficient faith in the Wonderful Dharma. Nichiren believed that the T’ien-t’ai classification system showed that all the other sutras were leading up to these two teachings concerning the universality and immanence of buddhahood and that is what Shakyamuni Buddha had been trying to share with people all along.
The T’ien-t’ai sutra classification system, therefore can be understood as a way of highlighting the importance of these two doctrines in comparison with the teachings emphasized by the other sutras. These two doctrines of the Lotus Sutra, the attainment of buddhahood by those in the two vehicles of the shravakas and pratyekabuddhas, and Shakyamuni’s attainment of buddhahood in the remote past, are held to be much more important than the teachings related to rebirth in the pure lands (Pure Land school), or teachings emphasizing esoteric practice (Shingon or Tendai esotericism), the teachings of emptiness by analysis (the so-called Hinayana schools) or intuition (the Perfection of Wisdom Sutras), or the teaching of the total interpenetration of all phenomena (Flower Garland Sutra), or the teaching that all is consciousness (Consciousness Only school).
Today, it serves no purpose to argue whether one classification system is more authoritative than another, but we can still concern ourselves with which teaching best expresses the fullness of the Buddha’s compassionate insight. Those who adhere to Nichiren Buddhism believe that the Lotus Sutra, even if it did not originate with the historical Buddha, is the sutra that best articulates the Wonderful Dharma that lies at the heart of all the other teachings. This Wonderful Dharma or Truth is that the full awakening and liberation called buddhahood is a present possibility for all.
Namu Myoho Renge Kyo,
Ryuei
This is the best explanation I've ever read about the "fate", if you will, of the shravakas (voice hearers, right?) and the pratyekabuddhas.
The Lotus Sutra stumps me at many places - this issue has always been one of those places. Now that I'm clear on that I can move on to some of my other sticky points. I may even finish my "summer" re-read of it before the first snow. I've been stuck "middleway" since I picked it up again this July.
Thank you
Posted by: rougebuddha at September 20, 2009 05:53 AMvery interesting. thank you!
Posted by: pat at September 21, 2009 02:33 PMThese things no longer stump me. Imagine the reality of ancient times. Sutras were oral before written, were edited from many versions when they were written, and reflect beliefs and biases refined and defined over many years. Each religious work has myth, narrative, instruction, sectarian views, legend, and even a little history built into it.
One can imagine learning them while sitting around a campfire. When a friend is telling his "Hook story" it would spoil it to tell folks before the story that its an urban legend. When telling a fable it would spoil the fable to get into a long discussion about anthropomorphic foxes before explaining the moral.
The lessons on Voice Hearers and Self Enlightened ones are meant as moral fables to instruct and guide Voice Hearers and Self Enlightened ones (or folks contemplating that path) to get beyond that path. We can talk about other meanings, context, and history, but first we have to grasp the moral of the story in its own context. Either grasp the moral of the story or give it a hook!
:-)
Posted by: Chris Holte at September 22, 2009 02:59 PMThe bit about the self enlightened and voice hearers attaining Buddhahood or not strikes me more as misunderstanding. Nichiren seems to have bought the 'One Buddha atta Time' bit. In one Goibun, found in WND volume, he pretty much quotes the Cakkavattisihanada Sutta; or else the Nirvana Sutra restating the Sutta.
"there cannot be two Buddhas in a single world, just as there cannot be two rulers in a single nation -- this is a principle established by the sacred teachings of the Buddha. One has only to look at the thirty fifth volume of the Nirvana Sutra to see this."
Nichiren also wrote, "in what sutra is it mentioned that such a Buddha would appear in the world to expound his teaching during the 5,670 million years between the passing of Shakyamuni Buddha and the appearance of Maitreya, the Compassionate Honored One? If there are no passages of proof, then who would put faith in such an assertion?"
He is referring to the Perfectly Enlightened Buddha. Nagasena also said that ‘It is impossible that in one world two Perfectly Enlightened Buddhas could arise at the same time.’
Note the word "arise." That implies he is talking about a Buddha that is born, arisen, created, and conditioned.
If Nichiren still accepted that there is only one Buddha atta time, and none between Shakyamuni and Maitreaya; then it seems to me he still aqccepted that the Shravaka and Pratyeka still can not ever be a Buddha; at least not in the sense of the 28 historical Buddhas and Metteyya. So he had to be redefining the word Buddha.
You already know that the Pali Canon has three kinds of Attained Buddhas; each of which equates to one of the three vehicles.
Bodhisatta Path = Sammasambuddha
Pacceka Path = Paccekabuddha
Sharavaka Path = Anubuddha
All three lead to an Buddhahhod. However, each kind has its own job description. I think what threw people were the words "Perfectly Enlightened Buddha." It sure seems like Paccekabuddhas and Anubuddhas are failing to reach the highest goal. Thence comes the absurd notion that women, evil men, Shravakins and Paccekas can not attain enlightenment at all.
However, it is prefectly clear that the Buddha said that all three venicles lead to arhat, to purification {vishuddha} and the unbinding {nibanna}. The Pali Canon has examples of evil men, women, and Sharavakins doing that. If that is not Enlightenment, what is? Of course it is. They just do not attain Enlightenment as a Perfectly Enlightened Buddha. I think that created envy and jealousy in the hearts of some. They did not want to settle for some inferior state of mere Anubuddhahood.
I have also heard the idea that a Shravaka or Pratyeka can renounce Nirvana and become a Bodhisattva. However, once one enters the Dharma Stream, one can not turn back, or change boats in the midddle of the journey. So that can not be right.
My take is that the Lotus Sutra simply rejects the idea that Sanmyaksambudai is or ever was even the highest goal. I do not think the Buddha ever intended that it be the highest goal. The highest goal is and always was Parinirvana.
Sammasambuddhas, Paccekabuddhas, and Anubuddhas all attain the same Parinrivana. All the Lotus Sutra does is rename Parinrivana as Anuttara samyaksambodhi. Traditional Sammasambodhi, Paccekabodhi, and Anubodhi are clarified as provisional goals.
The ultimate goal is to reawaken to our original purified, unborn, non-arisen, uncreated, and unconditioned state. It does not matter which vehicle we take; as they all reach the same other shore.
That is my take right now.
robin
Posted by: nichi at September 26, 2009 06:05 AM