The Unanimous Declaration by the Buddhas of the Three Existencesregarding the Classification of the Teachings and Which Are to Be Abandoned and Which Upheld Chapter18

Written by Nichiren

The teachings pertaining to the Buddha’s enlightenment and those intended for the instruction and conversion of others produce very different results because of the differences in power and function. The first volume of Profound Meaning states: “When Prince Siddhārtha stretched the bow of the king, his grandfather, to its full extent, this was an example of power or strength. And when the arrow he discharged pierced seven iron drums, went through one of the Iron Encircling Mountains, dug a hole in the earth, and reached as far as the circle of water,⁴¹ this was an example of function or activity.” (This illustrates the power and function of the teachings pertaining to the Buddha’s enlightenment.)

“The power and function of the various expedient teachings are paltry and weak in a way that is comparable to the bow and arrow of an ordinary person. This is because, though those who have in the past received from the Buddha the two types of wisdom⁴² associated with the teachings intended for the instruction and conversion of others, their understanding of principle is not complete, the faith engendered in them is not deep in nature, and their doubts have not yet been fully dispelled.” (This applies to the teachings intended for the instruction and conversion of others.)

“But now when one forms a relationship with the Lotus Sutra, one receives the two types of wisdom associated with the teachings pertaining to the Buddha’s enlightenment, experiences to the full the realm of Buddhahood, calls up faith in the essential nature of phenomena, broadens the way of the perfect and wonderful teaching, cuts off all fundamental delusions, and frees oneself from transmigration marked by change and advance. Not only do those bodhisattvas who have been able to carry out religious practice in their present bodily form, and those who have done so and also attained the realization of the non-birth and non-extinction of all phenomena, benefit from this, but those who have just begun to manifest the essential nature of phenomena, and who have done so and advanced to the higher stages of religious practice,⁴³ likewise benefit from it. This practice is highly effective in spreading the teachings abroad and brings benefits that are widespread and profound. Such is the power and function of this, the Lotus Sutra.” (This refers to the teaching pertaining to the Buddha’s enlightenment.)

One need hardly point out that the power and function pertaining to these two kinds of teachings, those intended for the instruction and conversion of others and those pertaining to the Buddha’s enlightenment, clearly differ greatly in their relative merits. One should pay very close attention to this passage, for it reflects as in a mirror the proper system of classification to be applied to all the sacred teachings of the Buddha’s lifetime.

To “experience to the full the realm of Buddhahood” refers to the doctrine of the ten factors. One comes to fully realize and understand that these ten factors and the Ten Worlds are mutually inclusive, that the causes and effects of the Ten Worlds and the ten factors, the two types of wisdom, provisional and true, and the two kinds of realms are all contained within one’s own life, within everyone’s life without exception, and hence one can fully comprehend the Buddha’s words.⁴⁴

To “call up faith in the essential nature of phenomena” means to have faith that the Thus Come One of original enlightenment is present within one’s own life as the embodiment of the Ten Worlds, as the mind of the Ten Worlds, as the form of the Ten Worlds.⁴⁵

To “broaden the way of the perfect and wonderful teaching” is to broaden and enlarge one’s thoughts of rejoicing over the fact that, since the two types of teachings, the teachings intended for the instruction and conversion of others and those pertaining to the Buddha’s enlightenment, are teachings that are inseparable, fusing with and interpenetrating one another, they are comparable to the three virtues inherent in a single jewel, namely, the jewel itself, its brilliance, and its precious nature; that these two practices are never for a moment separate from one another, and that there is nothing lacking in the teachings of the Buddha, so that one is thus assured of attaining Buddhahood in the course of a single lifetime.

To “cut off all fundamental delusions” means to open one’s eyes that have from instant to instant been in the sleep of ignorance, and to return to the awakening of original enlightenment, so that both the sufferings of birth and death and nirvana become like yesterday’s dreams, not a trace of them remaining.

To “free oneself from transmigration marked by change and advance” has the following meaning. There are persons who gain rebirth in one or other of the three lands, the paradise of the Land of Sages and Ordinary Mortals, the paradise of the Land of Transition, and the paradise of the Land of Actual Reward. In these lands they practice the bodhisattva way, hoping to attain Buddhahood. They build up causes through their practice, they gain different results, and step by step they advance upward, hoping over the course of numerous kalpas to attain the far-off goal of Buddhahood. This is what is meant by “transmigration marked by change and advance.” In this realm, to abandon the form associated with a lower level is called “death,” and to move up to a higher level is called “birth.” This process of birth and death is in fact pain and suffering in the pure lands.

But now if we who are ordinary mortals in this land of defilement practice the Lotus Sutra, then, because of the mutual possession of the Ten Worlds and the equality of all in the phenomenal realm, we will be able to free ourselves from the necessity of transmigration marked by change and advance, through which bodhisattvas in the pure lands [advance toward the far-off goal of Buddhahood]. We will increase our practices of the Buddha way and will be able to compress the process of [kalpas of] transmigration marked by change and advance into a single lifetime, and thus attain Buddhahood. Therefore, [when they form a relationship with the Lotus Sutra] bodhisattvas who carry out religious practice in their present bodily form, and those who do so and also attain the realization of the non-birth and non-extinction of all phenomena, may increase their practice of the way and free themselves from the sufferings of birth and death.

“Bodhisattvas who have just begun to manifest the essential nature of phenomena” refers to those who have cast off their bodily form and are dwelling in the Land of Actual Reward. Bodhisattvas “who have advanced to the higher stages of religious practice” refers to those who have reached the stage of near-perfect enlightenment.

The theoretical teaching of the Lotus Sutra can benefit bodhisattvas who have been able to carry out religious practice in their bodily form, and those who have done so and have also attained the realization of the non-birth and non-extinction of all phenomena. The essential teaching of the Lotus Sutra can benefit bodhisattvas who have just begun to manifest the essential nature of phenomena, and those who have done so and advanced to the higher stages of religious practice.

But now the theoretical teaching has been opened up and merged with the essential teaching to form the one wonderful Law. Therefore we ordinary mortals in this land of defilement can use the power of our religious practice to benefit bodhisattvas who have attained rebirth in the pure lands and advanced through the ten stages of development or have reached the stage of near-perfect enlightenment.

Therefore this practice is highly effective in spreading the teachings abroad. (This refers to the function of the teaching for the instruction and conversion of others.) And it brings benefits that are widespread and profound. (This refers to the function of the teaching pertaining to the Buddha’s enlightenment.)

The person who practices the teaching of perfect and immediate enlightenment embodies the teachings for the instruction and conversion of others and the teachings pertaining to the Buddha’s enlightenment in each moment of life, without lacking any of them. Thus on a horizontal plane the effects of the practice spread throughout the phenomenal realm of the ten directions. Therefore the effects of this practice are described as “widespread.” And on a vertical plane, these effects extend over the three existences of past, present, and future, reaching to the utmost depth of the essential nature of phenomena, and therefore they are described as “profound.”

Such, then, are the power and function of the teachings pertaining to the Buddha’s enlightenment set forth in this sutra, the Lotus. The sutras intended for the instruction and conversion of others do not include this teaching pertaining to the Buddha’s enlightenment, and hence may be likened to a bird that cannot fly through the sky because it has only one wing. Thus no one has ever attained Buddhahood through these sutras.

But now the Lotus Sutra has opened up and merged the two types of teachings, one for the instruction and conversion of others and the other pertaining to the Buddha’s enlightenment, so that it is lacking in nothing. It is like a bird with two wings that flies without hindrance. That is to say, through this sutra Buddhahood can be attained without delay.

In the “Medicine King” chapter of the Lotus Sutra, ten similes are employed to indicate how superior is the power and function of the teachings pertaining to the Buddha’s enlightenment in comparison to the teachings intended for the instruction and conversion of others. The first of these likens the other sutras to the various rivers and streams, and the Lotus Sutra to the great ocean. (This summarizes the meaning of the passage.) For in truth, although the various waters that are the sutras concerned with instruction and conversion of others flow unceasingly day and night into the great ocean that is the Lotus Sutra, the teaching pertaining to the Buddha’s enlightenment, the ocean never grows in size or diminishes. In this it displays the wondrous nature of its function. But the various waters that are the other sutras cannot even for an instant encompass the great ocean of the Lotus Sutra. The relative superiority of the teachings pertaining to the Buddha’s enlightenment as compared to the teachings for instruction and conversion of others is thus as indicated in this simile. This one simile may be taken as representative of the others in the series.

These similes just mentioned are all expounded by the Buddha himself and are not mixed in with comments from others. If we correctly understand their meaning, then we will have before us a clear and unclouded mirror reflecting the true nature of the sacred teachings of the Buddha’s lifetime. Who can read these passages of the sutra and its commentary and still remain in doubt and confusion?

This is the unanimous declaration handed down from the Buddhas of the three existences. There is no reason for others to intrude themselves in an effort to interpret its meaning. It represents the original intention for which the Buddhas of the three existences made their appearance in the world, the direct road by which all living beings may attain Buddhahood.