On Consecrating an Image of ShakyamuniBuddha Made by Shijō Kingo

Background

Nichiren Daishonin wrote this letter at Minobu to Shijō Kingo in 1276, when he was fifty-five. Evidently Shijō Kingo had made a wooden image of Shakyamuni Buddha for the benefit of his deceased parents and asked the Daishonin to perform the eye-opening ceremony to consecrate it. This letter is the Daishonin’s reply.

In the opening section, the Daishonin says that only when the Lotus Sutra is used at the eye-opening ceremony to consecrate a Buddha image will that image become endowed with the five types of vision and the Buddha’s three bodies.

Making Buddha images was a widespread practice, and, in an age when most people revered the Buddha Amida, the Daishonin was tolerant of the making of images of Shakyamuni as an act leading toward correct understanding.

A similar attitude also underlies the next section of the letter, in which the Daishonin comments on Shijō Kingo’s hereditary practice of worshiping the sun deity at certain times of the year. He explains here that the power and workings of the sun deity ultimately derive from the Buddhist Law, which the Lotus Sutra expounds.

The Daishonin then praises Shijō Kingo for his filial devotion and points out that, by providing him with a livelihood, Lord Ema has enabled him to discharge his filial duties and to make offerings to the votary of the Lotus Sutra. It would be wrong, the Daishonin says, to lightly abandon someone to whom one is so deeply indebted. At this time Shijō Kingo was in physical danger due to the animosity of his fellow samurai, and the Daishonin warns him to be on guard.

 

 

Chapter1(Those Who Uphold the Lotus Sutra Acqire the Five Types of Vision)

Main Text

IN your daily records you write that you have fashioned a wooden image of Shakyamuni Buddha. With regard to the eye-opening ceremony appropriate for such a statue, the Universal Worthy Sutra states, “This great vehicle sutra¹ is the treasure storehouse of the Buddhas, the eye of the Buddhas of the ten directions and the three existences.” It also says, “This correct and equal sutra² is the eye of the Buddhas. It is through this sutra that the Buddhas are able to acquire the five types of vision.”

Concerning the phrase “acquire the five types of vision” in this sutra, this refers to the physical eyes, the heavenly eye, the wisdom eye, the Dharma eye, and the Buddha eye. These five types of vision are naturally acquired by one who upholds the Lotus Sutra, just as the person who becomes the ruler of a state will naturally be obeyed by all the people of that state, or as the lord of the great ocean will as a matter of course be followed by the fish who dwell there.

The Flower Garland, Āgama, Correct and Equal, Wisdom, and Mahāvairochana sutras may possess the five types of vision in name, but they do not possess them in reality. The Lotus Sutra possesses them in both name and reality. And even if it did not possess them in name, you may be certain that it would possess them in reality.

 

Notes

1. “This great vehicle sutra” indicates the Lotus Sutra. The Universal Worthy Sutra is regarded as an epilogue to the Lotus Sutra.

2. “This correct and equal sutra” here refers to the Lotus Sutra.

 

Lecture

This writing is also known by the alternate title “On the Eye-Opening of a Statue of Shakyamuni Buddha.” It is Nichiren Daishonin’s reply, dated the seventh month of Kenji 2 (1276), to Shijō Kingo’s request that he perform the eye-opening ceremony for a wooden image of Shakyamuni Buddha that Kingo had made as a memorial offering for his deceased parents.

At the outset, the letter discusses the merits of creating a Buddha image, the eye-opening rite according to the Lotus Sutra, and the principle of “three thousand realms in a single moment of life.” It then notes that the Shijō family had been offering devotion to the Sun Deity (Dainichi Tennō) over a period of ninety days, explaining that all the functions of the Sun Deity ultimately derive from the power of Buddhism; it also expounds the great importance of filial piety toward one’s parents. The Daishonin praises Kingo’s unwavering loyalty, urges him to repay the kindness of his lord, Ema, and stresses the vital spirit of “knowing and repaying debts of gratitude.”

Finally, he warns Kingo to be especially careful about drinking parties and the like so that no untoward incidents occur. This relates in particular to the fact that, after Kingo remonstrated with his lord Ema in Bun’ei 11 (1274), resentment against him grew stronger among his lord and colleagues. Kingo’s fervent faith in the Daishonin, together with his unchanging attitude of loyalty to his lord, only intensified his colleagues’ jealousy, culminating in Kenji 2 (1276), ninth month, in a punitive demotion and transfer to Echigo.

Thus, waves of serious persecution—slander and denunciations by colleagues—were surging behind Kingo, and he himself was in a very tense situation. Fully aware of these circumstances, the Daishonin strictly yet warmly instructs Kingo—who, under persecution, was inclined to ask leave of his house—to remain with his lord, repay his debts of gratitude, and carry his faith through to the end. Such is the tenor of this letter.

As for the date of composition, some have proposed Bun’ei 11 (1274) or Kenji 3 (1277), but the view that it was written on the fifteenth day of the seventh month of Kenji 2 (1276) seems most reasonable. A few lines in the original hand at the end of the text are preserved at Myōhon-ji in Kamakura.

On the Making of a Statue of Shakyamuni

In Nichiren Daishonin’s Buddhism, the Gohonzon of the Three Great Secret Laws is the fundamental basis of everything. As he states, “ The Buddha’s will is the Lotus Sutra, but the soul of Nichiren is nothing other than Nam-myoho-renge-kyo.” (Reply to Kyō-ō, WND p. 412). The Gohonzon he inscribed is therefore the fundamental object of devotion in faith. To make as one’s honzon, apart from this, a statue of Shakyamuni—or any of various buddhas, bodhisattvas, or deities—is without value; not only does it bring no benefit, it constitutes a deviation from the correct object of devotion.

Yet, as the title indicates, this letter concerns Shijō Kingo’s creation of an image of Shakyamuni and his request that the Daishonin open its eyes. The rationale for creating a Buddha image will be treated under “Eye-Opening” below, but why does the Daishonin accept—and even praise—Kingo’s request?

Nikkō Shōnin (Dayuan?)* and especially Nichikan Shōnin, in Mappō Sōō Shō, first explain why a richly adorned physical image should not be made the honzon, and then set forth in detail why, although it is not the honzon, the act of creating a Shakyamuni image may nonetheless be commended. In brief:

(1) From principle (reason):

• Since the Latter Day is the time of sowing, one should make the Buddha who sows the seed the object of devotion. On the Original Cause and Original Effect says, “The Buddha is the teacher for those to be ‘led out’ (matured and harvested); Nichiren is the leader who sows the seed” (GoshoZenshuu, p.874). Śākyamuni is the teacher for the benefit of “liberation,” while Nichiren Daishonin is the Buddha who sows the seed; therefore one should not establish a physical image as the honzon.

• In the Former and Middle Days, beings had good roots from the past; they had deep karmic ties to the three virtues even through forms. In the Latter Day, beings lack such roots; their karmic connection to the three virtues through a physical Śākyamuni is shallow. As stated in On the Five Guides for Propagation (WND1, p.542), “During the first two periods, the two thousand or more years that make up the Former and Middle Days of the Law, there were still some persons who had received the seed of Buddhahood, such as those who lived during the more than forty years when Shakyamuni preached in the world. But at such a time one must not, without stopping to consider the capacities of the people, thoughtlessly preach the Lotus Sutra, the true sutra.At present, however, we have already entered the third period, the Latter Day of the Law. The persons who formed a relationship with the Buddha during the time he was in the world have little by little diminished in number, and all those who have the capacity to attain Buddhahood through the two categories of provisional and true sutras have disappeared. “Thus the honzon must be that to which we have living ties; in our age, one does not set up a Shakyamuni image as the honzon.

• In physical images, Law and Person are in a superior-inferior relation, with the Law surpassing and the person inferior. But Questions and Answers on the Object of Devotion (WND2, p.788) says “As the object of devotion one should select that which is superior. “; hence a physical image is not adopted as the honzon.

(2) From scriptural proof:

• Words and Phrases (vol. 8): “This sutra is the relics of the Dharma-body; one should not additionally enshrine the relics of the living body.”

• Rituals for the Lotus Samādhi Repentance: “Within the hall, spread a fine high seat and enshrine the whole Lotus Sutra; there is no need to place images, relics, or other scriptures.”

• Matters That the Followers of the Fuji School Should Know (GoshoZenshuu, p.1606, l.2): “In the saint’s established teaching, never take painted or wooden images of buddhas and bodhisattvas as the honzon; solely according to the intent of the writings, make the five characters of Myoho-renge-kyo the honzon—namely, the saint’s own-hand Gohonzon.”

Thus from both reason and scriptural proof it is clear that, in this Latter Day, a Shakyamuni image is not to be made the honzon. Why then did the Daishonin still praise Kingo’s making of a statue?

Because, although not as honzon, there are three considerations:

1. The Daishonin’s era was still the very beginning of propagation; while not his ultimate intent, he permitted it as an expedient appropriate to time and circumstance.

2. Since Japan then universally revered Amida as honzon, rejecting an Amida image and erecting a Shakyamuni image was itself praiseworthy. To establish Shakyamuni is to return to the Lotus; to return to the Lotus in the Latter Day is to take refuge in the Original Buddha, the rebirth of Superior Practices (Jōgyō).

3. From the vantage of the Daishonin’s “observing the mind,” the image of the practicing Shakyamuni reflected, as it were, the Original Buddha of ichinen-sanzen— the Buddha of self-enjoyment.

For similar reasons others—such as the lay nun Nichigan and Toki Jōnin—also made Shakyamuni images (not as the fundamental honzon), each for a specific occasion and connection; they were temporary favors, like a stepchild briefly cherished. And the Great Gohonzon of the High Sanctuary of the Essential Teaching had not yet been established—those images were but like fireflies’ light while awaiting the risen moon.

Now, however, since “At this time the countless Bodhisattvas of the Earth will appear and establish in this country the object of devotion, foremost in Jambudvīpa, that depicts Shakyamuni Buddha of the essential teaching attending [the eternal Buddha]. ” (The Object of Devotion for Observing the Mind Established in the Fifth Five-Hundred-Year Period after the Thus Come One’s , WND1, p.376), over seven hundred years have passed. The Three Great Secret Laws of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo of the Lifespan chapter’s hidden depths are, as stated, “First in all Jambudvīpa”—the one and only honzon for all people of the world. Today, therefore, there is no need to make or praise Shakyamuni images; one should instead regard the Gohonzon of the Three Great Secret Laws as absolute and apply oneself to faith, practice, and study.

On Eye-Opening

“Eye-opening” means installing in a statue the spirit of the Buddha. Before discussing this here, a word on the origin of making Buddha images.

Ekottara Āgama, vol. 28, relates that King Udayana, longing for Śākyamuni who had ascended to the Trāyastriṃśa heaven, carved an image out of ox-head sandalwood; hearing of this, King Prasenajit had a five-foot image cast of polished gold. The sutra says, “At that time, for the first time within Jambudvīpa, there were these two images of the Tathāgata,” indicating the beginning of image-making.

Although translated in 384, the source likely dates from the 2nd–3rd century; the episode probably reflects that period. The earliest images were not made originally for worship, but out of yearning for the Buddha’s form. Generally, for roughly five centuries after the Buddha’s passing, it is thought there was an aniconic period without worship images. As Matsumoto Bunzaburō notes in The Origins of Buddhist Images and Paintings, the absence was not for lack of skill but by deliberate avoidance, since the Buddha, being sublime, was thought inexpressible in form. Hence legends such as the painter unable to behold the Buddha’s brilliance, tracing his reflection upon water.

Thus, in early times, the Buddha was represented indirectly—by footprints, stupas, the vajra-throne beneath the bodhi tree—and these were revered as his symbols. Later, as images spread, rules arose: depict the noble, harmonious, dignified form with the thirty-two major marks and eighty minor characteristics; avoid defective forms as inauspicious; follow specified dimensions and materials. After making an image, one hastened to conduct the eye-opening rite, lest delay bring ill fortune. Rituals varied by school; Ritual Manual for the Samādhi of Enshrining All Tathāgatas says, “Dotting the eyes to make it resemble,” indicating the sculptor opened the eyes. In Japan, at the 752 eye-opening of the Great Buddha of Tōdai-ji, the high priest Bodhisena held the brush.

How, then, does the Daishonin’s eye-opening differ in Kingo’s case?

Opening the Eyes of Wooden and Painted Images states: “Since the Buddha’s passing, two kinds of images, wooden and painted, have been made of him. They possess thirty-one features but lack the pure and far-reaching voice. Therefore, they are not equal to the Buddha. They are also devoid of the spiritual aspect. The Buddha in the flesh is as different from a wooden or painted image as the heavens are from the earth, or clouds from mud. Why, then, does The Epilogue to the Mahāparinirvāna Sutra state that both the living Buddha and a wooden or painted image made of him after his passing bestow equal benefit? Indeed, the Jeweled Necklace Sutra absolutely declares that a wooden or painted image is inferior to the living Buddha.When one places a sutra in front of a wooden or painted image of the Buddha, the image becomes endowed with all thirty-two features.” (WND1, p.85)

That is, wooden or painted images possess thirty-one of the thirty-two marks but lack the Brahma-voice; hence, as mere forms, they cannot function as Buddhas. Of the two dharmas, form and mind, form can be crafted but mind cannot. Therefore, by giving the image the Brahma-voice and the mind-dharm, it becomes a Buddha endowed with the thirty-two marks—this is eye-opening.

When the Sutra is placed before the image, each character becomes the Buddha’s Brahma-voice; thus the thirty-two marks are complete and the image is “opened.” Since the written characters are the mind-dharm manifested as form, placing the Sutra supplies both mind and form.

The crucial question is: which Sutra? “When an Āgama sutra is placed in front of a wooden or painted image, the image becomes equal to a voice-hearer. When one of the common teachings on wisdom, which were preached at the various assemblies held during the Correct and Equal and the Wisdom periods, is placed before it, the image becomes equal to a cause-awakened one. When one of the specific or perfect teachings preached during the Flower Garland, Correct and Equal, or Wisdom period is placed before it, the image becomes equal to a bodhisattva. Yet in none of these cases, either, does it in any way become equal to a Buddha.  Buddha Eye’s mudra and Mahāvairochana’s mantra described in the Mahāvairochana, Diamond Crown, and Susiddhikara sutras are useless, for although their names represent the Buddha eye and the great sun, in reality they do not possess these qualities. Similarly, even the Buddha who appears in the Flower Garland Sutra is not the Buddha of the perfect teaching, though his name [Vairochana] suggests that he is. When the Lotus Sutra is placed before an image possessing thirty-one features, the image never fails to become the Buddha of the pure and perfect teaching.” (Opening the Eyes of Wooden and Painted Images, wND1, p.86)

Because Shingon performed eye-openings with the Mahāvairocana Sutra, true efficacy was lost: “As for the assertion that the eye-opening ceremony for wooden and painted images cannot be carried out without the use of True Word mudras and mantras, this is the sheerest nonsense! Are we to suppose that, before the True Word school appeared on the scene, wooden and painted Buddhist images could not be consecrated? In the period before the appearance of the True Word school, there were wooden and painted images in India, China, and Japan that walked about or preached the teachings or spoke aloud. It would rather appear that, since people have begun to use True Word mudras and mantras in consecrating the Buddha images, the effectiveness of the ceremony has been completely lost.” (The Selection of the Time, WND1, p.572)
And: “Therefore, one should understand that the daimoku of the Lotus Sutra represents the soul of all the sutras; it represents the eye of all the sutras. The Lotus Sutra should by rights be employed in eye-opening ceremonies to ensure their effectiveness. But instead of that, the Mahāvairochana and other sutras are employed in eye-opening ceremonies for all the various wooden or painted images of Buddhas. As a result, none of the Buddha images in the temples and pagodas of Japan, though their forms resemble that of the Buddha, are really Buddhas in mind. Rather they have the minds of ordinary beings who live in the nine worlds. ” (King Rinda, wND1, p.984)

As these passages show, true eye-opening can only be performed by means of the Lotus Sutra. Thus Questions and Answers on the Object of Devotion says, “Therefore in the eye-opening ceremony for Buddhist wooden and painted images, only the Lotus Sutra should be used. ” (WND2, p.789). The Object of Devotion for Observing the Mind Established in the Fifth Five-Hundred-Year Period after the Thus Come One’s Passing states, “Ultimately, however, without the seed of Buddhahood, that is, the three thousand realms in a single moment of life, sentient beings cannot become Buddhas, and any statue or painting would be an object of devotion in name only.” (WND1, p.365). And our letter says, “It is the power of the Lotus Sutra that can infuse such paintings and statues with a “soul” or spiritual property.” (WND1, p.684).

Thus, only when the Three Great Secret Laws—Nam-myoho-renge-kyo—are used for eye-opening does the entire image function as a living Buddha; this is the principle underlying “plants and trees attaining Buddhahood.” In this letter, the eye-opening is performed for a statue of Shakyamuni, teaching that even wooden or painted images after the Buddha’s passing, when opened by the Lotus Sutra, can have benefit—while at the same time refuting reliance on Shakyamuni images and revealing the grand principle of eye-opening through the Three Great Secret Laws, thereby demonstrating the Gohonzon’s sublime power.

Moreover, as the letter says, “These five types of vision are naturally acquired by one who upholds the Lotus Sutra,” Thus there is an issue of “eye-opening” for us ordinary people as well: it is fulfilled by embracing the Gohonzon, that is, by upholding the Lotus Sutra. To bring forth and polish the Buddha-life innate in each person through the Mystic Law, and to grow into the most fully human of human beings—this may be called the eye-opening within the individual.

Further, not shutting oneself up conservatively within the shell of self, but projecting into society—through human revolution wrought by the Mystic Law—one’s transformed life as a dynamic presence, and sublimating the Mystic Law’s philosophy within society: this, in the truest sense, is eye-opening.

 

 

Chapter2(Revealing the Virtues of the Buddha)

Main Text

With regard to the three bodies of a Buddha, the Universal Worthy Sutra states: “A Buddha’s three types of bodies are born from this correct and equal sutra, which is the great seal of the Law that assures entry into the sea of nirvana. It is from this sea that a Buddha’s three types of pure bodies are born. These three types of bodies are fields of good fortune for human and heavenly beings and are highest among those worthy of alms.”

The three bodies are as follows: first, the Dharma body of a Thus Come One; second, the reward body of a Thus Come One; and third, the manifested body of a Thus Come One. These three types of bodies of a Thus Come One are invariably possessed by all Buddhas. If we use the moon as an illustration, we may say that the moon itself is comparable to the Dharma body, its light to the reward body, and its reflection to the manifested body. Just as a single moon has these three different aspects, so a single Buddha possesses the virtues of these three different bodies.

 

Lecture

 

”These three types of bodies of a Thus Come One are invariably possessed by all Buddhas. If we use the moon as an illustration, we may say that the moon itself is comparable to the Dharma body, its light to the reward body, and its reflection to the manifested body. Just as a single moon has these three different aspects, so a single Buddha possesses the virtues of these three different bodies.”

 

The “three bodies of the Tathāgata” are the Dharma body, the Reward body, and the Manifested body. Applied to life, the Reward body corresponds to wisdom, the Manifested body to the physical body, and the Dharma body to the essence of life—life itself. Only when these three—Dharma, Reward, and Manifested—are fully possessed can life be called complete.

However, in the pre-Lotus teachings it is stated, for example in volume three of the Shidi lun (Daśabhūmika-śāstra), “All Buddhas are of three kinds: first, a Buddha of the Manifested body; second, a Buddha of the Reward body; third, a Buddha of the Dharma body,” thus teaching the three bodies as separate kinds of Buddhas. It is only upon entering the Lotus Sutra that it is revealed that the three bodies are one in substance. In the “Lifespan” (Juryō) chapter of the Essential Teaching, Śākyamuni is revealed as the eternally existing, originally inherent Buddha of profound connection to this world, endowed with all three bodies; thereby the true aspect of life is clarified, and it is shown that the Buddha exists eternally as a life that is “three bodies in a single body.”

T’ien-t’ai, in Words and Phrases (vol. 9), commenting on the phrase “the Tathāgata’s secret and mystic powers” in the “Lifespan” chapter, writes: “Calling ‘one body precisely the three bodies’ is termed secret; calling ‘the three bodies precisely one body’ is termed mystic. Also, what was never taught in the past is called secret, and what only Buddhas can know of themselves is called mystic. ‘Powers’ refers to the function of the three bodies. Spirit is the naturally unmoving principle—namely, the Dharma-nature body. Mystic (tong) is the unhindered, inconceivable wisdom—namely, the Reward body. Power is the freely functioning efficacy—namely, the Manifested body. In all three times the Buddha equally possesses the three bodies; among the various teachings this was kept hidden and not transmitted.”

Now, Nichiren Daishonin illustrates that all Buddhas possess the three bodies by the example of the moon: the moon’s very substance is the Dharma body; the moon’s shining activity and function are the Reward body; the concrete shadow or reflection cast by the moon is the Manifested body.

Thus, the Dharma body is the very essence of life; the Reward body is life’s wisdom—especially the wisdom of the Original Buddha who leads all people to happiness; and the Manifested body is the outward form and appearance that life displays.

Viewed in this way, we see that the functions of the three bodies are present in all things. For example, a peach tree is not a plum or a cherry but a peach tree—that identity corresponds to the Dharma body. Its characteristic working—budding, flowering, and bearing fruit—is the Reward body. Its concrete peach-like appearance and form are the Manifested body.

Although every living being necessarily possesses these three, when speaking of the Buddha, the Reward body is given primacy. Words and Phrases (vol. 9) states: “This chapter broadly clarifies the three bodies; if we follow its particular purport, it rests precisely in the Reward body.” In other words, centered on the Reward body, the three operate as one.

This also holds true for human beings: in daily life and practical activity, the Reward body forms the basis. Whenever we act, whether consciously or not, it is first the knowledge and wisdom we have assimilated that functions, and through that working of wisdom life unfolds into concrete action. Hence the Reward body can be said to be the core of the three; this is called “discussing the three within the Reward.”

There is no means other than the Gohonzon of the Three Great Secret Laws to bring forth and reveal the three-bodied life of all Buddhas. Therefore, for a Buddha image to possess not only the Manifested body but also the life and wisdom of a Buddha, the eye-opening must be performed by the Mystic Law—the very source that gives rise to the three bodies.

Conversely, wisdom and knowledge that do not derive from the Mystic Law have indeed advanced science and technology to a high degree. Yet at the same time, their reckless development threatens to drive humankind to the brink of doom. One may say that science, technology, and civilization—originally developed to enhance human happiness—have, without undergoing true “eye-opening,” been animated with the life of a fearsome monster.

 

 

Chapter3(Clarifying the True Eye-Opening Ceremony)

Main Text

These doctrines of the five types of vision and the three bodies are not expounded anywhere outside of the Lotus Sutra. Therefore, the Great Teacher T’ien-t’ai has said, “The Buddha consistently possesses the three bodies throughout the three existences. But in the various teachings, he kept this secret and did not transmit it.”³ In this passage of commentary, the phrase “in the various teachings” refers not only to the Flower Garland, Correct and Equal, and Wisdom sutras, but to all sutras other than the Lotus Sutra. And the phrase “he kept this secret and did not transmit it” means that, throughout the entire body of scriptures outside of the “Life Span” chapter of the Lotus Sutra, Shakyamuni Buddha, the lord of teachings, concealed and avoided expounding it. Therefore, in performing the eye-opening ceremony for painted or wooden Buddha images, the only authority to rely on is the Lotus Sutra and the T’ien-t’ai school.

 

Notes

3. The Words and Phrases of the Lotus Sutra.

 

Lecture

Both the Five Eyes and the Three Bodies originate solely from the Lotus Sutra. Therefore, Nichiren Daishonin teaches that the eye-opening and consecration of Buddha images must be conducted only through the Lotus Sutra.

In the Age of the Semblance Dharma, it was the Great Teacher T’ien-t’ai who correctly inherited Shakyamuni’s Lotus Sutra and established a complete system of Buddhist doctrine based upon it. However, after the beginning of the Latter Day of the Law, many monks—such as those of the Shingon, Ritsu, and Nembutsu schools—began to set up their own doctrines based on arbitrary personal views, neglecting the true intent of the sutra. They not only debased and distorted the Law, but each insisted that his own teaching alone was correct.

Against this background, Nichiren Daishonin pointed out that the principle of “opening the eyes” of a Buddha image—that is, infusing it with the life of the Buddha—must be carried out solely through the Lotus Sutra and the T’ien-t’ai school.

However, the term “T’ien-t’ai school” here does not refer to the later form that, after the time of Jikaku (Ennin) and Chishō (Enchin), became corrupted by the false doctrines of Shingon esotericism. The Daishonin referred to “the Lotus Sutra and the T’ien-t’ai school” in contrast to the Shingon, Ritsu, and Nembutsu schools, which had deviated from the Buddha’s true intent and transmitted mistaken teachings. Thus, by saying “the Lotus Sutra and the T’ien-t’ai school,” the Daishonin expressed his rejection of the contemporary T’ien-t’ai school that had become assimilated into Shingon.

Needless to say, in the present age of the Latter Day of the Law, this ultimately means Nam-myoho-renge-kyo.

 

 

Chapter4(Clarifying the True Meaning of Buddha Images)

Main Text

In addition, the doctrine of three thousand realms in a single moment of life arises from the concept of the three realms of existence. The three realms of existence are as follows: first, the realm of living beings; second, the realm of the five components; and third, the realm of the environment. Let us set aside the first two for now. The third, the realm of the environment, refers to the realm of plants and trees. And the realm of plants and trees includes those plants and trees from which are produced the five shades of pigment used in painting. From this pigment, painted images are created, and from trees, wooden statues are made.

It is the power of the Lotus Sutra that can infuse such paintings and statues with a “soul” or spiritual property. This was the realization of the Great Teacher T’ien-t’ai. In the case of living beings, this doctrine is known as attaining Buddhahood in one’s present form; in the case of painted and wooden images, it is known as the enlightenment of plants and trees. This is why [the Great Teacher Chang-an] wrote, “There has never been anything to compare to the brightness and serenity of concentration and insight,”⁴ and why [the Great Teacher Miao-lo] stated, “They are nevertheless shocked and harbor doubts when they hear for the first time the doctrine that insentient beings possess the Buddha nature.”⁵

This doctrine [of three thousand realms in a single moment of life] was never heard of in the ages [before the Great Teacher T’ien-t’ai], nor was it known in the ages that followed. And even if it did appear, one may be certain that it had been stolen from him.

However, some two hundred years after the time of T’ien-t’ai, Shan-wu-wei, Chin-kang-chih, and Pu-k’ung founded the so-called True Word school on the basis of the Mahāvairochana Sutra. And then, although there is no mention of any such doctrine in the Mahāvairochana Sutra as the Buddha expounded it, they stole the doctrine of three thousand realms in a single moment of life from the Lotus Sutra and T’ien-t’ai’s commentary, and proceeded to make it the heart and core of the True Word school. Moreover, they pretended that the doctrine had originated in India, and in this way deceived and misled the later-day scholars of China and Japan. No one knows the truth of the matter, but all alike assent to and put faith in the assertions of the True Word school. This has been going on now for more than five hundred years.

This being the case, the wooden and painted images that were made and consecrated before the time of the True Word school [when the T’ien-t’ai practices were followed] have manifested extraordinary powers, but those in temples and pagodas built after True Word [practices were adopted for the eye-opening ceremony] produce very little benefit. Since there are many instances of this, I will not go into detail.

This Buddha of yours, however, is a living Buddha. It differs in no respect from the wooden image of the Buddha made by King Udayana,⁶ or that fashioned by King Bimbisāra. Surely Brahmā, Shakra, the deities of the sun and moon, and the four heavenly kings will attend you as a shadow accompanies a body and protect you always. (This is the first point I wish to make.)

 

Notes

4. Great Concentration and Insight, preface. “Concentration and insight” is used to refer to the system of meditation set forth by T’ien-t’ai.

5. The Annotations on “Great Concentration and Insight.”

6. A king of Kaushambi in India in Shakyamuni’s time. According to the Increasing by One Āgama Sutra, when Shakyamuni ascended to the heaven of the thirty-three gods to preach the Law to his mother Māyā, King Udayana lamented that he could no longer worship the Buddha and fell ill. His ministers then made a five-foot wooden image of the Buddha; as a result, Udayana recovered from his illness. This is said to have been the first Buddha image ever made. The source for the Daishonin’s reference to a Buddha image made by King Bimbisāra of Magadha in India is not known.

 

Lecture

 

 

Chapter5(Describing the Blessings of the God of the Sun)

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Your daily records also indicate that each year, during the ninety-day period from the eighth day of the fourth month through the fifteenth day of the seventh month, you perform acts of devotion to the god of the sun. The god of the sun lives in a palace made of the seven kinds of treasures. This palace occupies an area of 816 ri or 51 yojanas. In the midst of it dwells the god of the sun, attended by two consorts, Victorious and Invincible. To his right and left range the seven luminaries and the nine luminaries,⁷ and in front of him stands the heavenly goddess Marīchi. The god of the sun rides a chariot made of the seven treasures and drawn by eight fine horses, and in the space of one day and one night he circles about the four continents, acting as an eye to all the living beings who dwell in them.

In the case of the Buddhas and bodhisattvas as well as the other deities, we hear that they bestow superb blessings, but with our dull eyes we have yet to see it. In the case of the sun deity, however, there can be no doubt, for his blessings are before our very eyes. Were it not for Shakyamuni, the lord of teachings, how could such blessings as these be bestowed? And were it not for the power of the wonderful sutra of the one vehicle, how could such marvels appear before us? It is wondrous to contemplate!

In inquiring how to repay this deity for his favor, we find that, in the ages before the appearance of Buddhism, people of a discerning nature all bowed before him or presented offerings, and all of them received evidence of blessings in return. At the same time, those who turned against him were all punished.

Now if we consider what the Buddhist writings have to say, we may note that the Golden Light Sutra states, “The god of the sun and the god of the moon, because they listen to this sutra, are able to obtain vitality in abundance.” And the Sovereign Kings Sutra states, “Through the power of this sutra king, these luminaries are able to circle the four continents.”

You should understand, therefore, that it is the power of the Buddhist Law that enables the deities of the sun and moon to make their rounds of the four continents. The Golden Light and Sovereign Kings sutras are mere expedient teachings leading to the Lotus Sutra. When compared with the Lotus Sutra, they are like milk compared with ghee, or metal compared with precious gems. And yet, inferior as these sutras are, they enable the heavenly deities to circle the four continents. How much more power can these deities gain, then, by tasting the sweet ghee of the Lotus Sutra!

Therefore, in the “Introduction” chapter of the Lotus Sutra, we find the deities of the sun and moon ranged side by side with the god of the stars. And in the “Teacher of the Law” chapter, it is predicted that the deity of the sun will attain supreme perfect enlightenment and be known as the Thus Come One Fire-Sustaining.⁸

In addition to all this, your late father initiated this worship of the sun deity, and you have succeeded him in the second generation, carrying on these ceremonies over a long period of time. So how could the deity possibly abandon you?

I, Nichiren, have also put my trust in this deity, and in this manner have carried on my struggles in Japan over the past several years. Already I have the feeling that I have achieved victory. Such clear blessings can only be attributed to this deity.

There are many other admirable points in your daily records, but I cannot go into them all in this letter.

 

Notes

7. The seven luminaries are the sun, the moon, Mars, Jupiter, Mercury, Venus, and Saturn. The nine luminaries are the seven luminaries, comets, and a heavenly body called Rahu (Skt), said to cause eclipses.

8. The “Teacher of the Law” chapter itself does not mention that the god of the sun will receive the name Fire-Sustaining Thus Come One. It does, however, predict supreme enlightenment for all those who uphold even a single phrase or verse of the sutra. In commenting on this passage in Words and Phrases, T’ien-t’ai cites the Awakening to True Meditation Sutra, which says that the four heavenly kings shall all become Buddhas named Fire-Sustaining. In his Annotations on “The Words and Phrases of the Lotus Sutra,” Miao-lo in turn suggests that the gods of the heavenly bodies and others will also attain Buddhahood under this name. Nichiren Daishonin appears to have accepted Miao-lo’s interpretation.

 

Lecture

 

 

Chapter6(Praising the Spirit of Filial Devotion)

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As for the thing that I admire most: In your letters in the past, you have from time to time mentioned your concern for your parents. And when I read your present letter, I could not hold back my tears, so moved was I by pity at your sorrow over the thought that your parents might perhaps be in hell.

Among the Buddha’s disciples was one called the Venerable Maudgalyāyana. His father was named Kissen Shishi and his mother was named Shōdai-nyo. His mother, after passing away, fell into the realm of hungry spirits. While Maudgalyāyana was still an ordinary mortal, he was unaware of this fact, and so had no reason to grieve over it. But after he became a disciple of the Buddha, he achieved the status of arhat and, acquiring the heavenly eye, was able to perceive that his mother was in the realm of hungry spirits. When he became aware of this, he made offerings of food and drink to her, but these only turned into flame and increased her torment. Thereupon he rushed back to the Buddha and reported what had happened. Think how he must have felt at that time!

Now you are an ordinary person, possessing no more than the physical eyes, and so you cannot see what realm your parents now occupy and grieve at the thought that perhaps they are in hell. This in itself is an expression of filial devotion. Brahmā, Shakra, the deities of the sun and moon, and the four heavenly kings are certain to look upon you with pity.

The Flower Garland Sutra says, “Those who do not understand their obligations will in many cases meet with an untimely death.” And the Meditation on the Buddha’s Ocean-like Characteristics Sutra says, “This [failure to repay a debt of gratitude] is the cause that leads to rebirth in the Avīchi hell.” But now you have already manifested a sincere concern for your parents, and the heavenly gods are certain to heed your prayers. (This is the second point I wish to stress to you.)

 

Lecture

 

 

Chapter7(Expounding the Inevitability of Hardships)

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In your letter you also mention certain things that, on thoroughly considering the heart of the matter, I believe you ought not to do. I, Nichiren, am hated by the people of Japan. This is entirely due to the fact that the lord of Sagami regards me with animosity. I grant that the government has acted quite without reason, but even before I encountered my difficulties, I foresaw that troubles of this kind would occur, and I resolved that, whatever might happen to me in the future, I must not bear any hatred toward others. This determination has perhaps acted as a prayer, for I have been able to come safely through any number of trials. And now I am faced with no such difficulties.

Whose aid was it that allowed me to escape death from hunger when I was exiled to the province of Sado, or that makes it possible for me to recite the Lotus Sutra here in the mountains as I have up until now? It is your aid alone. And if we inquire who has made it possible for you to offer this aid, we would have to say that it is your lord, the lay priest Ema. Though he himself is not aware of this fact, it has undoubtedly acted as a prayer on my behalf. And if that is so, then your lord’s prayer has also become a prayer on your behalf as well.

Moreover, it is thanks to your lord that you have been able to fulfill your obligations to your parents. Regardless of what might happen, it would not be right to leave the service of someone to whom you are so indebted. If he repeatedly rejects you, then there is no help for it. But you yourself must not abandon him, no matter how your life may be endangered.

The passage from the sutra that I quoted above says that those who do not understand their obligations may meet with an untimely death. Conversely, those who discharge their filial duties will not meet with such a death.

The bird known as the cormorant is capable of eating iron, but though its insides can digest iron, they do no harm to the unborn chicks in the body of the mother. There are fish that eat pebbles, but this does not kill the unspawned young in the fish’s body. The tree called sandalwood cannot be burned by fire, and the fire in the heavens of purity cannot be quenched by water. The body of Shakyamuni Buddha could not be burned, though thirty-two strong men applied torches to it, and when fire emanated from the Buddha’s body, the dragon deities of the threefold world all poured down rain in an effort to put it out, but it would not be extinguished.

Now you have aided Nichiren in his acts of merit. Therefore, it will be very difficult for evil persons to do you harm. And if by chance something should happen to you, then you may be certain that it is a retribution in this present life for the hatred that you manifested in some previous existence toward a votary of the Lotus Sutra. Retribution of that kind can never be avoided, no matter how deep one may be within the mountains or how far away at sea. That is why Bodhisattva Never Disparaging was attacked with sticks and staves, and why the Venerable Maudgalyāyana was killed by a group of Brahmans of the Bamboo Staff school. Therefore, what cause have you to grieve?

 

Lecture

 

 

Chapter8(Teaching Meticulous Caution)

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To avoid unforeseen troubles, it is best to endure patiently. After you read this letter, during the hundred days that follow, you must not heedlessly go out drinking at night with your associates or others at places besides your own home. If your lord should summon you during the daytime, then go to him with all haste. But if the summons should come at night, then plead some sudden illness for the first three times he calls you. If he persists in calling you more than three times, then inform your retainers or someone else and have them watch out for trouble at the crossroads before you set out to answer the summons.

If you conduct yourself with such circumspection, and the Mongols attack our country in the meantime, then people’s feelings toward you will change from what they were before, and they will no longer think of attacking you as they would an enemy.

With regard to what you have written me, even if you should be at fault, you should not think lightly of leaving your lord’s service—even less so if you are guilty of no error. In that case you must pay no heed, regardless of what others may say.

As for your desire to become a lay priest, you may do so in the future. Even then, if circumstances should arise that do not suit you in body or mind, evil influences will again seek to work upon you. These days there are women who become nuns in order to deceive others, and men who become lay priests and commit great evil. You must never become involved in such matters.

Even though you suffer from no illness, you should receive moxibustion treatment on one or two places on your body so that later you can plead illness should it become necessary. And if some kind of disturbance should occur, for the time being send someone else to observe what is going on.

It is difficult to write down all that I would like to tell you. That is why I have not gone into matters of doctrine here. As for the sutra, I will copy p.688it out for you when the weather gets a little cooler.

With my deep respect,

Nichiren

The fifteenth day of the seventh month in the second year of Kenji (1276), cyclical sign hinoe-ne

Reply to Shijō Kingo

 

Lecture